novelraw Chapter 523 - 167: Don’t Compete with Lord, Crisis (First Update)
Chapter 523 - 167: Don’t Compete with Lord, Crisis (First Update)
No need to expend spiritual power, you can soar in the sky. Mu Qingge looked at the flying beast beneath her, smacked her lips, and felt endless envy in her heart.
"Hahaha, why do you envy me? As a Medicine Tower elder, you are already eligible to request a flying beast as your mount." Xia Tianwu saw her envious expression and couldn’t help joking.
Mu Qingge turned her eyes to him, blinked, "Is there such a good thing?" That old headmaster didn’t tell her!
Her reaction surprised Xia Tianwu, who asked, "What? Didn’t the headmaster tell you when you received the elder token?"
Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes slightly, her smile was filled with meaning.
Xia Tianwu awkwardly coughed twice and turned his face away.
Retracted her gaze, Mu Qingge ground her teeth in her heart. Calculating, she decided that when she goes to the Medicine Tower Headquarters again, she’d definitely get her flying beast!
No! One is not enough! At least two or three to compensate for her inner trauma.
Mu Qingge again looked at the vast landscape below, the wind blowing past lifting her clothes and hair.
Though after reaching the Purple Realm, one can use their spiritual power to fly, doing so consumes too much spiritual power; unless necessary, she would not do it.
"Why was Hua Cangzhu suddenly dismissed from his position as headmaster by the headquarters?" asked Mu Qingge.
After Xia Tianwu arrived, they only had a brief meeting, and she bid farewell to her family and boarded his flying beast without time to ask for some detailed information.
Xia Tianwu looked at her, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "You don’t know?"
Mu Qingge’s mouth twitched faintly, and she smiled, "Elder Xia, you jest. If I knew the inside story, would I still need to ask you?"
Xia Tianwu awkwardly looked for a moment, then implied, "Your branch has indeed produced quite a few talents!"
Such ambiguous words made Mu Qingge understand.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she solemnly asked, "Is it related to Zhu Ling?"
Xia Tianwu nodded, "You left early, indeed you might not know what happened afterward. After you left, Zhu Ling participated in the examination to stay at the headquarters. Her talent is also pretty good, her understanding is excellent, and she’s a hardworking child. So, unsurprisingly, she passed the examination and attracted quite a few elders who wanted to take her as a disciple."
Mu Qingge listened and nodded.
Zhu Ling indeed wasn’t an ordinary person, such a result was expected.
"But you know what? Such a wonderful opportunity, she turned it down." Xia Tianwu looked at Mu Qingge with more seriousness.
Refused?
Mu Qingge was stunned; she really hadn’t thought of that.
Xia Tianwu didn’t see any clues from Mu Qingge’s expression, so he continued, "Her reason for rejecting was quite unique, she said she was unwilling to have a mentor because her previous mentor disappointed her too much." He paused, then said, "Usually, it’s only disciples who disappoint their mentors; how could a mentor disappoint a disciple? Her words intrigued quite a few elders, and then she spoke before the headmaster about how Hua Cangzhu exploited public office for personal gain, how he privately received benefits, and suppressed other pill masters in the Medicine Tower branch, including how she was forced to swallow the Puppet Pill."
Upon hearing this, Mu Qingge seemed to understand a bit.
She said so, that the headquarters couldn’t possibly dismiss Hua Cangzhu without any reason; it was Zhu Ling working behind the scenes.
"The headquarters wouldn’t dismiss a headmaster just based on one-sided words," Mu Qingge stated.
Xia Tianwu nodded, "Indeed, so our trip aims to investigate first, and only after what’s said by Zhu Ling is verified, can the dismissal order we carry become effective."
"Does this really need investigating?" Mu Qingge’s mouth twitched, her expression growing cold and disdainful.
She did not deliberately hide this expression, and Xia Tianwu naturally noticed it.
He keenly asked, "What? Did he offend you too?"
Mu Qingge gave him a scornful look and said mercilessly, "Is Elder Xia really old? Memory so bad? During the selection for eminent role of sending medicines, you were present."
