In truth, the number of medicines in this world capable of rapid regeneration could be counted on one hand.

The few Gu Insects were all emaciated, which was why Sunx Fuping hadn’t been able to use them for a quick recovery after the Crossbow Cannon had riddled him with wounds. In the end, he’d had to rely on the grace of the Deities.

Now, he would make Hee Lingchuan his Blood Bull, and while he was at it, let the boy taste the agony of the Heart and Brain Devourer.

Hee Lingchuan, covered head-to-toe in scratches, was still unaware that a foreign object had invaded his body. Just then, another Demon Bird descended from the sky, landing right beside him.

The bird cocked its head, looking at him as if in thought.

Hee Lingchuan didn’t have time for this. "Kill him!" he yelled. "Helping me is helping yourself!"

The Demon Bird heard him but didn’t turn. Instead, with a rustle, it released several bats. Its body was composed of a swarm of bats, so this was an easy feat.

The bats swarmed over Hee Lingchuan’s wounds, immediately biting down and drinking his blood.

A numb, itching sensation spread over him—but there was no pain. "Hey! What are you doing?!" the young man cried in alarm.

The Demon Bird, of course, did not answer. It merely spread its wings, preparing to take flight.

Hee Lingchuan had no time to worry about anything else. He drew his saber and hacked at the mesh of the net.

The Silk Rope might look delicate and pliable, but it was actually forged from Blood Silk and the core of a three-hundred-year-old Iron Vine. It was several times harder than steel wire, impervious to water, fire, blades, and axes.

After two fruitless slashes, Hee Lingchuan remembered the Treasure Saber he had just acquired. ’If not now, when?’ he thought.

It turned out that newer really was better. The moment the Treasure Saber was unsheathed, it sliced through the Silk Rope as easily as if it were a fishing net.

In a few quick moves, he broke free from the fishing net—no, the Silk Rope—and leaped onto the Demon Bird’s back. "Give me a ride!"

The Demon Bird buckled under his weight and instinctively tried to throw him off, but for some reason, it changed its mind. It flapped its wings and began a running takeoff.

Its body was massive; it couldn’t take off vertically and needed to build momentum with a leap to get airborne.

Sunx Fuping grew frantic. In the midst of the chaos, he tapped his Magic Staff. The beast-head pommel opened its mouth and spat out a volley of Fireballs, shooting like a Chain Cannon toward the Demon Bird beneath Hee Lingchuan. While not as powerful as a Siege Cannon, they were more than capable of shredding the creature’s wings or blasting Hee Lingchuan half to death.

Assuming they could hit their mark.

Other Demon Birds were already circling nearby. Seeing the attack, they dove, shielding Hee Lingchuan with their own bodies.

Not a single one of the dozen or so Fireballs hit him.

His quarry’s temporary mount soared into the air. Sunx Fuping’s face was grim as he prepared to press the attack, but a dozen men suddenly rushed up from behind. Their leader roared, "Stop!"

It was Hee Chunhua, who had arrived with his men. The normally gentle and refined Lord Governor was livid. "Sunx Fuping, we risked life and limb for you, only for you to treat us as sacrificial offerings! How can someone so treacherous and vile be worthy of the title National Preceptor?!"

In that moment of hesitation, the Demon Bird flew several dozen feet higher into the air.

Sunx Fuping sighed to himself, knowing the best opportunity to capture Hee Lingchuan was lost. Even if he had other methods of pursuit, the other Demon Birds protecting the boy were not to be trifled with.

As Hee Lingchuan ascended with his mount, his heart still pounding from his narrow escape, he saw his father arrive on the battlefield and was overjoyed. "Dad, he’s not the National Preceptor!"

Hee Chunhua froze, his anger momentarily forgotten. "What?"

"Go down!" Hee Lingchuan wanted to rejoin his father, but the Demon Bird paid him no mind, continuing to fly higher and higher.

"He’s never used a Society Command!" As the distance between them grew, Hee Lingchuan had to shout at the top of his lungs. "He can’t manipulate fortune! Kill him! Beat him to death!"

