The white light dissipated, leaving behind a pit at least ten zhang deep.

From within the pit, Bai Lian slowly rose.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

She coughed, lifting her gaze to the sky. “If not for this robe, this old lady would have been done for.”

The black robe she wore was clearly a rare magical artifact, protecting her from such an attack. But now it was tattered, occasionally revealing glimpses of her snow-white skin.

In Bai Lian’s sight, a figure clad in the crimson and black robes emblematic of the Qi Xing Division, descended slowly from the night sky.

His face was gaunt, with a sparse, three-inch beard. Even his voice was thin and dry, yet he exuded an aura of tangible power.

“To react before this one’s Blazing Light Burst, you are indeed remarkable. This one is curious… who was it you sent away just now?”

His tone shifted abruptly, and he turned to accelerate in the direction Jiang Wang had fled!

White flames erupted as Bai Lian shot upwards, intercepting the Qi Xing Division expert with incredible speed. Frosty white flames bloomed like flowers, searing the darkness of the night.

But!

The Qi Xing Division expert blurred, passing through the blossoms of white flame and appearing directly before Bai Lian.

The two were nearly touching in the air, their bodies partially overlapping.

He reached out and pressed a Blazing Light Burst against Bai Lian’s abdomen,

forcing her downwards towards the ground!

He had been prepared! Or rather, his sudden pursuit of Jiang Wang had been a tactical maneuver.

*Boom!*

The searing orb of light, pressed against Bai Lian’s supple form, slammed into the ground, creating another deep crater.

“Cough, cough!”

As the smoke cleared, Bai Lian once again staggered to her feet.

The blood she coughed up had soaked through her black face covering.

“That dog-rotten Ji Xuan, always resorting to tricks. He deserves to be a dog for life!”

An obvious wound marred her abdomen, slowly healing amidst the flickering white flames.

The person who had appeared in the sky was none other than Ji Xuan, ranked third in the entire Qi Xing Division, the chief of the Qinghe Prefecture’s Qi Xing Division, and a peak Inner Palace Realm expert!

Undeterred by the torrent of curses, Ji Xuan remained calm. “Knowing it was this one, you still dared to resist?”

Bai Lian suddenly giggled. “Chief Ji’s strength is undeniable, but you don’t understand a woman’s heart. You came right at me tearing at my clothes like that, which girl wouldn’t resist?”

Her voice was dreamlike, as if weaving a beautiful dream amidst murmured secrets, slowly enveloping Ji Xuan.

Almost simultaneously, centered on Bai Lian, beams of searing white light crisscrossed, completely covering every inch of space within a three-zhang radius!

Illusory whispers enticing dreams, and intense light suppressing life.

Bai Lian used the conversation as a lure, and Ji Xuan used it as a setup. Two Upper Grade, Grade A Dao Arts erupted almost simultaneously.

Though Bai Lian managed to escape the area of the Light Suppression Array at the first possible moment, the white flames surrounding her had noticeably thinned, no longer able to cover her entire body.

The difference in strength was obvious, especially since Bai Lian was already injured.

But the direction she charged… was towards Ji Xuan!

The Illusory Whisper could not obliterate the spirit of a powerhouse like Ji Xuan, but she only needed an opening. If she could trap Ji Xuan for three breaths, she would have a chance to reverse the situation tonight!

A flower of white flame bloomed before her jade-like palm, pressing towards Ji Xuan’s abdomen.

She was, without a doubt, a vengeful woman.

*Bang!*

Bai Lian abruptly collided with something, her mind reeling. Only then did she see that strands of white light, woven together, formed a square prison right in front of Ji Xuan, trapping Bai Lian inside!

White light like walls, white light like a cage.

Clearly, Ji Xuan had anticipated Bai Lian’s Illusory Whisper. His dizziness might have lasted less than a single breath, yet he waited until Bai Lian was close before erupting.

Domination.

Complete and utter domination.

From beginning to end, Ji Xuan controlled the entire battle.