Xia Tianwu chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Recalling the intense competition at that time, it was obvious to him that Mu Qingge had discord with Hua Cangzhu’s faction.
"I thought you just had a personal grievance with his disciple."
Mu Qingge scoffed, "Without a mentor’s secret signal, how much trouble can a disciple stir up?"
Xia Tianwu’s eyes lit up, and he immediately leaned over, "How did he trouble you? Tell me in detail, maybe we can complete the task early."
Mu Qingge looked at him and suddenly felt his face was filled with gossip.
Of course, she didn’t need to be polite to Hua Cangzhu.
So, she told Xia Tianwu everything Hua Cangzhu did to her. Even the existence of the giant Flood Dragon, she didn’t hide from Xia Tianwu.
"What! A Flood Dragon of the Purple Realm? How did you little guys survive?" Xia Tianwu exclaimed in surprise.
Mu Qingge glanced at him, raised her hand, and purple spiritual power burned in her palm.
"You, you, you..." Xia Tianwu pointed at the spiritual power in her hand, stunned.
Disciples of the Medicine Tower always prioritize alchemy over personal cultivation. At the headquarters, cultivating to the Blue Realm like Jing Tian already surpasses many elders.
That was because his cultivation was built up using quite a bit of spiritual medicine.
And Mu Qingge?
She comes from a Third-class Country, the resources she can access naturally can’t compare to a First-class Country, and she’s already so outstanding in alchemy.
Yet unexpectedly, even in personal spiritual power cultivation, she was astonishing!
Xia Tianwu suddenly felt a bit defeated.
Think about it, as a steward elder of the Medicine Tower headquarters, his spiritual power cultivation only reaches the high rank of Blue Realm. How old is this kid before him? Not even twenty, yet she’s reached the Purple Realm.
Mu Qingge ignored his shock and explained, "When I encountered the giant Flood Dragon, I was just a step away from the Purple Realm."
"And what about the giant Flood Dragon?" Xia Tianwu suddenly realized, quickly asking.
The giant Flood Dragon must be full of treasures, can’t miss out!
Mu Qingge replied coolly, "It escaped."
"Escaped... escaped?" Xia Tianwu felt his jaw almost dropped, a Purple Realm Flood Dragon chased off by a bunch of kids? Who would believe such a thing?
"Believe it or not, that’s the answer," Mu Qingge replied lightly.
Xia Tianwu looked at Mu Qingge, seeing her unwilling to elaborate, wisely closed his mouth.
At that moment, he had no advantage in front of Mu Qingge.
Comparing statuses? They’re both elders of the Medicine Tower.
Comparing alchemy? Haha, both are Spirit Level Alchemists, but Mu Qingge has reached the Perfect Realm, how to compare?
Comparing cultivation? He’s only at the Blue Realm...
In endless lamentation, Xia Tianwu quickly adjusted his position.
The flying beast was fast. Starting from Qin Country and flying by day, resting at night, it took less than ten days to enter Yu Country’s borders.
At this pace, it would take them less than two days to reach the Medicine Tower Branch.
...
The blazing sun slowly set.
The clouds on the horizon were dyed red, as if coated with a layer of gold.
With the sun’s rays gone, a massive shadow descended, enveloping Mu Qingge and Xia Tianwu.
Xia Tianwu patted the flying beast’s neck, the beast received the order, flapped its wings, changed direction, and slowly descended toward a patch of dense forest.
To avoid the panic that flying beasts might cause among the common folk, they’ve spent nights in isolated places.
The flying beast landed safely, not far from an abandoned cave.
Xia Tianwu and Mu Qingge jumped down from the flying beast’s back, the beast took off again to hunt for food.
The two walked toward the cave entrance, Xia Tianwu evaluated the small stone cave and said to Mu Qingge, "It’s dry here, so let’s rest for the night."
Mu Qingge nodded, indicating she had no objection.
Xia Tianwu then took out the insect and beast repellent powder he carried with him and scattered it around the cave.
Mu Qingge picked up some firewood and started a bonfire inside the cave.
The firelight quickly rose up, illuminating the entire cave and bringing warmth.
The two sat on the ground; Xia Tianwu took out food and water from the Qiankun bag, and they ate silently.
