The Nanze Zheng Family

Along the way, Wu Sanli stuck to Lin Qian like a plaster.

He took care of Lin Qian's clothes and daily needs, fussing over him at every turn. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Wu Sanli was Lin Qian's house servant.

Still, that worked out well. It spared Fang Huai the trouble of handling those chores and gave him time to learn what had happened to Liu Xiange and the others.

After they parted ways in Servant Valley, Liu and Shen had both succeeded in entering the Qi Refining stage.

Liu Xiange was assigned to Curse Insect Peak, where she had to start from the very bottom.

Shen Yuan had excellent aptitude and was taken under the wing of an elder from Corpse Refining Peak. A few months after she joined the peak, she sent someone to bring Zhang Zhu, who had still failed to enter the Qi Refining stage, to Corpse Refining Peak.

After that, the three of them lost touch.

Seeing that a senior brother from Corpse Refining Peak was leading this mission, Liu Xiange brought up Shen Yuan and told Lin Qian that she and Fang Huai had been Shen Yuan's old acquaintances from Servant Valley.

To her surprise, Lin Qian knew Shen Yuan too. For Shen Yuan's sake, he agreed to look after them a little.

As the Corpse Sha Bird flew on, Fang Huai's heart grew heavier and heavier.

As far as the eye could see, Corpse Sha Sect disciples were escorting batch after batch of mortals toward the sect's headquarters, hurrying along the way.

The area around the sect had been hunted so thoroughly that demonic beasts were almost extinct. Outer Disciples who couldn't complete their missions were killing one another and seizing each other's resources.

Everything had fallen into chaos.

In the past, whenever disciples fought within the sect's territory, enforcement disciples would arrive soon after.

But now, all around them was nothing but disorder. No one stepped forward to rein it in.

The mountain rain was coming, and the wind filled the towers. Fang Huai felt another flicker of worry about this trip.

Fang Huai wasn't the only one with concerns. The other three had their own thoughts, too. They traveled through the mist-shrouded skies until a vast marsh appeared in the distance.

Sunlight rippled across the water, and the marsh stretched as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of bamboo houses stood connected to one another, dotting the water like stars.

Old folk and women gathered seaweed and rowed out to fish. In the glow of the setting sun, the place had the charm of a paradise beyond the mortal world.

This was where the Nanze Zheng Family had made its home.

When the Corpse Sha Bird flew overhead, the Zheng Family members hurried to scatter. Some were so panicked that they jumped straight into the water and disappeared from sight.

Wu Sanli snorted. "A bunch of ignorant fools. They don't even recognize a Corpse Sha Bird."

"Our priority this time is collecting the annual tribute. We can't waste too much time."

Lin Qian coughed, then said pointedly, "Also, everything has its limits. Don't make the Zheng Family report us to the sect."

Everything has its limits?

Fang Huai frowned, then immediately understood.

Given the way Corpse Sha Sect disciples behaved, they were bound to plunder an affiliated family once they arrived.

Lin Qian was probably reminding them that as long as they didn't go too far, they could plunder to their hearts' content.

"The Nanze Zheng Family welcomes the immortals of the Corpse Sha Sect!"

An elderly man with a white beard led a dozen Qi Refining cultivators in kneeling to greet them.

Seeing the Zheng Family's people, Lin Qian guided the Corpse Sha Bird down and stood with his hands behind his back, his expression haughty. "Which of you is the Zheng Family's head?"

The old man stepped forward. "This old man is Zheng Fengzu, the current head of the Zheng Family."

"How rude of the Nanze Zheng Family! The sect sends people, and you arrange only these few Qi Refining cultivators to welcome us?"

Zheng Fengzu looked ashamed. "Please don't blame us, Immortal. The sect has repeatedly called our people up for service these past few years. Every cultivator in our clan at the middle Qi Refining stage or above has perished on the battlefield.

"The Zheng Family is short on resources and truly has no means to train new cultivators. The people before you are all the strength we have left."

Fang Huai looked at Zheng Fengzu. He was at the fifth Qi Refining layer.

The highest cultivation among the cultivators behind him was only the third layer.

Lin Qian nodded. In truth, he had said that to test the Zheng Family's strength.

If they were powerful, he would hold back. If they were truly as weak as Zheng Fengzu claimed, he would do as he pleased.

"Looks like I misunderstood the Zheng Family. But tell me, Elder Zheng, how long did you plan to leave us standing outside?"

"This old man failed to notice. Immortals, please come in!" Hearing the softening in Lin Qian's tone, Zheng Fengzu felt the stone in his heart finally drop. He ushered the four of them inside.

The Corpse Sha Sect visited every year, so the Zheng Family had made preparations well in advance.

