The sound of rustling was extremely faint. If not for the deep silence of the night and Jiang Zhiwei’s prior warning, Meng Qi, whose hearing had significantly improved, still wouldn’t have noticed it at all.
Soon afterward, a similar sound arose by the window, sometimes distant, sometimes near, continuously lingering. Occasionally, there were noises of something bumping against the door and window frames, yet nothing unusual managed to penetrate inside.
Meng Qi suddenly realized and whispered, “Poisonous insects.”
As for the “insect-repelling powder” Fu Zhenzhen had laid down, Jiang Zhiwei naturally knew about it, so there was no need to explain further.
Jiang Zhiwei nodded lightly and transmitted her voice secretly, saying, “Let’s go out and have a look. The person controlling the insects might not have left yet. Hehe, you’ve just entered the Qi-opening stage, far away from your master and sect, and even common techniques like secret voice transmission weren’t taught to you. I guess I’ll have to keep being a good person and help you out.”
Amidst the tense situation, she remained calm and composed instead of panicking, teasing Meng Qi casually. Of course, she maintained outward ease while staying inwardly alert and vigilant. As for being a “good person,” it was merely a playful phrase she had picked up from Meng Qi during previous conversations.
“Sister…” Meng Qi was speechless again and could only respond with a dry chuckle.
Jiang Zhiwei walked to the door first. With a flick of her White Rainbow Through the Sun Sword, the door swung inward. Under the moonlight, beyond the threshold lay many spiders, centipedes, vipers, and strange insects Meng Qi couldn’t yet identify. They were slimy, furry, or simply disgusting—some dark green, others gleaming black, and some terrifyingly emerald. Their colorful appearances were enough to make one’s scalp tingle.
Their small sizes made them difficult to detect in the dark, especially with venomous insects flying in the air, their bodies tinged with blood-red hues, clearly exotic breeds.
These poisonous creatures lingered near the door, fearful of the powder Fu Zhenzhen had scattered, and dared not cross the threshold.
Jiang Zhiwei pointed her sword forward, and her aura instantly turned sharp and fierce, like a fully unsheathed blade. Simply looking at her was enough to make one’s eyes sting.
She inhaled deeply, overcoming her natural female aversion to insects, spiders, and snakes, and stepped forward with her ivory short boots, crossing the threshold.
Strangely enough, wherever Jiang Zhiwei walked, the snakes, insects, and mosquitoes seemed to be frightened by her sword intent, hastily retreating and instinctively clearing a path.
Witnessing this, Meng Qi secretly admired her and followed suit, drawing his scorching Red Sun Subduing Evil Saber.
Unlike Jiang Zhiwei, he couldn’t unleash his blade intent without either staying rooted in place or launching an immediate attack. Thus, he dashed through the swarm of insects using the Divine Steps of a Hundred Changes, dodging and weaving.
The insect-repelling powder had somewhat disoriented these creatures, slowing their movements, allowing Meng Qi to smoothly enter the courtyard.
Frankly speaking, he wasn’t afraid of ordinary venomous creatures. Even if they bit him, they couldn’t poison him since their fangs couldn’t pierce his Golden Bell Shield. The reason he used the Divine Steps to evade them was simply because they were too repulsive, and he disliked the idea of them crawling onto his body.
The moonlight was cold and clear. The courtyard was spotless, the regular mosquitoes having long been driven away by the venomous creatures.
Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei didn’t stray too far from each other, each searching one side of the courtyard.
Aaaah! Aaaah! Aaaah!
Suddenly, screams erupted from various corners of the manor, piercing the tranquil night with chilling intensity, making one’s heart tremble.
“Are other areas also under attack by poisonous insects?” Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei, both reflecting confusion in their eyes. Were the Cultists launching a counterattack and launching a full-scale assault on Fengyun Manor?
The screams abruptly ceased, only to be replaced by a fresh wave of shrieks, rising and falling without pause.
“Dare these villains attack here!” A furious roar came from the center of Fengyun Manor, shaking the heavens, splitting rocks, and piercing clouds. Even from a distance, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei could hear it clearly.
Then, a gale rose from the center, blowing forcefully outward. Most snakes, insects, and mosquitoes couldn’t withstand its might and were blown into the air, flying beyond the manor’s walls.
Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei’s clothes flapped violently in the wind as they both planted their feet firmly to stabilize themselves.
“Is the Manor Lord an Outer View expert?” Meng Qi was quite surprised. If they encountered the Cult Leader, what would they do?
Jiang Zhiwei frowned slightly, shaking her head in puzzlement. “Strange. Although there’s an unusual phenomenon of heaven and earth converging, there’s no corresponding pressure from the Outer View realm. Moreover, this power and range are significantly smaller than those of a typical Outer View practitioner. Yet, it surpasses the Half-Step Outer View in terms of autonomous control. Very strange.”
As the most outstanding direct disciple of the Xijian Pavilion’s current generation, her understanding of the Outer View realm naturally surpassed Meng Qi’s.
This gust of wind only covered the central area and the guest courtyards on both sides, not a very large area.
As Jiang Zhiwei quietly sensed the wind’s nature, Meng Qi suddenly heard the sound of fabric rustling from the nearby flower bushes. He quickly devised a plan and suddenly slashed his blade.
The Red Sun Subduing Evil Saber radiated a dark red glow, like freshly removed from a furnace, cutting through flowers, scorching branches, and slicing across fabric.
Hiss! The opponent seemed to sense the danger, stepping back just in time. Only their clothes were torn, and their skin slightly burned, letting out a sharp breath.
