Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 589 Play hard to get
Although Liang Jin can now impress Mu Shanqing with his knowledge, he still needs to take their relationship to the next level if he wants Mu Shanqing to work for him.

He was originally worried about how to strengthen the relationship.

When Liang Jin keenly sensed Mu Shanqing's slight admiration for him, he knew he had to seize this fleeting opportunity to transform this budding "admiration" into a stronger and more advantageous connection for himself!

Although Mushan Qing was plain-looking, Liang Jin did not value appearance; he valued ability more.

In the blink of an eye, Liang Jin had an idea.

He calmly finished explaining Han Tong's question, and while the boy was deep in thought and processing it, he suddenly stood up, dusted off his robes, and addressed the crowd:
"Please rest here for a while and let your horses drink water to relieve their fatigue."

"While I was explaining, I suddenly remembered something. I need to go to Yandong City to buy a few useful items. I'll be right back."

His tone was casual and natural, as if it were truly just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

No one suspected anything and nodded in agreement.

Liang Jin mounted his horse, flicked the reins, and galloped towards the Yandong City Gate not far away, quickly disappearing into the shadows of the gate opening.

The forest floor returned to calm, with only the occasional neighing of horses.

Time passed slowly, the sun began to set in the west, and the shadows of the trees grew longer and longer.

An hour passed, and Liang Jin still hadn't returned.

Mushan Qing leaned against the tree trunk, his gaze seemingly fixed on the dust rising on the distant official road, but his mind was somewhat wandering.

Mr. Song... what did you go to buy?

Why has it been delayed for so long?

Yan Dongcheng is just a small city, what could possibly be worth making a special trip for him?
A faint sense of doubt and...anxiety of waiting arose in her heart, which she herself was unaware of.

at last.

As the heat reached its peak, the familiar sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.

Liang Jin appeared at the end of the official road, riding his horse towards them.

The inexplicable anxiety in Kiyama Sei's heart quietly dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief.

As Liang Jin rode closer, she dismounted, a faint smile involuntarily appearing on her face, and casually asked:
"Mr. Song has been gone for quite some time now. I wonder what new and useful items he has bought?"

This was merely a polite greeting to break the silence of waiting; she wasn't expecting any particular answer.

however.

Liang Jin's movements stopped.

He didn't look at anyone else, but turned around directly, his deep, bright eyes looking straight at Kiyama Ao with an unprecedented focus and gentleness.

"The items I purchased during this trip to the city were for Miss Mu."

Liang Jin's voice wasn't loud, but it had a peculiar magnetism.

"For me?!"

Kiyama Sei's faint smile froze instantly, and his heart pounded wildly as if it had been squeezed hard by an invisible hand!

A surge of surprise, astonishment, and a strong sense of embarrassment at being exposed in public rushed to my head!
Almost instinctively, with a hint of panic, she looked around.

All eyes were more or less on her.

This caused the temperature of her cheeks to rise sharply!

She forcefully suppressed the turmoil in her heart, striving to maintain her usual cool and calm expression, even carrying a hint of deliberate aloofness and slight anger; her voice also turned colder.
“I…I have nothing to lack.”

Liang Jin, however, seemed to ignore Mu Shanqing's displeasure.

Instead of backing down, he dismounted and, with steady steps and an unwavering determination, approached Mushan Qing step by step! His tall figure stretched out in the setting sun, bringing an invisible sense of oppression.

“I still remember that just yesterday, when Miss Mu looked at the dry sky of Changzhou, which was cloudless for thousands of miles, she sighed softly and said that she had not seen a rainbow for a long time since she came here, and she felt quite regretful.”

Liang Jin said loudly.

Mushan Qing's pupils contracted slightly. It was indeed a casual remark she had made during a chat along the way, one that she herself had almost forgotten.

Liang Jin continued, his tone becoming increasingly gentle, yet every word struck at her defenses:

"Miss Mu also said that she once lived alone in the mountains and loved the view of a rainbow stretching across the sky after the rain, colorful and beautiful like a dream."

"I often sit quietly for half a day, just to watch it change and dissipate."

His eyes were deep, as if they could see through time:

“When Mr. Song heard this, he immediately remembered it.”

"So today, taking advantage of the opportunity to enter the city, I thought I must buy a rainbow for Miss Mu."

Buy a rainbow?!

Upon hearing this, not only was Kiyama Sei completely stunned.

Even Zhong Lihan and Fei Biao, who were watching the show from the sidelines, and Han Tong, who was immersed in learning, all widened their eyes, their faces filled with absurdity and disbelief.

rainbow?