Mu Qingge wasn’t much of a talker and didn’t consider herself very familiar with Xia Tianwu, so she rarely initiated conversations. Xia Tianwu wasn’t much of a chatterbox either; after eating and drinking, he closed his eyes and meditated.
It seemed he wanted to work harder to catch up to the young man in front of him.
Suddenly, there was a noise of footsteps outside. Judging by the sound, there were quite a few people coming.
"There’s a cave here; looks like there’s firelight inside."
The person outside evidently discovered them.
Xia Tianwu opened his eyes, looked toward the cave entrance, and then at Mu Qingge. The latter remained indifferent, showing no sign of what she was thinking.
At this point, shadows flickered outside the cave; it seemed the people outside were about to come in.
"Boss, there’s firelight inside; there must be people!"
However, the people outside did not immediately come in but started conversing outside the cave.
"Nonsense! Of course, there are people if there’s firelight."
"Then what should we..." The conversation didn’t finish, but anyone could hear the ill intent in it.
Xia Tianwu once again looked at Mu Qingge, but Mu Qingge still had no reaction, as if she hadn’t heard the conversation outside the cave.
No more words followed.
Because the people outside the cave had already entered with weapons in hand, viciously pointing them at the two sitting by the fire inside the cave.
"Well! An old man and a handsome young fellow!"
Among the ones who entered, there were only seven. After seeing Xia Tianwu and Mu Qingge clearly, they immediately relaxed with a smug expression.
At this moment, Xia Tianwu was finally able to see the appearance of these few people.
He frowned deeply.
How to describe it? They say the face reflects the heart; one’s thoughts determine one’s appearance. The people in front of him had ordinary looks but their faces were filled with brutish flesh, and their brows were full of vicious greed — not good people at first glance.
Moreover, the weapons in their hands, although polished clean and bright, couldn’t hide the thick smell of blood, indicating they probably killed many people.
It only took one glance for Xia Tianwu to draw his conclusion.
These uninvited intruders are definitely not good people!
"Three Initial Rank Green Realm, two Middle Rank Green Realm, one High Rank Green Realm, one Peak Green Realm," Mu Qingge suddenly spoke, addressing Xia Tianwu.
Xia Tianwu looked at her somewhat inexplicably but met her eyes, clear as water.
Suddenly, he seemed to understand Mu Qingge’s meaning.
He smiled bitterly, stood up, dusting off his robe, and sighed, "Let me handle this. How can I trouble you to take action?"
"What’s the old man saying there? Quickly hand over all your valuables; maybe the masters will be generous and spare your miserable life!" The one at Peak Green Realm arrogantly demanded.
Summer has always been where Xia Tianwu, the Medicine Tower Elder, commands respect wherever he goes.
No one dared speak to him like this!
Originally hesitant about whether it’s excessive to kill without a word, his eyes immediately turned cold, and with a flash, he disappeared from where he stood.
All that was heard was the sound of screams, a few drops of blood splattering on the dirt in front of Mu Qingge, making her eyes flicker.
Soon after, Xia Tianwu returned to his original position, as if he had never left.
However, the seven intruders now lay dead on the ground, their death not appearing horrendous but surely not pleasant either.
Mu Qingge looked at the few drops of blood in front of her, shook her head slowly, and with a tone of disdain said, "As an elder of the Medicine Tower, killing is done without beauty. A little poison could resolve it; why bother seeing blood?"
Xia Tianwu’s mouth twitched from her words, sitting back at his original position with a dark face.
Just as he sat down, Mu Qingge stood up and walked over to the side where the bodies lay.
Xia Tianwu looked at her puzzled, suddenly his expression changed, and he shouted, "Hey! It’s not that I can’t tell if these people are dead or alive, right?"
Mu Qingge already reached the bodies, squatted down, and stretched out her hand.
Hearing Xia Tianwu’s irritated words, her hand paused, then lowered to explain, "These people clearly look like bandits, but there are no inhabitants around here, so they wouldn’t appear without purpose."
After saying that, she continued to reach out and carefully check the things these people carried with them.
Listening to her explanation, Xia Tianwu was initially stunned, then he understood. He slowly stood up and watched Mu Qingge’s actions.
