Chapter 95: Nightfall

“Gu Xiaosang…” Qi Zhengyan and Zhang Yuanshan exclaimed simultaneously.

The eerie death scene and the effortless slaying of Xia Chulin reminded Meng Qi and others of the past, instantly making them think of Luo Jiao’s Holy Maiden, Gu Xiaosang.

Wu Sheng Finger was a closely guarded secret from the “Wu Sheng Laomu’s Descent Manual,” concealing the ultimate mystery of returning to the Pure Emptiness homeland and embracing Wu Sheng Laomu. Throughout history, only the sect leader, the Holy Maiden, and a few esteemed guardians who had rendered great service could master it. Therefore, Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, and others were convinced that Gu Xiaosang must be here—the guardians were at least top-tier experts and masters of the Outer Scenery realm. Thus, even among the Reborn, none would appear in this factional clash mission. Otherwise, they could have simply come and wiped out the entire estate directly, without such complications.

As for the leader of the Luo Sect, it was even more improbable. He had achieved the “Primordial Void Body,” a heretical saint ranked sixth on the Evil List, and could likely annihilate this world with ease.

Hearing several people exclaim “Wu Sheng Finger” and “Gu Xiaosang,” Luo Shengyi, who had previously remained calm and composed, changed expressions and murmured, “Could it be Gu Xiaosang, the reincarnation of Wu Sheng Laomu, ranked fourth on the Mortal List?”

“Yes, that’s her,” Meng Qi replied without hesitation. After all, Luo Shengyi was a teammate from the same faction and had opened seven orifices, making him a formidable ally. If Meng Qi concealed this information and Gu Xiaosang ambushed and killed him unexpectedly, it would not merely cost two hundred Virtue Points. The team’s strength would decrease by at least forty percent, making victory extremely unlikely.

Luo Shengyi quickly masked his shock and nodded slightly, “The Wu Sheng Finger truly lives up to its reputation…”

After expressing his admiration, he turned to the grief-stricken Xia Dandan, “Thirty thousand Virtue Points, the ‘Great Luo Talisman,’ can resurrect Chulin once. There’s still hope.”

Meng Qi was astonished at the mention of thirty thousand Virtue Points—it was exactly the amount needed to escape this nightmare cycle. In other words, only by giving up the hope of leaving the cycle oneself could one save another’s life, making it an excruciatingly difficult decision.

Still, having even a sliver of hope was better than none. Sometimes, people needed hope to keep living.

Xia Dandan smiled bitterly, “Brother, thirty thousand Virtue Points are just an illusion, like the Buddhist Pure Land, forever out of reach. I don’t dare to hope for it. I only wish to kill Gu Xiaosang and avenge Chulin.”

Luo Shengyi spoke earnestly and gallantly, “If she doesn’t fall by another’s hand, I, Luo Shengyi, will personally kill her to avenge Chulin.”

Meng Qi merely smirked. Gu Xiaosang was cunning, ruthless, highly skilled, and resourceful—hardly an easy target unless she suddenly “fell ill” and transformed into Xiaozǐ.

Meanwhile, the servants and guards of Fengyun Estate carefully examined the corpses, their faces pale with fear at the bizarre deaths.

Some of them split off to report to the estate lord, while the remaining few turned to Meng Qi and his companions.

An older, serious-looking man asked, “Esteemed guests, from what we overheard, it seems you know who the murderer is?”

Luo Shengyi usually took the lead, but he didn’t know much about Gu Xiaosang, so he turned to Meng Qi.

Meng Qi hesitated briefly before replying, “Amitabha, the murderer is indeed someone we know. She is a rising expert from the Cult Sect, ruthless in her attacks and cruel by nature. Her strength is only slightly inferior to the Cult Sect leader.”

Since he wasn’t sure about the power level in this world, Meng Qi fabricated the story, exaggerating Gu Xiaosang’s strength.

“Inferior only to that evil master Hu? Does that mean she’s reached the peak of ‘Tunneling’ and is nearing ‘Divine Entry’?” the man asked in disbelief. He couldn’t accept it. The Cult Sect leader and their estate lord had always been equals, pillars of the orthodox and heretical sects respectively. If she was only slightly weaker than him, wouldn’t she be at the level of the Wanjian Sect’s leader, the Laojun Hall’s senior elder, or the Xiaoyue Sect’s guardian elder?