The news was staggering. Hee Chunhua had met Sunx Fuping in the Capital City before and was certain he was the genuine article. But on reflection, it seemed that after entering Black Water City, Sunx Fuping had indeed never used his own Society Command to perform Magic. He had either borrowed Nian Songyu’s or Hee Chunhua’s.

When someone had questioned this, he had explained that he feared the aura on the yuan coins would attract attacks from the Three Corpses Insects and Resentful Souls.

Looking back, it was a definite flaw in his story.

Hee Chunhua was decisive. He pointed at Sunx Fuping and ordered, "Go! Get that fraud!"

Sunx Fuping was so furious his beard trembled. "Hee Chunhua, this is insubordination! Treason! If any of you dare take another step, your entire clans will face death by a thousand cuts!"

In a moment of distraction, a Demon Bird’s sharp beak pecked him, and blood gushed from the wound.

Hee Chunhua laughed. "And we’ll get a better ending if we don’t kill him? Think about the Blood Sacrifice Array! Think about the comrades, our brothers-in-arms, that he sacrificed!"

The horrific deaths of their companions in the Blood Sacrifice Array were still fresh in their minds. At the thought, the men steeled their resolve and prepared to fight to the death.

In truth, Hee Chunhua’s thoughts were identical to his son’s. The Hee father and son had already offended Sunx Fuping beyond any hope of reconciliation. Fraud or not, they had to kill him first and ask questions later. If Sunx Fuping escaped, the Hee Family would face utter annihilation!

With both Sunx and Nian dead, it would actually be easier for Hee Prefect to explain the situation.

Just then, a few more of Hee Chunhua’s subordinates arrived. They had been scattered throughout the Illusion Realm after entering the Pool Well. This particular group had been sent to Panlong City and had rushed over at the sound of battle.

Twenty breaths later, the sound of hoofbeats thundered.

The Great Wind Army had arrived as well, nearly two hundred strong, their faces expressionless.

The men of the Black Water City Army were still apprehensive at the sight of them, but these Heroic Spirits stared intently at Sunx Fuping, completely ignoring everyone else.

The Commander at their head was the first to charge.

Hee Lingchuan had already flown high above. From his vantage point, he could see Sunx Fuping surrounded by layer after layer of bodies, so tightly packed that he was about to be swallowed by the vortex of Demon Birds, the Great Wind Army, and the Black Water City Army.

Anyone with eyes could see that Sunx Fuping was at the end of his rope.

Hee Chunhua said grimly, "These are all Resentful Souls. If the National Preceptor just uses his Society Command, he should be able to turn the tables!"

Yet, even as Hee Lingchuan’s mount flew far into the distance, he never saw the light of a Society Command flash from below.

’So that old bastard really isn’t the National Preceptor anymore?’

As he was taking this in, he suddenly cried out with a HISS of pain. He twisted his head and saw that the bats on his body had gnawed open a wound and were pulling out a black maggot. Ignoring its desperate wriggling, they held it right in front of their host’s eyes.

’From my body?’ He had no idea when he’d been struck. ’What a close call,’ Hee Lingchuan thought. ’I was almost dragged down to the grave with him. That old bastard Sunx is truly venomous.’

He tried to take out his dagger to kill the insects, but the bats bumped it away.

’Can’t kill them? They’re useful?’ It wasn’t his imagination; these bats were definitely intelligent! He had no choice but to find a small, sealable vial and collect the Gu Insects.

The Demon Bird was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it reached the southern battlefield, then descended and dropped him off at the best viewing spot on the city gate.

Situ Han sidled up to him. "Eldest Young Master, the Lord Governor has gone down to the Lower City to look for you!"

"I know, they’re surrounding Old Sunx to kill him," Hee Lingchuan said irritably. "Why didn’t you go with them?"

"Someone had to stay and keep watch, didn’t they?" Situ Han laughed dryly. "We were tricked by the National Preceptor outside. We lost over eighty men, all told! We’re short-staffed now."