A Deal—This Is No Place for You to Interrupt!

"It's him!"

Yu Shiqie gracefully crouched down to inspect the corpses of the Yanzhou Twin Fiends on the ground, a trace of worry appearing in her beautiful eyes.

"Fairy Yu, that Qin Shuang truly is a Demon Lord. His killing intent is far too heavy!"

The Beauty Fan youth looked at the dozen or so corpses scattered across the ground, his brows deeply furrowed as he said indignantly.

"We must find Qin Shuang as soon as possible, take away the Yellow Springs Heavenly Saber, and avert this killing calamity in the Jianghu!"

A deep concern flashed through Yu Shiqie's limpid eyes.

"Fairy Yu, that Demon Lord Qin Shuang should be killed outright, just like Li Tianhen! What's more, he is Jingyan Palace's successor! Back then, Jingyan Palace used the Life and Death Seal to control who knew how many sects in the Jianghu!"

The Beauty Fan youth spoke in a low voice.

As Liufang Pavilion's Direct Disciple, Shen Feiyu had long learned from the sect's records that more than two hundred years ago, Jingyan Palace had used the wicked method known as the "Life and Death Seal" to control many experts from Jianghu sects!

As far as he knew, those struck by the Life and Death Seal would be unable to live or die as they wished. Even betraying their relatives, masters, and sects was something they would do without hesitation!

There had simply been too many people controlled by the Life and Death Seal back then.

"As long as he hands over the Yellow Springs Demonic Blade and follows me to Pure Land Zen Monastery to pray before the Buddha beneath a blue lamp, I will guarantee his life!"

Yu Shiqie's beautiful eyes flickered as she spoke solemnly.

"Fairy Yu truly is kind-hearted..."

Shen Feiyu sighed upon hearing this.

Xuan Yin Mountain Range.

A hundred li from where the Yanzhou Twin Fiends had been slain, within a mountain ravine on the eastern side of a towering mountain.

[Step on Grass +1 time!]

[Rotate Pills +1 time!]

[Stand in the stream to rinse]

[...]

After traveling a hundred li, Qin Shuang sat with his eyes closed atop a millstone-sized boulder by the ravine to rest. Yet even while resting, he did not remain idle. Grass was tied around his feet, which he stretched into the stream; with his left hand, he rotated Pills, while his right hand held a Dragonfly. A succession of system notifications rang out in his mind.

If any outsider had been here at this moment, they would surely have thought he was sitting with his eyes closed in contemplation.

Just then, Qin Shuang abruptly opened his eyes and looked ten zhang away, his gaze narrowing.

Ten zhang away, a tall old man clad in a black-and-yellow robe was walking toward him.

The old man had a short beard and looked exceptionally imposing. He sized Qin Shuang up, then smiled faintly. "Young Friend Qin, you're in quite the mood—washing your feet here. Do you know that the mountains and plains are filled with Jianghu folk hunting you down?"

"I know."

Qin Shuang studied the old man and smiled faintly. "Senior, you aren't here to hunt me down, are you?"

As Qin Shuang spoke, he shook the grass from his feet and put his boots back on. Looking at the old man before him, he remained secretly on guard.

"If this old man were one of those hunting you, I would have made my move long ago."

The old man smiled faintly, then continued, "The reason I revealed myself is because you remind this old man of his younger days. I wish to make a deal with you!"

"A deal?!"

Qin Shuang's eyes flickered at those words.

"Young Friend, your talent is not weak. You have actually forged Golden Bone, so your future achievements will be beyond measure. This old man can help you drive away your enemies, but once you achieve success in the future, you must help this old man go to a place and retrieve a Treasure!"

"Because only someone with Golden Bone can enter that place!"

The ruddy-faced old man looked at Qin Shuang, expectation shining in his eyes.

"Oh?"

"That place is dangerous, isn't it?"

A thoughtful look appeared in Qin Shuang's eyes as he asked.

He only half believed the old man's words.

What he feared was driving away a tiger only to let in a wolf.

"There is indeed a certain degree of danger."

The ruddy-faced old man nodded, then said, "If you can agree, this old man will not only help you escape, but also tell you of a place where you can forge even more Golden Bone."

"Fine, I agree!"

Qin Shuang nodded.

At present, many forces—including Pudu Jing'an Nunnery, Divine Saber Sect, Pushen Hall, True Martial Hall, and Tang Sect—had entered the mountains to search for him, and there were quite a few Divine Wheel Realm experts among them. Escaping with this old man's help was his only choice.

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!

"Good!"

The old man's face lit up at this. He immediately looked toward Qingzhou City, then froze. "Eh? They're here! It would not be suitable for this old man to show himself. I'll help you frighten the enemy away from the shadows. You need not worry!"

The old man's figure flashed, and he concealed himself in the darkness.

Not long after.

A series of footsteps came from afar.

A white figure flashed. A slender woman dressed in white, her face veiled in white gauze and an Ancient Sword on her back, appeared thirty feet from Qin Shuang.

