Chapter 87.2 Shigui Sect
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Qiao Mucai, with his cultivation level, couldn’t sense them. He could only stare blankly at the gigantic bird walking at the forefront and exclaimed, “A Three-Headed Bird of Flames?! Isn’t this the monster mentioned in ancient books?”
“Is it formidable?”
In a sense, Qiao Mucai considered himself knowledgeable. “A mature Three-Headed Bird of Flames is comparable to a fully accomplished Golden Core stage cultivator in the mortal realm. Isn’t that impressive? Moreover, its most unique ability is not its strength but its sense of smell. Each person has a different scent, which may go unnoticed by others, but this bird can discern it with extreme precision.” He marveled and then belatedly realized, “Eh, why do they seem to be heading this way?”
When the entire Shigui Sect mobilized its power and three reclusive Nascent Soul cultivators appeared, what else could they be here for? A smile played at the corner of Pei Jing’s lips as he patted Qiao Mucai’s shoulder. “Brother Qiao, I think it’s time for us to escape.”
The still night was shattered by a sudden knocking on the door.
The drowsy innkeeper, her shoulder revealed beneath a thin veil, grumbled as she walked out, “Damn it! Can’t a woman get a good night’s sleep? I’ve stripped that kid down to his last layer of clothes and seen everything—!”
Hastily, she opened the door, but her angry expression froze instantly upon seeing the situation outside.
A gasp rose in her throat, only to be swallowed back forcefully. It choked her, but she dared not speak, trembling as she managed to say, “E-elders, what can I do for you?”
The Sect Master of Shigui Sect remained silent.
Originally, the puppets could accurately track their targets, but someone severed their connection with divine consciousness, rendering them clueless about the exact location. Now they only knew that the person was on this side.
However, there were numerous inns near the city gate, and it was impractical to kill everyone entering the city since there might be hidden individuals among them. To avoid alarming Pei Yuzhi and the Zhuihun Palace, they had no choice but to search systematically. They surrounded the inns and conducted individual investigations.
With the Three-Headed Bird of Flames present, Pei Yuzhi wouldn’t be able to escape even if he sprouted wings.
The innkeeper was pulled aside by a disciple of the Shigui Sect.
Disembarking from the Three-Headed Bird, the Sect Master of Shigui Sect commanded, “Go and capture everyone.”
The disciples under his command replied in unison, “Yes.”
The innkeeper was furious yet terrified. She struggled to break free, but as she turned her head, she received a fierce slap from someone. Staring back angrily, she realized it was a corpse with eyeballs dangling out of their sockets and a mouth split to the ears. With a roll of her eyes, the innkeeper fainted from sheer fright.
Meanwhile, inside a room…
Thud, thud, thud—the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs echoed continuously.
Qiao Mucai’s face turned pale as he stared at Pei Jing. “What do you mean by ‘escape’?”
Pei Jing smiled faintly and replied, “It seems that the Shigui Sect has come looking for me.”
Qiao Mucai’s body went limp, and he was about to faint.
Pei Jing laughed. “Don’t worry, Little Brother. The Shigui Sect wouldn’t dare to wipe us all out directly. They’re surely afraid of causing a big commotion. We still have a chance.”
Qiao Mucai thought he had found a partner with deep pockets but realized he had ended up with a disaster who would lead him to his death wherever he went. He felt despair in his life. “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over.” He pressed his fingers against the floor, stood up, and sobbed, trying to distance himself, “Quick, go. Let’s pretend to be complete strangers.”
Pei Jing clicked his tongue, “However, that won’t do. I still need you to help me with something.”
Qiao Mucai, filled with hopelessness, asked with a defeated face, “What do you want me to do?”
“I need to find something to mask our scent. I noticed the fragrance of that girl’s rouge and powder seems quite suitable. But it would be strange for a man to apply makeup, and a single woman entering the city would attract attention.” He glanced around, crouched down, and his beautiful eyes curved like a crescent moon. “Come on, Brother Qiao, let’s pretend to be a couple of fugitives.”
Brother Qiao: “……” Roll away!!
“What are you doing?”
Someone’s sweet dream was disrupted, and they mumbled in annoyance.
The disciple of the Shigui Sect coldly ordered, “Get down and stay quiet.”
