Chapter 26: Gengxin City

Two months later, Qian Yunyu and her group arrived at Gengxin City.

Gengxin City, renowned as the "Capital of Metal," is located in the southwestern region of the Star Luo Empire.

The objective for Qian Yunyu and the others this time was Miles and his accomplices at the Gengxin City Spirit Hall branch. Relying on the authority of the Spirit Hall, this man had acted as a tyrant, committing every conceivable crime, which had rendered the Spirit Hall infamous in Gengxin City.

Upon entering the city, the group headed straight for the main Spirit Hall branch. Time was tight and their mission was heavy; they had no time to linger. Once Miles was dealt with, they had to move on to their next destination.

At the main Spirit Hall branch, Qian Yunyu and Qian Renxue made no attempt to conceal their identities. Exuding their aura, they strode grandly into the hall, followed by their entourage.

"Greetings, Your Highnesses the Saintesses!" A resonant voice rang out as the Hall Master bowed to Qian Yunyu and Qian Renxue.

As a Hall Master, he was well-informed, but he had only recently learned that the teams led by the Saintesses were purging the rot within the Spirit Hall across the continent.

Had it been only the Heavenly Fox Saintess, the Hall Master—a powerhouse at the level of a Spirit Saint—would not have been overly intimidated and might have even found a way to cover up those dirty dealings. However, both the Angelic Saintess and the Heavenly Star Saintess had arrived. These two possessed the angelic bloodline—the true masters of the Spirit Hall. In terms of strength and status, they were far beyond what a mere disciple of the Pope like the Heavenly Fox Saintess could compare to.

Qian Yunyu studied the old man before her, a slight frown creasing her brow. She did not miss the gloom in his eyes and transmitted her voice to Qian Renxue: "Sister, this Hall Master is treacherous."

Qian Renxue curled her lips slightly. How could she not see that this old Hall Master had something to hide? She did not believe that a minor purple-robed bishop like Miles could have made the Spirit Hall so notorious in Gengxin City on his own; there was undoubtedly high-level complicity behind the scenes. Miles was merely a scapegoat placed in the open, but such tricks could not deceive her or Yun'er.

The sisters did not act immediately, instead following the Hall Master's lead and agreeing to stay at the branch. The Hall Master breathed a sigh of relief, intending to return and destroy all the evidence so that the Angelic and Heavenly Star Saintesses would not discover a single clue.

When night fell—a dark night perfect for killing—Qian Yunyu and her group began their move.

The Hall Master and other senior officials were still busy trying to destroy the evidence of their crimes, never imagining that Qian Yunyu and Qian Renxue had no intention of using such evidence to convict them; they had a much better method.

Qian Yunyu and Qian Renxue found Miles's room. Seeing them arrive in the dead of night, and thinking of his own deeds, Miles could not hide his terror.

Qian Renxue’s purple eyes flashed, and the pressure of a Spirit Saint flooded the room. Miles instantly collapsed to his knees, so frightened that he wet himself.

A pungent odor spread through the room. Qian Yunyu covered her nose and mouth, looking at the trembling Miles on the floor with disgust, before extending her right hand to grasp his head, channeling her spirit power into his mind.

What Qian Yunyu was performing was a soul-search, a secret technique taught to her by her master. Victims of this technique would, at best, be left demented, and at worst, die. She did not use it lightly, but for Miles's actions, she felt no psychological burden. Almost no one in the Douluo Continent knew how to perform a soul-search, so there were no defensive measures for the soul, allowing Qian Yunyu's technique to proceed without obstruction.

As the seconds passed, Qian Yunyu’s expression grew increasingly grim, and the spirit power surging into Miles became volatile. Once the soul-search was complete, Miles, unable to withstand the intensity and the violent spirit power, died on the spot.

Qian Yunyu kicked him aside as if he were trash.

"Sister, it seems we need to carry out a massacre," Qian Yunyu said, her golden eyes brewing with cold, icy light, her voice frigid.

Qian Renxue replied, "Oh? Did you see something truly appalling, Yun'er?"

Qian Yunyu said, "The reports submitted to Mother were far too conservative. The few lines in the records cannot summarize the current state of the Gengxin City Spirit Hall branch; that was merely the tip of the iceberg. This branch—aside from the lowest-level soldiers—is filled with people just like Miles from top to bottom. There is no need for a cleanup; we should annihilate them entirely!"

The Gengxin City branch did not have many members, with nearly a third fewer people than branches in other cities. However, because this was the "Capital of Metal," a wealthy city not prioritized by the Spirit Hall or the two great empires, the branch had acted like local warlords, committing countless dirty deeds over the years.

Though Qian Renxue did not know what Qian Yunyu had seen in Miles's memories, judging by her fury, it must have been incredibly dark.

"Fine. We will handle the killing, and the aftermath can be left to Mother." With that, Qian Renxue took out paper and pen, quickly writing down the situation at the Gengxin City branch and their decision, then summoned a carrier pigeon dedicated to the Spirit Hall to send the message out.

Although their group was small, with the sisters working in tandem, no one in the branch could stop them. They pushed through with overwhelming force.

Finally, only the old Hall Master remained, severely wounded and surrounded by the eight of them in the main hall.

"No! You cannot kill me! I am the Hall Master of this branch, and a Spirit Saint! I am a rare combat asset for the Spirit Hall!" the old Hall Master shrieked in terror.

"Hmph!" Qian Yunyu sneered, looking at him with cold detachment. "A mere Spirit Saint, is that supposed to be rare? My Angel Legion is entirely composed of Spirit Saints. What are you compared to them?"

Too lazy to waste more words on such a person, Qian Yunyu pierced him through with a single strike of her spear.

"I..." The old man, who had spent his life committing evil, died with his eyes wide open, never finding peace.

Aside from the lowest-level soldiers who were kept in the dark, every perpetrator in the branch was purged. The grand Spirit Hall branch became an empty shell overnight.

That night, the Gengxin City Spirit Hall ran with blood, and a thick, metallic scent lingered in the city, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

The next morning, when the sun rose, the blood and corpses inside the hall had been cleaned up by soldiers. To the passing citizens of Gengxin City, the Spirit Hall appeared as majestic and orderly as ever. Yet, the lingering scent of blood told them that a great catastrophe had occurred within.

Because Qian Yunyu and her group had wiped out almost everyone in the branch, leaving no one capable of taking charge, and since the eight of them were in a hurry to reach the next city, Qian Renxue ordered Yue Guan, who had been following them in secret, to stay behind and take command. He was instructed to catch up with them only after the personnel sent by Bibi Dong arrived to take over the branch.

With a Titled Douluo left in charge, even though the branch had suffered a devastating blow, no factions in Gengxin City dared to take advantage of the situation, fearing that the Titled Douluo would wipe them out with a wave of his hand.