A moment later, the spirit bamboo flying boat parted the sea of fire and came to an abrupt halt before him.
Spinning around, Qin Sang thrust his ebony sword, while Yunyouzi drove his magic tool forward to meet the strike. As the two clashed, spiritual power whistled and attacks flew back and forth. What seemed like a thrilling duel was in truth entirely under their control—nothing more than a facade.
While feigning battle, they rapidly communicated through spiritual sense.
Only after this exchange did Qin Sang finally learn the full story.
Back when Qin Sang had transmitted his message using the Concentric Pendant, Sheng Yuanzi and Luo Xingnan had already received word from an inside informant even earlier, and their two parties had happened to cross paths.
By that time, it was already impossible for Yunyouzi and Ge Yuan to break away from the group. However, upon learning from Qin Sang that Yu Kong had laid a trap, they had seized the chance to agree on an escape plan.
Yet unexpectedly, when the sudden catastrophe struck, Luo Xingnan had already been on guard. What was more, he had prepared a talisman treasure in advance, relying on its power to cripple a king hook serpent. Seeing this, Yunyouzi realized there had to be more going on beneath the surface. He immediately abandoned the thought of fleeing on his own and chose to remain undercover at Luo Xingnan's side.
Before escaping, Luo Xingnan had even taken the opportunity to stab Sheng Yuanzi in the back, or else Sheng Yuanzi wouldn't have died so quickly.
In the end, because the pack of hook serpents was simply too formidable, most of the cultivators had still perished in the beasts' jaws; only five of them had escaped alive.
Luo Xingnan had feigned death, pulling off an audacious deception.
In an instant, their roles were reversed: Yu Kong had become the prey, and Luo Xingnan the hunter.
"Taking advantage of the chaos, I helped Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan escape. He's outside the restriction right now, and his Concentric Pendant is still intact. For now, we'll let Luo Xingnan scout the way for us. Once you meet up with him, wait for word from me..." Yunyouzi said.
Qin Sang mentally weighed their numbers and couldn't help but frown deeply.
Their side had only three people.
Luo Xingnan was the sole expert at the middle Foundation Establishment stage. Add to that the three others, including the elder surnamed Gong, and their strength was already several times that of his own group. Now they had gained further reinforcement: Shangguan Lifeng was also on Luo Xingnan's side, Wu Chen had been captured alive, and Yan Wu's fate remained unknown.
The disparity between the two sides could no longer be described merely as vast. Even if they operated from the shadows, accomplishing anything once they entered the mountain would be exceptionally difficult.
"I don't know if you've noticed, Brother Qin, but the auras of these spirit herbs are somewhat unusual. I suspect there aren't nearly as many spirit herbs on the mountain as there appear to be, and there most likely won't be enough to go around," Yunyouzi added, delivering another piece of unwelcome news.
"What did you notice, Senior?"
Qin Sang asked in a low voice. If there weren't enough spirit herbs to share, conflict was inevitable.
Yunyouzi shook his head. "I can't say for certain right now either. It's just that most of the auras feel far too faint and dim, nothing like what thousand-year spirit herbs ought to possess. Still, who knows what restrictions remain on the mountain; that radiance might not reflect the true auras of the spirit herbs. Even so, we must prepare for the worst."
Yunyouzi hailed from the Taiyi Dan Sect and possessed profound mastery of the Dao of alchemy. For him to say as much meant he was likely seventy percent certain.
Discarding any wishful thinking, Qin Sang considered their options.
Their opponents held overwhelming strength. Snatching food from the tiger's maw would require careful planning.
Even if the chances were slim, they had to give it everything they had.
