Chapter 78: What do you call it when it hasn't been minced yet?

The intense pain made the helm master continually wail, but after all he was a master realm cultivator, he could still use true qi to slightly stabilize his injury.

He spoke painfully.

Are you... Shen Qing? How did you find your way here?

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes, raised his hand, and a blade of true qi sliced through, cleanly cutting off one of the helm master's arms.

I'm not satisfied with that answer.

I'll ask again: where is your sect leader?

Shen Qing's strike left the helm master unable to contain his injury; blood kept gushing from the wound, and he howled in pain.

Is it just a matter of death? Even if I die, I won't betray our sect leader...

Shen Qing smiled: 'Really boring; I was originally planning to toy with you a bit.'

If you don't tell me, how would I know? You said you want to blood‑sacrifice the ancient well town, with civilians as the offerings, so the ancient well town is the altar, right?

If the bird‑person sect leader intends to break through to grand master via this, he naturally can't be too far away.

Let me guess: the sect leader is either hiding in the ancient well town, or...

Shen Qing looked at the helm master.

Or else he's underground—you say I guessed right, right?

The helm master's pupils contracted, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Shen Qing smiled: 'Looks like I guessed correctly.'

At that moment, the White Flower Maiden, also cut in two, could no longer hold back; she burst into a loud wail.

Sir Shen! Sir Shen! He won't speak, so I will!

Our sect leader is called the Withered Glory Old Devil, he's underground in the ancient well town—save me! Save me! I don't want to die yet!

This White Flower Maiden is merely an innate realm cultivator; her true qi is far inferior to that of the helm master, she can't even suppress her injury.

Beside him, Zhang Sheng's furrowed brow suddenly relaxed: 'Sir Shen! Sir Shen! It's her! It's this White Flower Maiden!'

I came the day before yesterday and she received me! Although her appearance is somewhat different, I remember this voice!

It's her! The bloody cultivator aura on my body must have come from her!

The helm master turned his head with difficulty, staring at the White Flower Maiden in disbelief, his voice trembling.

Is it you... you who lured them here?

The White Flower Maiden lowered her head, not daring to meet the helm master's eyes.

They had hidden in the ancient well town for nearly twenty years, remaining undiscovered because they were cautious; they had early on dispersed some outer disciples, leaving only inner elites, who could draw human blood without harming lives.

Moreover, they observed a rule, firmly refusing to contact martial artists above the innate realm, and when encountering imperial officials they fled even farther.

That day, the White Flower Maiden saw that Zhang Sheng was an innate realm martial artist and, being burly, couldn't resist and personally received him.

The helm master, seeing the guilty White Flower Maiden, instantly flared with rage.

Really it's you! You deserve to die!

The helm master suddenly raised his cautious arm, expending his last true qi to unleash a slashing strike that blasted straight at the White Flower Maiden; he no longer cared about his own injury, he now only wanted to kill this wicked woman.

The White Flower Maiden's eyes filled with fear, she shook her head frantically: 'Save me! Save me!'

At that moment, Chi Xiao lightly thrust, interposing between the helm master and the White Flower Maiden; that true qi also dissipated into the air.

Shen Qing's cold voice came.

From the moment I entered this town, your lives have long ceased to be your own.

You think you can just die like that? That's far too easy for you.

Black Dog, these two are yours!

I have only one demand, namely:

Cut open! Chop into pieces!

The White Flower Maiden, still immersed in the aftermath of survival, instantly turned deathly pale.

Black Dog's eyes reddened, his hand gripping the knife trembled slightly, and the sound of his boots striking the ground pattered.

Yet this sound, falling into the White Flower Maiden's ears, was like a death‑summoning toll; she shouted.

Sir Shen! Sir Shen! I've already confessed...

But the next instant, Black Dog's furious strike landed in her chest‑abdomen, the blade deep enough to see bone, and her pleas for mercy were cut off in her throat by a wail.

Jiang Ruohai came to Shen Qing's side.

Sir Shen, although I've never heard of the Withered Glory Old Devil, this name reminds me of a technique called the Withered Glory Classic!

