Chapter 137: Interception

After poisoning Hou Muxian, He Pingsheng did not leave immediately.

He first rummaged through the belongings of the two corpses lying nearby.

A Qi Refining stage twelve cultivator was still quite wealthy.

Most stage twelve cultivators had several hundred spirit stones.

Besides spirit stones, there were some low-grade talismans, elixirs, magic treasures, and spirit herbs.

He Pingsheng took them all without hesitation.

He also took the jade slips containing their cultivation techniques and spells.

After searching the two corpses, He Pingsheng began searching Hou Muxian's body.

Hou Muxian was only a Qi Refining stage seven cultivator; she had few valuable items. He Pingsheng took her spirit stones but left the rest of her treasures untouched.

Hmm…

There was also a green jade slip.

This girl had previously claimed she would take him to the Black Frontier to dig up this so-called Red Essence Ginseng.

In truth, it was merely a deception, a trap.

They were targeting Cheng Siyu.

Still, He Pingsheng felt the Red Essence Ginseng they mentioned might not be fake.

What if it was real?

Let's see this map first.

He Pingsheng pressed the jade slip to his forehead and extended his spiritual sense.

The map within the slip appeared in his spiritual perception.

"This…" He Pingsheng's heart leapt: the Red Essence Ginseng was real.

Indeed, the jade slip contained an extremely detailed map of the Black Frontier, with the location of the Red Essence Ginseng marked clearly.

It also noted the characteristics of the guardian beast.

The guardian beast was not a Foundation Establishment stage ape, but a Foundation Establishment stage python.

It seemed this jade slip was unlikely to be fake.

He Pingsheng removed the jade slip from his forehead and furrowed his brow slightly.

Two paths now lay before him.

First, continue taking Hou Muxian to the Black Frontier to dig up the Red Essence Ginseng.

Second, return to the sect first.

After a brief consideration, He Pingsheng chose the second option.

Return to the sect first.

Sister Jiang was killed, and this involves Hou Muxian—so I must inform my Master immediately and see how Grand Void Gate reacts.

If I delay, I'll be left at a disadvantage.

"Open…" He Pingsheng waved his hand and unfolded a paper crane.

He tossed Hou Muxian's body onto the crane and leapt aboard himself.

"Go…"

The paper crane shot into the sky, heading toward Grand Void Gate.

As for the two other cultivators' corpses on the mountaintop, He Pingsheng ignored them.

After boarding the paper crane, He Pingsheng did not leave immediately; he circled the battlefield, searching for Cheng Siyu.

But he found nothing.

If I can't find her, forget it.

Let's go!

Toward Grand Void Gate.

…

Two hours later!

The Hou Family!

The back courtyard!

"Sister… sister…"

Qin Mingyue rushed frantically to a newly built pavilion, shouting loudly.

The door on the third floor opened, and a woman in a red robe stepped out.

She was exquisite and beautiful.

She had only Qi Refining stage ten cultivation.

She was Hou Xuan's new bride, a noble lady of the Beast Taming Immortal Sect: Liu Ruotong.

Liu Ruotong's father was the Sect Master of the Beast Taming Immortal Sect, a Great Golden Core cultivator, and the eldest disciple of the Grand Elder.

Unfortunately, despite such a perfect father, Liu Ruotong was unworthy—her spiritual root was abysmally poor. Like He Pingsheng, she had hit a bottleneck at Qi Refining stage ten and could not break through.

The sect had no rare treasures to help her advance.

So Liu Ruotong had no choice but to marry into the Hou family.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Liu Ruotong looked at Qin Mingyue: "Come in quickly!"

"Ah…" Qin Mingyue climbed to the third floor.

Liu Ruotong asked: "Was the task completed?"

"Yes yes yes!" Qin Mingyue said: "I… I personally killed Cheng Siyu… her corpse is in my storage bag—sister, take a look!"

As she spoke, Qin Mingyue pulled out a storage bag.

Liu Ruotong probed it with her spiritual sense, then nodded: "Good, thank you, sister!"

"Don't thank me!" Qin Mingyue said: "There's another matter—I killed Cheng Siyu, but Elder Changping was killed by Cheng Siyu's junior brother. That Qi Refining disciple was no ordinary cultivator—he had many grade-two talismans and a powerful spiritual sense capable of sword flight!"

"So I couldn't kill him—he escaped!"

"What?" Liu Ruotong gasped: "He escaped?"

"Yes!" Qin Mingyue said: "I chased him for a while, but I couldn't match his speed, so I returned!"

"Sister, I've come to say goodbye!"

"Grand Void Gate will surely investigate. Once they trace this back to our Beast Taming Sect, our Master and the Elders will pin everything on me—I'll be trapped with no way out!"

"I'll go into hiding for a while—let them lose track of me!"

"I'm leaving!"

Qin Mingyue was not foolish—in fact, she was clever.

If she didn't leave now, once Grand Void Gate gained the upper hand, the Beast Taming Sect would sacrifice her to preserve its reputation and rules.

But if she fled, the sect could simply blame everything on her.

"You didn't mention me, did you?" Liu Ruotong stared at Qin Mingyue.

Qin Mingyue shook her head: "I didn't say anything—but I don't know if Hou Muxian's sister will."

"I advise you, Madam, to prepare early."

"I'm gone!"

Without waiting for Liu Ruotong to respond, Qin Mingyue summoned her sword and shot into the sky, vanishing from the Hou estate, heading south.

At the very least, she must leave the Xuan Alliance's territory first.

…

Near Grand Void Gate!

On the path leading to the Hou family stood an unusually towering peak.

The peak jutted abruptly, like a sword piercing the heavens.

But the mountain had no spiritual veins, so no spiritual energy existed there.

It was merely a barren rock mountain.

On this rock mountain stood a Daoist nun dressed in gray robes.

She looked like an ordinary middle-aged or elderly woman.

Her gaze never left the direction of the Hou family.

If He Pingsheng were here, he would recognize her—the Daoist nun from the Enforcement Hall who had once tormented him: Feng Dao Gu.

Feng Dao Gu had known the moment He Pingsheng left the sect gate yesterday.

She couldn't follow him in time, so she waited here.

She knew he had gone to the Hou family's wedding.

He wouldn't stay one day—he'd return within two.

Even if he stayed three or five days, she could wait.

When you return, He Pingsheng, I'll block your path and cut you down with one sword.

To avenge my beloved brother.

After killing you, I'll vanish into hiding and roam the world freely.

I'll never return to Grand Void Gate!

The Daoist nun atop the peak suddenly lifted her head, glancing leftward.

He Pingsheng was riding the paper crane, drifting slowly across the sky.

"Hehe..." Feng Daogu's lips curled into a faint smile: "You've finally arrived!"