Chapter 82: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

"Why? Why hasn't Gallo come out yet? Are you truly so heartless?" Huang Chao's face was ashen, his lips murmuring incessantly.

For Gallo, he had thrown caution to the wind. Raising his head to look at the Jade Pavilion before him, he finally made a decision.

He would break into the Jade Pavilion by force.

"Jade Pavilion, today I, Huang Chao, will destroy you."

With a wave of his hand, an immortal sword appeared in his grasp. He slashed down toward the Jade Pavilion.

Boom.

A surge of formidable sword intent struck fiercely against the great protective array of the Jade Pavilion.

With a cracking sound, a fissure appeared in the array under the force of that blow.

This strike naturally startled not only everyone within the Jade Pavilion but even sent shockwaves through the entire Tai Xuan City.

Countless eyes turned toward the Jade Pavilion.

Within, several powerful auras erupted at once—all were at the Golden Core stage.

"Who dares to damage the protective array of my Jade Pavilion?"

As for Gallo, all strength had long since left her body. Yet she still tried to rise, wanting to go out and see for herself.

But Chu Feng firmly held her back.

"Enough," he said. "With your current condition, do you think you can go out there? Let me handle it."

Chu Feng was well aware of the situation outside.

This Huang Chao—he had never thought much of him before, just a pitiful sycophant.

Who could imagine that the goddess you adored was, at this very moment, beneath another man, at his mercy, while you only dared stand at the doorway, waiting?

By Gallo's own account, Huang Chao had pursued her relentlessly, sparing no effort to please her. Now, at last, he was showing some spine—daring to force his way into the Jade Pavilion.

But how long would this burst of passion last?

His first sword had failed to breach the Jade Pavilion's defenses, so he raised his blade for a second strike.

Just as it seemed the sword would land, the array suddenly deactivated.

Several figures strode from within the Jade Pavilion, their faces thunderous. "Who are you, and why do you force your way into our Jade Pavilion?"

"Do you not know what sort of place this is?"

Huang Chao roared, "I must see Gallo! If she comes out, I will leave at once. If not, then even if it costs me my life, I, Huang Chao, will tear the Jade Pavilion down today!"

"How dare you!"

"Do you have any idea what this place is?"

"This is not a place you can simply destroy."

Huang Chao burst out laughing. "I don't care what this place is. I only know that I must see Gallo. If I cannot, then I might as well die. Since I am already a dead man, what reason have I to hold back?"

"Gallo! Come out and see me!"

His voice rang out again, now tinged with a new resolve and wildness.

"Insolence!"

"To come cause trouble at my Jade Pavilion—you're courting death!"

"Sisters, seize him!"

All the women attacked at once, launching themselves at Huang Chao.

He had gone mad. Though he was at the peak of Golden Core and feared no single opponent, against three female cultivators of the same rank, he was hopelessly outmatched. Gritting his teeth, he fought back recklessly, trading injury for injury.

It was a desperate struggle—every blow he dealt cost him dearly.

From childhood, he and Gallo had known each other, childhood sweethearts, their families had even arranged a betrothal. From the very start, Gallo had been the wife of his heart.

But one day, a cultivator arrived in their small town to test everyone's spiritual aptitude. Gallo was found to have an exceptional natural spirit body, and her talent was deemed worthy. She was immediately taken as a disciple by the cultivator. Huang Chao, however, possessed only a low-tier spirit body; the cultivator didn't even spare him a glance.

Before leaving, Gallo sought out Huang Chao and asked to break their engagement.

How could Huang Chao agree? Gallo's master even threatened him harshly.

That day, Huang Chao swore that he too would enter the world of cultivation, that he would find Gallo, and make her his wife.

Shortly after Gallo was taken away, Huang Chao vanished—setting out on his own path of cultivation.

When he finally reappeared before Gallo, she was genuinely startled to see him again.

But by then, having witnessed the splendor of the wider world and the path of cultivation, Gallo was single-minded in her ambition to ascend higher. She had no interest in romance, much less dual cultivation.

Moreover, Huang Chao's abilities were inferior to hers, his talent lacking.

But he was undeterred, pursuing her relentlessly, never giving up.

Gallo was driven to distraction, until at last she took refuge in the Jade Pavilion.

When Huang Chao lost all news of her, he was driven to madness, searching for years.

At last, not long ago, he learned that Gallo was at the Jade Pavilion.

And so he came, determined to see her face to face.

Not long before, he had encountered a man who, upon hearing of his plight, had sneered at him and imparted a piece of advice: when faced with a woman who does not love you, take her by force.

Seize her. If she becomes devoted to you, then she is yours. If she resists, continue to take her—once, twice, as many times as it takes. In time, you will have her submission.

After this scornful advice, Huang Chao finally steeled himself. He came to the Jade Pavilion, prepared to follow this man's counsel.

To find Gallo. To seize her and make her his.

As Huang Chao acted, not far away, two figures appeared.

One was a young man, his face full of disappointment. "I've never seen such a pathetic man. Even after falling under my psychic suggestion, he's still so timid, terrified of a woman to his very core."

"Master," the other said, "do you think there might be any women in the Jade Pavilion who are S-class beauties or above?"

Had Chu Feng noticed them, he would surely have recognized one of them as an acquaintance—Han Feng.

After some cajoling, Han Feng had finally convinced the old Heart Demon to leave the Qinling Mountains and head straight for the Tai Xuan Dao Sect.

Arriving in Tai Xuan City, they soon heard of the Jade Pavilion.

A thought struck them—they wanted to see the beauties of the Jade Pavilion for themselves.

If fortune favored them with an S-class beauty, perhaps he could use some minor tricks to win her over. With such a prize, what reward would be too small?

"Haha, my Emperor-tier treasure, here I come!"

But to his chagrin, only women were allowed entry to the Jade Pavilion.

He was at a loss, considering whether to have his master storm the place outright, though that risked alerting the enemy.

Just as he was undecided, he encountered Huang Chao.

So he used a bit of his psychic power to control Huang Chao, intending to have him cause a ruckus at the Jade Pavilion—then he could catch a glimpse of the beauties within.

The only thing that frustrated him was just how useless Huang Chao turned out to be—not just a sycophant, but a supreme sycophant at that.