"Losing out?! Don't you know who that man in white is?! That's Mo Chi, the Lord of the Demon Palace!" someone immediately said disdainfully.
Shen Qianmo had practiced martial arts since childhood and possessed exceptional hearing. Although the whispers among the crowd were faint, she heard them clearly. It turned out to be the son of the Red Eagle Sect leader. The Red Eagle Sect had become a well-known sect in recent years, and the leader's martial arts skills were quite good. It was just a pity that his son was rather incompetent.
His smile remained unchanged, but his dark eyes were icy cold. "So you're the son of the Red Eagle Cult Leader."
Upon hearing his father's name, the man whose martial arts had been crippled immediately adopted a proud demeanor, glancing at Shen Qianmo, "Good to know! Now that you've crippled my martial arts, my father will definitely not let you off the hook!"
"Do you know who I am?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow slightly. The man's hidden weapon attack just now clearly showed his lack of skill. She didn't believe such an incompetent person would dare to assassinate her. She had initially thought he was acting under Tang Yun's orders, but judging from the current situation, it seemed that wasn't the case.
The man snorted disdainfully, his eyes filled with anger and resentment, and said viciously, "I don't care who you are! If you dare to touch me again, you're dead."
"Definitely doomed?! No one has ever dared to speak to me like that before! I think the Red Eagle Cult should be wiped out." Shen Qianmo's lips curled into a bloodthirsty and ruthless smile, her expression unchanged, as if she were merely discussing what to eat today, completely nonchalant.
But that seemingly casual remark sent chills down the spines of the onlookers from the martial arts world. Was the Red Eagle Sect doomed?! Was this white-robed man really going to annihilate an entire sect just because of a single sentence?!
Those who knew Shen Qianmo's identity felt that the Red Eagle Sect's demise was imminent, and they were also filled with fear, secretly resolving never to provoke the Demon Palace. Those who didn't know Shen Qianmo's identity, however, were disdainful. She was merely exceptionally beautiful and skilled in martial arts; could she possibly destroy the Red Eagle Sect?
The man on the ground was so surprised that he couldn't speak. He had originally wanted to mock Shen Qianmo, but seeing the certainty and ruthlessness on her face, he suddenly felt all the words of mockery stuck in his throat.
This man possesses an unparalleled aura; just by looking at you, you feel that he is unattainable, and the ruthlessness in his eyes when he speaks sends chills down your spine.
"Who...who are you..." The man finally asked, trembling with surprise, the question that most of the martial arts practitioners present wanted to ask: who exactly was this arrogant and handsome man?
"Ink Pond." She uttered those two words coldly. Shen Qianmo felt the gasps around her intensify. Excellent. This was the effect she wanted.
Today, it's merely a warning to others. Let the Red Eagle Sect be the first sacrifice in establishing the Demon Palace's prestige in Phoenix Feather City. Of course, she knows this will make her many enemies, but for absolute suppression, she must do it.
"Palace Master of the Demon Palace..." Some of the timid martial artists around screamed, while the man lying on the ground, whose face had already turned pale due to the loss of his martial arts, was now completely bloodless, staring at Shen Qianmo in disbelief.
"Palace Master, please spare me! I was blind to your greatness! I only had a momentary wicked thought and took a fancy to the maidservant beside you..." The man realized what had happened and immediately begged for mercy, his eyes filled with panic. He was well aware of the Demon Palace's methods; it was rumored in the martial world that offending anyone from the Demon Palace would lead to a fate worse than death. And today, he had actually offended the Palace Master of the Demon Palace; even his father probably couldn't protect him now.
Before he could finish pleading for mercy, the white silk ribbon in Shen Qianmo's hand had already mercilessly slashed across the man's neck, and blood gushed out. However, Shen Qianmo's white silk ribbon was still pure white, without a single trace of blood.
"Shenge," Shen Qianmo called out softly. A few days ago, she had transferred Shenge to Fengling City. This competition for the title of martial arts leader in Fengling City was more complicated than she had imagined, so she needed Shenge's help.
"Palace Master." Still dressed in black, his icy demeanor caused the onlookers from the martial arts world to involuntarily take a few steps back.
"I don't want to see the Red Eagle Sect again tomorrow." Shen Qianmo's tone was unhurried, his eyes calm as he gave the order, then he turned away as if nothing had happened, leaving the martial arts world in astonishment.
Shengge silently disappeared back into the darkness, as if he had never been there at all.
"Do you think the Demon Palace will really destroy the Red Eagle Sect?" A martial arts practitioner asked, looking at Shen Qianmo's departing figure with some fear and uncertainty.
"The Red Eagle Sect is a respectable sect, yet it's being wiped out just because its young master took a fancy to the Demon Palace Master's maid?" Another martial arts figure looked incredulous.
"That's right, even if the Demon Palace is powerful, it shouldn't be this arrogant, right?" Martial arts practitioners who hadn't truly witnessed the Demon Palace's methods exclaimed in disbelief.