But only someone of that caliber could silently kill a newly promoted Tunneling expert within the estate.

“Amitabha, a monk does not lie,” Meng Qi said with an honest expression.

The steward was both shocked and puzzled, “When did the Cult Sect produce such a rising expert? Master, what’s her name and appearance? Please describe her in detail so I can order my disciples to search.”

“She’s called Gu Xiaosang, perhaps going by the alias Xiaozǐ. She’s an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl with exquisite features, an exceptionally beautiful face, and an ethereal, graceful aura…” Meng Qi described his impression of Gu Xiaosang.

The steward nodded slightly and ordered the guards beside him, “Such a woman would surely stand out. Have the disciples search carefully. Remember, do not act recklessly. If you spot her, shout loudly and retreat immediately.”

Then he turned back to Meng Qi and the others, “Esteemed guests, please remain in the floral hall and do not wander about. Wait for the estate lord’s summons.”

Given the circumstances, the previous meeting with the estate lord had to be canceled, pending his current decision. Moreover, this group, including monks, Taoists, and laypeople from the Power Gang, had unclear backgrounds and considerable suspicion. They couldn’t be allowed to roam freely.

“As the host wishes,” Luo Shengyi replied with a smile.

Xia Dandan pursed her lips and spoke up, “May I carry Chulin’s body back to the floral hall? If you need to inspect the corpse or identify the martial arts, come to the floral hall.”

Seeing there was another corpse, the steward allowed Xia Dandan to enter the room.

“Wait a moment,” Fu Zhenzhen suddenly spoke up.

She was usually sweet and outgoing among familiar people but tended to be shy around strangers, hence rarely speaking on the journey. Her sudden intervention startled everyone, and they looked at her in surprise.

Fu Zhenzhen blushed slightly and stared at her feet, “There might be poison specifically placed on the corpse and clothing to target those who come into close contact.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Dandan immediately jumped back from her brother’s corpse.

“I lost control of my emotions after Chulin’s death and forgot such a simple trap,” Luo Shengyi sighed. He flicked his sleeve, creating a gust of wind that billowed Xia Chulin’s clothes. Meanwhile, Jiang Zhiwei and others, who had already opened their eye orifices, focused their gaze and saw a faint bluish glow emanating from the garments.

The steward felt a chill run down his spine. Fortunately, he had assessed his own limited strength and refrained from tampering with the corpse, only checking the death signs and the surrounding environment. Otherwise, he would already be meeting King Yama.

“Zhenzhen, can you remove this poison?” Zhang Yuanshan gestured for Fu Zhenzhen to handle the corpse.

Fu Zhenzhen slightly raised her head, “I recognize this poison. As long as you don’t come into direct contact with the skin, it’s manageable.”

“Gu Xiaosang is also skilled in poison?” Meng Qi quietly asked Jiang Zhiwei.

Jiang Zhiwei had remained vigilant. Upon hearing this, she shook her head, “Perhaps she has a teammate skilled in poison.”

Afterward, Xia Dandan, her face dark with anger, tore off a piece of her garment, wrapped her hands, and carried Xia Chulin back to the floral hall, planning to bury him somewhere after leaving Fengyun Estate.

…

An hour later, Meng Qi and the others finally met the Fengyun Estate’s lord, Gu Kongshan. He was an elderly man in his fifties, with jet-black hair, a straight back, and a robust build, exuding natural authority. Accompanying him were three men and two women, some older and some younger, who were either elders or his most accomplished disciples.

“Esteemed guests, from where do you hail?” Gu Kongshan asked directly.

Luo Shengyi had already learned about the general power distribution and geographical location from Xia Chulin, so he casually fabricated a remote province.

Gu Kongshan nodded indifferently, his expression heavy, “We failed to locate Gu Xiaosang. She must have taken advantage of the chaos to escape the estate. You all must remain vigilant and under no circumstances leave your assigned courtyards.”

He didn’t say much more and didn’t inquire about Meng Qi and their martial arts proficiency. After a few polite exchanges, he dismissed them.

“It seems Gu Kongshan suspects us a bit,” Zhang Yuanshan mused after returning to their assigned courtyard.

