If their angry eyes could kill, Celestial Master Zuo would be long dead. Celestial Master Zuo swept his eyes across the people, whose lives he disregarded. Their anger was nothing to him. He signaled the executioners to carry out the sentence.
All the prisoners' clothes had been ripped off. The executioners took out their well-sharpened daggers and were ready to cut. Depressed, Gu Xietian closed his eyes with complete loss of hope.
"Bang!" There was a sudden thundering sound. A powerful force had shattered the roof of the plaza into pieces, forming a hole. Some men entered.
These men moved swiftly. Before the people could react, the men were already surrounding the stage in a circle. In the glimpse of an eye, the daggers in the hands of the executioners disappeared almost instantly. The men moved so quickly; people could barely get hold of their silhouettes.
The guards who stood by Celestial Master Zuo and Fairy Queen Li were armed. They surrounded both of them quickly and warned the intruders. "Who are you?"
"Celestial Master Zuo is here!"
Both the intruders and the guards remained in a deadlock.
Utterly shocked, the bystanders held their breaths in disbelief.
In fact, all of them secretly hoped that some hero would emerge to save Gu Xietian and his entire family from their death sentence. However, they were not very hopeful about the idea, as no one would have the courage to go against Celestial Master Zuo, who had personally attended to see the execution. They did not expect that these men would emerge at the very last minute.
Also, these men seemed to be highly skilled. They moved quickly and came to an abrupt stop. They stood tall, so people could finally recognize them.
"These men are from Tianju Hall! They are from Tianju Hall!" Some people shouted.
Their entry was like a bomb, igniting people's hope.
Tianju Hall was the most prestigious school on the entire continent. Even a servant from Tianju Hall would be regarded as a celestial being in the eyes of the common people, let alone the principal of Tianju Hall, Gu Canmo. He was the leader of the men who had just broken in.
Gu Canmo made his visits to the Feixing Kingdom a few years ago, so some people could still recognize him. They called out his name loudly.
The men from Tianju Hall would not usually obey Celestial Master Zuo's commands. Seeing them gave people a sense of hope.
All eyes were on Gu Canmo and his men. There were 12 of them who came with Gu Canmo, including the elites, the guardians, and even the elder custodians. They came in full strength.
Gu Xietian was shocked. He looked at Gu Canmo and his men fixedly in disbelief. He certainly did not expect that the men of Tianju Hall would stand up for him.
He was a very well known general in the Feixing Kingdom, but to these men from Tianju Hall, he was probably a nobody. They had barely even met.
Was it because of Xijiu? Were they here because of Xijiu?A strong flame of excitement filled his heart. At the same time, he fell into a contradictive state of mind.
He had not got any news from his daughter for the past eight years. He was not even sure if she was still alive. Certainly, he did not hope for much. Throughout the years, she remained as his heartache.
Seeing the men from Tianju Hall reminded him of his daughter. Tears filled his eyes. He knew that Gu Xijiu had a great time in Tianju Hall eight years ago, but he did not know that her fellowship with these men was so good that Gu Canmo and his followers would risk all their lives at the execution ground today, taking their part in a matter of life and death.
However, being a man of experience and insight, Gu Xietian had been in the world long enough to know that his hopeless situation would not be greatly improved.
Celestial Master Zuo's men were mostly highly skilled, with a majority of them having spiritual power at level nine and above. They stood by firmly and were ready to take down anything.
Moreover, Celestial Master Zuo's Kung Fu was incredible. His level must be at least ten and above. Even though Fairy Queen Li had rarely shown her true ability, Gu Xietian knew clearly that her skills were extraordinary.
Some of Celestial Master Zuo's men were even hidden amongst the crowd to as a contingency. Quite a number of them were elites, with their spiritual power at level seven or even eight. There must be at least a hundred of them in the crowd.
Although Gu Canmo's followers all had their spiritual power at level nine, they were outnumbered. There were only 12 of them.
Even if they wanted to draw out prisoners forcefully, how could they possibly save them all while being overwhelmingly surrounded by a heavily armed troop?
After all, Celestial Master Zuo had been controlling the government for quite a while. Both military and political powers were in his hands. There must be at least a few thousand men from the royal army that were currently surrounding the ground. The army would crush them easily, so Gu Xietian was not very hopeful that his family's lives could all be rescued.
Although Gu Canmo's rescue plan might not be entirely fulfilled, Gu Xietian was very grateful for their unparalleled support. Just as what Gu Xietian had expected, the sight of Gu Canmo and his men did not cause any distress to Celestial Master Zuo and Fairy Queen Li.
