“Indeed! The disciples of the Beiyao Sect are so reliable in their actions, and the children of Taiqing Pavilion are each so quick-witted. Unlike those from our sect, who are still running in circles in the forest at this hour!”
“If you ask me, the very first opportunity in this secret realm will likely be claimed by the disciples of either Taiqing Pavilion or the Beiyao Sect.”
Feng Qing wore a faint smile, her tone unable to hide a hint of self-satisfaction. “Everyone flatters them too much. The children are merely acting a bit more prudently. Whether they can obtain the opportunity ultimately depends on their own fortune.”
Huai Sang nodded along, his smile gentle. “The secret realm is fraught with danger. It is already no easy feat for them to keep themselves safe. We have made you all laugh.”
“However...”
Feng Qing took a sip of wine, her upturned eyes casting a glance toward the Ninth Elder. “We haven't seen any disciples from Nine Saints Hall either. Perhaps they have already reached the depths of the secret realm as well.”
A nearby manager immediately laughed. “Has that little pill cultivator finally woken up? If she wants to head into the depths of the secret realm, I am afraid it won't be easy, will it?”
The Ninth Elder could no longer bear it. “Though she is a pill cultivator, her talent in sword arts is not a single bit inferior to your Beiyao Sect's Saintess.”
The venue fell silent for a brief moment, only to erupt into a roar of laughter immediately after.
Even Feng Qing could not help but cover her lips, shaking with laughter. “Brother Yun, you truly are a sword idiot. Do you think this child is Song Yao? Qingqiu has only ever lost that one time among her peers. No matter who else comes, they are no match for her.”
“Indeed, Daoist Yun. Is it because the Sword Demon died that you are grieving too much and suffering from delusions?”
“If you ask me, you should have sent Song Yao to Taiqing Pavilion or the Beiyao Sect back then. She certainly wouldn't have been raised to turn out like that.”
“Comparing a little pill cultivator to the Saintess now is simply a pipe dream!”
The Ninth Elder did not bother to pay them any mind, closing his eyes with a cold snort.
In the corner, a manager suddenly pointed at a cloud screen and cried out in surprise, “Wait, look! Isn't—isn't this Lu Mingxuan of the Beiyao Sect?!”
“No, wait, there are other disciples of your Beiyao Sect too! What... what is wrong with them?”
Everyone hurriedly looked over.
On the cloud screen, an open clearing at the outer edge of the secret realm was shown. Several Beiyao Sect disciples, covered in wounds, came into view, shoving and pushing one another.
Lu Mingxuan clutched his bleeding shoulder, cursing at a disciple beside him. “You—how dare you molest me?! I am the third disciple of the Beiyao Sect, pure and chaste! If you dare lean on me again, I'll—I'll call for help!”
The disciple he pointed at also had bloodshot eyes. Staring blankly into the empty air, he drooled as he lunged forward. “Beauty, don't run! You were just smiling at me a moment ago! Why are you hiding in the blink of an eye?!”
He grabbed Lu Mingxuan's sleeve, his tone infatuated yet aggrieved. “Come back to the sect with me, and I'll buy you the finest gold and silver jewelry!”
“Who is a beauty?!”
Lu Mingxuan shook with rage, kicking him hard in the knee. “I—I am a married man! How dare you desecrate me!”
Beside them, another disciple was crawling on the ground, desperately trying to escape while letting out a bloodcurdling shriek, “Ghosts! So many ghosts! Stop gnawing on my leg! Help, ahhh!”
Scrambling on all fours, he tried to hide behind a companion, only to be shoved away violently.
“Get lost! The Lotus Crow-Sparrow Grass is mine! Don't even think about stealing it!”
Clutching a small sapling he had uprooted from who-knows-where, his companion kicked him hard in the back with bloodshot eyes. “If you break my precious treasure, believe it or not, I'll have your dog life!!”
“I didn't steal it! I saw a demon!”
The kicked disciple wailed as he grabbed his companion's hem. “Look! They are right behind you, ahhhhh!”
