People in the Imperial Music Bureau: The Storytelling Demon Child Nezha

He closed the window again and turned back to the table.

He picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had long since cooled, took a small sip, and then his gaze fell once again on the green lamp.

"In this world, stories and reality are always so intertwined..." Li Qiye murmured to himself, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and vicissitude. He reached out and gently stroked the body of the green lamp, as if he was pondering something.

By this time, the streets of the capital were in complete chaos. People fled in panic, their cries and screams mingling together. Night watchmen sprang into action, armed with weapons, attempting to maintain order and halt the advance of the walking corpses.

However, there were simply too many zombies, one wave after another, surging in like a tidal wave.

Yang Yan led a team of elite night watchmen in a fierce battle against the zombies at the city gate.

He brandished his longsword, the blade flashing, each strike felling a horde of zombies. But the zombies seemed oblivious to pain, charging forward relentlessly.

"These zombies are so hard to deal with!"

A young night watchman was panting heavily, his face full of exhaustion and fear.

Yang Yan frowned and said in a deep voice, "Don't panic! Concentrate and attack their vital points!"

...

Inside the main hall, a group of ministers were already waiting, looking anxious and discussing amongst themselves.

Upon seeing Huaiqing enter, everyone immediately quieted down and bowed in unison.

"No courtesy at all."

Huaiqing's voice was clear yet carried an undeniable authority, "Now that the Witch God Cult is causing trouble and walking corpses are besieging the city, does anyone have a good solution?"

An elderly minister stepped forward shakily, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, I believe the most urgent task is to close the city gates tightly, strengthen the city defenses, and await reinforcements.”

"Reinforcements?" Huaiqing raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze sweeping over the ministers. "The garrison on the southern border is tied down by the High Priest of the Witch God Cult and cannot return to reinforce in the short term. Are we going to let the people suffer from the zombie invasion during this period?"

A hush fell over the court. Then, a young military officer stepped forward and proclaimed, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead a suicide squad out of the city, carve a bloody path through the corpses, and dampen the spirits of the Witch God Cult!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in Huaiqing's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, a eunuch rushed in and reported loudly, "Your Majesty, a mysterious light barrier has appeared outside the city, blocking the walking corpses. However... however, there seem to be strange lights and shadows flashing within that light barrier, and we can't see what they are."

Huaiqing was startled and immediately ordered, "Prepare a sedan chair; I want to go to the city wall myself to check."

On the city tower, Huaiqing gazed into the distance and saw that in front of the "black cloud" of zombies outside the city, there was indeed a light curtain emitting a soft glow. The zombies crashed into the light curtain, making muffled sounds, but they could not break through it even a little.

Within the light screen, ancient runes seemed to flicker indistinctly, and some blurry human figures appeared and disappeared.

Chapter 122 The Witch God Attacks, Huaiqing Encounters Danger

"What exactly is going on?" The commander of the Imperial Guards beside Huaiqing muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the capital, a man in black robes stood atop an abandoned tower, coldly observing the chaotic scene at the city gate. In his hand, he held a black crystal ball, its reflection showing Huaiqing's figure atop the city wall.

"Hmph, Huaiqing, this is just the beginning." The man in black robes sneered in a low voice, "The resurgence of the Witch God is unstoppable." With that, he placed his hand on the crystal ball and chanted incantations. The scene in the crystal ball distorted, the runes and shadows in the light screen began to become chaotic, and the zombies, driven by some force, rammed into the light screen even more frantically.

Inside the brothel, Li Qiye remained seated at his desk, gazing intently at the blue lamp. Suddenly, the lamp's flame flickered violently, and the lamp itself began to tremble slightly. Li Qiye frowned, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

"It seems the Witch God Cult has accelerated its actions. This unexpected turn of events outside the story is likely to affect the plot's direction," Li Qiye muttered to himself. He reached for the green lamp, chanting incantations. The lamp's light instantly intensified, illuminating the entire brothel. Within the light, some illusory scenes seemed to appear and disappear, revealing Shi Hao's subsequent experiences among the Celestial Race.

