Gazing at the mound of ashes, Qin Xuan let out a long breath.
*What tenacious vitality that damned thing had.*
At the same level of cultivation, the Renmao Sect's wood xiao yin body was far more troublesome than the Mount Tong Corpse Refining Great Method of the Xieling Sect. No wonder they dared to contend with Guanjiang Mountain.
The two bursts of flame had reduced that locust-wood yin body to nothing, and its true form was bound to be incinerated along with it.
With swift hands and sharp eyes, Qin Xuan salvaged the hundred-treasure pouch before the fire consumed it.
Suddenly, an unusual sound caught his ear.
"Young Master, there's another one!"
Before her voice had even faded, Gu Mei'er had already revealed her demonic form. Darting like a streak of flying fire, she shot straight toward the direction where the Renmao Sect cultist had first appeared!
Qin Xuan was heavily drained, but there was no time to drink any spirit dew; he immediately gave chase.
After covering a considerable distance, the wrist bell chimed once more.
The fleeing figure ahead clearly lacked the elder's profound magic power and had no such uncanny wood xiao form. His body stiffened instantly.
Qin Xuan caught up on a surge of qi, locked a hand around the man's neck, and activated a sword talisman to slash apart the puppet snakes slithering across the ground.
This man possessed merely Qi Gathering cultivation, but the Renmao Sect's sinister sorcery was eerie and bizarre. Even at close quarters, Qin Xuan remained exceedingly cautious.
The chiming ceased. A flash of red light swept past and transformed into a crimson fox, which lightly alighted upon Qin Xuan's shoulder.
The little fox panted heavily, completely worn out. "He... he almost got away."
"Can you control his soul?"
"Yes, but his magic power must be suppressed."
Hearing the exchange between human and fox, the man let out a furious roar. Before he could voice a threat, Qin Xuan struck him directly in the vital Flowery Pool acupoint, instantly causing his body to go limp.
A faint pink glow welled up in the fox's eyes. The man's gaze darkened, and his eyelids fell shut.
When he opened them again, he was completely dazed.
"Ask him, Young Master."
Mei'er's energy was waning from maintaining the spell, so Qin Xuan dared not dally, keeping his questions brief: "Where's the cat?"
The man replied with a foolish grin, "The cat's kept in a cage at the entrance of the tomb, waiting for Mister Qiu to return so he can slaughter it to go with his wine."
"Were you the ones who abducted the village children?"
"Yes. They're also locked in cages, used as bait to lure out the ancient yaksha ghosts that have haunted that tomb for centuries."
"Mister Qiu said... said those ancient yakshas are perfect for our sect's Puppet Wood Technique. By substituting old ghosts for yin spirits, we can refine wood xiao yin bodies and craft even more puppet snakes and puppet ghosts to set up our plans here."
Qin Xuan pressed, "Plans for what?"
At these words, the man with disheveled hair struggled to resist.
Mei'er urged her soul-controlling technique further before he finally spoke in a halting voice:
"Mister Qiu said he intends to use the Huanyin Sect's hand to take... take a precious medicine from the city that aids in surviving the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation... It's... it's in the hands of a woman."
Qin Xuan and the little fox both stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
The Qiongxiao Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was the Spirit Transformation tribulation undergone by a Nascent Soul cultivator who had opened their Purple Mansion when their cultivation reached its absolute pinnacle!
A precious medicine capable of seeing one through the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation was actually within Pingyuan Commandery City!
The only person Qin Xuan could think of was Madam Wei.
Worried that Mei'er would not be able to hold out, he quickly brought out some spirit dew and fed her a sip.
In that brief interval, the disheveled man regained a sliver of awareness. His face twisted ferociously. "You... prying into this matter, you're courting—"
Before the word "death" could leave his mouth, he was ensnared once more by the fox's gaze.
Qin Xuan took a deep breath. Since this concerned his own survival, he had to know: "With just your lot, how do you expect to wrest that medicine from her?"
"We... we are merely scouts. An expert from the Huanyin Sect will make the move. Besides..."
"Besides... Mister Qiu said that woman was wounded in the East Sea by an ancient ghost from the Netherworld, and she was struck by the Huanyin Sect Master's Six Desires Plague Restriction Great Method. She can't exert even a fraction of her full might..."
A chill crept into Qin Xuan's heart.
