“This is the place — the missing backpack has to be here! The three of us go in, grab the bag, then split it evenly. No one will know a thing!”
“Zhuxie Immortal Sect? That sect used to be a big name in the central Celestial Realm. You really think the three of us can handle it?”
“Take the ‘think’ out of that sentence. Others might not know, but I know it well. After the Celestial Calamity, Zhuxie Immortal Sect has become a ruin. Only one xianzi at the Xuanxian level is holding it up; she must have rebuilt the sect herself. What’s there to be afraid of? Fortune favors the bold, and the timid starve. If you won’t go, Old Chu and I will — you go back to your sect and wait!”
“...”
On a patch of auspicious clouds outside Zhuxie Immortal Sect.
Three immortals were whispering to one another, each carrying a bundle on his back.
That’s right — these were the pack-carriers of the Three Corpses Hall.
They were Zhang Baijiu, Chu Menhai, and Sun Zhiqiu.
Zhang Baijiu was Chu Jiaolin’s confidant; the rumor about a missing pack carrier who’d fallen inside Zhuxie Immortal Sect had deliberately been spread by Chu Jiaolin.
The plan was to bring Chu Menhai and Sun Zhiqiu along to probe how deep Zhuxie really was.
If Zheng Nanxiu’s strength proved lacking, Zhang Baijiu could easily grab the lost pack.
Then Chu Jiaolin would step in and seize it, neatly completing the task assigned by Hall Lord Mo Tianjun.
Of course, if Zheng Nanxiu really was that powerful and killed the three of them, Chu Jiaolin could also conveniently dump the problem into Mo Tianjun’s lap.
“Hall Lord, Zhuxie Immortal Sect killed our three pack-carriers. What should we do?”
“Why didn’t I act right away?”
“You told me not to stir up conflict with the Wuwei Tower Immortal Sect. Their two sects are connected — of course they’ll come to each other’s aid, so I came to ask for instructions, elder.”
Reasonable, and perfectly sensible.
So, for Chu Jiaolin it didn’t matter whether Zhang Baijiu and the others succeeded.
What mattered was shifting this dangerous problem off his hands — that was the important bit.
What he hadn’t expected was how cowardly this Sun Zhiqiu turned out to be.
I explained everything to you, and you’re still hesitating. How did someone like you even become an evil immortal?
I don’t like you.
When this is over I’ll make trouble for you.
Chu Jiaolin silently added that to his list.
What? Small-minded?
Isn’t that one of the fine traditions of being an evil immortal? If you don’t have little faults, why be an evil immortal at all? You might as well walk the righteous path.
From afar, Chu Jiaolin curled his lip and kept watching the scene in front of him in the water-moon mirror, keeping an eye on Zhang Baijiu and the others.
Fortunately, Sun Zhiqiu didn’t stall for long and agreed.
As pack-carriers, they all knew a single pack could contain treasures from multiple sects.
With such huge temptation, Sun Zhiqiu naturally wanted to take a gamble.
Of course, Zhang Baijiu and Chu Menhai’s goading helped a lot; otherwise someone known for being prudent wouldn’t have agreed so easily.
Zhang Baijiu led Chu Menhai and Sun Zhiqiu forward, intending first to sabotage the sect’s grand formation.
But to their surprise, the Immortal Sect’s Formation was shut down.
That was because Zheng Nanxiu had just seen Hong Luan stride in; fearing the formation might hurt her, she had deliberately closed it.
There was no one at Wuwei Tower to call, and the gate hadn’t been opened.
Zhang Baijiu didn’t know that; he sneered contemptuously, “Told you — Zhuxie Immortal Sect is just a hollow name. They don’t even have an Immortal Formation.”
Chu Menhai and Sun Zhiqiu said nothing, but the greed in their eyes intensified.
A sect without an Immortal Formation — what power could it possibly have?
This was a sure thing!
The three of them no longer hesitated and walked straight inside, warily sweeping the place with their divine senses.
Soon Sun Zhiqiu raised a hand to stop Zhang Baijiu and Chu Menhai, then pointed with his eyes at the buildings ahead.
All three were at the Celestial Immortal level.
They could quickly tell that only the room ahead had anyone in it; the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ rest of the sect was empty.
Zhang Baijiu and Chu Menhai’s expressions hardened, but a second later they turned utterly strange.
They’d discovered the person in that room seemed to be only at the True Immortal level at the lowest — no, more accurately, even the immortal power on their body wasn’t that pure.
It was as if they had only just ascended and hadn’t yet transformed the mortal qi into full immortal power.
That was really odd.
Sun Zhiqiu, Zhang Baijiu, and Chu Menhai exchanged glances and saw the same confusion in each other’s eyes.
“Wait — wasn’t the xianzi guarding Zhuxie supposed to be at Xuanxian level? How is there a True Immortal suddenly?”
“You ask me? How would I know. Maybe she’s a newcomer the xianzi just tricked into joining the sect.”
“Enough talk. Let’s just take her out now!”
While the three were plotting, the room’s door was suddenly kicked open.
Hong Luan stumbled out, one hand pressing her head, mumbling drowsily, “Where’s my husband? He’s been gone so long — why hasn’t he come to see me? Who are you three? Never mind. Is there any wine? Let me drink, let me clear my head a bit!”
A strong scent of liquor came with her.
Zhang Baijiu arched an eyebrow.
How much had she drunk? Could she still speak properly?
He shot a look to Chu Menhai, who understood and stepped forward, coldly saying, “Wake up. We don’t have wine, you know...”
Before he could finish, Hong Luan waved him off annoyed and snapped, “Don’t lecture me about no wine. Get lost! You’re so ugly I want to puke!”
At that, Chu Menhai lost his temper.
If you won’t speak, fine — but why call us ugly? Do you think we evil immortals have no face?
Chu Menhai moved to seize Hong Luan.
Though drunk and bleary-eyed, Hong Luan was startled to see an ugly man charging at her.
She hurriedly executed the True — Qinglian Thunder-Attracting Sword Technique!
In an instant, rolling heavenly thunder struck down.
Seeing this, Chu Menhai frowned and unleashed his Soul-Refining Staff, successfully blocking the heavenly thunder!
But as he moved to grab Hong Luan again, a strange woman had already appeared in front of him.
She struck with one sword — the swordlight blazed unstoppable.
Even though Chu Menhai raised his Soul-Refining Staff and his Immortal Robe protected him, he could not avoid grievous injury.
Sun Zhiqiu and Zhang Baijiu rushed forward to catch him and supported him down.
They glared across the way, on full alert.
At that moment three xianzi stood before Hong Luan.
Each was a vision of falling fish and departing geese, breathtakingly beautiful — peerless beauties.
Hong Luan, looking at the sword-wielding woman before her, slapped her on the shoulder and giggled, “I remember you — you’re that annoying witch!”
The words made Bai Xichu’s face go dark; she tightened her grip on her demonic sword.