Celestial Master Zuo responded smilingly, "Principal Gu, it has been a while!" His voice was gentle but sarcastic. He signaled the servants behind him to spread out, closely surrounding Gu Canmo and his men in the middle.
Celestial Master Zuo was well prepared. The rescue plan might not work at all. Also, Gu Canmo and his men might not be able to retreat to safety as well.
Gu Canmo threw the guards a brief look. Then, he turned his icy gaze back to Celestial Master Zuo. "You and I have never met. How dare you say anything like that!"
Indeed, it was the first time for him to meet the fake Celestial Master Zuo. In the past, the fake Celestial Master Zuo had been trying to attack Tianju Hall secretly. However, the presence of the wizardry barrier had forbidden all outsiders to enter. Only the men from the inside could leave the barrier from within. Therefore, Gu Canmo had never really met the fake Celestial Master Zuo.
Celestial Master Zuo squinted his eyes and gave him a shrewd look, "What do you mean by that?"
"I meant it, literally." There was a profound meaning in Gu Canmo's response.
The common people stood gazing at one another in blank dismay. Some of them knew that Celestial Master Zuo had been to Tianju Hall many times and that he was once a teacher. Eight years ago, Celestial Master Zuo and Gu Canmo had even worked together to destroy Long Fan and Mo Zhao's secret base.
Why did Gu Canmo say that they had never met? Was it because Gu Canmo had lost his memory? Was there some mystery that underlay the matter?
Most of the bystanders fixed their eyes on the men on stage. Celestial Master Zuo, who was somehow guilty, decided to play some tricks. "Gu Canmo, wars have been going on for the past few years. People live on the edge of starvation. I have called upon all of you to try and turn the chaos around. You, however, have ignored my command many times and even refused to help. What is your true intention, now that you decided to show up here today to help these betrayers instead?"
Gu Canmo laughed. "You are good at making false accusations. You started these discord times and wars, didn't you? You disregard the people's lives and kill the innocent as you please, creating demons from avenging spirits. You rule by the voice of your own and cruelly oppress anyone with an opinion that is against you. You coerce the king into submission, thus taking over the government. You befoul the lands of Feixing and Haoyue Kingdoms. Voices of grievances can be heard everywhere. They want to fight you back so badly, but they dare not stand up against your ruthless ruling. Your perverse policy leads to no good, so why should I help you? To be your accomplice?"
Gu Canmo made his stand very clearly and loudly by keeping up with a stream of furious abuse against the fake Celestial Master Zuo. His words echoed across the entire plaza.
The common people had been feeling the same way for a long while but dared not voice it out. Now that Gu Canmo finally said the truth out loud, their blood boiled immediately with righteous indignation. They could finally work off their anger.
Even the soldiers of Celestial Master Zuo could feel the same extent of anger. They clenched their fists tightly but showed no expression.
Celestial Master Zuo maintained his poker face while he listened on. He laughed then and again. "How can a common fellow read the mind of a great man? A man of great ambition does not bother about the merest trifles. Haven't you heard about that? The continent has been scattered and disunited for far too long. The common people are too foolish. They only want temporary comfort and are content with the current sovereignty. What I want is to eliminate all wars, once and for all. The only way to do it is to unite all three kingdoms. My methods are a little harsh, but my intention is good for the sake of our future generation. The common people do not understand my intention and accuse me of it, thus creating chaos. I have to use these methods to keep these fools quiet. As the principal of Tianju Hall, you should be able to tell the good and the bad."
Of all ages, whenever these evil politicians did something awful, they would always label themselves as people of high nobility, saying that they only wanted to achieve their noble goals, regardless of the methods they used. Like what Celestial Master did.
He was eloquent and vehemently expressed his words, like what he did was all for the general good, regardless of the criticism. His followers agreed with him. Some common people, who barely understood anything, agreed with him as well.
Gu Canmo answered icily, "It turns out that all that you have done is for the people. I see. Let me ask you this. To build your residence, you recruited ten thousand men. Now that your residence is done, where are the men?"
Celestial Master Zuo hesitated before responding, "They went home."
"Ridiculous! None of the men went home! You killed them most brutally and accumulated the resentment of the avenging spirits so that these spirits will guard the walls for you! The walls appear otherworldly, for it is constantly wreathed with a layer of light mist, but in fact, it is all an illusion caused by Fairy Queen Li's unique way of concealing and beautifying the avenging spirits. "
Celestial Master Zuo sounded ghastly."Where is the proof?"