Immediately afterward, an elegant young man leisurely waving a Beauty Fan appeared ten feet behind the woman. The Beauty Fan in his hand swayed lightly from time to time as he smiled at Qin Shuang.

It's her!

The moment Qin Shuang saw this slender woman dressed in white and veiled in white gauze, his heart jolted, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the Yellow Springs Saber.

This woman—

Was unmistakably the young woman who had fought a purple-clad woman wielding Long Silk when he had entered the mountains!

Qin Shuang knew clearly.

This veiled young woman possessed Divine Wheel Realm cultivation, even stronger than Nangong Wan'er. With a mere wave of her hand, her sword radiance erupted with terrifying destructive power, grinding every tree within a hundred feet to dust!

[ Ding! You evaded the scrutiny of a Divine Wheel Realm expert. Blood Locking Art, Blood Refining Scroll: Perfected! ]

[ Simplification: 1. Observe Dragon Locking Well once. 2. Consume one Hidden Blood Fruit. Meet the requirements to advance. ]

Just then, two system notifications rang out in Qin Shuang's mind.

At the same time.

A vast torrent of information poured into Qin Shuang's Sea of Consciousness. It was precisely the cultivation insights and execution techniques for the perfected Blood Locking Art and Blood Refining Scroll!

In an instant.

Qin Shuang felt as though he had cultivated the Blood Locking Art and Blood Refining Scroll for thirty years!

"Young Master Qin, we meet again! Can we... have a talk?"

At that moment, the veiled young woman looked at Qin Shuang. Her voice was as clear and crisp as pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"Talk about what?"

Qin Shuang looked at the white-gauze-veiled woman, gripping the Yellow Springs Saber tightly as wariness flashed through his eyes.

"This little woman is Yu Shiqie, from Pudu Jing'an Nunnery. The saber in Young Master Qin's hand is Li Tianhen's demonic saber from one hundred and ten years ago. As far as this little woman knows, this saber bewitches the mind. Those who wield it for long periods will ultimately be controlled by it and become utterly bloodthirsty killing maniacs."

"I have also heard that Young Master Qin has cultivated Jingyan Palace's wicked and unorthodox supreme art from over two hundred years ago, the 'Life and Death Seal.' This art is sinister and vicious, a forbidden technique of the Jianghu!"

"For the peace of the Jianghu, and to prevent needless slaughter, this little woman asks Young Master Qin to abandon the Yellow Springs Demonic Blade, cripple his own martial arts, and accompany this little woman to Pure Land Zen Monastery, where he may worship Buddha beneath the blue lamp and suppress his demonic nature."

The veiled young woman gave Qin Shuang a deep look as she spoke.

"You want me to give up the Yellow Springs Saber, cripple my martial arts, and follow you to Pure Land Zen Monastery to become a monk and knock a wooden fish?"

Hearing Yu Shiqie's words, Qin Shuang narrowed his eyes. Anger flickered within them as he sneered. "Heh... what a Jianghu Holy Land, what a 'for the peace of the Jianghu.' What high-sounding reasons! Are you sure Pudu Jing'an Nunnery isn't coveting my Yellow Springs Saber?"

At this moment, Qin Shuang was furious.

He had not expected—

That the people of Pudu Jing'an Nunnery, a Jianghu Holy Land, could be so shameless!

Hand over the Yellow Springs Saber, cripple his own martial arts, and become a monk?

Damn it, they could actually say something so brazen without blushing?

"How presumptuous!"

At that moment, the elegant young man waving the Beauty Fan snapped it shut with a smack, pointed at Qin Shuang, and rebuked him. "Fairy Yu reasons with you for the sake of the Jianghu and all living beings. What magnanimity is that? Yet you dare slander the Holy Land and Fairy Yu like this!"

"If Fairy Yu were not unwilling to incur the karma of killing, why would she waste so many words on you? Fairy Yu could crush you with one finger, believe it or not?!"

"Buzz off!"

Holding the Yellow Springs Saber, Qi and Blood surging explosively throughout his body, Qin Shuang narrowed his eyes at the young man and said coldly, "And who the hell are you supposed to be? When the Master is speaking, what right does a lackey have to interrupt?!"

Qin Shuang knew.

That old man was nearby. Just moments ago, the old man had transmitted his voice to him.

"You..."

At Qin Shuang's words, killing intent flashed through the Beauty Fan young man's eyes. He forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and said with airy calm, "Forget it. I won't lower myself to your level. But remember this well: I am Liufang Pavilion's Direct Disciple, Shen Feiyu, known throughout the Jianghu as the Drunken Moon Young Master!"

At this moment.

Shen Feiyu was so furious inside that he felt like coughing blood.

He truly admired Fairy Yu, but Fairy Yu devoted herself wholeheartedly to worshipping Buddha and had no interest in love. So he had settled for the next best thing—following at Fairy Yu's side and watching her from afar was good enough.

Qin Shuang's remark about being a "lackey" had truly struck him where it hurt!