Chapter 510: Treachery

“How is it?” the tone of Suoming Yecha was slightly hasty.

Dushou Mojun raised his eyelids slightly, showing no unusual signs. He still spoke in his dry, moistureless voice: “The divining plate works, but it’s very dangerous after the enchantment. I saw many yin soldiers from afar, and deeper inside, there was an extremely terrifying aura, so I dared not proceed further and turned back.”

Suoming Yecha, hiding his disappointment, said: “If that’s the case, we should report this entrance to ‘King of the Underworld.'”

Then he sighed: “I had thought that after the earthquake, this entrance appearing was an opportunity for us two, but who knew… Alas…”

Dushou Mojun’s tone slightly changed, carrying a faint bitter smile: “Whose fault is it that our strength is insufficient? We should report it quickly to prevent others from discovering it too, which would only dilute our credit.”

Meng Qi listened in stunned silence. Dushou Mojun answered fluently, showing no sign of deception or abnormality!

Could the eerie and dangerous feeling I sensed in the corridor just now have been my imagination? Could it be that Dushou Mojun didn’t actually encounter any mishap?

In that moment, Meng Qi even doubted whether he had been too nervous before, allowing his mind to be influenced by the outside world, creating illusions. Otherwise, how could Dushou Mojun remain unscathed?

But immediately, several thoughts flashed through his mind: Wuyou Valley, Zhenwu’s suspicious tomb, and the evil spirits’ possession!

According to the clues obtained from Sikong Tu, although he couldn’t yet determine the exact location of the entrance to Wuyou Valley, he was basically convinced it was somewhere in this canyon.

Wuyou Valley is connected to Zhenwu Emperor, and within his suspicious tomb, remnants of evil thoughts remained, possessing people like Huangfu Tao.

Before they went mad in their later years, they also showed no signs of abnormality!

Even though the previous eerie, damp sensations and the chill he felt from Dushou Mojun differed somewhat from those of Huangfu Tao and others, they were still related to Zhenwu Emperor, leaving him no choice but to connect them.

In that moment, Meng Qi even suspected that the reason for Bomi’s previous anomaly was the opening of Wuyou Valley.

It might not necessarily be evil spirit possession, but it was highly likely that something had been sealed by Zhenwu Emperor within Wuyou Valley… Previously, the eerie, damp water curtain seemed to fear the thick blood mist, not daring to spread outward, while the thick blood mist also seemed to dread it, becoming thinner the deeper one went… Countless thoughts raced through Meng Qi’s mind, and he increasingly felt that this mission to Wuyou Valley might exceed his expectations.

Originally, he thought that with his and Jiang Zhiwei’s current strength, dealing with a mere third-step linked task wouldn’t pose much of a problem—just some risks and injuries at most. The main difficulties would be finding the entrance and avoiding being surrounded or encountering old monsters at the level of top experts in Bomi. But now, even Dushou Mojun, an experienced expert of many years, had silently encountered trouble. Everything seemed so eerie and terrifying.

He didn’t know how much of Bomi’s secrets they and their so-called “King of the Underworld” actually knew, or whether they were searching for the entrance to Wuyou Valley… If they could cross-reference their information, perhaps they could save a lot of effort and avoid many dangers… As these thoughts raced through Meng Qi’s mind, he had already made a decision.

Until now, he had deliberately tried to forget the existence of a “supervisor” behind him to avoid developing a sense of dependency, which might make him act recklessly and fearlessly. Even if he completed the mission and became a formal member, others would look down on him. But now, he decided to firmly remember that he had someone above him, a “supervisor” following him, and use this to his advantage—leveraging official duties for personal gain. While completing the assessment mission, he would investigate the matter of Wuyou Valley and preemptively eliminate all possible dangers!

If his guess was correct, the supervisor should be “Doumu Yuanyun,” the current leader of Huamei Villa, the “Cold Ice Fairy” Ye Yuqi!

Originally, she might have planned to personally clean house, but with his application for the assessment, she likely assigned it as a mission, acting as the examiner herself.

She was openly at the peak of the Outer Scenery realm, but in reality, she should have reached the Semi-Step Dharma Body realm!

Even if he guessed wrong, based on the “Myth” assessment cases like Jiang Hengchuan, there would certainly be an examiner at the peak of the Outer Scenery realm!

Dushou Mojun and Suoming Yecha returned the fallen vines to their original position, erasing all traces, then ascended into the air and flew upward along the sloping side of the canyon.

Just then, they heard a soft laugh.