Looking at these scenes, Li Qiye shook his head slightly: "Too many variables, too many variables..."

At this moment, cracks began to appear in the light barrier of the capital, and the zombies let out sharp howls, on the verge of breaking through the barrier. Huaiqing's expression was solemn. She turned to the commander of the Imperial Guards and said, "Pass down the order: all soldiers prepare for battle! Defend the city gates at all costs!"

Cracks spread across the light screen like a spiderweb, emitting a teeth-grinding crackling sound. Princess Huaiqing's nine-phoenix hairpin suddenly moved without wind, and the nine jade phoenixes simultaneously emitted piercing cries.

"Step back!" She suddenly grabbed the Imperial Guard commander beside her.

Just as everyone retreated, the light screen shattered with a deafening roar. Tens of thousands of rune fragments transformed into streaks of light, each fragment reflecting a bizarre scene—the landscape of the three thousand continents described by Li Qiye!

This is impossible... Huaiqing's pupils shrank suddenly. She clearly saw Shi Hao's figure flashing through a piece of debris as he used the Kunpeng Technique.

Even more horrifying, after the zombies came into contact with the rune fragments, their rotting bodies began to mutate. Some grew scales, some sprouted bone horns on their heads, and a few even had blurry lightning patterns appear on their palms.

"They're evolving!" The Imperial Guard commander's voice trembled. "Fire the arrows!"

Arrows rained down, but the mutated zombies simply raised their hands and conjured elemental barriers. One arrow struck the flame pattern on the forehead of a zombie, producing a metallic clang.

The bronze bell on the city tower suddenly rang, and the same patterns as those on the lanterns of the Imperial Music Bureau appeared on its surface. Wherever the sound waves passed, the mutated zombies collectively froze for a moment.

Huaiqingfu, moved by a sudden inspiration, bit his fingertip and flicked the blood onto the bronze bell: "With the bloodline of the Li imperial family, I beseech the sacred treasure left by the founding emperor to manifest!"

clang--

The tolling of the bell transformed into visible golden ripples, causing the zombies in its path to explode and die. Simultaneously, seven plumes of black smoke rose from various parts of the capital, condensing in the air into skull shapes.

Inside the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau), the blue lamp in front of Li Qiye exploded with a bang, its oil tracing a complete map of southern Xinjiang on the ground. Seven red dots corresponded precisely to the location of the black smoke outside the city.

The Seven Star Soul-Locking Array... Li Qiye quickly deduced, a counting rod sliding from his sleeve. It turned out the true goal of the Witch God Cult was—

He abruptly looked up towards the palace. Almost simultaneously, vein-like patterns appeared on the ground throughout the capital, all pointing towards the imperial mausoleum!

Just as Wei Yuan and his night watchmen arrived at the west gate, the jade pendant at his waist suddenly flew up on its own, projecting a phantom image of the imperial mausoleum into the air. There, the stone statues before the mausoleum slowly turned, their eye sockets flickering with eerie green flames.

"Feint to the east while attacking in the west!" Wei Yuan shouted sharply. "Yang Yan, lead the men to defend the city. The rest of you, come with me to the imperial mausoleum!"

The black-robed figure from the Witch God Cult stood on the sacred path of the imperial mausoleum, the veins of the entire capital city reflected in the crystal ball in his hand. At his feet knelt twelve priests wearing bronze masks, each with a bone knife stuck in their chest.

Using the blood of the twelve golden gongs as a catalyst, the man in black slit his wrist, letting the blood drip onto the head of the first stone statue, to welcome the arrival of the witch god!

The stone statue's outer layer peeled away in a rustling sound, revealing a bluish-black body beneath. It opened its mouth, and what escaped was a scream that echoed simultaneously throughout the capital—the sound of every mutated zombie dying was reproduced from its mouth!

0 ······Requesting flowers 0 ····

The corpses of the twelve priests turned into a blood mist, which it absorbed into its body, causing its power to rise steadily.

When Wei Yuan led the Golden Gongs to the scene, they saw the avatar of the Witch God roaring to the sky, the sound waves causing the surrounding buildings to collapse. Several of the weaker night watchmen bled from all seven orifices and fainted on the spot.

