Chapter 177: 177. Chapter 174: Elder Liu Also Fears (Bonus for Alliance Master Zi Mu Qinfeng)

177. Chapter 174: Elder Liu Also Fears (Bonus for Alliance Master Zi Mu Qinfeng)

Qu Yueshan quickly sensed something was wrong—his five viscera and six bowels seemed to be crumbling into fragments…

Yan Mei wants to kill him…

After realizing this, Qu Yueshan felt his soul slipping away from him.

What kind of poison is this? It left him utterly unaware of any toxin whatsoever.

He couldn't expel it with his true qi—it fused with his body the moment he was poisoned, causing his flesh and bones to collapse and split apart.

Right now, Qu Yueshan desperately wanted to roar for someone to come in, but his body was completely out of his control.

Ding Huan was still studying the formation. Even if Yan Mei killed Qu Yueshan and got caught, and Qu Yueshan came to demand retribution, Ding Huan wasn't afraid.

Again, a voice came from the tent entrance:

"Ding Daoist, may I come in for a chat?"

"Elder Liu?" Ding Huan recognized the voice at once and hurried out to open the tent flap.

Liu Liu Yinzhu stepped in with a smiling face:

"Have I disturbed you, Ding Daoist?"

Ding Huan put on an expression of alarm:

"Oh, no, no! Is Elder Liu here to give me some instruction?"

Liu Liu Yinzhu quickly said:

"Instruction? I dare not. I only wish to ask Ding Daoist—what do you think of Elder Qu?"

Ding Huan froze. A sect elder asking a cook's opinion on another sect's elder? This seemed odd.

"I'm lowly and ignorant—how could I dare speak ill of an elder? Please don't put me in this bind, Elder Liu," Ding Huan hurriedly said.

Liu Liu Yinzhu thought inwardly: You're lowly and ignorant? If you were, you wouldn't have schemed against Qu Yueshan and left him severely wounded.

You dare not speak ill of an elder behind his back? Yet to his face you called him "Grandpa" and "Old Man"—who would believe that?

"Ding Daoist, I know Elder Qu's character well. Even injured, whatever he sets his mind to, he will do without fail."

Liu Liu Yinzhu still smiled sweetly.

Ding Huan's heart tightened—he understood this was Liu Liu Yinzhu warning him that Qu Yueshan wouldn't let him off easily.

"But what can a cook like me do? I can only leave it to fate."

"Sigh, my spiritual root is poor—if it weren't, I'd have joined a sect, and Elder Qu wouldn't bother with a lowly cook like me."

Ding Huan said this to find out: Did Liu Liu Yinzhu suddenly seek him out because she sensed his sixth sense, and now wants to invite him into the Purple Mist Valley? Otherwise, what was the point of the warning?

If so, that would be quite good.

Liu Liu Yinzhu naturally understood Ding Huan's thoughts—but like Gu Youchang, she had no authority to admit Ding Huan into the Purple Mist Valley.

She thought Ding Huan was impressive, so she wanted to learn where he planned to go next, so she could report this to her sect.

If the sect agreed, she would then tell Ding Huan and introduce him to the Purple Mist Valley.

"Ding Daoist, Elder Qu joined the Twin Souls Sect no more than ten years ago—in just a decade, he became a sect elder, which is why he's so young…"

As Liu Liu Yinzhu spoke, she looked at Ding Huan.

She suspected Ding Huan had figured something out.

Ding Huan immediately grew wary.

He had always assumed only he realized the Twin Souls Sect was a soul-stealing sect—now Liu Liu Yinzhu's words clearly pointed to Qu Yueshan being a soul-stealer.

It seemed other sects had long known the Twin Souls Sect was a soul-stealing sect.

Even their own sect dared not stand up and oppose or denounce the Twin Souls Sect—what right did a lowly, uninitiated disciple like him have to reveal the Twin Souls Sect's secret?

Wouldn't that be asking for death?

"That's right—Elder Qu is truly wise and mighty, young yet vigorous, a peerless talent! The Twin Souls Sect is formidable indeed."

Ding Huan now could never say the Twin Souls Sect was a soul-stealing sect.

Liu Liu Yinzhu felt helpless—she wanted Ding Huan to say Qu Yueshan was a soul-stealer, so she could use that to draw closer to him and build rapport.

If she said it herself, the effect would be far weaker.

If Ding Huan said it, she could keep it secret and even discuss it with him—that would make Ding Huan trust her more.

This Ding Huan, though just a cook, was as slippery as an eel.

Just as Liu Liu Yinzhu was about to speak again, a weeping voice came from outside:

"Elder Liu, Elder Gu—please come quickly and see Elder Qu! He—he…"

Hearing this, Liu Liu Yinzhu's heart leapt, and she rushed out immediately.

When she arrived at Qu Yueshan's tent, Gu Youchang was already there.

Yan Mei, the sole surviving disciple of the Twin Souls Sect, stood outside the tent, eyes red, expression sorrowful.

Though Yan Mei's grief was feigned, his inner depths were filled with shock and genuine fear.

This Ding Huan was truly terrifying.

He knew Ding Huan possessed powerful poison or some invisible killing method—but he never imagined Ding Huan's poison could be this horrific.

How much time had passed? Qu Yueshan was dead—and his corpse was more gruesome than anything Yan Mei had ever seen.

In Yan Mei's mind, no matter what, he must follow Ding Huan from now on.

Even if he couldn't follow Ding Huan, he must befriend Brother Ding.

…

Gu Youchang and Liu Liu Yinzhu exchanged glances, then entered the tent.

