The First Lackey Under The Empress

The first one was burned to death… burned to death… Ma Yan was stunned for a moment.

At this moment, he stood in the chaotic courtyard, looking at the burning house in front of him.

In the darkness of night, the firelight illuminated a small patch of sky, casting a layer of pale gold over his entire being.

“How could this be… When a person dies, shouldn't the bewitchment disappear?” Grand Supervisor Ma muttered to himself, his past experience and understanding of the National Preceptor shaken by the reality before his eyes.

During the day in the restaurant, he had told Zhao Du'an about this experience.

But at this moment, the experience… failed!

Then… was the power of bewitchment on Zhao Du'an truly completely eliminated?

He suddenly felt a little uncertain.

“Grand Supervisor? Grand Supervisor?” Haitang's urgent voice pulled him back to reality: “You rushed over here so suddenly, did something happen to the other teams?”

The female Investigator, skilled in detection, possessed a woman's unique sixth sense.

Ma Yan didn't hide anything and immediately recounted Kong Hanlin's death, causing the faces of the Brocade Guards present to change.

Ma Yan took a deep breath, knowing that as the Grand Supervisor, he couldn't afford to be chaotic at this time and had to stabilize the morale of the troops.

He scanned the crowd, his thin and stern face appearing particularly three-dimensional in the flickering firelight:

“However, this also successfully verified the scope of that demonic Taoist's abilities. Under the premise that his main body doesn't appear, he can use puppets to bewitch mortals, completely influencing them and causing them to commit suicide. But for cultivators at the level of Vice General of the Thousand Bull Guards, he can only achieve a limited degree of influence.”

The greatest instinct of mankind is the will to survive.

The National Preceptor's killing intent towards these three people tonight must have been strong enough, but he couldn't directly order the Vice General to commit suicide.

He could only take a roundabout approach, causing the Vice General to go mad and kill indiscriminately, trying to use the hands of the Brocade Guards hidden nearby to kill the crazed Vice General on the spot.

This result, in turn, proved that the Vice General's influence was not strong enough.

At least, it was far from enough to overcome the instinct for survival.

Ma Yan's strategy for tonight was also designed to kill two birds with one stone.

If the National Preceptor was unwilling to write off the puppets all at once and chose to “recycle” them, then they could follow and track him.

If he didn't plan to “recycle” them at all, they could also use the different degrees of bewitchment of the three people to test the National Preceptor's range of abilities, providing experiential support for subsequent capture or defense.

Of course, this second intention could only be buried in his heart and not made public.

Ma Yan, nicknamed "King Yama," was never a benevolent person, and as the head of a violent organization, he wouldn't truly care about the lives of a few outsiders.

“Fortunately… If that's the case, even if Zhao Du'an's bewitchment wasn't cleared during the day, the impact is limited.” Ma Yan comforted himself inwardly.

Haitang also calmed down and analyzed:

“Both of them had problems. It seems that the demonic Taoist is impatient and chose to attack multiple people at the same time tonight. I'm afraid that Divine Officer Zhao of the Pill Dao won't be able to escape either, but with that Divine Officer's strength, his resistance should be much stronger than the previous two.”

Ma Yan nodded, but still prepared to continue to take a look, but suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from outside.

Immediately, a Brocade Guard from Pear Blossom Hall rushed in. He was also stunned by the scene in the courtyard, and then saluted Ma Yan:

“Grand Supervisor, Investigator Zhao of my house has discovered a suspected hiding place of the demonic Taoist, please go to support!”

Ma Yan was startled, his eyes suddenly sharp: “What's going on?!”

The Brocade Guard quickly and briefly explained the actions of Pear Blossom Hall tonight. When he heard that Zhao Du'an had led people and continuously pulled out a row of spies in just a few hours, almost identifying the entire intelligence network.

The group of people present were all stunned.

Haitang's eyes widened, the female Investigator who was determined to compete for the first hall was incredulous:

“How could we not know? Why wasn't there any news before the action?”

The messenger Brocade Guard thought for a moment and said uncertainly: “Maybe the Lord was worried that the action would be leaked.”

Ma Yan was too lazy to waste words, grabbed the man's collar with his big hand, turned his back to the burning fire, and his cloak fluttered:

“Lead the way!”

… …

… …

Rumbling…

The streets in the night were quiet, only the moonlight poured down, and a carriage galloped along the stone road.

Except for the driver, Hou Renmeng, everyone else was crowded in the carriage. The curtain was lifted, and everyone looked at the "Eight Directions Opera House" in the darkness, with different expressions.

At this time, the opera house no longer received guests, but there would occasionally be some rehearsals.

Therefore, some lanterns were still hung high in the strangely styled octagonal building, making it particularly conspicuous in the night.

“Lord, are we going straight in later? Or should we wait for Grand Supervisor and the others?” Qian Kerou's bright black eyes hid worry.

Zhao Du'an smiled and teased: “Are you scared?”

Qian Kerou shook her head and then nodded.

