“Qingyun Sect?” Qin Hongdao was stunned, as if she thought she had misheard. She looked at him in astonishment and asked, “Are you certain?”
Ning Yuzhou nodded slightly and sighed softly. “It is indeed Qingyun Sect. I have heard of it. It is a super sect, with countless high-level cultivators under its banner and millions of followers. It is not something people from small, insignificant factions like us can afford to provoke. I did not expect the daughter of True Monarch Daoyan to issue a bounty. I’m afraid we may implicate you this time.”
Ning Yuzhou’s face was filled with apology, as well as wariness toward Qingyun Sect. Yet, as always, he protected his little wife. He only said that this matter was not her fault. If that daughter of True Monarch Daoyan refused to let it go, then he would not simply resign himself to fate. Even if he had to risk his life, he would seek justice.
His words were righteous and firm, making Wen Qiao unable to stop staring at her husband.
She seemed… to understand Ning Yuzhou’s plan a little now.
After Qin Hongdao heard this, not only did she not become nervous, she actually laughed. She slapped the table and said boldly, “So you’re talking about that fool Mu Shan from Qingyun Sect? It’s fine. Even if she is True Monarch Daoyan’s daughter, I’m not necessarily afraid of her!”
When she said this, Qin Hongdao’s face was full of pride, and her expression showed confidence in herself.
This confidence did not come from her background or birth, but from the pride and strength in her bones.
And also from the long sabre in her hand.
Ning Yuzhou’s eyes flickered slightly. He said seriously, “Miss Qin, I heard that True Monarch Daoyan’s eldest disciple, Mu Ziming, is also here. His cultivation is extremely high.”
Qin Hongdao grinned. “So he’s here too. I haven’t sparred with him in a long time! It’s fine. If he dares come to the door, leave everything to me!” She patted her chest and spoke with great loyalty.
A puzzled expression appeared on Ning Yuzhou’s face.
From Qin Hongdao’s words, one could tell that she knew Mu Ziming, and that they had interacted before.
Qin Hongdao looked at them and suddenly said, “You two aren’t from the Central Continent, are you?”
Ning Yuzhou said warmly, “Indeed, we are not. We come from South Ming and only recently arrived at Cangwu Mountain. We are not familiar with the Central Continent.”
A look of understanding appeared on Qin Hongdao’s face. She smiled and said, “I see. Then I’ll formally introduce myself now. I am Qin Hongdao, eldest senior sister of Scarlet Heaven Sect. The one inside is my junior brother, Sheng Yunshen.”
After saying this, she looked at the two of them with a smile.
The two did not disappoint her expectations. Wen Qiao, who was holding Wen Tutu and feeding him, showed a look of realisation. “Scarlet Heaven Sect, one of the Three Sects?”
On the Shengwu Continent, there was the saying of Three Sects, Four Gates, and Five Clans. The Three Sects referred to three top great sects: Scarlet Heaven Sect, Qingyun Sect, and Guiyi Sect.
The Three Sects stood side by side, equal in strength. They were the leaders among the many forces of the Shengwu Continent, with transcendent status.
That was why even the Shang family and Wang family of the Five Cities of the Pill Alliance did not dare go against the Three Sects. When the Shang siblings offended a disciple of Qingyun Sect, one of the Three Sects, the outcome they suffered was considered normal by others. In the end, the Shang siblings could only slink back to Huaiyin City and did not dare speak of revenge.
The Three Sects were extremely famous. When disciples of the Three Sects walked outside, few people failed to recognise them unless they deliberately concealed their identities.
When they first met, Qin Hongdao had given her name.
As long as one was a cultivator from the Central Continent, most would have heard of Qin Hongdao, the eldest senior sister of Scarlet Heaven Sect.
Qin Hongdao in red with a long sabre. The long sabre was her weapon. With this weapon, she had once challenged the demonic sects, spreading her fame far and wide and becoming a nightmare to the demonic path.
This was also why Qin Hongdao had deliberately announced her name, so the other party could feel at ease.
