"Ping Jie, we have guests coming tonight, I need to prepare," Gao Xian said.
Ping Jie looked hesitant, "Ping Jie, shall we chat another day?"
Qing Ping slowly got up from Gao Xian's embrace, whispering, "Since you have matters to attend to, I shouldn't delay you. I'll come another day."
Qing Ping's expression was somewhat melancholic, with a hint of tenderness in her eyes, her affectionate demeanor making Gao Xian feel a bit embarrassed.
Fortunately, Gao Xian glanced at the Insightful Mirror of the Sea of Consciousness and saw that the spiritual light of the senior had hardly moved, which calmed him down.
"Damn, this woman is quite the actress!"
Gao Xian cursed inwardly, but on his face, he forced a smile, "With the rampant demonic beasts lately and the night so dark, Ping Jie, please be careful."
After a moment of thought, he suggested, "How about I escort Ping Jie back?"
Qing Ping chuckled, "My cultivation level is much higher than yours, there's no need for you to escort me."
She gently patted Gao Xian's hand and sighed softly, "Take care of yourself, don't go out. I just can't rest assured about you..."
"Sister, you're so kind."
Gao Xian feigned being moved, but he felt his emotions were lacking, his acting skills far inferior to Qing Ping's, clearly not invested enough.
He felt a bit ashamed of this.
"Silly girl,"
Qing Ping lightly touched Gao Xian's cheek, then tiptoed to give him a deep kiss.
Although Gao Xian knew she was acting, her charm was powerful, and he couldn't help but play along.
In his mind, he consoled himself, "Others are so dedicated, although my acting skills are lacking, this dedication is necessary..."
As their entanglement grew more intense, Qing Ping suddenly pushed Gao Xian away gently, "You still have important matters, don't delay."
Qing Ping tenderly wiped Gao Xian's lips, her voice filled with reluctance, "I'll leave first."
This time, Gao Xian didn't need to act, he truly felt a bit reluctant.
Qing Ping was indeed a demoness, but she was exceptionally good at playing...
As he escorted Qing Ping out of the gate, both Qing Ping and Gao Xian were reluctant to part, holding hands intimately and chatting, when Zhu Qianniang arrived.
Zhu Qianniang arrived quickly, catching Gao Xian and Qing Ping in a joyous moment.
When he noticed Zhu Qianniang's presence, he was caught off guard.
He couldn't just pull his hand away directly, as that would seem suspicious.
Qing Ping was far inferior in this aspect, only noticing the additional person when Zhu Qianniang arrived by her side.
Although the sky was dark, her gaze was sharp, immediately recognizing the owner of the Changsheng Hall, Zhu Qianniang.
Just yesterday, they had marked a child with the Crimson Blood Seal on Zhu Qianniang.
This Crimson Blood Seal was refined from the flesh and blood of a young Ironscale Demon Tiger cub, and when activated, it would attract the Ironscale Demon Tiger.
Out of hatred for the enemy who killed its cub, the Ironscale Demon Tiger would surely kill Zhu Qianniang.
The Ironscale Demon Tiger was too dangerous to control directly, so they could only guide it with the Crimson Blood Seal.
Therefore, they all kept their distance and were unaware of the specific events from the previous night.
In Qing Ping's eyes, Zhu Qianniang was undoubtedly doomed.
After recognizing Zhu Qianniang, a hint of shock was evident on her face.
Gao Xian, who was facing Qing Ping, though most of his attention was on Zhu Qianniang, clearly noticed Qing Ping's subtle expression of shock.
He immediately felt something was amiss.
Even if Qing Ping knew Zhu Qianniang, there was no reason for her to be so shocked.
All this time, he had been using the excuse of helping Changsheng Hall refine pills to deceive Qing Ping.
It was perfectly reasonable for Zhu Qianniang to come looking for him.
With Qing Ping's intelligence, why would she be so shocked?
Gao Xian discreetly let go of Qing Ping's hand, saying, "Ping Jie, the guest has arrived, so I won't escort you. Be safe on your way back."
Qing Ping also regained her composure, "I'll leave now, we'll chat another day."
She politely nodded at Zhu Qianniang before turning and swiftly walking away.
Zhu Qianniang coldly glanced at Qing Ping's departing figure, finding something about the woman displeasing.
It wasn't because of the intimacy between her and Gao Xian, but rather a sense of repugnant worldliness emanating from her.
She looked at Gao Xian, intending to offer a few words of caution, but unsure of how to broach the subject.
After the battle of the previous night and their intimacy that morning, her relationship with Gao Xian had become more complicated.
Gao Xian also felt a bit guilty, but he reacted quickly, pulling Zhu Qianniang into the courtyard and swiftly closing the gate.
Without waiting for Zhu Qianniang to speak, Gao Xian said, "There's something off about this woman!"
Zhu Qianniang looked somewhat strange as she replied, "You know too!"
"The identity of this woman is suspicious, I know that, but due to our past relationship, I've been brushing it off," Gao Xian hurriedly explained. "What I mean is, she might be up to something, causing you to be pursued by the Ironscale Demon Tiger."
"Hmm?" Zhu Qianniang began to doubt.
