Chapter 87: The Heavenly Demon Zither

Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, mid-September arrived. Once Wang Kun was fully prepared in his Xihu villa, he began communicating with the system to initiate a new round in the alternate world.

With a shift in time and space, Wang Kun’s figure vanished from the grand villa at Xihu. Deep within an unfamiliar forest, the tranquil air rippled, and Wang Kun materialized.

As he absorbed the system’s information in his mind, memories began to surface. “The Demon Zither with Six Fingers! This world, too, is no place for the weak—it’s a martial realm where force holds sway, and the Demon Zither itself is virtually a weapon from a fantasy saga.”

With this in mind, Wang Kun immediately summoned his loyal female assassins. In a flash, a host of strikingly formidable women appeared at his side. Per Wang Kun’s orders, they were all clad in matching black combat attire, each looking every bit the part of a lethal agent—perfectly fitting their deadly roles.

“Spread out and search for leads on the Demon Zither,” Wang Kun commanded. “The moment you find anything, report to me at once.”

“Yes, Master!” they replied in unison.

As soon as the words left his lips, the women vanished into the forest, leaving only fleeting shadows behind.

Wang Kun himself did not leave; he would wait until his assassins uncovered information, then teleport directly to the scene.

Several hours later, a message arrived from one of his assassins. In the next instant, Wang Kun appeared beside Dai Qisi.

“Master, the Demon Zither is currently still in the hands of Lü Lin at the Flying Tiger Escort Agency,” Dai Qisi reported, gesturing toward the agency’s distant building.

It turned out that not long ago, Huang Xuemei, the possessor of the Demon Zither, had entrusted it to the Flying Tiger Escort Agency. Lü Lin, the agency’s young and bold head, had publicly accepted the perilous task in front of the martial world’s onlookers.

Inside the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, Lü Lin was preparing to transport the precious cargo to Suzhou.

“Father, rest assured—I will deliver this cargo safely to its destination,” Lü Lin vowed.

His father, Lü Tengkong, was wracked with worry, praying for a smooth journey. If anything happened, the reputation of the famed Flying Tiger Escort Agency—the foremost of its kind—would be ruined. In those days, a security agency’s honor was its lifeblood. As the saying went: one’s life could be forfeit, but the cargo must never be lost.

Lü Tengkong, famed master of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, was deeply invested in the agency’s honor. Lü Lin, raised in this environment, placed equal importance on his own reputation.

Gazing at the distant agency, Wang Kun instructed Dai Qisi, “Go and retrieve the Demon Zither.”

“Yes, Master!”

Wang Kun had already received word from another assassin who had located the true owner of the Demon Zither, Huang Xuemei. Now that the rightful master had been found, Wang Kun would claim the Demon Zither. If Huang Xuemei met his requirements for recruitment, he would return the instrument to her. If not, he would wait—after all, according to the original story, Huang Xuemei would eventually use the Demon Zither to slay many key figures, and as long as her hands were stained with blood, she would qualify for his ranks.

Inside the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, as Lü Lin attempted to slip away unnoticed, a sudden gust swept past him. In the blink of an eye, the Demon Zither—wrapped in cloth on his back—vanished.

“Who’s there?” he shouted.

Everything happened so quickly that Lü Lin never glimpsed his assailant; Dai Qisi was gone as swiftly as she had come.

Realizing his precious cargo was missing, Lü Lin spun around, frantic and bewildered, unable to comprehend who had robbed him.

Meanwhile, Wang Kun, now in possession of the Demon Zither, appeared at Zhou Zhiruo’s side.

“Who are you people?” demanded Huang Xuemei, her brow furrowed as she faced Wang Kun, already on guard after Zhou Zhiruo’s sudden challenge. The sudden appearance of Wang Kun only heightened her wariness.

Wang Kun, however, did not answer. Instead, he communicated with the system and used a death servant card. Since Huang Xuemei already bore the weight of lives lost, she could be transformed into his death servant.

In the very next moment, Huang Xuemei froze. Her tense expression melted into calm, and she approached Wang Kun respectfully, bowing in deference.

“Greetings, Master.”

“Take the Demon Zither,” Wang Kun instructed. “From now on, Zhiruo will instruct you in all matters of cultivation.”

“Yes, Master!” Huang Xuemei replied, accepting the instrument and stepping back to Wang Kun’s side.

Wang Kun’s time in this world was short—only one year. Now that he had claimed the realm’s most pivotal heroine as his servant, he wasted no time. In the following days, he allowed Huang Xuemei to adjust to her newfound power, then entrusted her with a mission: to conquer this world on his behalf.

At the same moment, in a grand hall, the leaders of the greatest martial sects had gathered to discuss urgent matters.

“Old Fiery, who do you think seized the Demon Zither?” one asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Demon Zither was just entrusted to the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, and now it’s been snatched away. Who else but the client behind the scenes could act so swiftly?”

“Then who do you suppose is orchestrating all this?” another inquired.

A red-robed elder spoke in a low voice, “Sixteen years ago, our combined sects destroyed Huang Dong of the Six Fingers, and his daughter vanished from the martial world with the Demon Zither. Now, sixteen years later, the Zither has resurfaced. The mastermind must be her.”

“So what now?”

“What else? We find her, unite, kill her, and seize the Demon Zither,” responded He Qinghua, eyes blazing with murderous intent.

As the six major sects’ leaders argued heatedly, an ancient zither suddenly soared into the hall, hovering high above the assembly.

“The Demon Zither!”

All eyes widened as they gazed at the mystical instrument. Though they appeared united, each master’s heart brimmed with ambition—none would willingly surrender this peerless weapon capable of dominating the martial world.

…