None of the ten thousand men escaped. They were all killed. The avenging spirits were then refined and lost all knowledge of who they actually were. They became killers based on their instincts. Therefore, Celestial Master Zuo was confident that no one else was aliveto tell the truth. He was not afraid of the accusation.
"The bones are now at the bottom of the pond in your residence. Those are the proof." Gu Canmo punctured the fallacy within a single sentence. "Do you dare to dry out the pond and prove your innocence?"
Celestial Master Zuo did not know what to answer. His expression changed, searching for the right words to answer. Fairy Queen Li interrupted, "Gu Canmo, I am the wife of The Lord. Compassion is my principle. I only want to help the people from their misery. Why would I help a tyrant to do evil and cover up the avenging spirits for him? Your words have not only insulted me, but also The Lord himself."
Gu Canmo threw her a glance. "You keep addressing yourself as the wife of The Lord. Where is the proof?"
"I come from heaven. This is the proof of my celestial status. If I am not married to The Lord, I will not call myself his wife. If I am not the wife of the Lord, why didn't he clarify it and let this go on for so long? Do I still need any other proof?" Fairy Queen Li answered firmly.
Gu Canmo laughed. "Is it true only because there is no denial? The Lord will not usually take part in these trivial affairs. If a lot of women claim that they are all his wives, should he attend to them and clarify the rumors one by one? Maybe he is meditating in isolation. Maybe he never really cared about you. A man like The Lord will make an official announcement to the world if he is married. He will honor his woman with an official status. He will give her an identity and provide her with close protection, unlike you, who has only made the declaration all by yourself. If you are his wife, how is it possible that he lets you live your life with Celestial Master Zuo? How can he accept the blurry lines in your relationship? How can he tolerate with all sorts of your evil doings?"
The crowd nodded in unison.
Furiously, Fairy Queen Li was triggered. "What a lame argument! If I am a fake wife, Celestial Master Zuo will never accept me! He is a follower of The Lord. Both of them are close. If I am a fake, even if I can fool the world, I can never fool him. He will point me out."
The fake Celestial Master Zuo agreed immediately. "I can testify that she is the wife of The Lord. I have personally verified it with The Lord."
Gu Canmo gave them a sarcastic look and smirked. "Of course he will testify for you. Both of you are birds of a feather. It is not only that your self-proclaimed title as The Lord's wife is untrue, but this Celestial Master Zuo is also a fake as well! He is not the real Celestial Master Zuo!"
What a startling realization! The crowd was awestruck. Gu Canmo's words were extraordinarily surprising. Every single person was stunned.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo froze momentarily. Then, he hid his guilty conscience with a smirk. "Are you mad? How can you randomly accuse me of such guilt! In your opinion, I have, too, become a fake."
Gu Canmo answered, "You have always been a fake! The real Celestial Master Zuo went to visit the forbidden place eight years ago, as he had some affairs to attend to. He has not left the place yet! That gives you just the perfect window to impersonate him and commit all sorts of evil doings in the name of Celestial Master Zuo."
Then, he turned to face the crowd. "Think about it, how Celestial Master Zuo was like and how he behaved eight years ago, as compared to this fake Celestial Master Zuo and how he has been for the past two years. In which way do they resemble one another, except for their appearance?"
It was not hard to tell. Celestial Master Zuo had become a completely different man. Everyone agreed. Some shouted out loud, "Totally different! The man right now is different from the real Celestial Master Zuo from eight years ago!"
"Yes! Right! That is right!"
"Is it possible that he is a fake?"
The discussion continued.
The people started to raise a babble of criticism. They began to look at the fake Celestial Master Zuo with eyes full of doubt.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo suddenly looked up and laughed. "Gu Canmo, I never knew that you are so great at manipulating people's emotions, but you have forgotten something. If I am just an impersonator, the four messengers will be able to tell! If I am a fake, the rest of the heaven's gift disciples must be able to tell! Others may have never actually met me, but these people spend most of their time with me on a daily basis. If there is something wrong, they should have noticed it by now! Why should they continue serving me so loyally?"
He turned his attention to the four messengers, who had been standing quietly aside. "Are you going to say that the four messengers are fake as well? Four of you! Come now, step up and tell everyone, am I a fake?" His voice filled with confidence.
Mu Feng responded, "Yes!"
He took a step forward and stood close behind the fake Celestial Master Zuo. With each word loud and clear, he repeated, "The Celestial Master Zuo we see right now is a fake!"
After the clarification, four beams of light could be seen gleaming from the four messengers. All of a sudden, they were pointing their directly at the fake Celestial Master Zuo.