After a short while, Mu Qingge stood up holding a piece of paper.
As she spread the paper in her hand, the writing on it was revealed.
Mu Qingge quickly read the contents of the paper, her eyes changing slightly.
"What does it say?" Xia Tianwu curiously leaned over to ask.
Mu Qingge handed him the paper she was holding.
Xia Tianwu took it and upon reading the contents, his eyes suddenly shrank in shock, saying, "What are these people gathering in Sangzhi City for?"
If he remembered correctly, Sangzhi City was near the Medicine Tower Branch!
Mu Qingge then returned to the fire, sitting cross-legged, with her elbows resting on her knees, extending her hand palm over the flames for warmth. "Sangzhi City is near the border; further in is Ba Country’s mountainous terrain, a retreat leads to Yu Country’s mountain range. It has always been a no man’s land, attracting many bandits and horse thieves. Of course, these people are essentially loose cultivators, their cultivation skills are not low in the Third-class Country, and their methods are ruthless and they strike without mercy. This summoning order suddenly calls all these distant people over, it can only mean one thing..."
Saying this, her eyes turned cold, and she said in a deep voice, "Something happened in Sangzhi City, or rather, it’s related to the Medicine Tower Branch!"
"Why?" Xia Tianwu asked with a frown.
Mu Qingge looked at him calmly and said, "In that place, apart from the Medicine Tower Branch, I really can’t think of any interest that could cause such a disturbance."
"If so, we must go there immediately to see what happened!" Xia Tianwu said to Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge slowly nodded, not opposing his suggestion.
...
Sangzhi City, within the Medicine Tower Branch.
At this time, the Medicine Tower seemed to be shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere, devoid of its usual ethereal aura.
The branch was deserted, the roads were devoid of any disciples, full of lifelessness, as if it were uninhabited.
However, in reality, the hundreds of disciples here, including the Pill Masters, Tower Guardian Elders, were all housed in a large hall, unable to leave.
No, it wasn’t that they couldn’t leave; it was that they lacked the strength to.
Lou Chuanbai sat cross-legged, eyes closed among the crowd, with Mei Zizhong who had returned from the Main Courtyard at his one side, and Shang Zisu, who had separated from Mu Qingge to return first from Li Country, on the other.
Zhao Nanxing had to return to the palace; when reaching Yu Country, he returned to the Capital City and wasn’t in the branch.
Around the three master and disciples were hundreds of people.
They maintained silence, appearing to be imprisoned here.
Suddenly, the hall doors were opened, and Hua Cangzhu entered with disciples. He no longer bore the image of an immortal; instead, his expression was filled with ambition and greed.
He surveyed the hall full of seated people and sneered, "How about it? Have you made up your mind? As long as you pledge allegiance to me alone, I’ll give you the antidote and let you leave. But if you continue to be stubborn, don’t blame me for being merciless!"
Many disciples had a look of anger on their faces, but their respective masters stopped them.
Wei Qi, Wei Guanguan siblings, Shui Ling, Fu Tianlong, and others were among the crowd at this moment. They wanted to resist, but their bodies were powerless, so they could only glare fiercely at Hua Cangzhu with their eyes.
After waiting for a while, no one responded.
Hua Cangzhu sneered coldly, walked over to several Tower Guardian Elders, and asked, bowing his head, "Why are you doing this, Elders? We are all sent to this branch to suffer while those people in the Main Courtyard have everything they want. Since they have abandoned us, why should we continue to serve the Main Courtyard? You might as well follow me, free yourself from constraints, and imagine what glory we could achieve in the Third-class Country. How many experts would come to serve us? It’s better to be someone else’s master than a dog, right!"
The Tower Guardian Elders were unwilling to pay him any attention.
As he spoke, they all silently turned their faces away.
It seemed they disdained speaking to him.
Hua Cangzhu’s expression darkened, with a more sinister and ruthless light in his eyes.
"Ingrates!" Hua Cangzhu snorted coldly, turned, and left.
Then he walked over to the Pill Masters he usually got along with and inquired about their thoughts. However, these people who had been loyal to him usually turned into hard-headed individuals, ignoring his ’invitation.’
