Chapter 589

Cen Dachuan and Cen Yuan had left the village first; Pan Yun and the others departed nearly half an hour later, and no one linked their disappearance to Pan Yun's group.

As soon as they left the village and exited the villagers' line of sight at the gate, Pan Yun flipped off the cart: "Keep going to the county town—I'm going to catch them."

Qu Le barely managed to ask: "Do you need help…"

Pan Yun had already vanished, her silhouette gone without a trace.

Seeing Miao Zhen lowered the curtain: "Following her would only slow her down; our junior master alone moves faster."

With qi infused into her legs, she didn't need a flying artifact—she skimmed over treetops like a pigeon, sweeping past like a gust of wind.

Before leaving the village, Qu Le had already confirmed the location of Fan Family Village.

Fan Family Village was the farthest village from here, under Dehua County of Quanzhou; it lay closer to the sea—and, of course, was poorer.

But that was in the past.

Ever since their village produced Fan Ming, it was no longer the same Fan Family Village.

Not only had every household moved into brick-and-tile houses, but no one went hungry or poorly clothed anymore.

To get from Da Cen Village to Fan Family Village, one must cross three mountains; on foot, it takes five hours. Cen Dachuan and his group knew the roads well and moved fast—they needed only four hours.

That's why, despite having two days, they chose to depart immediately.

Just the round trip takes eight hours, not counting sleep, meals, or bargaining time.

Pan Yun's lightness skill was swift; halfway up the first mountain, she spotted their backs.

She flipped like a pigeon, toes barely brushing treetops, soaring over their heads and landing lightly.

Cen Dachuan and Cen Yuan startled, drawing their blades in a flash—but when they saw who stood before them, both paled: "It's you?"

Pan Yun still wore her bright dress, turning with a light laugh: "Yes, it's me."

No words needed—they knew they'd been tricked.

Pan Yun gave them no time for further talk; after greeting them, she vanished and reappeared before them, her fingers flicking to seal both their acupoints.

So fast—Cen Dachuan's hand, gripping his blade, barely lifted half an inch.

His pupils shrank; his face filled with disbelief—how could someone so young possess such skill?

Pan Yun smiled lightly: "You're wondering how someone so young could have such skill?"

Cen Dachuan couldn't move or speak, but his face could change—he silently shifted expression.

If she had such skill, why go to such lengths to disguise herself and infiltrate Da Cen Village?

"You ask why I infiltrated Da Cen Village?" Pan Yun said. "Once we reach a safe place, I'll tell you. As for the disguise—naturally, this Daoist Priest is kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see Da Cen Village's villagers become bandits."

Cen Dachuan's eyes trembled slightly.

Pan Yun grabbed one by the collar of each man's robe and flew down the mountain.

With the two captives in hand, Qu Le and the others deliberately slowed the cart—she caught up before sunset.

Pan Yun threw the two into the cart; the vehicle immediately changed course toward Quanzhou, no longer heading to Yongtai County.

They didn't stop until the sun had fully set and darkness fell.

Pan Yun and the others took firewood, pots, bowls, and utensils directly from their space.

Qu Le, traveling with them, was no longer surprised.

If he hadn't yet learned to convert internal strength into qi and use his awareness to open his Qiankun Pouch, he would have bought ten or eight of them.

Though he couldn't use one yet, he'd actually spent money buying one from Immortal Tower—he carried it on him now. He'd been envious watching Pan Yun and the others use their space all along.

Once the pot was hung and the food boiling, Tao Yanbai climbed into the cart to bring the captives down.

The Academy's rules forbade displaying supernatural powers before ordinary people—but Qu Le, as an Academy disciple, was no longer ordinary.

As long as the two men in the cart didn't see, it was fine.

Cen Dachuan and Cen Yuan's acupoints had still not been unsealed.

Because Pan Yun's cultivation was profound, Tao Yanbai spent ages trying to unseal them—finally, he called out: "Junior Master…"

Pan Yun stepped forward and unsealed their acupoints.

The moment they were freed, Cen Yuan shot up—only to collapse straight to the ground with a thud, his legs numb from prolonged paralysis.

Pan Yun jumped back in surprise, then, seeing him sprawled face-down, stifled a laugh: "No need for such courtesy—please rise."

Cen Yuan rose, face pale, and squatted motionless, his legs still numb.

!

Cen Dachuan slowly walked to the fire. Pan Yun sat cross-legged on the grass, gesturing to the side with a smile: "Please sit."

Cen Dachuan glanced at the calm Pan Yun, saw Qu Le and the others standing aside—he realized that though she appeared youngest, she was the one in charge.

He no longer hesitated, stepped forward, and sat.

He made no effort to hide his scrutiny: "May I ask your name, your sect, and whether I, Cen Dachuan, have wronged you?"

"This Daoist Priest's surname is Pan, of Mount Sanqing," Pan Yun replied, her gaze sharpening into a cold smile. "And as for you and me—yes, we have a grudge."

Cen Yuan tensed; Cen Dachuan ran through his memory—could not recall any grudge with a Mount Sanqing Daoist. He asked directly: "What grudge is there between us?"

"Last winter, Japanese pirates landed and slaughtered two villages," Pan Yun fixed her gaze on Cen Dachuan and Cen Yuan.

Both turned deathly pale.

Pan Yun's voice grew lower: "This Daoist Priest accepted rewards from Shuangyang Village and Huaihua Village, swore to avenge them—so their enemies are mine. Cen Second Master, tell me—do we have a grudge?"

Cen Dachuan's fingers trembled; under Pan Yun's gaze, he tightly shut his eyes, offering his neck like a condemned man: "You've come for me—kill or cut me, do as you please."

"Big Brother Dachuan!" Cen Yuan cried out in protest.

Cen Dachuan silenced him, then said to Pan Yun: "But this matter has nothing to do with the others in Da Cen Village—they knew nothing."

Pan Yun's gaze shifted to Cen Yuan.

Cen Yuan turned pale, instinctively stepping back.

Cen Dachuan hurriedly added: "He didn't know either!"

Pan Yun sneered: "Don't know? Didn't they guide the Japanese pirates?"

Cen Dachuan hurriedly said: "They were just following orders—what could they possibly know?"

"If they didn't know, then what about you, Second Master Cen?" Pan Yun stared straight at him: "As second-in-command, you couldn't possibly be unaware of the whole affair. Or perhaps—you were the one leading it?"

Cen Dachuan said nothing.

Cen Yuan shouted loudly: "No! Big Brother Dachuan has always opposed it! It was the First Master who insisted—because of this, Big Brother Dachuan even argued with the First Master! Daoist, this has nothing to do with us, nothing to do with us!"

Pan Yun kept her eyes fixed on Cen Dachuan.

Cen Dachuan lowered his eyelids, clenched his fists, and said: "In this world of rivers and lakes, you kill me, I kill you. From the moment I set foot on this ship, my head has been tied to my belt. You seek revenge, and I can't defeat you—why waste words? Just strike."