Chapter 8

July 7.

East of Qinghe Temple, among the rolling mountains, clouds and mist shrouded a dark green sea of trees.

Amid the sea of trees, a small group of figures could vaguely be seen slowly making their way up the ridge.

It was noon, and sunlight blanketed the land.

There were four people in the group. A man and woman led the way: the man was tall and handsome, the woman petite and full-figured. They were Chen Wuyou and Xiao Qingying, Qinghe Temple disciples out on a spring outing.

The two behind them carried armfuls of bags and bundles. One was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, while the other was doing somewhat better, though he too was breathing lightly.

They were Chen Wuyou's personal disciple and Zhang Rongfang, who had come along with Xiao Qingying.

All four wore light blue Daoist robes, fitted at the waist with tightened cuffs, making them quite suitable for moving through the forest.

Zhang Rongfang was not carrying much. He had not brought anything for Xiao Qingying, only a few supplies of his own.

After all, he was also a Cultivation Disciple, not yet a Martial Cultivator, and not Xiao Qingying's servant. It was only natural for him to refuse to carry things.

The other disciple was entirely different. This man, named Zhang Ke, was a Servant Disciple. He had only managed to secure this position after much effort to curry favor with Chen Wuyou, so naturally he was often ordered about at will.

Zhang Ke looked at the pair ahead, then glanced at Zhang Rongfang, who was carrying barely anything. A flicker of displeasure passed through his eyes.

But there was nothing he could do.

"Brother Wuyou, look, look at that little monkey over there! It stood up!"

"It's actually peeing at us!"

"This fruit is so strange. I wonder if it can be eaten?"

"I've never seen this kind of butterfly before. Can we catch it and bring it back to raise?"

Xiao Qingying's cheerful, silver-bell laughter continually carried through the woods.

Looking ahead from the rear, Zhang Rongfang saw the gentle smile on Chen Wuyou's face as he continually responded to Xiao Qingying's questions.

It made for quite a picture of a summer outing.

Yet as Zhang Rongfang focused on Chen Wuyou's mannerisms, he kept feeling that something was out of place.

And this fellow's voice sounded strangely familiar to him.

From this angle, he could see Chen Wuyou dressed in blue Daoist robes, his long hair arranged in a Daoist Registry style and secured with a jade crescent crown.

His features were upright, swordlike brows slanting into his temples, lips broad and full, facial bones sharply defined.

At a glance, he cut a dignified and proper figure.

Moreover, whenever they came across difficult terrain, he would extend a hand as if to support Xiao Qingying. He did not touch her directly, yet he could still ensure her safety.

Such courtesy and thoughtfulness made the smile on Xiao Qingying's face bloom all the brighter.

Without realizing it, the group of four crossed a mountain peak and arrived at a hollow thick with shade.

With a rustle, the sound of branches and leaves suddenly came from the front right.

At once, they saw a swift-moving thing stirring the bushes as it darted rapidly into the distance.

"A squirrel! Xiao Ying, wait here. I'll catch it for you to play with!" Chen Wuyou's eyes lit up. Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he rushed forward.

In the blink of an eye, he had plunged into the brush and chased after the squirrel.

Xiao Qingying had only just opened her mouth to reply, but it was already too late.

"Brother Wuyou's movement skill is getting better and better." She sighed admiringly. She puffed out her chest, then felt a little pain in her waist and leaned against a blackish-gray tree trunk nearby.

A hundred meters away, in a patch of woodland.

Four strong men dressed in black and wearing brownish-yellow face coverings stood or sat where they waited.

Before long, Chen Wuyou rushed out of the trees.

"It's your turn. Make sure you succeed. Otherwise, we will not pay the rest of the reward."

The four black-clad men rose to their feet.

One of them, a short, sturdy man in a Black Round Hat, cupped his fists. "That Xiao Qingying hasn't even entered the ranks. We'll send two men to swiftly take her down, and leave two to deal with the other two Daoist priests. It will be foolproof."

"Then I await your good news." Chen Wuyou cupped his fists.

These four experts were at least First Grade, and every one of them had blood debts hanging over his head.

Dealing with a little girl with no combat experience, who had not even passed a rank assessment, would naturally be as easy as turning over one's hand.

As for the other two Daoist priests, they were ordinary men who had never trained. Settling this matter would indeed pose no great problem.