The attack was completely unexpected and the fake Celestial Master Zuo did not see it coming, neither did Fairy Queen Li nor the rest of their guards.
They were standing in very close proximity, so the fake Celestial Master Zuo was could not defend himself. Two strikes cut deeply into his ribs and the other two into the flesh on his shoulders. They held and nailed him still in his seat.
He acted heroically. In times of such a great danger, he disregarded the nail and decided to push his body forward to break free. The sudden change happened too quickly. Everything happened merely in the blink of an eye. When the people finally realized what had just happened, the fake Celestial Master Zuo was already losing gushes of blood from the wounds on his ribs and shoulders.
The strikes from the four messengers were executed with a unique technique. After the fake Celestial Master Zuo was hit, the strikes would not only bring him great pain; he would also lose his spiritual power gradually through every drop of blood.
The death army finally realized the danger and rushed forward to protect him. The fake Celestial Master Zuo looked at the four messengers in great disdain. "You"
Mu Feng smirked. "What about us? Did you think you can control us forever with your venomous spell?"
The fake Celestial Master Zuo was stunned, so was Fairy Queen Li. Immediately, she tried to use her Soul Manipulation Magic and activate the venomous spell that had been long hidden in their bodies. However, there was still no reaction even after she tried a few times.
Fairy Queen Li clenched her fists in frustration. She could no longer sense the venomous spell in their bodies.
Even though the venomous spell was hers to command, it would still take her a lot of spiritual power just to sense and locate the spell. Normally, she would not test its presence on a regular basis. Moreover, the four messengers had been very obedient over the past two years. There was no sign of their escape from the spell.
The bystanders were not expecting the drama to be unfolded so suddenly. All of them stood watching in awe. If the four messengers had always been controlled before, had they returned to their normal form now? Or was it possible that they could no longer tolerate with Celestial Master Zuo's evil plans and decided to fight against him?
All kinds of questions arose.
"You are all betrayers!" The fake Celestial Master Zuo screamed out loud, "Take them down!"
He still had quite some men with him, with dozens of them beyond level nine. These men only managed to achieve such great advancements in their spiritual power because of the medicine that he provided. Therefore, regardless of his identity, they had to keep him safe indefinitely.
Celestial Master Zuo commanded these men to surround the men from Tianju Hall, including the four messengers as well. Not only them, but the hidden men in the crowd were also involved. They answered the command and fought their ways out.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo had enough manpower to seize his enemy. Almost instantaneously, they surrounded the stage, forming circles of men.
Celestial Master Zuo raised his right hand and flashed the military mark on his palm. He read out his command carefully, "To all men of the armed forces, I shall now command for the arrest of these betrayers, dead or alive!"
He was indeed quite influential. He could still give his commands loudly and clearly even when he was severely injured.
"Bang!" All four doors had been smashed open. Four squads of dark knights broke into the plaza.
"The Death Knights!"
"They are the Death Knights!"
The bystanders became panicked.
Recently, the Death Knights had emerged as the most fearful name to the people.
Their Kung Fu was extraordinary. Every one of them was at least level six. The way they fought had no mercy. Everywhere they went to, there would definitely be a massive slaughter. Their presence meant massacre and death.
They were a dark army that rarely held any allegiances beyond those they forged with blood and iron. Also, they were the killers of the fake Celestial Master Zuo. Currently, there were fifty thousand of them. Any aid from any association would not be a match to them.
The army was meant to be placed on the front line in a war, so their presence at the plaza was completely unexpected. Their evil influence was so intense, as though they had just emerged from hell. Quickly, they surrounded every single one in the plaza.
A sense of chill filled the entire atmosphere. Piercingly cold, the people could feel the wind penetrating their bones. The temperature of the plaza went down abruptly. The common people were all in cold sweats.
They could see at least a few thousand soldiers from the Death Knights. They were very well trained, as they were able to stand in position and surround the center stage in a full circle. Each of them held a black and gold bow that was already well equipped with a dark black arrow, aiming directly at Gu Canmo and his men.
There was a layer of powerful poison on the arrowheads. A single scratch would immediately turn the person into a pool of blood, leaving no traces of their body behind. The dead would also be forbidden from reincarnation.
Gu Canmo looked up at the fake Celestial Master Zuo, and their eyes met. "You are well prepared for this! You purposely released the news, saying that you would dismember the entire family of Gu Xietian to lure us into your trap, didn't you?"
With the presence of his Death Knights, the fake Celestial Master Zuo was more relieved. He laughed icily. "You are all treacherous members of the society that should be eradicated at once. Your presence alone is a serious disorder. To lure you out in such desperate times, I surely have to call for desperate measures."
