Chapter 60: Chapter 58: You Wait Here, I’m Going to Buy Some Vinegar
A crafty rabbit has three burrows.
Since the Wei Wen Alliance was opposing the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect, it was only natural they had made preparations and had several hideouts.
And while they appeared to confide in Yang Wuling, they weren’t naive enough to reveal their ultimate safe havens.
Du Youqian entrusted this matter to Little Fatty, who, after some effort, managed to uncover all of the Wei Wen Alliance’s hideouts.
But now, the auras of battle erupting from all over made Du Youqian sigh.
All the hideouts had been exposed.
In truth, this wasn’t surprising.
If Little Fatty could dig up this information, how could the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect possibly not know?
Even though the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect cared little for this place, having only dispatched an Inner Disciple of the Qi Cultivation Stage to oversee the situation.
They were still far beyond what the Loose Cultivators could handle.
Their previous inaction was due to a number of factors.
Lin Sha had candidly admitted it: first, to train and test a few Registered Disciples; second, to gauge the Zhongxuan Sect’s reaction; and third, to wait for all opposition to reveal itself.
And now, it was clearly time for the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect to close the net.
During this period, Wenzhe City had been under a strict curfew. Du Youqian initially saw it as a sign that the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect was about to act, so he deliberately chose not to interfere in his capacity as Garrison, merely keeping a watchful eye from the shadows.
But the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect never made a move, and Du Youqian gradually let his guard down.
He never expected it to all erupt so suddenly today.
Under this thunderous blow, no one in the Wei Wen Alliance would be spared.
"My Lord!" Yang Wuling looked at Du Youqian anxiously, but he didn’t dare speak on behalf of the Wei Wen Alliance.
Immortal Masters were Immortal Masters, and mortals were mortals.
Having grown up in Wenzhe City, he understood perfectly well the vast chasm between Immortal Masters and mortals.
’This Immortal Master might seem kind and pleasant on the surface, but who could guarantee he didn’t view mortals as nothing more than weeds deep down?’
Du Youqian pondered for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"We’ll be having dumplings later. You wait here; I’m going to buy some vinegar."
’The Sect intends to sit back and watch the Wei Wen Alliance’s Loose Cultivators be slaughtered. I can’t change the grand scheme of things, but it still doesn’t sit right with me.’
Yang Wuling wasn’t foolish enough to ask something like, "What dumplings?"
~~~~~~~~~~~
A figure like a wisp of smoke darted through the moonlight.
Suddenly, the smoke stilled, revealing the silhouette of a man.
Then, as if blown by the wind, it began to disperse again.
"Hee hee hee hee hee!" A string of flirtatious giggles, enough to make a man’s heart flutter and his mouth go dry, echoed through the air. A woman’s figure appeared, draped in light gauze that tantalizingly hinted at the fine form beneath. "So you’re the Garrison here, big brother? What a handsome gentleman. Come and play with me!"
The smoke-like man had no desire to get entangled with her. The wisp of smoke split into several smaller threads, each drifting in a different direction.
"Trying to run?" Amidst her giggles, the woman flew in pursuit. She stood upon a strip of Red Silk, hovering three feet off the ground, her robes fluttering like a Divine Maiden as she latched onto one of the wisps of smoke.
She formed a series of hand seals, casting one spell of Magic after another.
With no other choice, the smoke-like man solidified his form once more. He dispelled her Magic with a wave of his hand, but instead of counterattacking, he continued to flee.
"Hmph! You’re no fun at all, Mr. Garrison. You won’t play with me, and now I’m upset!" The woman in light gauze, riding her Red Silk, pouted and continued her relentless pursuit.
After a long chase under the moonlight, the wisp of smoke suddenly stopped before a pitch-black, unlit courtyard and let out a long sigh.
At the base of the courtyard wall, more than a dozen figures appeared.
Among them were two men and two women. Judging by their triumphant expressions, they were clearly from the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect.
The other ten or so people—a mix of men and women, old and young—all looked listless and defeated, their postures meek and subservient.
One of them was a Cultivator from the Wei Wen Alliance. Du Youqian had read the intelligence report; his surname should be Geng.
One of his arms was missing, and large patches of blood stained the corner of his mouth and his chest.
His chest rose and fell faintly; he was clearly on his last breath.
Seeing the stranger appear, a glimmer of light sparked in his eyes—his will to live had been rekindled.
