The Old Daoist

"Wow, there's even Mound of Skulls of corpses," Li Nian remarked, looking at the mountain of bandit corpses. "Were those three hanging up leaders?"

The Snowy Owl shrugged. "I don't know either, but those three are the strongest, so I guess they're the most heinous. After all, if you choose the wrong profession... the greater the ability, the greater the harm."

"Of course, while their fighting prowess is relative, for me... it's just a matter of one or two strikes."

Snowy Owl spoke, Li Nian nodded.

Gao Shan sighed beside him, "Actually, I don't think it's necessary to do this, but... these people really deserve what they got. There are even more disgusting things inside the stronghold, so we won't go in to see."

What is it?

Li Nian asked curiously.

Gao Shan said in a low voice, "We found a child's hands and feet in a pot..."

"And they didn't eat because they were starving; on the contrary, their Warehouse were full of food—so much so that they even brewed many jars of wine," the Snowy Owl said calmly. "Therefore, these people deserve to die."

Li Nian looked at them, her smile fading. "If that's the case, then you've certainly done well, but not well enough..."

She looked at the piled-up, hanging corpses, most of whom had been stabbed through vital organs with a single blow.

"They killed them too quickly, these people died so easily... After they're dead, no matter how you manipulate their bodies, it won't punish them anymore."

Seeing the strange looks cast at her by the Gao Shan, Snowy Owl, and Seagull, Li Nian spread her hands.

"Your gazes are a bit hurtful, as if it's wrong for me to have normal values and to hate evil people who eat children..."

"Although I am a member of the 'Freedom Alliance,' that doesn't mean I'm insane, okay?"

Hearing Li Nian say this, the three men's attitude towards her obviously softened a bit.

Lin Yu was also somewhat surprised.

"I didn't expect Li Nian to smooth things over on her own..."

It seems that although Li Nian appears carefree and impulsive, it doesn't mean she doesn't understand the importance and urgency of things.

The Snowy Owl then answered Li Nian's question.

"After all, time was of the essence, and aside from the necessary interrogation, we really didn't have time to punish them..."

"Of course, hanging them here isn't to mistreat corpses—it's a 'warning,' after all, there's more than one bandit group here."

Gao Shan nodded. "In a society like Prison Mountain Realm, this method can indeed deter some criminals."

Li Nian suddenly realized, "There was actually this consideration."

However, upon hearing the Snowy Owl's words, Lin Yu had a different thought.

"That's not right... There are very few Spider Silk and spider Yaomo left here. In other words, we should have reached a place where the spider Yaomo' control is very weak. Judging from the distance, this place is about the same as Fu Yuan Mountain, so there should be native Yaomo here."

"Why haven't these corpses piled up here attracted Yaomo to destroy and eat them?"

Shen Bingmiao's information did not mention that Yaomo only eat living people—in fact, if martial artists fought in the wild and one of them died, the blood aura emanating from the corpse would quickly attract Yaomo to eat them.

High-level, Great Demon might disdain doing such a thing, but many Yaomo are not much different from wild beasts.

Even if there are no Yaomo, there must be wild beasts, right?

After being exposed to the sun for half a day, these corpses showed absolutely no signs of being gnawed or damaged.

"It's really strange—you've been gone for a while, yet these corpses are still so well preserved, and there aren't any Yaomo wandering around nearby. Why is that?"

Lin Yu voiced his concerns.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, the Snowy Owl immediately realized what was happening.

"Now that you mention it, it is indeed a bit strange. This place is so far from Double Saw Mountain Chen Family Fortress. The spider Yaomo shouldn't be able to wipe out all the Yaomo and wild beasts... It's past Noon, so why haven't Yaomo come to scavenge?"

"Something's fishy. We should be careful," Gao Shan said seriously, surveying his surroundings. "Although this place was relatively safe when we first arrived in Fire Hell, there are just too many unexpected situations in this [Instance]. The spiders that suddenly appeared from Double Saw Mountain already illustrate the problem... After all, Double Saw Mountain was supposed to be safe, so it's possible that it has gone from safe to unsafe."

Gao Shan's suggestion was also approved by everyone.

Just as everyone was on high alert, a burst of hearty laughter suddenly echoed from within the mountain stronghold.

"Hahahaha, my fellow heroes, please don't worry. These corpses haven't been disturbed because there are no Yaomo or wild beasts in the nearby mountains—I've cleared them all out."

Before they could see him, they heard his voice; the powerful voice echoed through the mountains, drawing the attention of Lin Yu and his group.

Soon, they saw an old Daoist priest with white hair, long eyebrows and a long beard, wearing a blue Daoist robe, walking out from the depths of the mountain village. Although it was clear that the old Daoist priest was not young, he still had a dignified and upright appearance.

His steps were light and his walking speed was extremely fast, as if he were flying close to the ground.

The Snowy Owl looked in the direction the other person had come from and said warily, "Old Daoist, stop—you come from the bandits' lair, are you perhaps a friend of theirs?"

"Who are you? State your name immediately!"

The old Daoist priest glanced at the Snowy Owl, stopped, and chuckled as he spoke, "This female lay Buddhist exudes such a chilling killing intent... You've misunderstood me. I have no connection with these bandits. I come from the Daoist Sect Taiqing Sect, the leading sect of Daoism, and live a secluded life in these mountains. How could I possibly associate with those bandits?"

The Snowy Owl remained wary upon hearing this. "The Taiqing Sect, how can you prove it?"

Even when questioned by the Snowy Owl, the old Daoist remained unperturbed, simply stating once more, "Naturally, it comes down to skill, true True Qi, and True Essence!"

As he spoke, the old Daoist drew his long sword from his back and slowly demonstrated a few moves from a distance. His moves were upright and peaceful, indeed resembling orthodox Martial Arts.

Then, he shouted again, made a hand seal with his sword, his Daoist robe billowed, and then exhaled a breath of Pure Qi.

"Tsk! Celestial Venerable above, the disciples of Taiqing request permission to perform the ritual!"

The Pure Qi swirled in the air, turning into two wisps of green smoke, before suddenly dissipating.

A cool breeze swept across their faces, dispelling the intense heat of the Fire Hell.

"The Qi Transformation Clear Wind Technique," Old Zheng said quietly, "Is indeed the work of a direct disciple of the Taiqing Sect... In the Prison Mountain Realm, this is considered a sect with relatively reliable character."

Lin Yu nodded and repeated Old Zheng's words, "Qi Transformation Clear Wind Technique, Daoist is indeed a true successor of the Taiqing Sect."

Upon hearing this, the old Lin Yu with delight and cupped his hands in greeting. "Sir, you have excellent eyesight. I originally thought this technique was merely to prove my identity, but I didn't expect you to be able to discern even the specific incantation I used. Your knowledge is truly extraordinary..."

At this point, Lin Yu originally intended to return a few polite words and flatter each other, but the old Daoist's next words made Lin Yu and the other five Player perk up.

"--No wonder Xie Chong's mutilated remains were entrusted to the lay Buddhist for safekeeping!"