Chapter 113: Follow The Vine, Catch Them All
Seeing that Ning Qi had already made full preparations, Dragon Mountain Daoist immediately felt relieved, then said solemnly:
“That’s good, then our master and disciple will go down the mountain together, work together, and strive to wipe out these scourges in one fell swoop!”
But Ning Qi slowly shook his head:
“No, I am sufficient alone. Master, you stay at True Martial Mountain.”
Dragon Mountain Daoist was immediately stunned.
Ning Qi smiled and explained:
“If Master goes with me, won’t True Martial Mountain be left unguarded? Although the Demonic Sect is silent now, to guard against any eventualities, it’s still better to have a Heavenly Human Realm Expert guarding True Martial Mountain. Moreover, it’s unknown if those Southern Border forces will risk coming up the mountain again.”
“Moreover, tracking the Gold Medal Killer ‘Lei’ this time is not better with more people; it mainly depends on being able to thoroughly grasp his traces. I know some tracking and body changing arts, so going alone is actually more flexible.”
There was another sentence he didn’t say.
With Ning Qi’s current strength, if even he couldn’t accomplish it, adding one more Dragon Mountain Daoist would be of no use.
Even if they really encountered some unbeatable enemy, Ning Qi himself could still escape using various means, but if Dragon Mountain Daoist was there, they might have to fight to the death, so going alone was actually the best choice.
Dragon Mountain Daoist hesitated slightly. What Ning Qi said made some sense, but long ago he had already promised Ning Qi to assist him in exterminating Blood Rain Tower.
Of course, the most important thing was that he was still worried about Ning Qi facing danger alone.
“Although Little Nine, your strength has now surpassed that of your Master, if Master goes with you, there will at least be someone to watch your back. The Southern Border forces behind the scenes most likely have Heavenly Human Realm Experts.” He was still somewhat uneasy.
Ning Qi just smiled.
The next moment.
The Jade Liquid Sea in his body vibrated, strands of Gang Qi vibrated, circulating around the two of them.
Dragon Mountain Daoist’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately mobilized Heaven and Earth Power to resist that sense of oppression, but no matter how hard he tried, the terrifying Gang Qi around them always maintained a slight edge, giving a feeling of profound unfathomability.
Even when he had exerted his full strength, Ning Qi remained calm and composed.
Dragon Mountain Daoist finally smiled bitterly and waved his hand:
“Fine, fine, Little Nine, take good care of yourself.”
His heart was both bitter and proud.
Last year, it was he who used Heaven and Earth Power to gauge Ning Qi’s strength, but now it had become Ning Qi using Gang Qi to gauge the intensity of his Heaven and Earth Power. Times had changed, and their roles had switched so quickly that it caught him off guard.
He also understood.
With his disciple’s current strength, if he insisted on following, not only would he not be of much help, he might even become a burden.
Thinking of this.
Dragon Mountain Daoist no longer persisted. Just as Ning Qi said, staying at True Martial Mountain would make True Martial Mountain even safer.
Ning Qi smiled and nodded:
“Don’t worry, Master, I cherish my life more than anyone.”
Dragon Mountain Daoist added:
“If it’s convenient, kill the culprit who destroyed Divine Sword Sect as well, to give Divine Sword Brother an explanation in the afterlife.”
Ning Qi nodded solemnly.
That was his plan anyway.
…
The next day.
Ning Qi announced Closed-door Cultivation, but actually quietly went down the mountain, known only to Dragon Mountain Daoist.
At this moment.
Ning Qi had transformed into a middle-aged man in black clothes, walking on the bluestone streets, feeling the hustle and bustle and the breath of life, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
It had been nine years since he transmigrated to this world.
But strictly speaking, this was his first time leaving True Martial Mountain so far; the farthest place he had been before was just True Martial City.
However, it was only novel at first.
After walking a few more laps, Ning Qi felt it was just so-so. He wouldn’t be shaken in his Dao Heart just because he suddenly saw the prosperity of the world. This trip down the mountain was only to settle the old matters from nine years ago.
Determining the direction of Canghe Prefecture City, Ning Qi stepped into the air in an unnoticed place and left.
…
Canghe Prefecture City.
