Mortal-Capturing Squad

A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.

The lesson from last time—arriving late at the Zheng Family and being met with cold mockery—was still fresh in his mind.

Fang Huai arrived early at the Outer Sect Hall this time, quietly waiting for the other senior and junior brothers.

[Mission: Proceed to Green Parasol City, bring all mortals formerly under Mystic Sword Sect rule back to the sect]

[Participants: Pu Ren'an, Liu Ye, Fang Huai, Cheng Zhaozhao]

He silently marveled at Jiang Miao's capability.

Not only had she known in advance that Mystic Sword Sect would cede Green Parasol City to Corpse Sha Sect, but she had also managed to arrange his placement in the Mortal-Capturing Squad.

According to sect convention, the order of participants was determined by cultivation level, and this time he was not the lowest-ranked.

He just wondered whether this Liu Ye was the same Liu Ye he knew.

He didn't wait long before Pu Ren'an and Cheng Zhaozhao arrived one after the other.

The former was at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, the latter at the Third Layer. With little difference in their cultivation levels, a few pleasantries quickly warmed them to each other.

After another two hours of waiting, Pu Ren'an's face darkened as Liu Ye finally showed up, late.

What surprised them was the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator standing behind him—Cheng Rui.

[Cheng Rui]

[Sixth Layer of Qi Refining]

[Half-Yang Body (Black)][Half-Yin Body (Black)]

[Half-Yang Body: One half of the body is filled with masculine vigor]

[Half-Yin Body: One half of the body is filled with feminine softness]

Liu Ye, knowing he was late, quickly offered his apologies.

But Cheng Rui showed no courtesy to the group, his face cold and stern:

"Junior Brother Liu Ye is on his first mission. You must take good care of him. If even a single hair on his head is harmed, none of you need bother coming back."

The warning was undisguised.

The words ignited fury in the three listeners, but bound by the gap in cultivation, they could only swallow their anger for now.

Cheng Rui's gaze swept over them, recognized Fang Huai as an acquaintance, and smiled at him.

But to Fang Huai, that smile seemed eerily strange—three parts warmth, seven parts longing—startling him into stepping back repeatedly.

After seeing Cheng Rui off, Liu Ye apologized to each of them in turn.

Pu Ren'an snorted coldly and called everyone together to discuss the travel plan.

Soon, the four had divided their duties.

Pu Ren'an, being the strongest, naturally took the role of captain;

Cheng Zhaozhao, the lowest in cultivation, was assigned to logistics and chores.

Fang Huai and Liu Ye, with similar cultivation levels, took turns on patrol and watch.

The four rented Paper Kites from Paper Person Peak and flew toward Green Parasol City.

Perhaps because of the ceasefire, the bloody scent lingering outside Corpse Sha Sect had thinned somewhat.

Outer Disciples were busy collecting corpses and gathering resources, while Law Enforcement Hall disciples maintained order—everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Yet the scattered bones and broken remains everywhere still spoke of the war's cruelty.

Nearly all the mortal towns within Corpse Sha Sect's territory had been destroyed.

The Paper Kite carried the four for seven full days and nights before signs of human habitation gradually appeared below.

At the line where sky met earth, the faint outline of a raised city wall came into view.

Pu Ren'an said gravely, "Everyone, stay on high alert. I can smell the stench of those hypocrites from Mystic Sword Sect."

Fang Huai focused his gaze on the city tower and indeed spotted a white-robed cultivator.

His alertness spiked instantly.

Compared to someone like Li Sirou, a flower raised in a greenhouse, this kind of cultivator who haunted the border between two sects was a true ruthless character forged through life-and-death trials.

As they advanced to within a hundred zhang of the city tower, flames suddenly burst forth, and hundreds of mortals drew their bows, aiming arrows at the four.

Fang Huai quickly slapped his Storage Bag, gripped a spirit stone in his left hand, held his Soul Banner in his right, and cast the Light Body Technique on himself.

Liu Ye and Cheng Zhaozhao also revealed their respective artifacts, standing ready.

Pu Ren'an, unable to hold back, spat out a scorching Poison Sha that spread toward the mortals on the city tower.