She had no acquaintance with this woman, so why would she want to harm her? Furthermore, this woman was only at the fourth or fifth level of Qi cultivation, how could she harm her?
"The situation inside is a bit complicated, I can't explain it right now. I'll go check the situation first. Qianniang, you wait at home," Gao Xian said before quickly activating his Fragrance Sensing Technique, followed by the Wind Riding Technique on his boots, and finally the Shadowless Garment.
The three spells were cast in quick succession, showcasing Gao Xian's exquisite control over magic.
Zhu Qianniang watched as ripples of water-like energy shimmered around Gao Xian, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared completely.
Although they were only a few feet apart, she couldn't perceive anything unusual, which amazed her even more.
Just a few days ago, when Gao Xian demonstrated the Shadowless Garment, she could still detect anomalies up close.
In just a few days, Gao Xian's Shadowless Garment had clearly improved significantly.
It was evident that Gao Xian possessed extraordinary talent in magic.
Despite being only at the third level of Qi cultivation, he could defeat the Ironscale Demon Tiger with his spells.
Every time she witnessed Gao Xian casting spells, Zhu Qianniang couldn't help but marvel.
This radiant and charismatic Gao Xian was truly captivating.
As Zhu Qianniang marveled, she saw the gate open, and as Gao Xian made contact with the outside world, the Shadowless Garment on him rippled like water, revealing a faint silhouette.
"Close the gate and wait for me at home," Gao Xian instructed before hastily leaving.
In the cold and windy weather, his personal scent wouldn't linger for long, so he had to act quickly.
Fortunately, his Fragrance Sensing Technique had reached the master level, allowing him to capture scents with terrifying accuracy, even detecting various energies beyond just scents, such as magical energy and spiritual energy.
By observing the world through his Fragrance Sensing Technique, he could perceive the unique scents and energies of all matter and life forms.
Gao Xian filtered out countless scents, leaving only Qing Ping's scent lingering in the air like a clear and undulating beam of light, clearly indicating her whereabouts.
In no time, Gao Xian caught up to Qing Ping.
He maintained a distance of two zhang (approx. 6 meters), following closely behind her.
By now, the night was deep, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the street.
Despite this, Qing Ping was very cautious, always yielding to others she encountered.
Feima Ji was a small place, and in no time, Qing Ping reached the outskirts to the east.
She stopped in front of a dilapidated large courtyard.
After glancing around, not noticing anything amiss, she gently knocked on the door.
Soon, the door opened, and a shifty-looking man greeted her, bowing obsequiously, "Ping Jie, you're back."
"Where's Er Ge?" Qing Ping inquired.
"He's in the room drinking," the man replied.
As they conversed, Qing Ping entered the courtyard.
Neither of them noticed that Gao Xian had followed them inside.
Gao Xian noticed that the courtyard was quite spacious, with large rooms despite the dilapidated appearance.
The rooms were lit with oil lamps, and there was a cacophony of voices, even a bit rowdy.
The main room, however, seemed quiet, as if there were only a few people inside.
Gao Xian made a rough estimate and concluded that there were at least sixteen people present, including the man who opened the door and Qing Ping.
Qing Ping entered the main room, and Gao Xian hesitated before deciding not to follow.
It wouldn't be difficult to enter, as Qing Ping's cultivation level would make it nearly impossible for her to detect his presence.
However, the challenge would be how to leave once inside!
On a bitterly cold night, the people inside the room were likely to stay indoors all night.
Gao Xian approached a window, listening intently.
As the saying goes, to know the innermost secrets, one must listen to what is said behind one's back.
"Why did you come back?" the man inside spoke gruffly, with a hint of displeasure. "Didn't I tell you, you have to sleep with that kid. Men can't resist that!"
"Er Ye, Zhu Qianniang isn't dead," Qing Ping's voice carried a hint of unease.
"How is that possible!" The man's voice also held a touch of shock.
Although Gao Xian couldn't see what was happening inside, through the subtle sounds and energies, he could vividly imagine the situation between Qing Ping and the man.
"I just saw Zhu Qianniang, she went to find Gao Xian," Qing Ping said. "I was also taken aback."
The man fell silent for a moment before saying, "The Crimson Blood Seal should be foolproof. Could it be that Zhu Qianniang found someone to kill the Ironscale Demon Tiger?"
He muttered to himself, "Is there another Foundation Establishment cultivator in Feima Ji?"
Qing Ping said, "Regardless, we need to be cautious. If the Lianyun Sect investigates us, it could be dangerous."
"Both Foundation Establishment demonic beasts we attracted were killed, so it's currently difficult to attract powerful demonic beasts again."
The man said, "Forget it, we'll return to the mountains in a few days. Don't bother, wait for an opportunity to capture that kid. Once he's in our hands, he'll have to behave, whether he likes it or not!"
Qing Ping agreed, "This kid is getting more slippery. Directly capturing him would be better. When the time comes, you play the villain, and I'll play the good person. With a mix of soft and hard approaches, that kid will obediently do as told..."
"Damn it, these scoundrels are truly despicable!"
Gao Xian's anger surged, and he clenched the hilt of his Qing Frost Sword at his waist, his eyes revealing a fierce killing intent.
(End of this chapter)