He retreated so that Fairy Queen Li could wrap up his wounds for him. He turned and looked at Gu Canmo and his men. "You have insulted me. For that, you deserve to die. Now that you are here, do not think that you can ever escape. I am Celestial Master Zuo, and I am going to fulfill the heaven's will today by destroying all of you!"
He swept his eyes across the crowd. "These people believed in everything they said and insulted me, too. Kill them all!" Clearly, he was about to put them all to death.
The crowd went wild. There were at least four to five thousand people there. In a state of complete chaos and disorder, all of them struggled to stay alive. They tried to stay safe by running outside.
"Bang! Bang!" A few doors shut. All four doors were soon closed again. All were trapped. None could escape.
All they could see was the Death Knights standing in front of them. Desperately, they prayed for help to come.
While in the chaos, someone protested loudly. "He is fake! He is indeed an impersonation! The real Celestial Master Zuo will never kill the innocent!"
"That is right! He is a fake!"
"All soldiers of the Dark Knights were once common people. You have families, too. Don't risk your life serving an imposter." None of them could hold back their fury any longer. They decided to spit it all out.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo burst into a shrill laugh. "Did you say that I am a fake? Where is the real one, then? Call him out to save your lives now!"
While he was still indulging in his own flattery, a hoarse voice emerged out of thin air. "I am here!"
"Bang!" There was a loud noise. The roof had been ripped open, and a royal blue ship slowly made its entrance. The body of the ship was glimmering, but it was not as eye-catching as the man in purple robes on the ship.
Like brimming waves, his purple robes shone elegantly with wavering light. His long, dark hair swayed along with gusts of gentle winds.
The headpiece with the shape of a fox's eye flickered with dazzling and lustrous brilliance under the sun. For the first time, he did not wear his mask, revealing his peerless and unparalleled looks. He stood tall, like an almighty god who had come for the people's rescue. His aura was unrivaled with a wreath of pure celestial qualities. His presence alone was simply breathtaking. He must be the real Celestial Master Zuo!
In despair, the people were immediately enlightened at the sight of the ship. When they finally saw the familiar silhouette of the man, they began cheering in great pleasure.
The real Celestial Master Zuo had finally appeared. They were safe now. Lights and hopes filled their eyes when they saw him, rejoicing at their salvation. Some even cried.
"Celestial Master Zuo!"
"He really is Celestial Master Zuo!"
"Celestial Master Zuo is coming to save us all!"
"Celestial Master Zuo, you are finally here! You have to help us!"
Di Fuyi was not alone. There were others.
His followers were of different sizes, shapes, and genders, but all of them were equally powerful. They looked very confident, associated with faint circles of halos. Some people knew immediately that these men had obviously achieved a spiritual power of level nine.
The men were all unfamiliar faces. The people had never seen them before. Where did these elites, whose spiritual power was already at level nine, come from all of a sudden?
Doubts started to fill. Gu Canmo started to feel hopeful. Obviously, Gu Xietian was overwhelmed with extreme emotions. He certainly did not expect the drama to unfold before him today. The man behind Celestial Master Zuo caught his attention. The man's face came as a great shock to him.
Who was that man? He was a young man, wearing an all-white robe. His face was a fine appearance with handsome features. He did not seem too old, but he did look like a decent man with high moral character.
His bright, sharp eyes looked down from above. Their eyes met. The man remained emotionless, but Gu Xietian felt as though he had just been struck by lightning. He stared at the man fixedly with his jaw dropped.
The ship looked very cool and futuristic. It was also the ship that the people were most familiar with. Whenever Celestial Master Zuo made his appearance, he would always arrive on his ship.
The one on the ship must be the real Celestial Master Zuo, as the fake one had never shown up in a ship before.
It seemed like the ship was only functional under Celestial Master Zuo's command. The impersonator could never do the same.
Thrilled, the people started cheering in rapturous delight. The fake Celestial Master Zuo was frozen, at loss of what to do. Quietly, he tried to retreat and stay close to his army of Death Knights.
Fairy Queen Li's expression was a little odd. She stared at him fixedly. A sense of fury started to fill her eyes. She slowly clenched her fists in anger.
The ship stopped in mid-air. Di Fuyi looked down from where he stood and said dully, "I have been isolating myself in meditation for the past eight years. I did not expect to see all of you thieves, impersonating me and ruining my name."
The plaza was filled with the loud echo of his words. Everyone could clearly hear him. He rose from his ship and floated down.
