Mortal-Capturing Squad

One learned from a painful experience.

The lesson from last time, when he had been mocked for arriving late at the Zheng Family, was still fresh in his mind.

Fang Huai arrived at the Outer Sect Hall early this time and waited for the other senior and junior disciples.

[Mission: Travel to Green Parasol City and bring back every mortal under the former jurisdiction of the Mystic Sword Sect]

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

He secretly marveled at Jiang Miao's abilities.

Not only had she known in advance that the Mystic Sword Sect would cede Green Parasol City to the Corpse Sha Sect, she had also arranged for him to join the Mortal-Capturing Squad.

By sect custom, participants were ranked according to their cultivation. This time, he wasn't the one with the lowest cultivation.

He just didn't know whether this Liu Ye was the same Liu Ye Fang Huai knew.

Before long, 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. Their cultivation levels weren't far apart, and a few words of greeting soon brought the three of them together.

They waited another two hours. Pu Ren'an's expression darkened as Liu Ye finally arrived, terribly 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: Half the body is filled with yang energy]

[Half-Yin Body: Half the body is filled with yin energy]

Knowing he was late, Liu Ye quickly apologized.

Cheng Rui, however, showed no consideration for the others. His expression was cold as he said,

"Junior Brother Liu Ye is on his first mission. You must take good care of him. If he so much as loses a single hair, don't bother coming back."

His warning was completely undisguised.

The three of them were furious, but given the difference in their cultivation, they could only swallow their anger for the time being.

Cheng Rui's gaze swept over them. Recognizing Fang Huai as an old acquaintance, he smiled at him.

But to Fang Huai, that smile looked bizarre—three parts warmth, seven parts yearning. Startled, he hurriedly backed away.

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

Pu Ren'an snorted and called everyone over to discuss their travel plans.

Before long, the four had divided up their duties.

Pu Ren'an was the strongest, so he naturally became the captain.

Cheng Zhaozhao had the lowest cultivation and was put in charge of logistical tasks.

Fang Huai and Liu Ye had similar cultivation levels, so they would take turns keeping watch.

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

Perhaps because of the ceasefire, the bloody stench hanging over the Corpse Sha Sect's territory had faded somewhat.

Outer Disciples busied themselves with collecting corpses and gathering supplies, while disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall worked to keep order. Everything was proceeding in good order.

But the scattered bones and corpses still bore witness to the brutality of war.

The mortal towns within the Corpse Sha Sect's territory had been almost entirely destroyed.

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

At the point where the horizon met the ground, they could just make out the raised walls of a city.

Pu Ren'an said sternly, "All of you, stay sharp. I can smell those hypocrites from the Mystic Sword Sect."

Fang Huai's gaze settled on the city tower. Sure enough, a white-robed cultivator stood there.

He instantly tensed.

Compared with Li Sirou, a flower raised in a hothouse, cultivators who roamed the border between the two sects were the true ruthless survivors, tempered by life-and-death struggles.

When they were a hundred zhang from the city tower, flames suddenly flared all around them. Hundreds of mortals aimed their bows and arrows at the four.

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

Liu Ye and Cheng Zhaozhao also brought out their own magical artifacts, ready for anything.

Pu Ren'an was even more impatient. He spat out a searing Poison Sha that swept toward the mortals atop the city tower.

"Fellow Daoist, stop!" came an urgent shout.

The white-robed man summoned a Spirit Sword and swung its blade, dispersing Pu Ren'an's Poison Sha.

Then he flew into the air and stopped Fang Huai and the others from acting.

[Lin Yu]

[Sixth Layer of Qi Refining]

[Qi Shield Technique (White)][Thunder Spirit Body (Black)]

[Qi Shield Technique: Extreme defense that covers every part of the body]

[Thunder Spirit Body: Born with an affinity for lightning; techniques grow far more powerful due to the Lightning Body]

Seeing that Lin Yu was only at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining as well, Pu Ren'an waved a hand, signaling everyone to hold off.

The four hadn't taken the mortals atop the city tower seriously. The cultivators of the Mystic Sword Sect were the ones they truly feared.

Now that they had seen Lin Yu's cultivation level, most of their tension eased.

In the eyes of Corpse Sha Sect cultivators, those of the Mystic Sword Sect didn't pay attention to body tempering. At the same cultivation level, their strength was generally inferior.

"I am Lin Yu, a cultivator of the Mystic Sword Sect. I have been waiting here for you, fellow Daoists." Lin Yu's tone was neither servile nor arrogant.

"Hmph! Green Parasol City has already been ceded to the Corpse Sha Sect. Why are you still clinging to this place instead of leaving?"

Pu Ren'an spoke harshly, pressing him at every turn. "Could it be that the Mystic Sword Sect has gone back on its word?"

"The Mystic Sword Sect keeps its word. But I, Lin, want to find a way for the people of Green Parasol City to survive."

"What a joke!"

Pu Ren'an swept out a hand, sending a gust of wind toward the city tower. The mortals were buffeted until they staggered. "They're already people of the Corpse Sha Sect. It's not your place to find them a way to survive."

Cheng Zhaozhao added from the side, "You say the mortals in the territory were handed over to us, but I bet everyone who could run has already fled, right?

"The ones left are those willing to follow the Corpse Sha Sect. What gives you the right to choose their fate?"

Fang Huai looked over the mortals atop the city tower. They all wore frightened expressions, yet still clutched their weapons.

One of the mortals started shouting, and the others joined in.

"You four demonic cultivators, leave at once! Otherwise, beware our merciless arrows!"

"Hahahaha!"

Pu Ren'an sent out several Wind Blades, instantly killing dozens of people. "Know your place!"

Cries of alarm rang out from the city tower as the crowd scattered in all directions.

Liu Ye sneered. "They've been under the Mystic Sword Sect's protection so long they've forgotten the difference between immortals and mortals. They actually think this pile of scrap wood can hurt us."

Fang Huai said nothing. He had noticed something unusual about the people atop the city tower.

Most of these mortals had [Innate Disability], [Blood Qi Deficiency], or were [Plague-ridden].

That was unusual for people living in the territory of a righteous sect.

Green Parasol City lay hundreds of li from the Mystic Sword Sect's remaining territory. If this sickly bunch were forced to migrate there in a short time, quite a few of them would likely die along the way.

That was the real reason the people of Green Parasol City were unwilling to leave.

Seeing Pu Ren'an start killing, Lin Yu swung his sword at him in desperation.

"Spirit Sword Technique!"

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

Pu Ren'an hurriedly brought out a black shield and cast a spirit shield around himself.

But the sword light was far more powerful than he had expected. It broke through the spirit shield and slammed into the black shield, driving him back several steps.

In a single clash, the shield had already cracked.

Fang Huai was shocked. He had thought Pu Ren'an, with his physical strength and cultivation at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, could hold his own against Lin Yu. But now he was left battered and disheveled.

The Mystic Sword Sect's cultivators were actually this powerful.

"Are you three just going to stand there and wait to die? If I go down, don't think you'll make it out of Green Parasol City alive!" Pu Ren'an roared.

Fang Huai and the other two were about to join the fight, but Lin Yu cried out,

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

"If you insist on attacking, I'll bury every last one of you here today!"