Yin Wudao

However, there was no need for him to run any errands.

Just as Chen Zhou’s voice fell.

"Dong—"

A dull toll of a bell echoed, causing the crimson rain falling from the sky to freeze for a split second.

From the darkness at the end of the street, rows of deathly white palace lanterns suddenly lit up.

The lights resembled a dragon winding its way toward them.

A massive sixteen-bearer sedan, surrounded by a throng of pale-faced palace maids and eunuchs with rouged cheeks, slowly emerged from the shadows.

A clear, pleasant voice drifted from the sedan, piercing through the curtain of rain.

"A noble guest has arrived, yet Wudao failed to welcome you from afar. It is truly a sin."

As the voice reached them, the light gauze of the sedan was lifted.

A young man wearing ming yellow casual robes stepped out.

He had a handsome face and a refined aura. He wore no crown, his hair simply tied back in a casual manner.

Over his left eye, a thin piece of gauze was tied; a few streaks of blood could be faintly seen behind it.

After Yin Wudao stepped off the sedan, he allowed the red rain to fall upon him without the slightest concern.

He walked quickly to Chen Zhou, glanced at the enforcers kneeling on the ground, then looked at Chen Zhou. The smile on his face grew even wider.

"The Lord of Two Domains, the Bone Temple God, graces us with his presence. It makes the filth that fills this city seem a bit cleaner."

Yin Wudao bowed slightly with his hands cupped. His posture was extremely humble, lacking any of the haughtiness expected of a crown prince.

"Zhao Gao was ignorant this morning and offended Your Divinity; he deserved his death."

"I have already ordered his spirit tablet in the palace to be split apart and sent to the kitchens to be burned as firewood. I hope this might dissipate the anger in Your Divinity’s heart."

As he spoke, his tone was casual, as if he were discussing common weeds by the roadside.

Watching the man before him, Chen Zhou felt a slight chill in his heart.

This person was not simple.

It wasn't just because Chen Zhou could see at a glance that he had just reached the seventh-stage and had yet to form his first symbiosis contract.

It was because Chen Zhou had blinded one of his eyes from across a great distance and killed his personal eunuch, yet this man showed no killing intent upon meeting. Instead, he greeted him with a smiling face and even took the initiative to humble himself so low.

He was either a heartless fool or a deeply calculating madman.

Chen Zhou did not believe Yin Wudao was the former.

"The Crown Prince is too polite."

Chen Zhou also smiled, though his smile was hidden in the shadows, making it hard to discern.

"This deity is a crude man and does not understand much etiquette. My hand slipped last night and injured one of the Crown Prince’s eyes. You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind?"

Yin Wudao touched the white gauze over his left eye and chuckled. His finger touched a bit of the seeping blood, and he brought it to his mouth to suck on it.

"How could I mind?"

"This eye had grown used to seeing the hypocrisy and filth of this world; I didn't want it anymore."

"The palace is a cold and lonely place. I kept it before because it was somewhat interesting to watch those ants struggle bitterly just to stay alive."

"But after watching for so long, I grew tired of it."

"Your Divinity helped me destroy it and rid me of a karmic obstacle. I cannot thank you enough."

"Furthermore..."

Yin Wudao suddenly took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Chen Zhou, a nearly fanatical light flickering within them.

"If one eye can bring a powerhouse like Your Divinity into the game, then forget one eye—even taking this head of mine would be worth it."

"Divine Lord, please."

Yin Wudao stepped aside and made a welcoming gesture toward the luxurious sedan.

"A banquet has been prepared in the palace. My father is in seclusion, so I shall be the host tonight."

Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow. That worked; it suited his intentions to see exactly what was in the palace that could make the dragon carp so agitated.

"Fine."

Chen Zhou responded and strode toward the sedan.

Wu Gou and Little Pig followed closely behind. When Wu Gou passed by Yin Wudao, he specifically glanced at the injured eye and clicked his tongue twice.

Song Zi'an, carrying the massive black wok on his back, hesitated for a moment before hardening his heart and following.

Yin Wudao looked at Song Zi'an but did not ask questions. He simply waved his hand at his servants.

"Since the Divine Lord said the road should be cleaned, then do not leave any eyesores behind."

"Do not spoil the guest's mood."

"Understood!"

As Chen Zhou’s group boarded the sedan, the grand procession turned and headed toward the depths of the imperial palace.

On the street, the few remaining enforcers were still trembling, thinking they had escaped a disaster.

The enforcer who had spoken up earlier about reporting the situation watched the departing sedan, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and let out a long breath.

"Damn, that scared the life out of me."

"Just who is this Lord of Two Domains?"

"Even the Crown Prince was blinded in one eye by him, yet he’s still so polite?"

A subordinate leaned in, looking at the blood and strawman on the ground, and asked cautiously.

"Boss, do we head back to the Ministry of Justice to report now?"

The small leader was about to nod when he suddenly noticed that the palace maids and eunuchs beside the sedan had not all left. A few remained, walking toward them with expressionless faces.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Didn't you hear the Crown Prince? The ground must be washed clean!"

"How do we wash it?"

"With blood, of course!"

The palace maids suddenly lunged, their fingernails growing long like blades, instantly piercing the chests of the enforcers.

At the same time, the old ghost who had previously offered up the death-exemption wooden plate and reported his own nephew was hiding behind a door crack, peeking out.

Suddenly, the door was burst open by a massive force.

"Since the Crown Prince said to wash the streets, we must be thorough."

"They offended the guest; it was the fault of the Ministry of Justice. They must show some sincerity."

"This old ghost must have accumulated quite a bit of karmic sin on his body as well, right?"

A palace maid smiled sinisterly as she walked toward the terrified old ghost.

"Perfect. We'll clean him up too. Skin him and pair him with that nephew from just now. It’s only right to let uncle and nephew reunite."

"No—!!!"

Wails rang out once more on the street.

But no one dared to poke their head out to look. Even the sound of the red rain seemed to drown out those shrill cries.

The gauze-draped sedan slowly drove into the inner palace.

The red rain here seemed even heavier than outside, pattering against the bone sedan roof with a crackling sound.

The moment they entered the palace gates, Chen Zhou sensed something strange.

He realized that the closer he got to the depths of the palace, the more "black smoke" billowed from his body, making him look like a chimney on fire.

Inside the Pool of Fortune and Longevity, the dragon carp had become so excited it could hardly contain itself.

Chen Zhou frowned, doing his best to suppress the black smoke on the surface of his body.

Sitting beside him, Wu Gou noticed the unusual state of Chen Zhou’s body. He leaned in and whispered.

"What’s wrong?"

"I see the merit on your body is quite restless. Is there something wrong with those little fish of yours?"

Chen Zhou didn't hide it from him, replying via voice transmission: "The dragon carp suddenly became very excited, as if it has reached some sort of blessed land."

"Excited?"

Wu Gou raised an eyebrow. He lifted a corner of the curtain, glanced at the dark and deep palace complex outside, then looked at the ground beneath their feet.

"Then it makes sense."

"Beneath this place lies a dragon vein."