That is the creation of heaven and earth, the essence of clouds and water, how could it be bought with ordinary gold and silver?
Is Mr. Song perhaps delirious from the heat?
Upon hearing this, Kiyama Sei felt a rush of blood to his head, and his cheeks instantly turned as red as a ripe shrimp!

Shame, anger, surprise, doubt, and a barely perceptible flutter of excitement stirred by these almost absurd words—a feeling she herself refused to acknowledge—swirled within her chest!

She watched Liang Jin relentlessly closing in, her gaze shifting between complex emotions. At times, she wanted to sternly rebuke him for his recklessness and rudeness, but at other times, she was touched by the hidden intentions in his words.
Ultimately, all the emotions culminated in a strong, offended anger.

She bit her lower lip sharply, forcibly suppressing her turbulent emotions. Her face was frosty, her voice as cold as ice, carrying a resolute rebuke:
"Mr. Song's statement is utterly absurd!"

"simply……"

She emphasized her words again, enunciating each one clearly:
"Light, buoyant, extremely!"

The atmosphere froze completely, leaving only the rustling sound of hot wind sweeping through the gravel.

By this time, everyone finally realized Liang Jin's offensive against Mu Shanqing.

Zhongli Han and Fei Biao exchanged a glance, their teasing intensifying; they were practically ready to grab a stool and start snacking on sunflower seeds.

Han Tong blinked his clear, large eyes, glanced at Mu Shanqing's somber face, then at Liang Jin's resolute expression, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. Thinking he had found the answer, he excitedly interjected:
"Sir! Did you buy some clean water?"

"Spraying water mist at a specific angle under sunlight can refract it into a rainbow!"

His gaze remained fixed on Mushan Qing's face, which was made even more vivid by embarrassment and anger, as if everything around him had ceased to exist.

His voice was deep and gentle, with a strange penetrating power, each word clearly reaching her ears:

"Do not."

"Such rainbows are fleeting, too ethereal, like a mirage, difficult to grasp."

He continued walking slowly toward Kiyama Ao.

His steps were steady, carrying an irresistible determination.

"And what I want to give to Miss Mu..."

"It can be held in the palm of one's hand."

"Though time may pass, we will remain together for a long time..."

"rainbow."

His steps stopped in front of Mushan Qing, his tall figure almost engulfing her.

Under Mu Shanqing's astonished, wary, and slightly panicked gaze, Liang Jin suddenly reached out and grabbed her left wrist, which she instinctively tried to pull back!
"presumptuous!"

Mu Shanqing's expression changed drastically. The pressure of a third-rank expert erupted instantly, and his true energy surged, about to shake this unscrupulous person away!

She never imagined that this person would dare to be so bold!

But would Liang Jin let her have her way?
His hands, however, were like iron clamps forged from the toughest alloy, containing a tremendous force far beyond his apparent strength!

Mushan Qing's powerful true energy, strong enough to shatter refined iron, crashed into it, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea!

She was in excruciating pain in her wrist and couldn't break free at all!
This sudden and overwhelming suppression of power shocked her, and for the first time, true horror appeared in her eyes!
Just as Kiyama Sei was filled with shock and anger, and was about to unleash a deadly move regardless of everything,

Liang Jin's other hand had already swiftly reached into his robes.

Under the curious, surprised, and even slightly nervous gazes of everyone, he took out an object.

It was a piece of crystal.

It is about the length of a finger, crystal clear, without any complicated carvings, but simply polished into a smooth, angular triangular prism shape.

Sunlight streamed through it, casting several clear spots of light on Liang Jin's palm.

A hint of undisguised disappointment flashed across Zhong Lihan and Fei Biao's eyes.

Although the crystal was crystal clear, it was nothing special in the eyes of these people who were used to seeing rare and precious things.

In particular, the polishing technique, while neat, lacked any master craftsmanship, clearly indicating that Liang Jin did it himself.

Simply put, this item is neither valuable nor exquisite.

Fei Biao couldn't help but lean close to Zhong Lihan's ear and whisper in a very low voice:
"Song Yingxiong's scholarship is truly profound and transcendent; we admire that."

"But his methods for pursuing women... tsk tsk, he's probably not even as good as my neighbor's kid!"

"Who is Miss Mu? This crude thing is just adding fuel to the fire!"

This Mu Shanqing clearly comes from an extraordinary background and has extremely high standards; such ordinary things are unlikely to catch her eye.

Only truly rare and priceless treasures could possibly earn her her attention.

at this time.