The alchemists she had invited to treat Sheng Yunshen had only been willing to treat someone afflicted with such a terrible poison after hearing her name. Otherwise, who would dare get involved in such a matter?
Who would have thought that she had encountered two country bumpkins from a remote region? Although they had heard of the Three Sects, they had not yet had time to understand the specific situation of the Three Sects, and they knew even less about the disciples of the Three Sects.
Qin Hongdao touched the long sabre beside her. She still had that frank and straightforward manner, while her heroic brows carried a natural arrogance. “You are my junior brother’s saviours, and that means you are also my, Qin Hongdao’s, saviours! If Mu Shan dares touch you, she’ll have to see whether I, Qin Hongdao, agree first.”
Ning Yuzhou merely showed a little surprise before a smile appeared on his face, accepting her goodwill. “Then we thank Miss Qin.”
After that, Ning Yuzhou also explained how Wen Qiao and Mu Shan had formed a grudge.
Although he had never met Mu Shan, Ning Yuzhou could infer that Mu Shan was the female cultivator in pink whom Wen Qiao had encountered outside the stone stalagmite forest. His Ah Xian was straightforward, simple, and had a good temper. As long as no one provoked her, she rarely took the initiative to make enemies, and she would not easily offend people.
Moreover, they had only just left Dongling and had not met many people. The only person they had formed a grudge with was the woman in pink from the stone stalagmite forest.
After hearing how the two sides had formed a grudge, Qin Hongdao said speechlessly, “I knew it. This kind of thing, twisting right and wrong and blaming the victim, is exactly something only Mu Shan would do.”
Qin Hongdao had become famous very early. In addition, she was the eldest senior sister of Scarlet Heaven Sect, so people without some strength were not qualified to stand before her.
Mu Shan was the beloved daughter of True Monarch Daoyan. Her cultivation was not high, and even now, she was only at the Yuan Martial Realm. She was far from qualified to make Qin Hongdao look at her differently. Yet Mu Shan was famously troublesome—so troublesome that even Qin Hongdao had heard her name. She was also extremely unreasonable. Once, simply because Qin Hongdao had sparred with Mu Ziming and defeated him, Mu Shan had run up to her and said a bunch of inexplicable things, making Qin Hongdao remember her.
Qin Hongdao did not take Mu Shan seriously. Right now, the most important thing to her was her junior brother’s poison.
She told Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao to go rest first and not worry about anything else. If Mu Ziming dared come looking for them, she would handle everything.
Ning Yuzhou accepted Qin Hongdao’s goodwill. To him, this was merely a kind of exchange. He felt completely at ease as he took Wen Qiao to the room next door to rest, leaving Qin Hongdao to watch over Sheng Yunshen.
After closing the door, Wen Qiao held Wen Tutu and stared hard at Ning Yuzhou.
Ning Yuzhou took clean bedding out of his storage pouch and laid it out. He turned back to look at her and asked with a smile, “Ah Xian, what are you looking at?”
Wen Qiao slowly walked over, letting him pull her down to sit on the bed. She looked up at the man beside the bed and asked, “Husband, did you already know that Mu Shan wouldn’t let this matter go?”
Ning Yuzhou held her hand and sat on the bed with her.
He smiled and said softly, “Not exactly. I was merely preparing for a rainy day.”
He was not so all-knowing that he could guess the identity of the female cultivator who had tried to harm Wen Qiao outside the stone stalagmite forest. If that female cultivator had been lucky enough to be bitten to death by the stalagmite rats, that would have been best. If she had not died, then some preparations had to be made in advance.
From that female cultivator’s behaviour at the time, it could be seen that she was an extremely unreasonable person. Trying to reason with someone like that was useless. Instead, she would bite back. If she had no background, that would be one thing. But if she came from some major force, then they had to guard against her in time.
That was why Ning Yuzhou had immediately decided to descend the mountain first. After arriving in Cangwu Town, he began making arrangements.
