The leading male cultivator's eyes filled with thought. Blue clothes, able to kill a Cloud Tiger Beast alone—his cultivation was probably at the Fifth Layer of Qi Condensation as well.
But even if that man could kill a Cloud Tiger Beast, it could not have been easy. Setting aside the spiritual energy he had expended, he might even have been injured.
In such a state, even if he wanted to leave, he could not get very far.
The leading male cultivator quickly came to a conclusion. If they chased after him now, they might truly be able to catch up and snatch the Cloud Tiger Beast from his hands.
The leading male cultivator suddenly looked up. "With such low cultivation, why are you here alone? Would you like to go down the mountain with us?"
A trace of sorrow appeared on Xu Chunniang's face. "I originally entered the mountain with my elder brother two days ago to gather herbs. But not long after entering, we encountered a demonic beast. To protect me, my brother lured the beast away by himself. Before leaving, he told me to stay here and wait for him. But I have waited for so long, and he still has not come back for me."
A look of understanding appeared on the leading male cultivator's face. After so long without returning, her brother had probably already been buried in a demonic beast's belly.
"How about this? I can protect you and bring you safely down the mountain. But if we encounter that blue-clad man from before, you must point him out."
Surprise and hesitation flashed across Xu Chunniang's face, as though she had not expected them to help her, yet still had some misgivings.
The tall male cultivator snorted. "What kind of expression is that? You don't trust our boss? Look at that pitiful little cultivation of yours. What could possibly be worth our boss coveting?"
The leading male cultivator looked proud. From beginning to end, his target had only been that Cloud Tiger Beast. As for this little girl at the First Layer of Qi Condensation, she was merely a tool to help him identify the blue-clad man. Once they found him, killing her would be no more than a convenient extra step.
After all, even without him doing anything, a little girl at the First Layer of Qi Condensation would sooner or later die in the mountains.
Xu Chunniang seemed persuaded by the male cultivator's words. She nodded and slowly slid down from the tree, though she still did not dare get too close to them.
"Damn, this girl is really ugly!" The tall male cultivator saw Xu Chunniang's face clearly and immediately looked disgusted.
The leading male cultivator merely glanced at her before looking away, unconcerned. This Ugly Girl would die soon anyway. What did it matter whether she was beautiful or ugly?
In order to catch up with the blue-clad man, the group moved swiftly. With Xu Chunniang's "First Layer of Qi Condensation" cultivation, she had to jog to keep up.
They traveled like that for an hour, and they had already covered half the way down the mountain. They encountered several groups along the way, but not a single person traveling alone.
"Ugly Girl, did you really see clearly? Was that man truly alone?"
The leading male cultivator's brows were tightly furrowed. By all rights, if that man had taken the path down the mountain, they should have caught up by now.
Xu Chunniang nodded forcefully. "I was hiding in a tree then. When I heard the tiger roar, I was terrified, so I poked my head out to take a look. I happened to see that man stab the tiger with a flying sword."
Xu Chunniang lowered her eyes. A single Cloud Tiger had already stirred this group's desire to murder and rob. Once they learned the other party also had a "flying sword," they would probably be even less willing to let him go.
"A flying sword!"
Greed flashed through the leading male cultivator's eyes. He had not expected that man to possess a spiritual artifact as well. A spiritual artifact was even more valuable than a Cloud Tiger!
No wonder that man could kill a Cloud Tiger and dared to roam the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range alone. If he had a flying sword as a weapon, he might not necessarily be unable to kill a Cloud Tiger either. He had cultivated for more than ten years, yet did not even own a spiritual artifact. As long as he caught that cultivator, he would have a flying sword of his own!
The leading cultivator grew even more anxious to find the blue-clad cultivator quickly.
"Everyone, pick up the pace and keep moving!"
At his command, the group sped up again. To avoid revealing any flaws, Xu Chunniang had no choice but to run behind them, waiting for an opportunity to act.
She followed obediently behind the others. It was not that she had not considered slipping away secretly, but the leader clearly possessed some item capable of detecting spiritual energy fluctuations.
Before her spiritual energy had fully recovered, continuing to blend in with this group was the best choice.
Because with the First Layer of Qi Condensation cultivation she displayed, they would never suspect her. The closer she got to Green Mountain Town, the safer she would be instead.
Another half hour passed, and the group was nearly out of the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range, yet they still had not seen the supposed lone cultivator in blue.
The leading cultivator finally became irritable, and the look he gave Xu Chunniang gradually turned vicious.
"You little brat, we've come all the way down the mountain, and we've barely seen anyone traveling alone. Could you have seen wrong? If I find out you've been lying, heh heh!"
Xu Chunniang shook her head and wiped away the sweat that had formed from their hard journey. She said with complete certainty, "I definitely did not see wrong. That man wore blue, and after killing the tiger with a flying sword, he left alone. I just don't know whether he has companions outside."
The leading cultivator's expression darkened slightly. How had he not thought of that sooner?
On the way down just now, they had not seen a single person in blue traveling alone, but several groups clearly had people wearing blue. Perhaps that cultivator with the flying sword belonged to some group, and they simply had not encountered them.
The leading cultivator deeply furrowed his brows. He suddenly felt that things had become rather troublesome.
If the other party was alone, he was confident he could seize the flying sword and Cloud Tiger from him. But if the other party belonged to a powerful group, that would be difficult.
"Boss, what do we do?"
"If they're also a group, what should we do? Rob them or not?"
"What nonsense! Of course we rob them. That's a flying sword! With one, Boss's strength will rise another level."
"Exactly. We've roamed the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range for years. When have we ever feared anyone?"
"But the other side isn't weak, and they have a flying sword in hand."
The others all began offering their opinions at once.
Some supported robbing them outright, while others were more cautious.
In the end, the leading cultivator made his decision. He would gamble on it!
Forget the Cloud Tiger—even the flying sword alone was enough to make him take the risk.
"We'll hurry down the mountain and lie in wait outside. Once they come out, we'll strike directly and catch them off guard."
Xu Chunniang lowered her head, hiding the chill in her eyes. So this group truly refused to abandon their evil intentions. For nothing more than a few valuables, they would commit murder and robbery. From the look of them, this was clearly not their first time doing such business.
Fine. She could use this chance to recover some spiritual energy. She would accompany them down the mountain and wait. Once her spiritual energy recovered, she would give them a "surprise"!
After the group of eight descended the mountain, they set up an ambush along the only road leading to Green Mountain Town.
Before long, several groups came down the mountain and passed through the area. But these people were all quite strong, and none wore blue. The leading male cultivator did not act rashly and let them leave safely.
As time passed, more and more people came down the mountain, including quite a few dressed in blue. Yet Xu Chunniang kept shaking her head, saying none of them was the one she had seen.
Seeing the leading male cultivator grow more and more irritable, Xu Chunniang delayed no longer and pointed at a group currently passing by below. "He's among them!"
Before you continue