The Withered Glory Classic once enjoyed great fame; cultivating it requires a hundred years of effort, undergoing multiple cycles of withering and rebirth, each cycle demanding massive blood intake, and as the cycles progress, each withering period lengthens.

Until the final cycle, which lasts nearly thirty years, with blood demand at its peak; but once this final withering is survived, one will surely break through to the grand master realm!

Moreover, the Withered Glory Classic is special: the practitioner's physique changes, enabling the withering process and rapid recovery from injury; even if an arm is severed, as long as it's reattached it can heal quickly.

He's probably not easy to deal with...

Doing the math, the time matches up: Black Dog's village was slaughtered when he was a child; later, after reaching adulthood he joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and after another ten‑plus years, the total comes to about thirty years.

The one who slaughtered Black Dog's village was precisely this Withered Glory Old Devil, no mistake.

Shen Qing's eyes were icy.

Withered Glory? Whether he's withered or not, I don't care!

Just tell me! Can he die and be reborn!

Jiang Ruohai shook his head: 'That's not possible.'

Well then, however many times he withers, I'll slash him that many times!

Even if he truly can die and be reborn! Then however many lives he has, I'll slash him that many more times!

Having said that, Shen Qing lifted his foot and stomped hard on the ground; a huge boom echoed, the whole rear courtyard trembled slightly, and beneath his feet a large hole appeared, with the moonlight revealing another world below.

"You all stay up there; down there, chop anyone who shows their head!"

Before others could react, Shen Qing finished giving orders and jumped straight into the tunnel.

Jiang Ruohai looked at Shen Qing, who was like a savage beast, and grit his teeth: "Really fierce!"

However, he quickly recovered his expression; after Shen Qing left, he became the highest official here and needed to immediately stabilize the situation.

"Zhang Sheng, you brat, come over here and die."

"Quickly bring some people and evacuate the civilians of Ancient Well Town! Tonight there will be a commotion; don't let these people stay in town causing trouble."

"Ma Xionggaohe! Cooperate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, quickly search Ancient Well Town! Find good vantage points to post sentries! Wherever someone shows their head, chop there!"

At the command, everyone quickly moved into action.

"Then Heigou, have you finished chopping? If so, follow me! Your nose can smell their scent; we'll search the town for survivors."

"What do you mean, not yet chopped into minced meat?"

Outside the Drunken Spring Pavilion, Zhang Sheng jumped onto the wall and shouted with his true qi.

"Everyone, get out of Ancient Well Town! Staying here will be dangerous!"

But after the shout, there was basically no response; it only attracted the attention of people on the street.

"Hey, who is that, why are they telling us to leave Ancient Well Town?"

"Seems like it's the Jinwu Guard? Ignore him; I saw him yesterday in the Drunken Spring Pavilion, improper!"

"Ugh~"

Zhang Sheng's face flushed a little; he really didn't expect to still encounter a patron from the same day, and fortunately/unfortunately he recognized him.

The scholar stood at the foot of the wall, full of contempt: "You Jinwu Guard are so polite? Then why is your mouth so foul in our house? Are you bullying from within?"

"Come down! Look at my move!"

Having said that, the scholar jumped onto the high wall, internal energy surged into his throat, and he let out a low shout.

"Damn! Who are you with?! Fuck! Can't see anything! Embroidered Uniform Guard handling a case! I give you the time of an incense stick to get out of Ancient Well Town!"

"If you dare to obstruct the investigation, I'll chop you!"

Having said that, the scholar turned his head to look at the courtyard: "Tiger Brother! Let out a roar!"

The white tiger, although somewhat reluctant, still opened its big mouth: "Roar!!!"

Although this roar wasn't as loud as the previous one, it was still enough to echo throughout Ancient Well Town!

The townspeople on the street directly sat down on the ground, constantly pushing back with their hands, fear evident on their faces.

"Embroidered Uniform Guard! It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Run!"

"Run!"

In the blink of an eye, not to mention strong young men, even eighty-year-old grannies threw away their walking sticks and got up.

As he spoke, the scholar turned his head to look at the other Embroidered Uniform Guards: "Still watching? Hurry up and shout! Just shout as I said!"

Zhang Sheng looked at the scholar, full of admiration.

At this moment he was truly convinced.