The flute’s melody was strange, shrill, and hurried, like a small boat bobbing up and down in a turbulent stream, in constant danger of capsizing.
The moment he heard the flute, Chen Yi’s True Essence instantly circulated throughout his body.
Inside his Forehead Acupoint Sea of Qi, Spiritual Essence flowed out from the Four Divine Positions, sealing his ears.
’This is... the Illusory Sound Sect’s Sound Killing Technique?’
Realization dawned on Chen Yi, and in a single step, he landed on a nearby roof, searching for the source of the music.
But before he could find the person striking from the shadows, he saw the granary guards in the distance standing completely still, allowing the barbarian slaves to kill them.
’Mind control?’
Seeing this, Chen Yi was now certain the attacker must be a deviant from the Illusory Sound Sect, a follower of the Evil Demonic Dao.
’No wonder these barbarian slaves managed to escape. Someone really is helping them.’
As he thought, he scanned his surroundings, his gaze mostly directed to the east of the East Market—toward the dark, sparsely populated shadows.
The now-unimpeded barbarian slaves were also fleeing in that direction.
However, as government officials were arriving, one of the barbarian slaves voluntarily stayed behind.
Facing the government officials, he shouted without looking back, "Jiasule, go—"
"Fucking barbarian! You dare act so insolently within the borders of Great Wei?"
"Kill him!"
"Pursue!"
Chen Yi ignored the chaos nearby and darted off in pursuit of the barbarian slaves.
As he leaped and bounded, he picked up a guard’s long blade, vanished into the shadows, and followed the barbarian slaves from a distance.
「Before long.」
Chen Yi saw a figure completely wrapped in black clothing appear diagonally ahead of him, staring at him with a sinister gaze.
"Sir, stay out of this!"
Chen Yi stopped, glanced at the distant barbarian slaves, pulled his bamboo hat down slightly, and asked:
"From the Illusory Sound Sect?"
As he spoke, he took another look with his Qi Observation Skill and frowned inwardly.
’Just a Seventh Grade Realm Martial Artist?’
"Since you know the name of the Illusory Sound Sect, you should leave. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next!"
"What happens next?"
Chen Yi smiled and shook his head, walking toward him with the long blade in hand.
His steps seemed slow, but in reality, he had already used the Meteor Butterfly Step and appeared before the black-clothed man in the blink of an eye.
One strike—a flash of cold light.
A bolt of silken blade light slashed straight down—his Saber Intent as cold as frost.
Before the blade arrived, a chill had already enveloped a ten-zhang radius.
"Great Success Saber Dao?!"
The black-clothed man’s eyes widened, and he hastily raised the flute in his hand to block.
But it was too late.
As the light of the blade flashed past, the flute was split in two, and one of his arms was severed and sent flying along with it.
"Ah—you!?"
Before the black-clothed man could make another move, Chen Yi pressed the long blade to his throat, stopping the rest of his words.
The black-clothed man instantly broke out in a sweat, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
"S-Sir... you... I..."
"I don’t know how I’ve offended you, but I beg you... I beg you to spare me..."
Chen Yi’s eyes lifted slightly, revealing only the line of his jaw, and he asked coolly:
"I’m curious, why are you helping those barbarian slaves?"
The black-clothed man said frantically, "I... it was for the reward from Bright Moon Building... P-please don’t blame me, I have no connection with the Barbarian Race."
He assumed Chen Yi was someone who hated the Barbarian Race, and so he begged repeatedly for his life.
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. ’Someone from Bright Moon Building?’
"Isn’t Black Tooth dead?"
"I wouldn’t dare lie to you. I received the mission in the Western State... N-no, not Shu State."
"Then do you know how those barbarian slaves escaped, and why they burned the grain?"
"They... someone knocked out those Poshisu Country horse bandits, allowing them to escape."