Chapter 14: Deep Within the Bamboo Forest

Ke Li Nu did not answer.

He simply stared at Zhao Qian.

Seeing the other’s indifference, Zhao Qian’s smile stiffened slightly.

In all his years of cultivation, he had met hundreds of cultivators, but he had never seen anyone like the man before him.

He didn’t speak, didn’t exchange pleasantries, didn’t laugh, didn’t fear.

He just stood there, like a stone.

The unease in Zhao Qian’s heart grew stronger.

He subconsciously released a strand of Spiritual Sense, trying to probe Ke Li Nu’s background.

The moment his Spiritual Sense touched Ke Li Nu’s body, Zhao Qian felt an invisible resistance.

Zhao Qian’s pupils contracted slightly.

A Body Cultivator?

He examined Ke Li Nu again.

This man was handsome, appeared to be in his early twenties, and had no special features about him.

Zhao Qian’s heart sank.

Body Cultivators were oddities in the cultivation world.

The Path of Body Cultivation was incredibly difficult, a hundred or a thousand times harder than ordinary Qi Cultivation, but once one achieved something, cultivators of the same rank could hardly compete.

A Foundation Establishment Peak Body Cultivator’s physical strength was probably no less than that of an ordinary Late Core Formation cultivator.

Zhao Qian’s fingers turned slightly cold.

“Everyone.”

Ke Li Nu still did not speak.

“I have no ill intentions. I’m just asking you, Fellow Daoist, to be accommodating and not interfere in this matter. As a reward, I can gift you some Spirit Stones and Elixir Pills.”

Upon hearing this, the other two became a bit uneasy.

Originally, the Spiritual Herb was intelligence they had obtained through painstaking effort, and it already belonged to them.

Now they had to give away resources to the other party, so naturally they were unhappy.

If worst came to worst, they’d just fight.

But the two only exchanged glances and didn’t say much.

Ke Li Nu looked at Zhao Qian, quickly calculating in his mind.

‘Spiritual Herb?’

‘So that was the reason those three appeared in Greenstone Town in the dead of night?’

After a moment of silence, Ke Li Nu’s gaze fell on Zhao Qian’s face, and he slowly spoke.

“This Venerable has no interest in Spiritual Herbs.”

Zhao Qian breathed a sigh of relief.

But Ke Li Nu’s next sentence made his heart lift again.

“However,” Ke Li Nu said lightly, “This Venerable has some interest in the three of you.”

The three people’s expressions changed drastically, and they simultaneously grabbed the Magic Artifacts at their waists.

Spiritual Power began to circulate in their bodies, ready to strike at any moment.

Ke Li Nu looked at their nervous appearance, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a very faint arc.

“No need to be nervous.”

He said.

“This Venerable was just speaking casually.”

Zhao Qian’s face alternated between green and white.

He found that he couldn’t see through this person at all.

Every word this person spoke seemed to mock them.

But he didn’t dare to turn hostile.

What if this person really was a ruthless character playing the pig to eat the tiger?

Zhao Qian took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and forced a smile.

“You jest, Fellow Daoist.”

Ke Li Nu did not respond.

He turned around and walked deeper into the bamboo grove.

Ban Wan’er quickly followed.

The two, one after the other, disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Zhao Qian stood in place, watching Ke Li Nu’s back.

The smile on his face slowly disappeared, replaced by a dark gloom.

“Old Zhao,” Liu Yi lowered his voice, “What’s this guy’s background? He’s too arrogant!”

Zhao Qian did not speak.

His gaze was fixed on the direction where Ke Li Nu had disappeared, his brows tightly furrowed.

“This person is not simple,” Zhao Qian said slowly.

“When the Spiritual Herb ripens later, if he makes a move to snatch it…”

Liu Yi snorted coldly.

“Are the three of us afraid of one person? He’s only at Foundation Establishment Peak. Even if he’s a Body Cultivator, we have Magic Artifacts in hand.”

Zhao Qian shook his head.

“You don’t understand.”

He turned around, looked at Liu Yi and Zhou Ping, and lowered his voice.

“I can’t see through him.”

Liu Yi was startled.

“Can’t see through him? Isn’t he at Foundation Establishment Peak?”

Liu Yi and Zhou Ping exchanged a glance, both seeing unease in each other’s eyes.

“Then… what should we do?” Zhou Ping asked.

Zhao Qian was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

“Observe quietly and wait for changes, deliberate at length.”

Liu Yi and Zhou Ping nodded.

The three sat back down in the stone pavilion, each taking out their Magic Artifacts, silently regulating their breathing, waiting for the Spiritual Herb to ripen.

Deep in the bamboo grove, the wind blew the bamboo leaves, rustling.

When Ke Li Nu led Ban Wan’er out of the bamboo grove, it was almost midnight.

Ban Wan’er followed behind Ke Li Nu, head lowered, her heart full of confusion.

‘Senior clearly said he had no interest in Spiritual Herbs, but why did he deliberately walk deep into the bamboo grove and show himself in front of those three cultivators?’

‘And he also said he had some interest in those three…’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Senior doesn’t have a Dragon Yang Preference, does he…’

Ban Wan’er’s ears slightly reddened, she secretly glanced at Ke Li Nu’s back, and finally couldn’t help but speak.

“Senior.”

“This junior has something unclear.”

Ke Li Nu did not stop walking, his tone flat.

“Speak.”

“Those three are nothing but Foundation Establishment Cultivators, not worth Senior’s personal attention. This junior is dull and truly cannot fathom Senior’s intent.”

“What do you think?” Ke Li Nu asked back.

Ban Wan’er was taken aback, then began to think seriously.

“Senior already knew what was in this bamboo grove, so you deliberately came here?”

Ke Li Nu didn’t answer, only nodded slightly, as if saying “Continue.”

Encouraged, Ban Wan’er continued to think.

“Those three appeared furtively in Greenstone Town and are searching for Spiritual Herb in this remote bamboo grove. Their behavior is indeed suspicious. Is Senior trying to confirm if they are from the Blood Lotus Sect?”

Ke Li Nu’s heart stirred.

‘Blood Lotus Sect?’

He hadn’t thought that far.

But with Ban Wan’er saying that, he suddenly felt it made sense.

However, Ke Li Nu thought again: if those three were really from the Blood Lotus Sect, they would have no reason not to recognize Ban Wan’er.

But when those three saw Ban Wan’er, their reactions were normal, without any abnormality.

So they were not from the Blood Lotus Sect.

Ke Li Nu had already reached a conclusion in his heart.

‘That’s right, this is what I thought.’

But he didn’t show it; his face remained unmoved, and he said calmly.

“Some things don’t need to be said outright.”

Ban Wan’er suddenly understood.

‘Senior’s meaning is to let her understand on her own, not to ask about everything.’

“This junior was too talkative.”

Ban Wan’er lowered her head and no longer pressed further.