Deep within the Black Wind Mountain Range, ancient trees clawed at the sky while miasma coiled through the air. Sunlight struggled through layers of dense foliage, scattering only a few pale flecks across the carpet of decaying leaves below.
The forest stank of damp earth and the musky scent unique to Yao Beasts. The stillness itself felt dangerous.
Ye Yuetang walked ahead, dressed in pristine white, her bearing cool and detached.
Her Divine Sense spread outward like an invisible net, methodically searching for their mission target.
Though her cultivation had already reached Golden Core Level Two, she deliberately suppressed her aura to Foundation Establishment Level Six.
That was the realm she displayed within the Sect—and the disguise she used for self-protection.
Chang Le followed several steps behind, his boots sinking softly into the humus with each step.
A blade of grass dangled lazily from the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly bored.
In truth, his thoughts were anything but idle—half of his mind schemed about squeezing more Medicinal Pills out of the System, while the other half kept drifting toward the slim, distant figure ahead.
Lately, he felt the "walking money bag" Miss Ye treated him with noticeably less respect.
But what could he do? Their arrangement was pure profit, zero affection—a textbook case of coercion.
Back in civilized society, he would already qualify for prison time.
Only in this godforsaken cultivation backwater could he behave so outrageously.
Sure, he was somewhat handsome—though hardly enough to radiate kingly charisma and make women throw themselves at him like in those ridiculous novels.
Sigh. A long road of conquest still lay ahead.
"Immortal Master," Chang Le muttered, glancing around, "where the hell is this wolf cub hiding? If we don't find it soon, night'll fall."
Yuetang didn't even turn her head.
"Silence," she said coolly. "Bone-Eroding Wolves have keen noses and cunning minds. Don't alert them."
Her sharp eyes swept over a snapped twig and several tufts of grey-black fur scattered beside it.
She failed to notice a perfectly concealed pair of eyes watching her every movement.
Bai Tingjun stood hidden among the trees, clad in the moon-white Dao robe of a Qingyun Sect elite inner disciple. His sleeves fluttered faintly, his features refined and handsome.
Yet the warmth that usually graced his face was gone. In its place lingered a chilling, twisted smile.
In his hand was an empty jade bottle, its base dusted with crimson residue—Blood-Burning Powder.
A vicious substance capable of driving Yao Beasts into a berserk frenzy, burning through their life force.
He had carefully scattered it near the stream where the Bone-Eroding Wolves most often drank.
"Junior Sister Yuetang… don't blame me."
His voice was low, his eyes warped with possessive obsession.
"For three years I pursued you, yet you never gave me the slightest warmth. Cold as ice."
"And now you willingly lower yourself for this sleazy Medicine Boy."
"You forced my hand."
Ever since he'd seen Chang Le living in Yuetang's courtyard, Bai Tingjun's fury had known no bounds.
How could such an iceberg beauty allow a man to reside in her private domain?
What, then, were those three years he spent chasing her?
A joke? A lapdog's devotion?
She had rejected him, claiming she wished only to cultivate.
Lies. All lies.
He refused to believe Ye Yuetang could genuinely favor Chang Le.
In his mind, that Medicine Boy must have used despicable means—coercion, trickery, or leverage.
The woman he desired—even if he no longer wanted her—belonged to no one else.
Least of all some ant-like Medicine Boy.
Once he had his fill, he would discard her like worn cloth.
After all, how could someone with Low-Grade Spiritual Roots ever qualify to be his Dao Companion?
Scorned love twisted into hatred, and hatred edged into madness.
Today, he would capture her and lock her away.
He would savor the ice lotus he had coveted for so long.
As for that Medicine Boy—death would be denied to him.
To ensure success, Bai Tingjun had not only drugged the wolf pack but secretly deployed a Dragon-Trap Formation across a hundred-zhang radius.
The array could imprison Foundation Establishment cultivators and suppress battle fluctuations and spiritual auras alike.
He had paid dearly for it on the black market.
Perfection demanded preparation. Even a lion used its full strength to catch a rabbit.
