Chapter 292: Fan Hanzhou's Question

After the dwarf had flashed, turned, and moved about the open ground, he returned to Ge Qingchuan's side; he held a piece of cowhide paper in his own hand, while respectfully handing another piece to Ge Qingchuan.

Ge Qingchuan took the cowhide paper and, after merely glancing at it, raised his eyes to scan the people on the open ground; he saw that among those in the field who had received the cowhide paper, some had already begun to whisper to one another.

Yu Lieting was at the other edge of the open ground, looking at the cowhide paper in his hand, his gaze flickering.

On the cowhide paper was a full-body ink portrait of a young man with a forced, insincere smile; next to the portrait were some notes regarding his stature, and below the portrait was various other detailed information. Yu Lieting scanned the most important points at a glance: Zhu Qunxiang; Sect Emissary; True Qi Realm First Stage.

Yu Lieting understood that this was the target he was to eliminate this time; a True Qi Realm First Stage expert was not weak!

Ge Qingchuan's clear voice rang out at this moment.

"What everyone holds in their hands is the detailed information on the targets you need to eliminate during this operation. This information was obtained by Qingchuan through the mobilization of many channels and integrated together, all so that we can anticipate the enemy, strike with precision, and not let a single person slip through the net!"

One source of this information was the Temple Keeper of the City God Temple in Xiangu County, Xu Dongyang.

Although Ruan Fengshan had gone completely into hiding after the Filthy Blood Case at the end of last year, Ge Qingchuan learned that Xu Dongyang had not been exposed during this major case.

Therefore, Ge Qingchuan boldly activated Xu Dongyang. After all, Xu Dongyang was a local of Xiangu County and could personally attend the site of the Talent Selection Assembly, allowing him to obtain quite a bit of fresh, first-hand material.

Even though using Xu Dongyang under the circumstances of Xiangu County being swarming with secret agents would risk alerting the enemy—after all, Xiangu County had just experienced the Filthy Blood Case, and who could guarantee that Xu Dongyang hadn't been targeted by various secret agents? —Ge Qingchuan believed this risk was worth taking for the sake of this first-hand information.

Sure enough, it was now proven that Ge Qingchuan's judgment was extremely wise.

During the three days of the Talent Selection Assembly, Xu Dongyang would send a secret letter to the Hall via carrier pigeon every night, totaling three letters. These three secret letters accounted for nearly one-third of the content of the information she had finally compiled and integrated. Moreover, the leads for many clues came from these secret letters. Only after she obtained the leads did she use other means and channels to dig out more information.

This Hall of the Filthy Blood Sect in Yuanyang Prefecture was founded by Ge Qinglei and had been entrenched and managed for over ten years; there were hidden agents in many places, and they even had people inside the Yuanyang Prefecture government office.

"Now, Qingchuan will explain the specific plan for this operation to everyone." As Ge Qingchuan's voice rose, the whispering on the open ground immediately fell silent.

"We have already buried Black Gunpowder at multiple fixed points on the Official Road facing this dense forest, creating an explosion zone of nearly three zhang! Furthermore, we have mixed a large amount of potent Poison Powder into the Black Gunpowder!"

"But these are only auxiliary means; the Poison Powder is almost useless against experts of the True Qi Realm! Even for Martial Artists of the Inner Breath Realm, as long as they hold their breath in time, this Poison Powder drifting with the wind has no lethality!"

"However, the Black Gunpowder and Poison Powder can destroy the carriages, poison the horses, and scatter the people who were originally gathered together!"

"When the time comes, everyone just needs to lie in ambush on both sides of the Official Road, keep an eye on your respective targets, and act when the opportunity arises!"

"Strive to wipe them out in one fell swoop! Leave no survivors!"

Although Ge Qingchuan was a woman, these few sentences were spoken with iron-clad resolve and murderous intent.

Upon hearing Ge Qingchuan's words, the people present had varying expressions.

That greasy-haired beggar was chuckling while looking at the cowhide paper in his hand. The Master beside him frowned and leaned over to look at the cowhide paper in the beggar's hand; it didn't matter until he looked, but upon seeing it, the Master felt a sudden sourness in his heart.

The cowhide paper in the beggar's hand depicted a bright-eyed young girl with a charming smile, while the one in his own hand was a round, short, fat man.

Just then, Ge Qingchuan's voice rose again. "If anyone has any questions about this operation, feel free to bring them up; Qingchuan will certainly answer everything she knows!"

The Master immediately pointed at the beggar beside him and said with dissatisfaction: "Why is my opponent a short, fat man, while this fellow's opponent gets to be a bright and beautiful girl?!"

Ge Qingchuan smiled upon hearing this: "Master Dong, this is fighting a battle before the formation, not discussing merits and rewards! Qingchuan arranging opponents for everyone is about deploying troops and formations! Who your opponent is, I am not looking at their appearance, but their martial arts realm! Master Dong, you are at the Entering Micro realm, so Qingchuan has arranged a Great Accomplishment realm opponent for you, while the girl in his hand is at the Small Success realm. If I were to arrange the girl in his hand for Master Dong, using Entering Micro to fight Small Success, wouldn't that be a waste of combat power?"