It was also a prestigious prefecture city within Qingzhou. Its prosperity could rank in the top five of Qingzhou. The forces within were intertwined, and besides the government office, there were several top-tier forces, with Iron Fist Gang being one of them.
Ning Qi found an inn and sat down. His current appearance was very ordinary, and his aura was not strong, so he wouldn’t attract much attention.
He casually ordered a few small dishes, perceiving the movements around him and capturing the information he wanted.
“Hey, have you heard? The son of Iron Fist Sect’s Great Elder was abducted by the Black Wind Bandits. That old man who got a son late in life treasured him greatly, but he was actually humiliated to death…”
“Is there such a thing? Won’t the two sides start fighting?”
“Exactly, it’s said they’ve sat down to talk several times, but all ended without result, and eventually tempers flared. Iron Fist Sect has already declared they will exterminate the Black Wind Bandits, grind their bones and scatter their ashes!”
“The Black Wind Bandits have the perilous terrain of Black Wind Mountain; it probably won’t be that easy to wipe them out, right?”
…
Ning Qi listened, somewhat surprised.
He didn’t expect that in just two or three days, the clash between these two top-tier forces had already come out into the open.
Very obviously.
Someone was fanning the flames.
It probably involved open and covert struggles between certain forces, possibly even with shadows of the Demonic Sect and the government.
But Ning Qi didn’t care. With his current strength, the struggles between a bunch of Gang Yuan Realm cultivators were like child’s play.
Great Yan was vast.
Heavenly Human Realm experts weren’t that easy to come by.
“Since that ‘Lei”s target is the Black Wind Bandits’ chief, I’ll just wait for him in advance at the Black Wind Bandits.”
Ning Qi’s idea was simple.
As long as he saw ‘Lei’, the rest would be easy.
His Soul Capturing Eye Technique had advanced further now, bolstered by Heaven and Earth Power, enough to extract a lot of information. He didn’t think that ‘Lei’ would carry something like the Gu Worm that the woman from last time used for suicide in ordinary times, otherwise, if he accidentally ran into a Heavenly Human Realm expert, wouldn’t that be throwing his life away?
No one would be that stupid; that kind of thing was surely equipped only for missions with extremely high risk of death.
Ning Qi wasn’t in a hurry.
He silently felt the prosperity of Canghe Prefecture City.
It was rare to come down the mountain once. Although he wouldn’t linger, savoring it carefully could change his state of mind, providing a different inspiration for enlightenment.
In the blink of an eye.
Another four days passed.
Ning Qi quietly headed toward Black Wind Mountain.
In these few days, he hadn’t idled; he had already secretly mapped out the terrain of Black Wind Mountain.
At this moment, it was deep into the night.
He used Body Shifting and Bone Changing Art and Breath Concealment, like a ghost, stepping through the air from the rear cliff with its natural defenses. He released his perception and quietly waited, his mindset calm.
Not long after.
Suddenly, shouts of killing erupted in the night sky.
“Zhao old dog, give me back my son’s life!”
A roar filled with grief, anger, and madness opened the curtain of the night battle.
A hearty laugh rang out:
“Tsk tsk tsk, your son did taste quite good. My brothers and I played with him for three days and three nights; he was even tenderer than the top courtesans at Snow Flower Brothel. Unfortunately, if only he could have lasted a bit longer; maybe I could have let you, old Sun, see him yourself!”
Loud, unrestrained laughter rose one after another.
Martial Artists charged out ferociously one by one.
New grudges and old hatreds, entangled interests.
The two forces engaged in fierce combat in the perilous terrain, and it wasn’t just two forces; other forces were also placing bets.
Among them.
Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists were the most numerous, Inner Yuan Realm Martial Artists formed the backbone, while the few Gang Yuan Realm Martial Artists would decide the final outcome of the battlefield.
Ning Qi just stood in the darkness quietly watching; no one could detect his existence.
With his current strength, watching this battle that seemed extremely perilous was like watching children play house, giving the feeling of a max-level boss rampaging in the newbie village.
He was waiting for ‘Lei’ to appear.
The gap between the two forces wasn’t large right now; only the arrival of Blood Rain Tower’s killers could deliver the decisive blow.
The battle grew increasingly intense.
Ning Qi was very patient.
Suddenly.