He had guessed right: Madam Wei truly was recovering from injuries.
"When will you strike?"
"I... I don't know..."
"Where are the people from the Huanyin Sect?"
"Only Mister Qiu is in contact with them. I heard him say they are currently using the Xieling Sect... to probe whether any Guanjiang Mountain experts are present. Master Feng Wen of the Xieling Sect and a host of elders have mobilized in force and will arrive in a matter of days...
"They... they said they are coming to capture a Yuansong Temple disciple named Qin Xuan, to pry some secret out of him."
Qin Xuan's brow furrowed. The moment the Xieling Sect was mentioned, he knew it involved him.
"Acting so brazenly, are you not afraid of Guanjiang Mountain's retribution?"
Even under soul control, the disheveled man spoke with an arrogant tone: "Our Renmao Sect hails from the Rakshasa Sea of Southern Jambudvipa. We have those who have attained the Dao, and we share close ties with the demon sect's supreme orthodox lineage, the Blood God Palace. We do not fear Guanjiang Mountain."
Hearing him mention these matters, Qin Xuan connected another detail.
"Did you send the demon clans to make a move?"
The man shook his head. "Our sect has no dealings with the demon clans, but the Huanyin Sect Master is closely tied to them."
Qin Xuan wanted to probe deeper into their origins, but the man knew little about the Huanyin Sect.
Thus, he inquired about the Renmao Sect instead:
"What is that Mister Qiu's background? Does he have companions, what has he been doing lately, and who was the one who used the wood xiao yin body just now?"
Having asked so many questions at once, Qin Xuan nearly caused the man's mind to seize up. After a long daze, he finally answered:
"His name is Qiu Bailu, the eldest disciple of the Renmao Sect's Gao Tuoweng. On orders from Sect Master Huai Bo, he accompanied Gao Tuoweng all the way from Southern Jambudvipa to Yunzhou Prefecture on business. He has already attained the Core Formation realm, but because he has been intensely practicing the Wood Demon Great Method in recent years, he neglected refining evil qi. Only after discovering an evil vein in these mountains did he set up the evil-gathering formation.
"Mister Qiu recently went out to look for a few helpers. He has three junior brothers working alongside him. The one who used the wood xiao yin body just now was named Shi Biao. He is the weakest among the three junior brothers, having established his Dao foundation barely three years ago."
Qin Xuan noted every detail, then asked, "If you address him as Mister Qiu, are you not a disciple of the Renmao Sect?"
"I am..." The man offered an infatuated smile. "I am Mister Qiu's most obedient disciple. He prefers to be addressed that way."
Looking at the man's burly, hulking frame and disheveled hair, Qin Xuan felt a shiver of revulsion.
This Qiu Bailu probably harbored some perverse predilection.
Suppressing his disgust, Qin Xuan asked, "When will Mister Qiu return?"
"He left for Chuanlai Commandery to visit friends five days ago. Shi Biao said he... he... he won't be back for another seven or eight days."
The little fox's panting grew heavier; Qin Xuan knew she could not hold out much longer.
"Besides you, is there anyone else?"
"All... all killed by you," the man said, his face suddenly contorting in rage as he snarled, "You ruined Mister Qiu's plans! When he returns, he will make sure you are buried alongside us! You—"
With a snap of his wrist, Qin Xuan broke the man's neck.
The little fox's ears drooped, as though she were utterly spent.
Qin Xuan lifted her up and fed her more spirit dew.
Soul-controlling techniques took an immense toll on one's mind. The fox clan was exceptionally gifted in such arts, which was the only reason Mei'er had lasted this long.
"Young Master, I have no strength left."
"Just lie down; don't move."
Qin Xuan spoke to his shoulder. The little crimson fox curled up and glanced at him sideways. "Aside from the Xieling Sect, does what he said have something to do with you?"
Qin Xuan looked steadily at her. "Do you really want to know?"
"Mm."
The little fox was so clever that there was no keeping it from her. Qin Xuan nodded, then warned, "You must not speak of this to anyone."
"I wouldn't dare," Mei'er murmured, putting on a timid look that Qin Xuan could tell was entirely feigned. In a frail voice, she added, "If I tell, Young Master will unleash a fiend on me..."
Those were the very words Qin Xuan had once used to scare her.
Chapter 47