Chapter 217

"Good!"

Two male disciples from Tianfu Mountain bowed to Qiao Hui Zhu and He Pingsheng respectively, then left with the storage bag.

He Pingsheng did not look inside the storage bag.

Qiao Hui Zhu did look.

But it was obvious it contained only some spirit stones and cultivation techniques.

"Sister, I have something to tell you!" Qiao Hui Zhu took Qiao Xiao Qiao's hand and explained briefly.

She only said there was danger and they must flee for a while, without revealing the exact nature of the threat.

While the two spoke, He Pingsheng had already set up two arrays within the cave.

One illusion array, one defense array.

Three storage bags remained.

He Pingsheng opened the bags and spilled their contents onto the ground.

He sorted the spirit stones and divided them among the three; he had no interest in the cultivation techniques.

But during the sorting, he discovered two beast storage bags.

"The Spirit Beast Immortal Sect excels at taming spirit beasts!" Qiao Hui Zhu said: "These two beast storage bags must contain the beasts they tamed—they died too quickly to summon them for battle!"

"Unfortunately, once their master is dead, these beasts cannot be tamed by another."

He Pingsheng nodded and did not touch the beast storage bags.

Because they offered him no benefit, only harm.

"Here's a map!" Qiao Xiao Qiao said: "It's a map of Shangdang Commandery—these guys were well prepared!"

He Pingsheng's brow twitched instantly: "Let me see!"

He took the jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, and read it.

The map of Shangdang Commandery did not merely mark Shangdang—it also showed rough details of surrounding regions.

From these crude maps, He Pingsheng gleaned one crucial piece of information.

That Shangdang Commandery was a border commandery of Qi State.

West of Shangdang lay another country: Liang State.

He Pingsheng studied the map and changed his mind: "Qiao Sister, I told you to wait in Shangdang City so we could obtain a comprehensive map from the great merchant guild there. Now that we have the map, there's no need to go to Shangdang Commandery!"

"Here!"

He Pingsheng pointed to a mountain tens of thousands of li away on the map: "This mountain is Lishan—no sect exists there."

"But since it has a name, there must be human settlements nearby."

"Once you're out, hide near the highest peak of Lishan—I'll join you shortly!"

"Wait for me!"

The three copied the map, carefully compared it, confirmed Lishan's location, then packed their gear and prepared to part ways.

Half an incense stick later, Qiao Hui Zhu and Qiao Xiao Qiao each crushed the life-and-death tokens in their hands.

A flash of white light—and they vanished one after the other.

……

Hummm…

Likewise, at the square before the entrance to Shenjiang Mountain, two white lights suddenly appeared.

Qiao Xiao Qiao and Qiao Hui Zhu landed there.

They were not the only ones who had been teleported out so soon after entering.

Others had been too.

So Qiao Hui Zhu was not conspicuous.

"You two, come here!" The white-haired cultivator outside waved them over.

Qiao Hui Zhu and Qiao Xiao Qiao walked over.

"I recall—you two are from Dingxiang Commandery?"

"Yes!" Qiao Hui Zhu bowed: "Master, we arrived here with you."

"Hmm," the white-haired cultivator asked: "Why did you leave so early?"

Qiao Hui Zhu's cheeks flushed: "I encountered two powerful cultivators—they wanted to…"

"Wait!" The white-haired cultivator cut her off, pointing at Qiao Xiao Qiao: "You speak!"

"Yes!" Qiao Xiao Qiao lowered her head: "They wanted to harm us sisters, so we fled immediately!"

The white-haired cultivator studied the two sisters carefully, then nodded.

Their beauty was undeniable—someone coveting them was plausible.

"Do you recognize this person?"

The white-haired cultivator unfurled a scroll with a single flick.

The figure drawn was He Pingsheng.

Qiao Hui Zhu and Qiao Xiao Qiao had prepared for this.

They examined the image carefully for two or three breaths, then shook their heads in unison: "We don't seem to know him."

"Go."

The white-haired cultivator waved them off, letting them leave.

Qiao Hui Zhu led Qiao Xiao Qiao—not leaving immediately, but lingering on the square for about half an incense stick, browsing a few stalls set up by other cultivators, before walking off with her sister.

Why wait?

It was He Pingsheng's plan.

Too hasty an exit would raise suspicion.

The outcome proved Qiao Hui Zhu right.

The white-haired cultivator's spiritual sense had remained fixed on them both.

Only after they left did he conclude Qiao Hui Zhu was not suspicious.

Could the white-haired cultivator detain them? No.

After all, the arrival vessel had already departed—he lacked the power to transport everyone out, and could not possibly stop them all.

Qiao Hui Zhu moved with utmost caution, avoiding any mistake: first she traveled several hundred li toward Shangdang City, then took a wide detour, riding her sword westward toward the place called Lishan.

……

Inside Shenjiang Mountain.

He Pingsheng did not leave—he remained in the cave.

At this moment, his brow was tightly furrowed.

On one hand, he worried Qiao Hui Zhu might fail the test; on the other, he still had no plan for his own escape.

After much thought, he found no solution.

No matter how he analyzed, every path led to death.

He Pingsheng could only dismantle the arrays and step out of the cave.

Walk around outside.

See if he could find some opportunity within Shenjiang Mountain.

If none, he would risk escaping and use his invisibility talisman for a desperate gamble.

Or…

Accept his fate.

After all, the white-haired cultivator only knew Wang Dun had seen the Nine Dragons—he didn't know He Pingsheng had seen them too.

Even if they caught him, they'd only want to use him to find Wang Dun's whereabouts.

He might not die.

There was still a chance to survive.

Thinking this, He Pingsheng took out the map and headed toward the rear of Shenjiang Mountain.

He had no interest in searching for the scattered heavenly treasures scattered through the valleys.

He intended to go straight to the core region of Shenjiang Mountain—to try and comprehend the spear intent.

Or perhaps find some opportunity there.

"Go…"

Before leaving, He Pingsheng opened the two beast storage bags on his person.

The spirit beasts, now ownerless, returned to the wild.

One was a white tiger, a level-two beast, roughly equivalent to a Foundation Establishment sixth layer human cultivator.

The other was a black serpent, with similar cultivation—also Foundation Establishment.

The serpent reminded He Pingsheng of the golden giant serpent once raised by Yu De.

He released both beasts into the forest, keeping the beast storage bags.

He would reinforce them later for his own use.

Watching the two beasts return to the wild, He Pingsheng suddenly missed his two snow pengs.

I wonder how they are doing?