“Esteemed companions, please wait a moment!”

The soft laugh vibrated the red mist, directly entering their ears, causing both of them to tremble in body and mind, immediately assuming defensive stances mid-air.

“Who is it?” they lowly demanded, filled with caution, not rashly attacking.

The red mist churned, revealing a figure clad in a white robe, wielding fire as a sword. Though his features were ordinary, he exuded a cold and formidable aura. His demeanor was steady, giving an impression of confidence.

Him! Seeing this, Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun were filled with apprehension.

“It’s you!” Suoming Yecha raised both hands, pointing his steel fork at Meng Qi.

He actually dared to return!

Had he discovered their secret?

If it weren’t for his uncertainty about what leverage Meng Qi had, boldly appearing so openly, Suoming Yecha would have already launched an attack!

Dushou Mojun’s eyes flickered slightly. One hand was drawn back while the other extended forward, surrounded by devilish energy, as he stepped on the void.

“It is I,” Meng Qi replied with a slight smile, his cold and formidable aura still present.

The more confident and composed he appeared, the more wary Suoming Yecha became. Frowning slightly, he asked: “Who exactly are you?”

“I am an Outer Scenery cultivator who ascended ten years ago. Esteemed companions probably haven’t heard of me,” Meng Qi replied at a moderate pace, seemingly unconcerned about facing two vicious old monsters.

Suoming Yecha could sense the youthfulness in his opponent and indeed didn’t know who had recently become an Outer Scenery cultivator after retreating into Bomi, except for those who achieved instant success or the outstanding newcomers among the new generation of Outer Scenery cultivators.

—The merchant caravans coming for mutual trade also brought news from the outside world, letting the Outer Scenery experts hiding here know whether their enemies had died, rival factions had collapsed, or any major events had occurred recently.

“Why did you commit a crime and hide in Bomi?” Unable to figure out Meng Qi’s sudden appearance, he decided to probe indirectly.

Meng Qi maintained his demeanor, smiling faintly: “I didn’t commit any crime. I came here seeking a great opportunity.”

“A great opportunity?” Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun’s eyes slightly narrowed.

Meng Qi “introduced himself”: “I am Luo Jiao’s ‘Great Sun Hermit’ Shen Bao. By chance, I obtained a clue from an ancient tomb and learned that there is a great opportunity in Bomi. Seeing that you two seem to have gained something, I specially came to offer you great fortune!”

Earlier, he had mischievously used the phrase “Esteemed companions, please wait a moment,” originally planning to use the alias Shen Gongbao. However, upon careful consideration, he feared that the opponent’s organization might secretly harbor reincarnators, which would raise their alertness unnecessarily. Therefore, he changed it to Shenbao.

At the same time, Meng Qi’s left hand, concealed behind his back, clenched a string of prayer beads tightly in his palm, using his own body to shield the sensation.

Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun did not detect the overwhelming “malice” coming their way. Suoming Yecha, half-cautious and half-curious, asked: “What great fortune?”

Meng Qi activated the dark brown prayer bead, and specks of starlight flowed into his body. The surroundings instantly became illusory, evoking a familiar sensation of perceiving the threads of causality. But this time, through mind imprinting, the inner voices and secret conversations of Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun simultaneously echoed!

Meng Qi remained expressionless, carefully treading for millennia. He no longer considered the supervisor behind him and casually smiled as he tested: “A seven-petaled flower, shaped like an orchid, with a bright red stamen, whose fragrance intoxicates, causing one to forget worries and sorrows…”

“The Carefree Flower!” cried Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun in unison.

At the same time, Meng Qi heard their inner whispers:

“He really knows!”

“He indeed came for Wuyou Valley!”

“I wonder if he has clues we don’t know…”

Meng Qi’s mind remained calm, not considering anything else. What he spoke was exactly what he thought: “Esteemed companions, judging from your reaction, you must believe what I say, right?”

The Wuyou Flower blooms exclusively in Wuyou Valley and its vicinity—a miraculous blossom that can be brewed into the Water of Forgetting Worries, capable of erasing past memories. The ancient scholar who documented it identified Wuyou Valley’s location in Bomi based on these flowers and later uncovered numerous clues, gradually narrowing down the approximate area.

Thinking back now, the sudden illness he had at that time, which led to a quick death, was probably not that simple…

These thoughts surfaced instinctively in Meng Qi’s mind.

“What do you want to do?” Suoming Yecha asked in a low voice.