Meng Qi was about to continue his assault when white smoke suddenly emerged from the bushes. He immediately held his breath and retreated.
The white smoke caused the surrounding flowers and plants to wither rapidly, turning them a ghostly green. Jiang Zhiwei approached with her sword drawn but, cautious as she was, refrained from charging in. The person within the bushes flipped over the wall and quickly vanished into the night.
“Hehehe,” the figure let out a mocking laugh, their movements mysterious and flickering, disappearing into the darkness in an instant.
“Not Gu Xiaosang,” Meng Qi exhaled heavily as the white smoke dissipated. Although the person was female, judging from the brief exchange and voice, it was definitely not Gu Xiaosang. It must have been one of her teammates.
Meanwhile, the commotion at the center of the manor gradually subsided. It seemed there were no enemies there, only terrifying poisonous creatures.
Jiang Zhiwei slowly nodded. “Definitely Qi-opening. The venomous insects and poisons are extremely dangerous, and their martial arts skills aren’t bad either. We mustn’t hold back if we encounter them again. If we can kill them in one strike, we shouldn’t wait for a second.”
These opponents might seem ordinary in martial prowess but posed an extremely high level of danger.
Fu Zhenzhen and Zhang Yuanshan arrived. One busied themselves collecting the remaining insects, while the other, with a grave expression, said, “Various parts of the manor have been attacked by poisonous creatures. There must have been many deaths.”
His room had a direct view of the central area of the manor, where he noticed much commotion.
“If this happens every day and we can’t resolve it, the entire alliance against the Cult will fall into chaos and panic,” Luo Shengyi said calmly as he approached from a side courtyard.
Meng Qi smiled. “Looks like our suspicion just got worse.”
…
Within the city, in a modest three-courtyard residence.
“Xiaozi, Hongxiu, you did well. Not only did you eliminate an enemy, but you also caused chaos and confusion throughout Fengyun Manor. In the future, they’ll surely grow suspicious and turn against each other,” a young man clapped his hands in delight. His long hair was unbound, without a cap or hairpin, casually hanging down. His eyebrows were thick, as if painted with ink, and his eyes were bright and full of confidence.
A girl dressed in a colorful dress giggled, “It’s all thanks to Brother Yun’s excellent planning.”
The young man addressed as “Brother Yun” laughed heartily, “Hongxiu, you flatter me. Honestly, at first, I was puzzled about not descending into the Holy Sect’s main hall, but now it seems there are benefits after all. Xiaozi, I didn’t expect your strength to be so formidable that you could easily kill a Qi-opening opponent.”
“Hmm, it was just a coincidence that I met him,” a girl with delicate features and expressive eyes replied with a half-smile. She had a slender figure, wore a flowing white dress, and exuded an ethereal charm, like a celestial maiden descending from the heavens.
“If it was just a coincidence, then what were you originally planning to do?” On the other side, a frail scholar raised his eyebrows and asked. He was thin and pale, with a delicate, feminine appearance, and kept coughing continuously. Two delicate and beautiful girls supported each of his arms.
These two girls had skin like jade, appearing innocent on the surface, yet every detail radiated an indescribable allure—from their luscious red lips and their moist, inviting eyes to their subtly visible, delicate collarbones…
The young man with the surname Yun glanced at these two girls, swallowed hard, pursed his lips, and turned his head sideways toward his own Hongxiu.
Xiaozi’s gaze became dreamy. “I merely wanted to see if my little sweetheart was among these enemies. If I didn’t kill him, my heart wouldn’t find peace.”
“My little sweetheart? Do you have one?” The Yun-named young man frowned.
Xiaozi’s eyebrows relaxed as she smiled sweetly. “Of course, he’s grown taller, is fair-skinned, and quite handsome.”
The young man found her words odd and raised his thick eyebrows. “Xiaozi, your strength is no small matter, and your name is quite unique. Why have I never heard of you before?”
“Isn’t Yulongzi a rare name?” Xiaozi smiled. “Besides, you two are also experts at the Eight Orifices level, no less formidable than some figures on the Renbang ranking. Why haven’t I heard of the names Yuntingfeng and Suyuanjing until today?”
There were seven people in the room altogether. Besides Xiaozi, they were Suyuanjing and the two strange, alluring girls beside him, as well as Yuntingfeng, Hongxiu, and a thin, black-clothed man on Yuntingfeng’s left side.
“That’s true,” Yuntingfeng smiled broadly. “We aren’t people who seek fame or fortune, so naturally, our names don’t spread far. Still, I always feel that ‘Yulongzi’ isn’t your real name.”
He smiled at Xiaozi.
Xiaozi smiled gently and met his gaze calmly. “It is my real name.”
Yuntingfeng withdrew his gaze, nodded slightly, and turned to Hongxiu. “Hongxiu, Ying Sha, what do you think of our enemies?”
Hongxiu giggled. “Luo Shengyi and Jiang Zhiwei are indeed formidable, living up to their reputations as Renbang members. They shouldn’t be underestimated. The Taoist-looking fellow and his little lover are also noteworthy—one possesses divine steps, while the other is skilled in medicine and poison. As for the rest, they’re nothing but weaklings.”
“The woman with dual blades is somewhat decent. The expressionless man and the little monk have only minor strengths and are likely the weak points among them,” added the black-clad Ying Sha.
Suyuanjing stopped coughing and listened intently. Yuntingfeng nodded as he listened, finally turning to Xiaozi. “Xiaozi, do you have any opinions on their judgments?”
Xiaozi smiled sweetly. “They have sharp eyes and judge people accurately. What they said is spot on.”
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