Chapter 164

Meanwhile, at Yushan Hall, Pei Yan and Shi Zhen kept pouring wine for Zhou Qing, expressing their gratitude.

Gao Xian's senior brother also praised Du Kui for regaining his spirit, while Mo Xingjian, who sat quietly eating, wore a face full of relief and pride.

Only deep into the night did the three master and disciples return to Xiao Ling Peak.

Zhou Qing did not mention the sudden appearance of the sixth blue ball; instead, Mo Xingjian brought up Ke Shu, the son of the Grand Master of Haomiao Mansion.

After leaving Taiqingmen, the three of them went to Cangyan Dao Palace to inquire.

After all, those from Cangyan Dao Palace had also gone to Ghost City that day, originally intending to assassinate Zhou Qing and the others, only to be slain by Mo Xingjian, who had disguised himself as Niu Guangmo.

But Ke Shu didn't care—he had received word from the Lord of Qingmu City that people from Taiqingmen and Cangyan Dao Palace had appeared.

"Did you truly not see that token?" Mo Xingjian asked.

Both shook their heads immediately. "In that Ghost City, the malevolent spirits and Xue Taisui fought to the point of mutual destruction—the malevolent spirits finally self-destructed to severely wound Xue Taisui. Afterward, you revealed your identity, and we never left your side. Where could we have seen it?"

Mo Xingjian fell into deep thought—it did indeed seem that way.

He still didn't know what the token actually was; even with their knowledge, they couldn't identify it, yet Ke Shu and others clearly treated it as something of great importance.

Zhou Qing, however, wasn't overly concerned—after all, items from a Level Five cultivation nation brought by the Seventh Imperial Prince, Xuan Yuan Yichen, were so rare that even the imperial court had few who recognized them, let alone items from the legendary Level Seven cultivation nation.

Moreover, there were only nine such tokens in total; even if someone obtained one, they likely wouldn't even know how to activate it.

Fortunately, the sixth one wasn't cruel—if she had forcibly performed soul-searching, everything would've been over.

What Zhou Qing hadn't expected was that a few days later, Zhang Wanbao arrived.

"Big Brother Zhou! Big Brother Yan!" Upon seeing them, Zhang Wanbao rushed over excitedly and gave them a big hug.

After his last visit, when he hadn't met Zhou Qing, he'd felt regretful, and upon returning home, he'd searched his own auction house for heavenly treasures capable of repairing a Golden Core.

Unfortunately, his efforts yielded nothing.

But when he later heard Zhou Qing was safe, he was happier than anyone else.

He'd originally planned to come celebrate, but the Five Sects War had begun, and as Chairman Zhang Yifu of Wanxiang Auction House, he hadn't allowed him to come.

Afterwards, Jin Leizong and Qingyu Immortal Sect purchased small teleportation arrays from them, personally escorted and installed by Fu Kui.

Before leaving, because of these three youths, he'd specifically left a warning for Cao Zhengyang: "Don't let the Five Sects War end too quickly," then hurried off.

"You've gotten a bit fatter!" Zhou Qing laughed heartily, patting Zhang Wanbao's belly.

Zhang Wanbao blushed, grinning. "This is called happiness fat."

"So, have you won over Xiao Cancan?" Yan Xiaohu immediately became interested.

Zhang Wanbao shook his head. "Not yet, but she's developed a very good impression of me. It's just that her close friend Li Shitao keeps coming up with all sorts of tests for me—so annoying."

"That old hag's up to no good!" Yan Xiaohu cursed upon hearing this.

Zhou Qing merely smiled slightly, then turned to see Fu Kui walking over with his hands behind his back—his expression changed instantly, and he bowed. "Greetings, Senior Fu!"

Yan Xiaohu also bowed.

Fu Kui nodded, slightly surprised. "You've already reached Nascent Soul mid-stage?"

Zhou Qing's heart skipped—he knew it: before such a master, the Void Realm Manifestation technique was utterly useless.

He could only reply, "In the chaos, I stumbled upon some fortune and barely broke through."

Fu Kui, seeing this, didn't press further.

Yan Xiaohu instinctively glanced at Zhou Qing, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Wait, when did you break into mid-stage? How did I not know?

When you were at Golden Core mid-stage, we went together to Lingyun Mansion to gather ingredients for the Nascent Soul Pill, and afterward, your Golden Core was crushed.

Now I'm barely at early-stage, and though I know you achieved Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown, how could you advance so fast?

As your senior, I feel humiliated.

You still joke and laugh with me every day—have you been secretly cultivating behind my back?

"You two chat—I'll go for a walk!"