Very soon, the four black-clad men hurried in the direction Chen Wuyou had come from.

Zhang Rongfang furrowed his brow slightly.

He had actually suspected that Chen Wuyou was the man whose voice he had overheard before. But too much time had passed, and he did not dare be certain.

It had been quite some time since he had tipped off Xiao Rong. With so much time having passed, and his memory being no better than an ordinary person's, it had naturally grown rather hazy.

Before this outing, he had advised Xiao Qingying to beware of danger and not leave the temple.

But Xiao Qingying replied that with Chen Wuyou protecting her, nothing would happen to her. After that, she paid Zhang Rongfang no further heed.

Besides, they had not gone far from Qinghe Temple. Only Two Mountain Peaks lay between them and the temple gate. If anything happened, they would still have time to run back.

Third, Xiao Qingying herself was a Martial Cultivation Disciple. Though she had not entered the ranks, her physical abilities far surpassed those of an ordinary person.

Unable to persuade her, Zhang Rongfang could only report it to Xiao Rong in advance. Then, left with no choice, he followed along himself.

Now that Chen Wuyou had suddenly vanished, combined with his earlier suspicions, Zhang Rongfang's vigilance instantly rose.

He stole a glance at Zhang Ke beside him. The fellow looked utterly confused and was still taking out a Sweat Towel to wipe his sweat.

The glaring attributes displayed above his head read: 'Zhang Ke—Life 9-9, Skill: None.'

Xiao Qingying's attributes, meanwhile, read: 'Xiao Qingying—Life 12-14, Skill: Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic Seventh Yue Type Talisman.'

Her Life stat was only two points higher than Zhang Rongfang's own. If they encountered any danger, he knew no martial arts at all and could not defeat anyone with even a little skill. With Xiao Qingying alone, they would be serving themselves up on a platter.

"Senior Sister Xiao, I just saw something of yours fall up ahead. It looked like your Waist Token!" Zhang Rongfang suddenly said.

"Waist Token?" Xiao Qingying froze, then quickly felt at her waist. Sure enough, her Waist Token was gone. She could not remember whether she had left it behind when she went out or dropped it along the way.

"Do you remember where it was?" Xiao Qingying turned back to look at Zhang Rongfang impatiently.

"Back there. I didn't see it clearly just now. I thought it was some branch or clump of mud." Zhang Rongfang spoke earnestly. In truth, he had not seen Xiao Qingying's Waist Token from the moment they left. He was merely making up an excuse.

Even if this excuse proved wrong, at worst he would get scolded. Nothing serious would come of it.

"Go help me find it." Xiao Qingying said impatiently.

"I probably can't do it alone. Let's go together. What if a monkey picked it up or something? That would be troublesome." Zhang Rongfang suggested.

"Fine." Xiao Qingying wanted to find it quickly and return to wait for Brother Wuyou. As for being deceived, she did not believe Zhang Rongfang would dare deceive her.

Zhang Rongfang had been promoted entirely because her father had given him a hand for her sake. If he dared deceive her, then when they returned, she would have Father throw him out of the sect.

"I'll help look too." Chen Wuyou's follower, Zhang Ke, hurriedly spoke up.

"No need. Someone should stay here to wait for Senior Brother Wuyou. If he comes back and can't find anyone, wouldn't it be even easier for us to get separated?" Zhang Rongfang replied. He did not trust this fellow.

"That's right. You stay here and wait for Brother Wuyou to return." Xiao Qingying nodded.

Very soon.

She and Zhang Rongfang, one after the other, quickly headed back along the route they had come.

"It's this way. Let's move faster." Zhang Rongfang urged.

"Where exactly is it?" Xiao Qingying kept lowering her head to search through the grass.

Aah!!

Suddenly, Zhang Ke's scream came from the woods not far behind them.

The two abruptly looked up toward the sound.

"Where are they? Why is there only one? Where are the other two?" A man's voice drifted over faintly.

"They must be nearby. They can't have gone far. Search!" another rough voice answered.

"Someone is looking for us!? Zhang Ke—how is Zhang Ke!?"

Xiao Qingying's pretty face turned pale. Though she knew martial arts, she had never been in actual combat. Now that danger had struck, panic immediately filled her heart.