"Form the formation!" Wei Yuan shouted, and the golden gongs quickly formed the Heavenly Gang Demon Subduing Formation. The flashing swords and shadows intertwined into a net, enveloping the avatar of the Witch God.

However, the avatar of the sorcerer simply raised its hand and crushed the sky full of sword light! It grinned and uttered a hoarse, obscure ancient language: "Mortals... dare to obstruct a god?"

Wei Yuan's expression changed drastically, and he was about to fight again when suddenly—

"boom!"

A figure in white robes stepped through the air, and with a wave of his sleeve, the spiritual energy gathered into a gigantic palm that blotted out the sky, which crashed down!

..... . ...

Caught off guard, the avatar of the Witch God was forcefully pressed into the ground by this palm strike, causing half of the imperial tomb to collapse!

As the smoke cleared, everyone looked closely and saw a young man in his twenties standing with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, as if the palm strike he had just delivered was merely a casual gesture.

“Li…Li Qiye?!” Wei Yuan was shocked.

Princess Huaiqing also rushed to the imperial mausoleum. Upon seeing this scene, she opened her beautiful eyes slightly and exclaimed, "Sir?!"

Li Qiye turned around and smiled slightly at her: "Your Majesty, it's been a long time."

Huaiqing was shocked. Although she knew that Li Qiye was unfathomable, she never thought that he could suppress the Witch God's clone with a single palm!

The avatar of the sorcerer god crawled out of the ruins, its body shimmering with sorcerer runes, clearly enraged: "Who are you?!"

Li Qiye glanced at it indifferently and said, "A mere clone dares to ask my name?"

Before he finished speaking, he took a step forward, his figure like a phantom, and instantly appeared in front of the Witch God's clone, raising his hand to point!

"Destroy."

"boom--!"

A dazzling divine light burst forth from his fingertips. The avatar of the Witch God did not even have time to scream before its body crumbled inch by inch and finally turned into ashes!

The whole place was dead silent.

Wei Yuan and the other members of the Golden Gong were dumbfounded. The avatar of the Witch God, which they had tried their best to resist, was actually killed by Li Qiye with a single finger?!

Huaiqing took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and stepped forward, saying, "Sir, you..."

Chapter 123 Li Qiye Casually Defeates the Enemy

Li Qiye smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty need not ask any more questions. The Witch God Sect's plan this time is quite grand, and the real trouble is yet to come."

Wei Yuan frowned: "The real trouble?"

Li Qiye looked up at the sky and said calmly, "The true form of the Witch God is awakening."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank.

Just then, dark clouds surged above the capital, and a huge, blood-red eye slowly opened, coldly and mercilessly gazing down at the earth.

"Mortals... dare to destroy my avatar..."

A deep voice resounded throughout the heavens and earth, causing the entire capital city to tremble!

Li Qiye remained calm, only letting out a soft sigh: "As expected, I still have to go there in person."

He turned to Huaiqing and smiled, "Your Majesty, how about I lend you a wisp of imperial dragon energy?"

Huaiqing nodded without hesitation: "Please take what you need, sir!"

Li Qiye gestured with the number "813," and a wisp of golden dragon energy flew out from Huaiqing's body, coiling around his fingertips. He smiled slightly, then took a step forward, his figure soaring straight into the clouds!

"A mere false god dares to claim supremacy?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, echoing across the heavens!

His blood-red eyes glared open, and endless crimson light gathered, transforming into a world-destroying strike that crashed down!

Li Qiye neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised his hand and waved—

"Disperse."

One word uttered, and all laws are broken!

Before the crimson beam of light even got close, it melted away like ice and snow, vanishing without a trace!

The true form of the Witch God was finally moved: "Who...who are you?!"

Li Qiye smiled calmly: "The one who killed you."

Before he finished speaking, golden dragon energy suddenly erupted from his fingertips, transforming into a ten-thousand-foot-long golden dragon that roared as it charged toward the blood-red eyes!

"boom--!"

The sky exploded, and the clouds collapsed!