He had never intended to kill Bai Lian; his goal was to capture her alive.

Inside the Cage of Light, Bai Lian once again condensed a flower of white flame, but instead of trying to break the barrier of light, she unhesitatingly pressed it towards her own crown.

The moment she was trapped in the Cage of Light, she had realized Ji Xuan’s objective.

And so, she gave her answer in that very moment!

This action undoubtedly caught Ji Xuan off guard. He was interested in Bai Lian and the organization behind her; otherwise, why would he, the leader of the entire Qinghe Prefecture’s Qi Xing Division, personally take action tonight?

Bai Lian’s death would be no great loss to him, but it would mean losing all the gains that would follow.

Decisive as ever, Ji Xuan instantly dispersed the Cage of Light. He approached Bai Lian, his hand wreathed in white light, and reached out to grab the white flower of flame.

The white flame flower turned, blasting towards Ji Xuan’s head.

Bai Lian’s attack on her own crown to commit suicide had, of course, been a genuine action, or she could not have deceived Ji Xuan. But the moment Ji Xuan tried to stop her, she immediately switched to attack.

She did not fear death, but she did not want to die.

Ji Xuan’s hand, entwined with white light, rose to his forehead, just barely blocking the white flame flower. His other hand formed a fist and slammed into Bai Lian’s abdomen!

A man like Ji Xuan, even if he wanted to capture an opponent alive, would never give them a chance. Capturing was the goal, but only one of the goals. To achieve if possible, but not necessarily.

He was now enraged, and this punch was without reservation.

Bai Lian curled into a shrimp-like shape in the air, the white flames around her flickering and dying, like her own life force, teetering on the brink.

Ji Xuan was about to pursue her in the sky.

Suddenly, *boom!*

*Rumbling!*

Giant waves crashed down, like the thunderous roll of war drums.

The entire vast river seemed to surge.

The Qing River trembled!

A towering wave surged into the sky, and atop the crest of the wave stood an old man clad in magnificent ceremonial robes.

“The Qi Xing Division Chief, Ji Xuan, who is responsible for all extraordinary cases in Qinghe Prefecture, how does he have time to wander along the Qing River?”

His voice was almost a whisper, yet it drowned out the crashing waves, drowned out the roaring tide, and echoed clearly in Ji Xuan’s ears.

The old man standing atop the wave was visibly stooped.

Wrinkles crisscrossed his face, and age spots could not be concealed.

He looked very old.

But who would dare ignore him?

Who could ignore the master of the eight-hundred-li Qing River, Song Hengjiang!

…

Ji Xuan almost immediately restrained his aura, stopping in the air and slightly lowering his eyes. “Lord Prefecture, Ji Xuan was on patrol in Qinghe Prefecture and inadvertently discovered a demon lurking here. As the Qi Xing Division Chief, appointed by the Emperor, responsible for the lives of the people, I dare not be negligent!

“To prevent this demon from harming the Prefecture Lord’s people, I acted rashly. The situation was urgent, and I failed to obtain the Prefecture Lord’s consent in advance. I beg your forgiveness.”

His words were watertight.

They expressed humility, pointed out his reliance, and provided Song Hengjiang with an excuse.

As the third-ranked figure in the Qi Xing Division, in charge of the entire Qinghe Prefecture’s Qi Xing Division, his position was no lower than the Qinghe Prefecture Governor’s.

But at this moment, he had no choice but to bow his head.

He knew that now that Song Hengjiang had personally appeared, there would have to be an explanation.

And he felt that with his current position and the current situation between humans and water folk, this explanation was sufficient.

But Song Hengjiang merely glanced at him with those murky eyes, lightly, so lightly.

Then, the corners of the old man’s mouth parted slightly, revealing a smile.

With just that one smile.

The senility vanished, and wild arrogance arose!

“庄承乾’s descendants are becoming more and more impertinent. Fighting to the death under my very nose!”

He clasped his hands behind his back. “For the sake of 庄承乾, slap yourself ten times and you may leave.”