Finally, he approached Lou Chuanbai, meeting his old rival. His expression had a few more ferocious lines.
He sneered at Lou Chuanbai, "Lou Chuanbai, what do you think? Is it you who wins now or me?"
Lou Chuanbai looked up at him for a moment, then lowered his gaze, seemingly disdainful to speak.
Hua Cangzhu’s ferocious expression grew more intense. He shouted at Lou Chuanbai, "Aren’t you stronger than me? Why can you only sit here now, at my mercy? If you’re so capable, then lift the poison from everyone here!"
Lou Chuanbai still stayed silent.
Hua Cangzhu sneered dismissively, "You’re just like this!"
Finishing his words, he turned and left the great hall. As he was about to close the door, he coldly said, "You have one last day to decide whether to submit to me or be buried with the Medicine Tower Branch, think well."
With his departure, the doors of the great hall shut tightly.
"Master..." As soon as Hua Cangzhu left, Shang Zisu worriedly looked at Lou Chuanbai.
Mei Zizhong also looked at him.
Originally, they were worried that their master would suffer an ambush from Hua Cangzhu, which was why, before leaving, they had urged their master to go to the Mu Mansion in Qin Country. Unexpectedly, because they returned home, their master also returned from the Mu Mansion to the branch, ultimately falling prey to Hua Cangzhu’s plot.
Lou Chuanbai sighed deeply, the surroundings filled with repressed sobbing.
These sobs came from many female disciples.
Mei Zizhong pressed his lips and said, "Hua Cangzhu must have been scheming for a long time, otherwise he wouldn’t be like this."
Lou Chuanbai nodded, looking at his two beloved disciples, filled with regret in his eyes, "I’m old, it doesn’t matter. It’s just the two of you..."
"Master need not worry about us." Mei Zizhong said in a deep voice.
Shang Zisu also nodded, "Master need not be overly anxious. Brother Mu will come to save us."
Mentioning Mu Qingge, a complicated glint flashed in Mei Zizhong’s eyes. From the bottom of his heart, he didn’t want Mu Qingge to take risks. He said, "Brother Mu is far away in Qin Country, a distant water can’t save a nearby fire. Brother Zhao is in Yu Country. If he senses anything amiss, he will certainly come to our rescue."
Hearing his disciples’ comforting words, Lou Chuanbai nodded.
He frowned and said, "There are disciples with backgrounds in the Medicine Tower. If Hua Cangzhu genuinely wants to kill them all, that’s not possible. What exactly does he want to do? Is he not afraid of people from the Main Courtyard coming to pursue him for his audacity?"
Lou Chuanbai couldn’t figure out Hua Cangzhu’s intentions, neither could Mei Zizhong and Shang Zisu.
In the crowd, in a corner of the great hall, Wei Guanguan said to Wei Qi, "What on earth does that old dog Hua plan? If he kills us, Father won’t let him off!"
Wei Qi held his sister’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly, and said, "Don’t be afraid, I’m here."
Those simple five words contained infinite emotion.
Wei Guanguan’s nose turned sour upon hearing them, but she retorted, "Stupid Wei Qi, who is afraid? I don’t need your protection, just take care of yourself!"
At this moment, Fu Tianlong suddenly pressed his lips and said, "If it comes to it, I’ll stay behind, you guys leave."
"Tianlong, you!" Shui Ling looked at him in shock. Her eyes showed she didn’t agree with his decision.
Seeing the siblings from the Wei Family looking over, Fu Tianlong said to Shui Ling, "Shui Ling, listen to me, if I unleash the beast god’s bloodline within my body, Hua Cangzhu won’t be able to harm me. You all just run, get as far away as possible. It’s closer to Ba Country here, once you get back to Ba Country, you’ll be safe. At that time, expose Hua Cangzhu’s plot to the world!"
As he spoke, he turned to the Wei siblings and said, "Li Country is too far from here. Don’t rush to go home. Go with Shui Ling to Ba Country first. Wait until everything settles down, then return. However, I entrust Shui Ling’s safety to you. No matter what, ensure she returns safely to Ba Country."
