Chapter 289: Chapter 128: A Greater Storm Arrives, Chu Fan Trains Desperately, "Nine Nether Yellow Springs Finger" Breaks the Limit

All of this, it was said, was because the mysterious Ghost-faced Man had made a move!

Cyan Yang Ancient City was like a calm lake into which a giant boulder had been thrown, setting off monstrous waves!

Tonight, every power and every family, large or small, had their lights burning bright. Their leaders had gathered, and no one would sleep a wink!

「Almost at the same time...」 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Inside a secret chamber in the County Magistrate’s Office, candlelight flickered, stretching the twisted shadows on the walls long and thin.

An oppressive, suffocating silence filled the air.

In stark contrast to the uproar and fervent discussions among the great families outside, the atmosphere here was as cold as a tomb.

County Magistrate Zhang Yunpeng, the official who always appeared gentle, refined, and tactful in the eyes of Cyan Yang Ancient City’s citizens, now had a grim expression. His ashen face looked almost ferocious in the flickering candlelight.

He sat stiffly in an armchair, his fingers unconsciously tapping against the smooth armrest, producing a dull TAP TAP sound.

Each tap seemed to strike the hearts of the two black-robed men kneeling before him.

He stared coldly at the two men, his voice as if dredged up from an ice cellar. "Where is Ghost Moon? Tell him to see me!"

One of the black-robed men lowered his head further, nearly touching the cold floor. His voice, filled with unconcealable terror, answered respectfully, "My... my lord, Lord Ghost Moon... he personally led a team to intercept the three from the Demon Suppression Bureau. He has... not yet returned."

BANG!

Zhang Yunpeng violently shoved with his right hand, sending the teacup and teapot on the nearby pearwood table flying. They crashed hard onto the floor!

CRACK!

The teacup instantly shattered, sending porcelain shards flying everywhere.

The teapot tumbled clumsily across the floor a few times. Its lid fell off, and scalding hot tea gushed out, spreading across the stone tiles.

White steam, fragrant with tea, rose and curled through the secret chamber, yet it couldn’t dispel the bone-deep chill.

The two black-robed men flinched violently, burying their heads even deeper. They held their breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.

They had followed Zhang Yunpeng for many years and had never seen their superior—a man who always concealed his emotions and kept his thoughts hidden—so enraged!

"Everything I’ve painstakingly built for years..."

Zhang Yunpeng’s chest heaved, and he practically spat the words through gritted teeth. "If the plan for ’the key’ is ruined, Ghost Moon will be solely to blame! Does he think this is some child’s game?!"

He shot to his feet and paced around the chamber. His shadow swayed with his movements, like a Demon Fiend looking for prey to devour.

"Send a message back to the Main Altar for me!"

Zhang Yunpeng stopped walking, his voice resolute. "Report directly to the Lord Left Guardian!"

The bodies of the two black-robed men trembled violently and visibly.

The man on the left mustered his courage and raised his head slightly. His voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz as he asked cautiously, "My lord... are we... are we to bypass the Lord Divine Sacrifice Envoy? This..."

A flicker of apprehension toward the "Divine Sacrifice Envoy" crossed Zhang Yunpeng’s eyes, but it was immediately overwhelmed by a deeper, more vicious fury.

He let out a cold sneer, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Ghost Moon is her Direct Disciple. Do you expect the Lord Divine Sacrifice Envoy to punish him? Ghost Moon has made a complete mess of the plan. Who’s going to take responsibility for that?!"

The black-robed man shuddered and quickly lowered his head again, not daring to say another word.

Zhang Yunpeng spoke again, his tone slightly calmer but even more profound. "Besides, right now, the Lord Divine Sacrifice Envoy must focus all her energy on controlling the ’Nine Nether Devouring Spirit Array’ to trap Yue Mankong of the Demon Suppression Bureau. She also has to divert her attention to use the Grand Array to search the depths of Dragon Ridge Mountain for the precise location of ’the key.’ This is the most critical moment. How could she have the energy to deal with the trivial mess that fool Ghost Moon has caused?"

"Yes! We understand!" the two black-robed men replied in unison, no longer having any objections.

Zhang Yunpeng closed his eyes, as if trying his utmost to calm his roiling qi, blood, and murderous intent.

After a moment, he opened his eyes again, a measure of his usual profoundness having returned to their depths. He said in a low voice, "My backup plan was already prepared... But that fool Ghost Moon insisted on going his own way, wanting to establish his might by destroying the Blood Saber Sect and the Seven Stars Gang first. The plan backfired spectacularly. Not only did we lose so many good men for nothing, but two Divine Power Realm experts also died..."

He shook his head, his tone filled with disappointment and hostility.

"More of a hindrance than a help!"

"A fool like him is not worth scheming with!"

The two black-robed men were deathly silent, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Zhang Yunpeng let out a long sigh, a sound that concealed too much helplessness and suppressed fury.

He then asked, "When will the reinforcements from Qing Province, dispatched by the Main Altar, arrive?"

One of the black-robed men immediately looked up and replied with certainty, "Rest assured, my lord! We’ve received a definite message. By our calculations, they will arrive in Cyan Yang Ancient City in four days at the most!"

"Four days..." Zhang Yunpeng repeated in a low voice. His eyes seemed to be veiled in a layer of unpredictable mist, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.

"Sending Ghost Moon to intercept the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau was his last chance to redeem himself."

"If he can handle this task properly and trap those three experts from the Demon Suppression Bureau, we might still be able to stabilize the situation and initiate the backup plan before the reinforcements from Qing Province arrive."

"Otherwise, he can prepare himself to face the Lord Left Guardian’s towering wrath!"

"At that point, not even the Lord Divine Sacrifice Envoy will be able to protect him!"

He waved his hand lightly, the gesture carrying an unquestionable mix of exhaustion and authority.

The two black-robed men, as if granted a great amnesty, bowed respectfully and hurriedly exited the secret chamber, afraid that a moment’s delay would bring disaster upon them.

Only Zhang Yunpeng remained in the secret chamber, accompanied by the mess on the floor and the lingering, steamy fragrance of tea.

"The Ghost-faced Man..."

Zhang Yunpeng slowly raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the thick stone walls toward the location of the Seven Stars Gang. His expression was unsettled, filled with suspicion and a hint of imperceptible dread.