But then she saw Liang Jin gently place the crystal triangular prism above her fair, jade-like palm, which had been forcibly opened.

Then, Liang Jin turned slightly to the side and adjusted the angle of the crystal so that it was precisely aligned with the still intense, slanting western sunlight.

next moment.

The miracle happened!
When that beam of golden sunlight pierced through the seemingly ordinary triangular crystal, it seemed to be imbued with magic!

A clear, bright rainbow, perfectly arranged from the seven colors of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet, was a miniature yet complete rainbow, as if cut down from the heavens by the hand of a god, and projected onto Mushan Qing's slightly trembling palm with utmost precision and gentleness!
The rainbow-colored light flowed and danced on her fair skin, its pure colors breathtaking.

The edges were as clear as the most exquisite traditional Chinese painting, as if she were holding a frozen, miniature wonder of nature in her hands!

hiss--!
Dead!

Absolute silence!
Even the horses seemed to fall silent in amazement at this miraculous scene!
Immediately following was a series of synchronized gasps of shock!
Zhong Lihan opened his mouth wide enough to fit a duck egg; Fei Biao's eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out.

Tong was so excited that her face turned red, her hands clenched tightly together, and she murmured unconsciously:

"This...how is this possible?!"

"He actually... placed the rainbow in the palm of Miss Mu's hand!"

As for Mu Shanqing, this knowledgeable and resolute third-rank master, he was also completely shocked by the scene in his palm!

She forgot to struggle, forgot to be angry, forgot the pain in her wrist, forgot everything around her!
She just stared blankly, incredulously, almost obsessively, at the small, yet incredibly real, band of seven-colored light on her palm.

The vibrant colors, as if possessing some kind of magic, pierced through her layers of cold outer shell, reaching a soft and hidden corner deep within her heart.

That was her pure love and longing for rainbows after the rain when she lived alone in the mountains.

It is a long-forgotten, almost forgotten girlish sentiment.

An unprecedented warm current, a mixture of immense shock and strange emotion, instantly overwhelmed her.

Liang Jin chuckled inwardly. The little tricks he learned from television in his previous life were proving to be incredibly effective in this world!

After a long silence.

Han Tong was the first to recover from the immense shock. He almost lunged at Liang Jin, pointing at the crystal, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Sir! What...what is the reason behind this? Is it the shape of the crystal? Why is it triangular?"

"This angle...this angle of sunlight...why is there such a clear and distinct band of seven colors?"

"Is the light itself colored, or is it 'decomposed' by this crystal?"

"Let me take a good look at it and study it carefully!"

The boy's thirst for knowledge almost burned through the crystal, and he couldn't help but reach out his little hand to grab the triangular crystal.

Han Tong's exclamation was like a bucket of cold water, instantly snapping Mu Shanqing out of his daze.

She suddenly realized that Liang Jin was still holding her wrist tightly! A huge wave of shame and anger swept over her, instantly overshadowing the momentary thrill she had just experienced!

"you!"

Mu Shanqing suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Liang Jin, his gaze filled with a desire to tear him to pieces!

She struggled, and this time, Liang Jin loosened his grip just in time.

Mushan Qing pulled his hand back with lightning speed, as if the burning mark still remained on his palm.

Immediately afterwards, with her other hand moving swiftly, she snatched the troublesome crystal triangular prism from Liang Jin's hand!

The movement was so fast that it even left a trail of afterimages.

She gripped the cold crystal tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, her chest heaving violently; she was clearly furious.

Her face was stern, her voice like a sharp blade tempered with ice, each word carrying a chilling coldness:
"Mr. Song! Please have some self-respect!"

"What happened today is utterly absurd! I hope you... will take heed of this!"

"If there is a next time..."

She didn't say the rest, but her chilling killing intent was self-evident.

Before he could finish speaking, Mushan Qing had already turned around abruptly, his blue robes billowing in a gust of wind.

She lightly touched the ground with her toes, her figure rising like a wisp of air, landing steadily on her horse's back. Her movements were fluid and graceful, yet they also revealed a resolute anger.

"drive!"

With a sharp shout, she didn't even glance at the crowd. She spurred her horse, and the magnificent blue steed neighed loudly, carrying its furious master as it galloped away.

Everyone looked at each other, the atmosphere extremely awkward.

Zhong Lihan and Fei Biao clicked their tongues, both feeling that Mr. Song's flattery had backfired spectacularly, completely ruining the situation.