"Aoooo—!"
Savage howls erupted from the valley below, hoarse and feral, laced with unnatural madness.
"They're here." Bai Tingjun's eyes lit with excitement.
The performance was about to begin.
Below, Ye Yuetang's expression changed sharply.
"Something's wrong," she said. "Those howls are filled with malevolence. These aren't normal Bone-Eroding Wolves!"
Before the words faded, seven or eight massive grey-black figures burst from the forest like bolts of lightning.
Each wolf was larger than usual, eyes blood-red, saliva dripping from bared fangs as chaotic energy rolled off them.
They lunged straight for Ye Yuetang.
"Watch out!" Chang Le shouted.
Yuetang's eyes hardened. Her fingers formed a sword seal as ethereal Sword Qi slashed outward with surgical precision.
Though suppressing her cultivation, her Golden Core-level insight allowed her to control the flow of battle.
Each strike targeted the weakest point of the wolves' assault.
For the moment, she barely held them at bay.
But the wolves attacked like a suicidal tide. One claw tore a rip through her skirt.
Then—
A clear, piercing whistle rang from afar.
"Vile beasts—how dare you harm people!"
A river of sword-light poured down like a celestial galaxy, scorching the earth and forcing the wolves to hesitate.
A second sweep obliterated them completely.
As the light faded, a figure descended protectively before Ye Yuetang.
Bai Tingjun.
Chang Le curled his lip inwardly.
"Oh, I don't mind people showing off," he thought, "but I hate when they show off this hard."
"Junior Sister Yuetang!" Bai Tingjun said urgently. "Are you hurt?"
His concern looked flawless. His voice was perfectly sincere.
"I heard you accepted a mission here and couldn't rest easy. This place is far more dangerous than the Sect records claim. Thank heaven I arrived in time."
Every word had been rehearsed countless times.
Then—
"Yo! And here I was wondering who it was."
Chang Le popped his head out from behind Yuetang, grin wide and mocking.
"Isn't this Qingyun Sect's famous 'modest gentleman,' Senior Brother Bai?"
"The Black Wind Range is days from the Sect. That's one hell of a coincidence, don't you think?"
"Don't tell me you secretly marked us and followed us all the way here?"
Yuetang almost lost her composure.
She pressed her lips together—but her gaze toward Bai Tingjun turned sharp and wary.
Bai Tingjun's smile froze.
Fury flashed in his eyes.
Suppressing it, he said coldly, "Which ignorant Medicine Boy dares spew such filth?"
"I followed out of concern for a fellow disciple. Don't slander me."
But Chang Le wasn't done.
"Oh? Concern?"
"Three or four days by flying sword, right? You followed us the whole way because you 'couldn't rest easy'?"
"Those motives aren't exactly clean, Senior Brother."
Bai Tingjun finally snapped.
"Enough!"
Murderous intent erupted from him.
"Since you've seen through me," he snarled, "I'll stop pretending."
"Ye Yuetang—you refused my goodwill."
"You'd rather associate with this trash than accept me?"
"Today, I'll show you the price of defiance."
His gaze raked over her figure before locking onto Chang Le.
"As for you—I'll cripple your cultivation first."
"You'll watch helplessly as I take her."
"This place is sealed by my Dragon-Trap Formation."
"No one will come."
His laughter echoed through the forest.
Yuetang's face went pale—not with fear, but revulsion.
She raised her sword.
Her aura surged.
Golden Core Level Two.
The pressure crushed Bai Tingjun instantly.
Her blade met his in a single clash.
His sword flew loose. Blood sprayed.
He staggered back, disbelief carved into his face.
"Golden Core… Level Two?!"
Before he could react—
Yuetang struck.
His Golden Core shattered.
The light in his eyes died.
Later, as Chang Le leaned close, whispering his final cruel taunts, Bai Tingjun died with his eyes wide open.
Only then did Chang Le realize—
Yuetang had heard everything.
Her gaze turned glacial.
"What," she asked quietly, "did you just say?"
The answer came in the form of a palm strike.