His brows twitched, and he focused on the most intense part of the battlefield, where Iron Fist Sect’s Sect Master and Black Wind Bandits’ chief were entangled in combat. In the shadows, a figure was silently approaching, undetected by anyone except Ning Qi.
“He’s here!”
The thought had just arisen in Ning Qi’s mind.
Killing intent suddenly flashed from the shadows, a long sword like lightning and thunder stabbing toward the chief.
And Iron Fist Sect’s Sect Master seized the opportunity to unleash his full power.
With such a pincer attack.
In just a short instant, the Black Wind Bandits’ chief was dead.
All the Black Wind Bandits were horrified; this sudden change threw them into complete panic.
The subsequent outcome naturally went without saying.
With two more Gang Yuan Realm experts added, and a fresh troop of black-clothed assailants charging in, it became a one-sided slaughter.
Screams of agony rang out incessantly.
Not long after.
The battle had completely ceased.
All of Iron Fist Sect cheered.
But the Sect Master and Great Elder looked toward those cold-aura black-clothed killers, their gazes tinged with fear:
“This time, many thanks to Lord Lei for your assistance! As expected of the famed Gold Medal Killer of Blood Rain Tower in Qingzhou; I admire you!”
Lei’s voice showed no emotion as he calmly said:
“Just follow what was agreed beforehand.”
Iron Fist Sect’s Sect Master nodded, feeling a pang of heartache; the price to hire Blood Rain Tower’s Gold Medal Killer was not small.
“Understood.”
Moments later, the spoils of war were collected.
Iron Fist Sect’s people all left, and by the time they reached the foot of the mountain, a great fire rose on Black Wind Mountain.
The Great Elder was puzzled:
“Why is Blood Rain Tower setting fire? Doesn’t he want Black Wind Mountain?”
Iron Fist Sect’s Sect Master glanced deeply at the mountain:
“Why worry about so much? The more you know, the faster you die. In the future, have less dealings with these people; they feel somewhat eerie.”
…
On Black Wind Mountain.
The fire blazed fiercely.
But contrary to what Iron Fist Sect’s people thought, not everything was burned to ashes; the corpses of the martial artists were neatly stacked together.
‘Lei’ looked at the numerous corpses with fiery eyes, his mood exceptionally pleased.
Among them were two or three Gang Yuan Realm corpses, one even reaching Core Elixir Realm—very high quality.
Ever since discovering someone secretly investigating them, Blood Rain Tower had been acting cautiously, only scavenging small pickings everywhere. Now they finally had a chance to take a big bite!
“The timid starve to death, the bold die from overeating. This merit established, the Blood Pool will be enough to feed Blood King Gu once more; those wastes will have nothing to say. They can’t even wipe out a Divine Sword Sect and complain about us—they’re worthy?”
‘Lei’ felt some disdain in his heart.
This time, borrowing the conflict between the two major forces to swap stealthily, bringing these corpses back unnoticed—who could discover it? A big fire would erase all traces completely, and since it was a normal Martial Arts Sects conflict, no one would suspect anything.
He gave a deep order:
“Take these corpses back!”
“Yes, Lord Lei!”
The black-clothed killers began to act; the corpses had already been finished off, so they were very reassured.
The pre-prepared carriages loaded with corpses and departed.
But they didn’t know.
In the darkness, a calm gaze had been watching them all along.
Ning Qi’s expression was somewhat playful.
He had originally planned to directly capture Lei, interrogate him with the pupil technique, and then head straight to their lair.
But now, he had a better idea.
…
Lei sat in the carriage, eyes closed in rest.
The bout of killing had also consumed some of his energy. For some reason, he always felt a bit uneasy in his mind, but he couldn’t find the source.
“Where are we?” he asked in a deep voice.
A respectful voice came from outside the carriage:
“My lord, about one hour more to the stronghold.”
Lei took a deep breath.
He stepped out of the carriage.
He felt he needed to relax his taut nerves a bit.
“Rest up, check those corpses for any survivors.”
With that said.
He walked alone into the dense forest.
Once in the forest, his eyes changed; hiding in the shadows, his sharp gaze continuously scanned the busy black-clothed people, while also periodically sensing the surroundings. He trusted his intuition; it couldn’t be wrong.
If someone was really spying in secret.