Inside, Qu Yueshan lay on the ground, his face liquefied, dead beyond any doubt.

"His meridians have vanished entirely—his flesh and blood have turned to bloodwater. What a terrifying poison," Gu Youchang said in a grave tone.

They only needed to sweep with their spiritual sense to know how Qu Yue Shan died.

Liu Liu Yinzhu, however, felt a chill; to be honest, though she had just sat inside Ding Huan's tent speaking with him.

Deep inside, she had never truly feared Ding Huan.

Ding Huan was clever and scheming, with an extremely strong intuitive sense, but his strength was far, far below hers—she had no reason to fear him.

Now, seeing Qu Yue Shan's condition, she realized she was wrong.

Liu Liu Yinzhu was one hundred percent certain that Ding Huan was involved in Qu Yue Shan's death.

Ding Huan didn't even leave his tent, yet he killed Qu Yue Shan—such a method was terrifying beyond words.

As for suspecting Yan Mei? That was completely out of the question.

Yan Mei was a brand-new disciple, timid and hesitant; even if Qu Yue Shan had been unconscious and ordered him to kill, he wouldn't have dared.

Originally, Liu Liu Yinzhu had planned to recommend Ding Huan to the Gu Sect Master upon reaching the sect—but now she changed her mind.

Ding Huan must not enter the Purple Mist Valley; this man is too terrifying.

A mere ordinary cook could secretly kill an elder—once this fellow grows stronger, won't he be able to easily murder even the Sect Master?

"The poison of the Swallowed-Leg Stiff is so terrifying—I can hardly believe it." After a long while, Gu Youchang sighed.

Liu Liu Yinzhu said: "It's also possible the cold ghoul's poison wasn't fully purged."

"Ah…"

Gu Youchang sighed, then stepped out of the tent and spoke to Yan Mei, whose eyes were red and swollen:

"This isn't your fault. Go bury your sect's elder. Take his belongings to the Double Soul Sect."

"Senior Elder Gu, I dare not touch Elder Qu's belongings," Yan Mei quickly bowed.

Gu Youchang nodded: "Then I'll deliver them to the Double Soul Sect myself."

Yan Mei was a new disciple; strictly speaking, he wasn't even yet a member of the Double Soul Sect—his refusal to touch an elder's belongings was natural.

"Yes," Yan Mei quickly bowed in response.

At this moment, Liu Liu Yinzhu had no more desire to chat with Ding Huan; she didn't even want to get too close to him.

Ding Huan didn't go out—he heard Yan Mei's crying and knew the boy had succeeded.

This fellow is impressive; the method he came up with truly worked.

That night, Yan Mei didn't come to find him—Ding Huan silently nodded; that was right.

If Yan Mei had come to him on the first night, it would only prove he was utterly foolish.

Everyone knew he had a poor relationship with Qu Yue Shan; Qu Yue Shan had just died, and now Yan Mei came to Ding Huan—who wouldn't suspect?

The next day, the team continued forward; since even the Double Soul Sect's Elder Qu was dead, no one felt their own life was harder than his.

Within a single day, the entire team accelerated their march.

After setting up camp at night, Ding Huan still went out to find food.

In such a dangerous place—with cold ghouls ahead and the Swallowed-Leg Stiff behind—Ding Huan still dared to venture out alone; nearly all the disciples admired the courage of this cook.

No matter how bold Ding Huan was, he never went far—just caught a Iron Spine Boar nearby and returned.

Because Ding Huan was now the guide, Guan Chuan herself told him not to cook anymore.

In fact, Ding Huan had greatly reduced how often he went out to find food—each foraging trip could feed them for several days.

It wasn't out of fear, but because he needed to devote all his time to studying arrays.

For the next several days, nothing happened, giving the team some renewed energy.

Yan Mei took the opportunity to approach Ding Huan and soon became a good friend.

"Big Brother Ding, thank you."

When Yan Mei returned the gene poison mist to Ding Huan, he spoke a heartfelt thanks.

He was indeed a new disciple, but in his heart, Ding Huan's status was higher than Senior Elder Gu and Senior Elder Liu.

Senior Elder Gu and Senior Elder Liu couldn't keep them alive—Ding Huan could. Senior Elder Gu and Senior Elder Liu couldn't make a lowly beginner like him kill Qu Yue Shan—Ding Huan could.

"Big Brother, can you tell me that question now?" Yan Mei asked softly.

Ding Huan no longer concealed it, lowering his voice as well:

"The Double Soul Sect is a possession sect—they recruit you solely to use you as vessels for their elders' soul transference."

Yan Mei froze, then after a long while murmured:

"So that's it… no wonder—I understand now…"

Previously, he had planned to return to the Double Soul Sect—but now, hearing Ding Huan's words, even if offered ten thousand lives, he wouldn't dare go there.

"Big Brother Ding, can I follow you?" After recovering from his shock, Yan Mei quickly asked Ding Huan.

Ding Huan paused, then said:

"My affair with Elder Qu will surely reach the Double Soul Sect—so once everyone is safe, I'll flee.

You still have one path: because your talent is decent, you could curry favor with Senior Elder Liu or Senior Elder Gu—if you can join their sect…"

Yan Mei shook his head:

"Big Brother Ding, my talent is decent, but I know neither the Yanyue Sect nor the Purple Mist Valley would risk angering the Double Soul Sect over me. If I don't want to go to the Double Soul Sect, I have only one path left—with you, Big Brother Ding."

Ding Huan laughed: "Then let's flee together."