Chapter 20: Ning Chuan strikes!

"Why?!"

Qu Qu Lingfeng endured the weakness that kept eroding his body and asked hoarsely.

"Junior Brother Chen! Junior Sister Mei! We were fellow disciples, raised together on Peach Blossom Island since childhood; Master treated you with great kindness, like his own children; why would you do such a heartless, treacherous thing to betray the sect?!"

Lu Lu Chengfeng also struggled to get up, but his whole body was limp and he couldn't muster any strength; he gritted his teeth and scolded: "You two beasts! Wasting all the cultivation Master poured into you!"

Wu Wu Mianfeng and Feng Feng Mofeng also glared, their chests filled with overwhelming anger and endless disappointment at being betrayed by those closest to them.

"Why?" Chen Chen Xuanfeng let out a harsh, cold laugh and said in a sharp voice, "Of course, for greater power! For that Nine Yin Manual that can allow one to dominate the Wu Lin and look down upon all living beings!"

Mei Mei Chaofeng also chimed in, her voice carrying a hint of morbid excitement: "How does the taste of this 'Hundred-Flavor Soft-Muscle Powder' feel? This poison is colorless and odorless; once inhaled, even an Innate expert won't be able to muster a shred of internal energy and can only be slaughtered! Are you all unable to even stand up now?"

She paused, a flash of madness and greed in her eyes: "Master is off the island visiting friends; this is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! As for you... humph, you will all become stepping stones on our path to obtaining the Nine Yin Manual! Lie here obediently, and perhaps we might spare your lives!"

"Beasts!"

"Heartless things! Master must have been blind to take you as disciples!"

Qu Qu Lingfeng and the others were trembling with anger, cursing loudly, their words intense, wishing they could tear these two traitors to pieces.

A flash of intense murderous intent crossed Chen Chen Xuanfeng’s eyes; his gaze lingered on Ning Chuan’s massive snake body for a moment, filled with resentment.

Being forced to apologize to Ning Chuan earlier made him feel a great humiliation, and he had been brooding over it ever since.

Now that he had the chance, he wished he could immediately tear this eyesore of a beast to pieces to vent his hatred!

However, Mei Mei Chaofeng was relatively calmer; she pulled back the impulsive Chen Chen Xuanfeng and whispered: "Senior Brother, don't create extra trouble! The priority is to find the Nine Yin Manual as soon as possible! This place is not safe to stay; if Master returns early, all our efforts will be in vain! Once we master the divine art, it won't be too late to deal with them!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Chen Xuanfeng suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, glared fiercely at Ning Chuan, and nodded.

Everyone was shocked and angry, yet weak, and could only watch the arrogance of these two traitors.

Only Ning Chuan remained lying on the ground, seemingly no different from the others who were poisoned, even his breathing becoming much weaker, but beneath those half-closed snake eyes lay a cold, calm, and indifferent gaze.

He had been observing in secret, waiting for the best opportunity to strike, and also wanting to see what kind of tricks these two guys could play.

Qu Qu Lingfeng took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and attempted a final effort, persuading them: "Junior Brother Chen, Junior Sister Mei, turn back now, it’s not too late! The Nine Yin Manual is an ominous object; countless heroes have lost their lives because of it; why bother ruining your own bright future for it?" ===== CHAPTER 39 =====

"You know Master’s strength; once he learns of your rebellious actions, he will surely pursue you to the ends of the earth, and you will not escape death! Do you really want to end up with a ruined reputation and no place to be buried?"

He used both soft and hard tactics, hoping to awaken a shred of conscience in them, or make them restrain themselves out of fear of Huang Huang Yaoshi’s reputation.

However, Chen Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Mei Chaofeng had long been blinded by their greed for the Nine Yin Manual; how could they listen to reason?

In their view, as long as they obtained the Nine Yin Manual and mastered the divine art, they would be invincible under heaven; at that time, what would a mere Huang Huang Yaoshi count for?

The two ignored Qu Qu Lingfeng’s words, looked at each other, and turned to dash toward the depths of the island, clearly to search for the whereabouts of the Nine Yin Manual.

Qu Qu Lingfeng and the others watched the backs of the two as they left, their hearts filled with powerlessness and despair.

They had planned for a long time, knew the terrain of Peach Blossom Island like the back of their hands, and were even more familiar with Huang Huang Yaoshi’s habits.

Carefully avoiding potential mechanisms and traps along the way, they soon sneaked into the study where Huang Huang Yaoshi usually read and meditated.

After a thorough search of the study, Chen Chen Xuanfeng finally found a box wrapped in precious brocade in a hidden compartment.