They were either disguised as a corpse, mixed in the team, or tailing from the shadows.
He clearly knew that someone had been secretly investigating them recently; one couldn’t be too careful.
But after watching for a moment.
He found nothing, and a trace of doubt arose in his heart.
“Could it really be that I sensed wrong?” Just as this thought rose in Lei’s mind, his pupils suddenly contracted.
A ghostly voice drilled into his ears:
“You… are you looking for me?”
In that instant, Lei was chilled to the bone, a cold shiver rushing straight to the top of his head, but he could no longer cry out—a large hand gripped his neck, terrifying pressure enveloping every inch of his flesh and blood. He even heard the groaning of his own muscles and bones.
No matter how vigilant he was, he couldn’t escape a dimensional strike.
Ning Qi was too comprehensive.
Ning Qi looked at the fierce-looking middle-aged man before him, his gaze like a deep abyss:
“Look into my eyes.”
…
Moments later.
Lei walked out from the dense forest again.
The many black-clothed people respectfully said:
“My lord, inspection complete, no issues.”
Lei nodded slightly.
He got into the carriage.
Once the curtain fell, Lei’s eyes became somewhat strange. No one knew that the real Lei had already died in the dense forest without a trace, and the current Lei was Ning Qi transformed.
With his attainment in Body Shifting and Bone Changing Art, even those who spent every day with Lei couldn’t spot any flaw.
Earlier in the dense forest.
With prior preparation, Ning Qi had used the pupil technique to ask many questions he wanted to know. Drawing from the experience of interrogating the charming woman before, Ning Qi cleverly avoided some questions he couldn’t ask.
Now knowing things like various contact codes, organizational structure, whether there were experts behind the scenes, and more, it was enough for him to temporarily impersonate Lei’s identity.
This was Ning Qi’s new idea.
Killing them one by one would inevitably leave fish that slip the net; these people didn’t gather together in ordinary times. If that ‘Lord Feng’ got the news and fled, it would be troublesome to find him again.
But with Lei’s identity, he could find a pretext to gather everyone together.
At that time.
Wipe them all out—wouldn’t that be perfect?
No need to waste time in vain.
“According to Lei, in Qingzhou, it’s roughly Blood Rain Tower and that nameless force, two groups of people. Above them, there are two Heavenly Human Realm experts: one Fat Elder, one Thin Elder.”
“These Fat and Thin Elders each hold one Blood King Gu. Generally, when they have big gains, they invite one of the Elders to bring the Blood King Gu.”
“It seems only these two know exactly what the Blood King Gu is for.”
Ning Qi’s eyes flickered.
He felt this Blood King Gu might have great use for him, perhaps to replace Sarira for pill refining. This wasn’t baseless speculation but inferred from the Blood King Gu’s cultivation method.
“A Gu Worm cultivated by absorbing human blood essence must contain extremely abundant vitality power.”
For a moment, Ning Qi’s interest grew even stronger.
If he could obtain these two Blood King Gus, it might shorten his time to promote to Core Elixir Realm by a lot.
Since he was already here, Ning Qi wouldn’t miss it; it was just a side matter while taking revenge anyway.
“That Fat Elder seems a bit weaker, so first use this harvest to invite Fat Elder over, then use Fat Elder’s name to summon everyone!”
“Otherwise, summoning others directly with Lei’s identity would be too abrupt.”
Ning Qi had a plan in mind.
The convoy moved forward rapidly.
One hour later.
They had arrived at the stronghold.
This stronghold was extremely hidden, in a valley, with heavy guards in the shadows. The convoy full of corpses underwent strict inspection; even Ning Qi was checked once.
But Ning Qi’s Body Shifting and Bone Changing Art was masterful; no one could see any clues.
Entering the valley.
Everyone transported the corpses into the underground palace.
Then they went to the deepest part of the underground palace.
Ning Qi looked at the Blood Pool before him, a trace of killing intent rising in his heart.
It was hard to imagine how many people had died here.
Black Wind Bandits who burned, killed, and looted were one thing, but most of them were probably innocents.
In the Blood Pool.
The bloody stench was pungent; besides human blood, many precious medicinal herbs were added. Ning Qi identified a few just from a slight sniff. He watched as corpse after corpse was thrown into the Blood Pool, bubbling and gradually dissolving, looking exceptionally eerie.