Han Tong looked at Liang Jin with concern, then glanced in the direction where Mu Shanqing had disappeared, her little face full of struggle.

Only Liang Jin had a faint smile on his lips.

He gazed in the direction where Mushan Qing had disappeared, his eyes deep and devoid of any regret.

If she were to smash the crystal to pieces on the spot, that would be true anger, true disgust, and there would be no room for negotiation.

But she took it away.

He held it tightly in his palm and took it away.

How can this be considered disgust?

This is clearly... a lie!
"Alright, everyone, stop standing there."

Liang Jin withdrew his gaze, his expression returning to normal, as if the dramatic incident had never occurred.

He mounted his horse with the same effortless grace.

"It's getting late, let's keep going. Yanshan is just ahead."

The atmosphere became noticeably more delicate for the rest of the trip.

Mushan Qing deliberately kept a distance from the group, trailing far behind, never getting close unless absolutely necessary, and never exchanging glances or words with Liang Jin.

She seemed to be shrouded in a layer of icy aura that kept strangers at bay. Even when Han Tong tried to get closer to ask her questions, he was driven back by her cold gaze.

Liang Jin was fully aware of this and was not in a hurry.

He was well-versed in the art of "feigning weakness to lure the enemy," believing that one should not be impatient to achieve one's goals.

He maintained impeccable manners, calmly discussing his experiences at Yanshan Village with Zhongli Han and Fei Biao, and addressing Han Tong's doubts.

It was as if his previous reckless act was truly unintentional, and he never again made any inappropriate moves or said anything to Kiyama Sei.

This composure and calmness made Zhongli Han and the others secretly wonder what this hero Song was up to.

……

The nine voids have no boundaries.

The sky remained that oppressive, suffocating blood red, the solidified clouds resembling dried scabs.

The earth was deathly silent, devoid of life, except for the ancient city of the unjustly dead, which cast a huge and ferocious shadow under the blood-red sky.

Inside the city, the battles between martial artists continued.

The clanging of swords clashing, the roar of exploding internal energy, and the agonizing screams of the dying still intertwine to form an endless symphony of death.

However, upon closer observation, it becomes clear that the movements of many figures are no longer so hysterical.

Liang Jin sat high above the City of the Unjustly Dead, at an invisible void node, like an indifferent god, looking down at the enormous millstone of flesh and blood below.

His deep gaze swept over several areas of the city that he was particularly interested in, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly:

"Ok?"

"Why have so many people changed today?"

The first person he noticed was Yan Zi'an.

This fourth-in-command of the Criminal Investigation Bureau no longer possessed the shock, anger, and intense desire for exploration he felt when he first entered the Nine Realms.

He and Cen Ruifeng, who had also concealed their auras, were using the chaos of the battle as cover to subtly move their positions, occasionally approaching a lone, seemingly experienced martial artist and exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

They were intentionally or unintentionally inquiring about information about Yanshan Village and the City of the Unjustly Dead, and even occasionally asking about the "Shadow City" that had appeared in the capital.

They had clearly reached some kind of consensus outside the Nine Realms and formulated an action plan, conducting covert intelligence gathering there.

Liang Jin's gaze shifted in another direction.

Mushan Qing's figure appeared in a remote and desolate corner of the City of the Dead, where broken walls and ruins separated her from the noisy battlefield.

She did not, as she had in the past, obsessively seek out Yan Zi'an to fight, or try to find the mysterious master who had twice shot her with arrows.

At this moment, she seemed to have lost interest in everything around her.

She leaned against a half-cold wall, her head slightly lowered, and carefully took out the crystal triangular prism from her bosom.

She held the crystal up to the ever-present, blood-red light overhead, trying to adjust the angle so that the light would refract onto her other palm.

However, this boundless "light of heaven" is not real sunlight, and the crystal in her hand is not a physical object, but a concrete projection of her strong will in this place.

No matter how she changed the angle, her palm remained a blood-stained shadow, and the rainbow she had been waiting for never appeared.

Once, twice... Kiyama Ao's movements gradually changed from initial anticipation to impatience.

She bit her lower lip, her brows furrowed, her eyes revealing stubbornness and...disappointment.

Finally, she gave up in despair, clutching the illusory crystal tightly, leaning against the cold wall, looking up at the blood-red sky. Her cold profile appeared particularly lonely and desolate in the ruins.

The biggest changes, however, were seen among the people of Yanshan Village.

To be more precise, many people are missing from Yanshan Village!

At least several dozen people from Yanshan Village followed their leader, Yin Leiling, to participate in the Thief Saint Organization's operation, and six of them were able to enter the Nine Void Boundless Realm.

