Venting Anger

*Clink...* The token was still tumbling across the floor when it abruptly vanished. A soft, sinister chuckle echoed through the hall. "Hmph... Old Ghost Fang and Shentu, those two old bastards, won't rest until they drag me down into the mud. I can't even get any peace hiding here..." The next moment, a figure materialized out of thin air before everyone. He had a slender frame and looked to be a young man in his twenties, extraordinarily handsome, with a dazzling smile that nevertheless carried a gloomy chill. At some point, the token had ended up in his hand. No one had detected the slightest fluctuation. Only when he revealed himself and their eyes fell upon him did they startle in sheer fright, realizing this person had to be the Core Formation cultivator named Pei Qin! *Whoosh!* Pei Qin reached out and drew the unconscious Cultivator Liu toward his hand, grasping him by the throat. A mass of bizarre, multicolored light flared from his palm and poured into Cultivator Liu's body. After a groan, Cultivator Liu came to again, his face twisted in extreme agony. Pei Qin pinched Cultivator Liu's chin, lifting it upward to force his eyes open. Their gazes met, and Cultivator Liu suddenly went slack and blank. The pain seemed to intensify, wracking his entire body with convulsions. Strange lights flickered repeatedly in Pei Qin's eyes as he interrogated Cultivator Liu using some peculiar technique. A moment later, Cultivator Liu lapsed into total unconsciousness once more. Pei Qin gave a cold snort and tossed Cultivator Liu into the Gatekeeper's hands. His figure turned hazy, on the verge of vanishing on the spot, but he paused abruptly. Turning to cast his gaze around the hall, a sinister smile curled across his lips. "When the Lesser Cold Domain is in peril, all cultivators are duty-bound to act. Disciples of the Eight Righteous Sects, hear my command! Follow me two hundred li due south of the Luandao Waters to face the enemy. The rest of you may do as you please—just run north. You'd best not harbor any crooked ideas; I remember your faces. If I don't see you on the battlefield and track you down later, we'll see whether those sanctimonious old bastards will put righteousness before family! Heheh..." While his voice still echoed through the hall, Pei Qin was already gone. Dead silence fell over the hall. Suddenly, a figure bolted toward the stone houses. Then came a flurry of whooshing sounds as the cultivators outside the Eight Righteous Sects scrambled toward the exit, vying to be the first out. Only a few people stood frozen in place, staring at one another. Before fleeing, those people cast glancing looks at them, whether intentionally or not. Some held pity, some mockery, and some gloated at their misfortune... Qin Sang's face was completely dark. The exit was within arm's reach, yet his legs felt as heavy as lead, refusing to budge. At the very last instant, Qin Sang had felt Pei Qin's gaze pierce through his mask and land upon his face. This mask was not a particularly high-grade magic tool and could not block the spiritual sense of a Core Formation cultivator. Qin Sang had never expected to become the target of a Core Formation master's displaced wrath. With his true appearance seen by Pei Qin, there was no room for maneuver. If Pei Qin truly followed through on his words, even Qi Yuanshou wouldn't be able to protect him. In the end, only the few of them remained in the hall. The Gatekeeper cupped his hands. "Fellow Daoists, this concludes our trade fair. Please do as you see fit." With that, he walked off briskly. Remarkably few disciples of the Eight Righteous Sects were present at this trade fair—only nine in total, including Qin Sang—and Qin Sang had found no fellow disciples from Shaohua Mountain. Fortunately, disciples hailing from the Eight Righteous Sects were bound to possess respectable strength, and their cultivation levels were not low either. Among the nine, there were three at late Foundation Establishment. "I am Cang Ling of the Chunyang Sect. May I know how to address you two Fellow Daoists?" Seeing one of the late Foundation Establishment cultivators turn to look his way, Qin Sang knew concealment was pointless now. He removed his mask and said, "Qin Sang of Shaohua Mountain!" "Fan Zhen of the Yuanshen Sect!" The other late Foundation Establishment cultivator pulled down his hood as well, speaking coldly without even