As powerful martial artist corpses were thrown in one after another, the eerie vitality aura in the Blood Pool grew denser, and the Blood Pool actually became crystal clear.
Vaguely, it had reached some limit.
The several trusted subordinates around all knelt and shouted in unison:
“Congratulations, my lord! Joyous tidings, my lord! This success will surely earn you great rewards from the two Elders!”
Ning Qi laughed and waved his hand:
“Come, quickly send a message to invite Fat Elder!”
There was some anticipation in his eyes.
…
At the stronghold.
Ning Qi was alone.
Even with Body Shifting and Bone Changing Art, there was the risk of saying too much and slipping up.
He silently waited for Fat Elder’s arrival.
The Blood Pool reaching its limit was normal procedure; Fat Elder wouldn’t suspect anything.
One day later.
A figure stepped through the air above the stronghold.
This figure had hands behind his back, fat-headed and big-eared, with fair skin and a certain arrogance in his eyes. Ning Qi had already brought his subordinates to wait here; he secretly sized up this Fat Elder, sensing his aura.
“Just an ordinary Heavenly Human Realm; strength probably around Carefree Lord’s level.”
Thoughts turned in his mind, but his actions were not slow.
“We have seen Fat Elder!”
Fat Elder snorted lightly through his nose as acknowledgment, his gaze lingering on Ning Qi before finally praising:
“Lei, you’ve done well. If you keep it up, this old man will recommend you to become Blood Rain Tower’s Tower Master.”
Blood Rain Tower had been founded without a Tower Master position filled to this day, which the four Gold Medal Killers coveted greatly.
Ning Qi feigned ecstatic joy barely restrained:
“Serving the Elder is our duty; we dare not aspire to more!”
Fat Elder casually waved his hand:
“Take me to the Blood Pool.”
Ning Qi hurriedly led the way ahead.
Entering the deepest Blood Pool in the underground palace, the others respectfully withdrew, the door sealed shut. Now only Ning Qi and Fat Elder remained.
This was the convention; others only knew to collect for the Blood Pool but didn’t know what it was for. Only core Core Elixir Realm experts knew of Blood King Gu’s existence.
Fat Elder examined the Blood Pool before him, brimming with eerie vitality to the limit, his eyes burning with desire.
“Good! Well done! Much better than those wastes like Zhao Dong!”
He didn’t stint on his praise.
Ning Qi hurriedly flattered in response.
Then.
He saw Fat Elder carefully take out a bamboo tube from his bosom. That bamboo tube was no ordinary item; it was entirely like purple jade, seemingly with nurturing effects.
Fat Elder muttered under his breath, speaking at an astonishing speed, not in Great Yan official language.
Ning Qi’s spirit shook; he listened carefully to the changes in his syllables, noting the fluctuations in his Qi, gaining some realization in his heart—this should be the Gu controlling art, not difficult.
Then, a blood-colored Gu Worm lazily crawled out from the Purple Jade Bamboo Tube.
He saw it clearly.
The Gu Worm was about the size of an adult’s thumb, entirely like blood-colored agate, with strange patterns on its back like eyes, and three pairs of transparent wings on its back, though the last pair seemed less powerful, somewhat small.
“This is Blood King Gu?”
As soon as Blood King Gu appeared, its incredibly abundant vitality aura made Ning Qi’s eyes light up.
He knew his guess was correct; this was absolutely an excellent substitute for Sarira, even better in effect.
At this time.
The originally lazy Blood King Gu, upon appearing, seemed attracted by the eerie vitality in the Blood Pool and immediately became active.
With a shake of its wings, it had already landed in the Blood Pool.
Then dove deep into it.
Ning Qi could feel that the original eerie vitality in the Blood Pool was weakening at a visible speed, being absorbed by Blood King Gu. Though he couldn’t see Blood King Gu, he could feel its vitality rapidly expanding, even some power undergoing qualitative change—that was the fluctuation of Heaven and Earth Power.
“This Blood King Gu seems to act as a filter and purifier?”
Ning Qi vaguely understood the use of Blood King Gu.
If Blood King Gu matured, it was probably enough to be a supreme treasure to break into Heavenly Human Realm.
