Chapter 22 - Temporary Hostage (1/2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As a former itinerant cultivator, Yi Qing had had more than his fair share of dealings with Fiendish Cultivators and was very familiar with their scent, but the fact that one of them could infiltrate the Blackheaven Sect and kill a Perfected Nascent Soul cultivator meant that they must have been fully prepared. It had taken him one full hour to find the traces of Yin Qi even though he was very sensitive to it. Strangely, this Qi was not found at any of the exits but at the base of the nearby Yingyuan Peak.
With Yi Qing leading the hall masters, they followed the trail which led right back to the hut where Yi Qing lived in. Even before nearing the hut, they could already detect a pungent whiff of blood. Feeling his heart quickening, he hastily walked inside. What he saw was a big mess: the plates which had been on the stone table were now scattered all over the ground in pieces and the gravy from a dish mixed with fresh blood covered the whole table.
“This… this is…” Yan Qiu was also shocked. “What happened?”
“Where’s Shen Ying?” Lonemoon looked around, but did not see any trace of her.
Yi Qing quickly searched around the house but did not find her. Turning around, he walked towards the blood-stained stone table and formed a hand seal. Immediately, the entire stone table lit up brightly and an image slowly appeared. This was the scene that had taken place an hour ago.
A familiar figure was eating, her whole attention on the food. If one could not fail to see the food on the table visibly diminishing, one would have mistaken it for a looping movie clip. It was not until the dishes were completely empty that the scene changed. A figure covered in blood suddenly came crashing down. Wearing a red dress, her hair was dishevelled and half her face was smeared in blood. But even so, one could still make out that she was a stunning woman.
“Fiendish Cultivator!” Xi Qiu blurted out. Stepping forward, he stared carefully at the image above the table. Suddenly struck by a thought, he whispered, “A female Fiendish Cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage… and wearing a red dress. Could she… be the Venomous Witch—Qi Chengyu?!”
The badly injured female Fiendish Cultivator in the image seemed to be talking to the person at the table. Suddenly, she grabbed the person holding onto a bowl by the neck and flew off in the southwest direction.
Upon seeing this, Yi Qing’s eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Master!” He immediately turned around and headed out towards the southwest.
“Wait…” But before Lonemoon could stop him, Yi Qing had already disappeared. Lonemoon had no choice but to fly after Yi Qing on his sword. However, Yi Qing was flying so fast that Lonemoon only caught up with him after a considerable distance. “Yi Qing, calm down. Blackheaven Sect has been sealed off. Let’s find out what this Fiendish Cultivator is up to before pursuing her. Shen Ying will not be in…”
Wait a moment!
“With her freakish strength, shouldn’t we be more concerned for the Fiendish Cultivator?!” Why the hell are you so worried!
“I know Master will be okay.” Instead of stopping, Yi Qing flew faster. “I am worried about Master going out alone.”
“What’s the problem?”
“The problem is…” He suddenly turned his head and said with a look of certainty, “She’ll never find her way back!”
“…”
Holy shit! So it turns out that this creature isn’t only a foodie, but is also freaking directionally challenged. What made you choose such a worthless creature as your teacher? I really don’t know! “By the way, how did she end up in the clutches of the Fiendish Cultivator?” That image had provided no sound so he had no idea what the Fiendish Cultivator had been saying.
“From what I know about Master…” Frowning, Yi Qing hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s not that she can’t fight and defeat the Fiendish Cultivator.”
“Then?”
“Master was just… too lazy to resist!”
“…”
(╯‵□′)╯(┻━┻
That worthless creature can laze to death for all I care!
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On her last legs, Qi Chengyu flew out of the Blackheaven Sect. She was badly hurt; even Nascent Soul cultivators could be driven to the point of collapse. The meridians in her entire body were badly damaged. She had to give it to Yu Ding, that cunning old thief. Even though she had planned this for so many years before the opportunity finally came by, he had still somehow managed to injure her before he died.
Her body was at the brink of collapse. She had to regulate her meridians, otherwise she would die. With no options left, she found a secluded place and stopped. She released her grip on the hand of her hostage, preparing to push her away.