In just an hour, they had prepared a welcoming feast.

Songs and dances filled the banquet, surrounded by a feast of rich reds and lush greens.

The women of Nanze who served them were all strikingly beautiful, their eyes and brows alight with the distinctive charm of a waterside town.

Fang Huai had no interest in admiring them. He discreetly surveyed the Zheng Family members.

The mortals had only ordinary tags, nothing out of the ordinary.

Among the cultivators, several bore the [Blood Jade Body] trait.

[Blood Jade Body: A special constitution formed after birth under the influence of Blood Jade Insects]

Formed after birth? Blood Jade Insects?

Had it come from practicing some kind of cultivation art? Fang Huai had no idea.

He inspected the delicacies on the table. There was nothing strange about them. On the contrary, dishes made from aquatic demonic beasts were not only rich in spiritual energy but also good for strengthening the body.

He picked up a piece of demonic beast meat and put it in his mouth. It melted on his tongue, and the spiritual power left behind nourished his body, even invigorating his meridians.

He had never eaten such nourishing food before, so he couldn't help taking a few more bites.

He glanced up at Liu Xiange. Though she did her best to maintain an elegant air, the increasingly rapid pace at which she picked up food betrayed her craving.

When she saw Fang Huai looking at her, her cheeks flushed. She put on her ladylike airs again.

"I don't know what the honored immortals might prefer. If our hospitality has been lacking, I hope you'll forgive us."

Throughout the banquet, Zheng Fengzu had spared no effort in flattering them, making Lin Qian and Wu Sanli burst into loud laughter.

Lin Qian continually used his spiritual power to ward off the effects of the wine, so he remained fairly clearheaded.

Wu Sanli was different. He dropped his spiritual defenses and used his mortal body to savor the fine wine and delicacies. After a few cups of clear wine, his face was red and his gaze had begun to grow hazy.

"Head of the Zheng Family," Wu Sanli said roughly, "you've got meat dishes and strong wine to satisfy the appetite, but nothing to satisfy the body's appetites. Your hospitality is still lacking."

"Junior Brother Wu, you're drunk." Lin Qian raised his wine cup, his tone casual.

Zheng Fengzu immediately understood what the two of them meant. He clapped his hands lightly, and the silk robes on the dancing women slid to the floor.

Fang Huai cursed them inwardly. Wu Sanli was a genuine scoundrel, while Lin Qian was a hypocrite.

No wonder they had been willing to expend so much spiritual power to hurry the Corpse Sha Bird along. They had been looking forward to enjoying themselves with beautiful women.

The two men behaved without restraint, groping the dancing women from head to toe.

At the same time, the Zheng Family lit incense, and a pale red mist curled through the room.

Fang Huai drew a few wisps of the mist into his body. His meridians seemed to come alive, and his Dao heart felt refreshed. He had no idea what method had been used to make the incense.

What surprised him was that the desire lying dormant inside him quietly began to swell.

What kind of incense was this?

As Fang Huai pondered it, two alluring figures had already come up beside him. Their eyes were sultry, and their mouths poured out all manner of obscene words.

Fang Huai didn't consider himself a hypocrite, but he wasn't an animal ruled by desire, either.

Wine and beauty clouded the eyes. If he indulged in such acts in front of everyone, people would surely use it against him later.

Besides, Liu Xiange was right there.

With that thought, he raised a hand and pushed away the two pale, naked bodies.

When he looked toward Liu Xiange, he saw a fair-skinned woman sitting on her. The woman's fingertips traced Liu Xiange's neck, teasing her in every way.

Liu Xiange's face was crimson, and she had completely lost her composure.

"Head of the Zheng Family, I'm tired. Please take me to a guest room to rest." Fang Huai stood and bowed to Zheng Fengzu.

Seeing Fang Huai's humble manner and his refusal of the women, Zheng Fengzu was puzzled. He even suspected that Fang Huai might be a spy from the righteous sects planted in the Corpse Sha Sect.

Still, he kept his suspicions to himself and did as Fang Huai asked, arranging for someone to escort him away.

As he passed Liu Xiange, Fang Huai smiled. "Junior Sister, your cheeks are flushed. I imagine there's something troubling you that you can't work through.

"I know a way to resolve this situation. I just don't know whether you'd be willing to try it."

Liu Xiange's face flushed even redder.

Wu Sanli had drunk too much. He hadn't lasted long before falling asleep like a dead pig.

When Lin Qian saw him asleep, he snorted and began circulating his cultivation art.

In an instant, the dancing women let out a chorus of screams. The blood and qi in their bodies turned into crimson streams and surged into Lin Qian.