But now, only Yin Leiling remains in the entire Yanshan Village.

"Short Yama" Meng Guang and the rest of the Yanshan Village people had all disappeared.

"It seems they're in danger."

Liang Jin could roughly guess the situation.

This time, Liang Jin brought in the vast majority of the martial artists who had entered the [Nine Void Boundless Realm].

The fact that he failed to appear at [Nine Void Boundless Realm] despite being summoned by Liang Jin can only mean one thing: that the martial artist is dead.

Only the dead can be forever freed from the Nine Void Boundaries.

Even Yin Leiling, the once spirited, ambitious, and disdainful third-rank expert who looked down on the heroes of the outlaw world, has completely changed now.

He huddled alone under a broken wall far from the battlefield, staring blankly at the ground, his former arrogance and sharpness completely gone.

All that remained was a bottomless abyss of despondency, frustration, and a kind of... utterly exhausted helplessness.

It was a state where one's backbone had been completely broken.

Yan San Niang is still alive.

She was in the shadows of a corner tower, and her mental state was also poor.

She saw Yin Leiling from afar, looking utterly dejected. Her eyes held a complex mix of emotions: regret, worry, but mostly exhaustion and anxiety stemming from her own predicament.

She seemed to lack both the strength and the inclination to offer comfort.

There were clearly more pressing and pressing matters in the real world that awaited her attention, taking up all her mind.

She took one last deep, worried look at Yin Leiling's dejected back, and then drew the willow-leaf dagger from her waist without hesitation.

A flash of cold light, without the slightest hesitation, the blade precisely sliced ​​across his slender neck!

The actions were decisive and ruthless.

Her figure instantly transformed into a wisp of wisp of green smoke, dissipating into the blood-red air of the boundless void, thus ending her "journey" voluntarily.

"The losses are heavy, morale is collapsed, and even someone like Yin Leiling has been so badly affected..."

Liang Jin's fingers tapped unconsciously in the air, as if playing a silent melody:
"It seems that what they encountered was far more than just a tough opponent."

"Is it a trap? A betrayal? Or... have they encountered some kind of terror beyond their comprehension?"

Liang Jin knew Yin Leiling's personality.

Having witnessed all sorts of trials and tribulations, and possessing a third-grade cultivation level, Yin Leiling's willpower and temperament are unmatched by ordinary people.

Even someone like that was so devastated by the blow.

"If he had died in this incident, it would have saved me a huge amount of trouble, and taking over the power he left behind would have been a natural thing to do."

A cold glint flashed in Liang Jin's eyes:

"But if he doesn't die... he'll still be a problem."

"The Green Forest Road is more famous than the heavens."

"My foundation in Yanshan Stronghold is now quite solid, and my reputation is quite high. If I rashly take action to eliminate Yin Leiling, once the news leaks out, I will be deserted by everyone in an instant, and I will be burdened with the infamy of murdering my master and seizing the throne. Everything I have painstakingly built will be in vain!"

"We must find another solution..."

His gaze swept once more over the lifeless, fading battleground of the City of the Dead below.

Without the participation of masters like Yan Zi'an, Cen Ruifeng, Yin Leiling, and Mu Shanqing, the "martial spirit" provided in the battlefield of the City of the Dead was thin and mixed, and its efficiency was far less than before.

"Since you are all distracted and unwilling to fight properly, thus providing me with nourishment..."

"Then what use are you all?!"

In the void, Liang Jin's figure suddenly solidified. He took a step and appeared as if by teleportation at the top of the tallest black tower in the center of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, which pierced the blood-red sky!

The tower was cold, exuding an ancient aura of death.

He looked down at the swarms of people struggling like ants, his eyes indifferent, as if he were looking at a herd of livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

Slowly raise your right hand and loosely clench it.

Om-!
A longbow with sleek, perfect lines and an aura of chilling menace appeared out of thin air in his hand!
It is indeed the Jade Shadow Bow!
The bow's body was crystal clear, as if moonlight flowed within it, incongruous with this blood-red world of death, yet possessing a deadly beauty akin to judgment.

With a flick of his left hand, Liang Jin silently nocked a giant arrow onto the bowstring.

The bow is drawn to its fullest extent!

An arrow pointed at the common people!

The arrows moved slowly, and finally, they precisely locked onto the souls below who were slacking off, hiding, distracted, and unable to provide him with enough "value" in the battle!

"You should all just die already!"

Release the bowstring!

(End of this chapter)