Chapter 15 Fang Yong

Gu Chen took a step forward and supported Yin Yin before she stumbled and fell.

She seemed to have lost all her strength and collapsed directly into Gu Chen's arms. At this moment, with the dispersal of the black mist, her expression was peaceful, and her face regained its earlier delicate beauty.

However, her complexion was very pale, as white as paper, devoid of any color.

Seeing her in this state, Gu Chen knew that with the demon ghost inside her completely eradicated, the courtesan Yin Yin's life was also coming to an end without the support of the demon ghost's power.

Although she was different from those whose minds had been corrupted by the demon ghost, still retaining her sanity, she was an ordinary person before, and her body had been completely eroded during her fusion with the demon ghost. With the demon ghost's death, her death followed.

The power of a demon ghost was like a deadly poison to any living being. They were inherently opposites; even a martial artist couldn't survive being eroded by a demon ghost.

"Do you have anything you want to say?" Gu Chen gently asked, looking at Yin Yin in his arms.

The courtesan's lips trickled with blood. At these words, she gave a mournful smile and said, "I hate everything here. I was sold here at the age of eight and have lived here for ten years. In this place, every day was a forced smile, a life that was neither human nor ghost for ten years. I lost everything!"

As her emotions intensified, she began to cough up blood continuously. Despite Gu Chen's attempts to infuse his inner energy into her, it was futile. Soon, her chest was soaked with blood, staining much of Gu Chen's clothes as well.

"I swore... if I ever had the chance... I would... definitely... destroy this place... destroy... everything..."

She spoke as her breaths grew weaker, like a candle flickering in the wind, her voice softer and softer until it was completely gone.

Gu Chen gently brushed his hand across her face. At this moment, Wu Qian arrived with many constables from the county office.

Earlier, a servant from Yi Xiang Building had seen the scene and thought Gu Chen was causing trouble, so he reported it to the officials.

Seeing Gu Chen there, Wu Qian was instantly surprised. He hurriedly ran up, clasped his fists, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Master Gu."

He naturally noticed the blood on Gu Chen's clothes, the mess on the ground, and the courtesan in his arms. However, having worked as an officer for so long, Wu Qian wasn't foolish. He wouldn't ask unnecessary questions and pretended not to see anything, keeping silent.

Gu Chen stood up with the courtesan's body and told Wu Qian, "There was a demon ghost hiding in Yi Xiang Building. I have now eradicated it. I command you to seal off this place immediately."

"Yes!" Wu Qian bowed his head respectfully.

"And bury her properly." Gu Chen handed the courtesan's body to Wu Qian.

"Understood." Wu Qian quickly and carefully took the body.

Then, Gu Chen turned to leave.

"Please wait, Master Gu."

Wu Qian suddenly called out, approaching him and said, "Master Gu, Lord Fang is waiting for you at the county office. I encountered the servant on my way to find you and came here after."

Gu Chen raised his eyebrows slightly at these words; what did Fang Yong want so late at night?

However, he didn't ask further. Wu Qian was just a constable and might not know. Nodding, Gu Chen then left.

After Gu Chen's figure completely disappeared, Wu Qian lifted his head, glanced at the courtesan's body in his hands, then looked in the direction where Gu Chen had left and sighed softly.

In a brief moment, Wu Qian had formulated a grand drama in his mind, quietly sighing over the hero's failure to overcome his love for the courtesan, believing Gu Chen must be grieving deeply over her death by the demon ghost.

He then noticed his subordinates staring at him, so Wu Qian's face darkened, and he shouted, "What are you looking at? Didn't you hear Master Gu's orders? Hurry up and seal this place!"

"Yes!" The constables quickly responded.

In another corner, the dignitaries of Ning City, hiding aside, seeing Gu Chen leave without troubling them, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they were local powers in Ning City, in front of the Jing Tian Department, they were nothing but small fry. If Gu Chen had targeted them, they would have had no way to resist, only to endure.

Now that Gu Chen left directly, they were naturally pleased.

...

