The group traveled unhurriedly. After two hundred li, they spotted a city below and even stopped for a cup of hot tea before continuing.
It was dusk by the time they arrived outside the mountain village.
Jiang Muzhou, who was leading the group, was the first to sense the presence of death. Her face paled slightly. "This is bad. More people have been killed!"
That day, Master Li had mentioned that thousands had been killed. But in a world so vast, where information traveled so poorly, a report of thousands actually meant the number was already over ten thousand.
"Senior Sister, let’s go down and take a look." The speaker was Yao Jingzhi.
"Alright."
After landing, the group once again saw the gruesome mound of bodies, as well as other corpses scattered about. They were all still fresh.
At this, Yao Jingzhi became cautious. "Senior Sister, can you tell how many of them there were, and what their Cultivation levels are?"
Instead of answering, Jiang Muzhou leaped into the sky and once again unleashed her Mountain and River Daoist Lord technique to trace the lingering Qi Mechanism.
Chen Qingyang watched with great attention. There was a difference this time. Although she still produced the green qi from her body, after the Qi Mechanism entered the landscape, it condensed high above, forming a green cloud.
His Conscious Fish dove deep into it, sensing the changes. ’This is a highly advanced method,’ he realized. ’She uses the Mountain and River Earth Vein Technique to gather the specific Qi Mechanism of this area, and then uses that Qi to determine what changes have occurred.’
’If someone had been meditating, there would be more Dense Qi from their breathing exercises.’
’If someone had been performing the Refinement of Yin Souls, Spiritual Qi would have gathered, and the Yin Qi wouldn’t have dispersed!’
’If there had been a fight, the Qi Mechanism would be violent and extremely chaotic...’
Although Chen Qingyang hadn’t cultivated this skill, he could guess the basics of it with a little thought.
Perhaps because this scan was exceptionally thorough, she remained in the air for about half an hour before descending. Her face was pale, and beads of sweat covered her forehead.
Yao Jingzhi thoughtfully took out an Elixir and handed it to her. "Don’t speak yet. Circulate your qi first."
Such meticulous care, a love so deep it was to die for... this was devotion at its peak.
No one spoke. Those who knew each other well exchanged glances. They waited for more than half an hour before Jiang Muzhou finally opened her eyes.
Chen Qingyang had been observing her carefully. ’Perhaps it’s because her two recent attempts at Dual Cultivation failed. She was already injured, and now she’s expended so much energy. That’s why she’s so weak.’
’But she’s a Ninth Realm expert, after all. I still need to find a way to get her to take this Poison Pill. I had a chance back at the teahouse, but if the poison took effect then, it would have been too obvious. Better to have held back.’
"Senior Sister, are you feeling any better?" Yao Jingzhi asked gently.
"Mm." Jiang Muzhou nodded. "Much better."
"So, did you discover anything?"
"From my observations, there are..." Jiang Muzhou was about to continue when Chen Qingyang saw that bastard Yao Jingzhi subtly squeeze her arm.
Jiang Muzhou paused, then seemed to change her tune. "There are quite a few of them, around nine to ten people. I sensed their Qi Mechanisms clearly. I’m absolutely certain of it."
Yao Jingzhi gave a slight nod, as if he’d just given her a signal, and then said nothing more. Immediately, someone else asked, "There are so many of them. Should we still pursue?"
"Yeah, if we run into trouble, we could all be done for."
"I think... we should send word to Senior Brother Yin Zhu and let him decide what to do."
"That’s a good idea... a great idea!"
It seemed none of them had any appetite for risk. Even Zhang Tong expressed his approval.
Yao Jingzhi observed the group, taking in their reactions. Once he had a clear grasp of their thoughts, he spoke up. "Everyone, please hold off on making a decision. This group of Demons can’t possibly include a Foundation Establishment Master, and it’s highly unlikely they even have a Half-Step Foundation Establishment expert. Therefore, no matter what trouble we face, Senior Sister Jiang can ensure our safety. Let’s hear what Senior Sister Jiang thinks!"
This well-rehearsed duet made everyone feel that Jiang Muzhou’s opinion was now of the utmost importance.
"Everyone," Jiang Muzhou began, "I believe this is an opportunity, not a setback. From what I sensed, their auras are far weaker than mine. The strongest among them is merely at the Essence Condensation Seventh Realm. This is a perfect chance for us to earn Merit."
As soon as she said this, the minds of the three Qi Refining Eighth Realm disciples began to stir. Sect Merit was, after all, incredibly important to most cultivators; only a Pill Master like Chen Qingyang would consider it useless.
"Senior Sister, can you be certain?"
It was Yao Jingzhi who answered the man. "Junior Brother Wen, don’t talk nonsense. Senior Sister has nearly reached Nine Acupoints Great Perfection. Her judgment is infallible. The Mountain and River Daoist Lord technique she cultivates isn’t for Planting Spirit Medicine; it’s for commanding the Divine Soul and condensing the Earth Vein. There’s no room for error."
Jiang Muzhou nodded as well. "That’s right."
Yao Jingzhi continued, "The bodies here are no more than two days old. Let’s set a five-day deadline. We’ll split up, with each Eighth Realm senior brother paired with a junior brother from a lower realm. This will ensure our search is foolproof. After all, everyone wants Merit. Besides, these Demon Sect Disciples are carrying plenty of treasures, and it’s finders keepers."
He finished speaking and turned his gaze to Jiang Muzhou. "Senior Sister, what do you think? Will this work?"
Looking around, no one seemed to object. The plan could move forward.
Chen Qingyang immediately had a thought. ’Don’t tell me Yao Jingzhi wants to be paired with me so he can use this chance to murder me.’
’That would suit me just fine,’ he continued to think. ’Let the bastard feel a real shock, courtesy of me.’
Jiang Muzhou appeared to consider it seriously for a moment before nodding. "Junior Brother Yao, you may work out the arrangements. If no other disciples object, we will proceed. Keep your Sect Tokens on you at all times. If you run into danger, we can communicate through them. The deadline is five days. At dusk on the fifth day, everyone is to regroup here."