Chapter 191

It was simply like witnessing the tenth wonder of the world.

Tian Xianzi, who should have been drunk and disoriented, somehow appeared in the City Lord’s Mansion. But his appearance was off, with red and swollen eyes, resembling that of a fugitive murderer on the run for ten years.

He couldn’t still be drunk, could he?

Ning Ning’s sixth sense felt like it had been thrown into a garbage disposal, spun around 720 degrees, and then fermented for forty-nine days with stinky Mandarin fish, stinky tofu, and snail noodles—worse than before.

(T/N:This is a traditional Huizhou folk dish. Stinky mandarin fish smells stinky but tastes very fragrant and tender. The mandarin fish is intact and bright red in color, exuding a pure and special pickled-fresh aroma. The meat is delicate, tender, and mellow.)

“Dear fellow Taoist—”

Tian Xianzi stood where Luo Yuanming had been, grinning at everyone. Because of his unstable stance, he swayed to the side, and his expression twisted like a bowl of wontons.

Thanks to him, the banquet of the righteous sect turned into a report of the murder achievements of the demon clan.

“As we all know, these Ten Method——”

He paused, seemingly forgetting his lines, and pulled out a slip of paper from his sleeve, squinting at it.

“The Ten Method Ritual is a rare event that occurs every few years!”

The Ten Method Ritual, my foot!! What were they here for—a funeral service exchange conference?

Luo Yuanming widened his eyes, almost choking on his breath, wanting to speak but unable to.

“Well, let me see…Let’s repair—”

Tian Xianzi obviously had not yet recovered from his drunken state, and he was staggering as he tried to identify the handwriting on the paper.

His blurred vision made the characters indistinguishable, whether “cultivate” was followed by “immortal,” “true,” or “path.”

After struggling to decipher it for a while, he irritably furrowed his brow and glanced down.

Below the paper were his widely spread feet.

Oh, it wasn’t “immortal,” “true,” or “path.”

He understood now.

The word occupying his entire mind was—

“The Ten Method Ritual is a rare event for us in the shoe-repairing world!”

(T/N: 修 (xiū) meaning to cultivate or can also mean to repair)

Tian Xianzi raised his voice, “And my disciple Ning Ning is a talent in the shoe-repairing world. I am immensely proud of her!”

Numerous shocked gazes fell on Ning Ning, who only wanted to close her eyes and die with dignity.

Luo Yuanming pinched his philtrum hard to keep from fainting.

Meanwhile, Tian Xianzi continued his rambling speech:

“You can’t imagine what happened in the secret realm!”

The City Lord’s Mansion fell deathly silent.

Pei Ji stood expressionlessly in front of Ning Ning, blocking her from the surrounding stares, while she dared not listen any further.

“The secret realm was set up with a Water Mirror Formation by the demon clan. The initial place everyone arrived at was actually the dark side of the formation, where the demons gathered.”

He spoke passionately, gesturing wildly, “It was Ning Ning who detected the core of the formation, fighting the demon lord with her sword for three hundred rounds. Only then did she seriously injure the demon clan and restore peace to the secret realm!”

Fighting. The. Demon. Lord.

Zhen Xiao Sword Master, who usually had the closest relationship with him, looked ashen, his hand trembling as he downed a cup of hot tea.

“Elder Tian Xianzi.”

Despite the odd situation, Luo Yuanming couldn’t embarrass such a renowned figure from the Immortal Sect in public.

Seeing Elder Tian Xianzi suddenly stop speaking, he subtly lowered his voice, just enough for the two of them to hear, “Elder Tian Xianzi, this is the moment to call Ning Ning to the stage so I can present her award.”

Elder Tian Xianzi nodded, his head moving stiffly like a broken robot, scanning the crowd. Because Ning Ning was hidden behind Pei Ji, he didn’t see the familiar girl he was looking for.

“But Ning Ning—”

He tilted his head, his face full of confusion, and said blankly to Luo Yuanming, “Ning Ning is no longer here. Even if you call her name, no one will come up…”

The elders were shocked, the disciples were stunned, and the scene descended into chaos.

No longer here.

—Oh Gods!! Ning Ning is dead?!

Junior Sister Ning Ning of the Xuanxu Sword Sect, she… she died from her injuries after fighting the demon lord?! Was the mishap at the secret realm’s exit the last time they saw her?!

No wonder she looked different that day. Could it have been… her final burst of energy before death?!

Ning Ning’s vision darkened, and she gripped Pei Ji’s sleeve tightly, trying to breathe deeply.

People not near her sighed in regret, while the disciples beside her glanced over, faces filled with horror, and subtly stepped back.

Then they heard Elder Tian Xianzi’s rough voice again: “Young friends, don’t lose heart. No matter how unknown you are now, if you train diligently, you too can end up like Ning Ning. One day, your head will fall off, and you will become a phoenix burning with desire!”

This time, it wasn’t just Luo Yuanming; the entire hall erupted.

Who would want to lose their head like her?

“This guy is crazy!”

Lin Qian shouted in horror, “Quick, someone stop him!”

“Did he mean to say ‘rise to prominence’ and ‘reborn from the ashes’?”

Qu Feiqing immediately saw through it and said, “He’s drunk.”

“Elder Tian Xianzi, what’s wrong with you?!”

Luo Yuanming’s face turned pale as he rushed forward to stop him.

Unexpectedly, Elder Tian Xianzi turned his head sharply, and the ferocious and crazy murderous intent in his eyes made Luo Yuanming too scared to approach.

That look was terrifying.

The guards in the City Lord’s Mansion moved in response, thinking Elder Tian Xianzi was about to draw his sword.

But he only gave a cold laugh, stepped back, and said, “What are you doing? Trying to catch me? No way!”

Everyone at the banquet watched as Elder Tian Xian continued doing backflips away from the guards, finally reaching the mansion’s stable.

He fled; they chased him; he had nowhere to go.

Surrounded, Elder Tian Xianzi surprisingly remained calm. He leaped onto a cornered horse, grabbed the reins, and, with overwhelming bravado, shouted, “Brother good horse, you’ve always been ridden by others. Today, I’ll let you ride me! Let’s run away!”

His coquettishness finally turned into a knife, stabbing him.

Inside and outside the City Lord’s Mansion, everyone was stunned.

—Help! Elder Tian Xianzi, without a word, hoisted a horse, spun it around in the air, and and ran towards the street amid the horse’s screams like a pig being slaughtered!

On the streets, people and horses were thrown into disarray. The horse, bouncing on his shoulder and foaming at the mouth out of fear, wailed as Elder Tian Xianzi’s wild laughter echoed far and wide.

His ferocity was unmatched, earning him the title of “Immortal Sect’s Number One Horse-Abusing Beheading Maniac,” a legacy that would be remembered for ages.

“Senior Sister Ning Ning, please save them!”

Lin Xun, huddled in a corner, was either deeply moved or terrified by Elder Tian Xianzi, sobbing uncontrollably, “If even Master ends up like this… what kind of trouble will Senior Sister Zheng and Senior Brother He cause in the ‘Hundred Flowers Deep’!”