Chapter 294: Arriving at Seek Dragon Gate

Early on the second day, Chi Nan Yi and the Bai father and son followed Fen Tian and left Liao City.

They traveled to a point fifty li outside the city, passed through several dense forests, and the convoy stopped outside an extremely luxurious manor. Looking around, mountains encircled the area, the scenery was clear and waters beautiful; outside the manor were several lakes, with faint water mist rising and enveloping the surrounding flora, like a fairyland.

At that moment, a light breeze blew, and amid the strong floral fragrance was a barely perceptible scent of blood.

"Brother Si Yi, the Sect Master is waiting for you here," he said, grimacing in pain, the bandages wrapped around his arm oozing thin streams of blood; Chi Nan Yi pretended not to notice.

Just as they reached the gate, several men dressed in purple robes with headscarves blocked their path.

"Second Protector, have you forgotten the Sect Master's rule?" His gaze swept over Su Yining and the others, and in a cold voice he said, "When meeting the Sect Master, how can one bear weapons?"

"It was my oversight," Fen Tian turned to Su Yining and said, "Brother Si Yi, the Sect Master's rule."

The few placed their weapons at the doorway, passed the guards' inspection, and then entered the gate.

Stepping inside, the scenery before them was even more elegant.

A winding blue‑stone path stretched inward, flanked by various exotic flowers; the rich fragrance filled the air. Fen Tian, walking ahead, inhaled deeply upon smelling it, his face showing pure enjoyment.

The scene caught Chi Nan Yi's eye; she lowered her gaze to examine the flora and suddenly noticed that each flower's stamen bore several tiny milky‑white larvae—if not for the space inside her body, even she would have struggled to see them.

She looked a few more times, recalling the descriptions of gu insects she had read in cultivation manuals in recent days, her face turning solemn.

Soul‑devouring Gu.

All the densely packed ones here turned out to be Soul‑devouring Gu.

These gu insects feed on human blood and flesh; as larvae they hide in the soil, sucking on rotting meat buried underground. Once mature, they burrow out, settle on flower petals, and emit a strong fragrance—pleasant at first, but prolonged inhalation clouds the mind. Cultivators who raise gu can use the Soul‑devouring Gu to easily control others, turning them into killing machines that eventually lose even the sense of pain.

Like puppets.

The Sect Master of Seek Dragon Gate truly has a cruel heart.

To use such insidious things on one's own people.

She gave a subtle glance to the two beside her; the Bai father and son understood tacitly and silently held their breath.

Seeing Fen Tian's expression, he was clearly heavily poisoned.

Recalling the festering, hard‑to‑heal wounds on his body, Chi Nan Yi's eyes flickered.

The scent of blood was not masked by the fragrance; on the contrary, as they went deeper, the blood odor grew stronger.

Soul‑devouring Gu feed on human blood and flesh, and the buried corpses underground are countless.

Thinking that the ground beneath his feet was full of dead bodies made his stomach churn uncontrollably.

She observed the surroundings calmly; the shadows concealed many a presence, each composed and restrained, clearly masters among masters.

The depth of Seek Dragon Gate is indeed extraordinary.

At that moment, Fen Tian stopped outside the Cloud‑Viewing Pavilion, knelt on the ground, and respectfully said, "Fen Tian requests an audience with the Sect Master."

When the words fell, the massive gate slowly opened, and the strong fragrance drifted out; Chi Nan Yi frowned, wondering what kind of toxin the Sect Master truly was.

Even this place was saturated with poisonous gas.

Fortunately she was prepared.

Long before arriving here, Chi Nan Yi had already given the Bai father and son antidote pills; although these gases cannot kill, their accumulation in the body remains a hidden danger.

"Come in!"

An androgynous voice sounded, Fen Tian rose, turned to Chi Nan Yi and said, "Come with me inside! But do not speak out of turn, do not look around or touch anything; if you anger the Sect Master, I cannot save you."

"Mm."

The group followed him into the main hall.

The hall was vast and resplendent in gold and jade; a figure in a white robe wearing a circlet sat on the main seat, surrounded by a dozen maidservants massaging his legs. Yun Li, whom they had met a few days earlier, stood behind him; besides her were several burly men, each bearing a fierce expression.

"May I present myself to the Sect Master."

The man in the white robe said nothing, lightly curled a finger, and Fen Tian hurried to rise, pointing at Chi Nan Yi and, as if presenting a treasure, said, "Sect Master, this one is the Divine Doctor I was sent to ask you for."

"Divine Doctor?" a man snorted coldly, "Second brother, don't speak so confidently. What kind of place is Seek Dragon Gate? What holy hands of Divine Doctors have we not seen? You bring someone arbitrarily and call them a Divine Doctor—do you think we are so easy to fool?"

"Exactly, Second brother, you previously recommended more than one, and what was the result? None could meet the Sect Master's standards; they were all mediocre. You have already pledged a military order before the Sect Master; if this fails, you should volunteer to become fertilizer!"

The others looked at Fen Tian, their eyes full of mockery.

Chi Nan Yi slightly raised an eyebrow; it seemed these were the remaining protectors of Seek Dragon Gate.

As for Fen Tian, his popularity among these people seemed poor.

"Military order?" Chi Nan Yi turned to Fen Tian, "What does that mean?"

"Ha, you still don't know?" Great Protector Cang Ming sneered, "Fen Tian swore before the Sect Master that if he cannot find a Divine Doctor, he will die as atonement, taking you all with him; today is the final deadline."

So that's it.

No wonder Fen Tian is utterly obedient to her, even willing to take the punishment for her.

It was because of this.

Fen Tian's complexion shifted slightly, and in a low voice said, "Sect Master, the Si Yi Divine Doctor I have brought this time will surely cure your chronic illness."

The man in the white robe, who had remained silent, extended his hand; seeing this, Fen Tian's face brightened, and he hurriedly said to Chi Nan Yi, "Brother Si Yi, the Sect Master has ordered you to go and treat him."

Chi Nan Yi heard this and gave a faint smile, "Treat?"

Under the surprised gazes of the others, she walked slowly with the Bai father and son to a side seat and sat down.

"You! How dare you! The Sect Master never granted a seat; how can you sit casually?" Lie Qiong pointed at Chi Nan Yi's nose and said, "Disrespecting the Sect Master, you should be chopped up as fertilizer!"

As soon as the words fell, the teacup Chi Nan Yi was holding suddenly flew out at breakneck speed, hitting Lie Qiong before anyone could react.

"Deng—Deng—Deng."

Even his robust body could not withstand the cup's force, and he stepped back a few paces.

The cup, after striking him, returned to Chi Nan Yi's hand.

The onlookers' gazes instantly turned cold and sharp.

They wanted to act, but found no weapons nearby.

Chi Nan Yi lifted the teacup and took a sip; the others, seeing this, a faint cold smile flashed across their faces.

Having drunk the sect master's tea, from then on one is the sect master's person.