Luo Shengyi smiled lightly, “With an unknown background and such an incident occurring, I would also be suspicious. However, suspicion is one thing; he will still bring us along. The combined strength of our seven is formidable. If we are indeed fellow practitioners, we can serve as scouts and take on dangerous tasks, becoming their sacrificial pawns. If we are spies from the Cult Sect, he can play along and seize the opportunity to weaken the Cult Sect’s power. The spies themselves are not the greatest threat; the unknown spies are the real danger.”

Jiang Zhiwei and Qi Zhengyan didn’t particularly like the domineering Luo Shengyi. After discussing for a while and confirming their strategies, they each returned to their rooms to meditate.

Meng Qi was also eager to return to cultivating the fifth stage of the Golden Bell Shield, so he didn’t linger, leaving only Zhang Yuanshan, Fu Zhenzhen, Luo Shengyi, and Xia Dandan to chat a bit longer.

Not long after beginning cultivation, Fu Zhenzhen and Zhang Yuanshan knocked on Meng Qi’s door.

“Is something wrong?” Meng Qi asked in surprise.

Zhang Yuanshan smiled and pointed at Fu Zhenzhen, “Zhenzhen has prepared some powder that can repel venomous insects, so she came to sprinkle some on you.”

“Such a good thing?” Meng Qi said joyfully.

Fu Zhenzhen, already quite familiar with Meng Qi, covered her mouth and laughed, “I’m worried that enemies might send venomous insects to attack you at night, so I mixed some powder with realgar, Wu Fu Zi, Du Lian Gen, and other ingredients. It can keep most venomous insects away.”

Actually, it’s just a repellent, right? Meng Qi chuckled inwardly as he watched Fu Zhenzhen sprinkle the powder by the door and on the windowsill, feeling how fortunate it was to have a medical expert or poison master in the team.

…

Late at night, Meng Qi sat cross-legged on the bed, his skin glowing with a dark golden hue, resembling a bronze statue.

Knock, knock, knock—light knocking at the door startled Meng Qi.

“Who is it?” Meng Qi stopped circulating his inner energy and asked cautiously. If it was Gu Xiaosang outside, he would have no choice but to shout “Help” shamelessly.

“It’s me,” Jiang Zhiwei’s voice came from outside the door, followed by, “I’m here to teach you the Yanluo Note.”

Upon hearing “Yanluo Note,” Meng Qi immediately felt reassured—it couldn’t be someone pretending to be Jiang Zhiwei. He opened the door to let her in.

Jiang Zhiwei had changed into a different outfit, now wearing a yellow dress similar to the one Meng Qi first saw her in. Her long hair was slightly damp, cascading over her shoulders, exuding a casual and relaxed charm with a hint of laziness, presenting a completely new aura.

Seeing Meng Qi’s stunned expression, she smiled openly, “I just remembered I hadn’t taught you the ‘Yanluo Note’ after taking a bath, so I came to bother you. Little monk, are you not welcoming me?”

As she spoke, she tossed a long sword to Meng Qi, likely borrowed from the estate.

“Welcome, of course, I’m honored,” Meng Qi took the sword and didn’t waste time, immediately asking for sword instruction.

Jiang Zhiwei was not modest either, sitting down at the table and speaking fluently, occasionally demonstrating. Her talent in swordsmanship was exceptional, and she was dedicated, willing to put in hard work. She not only knew how to use the sword but also understood the reasons behind each move. Therefore, her teaching was thorough, insightful, and got straight to the essence, quickly immersing Meng Qi in the learning process.

Meng Qi, skilled in blade techniques, occasionally posed questions from a blade perspective, which helped Jiang Zhiwei gain new insights and make progress.

One taught diligently, and the other learned attentively. Before they knew it, the sound of the third watch echoed from outside.

“Let’s stop for tonight. We need to stay alert for sudden attacks,” Jiang Zhiwei covered her mouth slightly and let out a small yawn.

Meng Qi nodded in agreement and remembered something, “Zhiwei, have you already opened your nasal orifice?”

Jiang Zhiwei smiled, “In the Sword Washing Pavilion, advancement in sword techniques naturally accompanies cultivation progress. Since I could create the ‘Yanluo Note,’ I must have already opened my nasal orifice.”

Before her words faded, she raised her finger to her lips, signaling Meng Qi to stay quiet. At the same time, she waved her left hand, extinguishing the candlelight.

Meng Qi didn’t speak further and waited silently. Moments later, a rustling sound came from outside the door.