Seeing their wariness toward him, Fu Kui wisely chose not to intrude further and instead walked off with his hands behind his back to find Mo Xingjian.

Seeing Yan Xiaohu still staring at him, Zhou Qing felt awkward.

Since breaking into the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm using the Suanni blood, he had told no one except his master, always concealing it with the Void Realm Manifestation technique.

"Uh, Wanbao, why did you come this time?" Zhou Qing quickly changed the subject, asking Zhang Wanbao.

Zhang Wanbao hadn't thought much of it. "Nothing much—I just came to see you. I heard you two are on Cangyan Dao Palace's kill list, so I wanted to invite you to stay as guests in Lingyun Mansion for a while."

Hearing this, the two were deeply moved.

But they were disciples of Taiqingmen—how could they flee during their sect's life-or-death crisis?

Besides, the kill list was something they'd fought hard to earn—at least Yan Xiaohu had.

Because it was an honor.

They naturally refused, and thanked the little fat boy for his kindness.

Zhang Wanbao, helpless, could only wish them caution.

"Since you bought the teleportation arrays, Cangyan Dao Palace also purchased three—installed personally by Grandpa Fu!" Zhang Wanbao revealed another piece of news.

The two were stunned.

Yan Xiaohu frowned. "Three? Two would've been enough—why three? Is there another faction involved?"

"When were they purchased? And where were the three installed?" Zhou Qing furrowed his brow, asking urgently.

Zhang Wanbao shook his head apologetically. "We're merchants—this concerns customer privacy. If we casually disclosed such information, Wanxiang Auction House's reputation would be severely questioned."

Zhou Qing immediately realized his mistake and apologized.

He couldn't let his own affairs damage Wanxiang Auction House's reputation—after all, they'd helped them obtain the Nascent Soul Pill, Chaos Xuanjin, and Soulbreath Immortal Grass.

But Zhang Wanbao's eyes suddenly went blank, his voice mechanical. "Three teleportation arrays—two are inside Cangyan Dao Palace and Tianji Gate; the third isn't at any sect—it's placed in a mountain range in the wild. I don't know exactly where—Grandpa Fu didn't tell me."

The next instant, Zhang Wanbao's eyes cleared again, and he rubbed his temples.

He muttered to himself, "My head hurts—like someone searched my soul. I can't remember anything. Whatever. I haven't eaten yet—Big Brothers, got any food?"

Zhou Qing: "..."

Yan Xiaohu: "..."

Looking at Zhang Wanbao's expectant face, the two exchanged glances and laughed.

"Of course—we've got plenty. Let's go!" The three headed straight for Yushan Hall.

…

After a full meal, Zhou Qing fell into deep thought.

Asking Senior Fu Kui would be useless—he would never reveal customer information; that was a cardinal sin in business, especially regarding items purchased with so many supreme-grade spirit stones.

But Zhang Wanbao's revelation was already clear enough.

Their purpose in coming was to install for customers—the third array placed in the wild could only mean one thing: a transit station.

Through this transit station, all disciples carrying the arrays could arrive fastest; once the first batch of puppets were installed at the outposts, they could be teleported back directly.

To avoid interception en route.

After all, in recent times, the Three Sects Alliance had repeatedly destroyed newly installed puppets—those with no combat power.

There was no other possibility—could there be a third faction teleporting into Cangyan Dao Palace's interior?

Do you think, given Sikong Yan's suspicious nature, he'd trust anyone?

He'd rather issue orders directly for others to execute.

But then again, the third teleportation array must be guarded by multiple Soul Transformation experts—those at that level have nothing better to do.

Attacking it was impossible—they could summon even more Soul Transformation experts from their sect or Tianji Gate in an instant.

It seemed the situation among the Five Sects would grow increasingly intense.

"Come to Lingyun Mansion when you have time—I, Zhang Wanbao, guarantee no one will dare lay a hand on you!"

Due to his special status, the two left that very night; as they departed, Zhang Wanbao shouted loudly to Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu.

"We will!" the two replied, waving with smiles.

Not long after, Cao Zhengyang also learned of the three teleportation arrays—there was nothing they could do about it.

All they could do now was take one step at a time.

…………

Three days later, a True Disciple returning from a mission came back in tatters. He hesitated, but after much thought, he sought out Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu.

"Big Brother Zhou! Big Brother Yan! This is what they asked me to deliver to you!" He pulled out a memory stone from his robe.

Zhou Qing took it curiously, activated it with spiritual power, and soon saw two figures.

One held a black iron halberd; the other carried a broad sword case on his back.

"The halberd-wielder is Li Hanshan, the top of the Five Prodigies. Our Senior Brother once fought him—they were evenly matched."

