An Unexpected Turn

Whenever Yu Batian returned to his sect, he always took this route. The mountain hollow was filled with a pungent stench of blood. As time passed, the wind dispersed the odor. In the chaotic hollow, a corpse lay sprawled among the wild weeds, completely devoid of breath. Qin Sang lay inside the coffin, staying alert to his surroundings. Unexpectedly, after waiting for just under an hour, there was still no sign of Yu Batian. Qin Sang frowned inwardly. Could that punk still not be done having his fun, planning not to return today? If that were the case, Qin Sang would have no choice but to activate his backup plan and pick someone else. But doing so would require starting his preparations all over again, wasting far too much time. Qin Sang worried that if things dragged on too long, more variables would arise, and he would be unable to suppress the corpse transformation. He decided to wait for another two hours. If Yu Batian still did not appear by then, he likely would not be coming today, and it could only be blamed on Yu Batian lacking the fortune to enjoy such an opportunity. Sealed inside the coffin, unable to move, Qin Sang calmed his mind, reviewed his plan from start to finish, and began letting his thoughts wander. Reflecting on what he was currently doing, Qin Sang resolved that if he ever encountered such an opportunity in the future, he must be far more cautious. The wind rustled through the treetops. Right then, Qin Sang's expression shifted inside the coffin, and he instinctively straightened his posture within the corpse coffin. Someone was coming! The newcomer was still quite far away; Qin Sang could only faintly sense someone employing an evasion technique and flying toward his location. As for whether it was Yu Batian, it was impossible to tell for the moment. After waiting briefly, Qin Sang noticed that the person's flight speed was rather sluggish—hardly what a Foundation Establishment cultivator should possess. He could not help but frown. Could it not be Yu Batian after all? Before long, the traveler finally flew directly above the mountain hollow. She immediately noticed the anomaly below. Next, Qin Sang heard a soft gasp of surprise—it was actually a woman's voice! It truly was not Yu Batian. Qin Sang's heart sank. He had not anticipated that after every preceding step had gone so smoothly, an unexpected turn would crop up here. With a faint whoosh, the startled woman flickered and ducked into the mountain forest, concealing herself. Qin Sang lay quietly inside the coffin, making no rash moves. Despite having his scheme stumbled upon by an unforeseen party, Qin Sang did not immediately alter his plan, for he sensed the aura of Qingyang demonic fire radiating from her. The woman was also a disciple of the Qingyang Demonic Sect! Her aura was unfamiliar, however; during all his years in the Qingyang Market, Qin Sang had never crossed paths with her. The gap in their cultivation was far too vast. Although the woman did everything she could to conceal her aura, she could not hide from Qin Sang's perception. Interestingly, after discovering the abnormal scene in the hollow and being thoroughly alarmed, she did not flee in terror. Instead, believing herself well hidden, she remained motionless in the forest. She had evidently discerned the state of the corpse down in the hollow. Qin Sang sensed that her cultivation was at the twelfth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, merely a hair's breadth away from Foundation Establishment. After a brief contemplation, Qin Sang put away his stray thoughts, sealed his spiritual sense, guarded his mind, and ignored all external matters. At this moment, a deathly stillness filled the coffin, as though it truly held a sealed refined corpse. Now that someone had stumbled upon the plan, revising it would cost far too much time. Since the newcomer was also a disciple of the Qingyang Demonic Sect, he might as well roll with the punches and see it through. It all depended on whether the woman had the nerve! The woods on either side of the hollow were deathly silent, which, combined with the chaotic scene below, lent the place an eerie atmosphere. After a while, a figure suddenly poked out from a thicket of trees. It turned out to be a fairly young girl. The girl was dressed like a martial heroine of the mortal realm, yet her demeanor lacked any sharpness, appearing somewhat frail instead. Her eyes in particular looked as though she had just been crying, slightly red and swollen; her clear, lucid gaze drew pity from anyone who saw her. Cautiously parting the leaves, she peered downward. Following the trail of blood along the valley, her gaze locked onto the prone corpse. The mustard seed bag at the corpse's waist thoroughly captured her attention. She bit her lip, struggle and worry showing on her face. A moment later, she suddenly glanced back in the direction she had come, and the anxiety in her eyes was abruptly replaced by bone-deep hatred. Gritting her silver teeth, the girl waved a hand and pulled a small sparrow out of the woods with her magic. The sparrow landed in her palm, struggling briefly before quieting down. The girl tapped it several times with her finger, then released it. The sparrow spread its wings and soared high, flying all the way to the crests on both sides and circling the perimeter several times before swiftly returning. At this point, the tension on the girl's face eased slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she pointed at the sparrow and then directed it toward the corpse. The sparrow instantly plunged at astonishing speed, crashing straight into the corpse's head. *Boom!* The restriction placed on the sparrow detonated, effortlessly shattering the corpse's skull into pieces. *Whoosh!* The next instant, the girl darted out of the thicket, sweeping to the side of the corpse at top speed. Grabbing the mustard seed bag, she waved her hand to unleash a burst of flame, burning the corpse to erase all traces. Just as she was about to leap away, the girl suddenly noticed the corpse coffin sitting completely unharmed amidst the sea of fire. "A demonic corpse cultivator?" The girl froze, her figure pausing. To a demonic corpse cultivator, the most precious possession on their person was their refined corpse. Now that the master was dead, this refined corpse was an ownerless object. Yet the person was dead, so why did the refined corpse in the coffin appear entirely unscathed? Frowning as though recalling something, the girl hastily sank her mind into the mustard seed bag and easily found the jade slip placed prominently inside. The more she read of its contents, the more astonished she became. Skimming rapidly over the final section, sudden realization dawned on her. She actually grabbed the corpse coffin, hoisted it onto her back, thoroughly destroyed every remaining trace in the hollow, and fled swiftly. The girl flew toward her sect with all her might, constantly glancing back along the way. Only when she drew near the sect grounds and found no pursuers did she truly set her mind at ease. Clutching the mustard seed bag tightly, she could not conceal the excitement in her eyes. From her cursory glance earlier, she had already noticed countless precious treasures inside—their quality and quantity beyond anything she could have imagined. She had actually obtained all the worldly belongings of a Foundation Establishment cultivator! And then there was the refined corpse, which in her eyes was the most valuable prize of all, worth more than everything in the mustard seed bag combined. Thinking of the refined corpse, a thought crossed her mind. She suddenly veered course and flew toward the Qingyang Market, ultimately landing in a secluded spot outside the market. "Phew!" The girl exhaled softly, feeling her heart still pounding relentlessly. Squatting down with her arms wrapped around her knees, she patted her flushed, burning cheeks with both hands, only then gradually calming her emotions. Then, unable to wait any longer, she took out the jade slip and examined it closely. The secret technique recorded within was beyond her wildest imagination. She could not help wondering whether such a miraculous corpse-refining method truly existed in this world. Putting the jade slip away, she turned toward the corpse coffin beside her. After a moment's hesitation, she brought out two protective magic tools for defense, stepped far back, and opened the corpse coffin. Before her eyes lay a green-faced, fanged refined corpse, resting quietly inside the corpse coffin. As Qin Sang 'saw' the girl's true appearance, he also recognized her true identity.