However, most of the people entering the city were ruthless and cunning individuals, silent and dressed appropriately, following along—men, women, young, and old.
Meanwhile, deep within the inn, there was a couple who voluntarily stepped out.
Qiao Mucai felt like he was going crazy as he looked at the “young girl” beside him, exuding a fragrant scent and dressed in a pure, ethereal, and pristine white gown.
He trembled, his voice quivering, “Brother Zhang, have mercy on me! My older brother is gone, and I am the only male left in the Qiao family! Our family lineage must not end.”
Pei Jing reassured, “Stay calm, don’t panic.” I’m not interested in you either, Little Brother.
Qiao Mucai had no choice but to panic. He broke down in tears and scratched the wall, refusing to move, “Ah ah ah! Let go of me, you homosexual! Ah ah ah, I’m not attracted to men! If this gets out, how can I face the world?”
Pei Jing said, “One thousand spiritual stones.”
Qiao Mucai choked and angrily protested, “I’m not that kind of person!”
Pei Jing laughed, “Top-grade spiritual stones.”
“……”
His hand that was scratching the wall loosened.
Qiao Mucai cleared his throat, tidied his hair and clothes, and politely took Pei Jing’s arm, his face shining with a greasy smile, “Madam, you should have mentioned it earlier.”
This “fugitive couple” descended the stairs, and apart from the girl being exceptionally beautiful, there was nothing particularly strange about them.
Qiao Mucai flattered, “Please walk slowly. If you fall, husband will be heartbroken.”
Pei Jing, aware of his marital status, warned him, “If you call yourself ‘husband’ one more time, I’ll twist your head off.”
Qiao Mucai shrank his neck, finding it easy to comply when there was money involved. He quickly adapted, “Alright, alright. Madam, please walk slowly. If you fall, Qiao Qiao will be heartbroken.”
Pei Jing: “……” Originally, I wouldn’t have fallen, but you tripped me up in such a way that I felt nauseous.
No, he would have to give Qiao Mucai a hefty sum as hush money. What was he doing? Paying for a man’s company? Damn it, how would he explain this to Chu Junyu?
Pei Jing rarely felt a twinge of guilt.
The three Elders of the Shigui Sect had cold expressions.
The Three-Headed Bird of Flames paused in front of each person, scanning them one by one.
They furrowed their brows but remained silent.
They proceeded to the next restaurant.
The innkeeper regained consciousness in a daze. She was in a terrible mood tonight, rubbing her temples and gritting her teeth, “Everyone, go back. Go back.”
Miss Pei, the cold and aloof young girl, returned to her room but had no intention of resting at all.
Qiao Mucai hopped around eagerly, “Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang, what should we do now?”
Pei Jing smiled, and under the moonlight, there was an unusual coldness. Lazily, he said, “Shall we go to Tianyan City? The most important thing is to have fun.”
Qiao Mucai: “???”
Pei Jing glanced outside and said, “Whether you believe it or not, because of the Shigui Sect’s grudge against me, the entire outer city will soon begin to hunt me down.”
Qiao Mucai: “Ah???”
“They’ve already discovered me. I can’t stay low-key anymore. Let’s give them a surprise.”
“Shall we? We need to prepare some gifts.”
“Shall I set off a firework for them first?”
Qiao Mucai: “???”
The Sect Master of Shigui Sect walked to the next building before suddenly realizing something was wrong. He was too confident and forgot that if there were other scents on the person, the original scent would be masked. Many male cultivators had a foul and unpleasant odor on them.
He paused and said, “Go back.”
The Sect Master’s casual words had just fallen when a loud noise suddenly erupted from behind!
Boom!
At the end of the crowd, the puppets following along were enveloped by an immensely powerful sword intent, tinged with a faint purple glow, and then thrown into the air—exploding mid-air!
Everyone looked up in astonishment.
After the puppets exploded, there emerged a glimmering ice-blue sword aura, scattering radiant lights, creating a magnificent spectacle in the night sky. It resembled fireworks in the mortal realm, but these fireworks had distinct shapes—a pair of downward-curving arcs at the top, and a single upward-curving arc at the bottom. It formed an odd and extraordinary pattern.
The Sect of Master Shigui Sect felt insulted, no, it was a blatant mockery!
He was furious! Through clenched teeth, he spoke each word, one by one: “Pei… Yu… Zhi!”