"They really came! Hurry, this way!" Zhang Rongfang grabbed her and sprinted in a certain direction.

Xiao Qingying had not reacted at all before she found herself running wildly after Zhang Rongfang.

After they ran for a while, she finally came back to herself and realized she had hidden in a Tree Hollow beneath a slope.

The crack leading into the Tree Hollow was narrow. It was damp and stifling inside, and many black ants crawled up and down along its edge, carrying things.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound, and don't come out! No matter who calls you, don't come out. Even if it's Senior Brother Chen Wuyou, don't answer! I'll go see what's happening!" Zhang Rongfang tossed out those words and turned to run.

Before setting out, he had already anticipated that they might encounter danger.

These past days, he had studied the Guanxu Skill with Senior Sister Zhao Dacong and trained with her in the mornings, so he had gained some understanding of martial arts experts.

Thus, on the way here, he had secretly watched for places to hide.

Zhang Rongfang knew very well that simply hiding in a Tree Hollow was still dangerous. Sooner or later, they would be found.

The only solution was to call for reinforcements.

He could naturally flee on his own, but why had he been promoted in the first place? It was because Xiao Rong wanted him to keep reminding Xiao Qingying.

Because he had displayed righteousness.

So if anything happened to Xiao Qingying while he himself came through unscathed, Xiao Rong would definitely not spare him.

Therefore, as a precaution for this outing, he had arranged matters with someone beforehand.

Jogging all the way, Zhang Rongfang soon reached a slightly higher spot. Standing atop a stone, he took a Cylindrical Bamboo Tube from his bundle.

Then he swiftly took out a flint, struck it hard to make sparks, and lit a fuse on the side of the Bamboo Tube.

Sizzle.

The fuse burned quickly. Just before it reached the top of the Bamboo Tube, Zhang Rongfang raised it and aimed it at the sky.

Inside the Bamboo Tube, a yellow flare ignited with a biu, shooting out a bright streak of fire that burst amid the sky between several treetops.

Boom.

The massive sound of fireworks, accompanied by yellow firelight blooming like flowers, rapidly spread above the sea of trees.

Several hundred meters away, two figures who had long been waiting immediately straightened and looked toward where the fireworks had exploded.

"Something really happened! Go!"

Without another word, the two each drew a blade and charged toward the fireworks.

Inside the Tree Hollow.

Xiao Qingying curled herself up, trembling faintly.

She had never encountered anything like this. Zhang Ke's scream earlier had left her chilled to the bone even now.

The boom of fireworks came from outside, instantly giving Xiao Qingying a glimmer of hope.

"It's Father's Signal Flare!" Her expression steadied somewhat as she continued to stay silent.

Father and the others will definitely come save me!

Xiao Qingying wrapped her arms tightly around herself, continually peering through the crack outside the Tree Hollow.

Before long, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

"It's a Message Tube. Move quickly—the people from Qinghe Temple are coming!" a rough male voice said urgently.

"I'll search over here!"

"Split up. In fifty breaths, whether you find her or not, leave on your own and meet at the old place!"

"Understood!"

Several people responded together, their tones carrying a distinct Bei People accent.

Xiao Qingying did not dare make a sound. She waited until the footsteps had rapidly faded away and completely vanished.

Only then did she dare relax slightly.

After waiting another dozen breaths, a voice deliberately lowered to a whisper suddenly drifted from far outside.

"Junior Sister Xiao Ying, where are you? Come out quickly. The bad people are gone!"

The voice was very familiar. It was unmistakably Senior Brother Chen Wuyou's voice.

Xiao Qingying listened carefully and confirmed that it really was Senior Brother Chen Wuyou. The tension in her heart immediately loosened.

Just as she was about to rush out of the Tree Hollow, Zhang Rongfang's warning suddenly came back to her.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound, and don't come out! No matter who calls you, don't come out. Even if it's Senior Brother Chen Wuyou, don't answer!"

Xiao Qingying paused, wavering for a moment between Senior Brother Chen Wuyou and Zhang Rongfang.

Very quickly, compared to the unfamiliar Zhang Rongfang, the gentle and handsome Senior Brother Chen Wuyou was far more trustworthy.

She no longer hesitated. Rushing out of the Tree Hollow, she ran toward Chen Wuyou's voice.

"I'm here, Brother Wuyou!" she called as she ran.