Upon hearing this, the Master glanced again at the cowhide paper in the beggar's hand and indeed saw that in the information below the portrait of the slim-figured girl, it was written: Xia Shuangshuang, Inner Breath Realm Small Success realm, weapon Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix Spear.

Master Dong was then relieved, and he looked at the beggar with contempt; since Ge Qingchuan only arranged for him to deal with someone at the Small Success realm, it showed that this person's realm couldn't be very high either!

Seeing that the Master's expression had returned to normal, Ge Qingchuan continued: "Everyone need not worry about petty gains before your eyes; as long as this operation can be completed with Consummation. The Hall Master has already said that he will reward everyone with the next layer of the Filthy Blood Divine Art!"

As soon as Ge Qingchuan said this, the field was immediately stirred. "The next layer of the cultivation art?"

How miraculous was the Filthy Blood Divine Art? Most of the people present had joined the Filthy Blood Sect because they were bewitched by the Filthy Blood Divine Art!

Teaching the next layer of the Filthy Blood Divine Art was almost the highest level of reward within the Filthy Blood Sect!

Many people in the field could not hide the greedy looks in their eyes...

Ge Qingchuan looked at those greedy, bewitched eyes, and a strange sense of satisfaction rose within her. "Everyone, are there any more questions?"

Ge Qingchuan's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering slightly on Fan Hanzhou and Xueseng Wuxiang.

Because these two were undoubtedly the most important in this operation.

Fan Hanzhou's hard-body Zhelong Art went without saying.

And among these Sect Emissaries, two were at the True Qi Realm Second Layer. Xueseng Wuxiang would deal with one of them, while she would handle the other personally.

Xueseng Wuxiang looked unremarkable, wearing only a dusty, dark red monk's robe, sitting cross-legged there without saying a word; his complexion was pale, his face gaunt, and his lips were dry and peeling, as if he hadn't drunk water for a long time.

But Ge Qingchuan knew Xueseng Wuxiang very well; the old, dark red monk's robe he wore was stained red with human blood.

That night several years ago, when he had only joined the Filthy Blood Sect for half a month, he had bloodily slaughtered an entire manor and raped more than ten young girls...

In one night, the monk's robe was stained with blood, and the ground was covered in dried corpses...

By dawn, he had achieved the First Layer of the Filthy Blood Divine Art.

Just as Ge Qingchuan's gaze swept past Xueseng Wuxiang, Fan Hanzhou suddenly said in a hoarse voice: "Miss Qingchuan, this one has a question that has been stifling me, and it is truly quite uncomfortable."

Ge Qingchuan smiled slightly and said: "Mr. Fan Hanzhou, please speak."

Fan Hanzhou's gaze fixed on Ge Qingchuan, and he asked almost word for word: "Miss Qingchuan, are you a virgin?"

When Fan Hanzhou said this, the field was first deathly silent, and then faint, low laughter arose.

Ge Qingchuan's smile froze on her face, and her cheeks unconsciously flushed with a peach-blossom hue, unable to bear the shyness.

Xueseng Wuxiang, who had been sitting withered and still, also looked at Ge Qingchuan with interest; he was clearly also very interested in this question.

Fan Hanzhou's words were no ordinary offense.

Moreover, in the Filthy Blood Sect, asking someone if they were a virgin had another layer of taboo meaning.

The cultivation method of the Filthy Blood Divine Art was to use a virgin as a cauldron, absorbing the blood of a virgin's deflowering to refine blood and increase cultivation.

Fan Hanzhou asking if Ge Qingchuan was a virgin meant he had the intention of using her as a cauldron. If one used a virgin's deflowering blood to practice, and both parties were willing, there was no need to kill anyone.

This was almost the fate of the women in the Filthy Blood Sect; submitting to a man was their way of survival.

"What did you say?!" The dwarf beside Ge Qingchuan was furious, looking as if he were about to strike.

"Xiao Tang!" Ge Qingchuan scolded sharply. The flush on her face had already faded, and she looked at the crowd with a normal smile, saying: "Mr. Fan Hanzhou is joking with me, aren't you? Don't be so jumpy; it's as if we Ge family members can't even take a joke."

The dwarf glared at Fan Hanzhou and retreated to Ge Qingchuan's side.

Everyone present could see the change in Ge Qingchuan's expression.

Yet in just a moment, not even a breath's time, she had returned to her normal expression, smiling brightly.

She is the only daughter of Ge Qinglei, Hall Master of the Yuanyang Hall of the Filthy Blood Sect; that she could endure such great humiliation with such status without being moved, everyone present could not help but feel a measure of admiration, and even Fan Hanzhou looked somewhat sheepish at this moment.

"Since you all have no questions, you may each hide and wait for the opportunity! This battle will rely on you all to achieve merit!" Ge Qingchuan said, cupping her hands, her demeanor spirited.

