Chapter 234: Chapter 232: Why Haughty Then Humble?
The disciple led Qin Li and his party to the entrance of a magnificent pavilion. He turned and said, "Young Master Qin, please wait a moment while I announce your arrival."
Just then, a man emerged from within, smiling. He greeted them loudly, "Well, if it isn’t the renowned Young Master Qin Li! It’s been too long, Young Master Qin... We meet again!"
A handsome young man with a broad smile walked out to greet them. It was none other than Pangqi, the Young Master of the Thousand Kills Sect!
He was dressed just as before in a magnificent, sapphire-blue robe, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a handsome, jade-like face, his hair held in place by a Hair-Binding Gold Crown. The moment he saw Shangguan Shiyu, his laughter caught in his throat. His eyes locked onto her stunning face, and he stared, utterly entranced. He was incredibly jealous of Qin Li’s luck with women. This was the second time they had met, and on both occasions, Qin Li had a peerless beauty by his side.
Having judged countless people since childhood, Pangqi could tell at a glance that Shangguan Shiyu, just like Linghu Feiyue, was a pure, untouched maiden. A wave of exhilaration washed over him. ’Qin Li, oh Qin Li, you really are my lucky star! The last time we met, you delivered a peerless beauty to me, and now you’ve brought another one! After you’re dead, I’ll be sure to give you a grand burial. Not for any other reason, just for delivering two such heavenly beauties to me! Hahaha!’
Shangguan Shiyu was utterly disgusted by his gaze, and her eyes, filled with killing intent, fixed on him coldly.
Pangqi, however, was unfazed. The Thousand Kills Sect was already a major Sect, far stronger than the Qin Family. Besides, even a common Small Sect would build up some resources over the ages; nobody would believe they had nothing to fall back on. And this was his home turf!
So, Pangqi’s calm smile returned, and he said, "Please, come inside!"
Qin Li also gave a faint smile and followed Pangqi inside.
Once inside the grand reception hall, Pangqi invited everyone to sit down and ordered tea. Just then, an old man walked in from outside. His hair and beard were completely white, and his eyes were narrowed to slits, making him appear utterly listless.
Upon seeing Qin Li, the man’s eyes opened slightly, revealing a flash of undisguised killing intent. He glanced contemptuously at Qinling Mountain, Qin Haiyang, and the others, then said coolly, "The Qin Family... Is this all of you? I thought you would have sent your finest elites. Hmph."
At this, Qin Haiyang smiled faintly and replied, "Did the Thousand Kills Sect not invite us here as guests? Is this... your sect’s idea of hospitality?"
The old man couldn’t sense any energy fluctuations from Qin Haiyang, so he knew this was another powerful expert. No matter. The Thousand Kills Sect had long since made its preparations and had no intention of letting any of them leave alive.
"Heh, you’re all going to die anyway. Why do you care so much about our hospitality?"
The white-haired elder spoke directly, his expression impassive. "Didn’t you prepare your own coffins before coming?" He then turned his head toward Qin Li. "So it was you? You used dirty tricks to drive my apprentice insane? Very good. In a little while, I’m going to deal with you, very slowly."
Qin Li’s expression remained unchanged. "Don’t you want the Pill Formula?" he asked.
"The Pill Formula? Of course we want it! But don’t think for a second you’re leaving here alive!" As the white-haired elder spoke, a savage expression finally twisted his features. He gave a cold, cruel laugh. "It’s simple. If you tell us, you’ll suffer a little less. If you don’t... well, over the millennia, our Thousand Kills Sect has collected more methods of torture than you can count. We’ll be sure to make you ’comfortable’!"
"Aren’t you afraid we’ll strike you down right now?" In truth, Qin Li’s Divine Sense had already locked onto every powerful aura within a one-mile radius. He had to admit, the Thousand Kills Sect was indeed formidable. There were more than a dozen Martial Artists at the Celestial Embracing Realm and nearly a hundred at the Celestial Integration Realm, all lying in ambush within that one-mile radius.
Moreover, Qin Li knew this wasn’t even the full strength of the Thousand Kills Sect. They likely figured this force was more than enough to annihilate his party.
"It seems... there’s no peaceful way out of this today?" Qin Li sighed softly.
Over on the side, Pangqi could no longer contain his excitement and burst out laughing. "You little bastard, I should be thanking you! Hahaha! The last time we met, you delivered a peerless beauty to me. This time, you come here to die and bring another one! And they’re both untouched virgins! You’re too good to me! Now that I think about it, I’m almost reluctant to kill you!"
"Heh, is that so?"
Qin Li smiled as he looked at Pangqi.
"Danger!"
The white-haired elder roared as a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body.
Qin Li’s eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to unleash his Suppression Technique, his Divine Sense twitched. Then, he heard a powerful, sonorous voice ring out.
"Insolence! How dare you treat our distinguished guests this way! All of you, get out!"
Following the voice, a stately, middle-aged man strode in. He glared at Pangqi and raged, "Get out of my sight, now!"
Then, he turned to the white-haired elder and said in a low voice, "Junior Uncle, what brings you here?"
The white-haired elder retracted his aura and gave a faint smile. "I came to see who it was that reduced my apprentice to such a state. It seems... he’s nothing special."
