The Choice

After a short while, Qin Sang was filled with disappointment and sighed softly.

He sprinted down the mountain and searched the chaotic battlefield for a long time, but found nothing but two strips of cloth hanging from branches. He didn't see a single person, not even a corpse.

The battlefield seemed to be confined to an area of a few hundred feet. Qin Sang, unwilling to give up, expanded his search, but found no other traces.

Qin Sang held the two pieces of excellent quality cyan cloth, his gaze fixed on the disfigured valley below, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The mountain peaks on both sides of the valley had collapsed, and rocks and soil filled the valley. The small river that had once flowed through the valley was blocked, and a small lake had formed upstream. Could someone be buried beneath the valley?

With so much rubble, he couldn't clear it all by himself. Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then returned to the ancient road and ordered a battalion of soldiers to come and dig.

The valley was not on the ancient road, but no one dared to disobey Qin Sang's orders. They immediately started working with great enthusiasm.

Qin Sang, impatient, also went forward to help.

The valley wasn't large, but the soil and rocks were piled very deep. Qin Sang couldn't help but worry that even if someone was underneath, they would have been smashed into a pulp. He hoped the item wasn't damaged.

Layer by layer, the soil and rocks were moved. By the time it was dark, Qin Sang, suppressing his anxiety, ordered them to cook and eat, and then to continue digging through the night.

Some soldiers couldn't help but complain, but he ignored them. Torches were planted all over the valley, and they worked until late into the night. Finally, the bottom of the valley was revealed.

The last layer of soil and rocks was soaked with water, turning into mud. It was carried out basket by basket, and Qin Sang was almost covered in mud himself.

Just then, a shout suddenly came from ahead. Qin Sang's heart leaped, and he looked up to hear a soldier yelling, "General Qin, there's someone underneath!"

Qin Sang was overjoyed and quickly shouted, "Everyone, don't touch him!"

With a few leaps, he reached the front and saw that an underground river had been dug out.

The terrain here was peculiar. The river had hollowed out the bottom of a large bluestone on the riverbank, which extended out to form a natural barrier. Several large rocks had fallen and blocked the gap, but the underground river was not blocked and a gurgling stream still flowed.

And the person was lying face down in the water, motionless.

This person was wearing dark cyan clothes. Qin Sang took out the cloth from his bosom and compared it, realizing it had been torn from this person's clothes.

Qin Sang bent down and reached in, about to check if the person was alive or dead, when he heard someone call from behind, "Found another one!"

Then, he heard Zhang Wenkui shout, "General Qin, this one is dead, his head was smashed by a rock."

Another mutual destruction?

Qin Sang secretly thought that the world of cultivators was truly bizarre; they always died in pairs. However, this was definitely a great thing for him.

Qin Sang immediately ordered all soldiers to leave the valley.

The firelight blazed, illuminating the mountains. In the distance, wolves howled and owls hooted, creating an eerie sound, but Qin Sang's heart was burning with excitement.

He reached out forcefully, grabbed the person's arm in the stream, and was about to pull him out when his expression changed slightly.

Half of the person's body was submerged in the water, and his entire body was ice-cold, no different from a corpse. But the moment Qin Sang grabbed his arm, he felt a pulse beat!

He was still alive!

For a moment, Qin Sang didn't know whether to be happy or worried. His expression was uncertain. He hesitated for a moment and decided to gently pull the person out of the water first.

The youth's face was pale from being in the water for so long, and his thin lips had no trace of color.

He looked a little older than the young man surnamed Song, appearing to be around twenty years old. His features were rugged and well-defined. His breath was extremely weak, and his pulse and breathing were barely perceptible. His injuries were likely severe, as he didn't wake up even when Qin Sang dragged him out.

However, cultivators couldn't be judged the same as mortals. This person might still be saved.

Qin Sang gazed at the youth, his heart filled with indecision. He leaned towards saving him.

Seeking immortality, seeking immortality – he had endured so much, tolerating the mortals and dealing with them, all for the sake of seeking immortality. Now that he had finally encountered a cultivator, a shortcut was right in front of him. Why waste more time in the mortal world?

Even if he killed him, Yanwang could still extract his soul to question him. But souls existed for such a short time, and it would be impossible to fully understand the world of cultivators.

But Qin Sang couldn't help but recall the Blood Food whose bodies had been dried up by the black-clothed Demon Lord. What if this person was also a Demon Lord? And what if he was a righteous cultivator who discovered that he had practiced demonic arts? Would he then hunt down and eliminate demons?

Qin Sang was truly in a dilemma, unable to make a decision.

Unexpectedly, just as Qin Sang was struggling internally, the youth suddenly opened his eyes without any warning. In his slender eyes, two gazes like unsheathed swords were sharp and piercing, directed at Qin Sang's eyes.

Qin Sang hadn't expected the youth to wake up on his own. Caught off guard, he felt as if his innermost thoughts were being seen through by the youth. His heart filled with alarm, he quickly suppressed his intentions and instantly made a decision, lowering his head and saying repeatedly, "Qin Sang pays his respects to the immortal master! I wish the immortal master well!"

At the same time, his heart tensed, and he remained secretly vigilant.

The youth stared at Qin Sang for a while, the sharpness in his gaze slightly softening. His eyes moved, scanning the surroundings, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Are you a general from the mortal world?"

The youth's injuries were indeed serious, and his voice was very faint, but Qin Sang still heard him clearly. He nodded and said, "Qin Sang is the deputy general of the Xuanwei Camp."

"Xuanwei Camp?"

A flicker of confusion flashed in the youth's eyes, but he didn't delve into it. Instead, he asked, "Since you are a general, why have you brought your troops into Guling Mountain?"

Qin Sang hesitated. The surprise attack on Duyakou was a military secret. If it were leaked, it would affect the war situation, and a great military achievement would be lost.

But the thought of the youth being a cultivator, and that if he could please him, there would be no need to go to Pilgrimage Mountain. Whether King Dongyang won or lost was none of his concern. He immediately revealed the whole story.

"So that's how it is..."

The youth nodded, trying to crane his neck. "There should be someone else next to him..."

Qin Sang quickly got up and carried over the other corpse. This corpse was extremely tragic; its head and neck had been hit by a large rock, and it was completely gone.

"Please accept my condolences, immortal master. Your companion has unfortunately met his end."

The youth sneered, "How could Han be companions with a demon? This person was a cultivator of the demonic path, who had committed many evils. I happened to encounter him and killed him. However, this person's magical artifact was strange, and I almost fell..."

As he spoke, the youth coughed violently, raising his hand with difficulty to cover his chest, a look of pain on his face. "Look for him... see if there's a palm-sized pouch on him..."

Could this Young Man surnamed Han truly be a righteous person who hated evil?

Qin Sang suppressed the unease in his heart, not daring to reveal any flaws.

He honestly felt around the corpse's waist and found a small pouch. When he took it out, it was about the same size as the seven-colored brocade pouch, but it was made of gray cloth, dull and unremarkable.