It was as though he had landed using Lingbo Weibu (a very complex type of Qing Gong). His robe fluttered in the wind. He did not fly down from the sky but instead walked down step by step in the air.
His movements made it look as though he was stepping on solid ground in the air even though there was nothing underneath his feet. It was like he was descending a flight of staircase.
His posture and Kung Fu made everyone's eyes opened wide as they held their breath. If anyone still doubted Celestial Master Zuo's identity and suspected that he was an imposter from the Tianju Association,their doubts should have been cleared after witnessing his Kung Fu.
It was because only an expert with a spiritual power of level ten and above could perform this kind of Kung Fu! Furthermore, even the highest-ranking experts in the Tianju Association had not achieved such a high level of spiritual power!
He landed on the tower while the people who showed up with him landed by his side. Meanwhile, the airship disappeared as soon as all of them had landed. It was as though it was never there from the beginning.
The ambiance at the square was somewhat strange as two Celestial Master Zuo's stood facing each other. As their body figures looked similar, no one would be able to recognize them once they started fighting. However, one of them was wearing a mask while the other had revealed his real appearance.
It was a rare sight. Perhaps, one might not be able to see it even in a thousand years. The crowd looked at one of them and then shifted their attention to the other.
"Greetings, Celestial Master Zuo!" Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, and everyone knelt to the ground.
It seemed that this man was acting as a leader to the crowd. The citizens immediately knelt after a short pause. "Greetings, Celestial Master Zuo!"
The sound of their greetings was loud enough to shake a mountain.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo and his people were familiar with this scene. Eight years ago, all of the citizens used to greet and cheer for Celestial Master Zuo this way. Furthermore, they did it willingly.
Di Fuyi gazed across the audience as he nodded. "My fellow citizens, you've had enough bad days. The main objective of my return is to seek justice for all of you as well as to restore peace to this world!"
Though his voice was not loud, he almost made the audience cry! They have suffered and endured this unfairness for far too long. All this time, the citizens had been looking forward to the restoration of peace to their continent!
Even the royal army and imperial officials looked at each other when they listened to Di Fuyi. The imperial officials and the royal army were smart and observant. Finally, they understood the truth. Even though they were caught by surprise, they quickly bowed to greet Di Fuyi.
It was only at this moment that the four messengers came forward to greet him. "My Lord, you're finally here!"
They could finally straighten their backs after having to pretend for such a long time under the fake Celestial Master Zuo's supervision.
Two parties were formed on the stage. One party was led by Di Fuyi as their leader, while the other party was led by the Fairy Queen Li and counterfeit Celestial Master Zuo.
There was no reason for the fake Celestial Master Zuo to conceal his identity any longer, especially since the real one had shown up.
Di Fuyi had many experts in his team while the fake Celestial Master Zuo only had the Death Knights as all the other people had joined Di Fuyi's ally!
Di Fuyi's gaze finally fell on the fake Celestial Master Zuo. "Seriously, who are you exactly?! Do you know that it's a severe offense to disguise yourself as me!?"
The fake Celestial Master Zuo's face turned pale under his mask. However, he was a real man as he did not seem to panic at all. He smiled evilly. "Di Fuyi, it is a surprise that you're still alive and decided to show up at this time. How could you accuse me of disguising as you? Celestial Master Zuo is an official title for a mage, so why should I be excluded from receiving this title if you consider yourself to be worthy of it? You don't deserve this title since you couldn't even reunite the continent though you've been carrying this title for so long! Certainly, it's time for a change! I didn't disguise myself as you just so that I could be honored with this title by The Lord!"
He was twisting the truths. However, he was not completely wrong. Celestial Master Zuo was indeed just a position. However, since Di Fuyi had been carrying this position for a long time, there was a tendency to think about him whenever someone mentioned 'Celestial Master Zuo'. Unfortunately, many of the people around did not think about it that way!
Initially, some were still doubtful as they did not believe he was a fake. However, he had indirectly exposed his fake identity when he mentioned this sentence out loud and clear!
The crowd was seriously pissed now! Finally, they realized that they had been exploited by an imposter all these years! They had been fooled unknowingly for such a long time!
Therefore, the people who were standing at the center and were uncertain who they wanted to side with began to move towards Di Fuyi slowly. Eventually, Di Fuyi's ally grew larger as more people had joined them now!
Of course, the Death Knights were excluded. They remained stationary as they continued to observe the people on the stage of the tower. It was as if they were made from iron!
Meanwhile, Fairy Queen Li was cursing silently with a frown.
'The fake Celestial Master Zuo was indeed useless!'