"The other is Yu Ziqi. Rumor says he's been chasing Sima Yaoji. Both have begun to comprehend certain artistic realms—their combat power is extraordinary!"

Yan Xiaohu quickly explained upon seeing their appearances.

On the memory stone, Yu Ziqi spoke: "Zhou Qing, you killed Yaoji—this means we're destined to fight to the death. Yet you hide like a coward behind your sect's gates. Pfft!"

"If that's how it is, then let's return the courtesy—I'll show you this first!"

As Yu Ziqi finished, Li Hanshan, who had remained silent, whistled sharply.

Immediately, a seven-colored little bird fluttered over, snatched the memory stone, and flew straight up into the sky.

Soon, they saw Luo Lingling, their Second Sister, seated in meditation on a rock in a forest.

Luo Lingling seemed injured—her face pale, her breath unstable.

"Second Sister!" Seeing this, both instantly paled.

But Luo Lingling showed no awareness of the little bird above—then the bird turned and flew back.

Yu Ziqi's face darkened. "I heard your second senior sister treated you well. You've made me lose the love of my life—I must let you taste the agony of losing someone dear too."

"You stripped Yaoji of her body, then snatched her away in front of me, forcing her to endure unbearable pain and despair twice. Now, simply killing your second senior sister would be far too kind."

"So I plan a game of cat and mouse—let her feel firsthand the torment of life worse than death. It'll be thrilling, and long. I'll record every moment with a memory stone, and send it to you."

Seeing this, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu's eyes flared with killing intent, chilling the air around them to bone-deep frost.

"Of course, you can join too. Let's play together. Don't forget to bring that grave-robbing scoundrel along—only the two of you. If you tell anyone else, the three Elders will end the game early!"

Yu Ziqi's image shifted again, revealing three Nascent Soul Elders standing atop distant treetops, their gazes fixed intently on the distance.

At this point, the memory stone's content ended abruptly, showing no further scenes.

"Senior Yan, Senior Zhou, I've shamed the sect—I knelt and begged for mercy!"

Suddenly, the disciple before them dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he banged his head repeatedly, utterly ashamed.

Fear of death isn't shameful.

"Get up. Where did they give you the memory stone?" Yan Xiao Hu frowned and asked at once.

The Jin Dan disciple immediately looked up. "Canglan Mountain!"

………

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. Mo Xingjian stared at the memory stone, his face as dark as water.

After a moment, he slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping between Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu, then spoke in a low tone: "What do you think?"

Zhou Qing didn't hesitate. His expression was resolute. "If it's truly my second senior sister, I must go."

Yan Xiao Hu nodded vigorously beside him.

That brother-in-law's useless—searched for so long and never found her, now even those two bastards are after her.

"I'm just worried it's a trap—like with Qingyu Immortal Sect. They could've used Heaven's Mechanism Arts to conceal and deceive!" Yan Xiao Hu voiced his concern.

Mo Xingjian fell silent. With Tianji Sect involved now, truth and falsehood were impossible to untangle.

Zhou Qing said: "But what if it's real? They're targeting me—how could I let my second senior sister bear their revenge instead?"

Mo Xingjian's expression turned grave. "I know all three of them—one late Nascent Soul, two mid-Nascent Soul. They've surrounded Second Miss but haven't moved yet—that means…"

"Old Mo, where's everyone?"

"San Hu? Little Qing?"

Before Mo Xingjian could finish, a familiar voice suddenly rang from outside the hall.

The three froze at the unexpected sound, then instantly vanished from the hall, streaking outside.

Soon, a blood-soaked figure stood outside—not Luo Lingling, who else?

All three burst into excitement and rushed forward.

"Are you alright?" Mo Xingjian arrived first, frantically scanning her from head to toe.

His hands trembled slightly—he wanted to examine her wounds, yet feared touching them, looking utterly helpless.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu's eyes also reddened.

"Senior Sister, you're hurt? Where?"

They asked urgently.

Surrounded by three panicked men, Luo Lingling couldn't help but laugh and cry. She pushed them away with a smile. "What's going on? I'm fine. Why are you all acting like this?"

Soon after watching the memory stone's content, her face filled with contempt.

She snorted coldly. "Those three ancient bastards, and those two half-Nascent Soul bastards—they'd stoop to using family ties as leverage? How utterly shameless!"

Mo Xingjian steadied himself. "What exactly happened?"

Luo Lingling wiped the blood from her face, speaking casually. "It's nothing. The person in the stone was indeed me. I wondered why they kept delaying their attack—it was to lure you in, to trap you!"

Then Luo Lingling began to explain.

