Shocked by Mo Xiaonian’s “profound Daoist techniques,” the two who were previously bickering instantly fell silent, quietly lowering their heads to eat the lamb in the white broth, not daring to have any further thoughts about the spicy red broth.
After all the arguing, who would have thought that the one who loved the red broth the most was actually the young lady of the Mo family?
It was truly a laughable affair.
At this point in the situation, Yuexi naturally abandoned any thoughts of privately reporting to the Red Lotus Saintess.
Gu Shenzhi clearly couldn’t handle the red broth, but she herself hadn’t fared much better.
Yuexi never engaged in actions that harmed others and herself alike.
Suddenly, a frantic cry for help came from downstairs.
“Don’t come near me! Help!”
Several Qi Refining cultivators dressed in red robes had cornered a shabbily dressed ** against a wall, their faces menacing as if they intended to devour the trembling girl alive.
Judging by the jade plaques at their waists and the emblem-engraved sword sheaths, they were likely guards from the City Lord’s Mansion.
“You still dare to escape? If you ruin the City Lord’s plans, can you bear the consequences?!”
“I don’t want to be some servant girl! A year ago, my sister went there, and she never came back.”
“Heh, once you’re at the City Lord’s Mansion, I guarantee you’ll be reunited with your sister.”
With that, the leader, a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, grabbed the girl by her hair and dragged her out of the shop, ignoring her screams and struggles.
Though the customers in the shop were displeased, no one stepped forward to help.
They simply watched as the guards took the girl away.
In Wu’an City, crossing Wei Xingfeng was tantamount to seeking death.
Seeing the crowd’s cold indifference, Yuexi’s anger surged.
Her delicate brows furrowed, and she stood, ready to rescue the girl from the guards.
But before she could take two steps, Gu Shenzhi blocked her path with his spiritual sword [Falling Plum], showing no intention of yielding.
“Senior Sister Yuexi, in such a hurry—planning to save that girl?” Gu Shenzhi asked coolly.
“You know that, so get out of my way!”
“I can step aside, of course. With your late-stage Core Formation cultivation, dealing with a few Foundation Establishment cultivators would be no trouble.”
Gu Shenzhi transmitted his voice directly to her, avoiding eavesdroppers and unnecessary trouble.
“But if you use demonic sect techniques at the Moon Shadow Sect’s stronghold, you’ll not only expose your identity but also invite scrutiny from the Spirit Sword Sect. Have you considered the consequences? And if the mission fails or the stronghold is compromised, can you bear the responsibility?”
“Then tell me, what should we do? We can’t just watch that girl fall into their clutches!”
Gu Shenzhi slowly stood and bowed respectfully.
“If Senior Sister trusts me, leave this matter to me.”
After a moment of silence, Yuexi nodded slightly.
Facing the beast who stole Linghuang, she couldn’t help but assume the worst.
“You’re not interested in that girl, are you?”
Gu Shenzhi nearly stumbled at her words.
Turning back, he asked indignantly, “Do I look like that kind of shameless beast?”
With that, he hurried downstairs, secretly trailing the guards to find the right moment to act.
Watching the black-clad youth leave, Yuexi gritted her teeth and muttered, “Linghuang, Taoyao, and that so-called Bailian—you’re not just a shameless beast, you are the beast!”
“Senior Sister, are you listening?” Mo Xiaonian called out several times before Yuexi snapped back to attention.
“I’m listening, Xiaonian,” she replied.
“Since Junior Brother Gu is off to save that girl, we should hurry and organize the intelligence to take down that dog Wei Xingfeng as soon as possible.”
Mo Xiaonian was brimming with enthusiasm for her first field mission.
As the eldest daughter of a prominent family, she was determined to earn the highest evaluation in the first round, or she’d face the disdain and mockery of her brothers.
To achieve a top-grade evaluation from the Deacon Hall, everything had to be executed flawlessly, without a single mistake.
Meanwhile, after tailing the three burly guards for half an hour, Gu Shenzhi finally found his chance.
Using the Xuanyuan Daoist technique, he teleported through the air, intercepting them in a narrow alley.
The sky was dim, with sparse raindrops falling.
The black-clad youth wore a bamboo hat, his face obscured by layers of dark gauze, but the gleaming pale purple spiritual sword in his hand was strikingly conspicuous.
Sensing that he was also a cultivator, the leader of the guards bowed.
“We are guards from the Wu’an City Lord’s Mansion. If Your Excellency has no urgent business, please do not obstruct official duties.”
“Official duties? Hmph.”
Gu Shenzhi sneered and tossed the jade plaque from his sleeve.
Catching it, the guards saw an azure spiritual sword engraved on it and nearly died of fright.
They dropped to their knees, begging, “We were blind to offend an elder of the great sect. We deserve death!”
The Frost Command—a symbol of an elder’s status in the Spirit Sword Sect.
Only seven existed, and not all were in circulation.
Dragging [Falling Plum] behind him, Gu Shenzhi approached slowly.
“I’m no longer with the Spirit Sword Sect, so no need to be so nervous. But one thing is true—you do deserve death.”
A sinister smile curled on his lips as he silently beheaded the three men.
In a single breath, he swung his sword three times in different directions, without even using spiritual energy.
[Three Serpents Devouring Life], a forbidden technique of the Spirit Sword Sect.
Only one other person in the world knew it besides Gu Shenzhi.
Even if Wei Xingfeng investigated, he’d likely find nothing.
After habitually looting the bodies, Gu Shenzhi turned to the ** beside him, his hands still stained with blood.
“You… killed them?!”
The thirteen-year-old girl, having never witnessed such a scene, fainted on the spot.
After disposing of the bodies, Gu Shenzhi picked up the girl, hid her in his dark gray cloak, and hurried back.
Based on his understanding of Yuexi and Mo Xiaonian, if he didn’t return soon, they might actually storm the heavily guarded City Lord’s Mansion and kill Wei Xingfeng themselves.
By the time he returned to the stronghold, night had fully fallen.
If those damned guards hadn’t stopped to harass a few innocent women along the way, he wouldn’t have been delayed.
Gu Shenzhi got the key from the shopkeeper and carried the sleeping girl upstairs, calmly opening the door.
What greeted him was Miss Yuexi, fresh from a bath, wiping down her body.
Her figure was curvaceous, her slender form perfectly proportioned, her fair skin glistening like jade.
Her half-covered chest was proudly prominent, her waist slim, her legs long—utterly captivating.
The room’s atmosphere instantly froze, steeped in awkwardness.
Gu Shenzhi was in a bind. In her eyes, he was a blind cultivator who had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
If he hadn’t used his divine sense, he wouldn’t see anything, so he couldn’t react at all.
But if he had used his divine sense, he shouldn’t have entered in the first place.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s divine sense, though limited to a five-zhang radius, was enough to scan the room.
Entering in this situation would make him worse than a pervert.
Under Yuexi’s horrified gaze, Gu Shenzhi gently placed the girl on the bed and said, “She has many wounds, likely from those guards. Take good care of her.”
His tone was gentle and polite, almost gentlemanly, if one ignored the circumstances.
Before closing the door, he added, “Senior Sister Yuexi, you must believe me—I only used my divine sense after entering. I had no intention of spying on you bathing. Good night.”
“Get out!” Yuexi grabbed an inkstone from the table and hurled it at his head, but the door closed too quickly, sparing the “beast” from having his brains smashed out.
Yuexi slumped to the floor, cursing, “What a beast! I’ll make you beg for mercy, crying on your knees!”
To think she’d been worried about his safety earlier.
Next time, she hoped he’d die out there and never come back.