Di Fuyi glimpsed at his attire with a smile. "That makes sense in a way. Anyway, why did you put on the same attire as me if you're not planning to impersonate me? You manipulated my four custodians using magic so that they would work for you and you even caused so much disaster to the people using my name! How are you going to explain all these offenses?"
The fake Celestial Master Zuo grunted. "I'll wear whatever I like. Why should others avoid wearing the same attire as you just because you wore it first?! Meanwhile, your four custodians decided to be my followers willingly! Since when did I manipulate them with magic?"
Mu Feng and the other messengers ran out of words.
'What the f*ck!?' They were speechless!
Di Fuyi smiled. "It seems like slander is the only thing you know since you don't even have the guts to reveal your actual appearance. Mu Feng, kindly tell everyone briefly about how he cast a spell on you!"
Mu Feng immediately stepped forward and began to relate the entire story from the time when they were first put under his spell two years ago.
The people grabbed their fists when they finally found out the truth behind the four messengers submitting themselves to the imposter. Of course, Mu Feng also mentioned that it was Gu Xijiu who had made the antidotes to save their lives.
Though the crowd did not show any obvious response, Gu Xietian's eyes sparkled! He immediately looked at Mu Feng. "Do you mean Xijiu. She's alive?!" That was the first time he had heard about his daughter for over eight years. Hence, he got a little stammered and was overexcited about the news.
Mu Feng slightly nodded. "She was the one who made the antidote for us. She has been working on her spiritual power with Celestial Master Zuo over the past eight years. Certainly, she is alive, especially since Celestial Master Zuo is here now," said Mu Feng.
Gu Xietian immediately shifted his gaze to Di Fuyi. "Celestial Master Zuo, is this... real? How is she doing? Where is she now?"
Di Fuyi's eyes flashed. "Don't worry, General Gu. She's safe and well. You'll get to see her soon."
Gu Xietian heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad that his daughter was alive and well. She seemed to have learned something powerful! He could finally be at peace! Although he was tied up embarrassingly with rotten eggs and food waste on his face, his eyes were sparkling.
Di Fuyi took a glimpse at him again and flicked his sleeve. The heavy chains on Gu Xietien were immediately crushed into ashes. He tried getting up after sweeping the ashes from his body. However, he knelt onto the ground again right in front of the green-clothed man as his legs had gone numb from kneeling on the ground for too long.
The man felt uncomfortable. His gaze was dim, but he still lifted Gu Xietian.
"Thank you, young master." Gu Xietian thanked him.
The green-clothed man sounded cold. "It's alright." When Gu Xietian had finally stabilized himself, the young man immediately let go of his hands and took a step back. He did not want to be close to Gu Xietian.
Gu Xietian could not help but glance at the green-clothed man. "May I know your name?"
Unfortunately, the green-clothed man did not bother to answer him. Instead, he turned around and began talking to his companion.
Gu Xietian did not continue asking out of embarrassment. Moreover, that was the best time to socialize. Thus, he turned around and thanked Di Fuyi.
"Celestial Master Zuo, please save us!"
"Celestial Master Zuo, help!"
"Celestial Master Zuo, please save my child"
"Celestial Master Zuo, we are innocent"
The people from the Gu family who were tied up with ropes began screaming.
When Di Fuyi flicked his sleeves, the people around him immediately stepped forward to release the people who were tied to the execution pillars.
The executioners were all trained by the fake Celestial Master Zuo. However, they were stunned as they had no clue as to whether they should stop them from rescuing the victims.
Those who were loyal to the imposter immediately jumped in to stop the rescue operation. The executioners who did nothing were considered lucky while misfortune fell upon those who tried to stop the rescue operation.
After all, they were just executioners, and their Kung Fu was relatively weak. Even the most powerful man among the executioners only possessed a spiritual power of level seven. How could they possibly compete with those experts who possessed a spiritual power of at least level nine? It was sad to see them being thrown far away just as they were about to stop the people!
Nevertheless, the fake Celestial Master Zuo remained silent. Hence, the other executioners decided not stop them after seeing the response of the imposter.
The posture of the members from the Gu family looked rather strange when they were tied onto the iron pillars. They were tied with a solid rope, and there was no way for them to move at all. The ropes were robust to the extent that it cut into their flesh. It made it very difficult for the rescuers to cut the rope. The only way was to untie the ropes one by one.
Strangely enough, the knots looked rather odd. Even Luo Zhanyu had not seen such a knot before. Luo Zhanyu tried untying the rope which was bounding one of the kids. The kid looked as though he was about three years old and he was crying continuously in a hoarse voice. He had almost suffocated.