After leaving Yi Xiang Building, Gu Chen went straight to the county office in Ning City.

At the same time, he was puzzled. Why would Fang Yong stay up late to call on him?

Entering the county office, Gu Chen slightly frowned. The place was eerily quiet tonight, not even a guard at the entrance.

As he walked into the county office, it was pitch black with no light, the silence somewhat terrifying.

Following his memory, he made his way to the inner hall and saw, not far in the dark, Fang Yong sitting with his head down in a grand chair, seemingly asleep.

Gu Chen's expression remained calm as he spoke, "Lord Fang, what urgent matter requires my presence so late?"

In the vast county office, only Gu Chen's voice echoed. Fang Yong, sitting in the grand chair with his head down, remained silent.

Gu Chen furrowed his brows. He walked up to Fang Yong, placed his hand on the county magistrate's shoulder, and gently shook him, "Lord Fang?"

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a sound broke through the silence. Gu Chen turned immediately, striking with his palm, but hit nothing. The sound was like an illusion.

Then, with a thud, Gu Chen's body shuddered. He turned his head and saw Fang Yong, who had been motionless in the grand chair, suddenly open his eyes, glaring at him with a sinister look, appearing terrifying in the dark.

The earlier sound had come from Fang Yong landing a palm strike on Gu Chen.

"Lord Gu, how does it feel?"

Seeing Gu Chen's gaze, Fang Yong's face twisted into a pleased smile. His voice was hoarse and his demeanor had changed significantly, as if he were a different person.

"Lord Fang, I didn't expect even you to be corrupted." Gu Chen sighed softly.

"Hmm?"

Fang Yong was momentarily stunned. Realizing something, he attempted to shatter Gu Chen's internal organs with a forceful palm strike.

Bang!

At that moment, Gu Chen's robe billowed without wind, rapidly swelling. Quickly, he turned and struck at Fang Yong again.

Whoosh!

Although Gu Chen was fast, Fang Yong wasn't slow either. He moved swiftly, dodging Gu Chen's strike, which caused the grand chair to shatter into pieces.

Fang Yong retreated to a distance, looking at the unscathed Gu Chen with dark eyes, "Impossible, how can you be unharmed after taking my palm strike?"

Gu Chen did not answer but said, "So, Lord Fang, you too were corrupted by the demon ghost."

In fact, from the first time Gu Chen met Fang Yong, he felt something was off. During their interaction, he sensed an unreleased power in Fang Yong, which prompted him to ask if Fang Yong was a martial artist.

After confirming with Wu Qian, Gu Chen didn't dwell on it. But he hadn't expected Fang Yong to be like the courtesan from Yi Xiang Building, Yin Yin, corrupted by the demon ghost.

Unlike Yin Yin, who retained her sanity, Fang Yong had become a complete puppet of the demon ghost, his mind entirely corrupted.

Of course, even Yin Yin, to some extent, had her mind influenced by the demon ghost within her, which was unavoidable.

Surprised by these words, Fang Yong coldly laughed, his figure moving erratically like a specter toward Gu Chen.

Gu Chen stood calmly until Fang Yong suddenly appeared close to him. Then, he struck with a palm, glowing like an iron, it was the Red Flame Palm!

The demon ghost's power was extremely yin and evil, while Gu Chen's Pure Yang Skill and Red Flame Palm were fiercely yang martial arts, capable of restraining the demon ghost's power. Feeling this, Fang Yong's expression darkened and he dodged to Gu Chen's back.

Bang!

Fang Yong struck, but Gu Chen did not evade, allowing the strike to land on his body.

"How can this be?!"

Seeing Gu Chen unharmed, Fang Yong was shocked. The next second, he felt a terrifying rebound force from Gu Chen, sending him flying, his bones trembling.

"Ugh!"

After landing, Fang Yong spat out a mouthful of blood. Ignoring his injuries, he looked at Gu Chen in shock.

"Your power... you're not just a patrol officer. You have a Tongmai level cultivation. You're the Metropolitan Procurator of the Jing Tian Department... you deceived me!"