Meng Qi replied solemnly: “Bomi’s terrain is complex, and the red mist is mysterious. You two seem to know a lot. I don’t want to waste time and wish to join forces with you.”

“Join forces?” Suoming Yecha seemed both expected and surprised.

At the same time, his inner thoughts surfaced: “He actually wants to cooperate with us? It seems he didn’t dare to get close before and didn’t hear about the King of the Underworld!”

“This is an opportunity… Hmph, this kid trying to make a deal with tigers. Wait until we send a message through the yin soldiers and have the King of the Underworld come. Then we’ll see how he gets away!”

“Of course, I have an escape item. If you two have ill intentions, I can still protect myself,” Meng Qi said sincerely, possessing secret treasures and reincarnation talismans.

Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun exchanged glances and began conversing through secret techniques.

“Direct cooperation is better than capturing him, since he has an escape item and might even self-destruct, causing us to lose the clues. It’s better to let the King of the Underworld secretly follow us. When we enter Wuyou Valley and find the treasure, we can suddenly strike,” Suoming Yecha schemed.

Dushou Mojun remained silent for a moment before replying: “Then it shall be so.”

Suoming Yecha said: “Let me test him further.”

Meng Qi listened expressionlessly to their “conversation,” his mind calm and empty.

Suoming Yecha coughed slightly and said: “The matter of Wuyou Valley is very dangerous. With just the three of us, it might be hard to handle. Why don’t we invite a few more helpers?”

Meng Qi’s expression slightly “changed,” then steadied: “No one who has crossed the first tier of the Celestial Ladder, and no more than three people. I previously heard from the Seven Stars Companion that you recently met the Eight Desolate Subduing Demon Sword, and he would be quite suitable…”

He seemed to mention it casually, to show that he wasn’t completely ignorant of their organization, while secretly guiding them to bring Yang Zhen Chan along.

Yang Zhen Chan had recently been often seen nearby and should be the easiest helper to invite.

“Good!” Suoming Yecha agreed readily and secretly communicated with Dushou Mojun: “Use this opportunity to inform the King of the Underworld to secretly follow us and strike at the appropriate time.”

“Heh, this kid learned some of our secrets from Old Ghost Qixing, but he definitely doesn’t know about the King of the Underworld. Wait until the mission ‘succeeds,’ then we’ll see how his expression turns out! Daring to play mind games with this old man!”

Dushou Mojun said: “Alright, shall we invite Yang Zhen Chan?”

“Since he knows Yang Zhen Chan, and Yang is nearby, we won’t look for anyone else. Once the mission is completed…” Suoming Yecha implied meaningfully.

Meng Qi still pretended to hear nothing: “I’ll wait here for you and hide to observe how many helpers you bring and their strength.”

Suoming Yecha said nothing more and flew away with Dushou Mojun.

At that moment, Meng Qi saw floating particles in the void, quite similar to the feeling of his “Mind Reading” prayer beads!

Had Suoming Yecha used a similar treasure just now?

To probe my thoughts and verify the truth?

“How crafty!” Meng Qi inwardly rejoiced.

Ever since he had been probed by the head of the Discipline Hall with Mind Reading back then, he had always been cautious about this aspect. Now that he was using it himself, he was naturally even more careful, so from the beginning of the meeting, he hadn’t thought about the examiner at all.

As for other matters, it was fine if they “heard” them, as this would eliminate their suspicions!

Not long after Meng Qi hid into the mist, he sensed Suoming Yecha and Dushou Mojun returning, accompanied by two others.

Flying to Suoming Yecha’s left was a man with graying hair and a bitter expression, holding a Gengjin sword—none other than Yang Zhen Chan, the Eight Desolate Subduing Demon Sword. To Dushou Mojun’s right was a middle-aged scholar, refined and lean, seemingly having altered his appearance and concealed his aura. Meng Qi vaguely felt familiar with him but couldn’t identify who he was.

Suoming Yecha vibrated his voice, spreading it outward: “Daoist Companion Shenbao, we have returned. Both companions have not crossed the first tier of the Celestial Ladder.”

Yang Zhen Chan, Dushou Mojun, and others looked around in all directions. Suddenly, they felt the red mist churn and slowly part, revealing Meng Qi sitting cross-legged on a rock, his back straight, a sword across his knees, his demeanor cold and steady, giving others a sense of admiration!

“Daoist Companion Shenbao, old man didn’t deceive you, did he?” Suoming Yecha chuckled lowly.

“Correct,” Meng Qi slightly nodded.

The two exchanged smiles, both appearing “frank” and “sincere.”