Chapter 308: Each Kills One

Pavilions, terraces, and towers, blue ponds and green woods, fine rain drizzling in the mist, clouds and smoke curling around—Dongyang’s secondary mansion was indeed a paradise on earth. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice some pavilions half-collapsed, trees broken, buildings damaged, and flowers withered, all exuding the lingering aura of a catastrophe.

“You all fought fiercely last time,” Meng Qi, experienced in cycle missions, quickly recovered from his dizziness and surveyed the surroundings.

Perhaps due to his unity with heaven and earth, Jiang Hengchuan regained his composure half a breath earlier. Upon hearing Meng Qi’s words, he smiled slightly with embarrassment. “Wealth tempts the heart. Although Dongyang’s secondary mansion has existed for eighty or ninety thousand years, with its medicinal pills decayed into dust and talismans and scrolls similarly deteriorated, various high-quality materials, well-preserved weapons and treasures, and spirit herbs growing naturally in the spirit pools remain extremely valuable. Even top experts would be envious. And this is just the outer mansion.”

“Treasures and spirit herbs?” Meng Qi raised his eyebrows, realizing that discovering a ruin was more rewarding than completing several cycle missions!

Jiang Hengchuan sighed. “The outer mansion had only one treasure weapon, which was taken by the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon, and should now be in the hands of that demon. The spirit herb was obtained by Qiu Fei. I only managed to acquire some materials and a few superior weapons. Others who survived each gained something as well. There’s nothing valuable left in the outer mansion.”

“That demon is already powerful and now possesses a treasure weapon. This journey will be quite dangerous,” Meng Qi said with a tone of mild complaint, as if slightly resenting Jiang Hengchuan for not mentioning this earlier. If he had known, he might not have chosen to enter the mansion.

Jiang Hengchuan looked slightly apologetic. “Beforehand, for secrecy, I couldn’t reveal it. After I made the decision, I thought I had a way to handle it, and due to the urgency of time, I forgot to mention it. It was my oversight.”

He sincerely apologized.

“You have a plan?” Meng Qi didn’t dwell on the oversight, getting straight to the point.

Jiang Hengchuan nodded. “My strength is roughly equal to that of an ordinary Half-Step Beyond Scenery cultivator. If you give it your all, you could even slay the Snake King. With our combined strength, even if we can’t defeat the demon wielding the treasure weapon, we should still be able to protect ourselves and escape, especially since he isn’t a Beyond Scenery expert. If we find Qiu Fei first and persuade them to cooperate, the demon will realize there’s no opportunity to exploit. Unless he’s a madman, he’ll either choose to team up to open the inner mansion and compete based on our own strengths, or no one will gain any rewards.”

“Then, we can let them fight over the most valuable items while we each take a treasure weapon or something of equivalent value and escape. There’s no need to get entangled in the chaos. Greed brings disaster, while contentment ensures safety. As wandering cultivators, we rely on accumulating small gains rather than sudden wealth.”

Meng Qi nodded repeatedly. “Brother Jiang, your reasoning aligns perfectly with my own thoughts.”

With their minds in agreement, the two approached the pavilions and terraces. The fine rain fell gently on them, bringing a refreshing coolness, as if washing away the dust.

“This rain is transformed from the spirit pool’s water, capable of removing fatigue and calming the mind,” Jiang Hengchuan pointed toward the distant green, rippling pool. Inside, everything was in disarray, with broken trees and plants. At its core, the spirit herb had been reduced to a mere broken root, devoid of life.

What a complete mess… Not even leaving anything for sustainable growth… Meng Qi inwardly scorned the previous group while walking with Jiang Hengchuan onto the corridor, passing through the pavilions and waterside pavilions.

“This was the place where treasure weapons were originally stored,” Jiang Hengchuan explained as he pushed open the door to a grand hall.

Suddenly, he swiftly stepped back, his body as weightless as drifting in the wind, as a red staff lunged straight toward his chest.

Qiu Fei! The thought flashed through Meng Qi’s mind. His long blade was already swinging, as fast as a lightning bolt splitting the sky. The moment the light flashed in his eyes, it vanished without a trace.

The blade struck the side of the staff, instantly feeling it insubstantial, as if hitting a gust of wind, gliding lightly past.

The staff then swung aside, ready to strike back at Meng Qi. At this moment, Jiang Hengchuan struck repeatedly with both palms, the force accumulating like a stormy wave, rushing toward Qiu Fei and the two disciples of the Impermanence Sect who had lunged from behind.

The hall trembled, as if the ground itself shook. Jiang Hengchuan’s full-force assault was astonishing, forcing Qiu Fei and the Impermanence Sect disciples to retreat and defend first.

“Stop! Don’t you care about the other demon?” At the same time, Meng Qi roared.

Qiu Fei appeared at the northern street; how could he not know about Old Zhong?

Hearing this, Qiu Fei halted, assuming a defensive stance while solemnly asking, “You want to team up?”

The two Impermanence Sect disciples, still wearing their pointed hats in black and white, their faces pale like corpses, remained silent.

“The Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon was no weaker than you, and he had treasure weapons and the assistance of the Three Eagles of Yunling, yet he still died at the hands of that demon. Now the demon has obtained a treasure weapon, making him even more formidable. How confident are you?” Jiang Hengchuan countered sharply.

Qiu Fei exchanged glances with the two Impermanence Sect disciples, silently communicating for a moment before replying, “Cooperation is acceptable, but after defeating the demon and opening the inner mansion, we’ll compete based on our own strengths. How does that sound?”

Clearly, he felt that dividing the inner mansion’s treasures equally would be unfair to his side.

