Chapter 154: The Demonic Taoist Shen Gongbao's Eyes and Ears Reach the Heavens

The appearance of Shen Gongbao was extremely abrupt, instantly giving both Jiji Aya and Kumar a tremendous fright.

The newcomer meant no good.

Ignoring the astonished glances exchanged between Jiji Aya and Kumar, Shen Gongbao leisurely took a seat, poured himself a cup of tea, picked up the cup, and sipped it slowly.

Realizing the situation was turning perilous, Kumar subtly exchanged a glance with Jiji Aya, who immediately understood.

At that moment, however, Shen Gongbao smiled and said to them, "You two, if I were in your place, I would sit quietly rather than..."

What? Such a subtle movement, and he had noticed it already?

Kumar’s heart gradually plummeted to rock bottom. "Esteemed sir, who... who on earth are you? What do you want?"

"Hehe! First of all, allow this poor Taoist to introduce myself. My name is Shen Gongbao, and before long, I shall become the Imperial Advisor of this Zhaoge. As for the two of you... well, I couldn't help but overhear the plans you were just discussing."

"Jiji Aya, Princess of the Usang Kingdom? And you, the Great Wizard Kumar? Haha... That Jiang Ziya, my senior brother, managed to slip away from me last time, and I was just fretting over how to return and report to the Great King. Yet here the two of you appear!"

"Haha... Heaven truly is helping me."

One was a princess, the other a great wizard; both possessed extraordinary identities. Capturing these two and presenting them to King Zhou would undoubtedly be a monumental merit.

Securing the mere position of an Imperial Advisor would be as easy as reaching out and taking it.

It seemed the Great Shang dynasty lacked nothing except for an Imperial Advisor, did it not?

The look of eager desire in Shen Gongbao's eyes resembled that of a starving lion, its bloody jaws poised to devour its prey.

Kumar was a great wizard whose dark arts and sorcery belonged to unorthodox and shadowy paths. Yet for some reason, the moment this fellow Shen Gongbao suddenly appeared, all of Kumar's malevolent aura was suppressed and fettered to the point where he could not move.

This alone proved that the malicious power of the person before him far exceeded his own.

This is bad!

They feared...

"Aya, let's run!"

Kumar grabbed Jiji Aya's arm, suddenly shook and extended his walking stick, and with a soft *poof*, the two vanished from the teahouse.

"Hehe, trying to run? It's useless. A mere superficial illusion trick—watch how this poor Taoist shatters it."

Shen Gongbao wore a sinister smile. With a flick of his sleeve, his figure dissolved into thin air just as mysteriously.

In a flash of shifting light and shadow, Kumar hurried along, carrying Jiji Aya out of Zhaoge City, avoiding the main roads as they fled.

"Aya, I can't run anymore... That terrifying demonic Taoist priest, we must have shaken him off by now, right?"

Jiji Aya slumped directly onto the path, refusing to take another step.

Kumar cast his gaze around the surrounding environment, panting heavily. "I reckon... I estimate we should be safe now."

That terrifying demonic Taoist—dammit... may he never cross paths with them again in this lifetime.

His strength was horrifyingly immense!

"Hehe, I must say, you two are quite slow. This poor Taoist has been waiting here for you for quite some time."

Shen Gongbao's arrival could only be described as that of a ghost or a spirit.

His sudden appearance left both Jiji Aya and Kumar utterly dumbfounded and rooted to the spot.

Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that after all that fleeing, they still could not escape this fellow's terrifying demonic clutches!

"Ah... It's you? But how did you..."

How could he have caught up so quickly?

Startled, Jiji Aya leaped up from the ground, her heart filled with extreme terror.

With her bamboo hat now discarded, Jiji Aya's appearance caused Shen Gongbao's sharp yet turbid eyes to instantly brighten.

Exotic beauty truly differed from the grace of Middle Kingdom women, possessing an extra layer of bewitching allure.

Shen Gongbao stared intently at Jiji Aya with burning eyes for a long moment, then shook his head and chuckled. "Tsk tsk... You truly live up to your name as the Princess of Usang, looking so bewitching and gorgeous... Ah, even this poor Taoist's heart is stirred. Such soul-captivating beauty you possess... Hehe, this poor Taoist has suddenly changed his mind."

A demonic Taoist like him was clearly no ordinary man.

Jiji Aya instantly felt a wave of fear. "You, you... what do you want? Let me tell you, I am not someone to be trifled with!"

With a sudden *clang*, Jiji Aya whipped out a gleaming silver dagger and held it before her. "Stinking Taoist, I'm warning you, get lost right now, or I won't be polite!"

"Hah, just a little girl. You lack the climate to achieve anything. Be careful not to hurt yourself."

With a sinister smile, Shen Gongbao flicked a finger and knocked the dagger right out of Jiji Aya's hand.

Aya instantly felt a numbness shoot through her arm, rendering it completely devoid of sensation.

The dagger dropped with a clatter.

"Aya..."

Kumar attempted to come to her rescue, but in an instant, he was tightly bound by a cord of brilliant golden light.

"Ah... What is this unholy thing?"

Terrifying! Utterly terrifying!

No matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free.

Kumar already sensed the footsteps of the Grim Reaper approaching.

He was a great wizard, yet he was no match for the tricks of a single demonic Taoist? How tragic.

Shen Gongbao stroked his goatee, smiling like a roasted and split potato. "Old man, don't waste your energy. This is the Immortal-Binding Cord. Even if you were a high and mighty member of the divine race... Hehe, once trapped by this Immortal-Binding Cord, even if you grew three heads and six arms, there is no escaping it."

"Little beauty, come back with me obediently. You cannot escape, and this way you will avoid physical suffering."

If he presented this little beauty to the Great King, the Great King might be so pleased that the rewards would be boundless.

Shen Gongbao mentally calculated with immense satisfaction.

Escape was impossible, but Jiji Aya had no intention of accepting her fate. She glared with bitter resentment at the smug-looking Shen Gongbao. "Hey, you just said I'm very beautiful and that your heart was stirred. Do you really intend to hand me over to that tyrant, King Zhou?"

"That's right, that is precisely this poor Taoist's plan. As long as you little girl behave obediently, this old Taoist will not make things difficult for you."

Behave obediently? Was that even possible?

What should she do now? She had to devise a foolproof plan to escape.

Her bewitching, agate-like eyes kept spinning rapidly.

With just a single glance, Shen Gongbao saw right through Jiji Aya's little scheme. He smiled at her and said, " Lass, don't waste your efforts. It's useless. Come back with me obediently now."

As he spoke, Shen Gongbao casually pulled out a talisman and pressed it directly between Jiji Aya's brows. The talisman dissolved straight into her skin.

Jiji Aya's gaze instantly turned hazy and vacant.

Kumar, who was already bound immovably by the Immortal-Binding Cord, shrieked in horror, "Stinking old Taoist, what... what have you done to her? What was that talisman just now...?"

"Oh, that is called the Heart-Control Talisman. Once planted, it can manipulate a person's mind, making them controllable like a puppet. Rest assured, this poor Taoist will not harm her; I still depend on you two, the Princess of Usang, to secure my good fortune."

"Stinking demonic Taoist, you..."

Utterly abominable!

Helplessly reduced to a prisoner, his cries to heaven and earth went unanswered, leaving him with no choice but to submit to his bonds.