"And what about you?" Shui Ling asked anxiously.
Fu Tianlong forced a smile, "I already said, I’ll activate the Beast God bloodline. Once you’re safely away, I’ll run. I won’t sacrifice myself."
"And then?" Shui Ling asked angrily.
"And then?" Fu Tianlong was taken aback.
Shui Ling held back tears as she said, "After the Beast God bloodline passes, you’ll be in an extremely weak state, without the ability to protect yourself. What if you’re captured again? What if they torture you?"
"I won’t let that happen!" Seeing Shui Ling on the verge of tears, Fu Tianlong became flustered and didn’t know how to respond.
Shui Ling looked at him, biting her lips hard, with tears streaming down her face in big drops.
"Let’s not be so pessimistic. Maybe someone will come to rescue us," Wei Qi comforted.
Wei Guanguan, however, seemed affected by Shui Ling’s sadness and curled up, hugging her knees, saying, "But who would know about the changes in the branch? Who would come to save us?"
"Perhaps no one will come, but there is one person who definitely will! Mu Ge will come, I’m sure!" Wei Qi said with a firm gaze.
"Mu Ge?" Wei Guanguan looked up, her teary eyes filled with hope, and asked, "Smelly Wei Qi, will Mu Ge really come?"
Wei Qi nodded affirmatively, reached out to rub his sister’s hair, and said softly, "Of course, we must have faith in Mu Ge. When has he ever let us down?"
Wei Guanguan pressed her lips together and nodded vigorously.
...
Hua Cangzhu returned to his residence, flinging his sleeves in anger, and said hatefully, "They’re all a bunch of ungrateful fools!"
At this moment, a person emerged from the room, dressed in a samurai outfit, with a ferocious scar on his face, appearing very sinister and terrifying. The aura he exuded was also extremely chilling, as if he had walked out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
"We don’t have much time left," the person said coldly to Hua Cangzhu upon appearing.
His tone lacked any semblance of respect.
Hua Cangzhu, with a dark expression, said, "I know. Tomorrow, if they still don’t see reason, we’ll proceed according to the plan." After speaking, he looked up at the person and asked, "How are your preparations?"
The person smirked coldly, and the scar on his face seemed to come alive, becoming even more ferocious: "The people are almost all gathered. Once the time is right, they will storm into the Medicine Tower Branch, to burn, kill, and plunder. By then, the Medicine Tower Branch will disappear from Yu Country, and you, the branch director, will heroically die, with everything pillaged and countless disciples and alchemists buried within. Afterward, you’ll go undercover, and together we’ll build a great empire!"
Hua Cangzhu’s eyes gleamed with joy at the realization of his ambitions, seemingly seeing the day he achieved success and fame.
He grinned hideously, "It would be too wasteful to let them die just like that. Keep those bodies for me, I’ll use them for experiments. In the future, they’ll become our undead army, conquering territory and establishing feats for us! As for those disciples with backgrounds..." he sneered insidiously, "they’ll also become our hidden pawns, playing a decisive role when needed!"
"Excellent! With your talent and my capability, how can we not accomplish great things? By then, the whole Third-class Country territory will be ours! Even the Second-class Country won’t be out of reach," the man said arrogantly.
The two seemed to see a bright tomorrow, and after exchanging glances, they burst into loud laughter.
The gloom of Hua Cangzhu’s earlier rejection seemed to be swept away by this infinitely beautiful dream!
"Elder Xia, let’s descend now. The flying beast is too conspicuous." Entering, it was already Sangzhi City, Mu Qingge said to Xia Tianwu.
Xia Tianwu nodded and instructed the flying beast to land in a hidden location.
Mu Qingge leaped down, turned to look at Xia Tianwu’s flying beast, and suddenly fell into thought.
"What’s wrong?" Xia Tianwu walked up to Mu Qingge and asked.
Mu Qingge’s eyes shifted over to him and asked, "Elder Xia, may I ask for your flying beast’s assistance?"
...
In Sangzhi City, it was very quiet.
Even though it was already nightfall, this quietness seemed different from usual, carrying an eerie feeling.