“No problem,” Jiang Hengchuan and Meng Qi had already made their decision.

Watching Qiu Fei and the Impermanence Sect disciples, Meng Qi felt a vague sense of oddity. Their previous ambush seemed somewhat lackluster. Given their strength and the mystique of the Impermanence Sect, they should have executed it more flawlessly, yet they allowed Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan to respond too easily. Could it be that they themselves harbored intentions to cooperate? Was their attack merely a “greeting”?

Moreover, at this point, where were their Beyond Scenery zombies? Where was the Ningzhou Hero? Were they truly afraid of him and unwilling to use their trump card?

Meng Qi felt confident that his “Heaven-Shaking Earth-Shattering Method” could counter them, temporarily pushing these thoughts aside.

Neither side mentioned the matter of Yuan Shen oaths, as if once the inner mansion was opened, a fierce struggle would inevitably ensue.

Beyond this cluster of pavilions lay the path to the inner mansion, paved with bluestone, with black soil on both sides.

In the silence, Jiang Hengchuan reminded everyone, “From the deaths of the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon and others, we can see that the demon excels at ambushes. Everyone must remain vigilant.”

“Ambush…” The white-robed disciple of the Impermanence Sect snorted coldly, as if implying no one could ambush him.

Meng Qi observed silently, suspecting that the Ningzhou Hero was nearby, perhaps even trailing them using earth escape techniques, relying on his Beyond Scenery perception and sensitivity to the heavens and earth. Even if he was no longer at his peak as a living corpse, it would still be extremely difficult for a Half-Step Beyond Scenery expert to ambush him.

Was their cooperation with us meant to lull the demon into a false sense of security, luring him into making a move?

At the end of the bluestone path was a river several zhang wide, with a wooden bridge tightly hugging the water’s surface. Across the river, the smoke and clouds gathered, forming a peculiar gate.

Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan stepped onto the bridge first, followed by Qiu Fei, Hei Wu Chang, and Bai Wu Chang.

Suddenly, the bridge swayed slightly. Meng Qi nearly lost his balance as a black, mist-enshrouded hand shot out from the river, seizing the ankle of the last person, Bai Wu Chang!

Even with the strength of an Opened Orifice cultivator capable of rivaling a Half-Step Beyond Scenery expert, once ambushed and caught at a vital point, with the opponent’s Qi entering his body, all would be lost!

With a splash, Bai Wu Chang was dragged directly into the water. Hei Wu Chang attempted a whip kick backward but hit nothing.

The ripples spread as Hei Wu Chang struck with both palms, Qiu Fei thrust his staff downward, water splashed into the air, turning a dark green, and loud splashing sounds erupted.

Yet beneath the water, there was no further movement, as if what had just happened was merely a nightmare.

Meng Qi took a few quick steps onto the riverbank and turned back, asking, “Was it the demon?”

“It was,” Jiang Hengchuan replied gravely, clenching his fists.

Qiu Fei and Hei Wu Chang quickly crossed the bridge as well, their expressions grim. Just moments ago, Jiang Hengchuan had warned them to be cautious of ambushes, and yet they had still fallen victim!

When had Lao Zhong’s strength become so terrifying? Had his demonic cultivation advanced so rapidly?

The atmosphere suddenly grew oppressive, the four falling into brief silence.

After several breaths, Jiang Hengchuan approached the strange gate formed of mist and clouds, testing it with his Dongyang Seal fragment, but it had no reaction. He turned with a bitter smile toward Qiu Fei, “It seems we truly need all three fragments.”

“With the demon watching like a tiger, he probably wants to take everything for himself,” Qiu Fei said solemnly.

Meng Qi remained silent, observing with his blade raised, while Jiang Hengchuan agreed, “Indeed. However, if he attacks again, we’ll teach him a harsh lesson, making him realize the importance of cooperation.”

“He won’t have another chance to ambush us,” Hei Wu Chang rasped.

Jiang Hengchuan nodded. “Without a Dongyang Seal fragment, no one else can enter the secondary mansion. Once we deal with the demon, there won’t be other dangers.”

Suddenly, a distant scream pierced the air, sending chills down their spines—it was Bai Wu Chang.

Upon hearing the sound, Hei Wu Chang turned his head, eyes flashing with fury. Qiu Fei, both angry and anxious, looked in the same direction as well. Helplessly witnessing his companion’s death was unbearable.

At that moment, Jiang Hengchuan moved. His right hand struck out, forming countless seals, ultimately transforming into a fist, then condensing into a finger strike aimed directly at Hei Wu Chang’s back.

Hei Wu Chang’s life force vanished instantly. He turned back in disbelief—how could Jiang Hengchuan turn against him now, with the demon still unvanquished?

Before Qiu Fei could act, Jiang Hengchuan stepped back several paces, smiling calmly. “Brother Qiu, now we can truly cooperate. Otherwise, their Beyond Scenery zombies always made me feel uneasy.”

“With you here, the three of us together at least have a fifty-fifty chance against the demon. We don’t need them.”

In an instant, the balance of power shifted dramatically.

Qiu Fei stared at the slumping Hei Wu Chang, stunned. “You knew?”

He had observed their superficial cooperation, shocked that someone could know such things and still remain restrained… Shouldn’t the “Crazy Blade” Su Meng have been the final trump card?

After the battle by the Jinshui River, as long as Qiu Fei wasn’t blind, he recognized that Crazy Blade Su Meng was none other than Su Zi Yuan.

Meng Qi remained silent, acting like a true bystander.

“The Impermanence Sect sending core disciples—how could they lack Beyond Scenery zombies? It’s just their own lack of experience in the martial world,” Jiang Hengchuan smiled, exuding confidence and composure.