She was close to Nascent Soul. After two years of training and brutal combat, her cultivation had steadily risen.

After successfully killing one of their Nascent Soul cultivators, she was accidentally spotted.

After fierce fighting, she took some wounds—but they only held back, giving her the chance to escape.

The one still there now? Just a paper doll clone. They've probably realized it by now.

The three listened, then understood—more than that, they were impressed.

No wonder she was Second Senior Sister—always so cautious. They'd almost set out.

"Brother-in-law… uh, where's the White Crane?" Yan Xiao Hu suddenly remembered something, a sly grin spreading across his face.

That paper doll technique of Second Senior Sister was masterful—the White Crane must've reached Nascent Soul by now.

Even so, they'd tracked her so closely, yet still ended up completely fooled, losing her without realizing it.

Luo Lingling rolled her eyes. "Who cares about him? Let him go wherever he wants. He's been clinging like a leech—annoying as hell. Forget him. I'm returning to seclusion now—I aim to break into Nascent Soul within three years."

"Senior Sister, you're awesome!" Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu raised their thumbs in admiration.

Mo Xingjian stood aside, a faint smile on his lips—but deep in his eyes, a subtle pang of sorrow and pain flickered, unseen.

………

Deep night, silence everywhere. Zhou Qing, deep in cultivation, suddenly opened his eyes to find his Master Mo Xingjian standing quietly in his room, alongside Yan Xiao Hu, eyes red with tears.

"What's wrong?" Seeing their expressions, Zhou Qing's heart clenched—a dread surged. He rose quickly.

Yan Xiao Hu wiped his tears, voice trembling. "Brother Si—the one who came back? It was a paper doll. Second Senior Sister… she…"

Zhou Qing's pupils shrank sharply. His gaze snapped to Mo Xingjian.

Mo Xingjian's expression was sorrowful. He sighed deeply. "Second Miss's Primordial Spirit enhancement is Spirit Infusion—she can peel off her Primordial Spirit's aura and imprint it onto a paper doll, indistinguishable from the real thing. The control range is vast, and it's tied to the Heavenly Dao energy she once absorbed."

"She could fool others—but not me. So she only greeted us briefly, then announced her seclusion."

Zhou Qing was confused. "But why?"

Mo Xingjian's eyes were filled with pity. "She must've sensed Cangyan Dao Palace's plot—and didn't want us to risk ourselves."

"No, I still don't understand…" Zhou Qing's mind felt tangled.

If the paper doll returned, she could've just told them not to go—but she could've asked Master and the others for help.

Why put herself in danger, and pretend everything was fine?

Mo Xingjian turned, hands clasped behind his back, and walked to the window. He tightly interlocked his fingers, then slowly closed his eyes.

Two trails of cloudy tears slid down his weathered cheeks.

"Perhaps… she wants to try again."

Hearing Mo Xingjian's choked words, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu fell silent.

After a brief hesitation, Yan Xiao Hu asked carefully: "Master, they say Second Senior Sister is your daughter—is that true?"

Mo Xingjian's body trembled slightly.

Seeing this, the two knew the answer—but it didn't surprise them.

They just didn't know what had happened back then.

After all, Second Senior Sister had been brought back one day after Master took on First Senior Brother—and she'd never called him "Master."

When Master punished them, Second Senior Sister would always turn Little Ling Peak upside down.

And Master would just smile and apologize repeatedly.

Back then, they'd suspected—Master deeply owed her something. And in her heart, there was a knot no one could untie.

"Let's go—to Canglan Mountain." Mo Xingjian offered no further explanation. He turned and walked out.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu hurried after him.

……

Three days later, as the group stepped beyond Canglan Mountain's borders, a vast, majestic scene unfolded before them.

Endless mountain ranges rose and fell like a slumbering ancient beast sprawled across the earth, radiating a grand, primordial aura that inspired awe.

Strange rocks jutted everywhere; ancient trees towered, blotting out the sky. Thick mist hung overhead like a gauzy veil.

Occasionally, terrifying beast roars echoed from within the mist, shaking their eardrums and sending chills down their spines.

This place lay at the heart of the Five Sects. Before the great wars, it was the site of the trial held every sixty years by all five sects.

The beasts here were ferocious—like the near-death but immensely powerful Thunder Sound Golden Toad Zhou Qing had faced at Linggu Mountain—here, they were common.

And most of these beasts had awakened their spiritual intellect, capable of speaking human speech.

Looking at the endless mountain range before them, Zhou Qing and Yan Xiao Hu immediately sent messages to their senior sister—but received no reply.

"What now?" Yan Xiao Hu asked anxiously.

(End of Chapter)