Opening the box, inside lay a yellowed ancient book, with the four archaic characters "Nine Yin Manual" written clearly on the cover!

The Nine Yin Manual!

A light of wild joy erupted in their eyes, their breathing became rapid, and they couldn't wait to open it and read.

However, after a hurried glance, the smiles on their faces froze instantly, replaced by boundless shock, anger, and disappointment.

This... this was only the second volume!

The manual recorded various exquisite martial arts techniques, such as the Nine Yin Bone Claw, Heart-Destroying Palm, White Python Whip Technique, etc., all of which were infinitely powerful.

But it lacked the internal cultivation methods recorded in the first volume, and even more importantly, the crucial General Outline!

"How can this be?!" Chen Chen Xuanfeng roared, almost tearing the manual in his hands; he couldn't believe his eyes—after all that scheming and taking such a huge risk, they had only obtained a fragment?

Mei Mei Chaofeng’s face was also ashen, her heart filled with unwillingness. They naturally knew that without the internal cultivation methods of the first volume as a foundation, practicing only the martial arts in the second volume would greatly reduce their power, and they might even suffer from qi deviation due to impure internal energy, resulting in broken meridians!

"Master... Master actually only left the second volume!" Mei Mei Chaofeng gritted her teeth; she had originally thought Huang Huang Yaoshi would treasure the complete Nine Yin Manual, but she hadn't expected this result.

The two were unwilling, hurriedly tucked the second volume into their robes, and, feeling anxious, returned to the courtyard where they had poisoned the others.

Their eyes, like hungry wolves, stared fixedly at Huang Rong, who was still lying paralyzed on the ground!

They knew that Huang Rong was Huang Huang Yaoshi’s only daughter and was deeply favored; perhaps she would know the whereabouts of the complete version of the Nine Yin Manual!

"Little Junior Sister!" Chen Chen Xuanfeng said in a cold voice, his eyes filled with threats, "You must know where the complete Nine Yin Manual is! Tell us immediately! Otherwise, don't blame us for not remembering our past fellowship and using force on you!"

Although Huang Rong was scared and her small face was pale, the stubbornness and intelligence in her bones made her force herself to remain calm.

She scolded: "Pah! You two heartless traitors! I don't know anything! Even if I did, I would never tell you!"

Her eyes rolled, and she thought of a plan: "Father has long known that you two have evil intentions and have been coveting the Nine Yin Manual he collected! Therefore, the real Nine Yin Manual has long been hidden by him on a deserted island in the depths of the East Sea that no one knows about! Even if you kill me, you will never get it!"

Chen Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Mei Chaofeng were so angry their teeth itched.

They naturally knew that Huang Rong was clever and mischievous, and this was likely a lie, but it was hard to guarantee there wasn't some truth to it.

"Good! Good for you, little girl! You’ve got a stiff mouth!" Chen Chen Xuanfeng sneered, "Since you won't talk, we’ll take you with us when we leave Peach Blossom Island! I don't believe that with some pressure and methods, we won't be able to pry your mouth open!"

Mei Mei Chaofeng also said sinisterly: "Little Junior Sister, you’d better cooperate obediently to avoid physical suffering. Our patience is limited."

Upon hearing this, Huang Rong felt nervous, and her small hands clenched involuntarily.

She wasn't afraid of death, but if she fell into the hands of these two ruthless traitors, she didn't know what kind of torture she would suffer.

She forced herself to remain calm, trying to stall for time, and said: "If you take me, the target is too big; I’m afraid before you even leave the East Sea, my father will get the news and chase after you to tear you to pieces! You’d better think clearly!"

"Humph! Once we master the Nine Yin Manual and become invincible, Master might not even be our match!" Chen Chen Xuanfeng said arrogantly, clearly having been blinded by greed.

Qu Qu Lingfeng and the others were even more furious, cursing loudly and intensely, wanting to stop them.

But they were weak and limp, unable to even stand up, and could only watch helplessly as Mei Mei Chaofeng stepped closer to Huang Rong, their hearts filled with despair and helplessness.

Just as Mei Mei Chaofeng was about to grab Huang Rong, at the most critical moment!

A sudden change occurred!

Ning Chuan, who had been lying on the ground without moving, suddenly opened his half-closed snake eyes!

Cold!

Fierce!

Carrying a terrifying murderous intent that made the soul tremble!

A cold voice, slightly awkward yet filled with boundless majesty, rang out clearly in the courtyard like a wind from the Nine Netherworld:

"Death wish!"

Before the words had even faded, his thick, steel-like snake tail, carrying the force of a thunderbolt and a sharp whistle that tore through the air, lashed out fiercely at Mei Mei Chaofeng! ===== CHAPTER 40 =====