The little secretary was one of the less "prickly" ones in Pear Blossom Hall, and she worried at this moment:

“According to the rules of the yamen, our actions tonight should have been reported. Even if you were worried about leaks, you should have at least informed Grand Supervisor separately…

If there is only a Shenzhang actor inside, it would be fine, we can handle it, but if the demonic Taoist is also there, or even… who can say for sure how many people are inside?”

As she said this, she glanced at Yunxi, who had already turned to the dark side, in the innermost part of the carriage, making her distrust obvious.

The meaning was clear:

Who knows if what this female rebel said is true or false? If it is a deliberate deception, then it will be troublesome.

Shen Juan and Zheng Laojiu also nodded in agreement. They were not afraid of fighting, but they were worried about problems arising from a rash visit.

At the same time, they also felt that their Lord's actions tonight were a bit rash. If Gongshu Tianyuan had acted together before, the fifth disciple of the Celestial Master and Zhao Du'an would have joined forces, and the high-end combat power would have been sufficient.

But this rashly dividing the troops into two routes, although it can indeed avoid a wasted trip and save more time, undoubtedly increases the risk.

“Speed is of the essence. I know you are worried, but who knows when Grand Supervisor will arrive. We have arrested so many people in one breath, I'm afraid we have already startled the snake… Okay, I know what I'm doing. The carriage will stop in the alley outside the opera house. This official will personally open the way. If the situation is not right, retreat immediately. This is the capital, and the other party won't dare to make too much trouble.”

Zhao Du'an said, not giving the others a chance to refute, and made a decisive decision.

Everyone had no choice but to nod. Hou Renmeng parked the carriage behind the opera house, close to the large courtyard where the actors lived.

“I know that Wu Ling, he is quite famous. Actors of such fame live in independent courtyards on the west side, Lord, we can…” Shen Juan said, suddenly noticing something was wrong.

He turned his head and was stunned to see that Zhao Du'an, who had been awake, had closed his eyes at some point.

His head drooped on his chest, making a low snoring sound, and he fell into a deep sleep!

“Lord! Wake up! Wake up!” Qian Kerou tried hard to shake him, her face changed, and she said in panic:

“Something's wrong! That's right, that demonic Taoist has a demon art to invade dreams, right?”

Everyone was shocked and understood what she meant.

Zhao Du'an suddenly fell asleep, and combined with the information, it was very likely that the demonic Taoist was indeed nearby and had noticed their arrival in advance.

Therefore, he used the method of devouring dreams to forcibly drag Zhao Du'an into a dream.

“What to do?” Qian Kerou panicked.

They were all martial artists and lacked experience in dealing with spells.

Zheng Laojiu suddenly reminded:

“When casting the dream-devouring spell, the demonic Taoist must also need to concentrate on dealing with the Lord. He must not be able to free his hands at this moment. As long as we find the demonic Taoist's main body, we can interrupt his demon art!”

“Then what are we waiting for?!”

Hou Renmeng, the driver, was quick-tempered. He pulled out his bright sword, and he was like an arrow leaving the string, stepping on the high wall in a few steps and rushing into the opera house.

Shen Juan was still hesitating, but seeing this, he gritted his teeth and drew his saber, chasing after them.

“Ke Rou, you stay and protect the lord!” Zheng Lao Jiu raised his hand, stopping the impetuous female warrior who was about to rush out. He gave her a look, indicating that someone had to stay behind, after all, there were still two rebel female prisoners in the carriage!

After saying that, the old Jinyi moved like a rabbit, drawing his saber and rushing into the courtyard, only to be shocked to see that the two people were standing in the courtyard, side by side, vigilantly looking ahead: "Be careful!"

Zheng Lao Jiu looked up, his pupils constricted, and he saw a young man in colorful opera costume slowly stepping out of the darkness.

Wu Ling was expressionless, and the opera costume on his body fluttered in the wind as he walked out of the darkness.

Behind his neck were inserted command flags, and behind the headdress adorned with beads on his head hung two long pheasant feathers!

His right hand held a two-meter-long flowered spear, blocking the three of them, and his face covered with painted makeup stiffly uttered:

“Halt, who goes there!”

… …

… …

Zhao Du’an was in a daze, the consciousness in his mind suddenly scattered like smoke, difficult to gather, and in a daze, he only vaguely remembered.

He had arrived outside the Bafang Opera House and was about to get out of the carriage when he was attacked by a strong and fierce drowsiness.

When he "opened his eyes" again, he found himself in a bustling modern street.

To be precise, it was at the entrance of a subway station.

The time was night.

The city was shrouded in a sea of night and lights.

The season seemed to be midwinter.

He was no longer wearing an ancient robe, but a white printed medium-length down jacket.

Well, if he remembered correctly, it was the day he received his salary after winter began. After careful selection, he placed an order on a certain shopping app. There was no other way, the thriftiness was in his bones…

Before his eyes was the brightly lit CBD area, and on both sides of the wide pedestrian street were shopping mall buildings connected together, with glass curtain walls trying their best to render light pollution.

The most conspicuous place in front was a huge GG brand, and on the other side, on the second floor of the mall, behind a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, was the official Guǒzi store.