Their answer was the news of the Red Eagle Cult's annihilation the following day. All thirty-seven branches of the Red Eagle Cult, and thousands of lives, vanished from the face of the earth. A bloodbath of the Red Eagle Cult. A true bloodbath. The methods and power employed led all the martial arts sects that had initially been on the sidelines to reach a consensus: the Demon Palace was too terrifying; they absolutely could not provoke it!
Inside the Tang Clan, Tang Yun, still dressed in dark red clothes resembling dried blood, sat leisurely at the stone table. A sinister smile played on his effeminate face as he toyed with his teacup. A cruel smile curled his lips as he said calmly, "I underestimated Mo Chi's methods! Ruthless enough. However, this will surely cause a lot of dissatisfaction."
"Young Master means..." Qinglan, standing beside Tang Yun, smiled alluringly, but her eyes flashed with malice.
"Notify all sects that are on good terms with the Red Eagle Sect. And to all sects that are uneasy because of the destruction of the Red Eagle Sect, tomorrow at midnight, at Qifeng Forest, we will jointly kill the Demon Palace Master!" A fierce glint flashed in Tang Yun's eyes, and the smile on his lips became even more sinister.
Meanwhile, Shen Qianmo was in a secluded courtyard of the Seven Absolutes Manor, listening to the report from Xuan Lou's subordinates.
"So, many sects that are on good terms with the Red Eagle Sect are hostile to the Demon Palace?" Shen Qianmo raised her eyebrows slightly, a casual and lazy smile playing on her lips.
A thin mist veiled Xuan Lou's eyes, making it impossible to discern his thoughts. His expression remained gentle and refined as he gazed calmly at Shen Qianmo.
Qianqian, however, couldn't contain herself and asked, "Palace Master, it's all because of Qianqian that things have turned out this way."
Shen Qianmo has always been very protective of Qianqian. Anyone who offends Qianqian or tries to take advantage of her will not have a good ending, but she has never implicated anything as important as the sect. Qianqian is also a little confused as to why Shen Qianmo does this.
Although Shen Qianmo is always decisive and ruthless, she has never committed a massacre as large as wiping out an entire family. What exactly happened this time?
"What does the young master think?" Shen Qianmo did not answer Qianqian, but instead looked at Xuanlou with a playful smile on his lips.
When Xuan Lou heard Shen Qianmo ask him this, he simply smiled faintly and said gently, "Make an example of someone. Although it may make many enemies, it will also deter even more people."
Shen Qianmo smiled with satisfaction. As expected, Xuan Lou understood her thoughts. It was true that she killed the Red Eagle Sect Leader's son for Qianqian's sake. However, the extermination of the entire sect wasn't because of Qianqian, but because it was necessary. Making an example of them was the only way to deter those wavering smaller sects from harboring any other intentions and force them to submit to the Demon Palace.
"Young Master. Challenge letter." While Shen Qianmo and Xuan Lou were talking, a servant from Seven Absolutes Manor delivered a challenge letter.
Shen Qianmo reached out and took the challenge letter. It contained only one line: "Tomorrow at midnight, at Qifeng Forest, we will seek justice for the Red Eagle Sect! We also hope that the Palace Master of the Demon Palace will come."
Seeking justice for the Red Eagle Cult?! Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Since they wanted to die, she wouldn't stop them.
Since we're after justice, why not send them to join the Red Eagle Cult? Clearing away all obstacles before the martial arts tournament wouldn't be a bad idea.
Xuan Lou naturally saw the challenge letter as well. His brows furrowed slightly. Before the martial arts tournament, sects with grudges could issue challenges to each other. Those who refused would lose their eligibility to participate in the tournament. Therefore, Shen Qianmo had no choice but to go. However, the letter only stated that the Demon Palace Master would be attending. Was Shen Qianmo going to risk her life alone?!
"Are you going?" His gentle tone couldn't hide his concern and worry.
Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, carefully put away the challenge letter, and a smile appeared on her lips. "Go? Why wouldn't I go?!"
Those small, disorganized sects were beneath her notice. Of course, her going into Qifeng Forest alone didn't mean she wouldn't bring the Demon Palace with her.
If they followed the rules and had their sect leader fight her, she would naturally follow the rules and fight them alone. However, if they went back on their word, she would show no mercy. None of the Demon Palace's subordinates were pushovers.
Seeing the determination and ruthlessness in Shen Qianmo's eyes, Xuanlou understood that Shen Qianmo would never be someone who would suffer for baseless rules. He pursed his lips and smiled, "Be careful."
She nodded slightly. Shen Qianmo nodded to Xuan Lou. Although she hadn't had much contact with Xuan Lou, she admired his character, martial arts skills, and strategies, and considered him a friend. Therefore, she didn't refuse his concern.
The following midnight, Shen Qianmo, dressed in snow-white robes, arrived at Qifeng Forest on time. Qifeng Forest is a dense forest on the outskirts of Fengling City. Surrounded by mountains, yet deeply forested, it is thus named Qifeng Forest (meaning "strange peaks").
Because of its secluded location and surrounding cliffs, Qifenglin is an ideal place for life-or-death duels, making it a prime location for martial arts practitioners to compete.