glancing at Qin Sang. Qin Sang's heart stirred. Ever since Senior Qingzhu stormed the Yuanshen Sect and slew two Golden Cores, Shaohua Mountain and the Yuanshen Sect had nearly turned on each other. In the end, both sides had exercised restraint and war was averted, but relations had plummeted to freezing point. Disciples of the two sects regarded each other with hostility. Qin Sang had stayed first at Xuanlu Pass and later at Qingyang Market, rarely coming into contact with Yuanshen Sect cultivators, and now he saw that the rumors were indeed true. Seeing Fan Zhen's cold attitude, Qin Sang certainly had no intention of fawning over him. Ignoring Fan Zhen, he cupped his hands toward Cang Ling. "Daoist Cang possesses the highest cultivation among us and must already have a sound plan. Why not share it with us? I will surely follow your lead." Cang Ling gave a bitter smile. "That senior vented his anger on us and refused to divulge any details about what lies ahead. Blind to the situation, I cannot come up with any good plan either. However, we cannot linger here. If we arrive late and miss our chance in battle, he will find another excuse to fault us. If none of you intend to disobey his orders, we might as well set out and confer on a plan along the way..." Hearing Cang Ling's words, the crowd felt even more resentment in their hearts. Someone gnashed his teeth. "Judging by his conduct, that man is eight parts out of ten from the demonic sects!" "What that senior said wasn't entirely wrong, either. When the Lesser Cold Domain is in peril, our generation of cultivators is duty-bound to act, heheh..." An old man let out a dry laugh, but seeing no one respond, he looked rather embarrassed. *Do you even believe your own words?* Qin Sang cast a sidelong glance at the old man and said, "Mind your words, everyone! Daoist Cang is right—no matter what, we must make this trip. After you..." Qin Sang and Cang Ling were the first to dash out of the hall, and the others followed close behind. Above the Yuncang Great Marsh, water and sky met at the horizon, dotted by countless islands. Fish swam deep in the water, birds soared through the air, and an air of serenity prevailed. There was not the slightest sign of a great battle. "No need for everyone to be disheartened. Since it isn't an all-out offensive, the scoundrels of the Heaven-Traversing Alliance may not be all that strong. Besides, Senior Fang and the others certainly won't have summoned only our group as reinforcements. Senior Fang and his peers will hold the line against the Core Formation cultivators. We can bide our time and act as opportunities arise. If we can turn the tables and personally slay a few scoundrels from the Heaven-Traversing Alliance, it would be a major merit. If the situation proves untenable, we will fight while retreating and seek a chance to slip away. Even if our sects investigate later, we'll have an excuse. What do you all think...?" The group formed a simple battle formation, suppressed their auras, and flew south. Cang Ling's words aligned perfectly with Qin Sang's thoughts, and looking at the expressions of the others, they were swayed as well. Qin Sang prepared himself, gazing into the distance as he pondered secretly. Joining forces with others was the last thing he wanted; it prevented him from using his trump cards and severely impaired his strength. Yet if his life was on the line, nothing else mattered—saving his own skin took precedence. Still, in this vast world, where could he flee? Reining in his thoughts, Qin Sang saw the vast expanse of the rocky island waters and knew they would not reach the battlefield anytime soon. Seizing a free moment, he sent a voice transmission to Cang Ling: "Daoist Cang, might you know a Fellow Daoist Han in your sect? He was formerly the patriarch of the Han clan and an old friend of mine. I haven't seen him in years and wonder how he's faring..." "You mean Senior Brother Han, Brother Qin? Of course I know him!" Cang Ling gave a hearty laugh, his voice tinged with envy. "Senior Brother Han has excellent talent and an enviable stroke of fortune. He was taken in as the personal disciple of a martial uncle and kept in his cave abode for meticulous instruction. It's said he is on the verge of completing his cultivation and preparing for Core Formation... The next time you see Senior Brother Han, Brother Qin, he might already be a Golden Core Master!"