Perhaps because the heating was sufficient, there were many customers inside. Looking up from the outside, one could clearly see the girls using the glass as a mirror to examine their makeup.

“This is… entering a dream?”

Zhao Du’an was stunned for a moment, his expression becoming strange.

This kind of dream, as if traveling back in time, was obviously unusual. If there were no accidents, it was the work of that demonic priest.

At the small court meeting, he learned that the demonic priest would devour dreams, dragging the target into the deepest dream in their memory.

Zhao Du’an was very curious at the time and wanted to know what the deepest memory imprinted in his heart was.

“As expected, it’s this familiar world.”

Zhao Du’an smiled, without any surprise.

Because even though he had been in Dayu for half a year, the most dreams he had during the nights outside of cultivation were still of modern cities.

Zhao Du’an had once heard a saying in his previous life, but he couldn't remember the details.

The general idea was that when people are in China, they feel that this is not good and that is not good, but when they go abroad, any small encounter with their hometown will bring tears to their eyes.

He didn't quite understand it at the time, or rather, he couldn't empathize with it.

But after coming to Dayu, he truly realized it. Hometown? If going abroad can still return, then this kind of separation across two worlds, spanning life and death, is a true farewell.

He once thought that he would never have the opportunity to “go back” again, but unexpectedly, at this moment, under the control of the demonic priest's magic, he unexpectedly obtained a limited-time return experience.

Even if… it was just a dream.

But…

It was also an extremely real dream.

“Excuse me, please make way.” A stranger's voice came from behind, and Zhao Du’an hurriedly apologized and made way, no longer blocking the subway entrance.

Instead, he stepped into the bustling crowd, subconsciously avoiding the vendors selling flowers and small gifts to young couples on the street. Zhao Du’an put his hands in his down jacket and suddenly felt something hard.

He was stunned for a moment, took out the phone in his pocket, his face became very exciting, and muttered:

“So real… such a huge amount of memory, are you sure you can handle it…”

Blinking his eyes, he suddenly slapped his head, stepped through the crowd and drilled into a nearby snack street decorated in ancient style in his memory.

Scan the code, pay.

Before long, Zhao Du’an had already come out with several snacks in his hand. He even took the time to draw a lottery on the automatic lottery machine, but he didn't win!

“Just treat it as charity.” Zhao Du’an walked on the pedestrian street in winter, eating takoyaki with a toothpick, feeling the real changes on his taste buds. He even hoped that the demonic priest could last a little longer.

In the sky, some slight snowflakes fell.

Zhao Du’an mixed in with the bustling crowd, following the music, and walked towards a temporary outdoor music performance venue. He looked around, but he never found the trace of the demonic priest.

“What about the promised devouring of dreams? Where did the person run off to…”

… …

At the other end of the CBD, on the street opposite to Zhao Du’an.

The Bewitching National Preceptor stood blankly in the snow.

He was still wearing a black and white checkered monk's robe, with a Taoist bun, and even the peach wood sword he carried behind him was the same as in reality.

It was just that the slightly three-dimensional face no longer had its usual calmness and composure, and even the hint of evil that he usually carried at the corner of his mouth had completely disappeared.

The old Taoist entered this dream a quarter of an hour ago.

However, everything he saw next was completely beyond his expectations.

He first appeared on a long street with a black and smooth surface, depicting sections of white lines. On both sides of the street stood huge “candlesticks”, without flames, but releasing strong and dazzling light.

Then, the old Taoist heard a harsh roar and was almost knocked over by a speeding car. After hurriedly dodging, he provoked the driver's profanity.

The old Taoist was dizzy for a while, and was finally pulled out by a traffic policeman in a strange outfit and wearing a yellow vest.

Dazed, in this group of strange buildings towering into the clouds, he stumbled like an ant for a long time. What he saw in front of him were men and women wrapped in down jackets.

When he followed the strange and restless music to the center of the commercial street, he couldn't help but widen his eyes and saw an incredible scene.

He saw countless men and women gathered around an outdoor stage, recording videos with their mobile phones.

Amidst the lights and sounds, in the cold winter, a row of women wearing revealing clothes and smoky makeup were twisting their waists on the stage.

“Deng deng…” The Dayu National Preceptor took two steps back in panic and bumped into a young man.

The latter looked at him strangely, dressed as a Taoist, and kindly pointed a direction: “The cosplayers are over there…”

Then he left with his girlfriend, who was leaning on him, muttering: “This old man is quite trendy…”

The Dayu National Preceptor frowned and looked in the direction the young man pointed, and saw a large group of cosplayers walking out of the mall door after getting off work.

Their hair was colorful, some carrying big swords, some wearing furry wings, talking and laughing, oblivious to everything around them.

Seeing the old Taoist at this moment, they couldn't help but look at him curiously, saying: “This costume must be very expensive…”

What the hell is this place… The Dayu National Preceptor's face changed, he made a hand seal, and the peach wood sword behind him flew out and slashed at the other party:

“Hey! Demonic woman, take my sword!”

… …

Kavin