"From what I've observed, those three might not be willing to follow Luo Xingnan to the bitter end," Yunyouzi explained, briefly introducing Luo Xingnan's helpers. "The scholar in white doesn't seem to have any close ties to Luo Xingnan; he's just a rogue cultivator who was unwittingly swept into this. When the hook serpents surrounded us, Luo Xingnan showed no intention of looking out for him. That man has superb escape arts, relying on extremely agile footwork to weave through the battlefield without taking a single wound, which was how he kept up in time. The hook-nosed man is surnamed Yin. He originally belonged to Sheng Yuanzi's camp, but he proved quite decisive—to save his own skin, he defected on the spot, ambushing Sheng Yuanzi and throwing his lot in with Luo Xingnan. Only the elder surnamed Gong holds a truly close connection to Luo Xingnan, having been planted by him as a mole under Sheng Yuanzi. He enjoys Luo Xingnan's deep trust, and he was the only person Luo Xingnan made sure to bring along when fleeing."
Hearing this, Qin Sang felt considerably relieved.
The other side was not a monolith. Aside from the elder surnamed Gong, the other two could be swayed. Provided the stakes were high enough, they could turn on Luo Xingnan at any moment.
Neither he nor Yunyouzi was greedy; they sought only the spirit herbs they needed, and if pushed to extremes, they could even trade other concessions.
Yet if the herbs on the mountain fell short of Luo Xingnan's appetite, would he willingly share the spoils?
Luo Xingnan was the strongest among them, with trusted allies by his side. He would only need to give a share to appease his confidants, and seizing everyone else's portion would pose no challenge.
The rest were nothing more than a loose sheet of sand, completely lacking the courage to challenge Luo Xingnan.
With a bit of manipulation when the time came, they could stir up a tempest.
"How much do you know about Yu Kong's people, Junior Brother Qin?" Yunyouzi asked, pointedly adding, "As for Shangguan Lifeng, even Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan had no idea Shao Chunhui had a disciple. What sort of character does he have?"
Qin Sang understood what Yunyouzi was driving at.
If Shangguan Lifeng was someone who repaid kindness, then after Luo Xingnan helped avenge his master's death, he would surely follow Luo Xingnan's every command and could never be swayed.
Memories from this recent period flickered through Qin Sang's mind, only for him to realize his impression of Shangguan Lifeng was exceptionally vague. The man was reticent, clutching his precious saber all day long to contemplate saber intent and rarely speaking with others.
Unless it was an act, a person of such temperament was unlikely to commit treachery.
Qin Sang shared his assessment with Yunyouzi, and the two immediately categorized Shangguan Lifeng as firmly on Luo Xingnan's side.
"Wu Chen is definitely a rogue cultivator," Qin Sang said, pausing briefly before continuing. "The one who fled in with me is called Yan Wu, a confidant of Yu Kong's."
"Luo Xingnan, the elder surnamed Gong, and Shangguan Lifeng; you, me, and Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan; plus the man surnamed Yin, the scholar in white, and Wu Chen..."
Yunyouzi's tone grew increasingly relaxed. "If you can find an opportunity to steal the spirit herbs, Brother Qin, that would be ideal. Even if it comes to an open confrontation, six against three, we might very well have the upper hand. Later, as we push through the restrictions, people might get injured or even fall—after all, Luo Xingnan certainly won't have his own confidants scout the way... Still, as long as the timing is right, our strength won't be much weaker than Luo Xingnan's. There is great hope for this endeavor! Right now, every extra man is an extra bit of strength. If we can save Yan Wu, so much the better."
Their spiritual sense exchange had been extremely swift; though they had covered so much ground, only a few breaths of time had passed, leaving plenty of time to save Yan Wu.
Qin Sang frowned secretly, but ultimately nodded in agreement.
The friction between him and Yan Wu wasn't trivial, but it wasn't insurmountable either. Besides, Yan Wu was the one who had lost face, while Qin Sang hadn't suffered at all, so there was little reason to brood over it.
His prior wariness toward Yan Wu had been due to Yu Kong's presence. Now that Yu Kong was dead, Yan Wu had lost his backer, and Qin Sang genuinely did not consider him a threat.
Yunyouzi was right: seizing the herbs was their top priority, and the bigger picture came first.
Naturally, this did not mean Qin Sang let his guard down around Yan Wu; it was merely using Yan Wu to balance Luo Xingnan, and he would keep a close eye on Yan Wu's movements at all times.
Making up their minds without delay, the two put away their magic tools and boarded Yunyouzi's spirit bamboo flying boat.
Chapter 295