Mu Qingge led Xia Tianwu towards the small courtyard where she had temporarily stayed, but as soon as she reached the entrance, she felt someone inside.
Who would be here?
You He and Hua Yue had long since returned with her, and the small courtyard had been left empty, known to very few.
Mu Qingge thought carefully, suddenly her eyes flashed, and she walked over and kicked the door open.
"Who goes there!" A voice barked sharply from within the courtyard.
Accompanying it was a flurry of blades and swords.
Mu Qingge easily dodged and shouted coldly, "Senior Brother Zhao, this place is mine."
"Stop immediately!" An urgent voice followed.
The sword tip aiming at Mu Qingge stopped just in front of her nose.
Then, Mu Qingge saw the figure of Zhao Nanxing racing out from the house in the small courtyard.
"Junior Brother Mu!" Seeing Mu Qingge, Zhao Nanxing’s tone relaxed a bit.
And when he saw Xia Tianwu standing beside Mu Qingge, he asked in surprise, "Did the headquarters get the news this quickly?"
Mu Qingge and Xia Tianwu were both puzzled. They exchanged glances, and Mu Qingge asked, "Elder Xia did come because of orders from the headquarters, but what has happened here, we do not know."
"So that’s how it is!" Zhao Nanxing suddenly understood.
Realizing this, he hurriedly bowed to Xia Tianwu.
Xia Tianwu waved a hand and said, "No need to worry about such formalities." After saying that, he looked at Mu Qingge as if asking with his eyes: ’Do they not know that you’re already an elder?’ He hadn’t forgotten that Zhao Nanxing had just addressed Mu Qingge as Junior Brother.
Mu Qingge blinked.
She didn’t care much about such things. When she competed with Jing Tian, she did say that whoever won would become the new elder of the Medicine Tower. But after the competition ended, she met the dean directly, took her identity token, and left with Shang Zisu without spending much time with Zhao Nanxing and the others.
She never minded about the titles.
Moreover, if they really started calling her elder, she would feel even more uncomfortable.
So she didn’t answer Xia Tianwu’s question but rather asked Zhao Nanxing, "Why are you here? What happened in the branch?"
Zhao Nanxing then told Mu Qingge everything he knew.
"After I returned to Yu Country, I had to report back to the palace, so I parted ways with Senior Brother Mei. After finishing my duties, I took my guards back to the Medicine Tower, but near Sangzhi City, I faintly sensed something was wrong. Suddenly, there were many more loose cultivators in Sangzhi City, and they were all infamous bandits in the government files. I became suspicious and didn’t return to the Medicine Tower, instead staying in the city to investigate. Unexpectedly, more and more of these people gathered, so to avoid drawing attention, I thought of this hidden place of yours. I just found out that they seem to be linked to our branch!"
Is it really related to the branch?
Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes.
"By the way, where is Zisu? Why don’t I see her?" Zhao Nanxing suddenly remembered that Mu Qingge had left with Shang Zisu, so she should be back as well now that Mu Qingge had returned.
Mu Qingge looked at him with a bitter smile and said, "On the way back, Senior Sister Shang calculated that you should have returned to the country, so she returned to the branch first, along with Master and Senior Brother Mei. I made a trip to Qin Country."
"What! So Zisu is in the branch now?" Zhao Nanxing exclaimed in shock.
Mu Qingge nodded.
"No way! I must go to the branch!" Zhao Nanxing panicked.
Mu Qingge stopped him: "The current situation is unclear. Rushing there recklessly would only expose your identity. We need to find out who these people are being gathered by and for what purpose!"
Zhao Nanxing calmed down but furrowed his brow at Mu Qingge’s question: "These people seem to have only received a notice to assemble here at a specific time and place, with a promise of rich rewards afterwards. There’s nothing known about the purpose or who gathered them."
"Is it this?" Mu Qingge took out a piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to Zhao Nanxing.
Zhao Nanxing took it, his eyes immediately lighting up, and nodded: "Yes! How did you get this?"
Mu Qingge nonchalantly replied, "On the road, Elder Xia killed a few bandits and found this on them."
This reminder made Zhao Nanxing realize he had been neglecting Xia Tianwu for a while, and he quickly turned to apologize to him.