The entire Tianyan City was startled by this fireworks display.
Qiao Mucai leaned against the window, his gaze filled with astonishment. Due to his insufficient cultivation, he didn’t understand the immense power that had just been unleashed.
He could only say, “Brother Zhang, you’re truly incredible.”
Pei Jing modestly replied, “It’s nothing special.” Inside, he was elated. He had caused a romantic declaration that stirred the entire city. Damn, he was truly a genius, worthy of being the man who captivated the entire cultivation world.
Qiao Mucai’s eyes gleamed. “It’s so amazing! Did you compose an ancient curse with those fireworks? One that inflicts harm upon those who see it? Or perhaps it’s a provocation! Ah, so cool! Anyone who sees it would be infuriated to death. Hahaha!”
Pei Jing: “……”
What provocation!
If you don’t understand, then shut up!
That was my greetings for my wife.
Puppets exploding, turning into fireworks, blood raining down as a declaration of love. Perhaps in this world, only one person can truly understand.
Zhuihun Palace.
The master of Zhuihun Palace prostrated on the ground, his breathing shallow and his fingers trembling. He had some understanding of the internal conflicts within the inner city, so he felt even more fear towards the person in front of him. He dared not even lift his head as he watched the figure dressed in pitch-black robes glide across the icy palace.
Chu Junyu’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “During my absence, the old folks from the Celesytial Demon Race have caused quite a commotion. I’m genuinely curious as to why they want you to recruit disciples.”
He expressed curiosity, but his tone carried a chilling indifference, accompanied by a hint of a smile. His dark red eyes were as icy as a frigid river.
Chu Junyu smiled briefly and continued, “I heard that to travel from the outer city to the inner city, one must undergo a trial, a trial conducted by the Demon Clan.”
The master of Zhuihun Palace felt as if his soul was being squeezed in someone’s hand. A slight exertion could cause his soul to scatter. Sweat dripped from his forehead, staining his clothes, while his palms grew cold. Trembling, he called out the title that struck fear into the hearts of all: “City Lord…”
“I couldn’t care less about matters in the outer city, but who gave you the audacity to meddle in the affairs of the inner city? If you don’t value your life, today—”
His words were interrupted.
Boom!
Over the silent sky of Tianyan City, a loud explosion suddenly rang out.
Ice-blue light illuminated the entire outer city.
Chu Junyu paused, lifted his gaze, and looked towards the sky ahead.
The master of Zhuihun Palace, who had narrowly escaped a great calamity and found a moment of respite, suddenly coughed twice. His trembling fingers supported him on the ground, his mind in a state of panic, and his thoughts completely blank.
The night in Tianyan City became enchanting and dreamlike due to the ice-blue fireworks. In the sky, a smiling face formed, with the curvature of its eyes gradually fading, resembling a shooting star. It heralded the arrival of someone.
Chu Junyu: “…………”
He lowered his gaze and murmured softly, “This idiot.”
The master of Zhuihun Palace, with all his internal organs tensed up, crawled closer to Chu Junyu, wanting to explain. However, before he could reach him, Chu Junyu had already turned and walked away. The master of Zhuihun Palace stood dumbfounded in place, finding it hard to believe. Did the City Lord spare him?
As Pei Jing had anticipated, within a day, wanted posters began to scatter throughout the outer city. They didn’t bear his name but directly depicted his appearance. Moreover, messengers nurtured by the Three-Headed Bird of Flames roamed the streets each day, making it impossible to let down one’s guard.
Consequently, he had to maintain that appearance.
Qiao Mucai looked at the portrait stuck on the wall, glancing left and right. “No way, the person in the drawing is obviously much more handsome than you.”
Pei Jing: “Get lost.”
“Seriously, how did you manage to offend the Shigui Sect?”
Pei Jing: “Family grudge.”
Aside from being greedy, Qiao Mucai was actually quite clever. Not probing further, he discreetly asked, taking advantage of everyone’s inattention, “Brother Zhang, what should we do now?”
Pei Jing thought of Yu Qinglian’s instructions, and with a meaningful look in a certain direction, he smiled and said, “With the One Palace, Five Sects, and Three Schools against me, if these three sects won’t let me live, there’s still the refuge of Zhuihun Palace.”
(´ ω `♡) Thanks to Mikki for the support!!
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