"Fellow Daoist, stop!" came a hurried shout.

The white-robed male cultivator summoned his spirit sword, swung its blade, and dispersed Pu Ren'an's Poison Sha.

Immediately, he flew into the air and halted the movements of Fang Huai and the other three.

[Lin Yu] [Sixth Layer of Qi Refining] [Qi Shield Technique (White)] [Thunder Spirit Body (Black)] [Qi Shield Technique: Ultimate defense, covering every part of the body] [Thunder Spirit Body: Innate affinity with lightning; techniques gain greatly increased power due to the lightning body]

Pu Ren'an saw that Lin Yu was only at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining and waved his hand, signaling the others to pause their actions.

The four of them hadn't taken the mortals on the city wall seriously; what they truly feared were the Mystic Sword Sect cultivators.

Now that they saw Lin Yu's cultivation level clearly, the weight in their hearts eased considerably.

In the minds of Corpse Sha Sect cultivators, Mystic Sword Sect cultivators didn't focus on body refinement, so at the same realm, their strength was generally inferior.

"This Humble One is Lin Yu, a cultivator of the Mystic Sword Sect, here specifically to await you fellow daoists." Lin Yu's tone was neither servile nor arrogant.

"Hmph! Green Parasol City has already been allocated to the Corpse Sha Sect. Why are you still lingering here, unwilling to leave, fellow daoist?"

Pu Ren'an's tone was harsh as he pressed forward step by step: "Could it be that the Mystic Sword Sect has gone back on its word?"

"The Mystic Sword Sect means what it says, but I, Lin, wish to seek a path of survival for the people of Green Parasol City."

"Ridiculous!"

Pu Ren'an waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept toward the city wall, knocking the mortals askew: "They are already people of the Corpse Sha Sect. It's not your place to seek a path of survival for them."

Cheng Zhaozhao added from the side: "You say the mortals on the territory were allocated to us, but probably all those who could run have already fled, right?

Those who remain are willing to follow the Corpse Sha Sect. What right do you have to choose their fate for them?"

Fang Huai swept his gaze over the mortals on the city wall. They all showed fear on their faces, yet still gripped their weapons.

One of the mortals started it, and the rest joined in shouting:

"You four demon cultivators, leave at once, or beware our merciless arrows!"

"Hahahaha!"

Pu Ren'an unleashed several wind blades, instantly killing dozens: "Overestimating yourselves!"

Panicked cries erupted from the city wall as the crowd scattered in all directions.

Liu Ye sneered coldly: "Having been sheltered by the Mystic Sword Sect for so long, they've forgotten the divide between immortals and mortals. They actually think these piles of rotten wood can hurt us."

Fang Huai said nothing. On the mortals of the city wall, he sensed something unusual.

These mortals mostly bore [Innate Disability], [Blood Qi Deficiency], and [Plague-ridden].

On territory belonging to a righteous sect, this was an unusual matter.

Green Parasol City was several hundred li from the Mystic Sword Sect's remaining territory. If this group of sickly people were forced to migrate there in a short time, many would likely lose their lives on the road.

This was the real reason the mortals of Green Parasol City were unwilling to leave.

Seeing Pu Ren'an begin a massacre, Lin Yu, in his urgency, swung his sword at the opponent.

"Spirit Sword Technique!"

Lightning wrapped around the sword light as it surged toward Pu Ren'an.

Pu Ren'an hastily summoned a black shield and used a spirit shield to protect himself.

But the sword light's power far exceeded his expectations; it directly broke through the spirit shield and slammed into the black shield, sending him stumbling backward.

In just one exchange, the shield had already cracked.

Fang Huai's heart trembled. He had thought that with his physical strength and cultivation at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, Pu Ren'an could at least hold his own against Lin Yu for a while, but now he was being thoroughly battered.

A Mystic Sword Sect cultivator—so formidable.

"Are you three just going to stand back there waiting to die? If I fall here, none of you will leave Green Parasol City alive either!" Pu Ren'an roared.

Fang Huai and the other two were about to act, but Lin Yu spoke sternly:

"I came to negotiate with you, not to fight!

If you insist on making a move, I'll make sure all of you are buried here today!"