If Mu Shan made no move, then it did not matter. At most, he would gain some fame in Cangwu Town and make connections with a few forces, which was not bad either. If Mu Shan did make a move, Ning Yuzhou was not afraid. Had they not now found someone who could restrain them?
Originally, Ning Yuzhou had wanted to attract the attention of the other forces in Cangwu Town. Ideally, he would draw out the Yuan Sect Realm expert stationed in Cangwu Town. As long as Mu Shan acted, he would immediately stir up all the forces in Cangwu Town and make them restrain Mu Shan’s group.
Qin Hongdao’s appearance had been unexpected, but the identities of Qin Hongdao and her junior brother were also unexpectedly favourable, so there was naturally no need to worry too much.
After Wen Qiao listened, she raised her eyes to look at him, pressed her lips together, and said, “Next time, I’ll definitely be careful. I won’t easily provoke these unreasonable enemies again.”
She felt rather unhappy inside. Clearly, Mu Shan had wanted to harm her, and after suffering the consequences of her own actions, she had turned around and bitten her instead. But Wen Qiao also knew that they had only just left Dongling. In the Central Continent, they were nothing. Mu Shan came from a great sect, so not confronting her directly was the correct choice.
Even so, she still felt stifled inside.
Compared with this kind of petty revenge, she would rather confront Mu Shan head-on. At worst, they could just fight.
Ning Yuzhou suddenly leaned over, tilted his face, and gently kissed her soft cheek.
Wen Qiao: “…”
Her eyes widened, her dark, bright pupils reflecting his figure. Ning Yuzhou could not help laughing softly. He reached out and stroked her face, then clasped the back of her head and kissed her lips again.
The room became extremely quiet.
So quiet that even Wen Tutu could not help wanting to move and remind them of his existence. But the moment his little bottom shifted, someone pinched his ears. In the next instant, he was thrown into the space.
Without Wen Tutu there to disturb them, the atmosphere became even more ambiguous.
After a long while, Ning Yuzhou straightened up and looked at the girl who was holding her breath, her face flushed red. He said gently, “Ah Xian, breathe.”
Wen Qiao carefully began breathing again. Her cheeks were rosy, and she seemed somewhat at a loss.
Her eyelids trembled terribly. Her thick, curled lashes lowered slightly, half-covering those bright eyes. She sat there obediently, her fingers picking at her skirt now and then.
Seeing this, Ning Yuzhou simply pulled the little girl into his arms.
Her figure was slender, and when he held her, she seemed especially petite, fitting perfectly into his embrace.
The two quietly held each other like that.
—
After Guiyuan Pavilion obtained accurate information, they delivered the details of the bounty target to Mu Shan immediately.
“That wretch is called Min Xian?” Mu Shan’s face revealed a sinister smile. “Very good! Eldest Senior Brother, let’s go meet that guest from Hu’an Inn.”
Mu Ziming knew that if the anger accumulated in his junior sister’s heart was not vented, she would feel terrible. He did not object and accompanied her to Hu’an Inn in Huliu Alley.
When Mu Shan arrived aggressively, Wang Xiuyuan, who had been watching Hu’an Inn all along, received the news immediately.
He stood not far from Hu’an Inn, staring at Mu Shan and her fellow disciples as they entered the inn, his expression grave.
After a long while, Wang Xiuyuan let out a faint sigh and turned to leave.
At the same time, he completely gave up on Ning Yuzhou, this genius alchemist.
When Wang Xiuyuan left, he did not notice a faint, almost imperceptible figure not far behind him.
Hidden in the shadow beneath an eave, Qian Shou watched Wang Xiuyuan’s departing figure and frowned slightly, thinking to himself that Wang Xiuyuan’s reaction was indeed exactly as his young master had guessed.
He stared at the inn entrance. A while later, he saw Mu Shan and her group leave aggressively and walk in another direction.
That direction led to the private residence where Qin Hongdao and her junior brother were temporarily staying.
Qian Shou followed silently, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
In Cangwu Town, quite a few forces were paying attention to Mu Shan’s group.
