Reliable Xu qing

The elder had finally reached his limit. He couldn't believe there would still be hidden monsters who were so young.

Even in the Netherworld sect, only a few core disciples could rival the elders in strength. And what's more? Everything concerning the divine manual was kept secret; only the elder knew about its existence.

He had left the sect secretly, hoping to leave peacefully with the divine manual and cultivate it in seclusion to increase his rank within the sect. But would he have predicted that he would face such annoying kids? Not just kids, but monstrous annoying kids?

He was really pissed at the turn of events. He had planned on not killing anyone since Mu Fengshang was incapable of posing any threats, but now he had no choice.

The elder released his killing intent, causing all living things within its range to choke.

“I wonder how many people this elder has killed to make his killing intent this strong.”

“Brother, I don't know who you are or your purpose here, but looking at this situation, do you really want to continue?” Xuan Ping asked.

“My name is Haoran… All I want is revenge against the Netherworld sect. I've suffered a lot due to their intervention. I know this one here is strong, but I don't intend to die without putting up a fight.”

[What a stubborn one.]

“I am willing to help you!” Xuan Ping declared.

“What!” Haoran shouted. “But won't that put your life at risk?”

“Leave that to me,” said Xuan Ping. “All I want from you is to protect my brother.”

Haoran began to tear up. “Thank you, brother. I don't really know you, but you're willing to risk your life for my sake… I'll remember you for life.”

[Huh, what the heck is this young man saying? I never said I was going to lose my life.]

“Whatever. Just protect my brother,” Xuan Ping said as he walked toward the elder.

“Who are you, and why can't I feel an ounce of Qi from you?” the elder looked at Xuan Ping with serious, keen eyes.

“Wanna talk or fight?”

“Cocky little bastard.”

The elder threw a dagger at him and dashed toward his rear.

“Huh… the dagger is gone?” Xuan Ping thought, impressed by the frightening speed.

...

Xu Qing began to worry. The showdown must have already begun.

What was Xu Qing worried about? Obviously, the fact that she was going to miss seeing her senior brothers in action.

“Damn! I don't think I can wait here any longer.”

She took her treasured pills, the Life Revitalization Pills, the ones that took her almost a year to formulate.

“What else do I need?”

Xu Qing scanned her surroundings and then spotted something.

“Hmm, this sword might come in handy.”

She left her courtyard and went to the Mu Clan's stables.

She picked a stubborn horse and galloped down the road, hitting the horse with a whip to make it move at its fastest pace.

A guard rushed to the Mu Clan acting head after seeing Xu Qing leaving the sect in a hurry.

“Good day, Clan Head. I have something to report.”

“Speak,” he replied in a soft tone, wondering why he was in such a hurry.

“Lady Xu Qing left the clan in a hurry, taking a horse with her. And also, the Young Lady of the clan, Mu Fengshang, left early this morning without anyone noticing. She took ten of our strong cultivators under her control.”

“What!”

How could something like that happen, and I, as the acting head, am just finding out now? Things are starting to look ominous... “Take five adept cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm, track them down, and inform me of their progress.”

“Yes, Clan Head.”

The Mu Clan acting patriarch had always been suspicious that something was going on in the clan and hoped that Mu Fengshang wouldn't involve herself in any atrocious activities.

Now, it seemed all of his worries came to pass.

“Mu Fengshang, Mu Fengshang! But what does Lady Xu have to do with it? Now everything seems confusing. I hope you're alright, Mu Tianxing.”

After tracking Xu Qing for a long time, they couldn't find any trace of her or any horse.

“It seems the person we're dealing with this time is not to be underestimated.”

“I still can't believe we lost her, and she only left the clan a short while ago.”

“What's more amazing is that she was moving very fast while covering her tracks at the same time.”

“Well, I think it's about time we report to the Clan Head.”

...

As Xu Qing was about to leave the clan, heading towards the stable, she took a horse. But as she climbed onto the horse, she caught sight of a guard secretly heading towards the Mu Clan's hall. Immediately, she knew the guard had become suspicious of the movements going on in the clan and was about to report to the clan head.

Xu Qing then applied a bit of her Qi to the horse's hoofs so that they wouldn't leave any traces as she rode ahead.

"Phew! Finally, I lost them. It was a good thing I anticipated being tracked, or things would have gotten troublesome," Xu Qing thought to herself as she rode towards her senior brothers.

...

The clan head became hopeful to know what was going on when the troop sent after Xu Qing came back.

"Clan head," the guard said.

The clan head looked at the guard, trying to maintain his composure. He spoke in a calm tone, "Well, since you have something to say, please go ahead. Or would you rather not speak?"

The guard looked up at the clan head's face and saw seriousness and anxiety. "Clan head, we were unable to track Lady Xu."

"And why is that? Aren't you guys the best Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators we have in our clan?" the clan head asked, raising his voice.

"Yes, clan head, we truly are the best Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators in the clan. But that is totally useless against a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator," the guard replied.

"What! She is a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? And those two as well?" the clan head shouted.

"Well, they might even be at the Immortal Ascension Stage, since we couldn't feel any Qi from them," the guard admitted.

"Did you search them as well?" the clan head asked.

At that moment, the guard realized he had said too much. "I'm sorry, clan head. I should have informed you about it, but I was threatened by Lady Mu Fengsha. She asked me to keep my mouth shut, or my family would be annihilated, and I would be forced to live as a dog."

The clan head knew that Mu Fengsha was capable of doing anything to achieve her goals. He listened silently to what the guard had to say.

"Ever since Lady Xu and her two brothers came to the clan as guests, Lady Mu Fengsha asked us to monitor their day-to-day activities. But the most convincing thing was when we checked their pulses—we could not feel an ounce of Qi emitted from their bodies," the guard explained.

"Therefore, Lady Mu Fengsha thought they were ordinary men and not cultivators who could pose a threat to her plans. Except for Lady Xu Qing, she was so inferior that she could easily be beaten by our clan's trainees. Furthermore, she always cooped up inside the alchemy room and never came out or had contact with her other brothers," the guard continued.

"Hold up. What plans are you referring to? Are Xu Qing and her brothers potential threats or not?" the clan head asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Lady Mu Fengsha plans on making her son, Mu Kun, the next in line for the patriarch position in our Mu Clan, while eliminating anyone who poses a threat," the guard revealed.

The clan head sighed in relief, knowing that Mu Tianxing was not a target. However, he knew Mu Fengsha was a crafty planner and wondered if there were any variables missing from her plan that he didn't know of or that were purposely being kept from him.

"Is there any variable missing from Mu Fengsha's plan that I don't know about, or are you purposely keeping it from me?" the clan head asked, his gaze turning mean and destructive.

The guard bowed immediately, fearing the wrath of the clan head. The clan head was the only one in the clan who had surpassed the Foundation Establishment Stage with the cultivation techniques left in the sect, making him a fearsome figure.

"Honestly, I know nothing about that except for the fact that she wants to make her son the head of the clan... But I heard from the other guards that she has also involved an influential sect," the guard confessed.

"What!" the clan head exclaimed, standing up abruptly.