But when he saw Du Youqian’s predicament and then looked back at the members of the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect surrounding them, the light in his eyes dimmed once more.
The woman on the Red Silk stopped behind Du Youqian, completing the encirclement.
Du Youqian observed for a moment, sensing that something was off. He discreetly scanned his surroundings.
"No need to look. I am right here." Dressed in a provocative, form-fitting gown with intricate cutouts, Chen Yingzhi descended from the top of the courtyard wall as if walking on moonlight.
’Logically, someone in the Qi Cultivation Stage should be utterly incapable of such a feat without external aid. She must be using some kind of Blinding Technique to intimidate me.’
Du Youqian narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could sense that this woman’s Cultivation was also at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, though it was hard to tell which specific level.
Her Magical Power seemed even more abundant than his, and he estimated she had nearly as many Magical Artifacts as he did.
’She won’t be easy to deal with.’
"Fellow Daoist, do not be alarmed," Chen Yingzhi said with a smile. "I have no wish to be your enemy. You are free to go."
Despite her words, she was sizing Du Youqian up carefully.
’I wonder what’s so special about him that would make Senior Sister Lin so concerned, and lead the Zhongxuan Sect to make him a True Inheritor.’
Du Youqian sized her up in silence, then slowly took out a porcelain vial and tossed it to her.
Chen Yingzhi, momentarily stunned, caught it out of instinct.
She uncorked the vial and took a gentle sniff. The rich, pure fragrance of an Elixir washed over her, invigorating her Spirit.
The scent of this Elixir alone was enough to keep a mortal free from all illness for a decade.
She quickly put the stopper back on. "A Five-Flower Qi Storage Pill?"
Du Youqian nodded, his face impassive. "Fellow Daoist has a good eye."
The four disciples from the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect by the wall looked on, both surprised and shaken.
The Five-Flower Qi Storage Pill was arguably one of the best Cultivation Elixirs for those in the Qi Cultivation Late Stage.
It produced little Elixir Poison, had minimal side effects, and was highly effective.
While not as good as the Dragon Kui Purple Extreme Pill, it was still a treasure far beyond the reach of ordinary Cultivators.
Chen Yingzhi gave a faint, charming smile. "And what is the meaning of this?"
"A price for their lives."
"Whose lives?"
Du Youqian gestured toward the dozen or so captives by the wall.
"Hee hee hee hee hee!" the woman on the Red Silk giggled. "Our dear Garrison sure loves to joke."
Du Youqian raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Do you know why I haven’t made a move against you?"
"Why? Is it because... you don’t dare? Heh heh heh, don’t be afraid. Big Sister will take good care of you!" the Red Silk Woman let out another string of seductive laughter.
Du Youqian wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You’re ugly, and you talk with such nauseating affectation. Don’t you realize how repulsive it is? To put it bluntly, you’re on a level so far beneath me that you aren’t even worthy of my action."
’He wasn’t bluffing. Although he hadn’t spent much time learning Magical Combat or Swordsmanship, with his full set of Top-Grade Magical Artifacts, his Secret Techniques, and the Portable Array he carried, killing this Red Silk Woman would be as easy as swatting a fly.’
’Even in a one-on-six fight, he wouldn’t be without a chance of winning.’
’Among the six of them, only Chen Yingzhi posed any real threat. The others were negligible.’
After a moment’s thought, Du Youqian tossed another porcelain vial to Chen Yingzhi.
Chen Yingzhi caught it just as before, uncorked it for a sniff, and then calmly sealed it again. "And what is the meaning of this one?"
"That’s to teach her a lesson, so she learns not to speak out of turn. If you don’t discipline her, I’ll have to do it myself." Du Youqian pointed at the woman on the Red Silk.
"You!" The woman was furious, but after a glance at Chen Yingzhi’s face, she didn’t dare make a scene.
Chen Yingzhi looked intrigued. "And what makes you think I would discipline my own dear junior sister just to please you?"
Du Youqian produced several more vials, his expression impassive. "I could also have *them* deal with you."
"They wouldn’t dare!" Chen Yingzhi stated proudly.
Du Youqian scoffed. "People of the Demon Sects put profit above all else. They care little for face and even less for loyalty. Fighting amongst yourselves isn’t even strictly forbidden. Am I wrong, Fellow Daoist? As long as the price is right, do you really think they won’t make a move?"
