"Oh~ Here they come, here they come."
As Wu Qingce erupted with profound energy and began moving at speed, Jiang Beiran's spiritual sense immediately detected the fourth-rank Mysterious Master from the teahouse earlier quietly following behind them. 'Tracking us without releasing any energy? Definitely not the methods of a righteous sect.'
[Option mission completed. Reward: Flower Cultivation +1] Hearing the system's prompt, Jiang Beiran also released his own profound energy and began following Wu Qingce toward Birch Leaf Forest. ......
Meanwhile, at the southeastern corner of Birch Leaf Forest, Ma Bojun, who was keeping watch, suddenly heard a voice in his ear.
"Lame Horse, two cultivators are heading toward Birch Leaf Forest."
Ma Bojun, who had been resting, immediately opened his eyes and used Heavenly Escape Voice Transmission to ask, "What level?"
"One at Mysterious Practitioner ninth rank, the other... only Qi Refining fifth rank."
"Got it. I'll ask the boss how to handle this."
After speaking, Ma Bojun turned toward the northwest direction of the forest and transmitted: "Boss, the Vet says a ninth-rank Mysterious Practitioner is coming this way. What do we do?" Inside the forest, Qin Zi'an was observing the Lightning-Striped Beast and Evil Laughing Beast below that were poised to fight.
Hearing Ma Bojun's report, he replied, "These two exotic beasts are probably about to start fighting. Let's not complicate things—just kill them."
"Understood."
Acknowledging the order, Ma Bojun transmitted back to the Vet Mao Quan: "Boss says to eliminate them directly."
"Ha! I like that answer. Leave it to me."
A short while later, Ma Bojun tried contacting Mao Quan again via Heavenly Escape Voice Transmission, intending to tell him to make it quick—none of his usual drawn-out methods of disemboweling people while they were still alive. They had serious business to attend to.
'Hm?
Why can't I sense this kid's presence anymore? What's going on?' Sensing something amiss, Ma Bojun immediately transmitted to Qin Zi'an: "Boss, something seems wro—" Mid-sentence, Ma Bojun saw a fist the size of a clay pot coming straight at him.
"Ah!"
With a pained howl, Ma Bojun tumbled from the tree.
"Lame Horse!?"
Hearing Ma Bojun's scream, Qin Zi'an felt a chill run down his spine. Ma Bojun's voice had been normal when he transmitted—it didn't sound like he was in combat. That meant he'd likely been taken out without even noticing his attacker.
'The intruder is highly stealthy, extremely fast, and very powerful!' Having determined these three points, Qin Zi'an immediately shouted to his three other companions in the forest: "Everyone regroup on me now! We've got unexpected company."
This time he didn't use Heavenly Escape Voice Transmission but yelled aloud instead. Though it revealed his position, it was also meant to alert the two exotic beasts below, hoping to create more chaos. Hearing their leader's shout, the disciples of the Life-Severing Palace scattered throughout Birch Leaf Forest immediately rushed toward Qin Zi'an's location.
The first to arrive at the rally point was Bao Huo, but what he saw chilled him to the bone. Qin Zi'an lay motionless on the ground, while the two exotic beasts cowered nearby, trembling as if they'd witnessed something terrifying.
"Don't come—" Bao Huo had just turned to warn his approaching comrades when darkness suddenly swallowed his vision, and he lost all consciousness.
Xu Panqing, who had just arrived, witnessed her second senior brother's death. Quickly removing her mask to reveal a stunningly beautiful face, she cried out: "Senior, we mean no harm! We were just passi— uh... you..."
Mid-sentence, Xu Panqing saw a flash of white light. When she clutched her neck, all she felt was gushing blood.
"Junior Sister!!! Ah!!! I'll fight you to the death!"
Watching the burly man charging at him with desperate fury, Jiang Beiran sighed inwardly. 'You're making me look like the villain here...' But thoughts aside, Jiang Beiran's movements didn't slow in the slightest.
A single finger tap to the man's forehead sent him collapsing to the ground.
[Option mission completed. Reward: Strength +1] "Phew..."
As the system notification sounded, Jiang Beiran exhaled and said to Wu Qingce, who was hauling a corpse behind him: "Dispose of the bodies and check their backgrounds."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
Wu Qingce showed no surprise whatsoever that six Mysterious Master-level experts had been instantly dealt with by his senior brother. He obediently went to examine each body.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Who said you could leave? Sit."
Noticing the Lightning-Striped Beast and Evil Laughing Beast trying to sneak away, Jiang Beiran casually picked up a pebble and tossed it in their direction while shouting. Sensing the pebble's power, the two beasts immediately froze, then turned around with ingratiating expressions, all nine of their tails wagging frantically.
Before long, Wu Qingce returned after gathering the bodies and reported: "Senior Brother, they're all disciples of the Life-Severing Palace. Also, I found a Life-Severing Token in the black-clothed man's Universe Ring—probably someone important. But isn't the Life-Severing Palace based around Peaceful River Island?
What are they doing here?"
"Mm. Notice anything else?"
Jiang Beiran nodded and asked.
"Also..."
Wu Qingce's eyes darted around before he answered: "Oh! Senior Brother, your force control has gotten even more precise! That burly— uh..."
Seeing his senior brother's increasingly dumbfounded expression, Wu Qingce lowered his head.
"Sigh..."
Jiang Beiran exhaled deeply and shook his head. 'Don't get angry, don't get angry. I chose this, I chose this.'
After comforting himself, Jiang Beiran dragged Wu Qingce over to the six corpses.
"Alright, I'll give you three chances to recall which of my teachings best applies to this situation."
Wu Qingce's brain worked furiously. After a moment, he raised a finger and declared: "Always destroy the evidence after killing strangers in the wild!
Ah!"
No sooner had he spoken than Wu Qingce yelped in pain, clutching his poor forehead.
"Here's a hint—do things step by step. Two chances left."
Rubbing his swelling forehead, Wu Qingce racked his brain before suddenly exclaiming: "I've got it!"
"Go on."
"The corpses hold many answers I seek!"
"Mm, at least you're not completely hopeless. So then, what have you learned?"
"I..."
Wu Qingce stared at the six bodies for a long time before saying: "That big guy must have been an external martial arts expert. Judging by his muscle distribution, he probably specialized in leg techniques.
Also... uh."
Seeing his senior brother's eyes narrow dangerously again, Wu Qingce knew he'd messed up once more.
"Why do you always manage to return everything I teach you back to me untouched?"
Jiang Beiran asked in genuine bewilderment.
"Because Senior Brother is so much smarter than me. I really can't keep up."
"Brown-nosing won't help."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
"Ah!"
The moment he answered, Wu Qingce felt another knock on his forehead.
"Why!?"
Wu Qingce looked aggrieved.
"Because I read your mind—'Where's the harm in brown-nosing? Senior Brother didn't knock me last time,' isn't that right?"
"Senior Brother... you always say you can't read minds!?"
[Reporting vote tally for bonus chapters: 19th: 5,812 votes - 3 chapters owed, 1 delivered (2 owed) 20th: 3,635 votes - 2 chapters owed, 2 delivered 21st: 2,582 votes - 2 chapters owed, 2 delivered Total outstanding: 2 chapters] (End of Chapter)