Originally, they had been extremely interested in Ning Yuzhou, this alchemist, and had also wanted to recruit him under their banner. Who would have thought that the young girl beside Ning Yuzhou had actually offended the daughter of True Monarch Daoyan of Qingyun Sect? Judging by that eldest miss’s temper, she would certainly not let the matter go. No one knew what fate awaited Ning Yuzhou and his group.
Because of Mu Shan’s sudden interference, all the restless forces could only temporarily restrain themselves and watch how the situation developed.
Seeing Mu Shan and the others leave the inn and head toward a certain private residence, many people secretly followed, wanting to see how Mu Shan and her senior brother would deal with Ning Yuzhou.
Of course, they were not worried that Mu Shan and her senior brothers would attack that alchemist inside Cangwu Town. Cangwu Town had rules: fighting and causing trouble were not allowed within the town. If one wanted to kill or commit arson, they had to settle it outside the town. Once outside Cangwu Town, who cared what anyone did?
But inside Cangwu Town, all private fights were forbidden.
That was also why everyone dared to follow and watch the show.
Qian Shou hid among the other cultivators who were secretly following, looking extremely inconspicuous.
—
Qin Hongdao guarded her junior brother in the bathing tub. While paying attention to the talisman fire burning below, she also watched her junior brother’s face. She discovered that as time passed, the pustules and lumps on his face gradually became less terrifying, and their colour also lightened somewhat. Joy rose in her heart.
Ning Yuzhou really could save her junior brother.
Although she was unwilling to doubt Ning Yuzhou’s ability, this concerned her own junior brother, and concern led to chaos. Without seeing it with her own eyes, she could not feel at ease. Now that she had discovered signs that the poison in her junior brother’s body was improving, she was naturally overjoyed.
This was the first alchemist she had seen produce any actual effect since her junior brother had been poisoned.
Qin Hongdao was very convinced of Ning Yuzhou’s ability. Although his current cultivation was low and he was only a yellow-grade alchemist, with this treatment method of his, his future achievements would certainly not be low. Perhaps he might even become a legendary saint-grade alchemist one day.
Therefore, she absolutely could not allow that fool Mu Shan to harm a genius alchemist with such great future potential.
Halfway through, Sheng Yunshen woke up, his face full of confusion.
“Senior Sister…”
Qin Hongdao poked her head out from behind the bathing tub and looked happily at her awakened junior brother. “Junior Brother, how do you feel?”
Not long after being placed into the bathing tub, Sheng Yunshen had fallen asleep. Ning Yuzhou had said that sleeping would be more beneficial for expelling the poison and would also reduce some of his pain. Naturally, Qin Hongdao had not woken him.
With a face still covered in terrifying lumps, Sheng Yunshen revealed a weak smile. “It seems… it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”
“That’s good.”
Qin Hongdao felt deeply relieved. This was the first time since her junior brother had been poisoned that he had said it did not hurt as much. It filled her heart with joy and renewed her strength. She felt that even if she had to sit here for ten days or half a month, she would not get tired, as long as her junior brother could recover.
“Junior Brother, you still need to soak for another eight hours. Keep sleeping,” Qin Hongdao said.
Sheng Yunshen gave an affirmative sound and was about to close his eyes when he suddenly opened them again. He turned his head toward the doorway and said, “Senior Sister, did someone trigger the formation?”
Qin Hongdao ignored it and said without even raising her head, “Probably some petty troublemakers. No need to bother with them. Hurry and sleep.”
Sheng Yunshen’s body was weak after all, and very soon, he leaned against the bathing tub and fell asleep again.
Qin Hongdao stood in front of the bathing tub and looked at the dark green water inside. Under the burning talisman fire, the water bubbled and gurgled, but strangely, it was not scalding. When touched, it was only warm.
She watched for quite a while. Only when the restrictions outside fluctuated more and more violently did Qin Hongdao finally frown and go out, closing the door behind her.
Qin Hongdao strode across the courtyard and opened the main gate. She happened to see Mu Shan angrily attacking the formation at the entrance with an elegant maiden’s sword.
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