While the cloud screen was in complete chaos, the outside was dead silent.
Everyone watched, dumbfounded.
Who didn't know that the Beiyao Sect had always maintained strict rules? Its disciples were usually upright and well-mannered, rarely even raising their voices. When had anyone ever seen them in such a mad, unsightly state?
The Viewing Platform fell dead silent. The managers who had been singing their praises just moments ago now wore highly complicated expressions.
Feng Qing's face turned livid, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.
Unable to suppress her rage even in front of everyone, she gritted her teeth and hissed to the attendant beside her, “A bunch of embarrassing fools! Quick! Get them out of the secret realm immediately!”
The cultivator responsible for controlling the cloud screens quickly switched the view, changing the scene to an empty forest.
The shouting disappeared, but the Viewing Platform remained dead silent.
Amidst the bizarre atmosphere, the Ninth Elder took a slow sip of his tea, unable to suppress the curl of his lips as he said with a half-smile, “Didn't you all just say that the Beiyao Sect disciples are the most reliable in their actions?”
The tables had turned, and karma spared no one.
Feng Qing was so angry she wanted to roll her eyes. She took a deep breath, forcing down her surging rage.
Squeezing out a stiff semblance of composure, she said calmly, “They have likely been poisoned, or perhaps dragged into an illusion by some demon, temporarily losing their minds. It is nothing major.”
Changing the subject, she continued, “Instead of keeping your eyes on others, Brother Yun, you would do better to worry about the children of Nine Saints Hall. We haven't even seen a glimpse of them yet. Lest they...”
The Ninth Elder chuckled. “No matter, no matter. There is a pill cultivator among the children of Nine Saints Hall, so there is nothing to worry about.”
Feng Qing: “...”
...
The side effects of consuming multiple Qi-Replenishing Pills at once were even more terrifying than Song Yao had imagined.
Squatting in a tree, she took down a rough record of their symptoms.
Then, jumping down with satisfaction, she said to the dumbfounded Chen He, “Let's go, Junior Brother.”
Chen He followed behind her in shock, stammering after a long while, “Se-Seventh Senior Sister, was what you gave them... poison?”
Song Yao frowned, unhappily correcting him. “What poison? It was a Qi-Replenishing Pill, refined by my own hands.”
Chen He: “...A Q-Qi-Replenishing Pill?”
What kind of decent person's Qi-Replenishing Pill had this kind of effect?
How was this any different from suffering from delusions?
Song Yao explained, “Although it looks a bit scary right now, they will return to normal in a few hours, and their physical health should also improve quite a bit.”
Chen He: “...”
He suddenly felt that there was something a bit off about this Seventh Senior Sister of his.
Wasn't she a pill cultivator?
How could she refine such a terrifying Qi-Replenishing Pill?
He began to question his life choices. Song Yao patted his shoulder, attempting to clear her name. “It's not scary at all. Once we return to the sect, I'll let you try some too.”
Chen He: “...Haha, there's no need to be so polite, Seventh Senior Sister. Let's head out quickly. Who knows how they are doing.”
With Chen He leading the way with the map, the two of them arrived at the Miasma Forest without taking many detours this time.
True to its name, the Miasma Forest was a woodland shrouded in thick miasma.
Minor spirits and demons gathered here, where visibility was extremely poor, and the trees would shift directions and angles, forming a maze.
They had to traverse the Miasma Forest to enter the Twin Insect Cave to find the Lotus Crow-Sparrow Grass.
Chen He stopped Song Yao, saying with no small amount of worry, “Seventh Senior Sister, it is too dangerous inside. If we are entangled by demons or targeted by disciples of other sects, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you. How about you wait outside, and I go in to scout ahead first?”
This junior brother of hers was actually quite loyal.
The Bishui Sword at Song Yao's waist unsheathed, its blade glowing with a faint light that illuminated their surroundings. “Just take care of yourself. No need to worry about me. Let's go.”
Rate on N.U.