Pang Weiran sounded somewhat helpless. "Junior Uncle, they are our distinguished guests. How could you act this way? Sigh... Please, you should go back and rest. What do you say?"
The white-haired elder snorted coldly, offered no reply, turned, and walked away.
Pangqi shot a deep, lingering look at Shangguan Shiyu before he, too, turned and left.
Pang Weiran smiled at Qin Li. "My son is ill-mannered. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you all. Speaking of which, our past grievances are no big deal. Heh. I am Pang Weiran, the current Sect Leader of the Thousand Kills Sect, and I apologize to our distinguished guests!"
Qin Haiyang, Qinling Mountain, and the others were taken aback. Though their Divine Sense wasn’t as freakishly powerful as Qin Li’s, they could still sense the ambushes surrounding them. ’What kind of act is this?’ they wondered.
Things had already escalated to this point, so how could there be such a sudden, drastic change? Arrogant before, and now so deferential? Why?
Qin Li said calmly, "In that case, Sect Leader Pang, I won’t waste any more words. You want the Pill Formula? Fine. But shouldn’t you release our person and let me see her first?"
"Of course, of course!" Pang Weiran was all smiles.
But Qin Li detected a trace of something unnatural in Pang Weiran’s smile. It was as if he wasn’t doing this willingly.
A thought flickered through Qin Li’s mind. ’Could it be... Lin Heng and Shen Le put pressure on the Thousand Kills Sect? That shouldn’t be right! My relationship with them... isn’t that deep!’
’So-called alliances and allies are, in reality, just an exchange of interests. In a life-or-death situation like this, how many people would truly offer their help?’
’In this world, few will offer help in a time of need, while many will offer congratulations in a time of success. When you’re in trouble, someone who refrains from kicking you while you’re down can already be considered a good friend!’
A deep reluctance flashed in the depths of Pang Weiran’s eyes. Of course he wanted to kill these people right here in the Thousand Kills Sect. But just after Qin Li’s party had arrived, a letter had been delivered. The contents were simple, comprised of only a few short sentences written in a messy hand, as if in great haste. It read: *If you dare to touch a single hair on their heads, in ten days, only the Thousand Mechanism Sect will remain.*
A moment later, another letter arrived. This one’s script was neat and orderly, clearly the work of someone with many years of calligraphic practice and a deep mastery of the art.
But like the first, it also contained only a few words. It read: *The Qin Family is an ally of the Lin Family. We hope the esteemed Sect Leader of the Thousand Kills Sect will show them leniency.*
This short message, however, sent a bone-piercing chill rising from the depths of his heart.
The Lin Family, the Thousand Mechanism Sect... either one was a behemoth that the Thousand Kills Sect could not afford to provoke. Still, a faint trace of defiance stirred in Pang Weiran’s heart. ’So what if you’re a superpower?’ he thought. ’Does that give you the right to oppress my Thousand Kills Sect so wantonly? If this matter got out, it would surely have a negative impact on both of your sects as well!’
Therefore, he decided to feign retreat in order to advance. First, he would see if he could find an opening with Qin Li. His guiding principle was simple: the Qin Family was not to be feared, but those two behemoths were best left unprovoked.
Just then, someone brought Linghu Feiyue over.
The moment the Little Fox saw Qin Li, her eyes lit up with joy, but she quickly lowered her head, her face full of guilt. "Qin Li, I’m sorry," she said. "I got you involved in this!"
Qin Li smiled faintly. He saw that the Little Fox’s hands and feet weren’t bound, but her spirit was clearly drained. She was either under a Restriction or had been drugged. From the looks of it, the latter seemed more likely.
"Are you okay?"
Qin Li’s warm smile made the Little Fox’s nose tingle, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I’m fine," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "It’s all my fault..."
"It’s okay now. We’re here to take you away," Shangguan Shiyu said, stepping forward. She took Linghu Feiyue’s cold little hand and spoke in a soft, comforting voice.
This scene made Pangqi, who had snuck back in, stare with wide eyes. He looked from Linghu Feiyue to Shangguan Shiyu and back again. He felt that both were Top-Grade beauties, and deciding which one was more stunning would be no easy task.
He thought to himself, ’If I could have one in each arm, I could die without regrets!’
Linghu Feiyue gave Shangguan Shiyu a curious look. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she said in surprise, "You must be that brat Qin Li’s fiancée, right? You’re gorgeous!"
Qin Li rolled his eyes from the sidelines. ’Of all the times... A girl’s mind truly is impossible to fathom,’ he thought.
A faint smile appeared on Shangguan Shiyu’s face. "You’re very beautiful, too!"
"Sect Leader Pang, please undo the Restriction on my friend," Qin Li said. He was now almost certain about the reason for Pang Weiran’s change in attitude. ’Well, since I already owe a favor, I might as well make the most of it!’ he thought.
Pang Weiran hesitated for a moment. ’This woman is no ordinary Celestial Integration Realm Martial Artist,’ he thought. ’To capture her that day, the Thousand Kills Sect had to deploy six Celestial Embracing Realm experts to subdue her!’
From behind, Pangqi roared, "Are you dreaming, Qin Li? Hand over the Pill Formula right now! Otherwise, you won’t be walking out that gate!"
"Get back! Who told you to come over?!" (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com for more Chapters. Support the author and read the official version!)