Xia Tianwu waved it off, unconcerned, and said, "Since none of these people know, staying here longer has little meaning. We should focus on finding a way into the branch to figure out the situation inside."
On this point, both Mu Qingge and Zhao Nanxing agreed.
Still, Zhao Nanxing frowned and said, "Those people have blocked the road to the Medicine Tower, and we don’t know if it’s to prevent people inside from leaving or outsiders from entering."
"That’s easy to handle. At that time, Elder Mu can use her cultivation to slightly conceal us, and we’ll be able to get in." Xia Tianwu teased.
With a Purple Realm master covering them, entering unnoticed would indeed be a breeze.
Xia Tianwu’s words made Zhao Nanxing’s eyes brighten, and he immediately nodded: "That’s a good idea."
Mu Qingge thought for a moment and said to Zhao Nanxing, "Senior Brother Zhao, while it isn’t difficult for us to enter, we cannot ignore the people outside. This is Yu Country after all, and I find it inconvenient to act freely. Could you write a letter to request your country’s army to come and eliminate these bandits?"
Zhao Nanxing immediately agreed, calling over a guard to take his token and carry out Mu Qingge’s request.
After the guard left, Zhao Nanxing told Mu Qingge: "The nearest general, upon receiving my token, will take at least two days to arrive. We need to find a way to hold out for at least two days."
Mu Qingge nodded.
She looked up at the night sky and said, "Let’s rest for the night and at dawn enter the branch to see what’s going on. Leave the remaining guards here to provide support and prepare to assist the army."
...
The sky was dimly lit, with sunlight streaming through dense leaves, casting dappled light on the ground of the branch.
The great hall where everyone was detained was opened again.
The glaring sunlight poured in, dispelling the cold inside, covering most of the people.
Hua Cangzhu once again stood at the great hall’s entrance, but today he was accompanied by another person. That person had a terrifying and hideous scar across his face, exuding a suffocating aura that made people shudder.
The tower guardian elders took one glance and knew this person was extraordinary, having spilled blood countless times—a man who killed without bloodshed, for otherwise he wouldn’t be enveloped in such a cold, sinister aura.
"So, have you thought it over? If you’re willing to surrender to me, step out and go outside. If not... hmph, you can stay here and meet your end." Hua Cangzhu said coldly.
As if to validate Hua Cangzhu’s words, the sinister man beside him suddenly drew a blood knife, its blade seemingly surrounded by the wails of countless grievances and ghosts.
At the sight of the blood knife, the great hall was overshadowed in a ghastly and terrifying aura.
Suddenly, a disciple stumbled out, timidly glancing at Hua Cangzhu before bursting into the sunlight outside crying out loud.
"I don’t want to die... I don’t want to die..." came his cries of terror from outside.
With one, came a second.
One after another, disciples fled from the great hall, and soon, four or fifty people were gone.
"The rest of you, don’t fear death?" Hua Cangzhu sneered malevolently, his visage frightfully grim.
The man beside him shared the brutal and wicked gaze, sweeping it across those present. Anyone caught in his gaze trembled involuntarily, suffocated by fear.
Suddenly, a strange light flashed in his eyes as he fixed his stare on Shang Zisu beside Lou Chuanbai.
That greedy gaze was like a pack of hungry wolves spotting sheep.
Shang Zisu sensitively sensed such a heavily aggressive gaze.
Not only sensed it but saw it, too. Because that scarred, savage man was boldly striding toward her.
"What are you going to do?" Mei Zizhong stood up, blocking Shang Zisu.
But the man glanced coldly at him and struck his chest with a palm, sending Mei Zizhong flying, a spurt of fresh blood gushing from his mouth.
"Zizhong!"
"Senior Brother!"
Lou Chuanbai and Shang Zisu called out anxiously in unison.
Shang Zisu wanted to go over, but the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side.
"Beast, let go!" Lou Chuanbai was desperate and pounced on the man.
Only to be hit in the midsection and cough up blood.
This sudden turn of events threw the great hall into chaos.
The man, however, only wore a cruel smile, telling the spectating Hua Cangzhu at the door, "This woman, I want her!"