Finally, he managed to untie the dead knot and was just about to remove the rope one by one.
Suddenly, Di Fuyi shouted. "Stop!"
Luo Zhanyu was frightened and looked at him.
The rest who were trying to untie the ropes also immediately stopped.
Di Fuyi leaped and landed beside Luo Zhanyu. He glimpsed at the rope as he narrowed his eyes. "There is something strange about this rope!"
He drew his palms closer to the rope as if he sensed something. A moment later, he suddenly opened the kid's pants.
Luo Zhanyu was stunned as he subconsciously took a look.
The dead knot of the rope was located on the kid's belly button, and a black sticker, which looked like a plaster was found on the kid's belly button as well. It was filled with evil energy.
"This is?" Luo Zhanyu was confused.
Di Fuyi whispered, "A bomb."
The plaster on the belly button of the kid was an extraordinary flammable drug! The bomb would be triggered, and the kid would explode into pieces if he did not untie the rope according to a specific method! There would be no way to save them if that happened.
Luo Zhanyu started breaking out cold sweat after listening to Di Fuyi's explanation. He furiously glared at the fake Celestial Master Zuo. "What a ruthless trick!"
The fake Celestial Master Zuo seemed to be surprised by the fact that Di Fuyi noticed his trick.
The invention of that bomb was led by an elite, and it was named as the Time Bomb. The elite claimed that it was not from the current era. Hence, no one would find out about it.
To his surprise, Di Fuyi recognized it at this critical time! He was sad as he thought that he would be able to escape when Di Fuyi was busy rescuing those people after the explosion. Unfortunately...it was not his day!
He took a step back and suddenly laughed aloud. "Di Fuyi, you're quite smart! However, you wouldn't be able to escape even though you managed to prove your identity! Look around!"
Di Fuyi glimpsed at his surrounding. Other than the citizens and his team members, there were many Death Knights at the square.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo added. "Do you know what kind of crossbow they are holding? It's the Dead Soul Crossbow! You will turn into a puddle of minced flesh as soon as you get shot! Not only will it kill you physically but it is also capable of destroying your soul, which will prevent you from being reborn!"
He rotated the big ring on his finger and once again laughed aloud. "They only listen to my instructions, and they will launch the arrows altogether as soon as I press this button. By that time, none of you will be able to escape!"
Gu Xietian's expression changed immediately. The others might not know the power of the Death Knights. However, he knew it better than anyone else as he once used them in a war.
"Celestial Master Zuo, the Death Knights aren't human! They are not capable of thinking like an ordinary human beings and will only obey the orders to kill! The Dead Soul Arrow launched by them would not only kill the people but also turn their corpses into toxic gas which will end up harming more people!"
Everyone was terrified after Gu Xietian had shouted!
There were thousands of Death Knights surrounding them. Meanwhile, Di Fuyi only had tens of people from his ally including the elites from the Tianju Association. Even though they were the elites among the elites, it was still impossible for them to kill all of the Death Knights.
Di Fuyi and his team were very experienced and powerful. Hence, they might be able to avoid the Dead Soul Crossbow. However, the imperial officers, the members of the Gu family, as well as the innocent citizens might not be able to survive one thousand arrows all launched at the same time.
The citizens had just found the hope to live, but now they were once again being pushed into h*ll in a blink of an eye. At that moment, many gazes helplessly turned towards Celestial Master Zuo who was on the stage.
He was the almighty Celestial Master Zuo. Perhaps, he had a solution?
Di Fuyi did not say much but glimpsed at the fake Celestial Master Zuo. "You seem to be well prepared, huh?"
The fake Celestial Master Zuo laughed aloud. "Of course! To deal with an extraordinary person, I must use an extraordinary strategy! Di Fuyi, you can never escape from me regardless of how intelligent you are!" He then glimpsed across the audiences and added. "Is there anyone who wants to side with him now?"
The citizens remained silent.
The fake Celestial Master Zuo laughed as he raised his chin. "I'll give you one more chance. I'll let you go if you swear to be my loyal followers and acknowledge me as the real Celestial Master Zuo!"
It was such a tempting offer. On one side, there was certainty of surviving while siding with the other side could mean a certain probability of death.
It is human nature to follow the path that was good for them while avoiding the paths that are non-beneficial to them. The fake Celestial Master Zuo was confident that the dumb citizens would swear allegiance to him and become his followers when he offered the deal.
He wanted to use this situation to insult Di Fuyi! However, he did not expect himself to have made such a big mistake! The citizens burst into anger and began cursing him after a short discussion!