As the light faded, the blood-red eyes vanished, leaving only a mournful roar echoing through the heavens and earth—

"Li Qiye...I'll remember you!"

Inside and outside the capital, everyone stared blankly at the sky, unable to come back to their senses for a long time.

Li Qiye landed gracefully, his expression unchanged, as if he had just done something insignificant.

Huaiqing stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your help, sir, for saving my Great Feng from danger!"

Li Qiye waved his hand and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is too kind. I was just doing it on a whim."

Wei Yuan and the others then came to their senses, and their eyes were filled with awe as they looked at Li Qiye.

This seemingly lazy storyteller actually possesses extraordinary abilities!

Li Qiye stretched and said, "Alright, the Witch God has temporarily retreated, but the matter is not over yet."

Huaiqing's expression hardened: "What do you mean, sir?"

Li Qiye's gaze was deep as he slowly said, "Behind the Witch God Cult, there is probably an even bigger hidden force."

The next day, inside the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau), Li Qiye, as always, sat at his desk in a plain robe, as if the dramatic events of the previous night were nothing but a fleeting dream.

As night fell, the brothel gradually filled with listeners, their eyes filled with both amazement at the events of the previous night and anticipation for Li Qiye's storytelling today. Li Qiye coughed lightly, picked up his gavel, and struck it heavily.

"As mentioned last time, Shi Hao went through many ups and downs in the Celestial Race, and many powerful figures were both jealous and hateful of him. Now, on this day, Shi Hao heard that there was a mysterious place within the Celestial Race's forbidden area, where an unparalleled treasure technique left behind by an ancient powerful being was hidden. If one could learn this treasure technique, it would be enough to make one invincible in the three thousand continents. How could Shi Hao restrain himself? He immediately decided to secretly go to the forbidden area to find out what it was all about."

He spoke eloquently, his voice seemingly possessing a magical quality, instantly drawing everyone's thoughts back to the distant Three Thousand Continents.

"Under the cover of night, Shi Hao moved like a ghost through the mountains of the Celestial Race. The forbidden area was surrounded by powerful restrictions; any ordinary person who approached would be instantly pulverized. But Shi Hao had his own methods. He activated the Kunpeng Technique within his body, and the power of the Kunpeng surged, slightly dispersing the power of the surrounding restrictions. Seizing the opportunity, he flashed into the forbidden area."

"Within the forbidden area, a thick fog enveloped the area, and a sinister aura permeated the air. Shi Hao proceeded cautiously when suddenly, a low roar echoed from ahead. Upon closer inspection, he saw a gigantic dog, entirely black and as large as a mountain, its eyes gleaming with an eerie green light. It was none other than the ancient ferocious beast guarding this forbidden area—the Hellhound. Upon seeing Shi Hao, the hellhound immediately went berserk. It opened its blood-red maw, and a pillar of black flame shot out, instantly obliterating the rocks in its path."

The audience listened intently, some clenching their fists nervously, others unconsciously holding their breath.

Seeing this, Shi Hao remained calm. He unleashed the Thunder Emperor's Treasure Technique, his body crackling with lightning, colliding with the black flames... In an instant, the forbidden area was filled with light, and explosions resounded continuously. Taking advantage of the demonic hound being slightly blocked by the lightning, Shi Hao lightly touched the ground with his feet and rushed towards the demonic hound like a streak of light. He formed a hand seal, and a dazzling golden light appeared in his palms, which was the 'Return to One Seal' he had created by fusing multiple treasure techniques. This 'Return to One Seal' was incredibly powerful, carrying a world-destroying force, and slammed heavily into the demonic hound.

The demonic hound cried out in pain, its massive body swaying before collapsing to the ground. Shi Hao didn't linger, continuing deeper into the forbidden area. Finally, at the very heart of the forbidden zone, he saw an ancient stone platform, covered in strange runes and radiating a mysterious aura. Approaching it, Shi Hao saw an ancient jade slip resting on the platform. He picked it up, and instantly, a torrent of information flooded his mind—the very cultivation method for that peerless treasure technique.

At this point, Li Qiye paused deliberately, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip. The audience was impatient and urged him on.