"I spoke without decorum just now and caused much offense. Miss Qingchuan, you may rest assured, in this battle I will certainly annihilate the incoming people!"

Once Fan Hanzhou finished speaking, a cloud of dust suddenly erupted where he stood, and he burrowed back into the ground, disappearing from sight.

The others also cupped their hands and dispersed, their figures flickering, and after a few breaths, this patch of open ground was already empty.

Ge Qingchuan looked at the dwarf beside her and asked, "Xiao Tang, have the Black Gunpowder and Poison Powder all been buried?"

The dwarf said, "They have all been buried, Aguo is watching over them!"

Ge Qingchuan nodded and said, "Then you go hide and prepare for battle as well."

"Yes." The dwarf's figure flickered, and he retreated from the dense forest.

Seeing that there was no one around, Ge Qingchuan finally let out a long, turbid breath; this operation was of great importance, and the pressure in her heart could well be imagined.

Ge Qingchuan pursed her lips and looked at the cowhide paper in her hand, which read: Fan Yuanhai, Sect Emissary, True Qi Realm Second Layer, weapon: Refined Steel Iron Fan.

This was the opponent she had chosen for herself; among the Sect Emissaries, there were two at the True Qi Realm Second Layer, and she had assigned one to Xueseng Wuxiang, while keeping the other for herself.

She was also at the True Qi Realm Second Layer, and although they were fighting at the same realm, Ge Qingchuan felt no fear; she was not only confident in her own combat power, but even more confident in her tactical deployment for this battle.

Ge Qingchuan's figure swayed, turning into an afterimage, and she disappeared from the edge of the dense forest.

In the bright and sunny wilderness, four magnificent and imposing carriages were traveling at a steady pace along the undulating Official Road.

Duan Rong and the other six newly promoted Registered Disciples were sitting in the second carriage.

When they had just left the city, Xia Shuangshuang was still full of resentment, glaring at Ximen Kankan, wishing she could draw her spear and knock him off the carriage, but now that several hours had passed, Xia Shuangshuang had long since ignored Ximen Kankan and started chatting incessantly with Shen Mizhi beside her; the two were long-time companions, and once together they had endless topics to discuss, not to mention how boring the journey was.

Affected by the farce before their departure, Ximen Kankan had been somewhat reserved, but later, seeing that Xia Shuangshuang no longer glared at him from time to time, he slowly recovered his composure.

He first tried to strike up a conversation with Duan Rong, but Duan Rong did not pay him much mind, so he started chatting with Jiang Qingyu instead.

Duan Rong sat by the carriage door, occasionally lifting the curtain to look outside.

Xiao Yu's gaze swept over Duan Rong's furrowed brows; she had long since noticed that Duan Rong had worn a look of worry ever since he boarded the carriage.

Throughout this journey, Duan Rong's mind had been churning. When he boarded the carriage, he had seen with his own eyes Fan Yuanhai leave the city gate and head back against the flow.

Sitting in the carriage, he recalled that before Fan Yuanhai left, he seemed to have spoken to Clerk Qin; what exactly did they talk about, and why did Fan Yuanhai turn back? And why hadn't he caught up by now?

These questions lingered in Duan Rong's heart; he worried that Fan Yuanhai's departure was related to the death of Xie Daohan. Duan Rong knew that because the two had jointly investigated the Xie Lei and Xu Ruhu Case, they had some friendship.

Inside the first of the four carriages sat the Sect Emissaries.

Fan Yuanhai was not there.

Lv Qingzhu and A Mo sat in the corner, not saying a word.

Zhu Qunxiang, Lu Qingfeng, and Wang Shanshan, however, were chattering away, talking non-stop throughout the journey.

Zhu Qunxiang suddenly opened the carriage window curtain and poked his head out to look at the sun outside; he estimated it was already the time of the Shen period in the afternoon.

Zhu Qunxiang pulled his head back and complained, "What is up with this guy Fan Yuanhai? Why hasn't he caught up yet?"

Lu Qingfeng chuckled and said, "I'm afraid he's with Lian Ying and can't bear to leave! The way that little vixen Lian Ying twists her waist is truly soul-snatching!"

As Lu Qingfeng spoke, he actually began to twist his waist inside the carriage, making Zhu Qunxiang and Wang Shanshan burst into laughter.

Seeing them talk about such topics in front of Lv Qingzhu, A Mo immediately clenched a large hand until it creaked, looking at Lu Qingfeng with an unkind gaze.

Lu Qingfeng noticed A Mo's gaze, his expression changed slightly, and he stopped his movements...

Just then, thunderous sounds suddenly erupted around the carriage, the entire carriage tilted abruptly, and the next moment, the bottom of the carriage exploded, with black smoke and Poison Powder pouring in in rolling waves...

A Mo had a sense of smell superior to ordinary people, and she screamed instantly: "Miss, there is poison!"

At the same time A Mo's voice rang out, more explosions sounded, the entire carriage was instantly blown to pieces, and several figures flashed out from the thick smoke and poisonous fog, flying toward the wilderness on both sides of the Official Road...

(End of this chapter)