The center of Black Cloud City, Purple Cloud Plaza.

The plaza was extremely spacious, its ground entirely paved with bluish-purple Ink Cloud Rock. Under the sunlight, it glittered and shone.

At this moment, the plaza was jam-packed with people, layer upon layer of human walls sealing it off so tightly that not even water could trickle through, easily over a hundred thousand in number.

Everyone craned their necks, peering toward the center of the plaza.

There lay a horizontal iron cage, shrouded in black cloth so that nothing inside could be seen; only a faint, intermittent low sound came from within.

The sound was like some kind of wild beast’s low growl, making the people standing closer turn pale. The sound was filled with a strange bloodlust and cruel aura, as if some peerlessly ferocious thing was locked inside, and once it broke free, it would destroy the world.

"What a terrifying aura, it’s ten times scarier than the Violent Fire Poison Cloud Python, that qi-using Demon Beast I once saw! What on earth is locked in there?"

"Huh, you actually don’t know?" someone said in surprise.

The one who had just spoken was a middle‑aged Saber man wearing a bamboo hat. He said, "I’ve been out doing missions lately. I only got back to Black Cloud City this morning."

"Then you really came back at the right time."

A short‑haired Spearman smiled, his gaze fixed on the black iron cage in the distance, and said, "Locked in that cage is Luo Ying, daughter of the Luo Family branch Family Head. She injured the Wang Family young master, and today the Wang Family is going to behead her here in Purple Cloud Plaza and display the head to the public."

"Luo Ying?"

The middle‑aged Saber man’s eyes went wide. He had grown up in Black Cloud City and naturally knew Luo Ying. "You’re joking. The Luo Family is now one of the six great families of our Flowing Cloud Region. Even if she’s a branch daughter, Luo Ying’s status is far from ordinary. The Wang Family may be powerful, but they wouldn’t dare go this far, would they? Besides, judging from the aura, whatever’s locked in that cage is clearly not human."

Seeing the other doubt him, the Swordsman’s face darkened a little and he snorted, "Why would I lie to you? A day ago, Luo Ying clashed with the Wang Family young master at the west city gate. The Wang Family young master beat Luo Ying’s personal maid half to death, then Luo Ying suddenly went berserk and slaughtered all the Wang Family experts present. Even the Wang Family young master was gravely injured. The Wang Family Head believes Luo Ying has been possessed by some妖物, so he wants to behead her and display the head to eliminate future trouble."

The middle‑aged Saber man frowned slightly. "There’s such a thing?"

Another person beside them licked his lips and said, "He’s not lying. I was at the west city gate at the time. Five peak Meridian Wheel Realm experts from the Wang Family were all killed by Luo Ying alone. Their corpses were mangled beyond recognition—that scene, I’ll never forget it as long as I live. At that time, Luo Ying was practically like a Demon Beast herself..."

As if recalling something terrifying, the speaker’s face turned slightly pale and he stopped talking.

"Could Luo Ying really have been possessed by some妖物?"

"Look, the Wang Family Head and all the core members of the family are here. I doubt it’s just groundless rumor."

"If it’s true, that’s really a pity. She’s so beautiful, and she’s the Luo Family’s young lady. She would have had a bright future ahead of her."

"But Luo Ying is Luo Feng’s cousin. Luo Feng is now a Linglong Hall Inner Sect Disciple and also a top expert on the New Dragon List. The Wang Family is so blatantly going to behead Luo Ying—aren’t they afraid Luo Feng will take revenge?"

"Don’t underestimate the Wang Family. They have close ties with the bandits and brigands on the Northwestern Plains; there are quite a few experts in their residence, and they may not fear Luo Feng. Besides, once someone’s possessed by a妖物, they’re neither human nor ghost. Dying is a kind of release."

"What you say makes sense, but even so, if anything is to be done, it should be done by the Luo Family themselves."

Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from the iron cage, the people in the plaza were both shocked and abuzz with discussion.

In the center of the plaza, all the Wang Family high‑level members were seated.

On the left sat a middle‑aged man in a green robe, his figure thin and gaunt. In his pair of narrow eyes, sharp light flashed from time to time, like a venomous snake hidden in the night. This was precisely the Wang Family Head, Wang Molin.

Squinting up at the sky, Wang Molin frowned slightly, then said to the person on his right without any change in expression:

"Xuekui, it’s almost noon. Why hasn’t any news come yet?"

The man sitting on Wang Molin’s right wore a black cloak, his hat brim pulled low so his face couldn’t be seen. His joints were thick and knobby; he sat sprawled in the seat like a tiger crouching, a dragon coiled. The eyes exposed outside the brim contained a shocking Evil Qi; ordinary people wouldn’t even dare meet his gaze. He was none other than Xuekui, the leader of the Blood Skull Bandit Group on the Northwestern Plains.

"Brother Wang, there’s still some time before noon. No need to worry. My second brother should be back with good news very soon," Xuekui said slowly, staring at the black iron cage.

Wang Molin’s voice was low. "This matter concerns the very lifeblood of my Wang Family. How can I not be worried! That Luo Feng is in his prime; at such a young age he’s already a New Dragon List expert, with limitless prospects. If what you and I did—ambushing and killing Luotian—gets exposed, then no matter how big this world is, there’ll be no place for us to stand!"

"Of course I know that."

Xuekui flicked his fingers and said, "It seems you still don’t understand the Red Fire Three Wolves. Among the bandit groups of the Northwestern Plains, the strength of the Red Fire Three Wolves is among the very top. Especially the head wolf, Red Wolf—his archery can take a person’s life from several li away. He once killed a Fifth‑Layer Spiritual Rotation Realm Martial Artist with a single arrow. Luotian and the two elders of his family probably couldn’t withstand even one of his shots."

Wang Molin took a deep breath. "I’m well aware of the Red Fire Three Wolves’ strength. But..."

"There is no ’but’..."

Xuekui looked at Wang Molin and gave a sinister smile. "As long as the Red Fire Three Wolves kill Luotian, we’ll use the celebration feast as an opportunity to wipe all three of them out—then there’ll be no living witnesses. As for Luo Feng, although he’s strong, he’s still young and lacks rtiad experience. As long as we pin the deaths of Luotian and the others on the Red Fire Three Wolves, everything will be seamless. Once Luotian and the rest die, the Luo Family will definitely fall into chaos. At that time your Wang Family can reclaim its place among the six great families, and I can also avenge my brothers."

Wang Molin knew that from the moment they captured Luo Ying, there was no more room to turn back. He sighed and said:

"Let’s hope it all goes that smoothly."

Xuekui chuckled, then suddenly looked up toward the outer edge of the crowd, pressing his hat brim a bit lower, a sly smile on his face:

"The useless City Lord is here. Luo Ying is Luo Feng’s cousin. If you kill her yourself, I’m afraid there’ll be trouble later. Better to have the City Lord give the order to behead Luo Ying. He’s been jealous lately that Luotian’s talent surpasses his and has been itching to do something earth‑shaking. I doubt he’ll refuse."

Following the sound, Wang Molin looked over, his eyes narrowing slightly as he nodded.

The crowd suddenly parted to both sides as a group of men escorted a middle‑aged man inside.

The middle‑aged man wore brocade robes and carried himself with extreme arrogance. This was the City Lord of Black Cloud City, Gu Yushan.