Fragrant Wind Cave, Hundred Honey Workshop

Chen Fan pondered for a while. What this man said did not seem false. Since they were an affiliated sect of the Heaven and Earth Gate, it made sense that they knew some Heaven and Earth Gate techniques. As for that prince's lightness skill, someone must have taught it to him, allowing him to steal treasures more easily. Still, this black-clad man appeared to be nothing more than a minor character and knew very little.

Chen Fan continued, "Two final questions. Who exactly are the expert you mentioned and the person cultivating that special technique? And where can they be found?"

"This one truly does not know. I only know that the person who communicated the assignments to me was an expert of the Heaven and Earth Gate. Also, some time ago, I saw the person cultivating that strange technique in a cave several hundred miles west of this city. He was practicing at the time, while I had been ordered to deliver some cultivation materials." As he spoke, another trace of confusion appeared on his face. "Since you are a core disciple of Black Dragon Pool, how can you not know even a hint of this? And why did you attack us? Do you not care about the safety of your sect's young sect master?..."

The next moment, he began coughing violently. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and he could no longer speak properly, only looking pleadingly at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan froze for a moment. He had originally intended to press further, but seeing that the poison was about to fully take effect, he shrugged and said, "Sorry, but I don't have an antidote either. Besides, you know too much."

The black-clad man's eyes widened. Know too much? You stole my line, didn't you? Then, as though preparing to launch a final desperate strike, his Origin Qi surged wildly. Chen Fan was greatly alarmed and hurriedly drew the Soul Reaper Sword. Perhaps the poison had already seeped too deeply into the man's body, leaving him unable to display much strength at all. Sword Qi pierced straight through his throat, and he died just like that, truly unable to rest in peace.

Chen Fan did not bother looking at him further. He was only a minor character, after all. No one would likely come seeking revenge for him. Besides, for an organization led by that mysterious cultivator, the fewer people who knew of it, the better. They probably wished more than anyone that this man would keep his mouth shut forever. Fortunately, before shutting it, he had still revealed some information.

It seemed this matter really did have some connection to Black Dragon Pool, though Black Dragon Pool did not appear to be the mastermind. If he had the chance to return, asking the deputy sect master should yield some answers. But she might not tell him anything. If she truly did, then he would only sink deeper and deeper into this affair. Yet the matter was of great importance, and Chen Fan had begun to vaguely suspect that these people might be directly connected to the destruction of Golden Wheel Temple. Thus, he decided to follow the black-clad man's lead and continue digging deeper.

Several hundred miles west of West Ridge City stood a mountain that was not especially tall. Yet its terrain was precipitous, its strange rocks jagged and grotesque, inspiring dread at a glance. Few people ever came here. At this moment, within a hidden cave in the mountain, two people spoke in low voices, plotting something.

"My lord, although this operation took quite a few twists and turns, we ultimately succeeded. A cause for celebration indeed!" said one of them, a rather burly man. Yet he too wore black and covered his face, concealing his true appearance.

The other person, whom he called my lord, spoke coldly. The voice was exceedingly hoarse, making it impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or woman. This person was likewise dressed in black. Though not masked, the outfit was a hooded suit, with the head buried beneath the hood. Layers of mesh veiled the front, completely obscuring the face and revealing only a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes.

"This is thanks to your finding that crucial piece of Vermilion Blood Sand. But this cannot be considered a complete success. I still need to return as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes. This subordinate understands. Then, my lord, please leave this place first. This subordinate will immediately begin the cleanup. Anyone who has seen my lord or become involved in this matter will not be spared. Please rest assured, my lord," the burly man said respectfully.

"Mm. I'll leave the rest to you." A black shadow flashed away, leaving only the burly man behind.

In the dense forest not far from that mountain, a figure was slowly making his way forward. It was Chen Fan. Following the information provided by the black-clad man before his death, he had headed west and found the mountain ahead. If the information was true, then what awaited him would be an exceedingly terrifying existence.

His heart was beating like a drum. If he did not investigate, he would not be at ease. But if something went wrong after he went in and cost him his life, the loss would outweigh the gain. So he decided to observe from the foot of the mountain first.

Suddenly, a voice rang out beside his ear, startling him so badly that he nearly fell over. "Who are you? Why have you come here? Speak honestly, or you will be killed without mercy!"

Chen Fan turned toward the source of the voice behind him to the left. There stood a young man and woman. Although dawn had yet to arrive, the moonlight allowed Chen Fan to vaguely make out their appearances. The man looked around twenty years old and wore elegant scholar's robes. His features were quite refined, and a huge gourd hung at his waist, clearly no ordinary item. The woman beside him was younger, around sixteen or seventeen, at the age when a flower bud was just about to bloom. Her appearance was remarkably outstanding, sweet yet carrying a hint of seduction that made one's heart itch.

Chen Fan vigorously shook his head and calmed himself. Focusing his senses, he discovered that both of them were cultivators with higher cultivation than his own. This little girl was pretty, but she was not superior to Wan'er or Qin Ziyan. Chen Fan was no untouched greenhorn either. This woman had likely cultivated some technique containing enchantment arts, or he would not have felt this way.

"Eh, this guy is young, but his composure is quite good. Senior Brother, make a move and take him down first, lest we cause a disturbance and attract attention," the woman said lightly and unconcernedly.

The man did not hesitate. He slapped his waist, and the gourd flew into his hand. Then he lightly struck the bottom of the gourd with his palm, injecting a stream of Origin Qi into it. Precious light immediately flowed over the gourd. The next moment, three butterflies crawled out from its mouth. As soon as they spread their wings, they flew directly toward Chen Fan.

Chen Fan was greatly astonished. It seemed this fellow was a beast tamer, and he even raised butterflies. That was rather novel. Yet as the three butterflies flew toward him, Chen Fan sensed only deadly danger from their brilliantly colored bodies. After crawling out of the gourd, the butterflies not only grew much larger, but he could now see countless strange patterns on their wings. Their wings kept fluttering, as though preparing to release something. They were clearly highly poisonous creatures. Chen Fan did not dare be careless and immediately circulated the Golden Wheel Scripture throughout his body, preparing to enter combat.

Yet strangely, once Chen Fan activated his technique, the three butterflies suddenly stiffened slightly, as if they had seen something terrifying. They immediately turned around and shot back. Their bodies abruptly shrank before they plunged straight back into the mouth of the gourd. The gourd's glow dimmed, returning to stillness. Chen Fan was somewhat at a loss, staring blankly at the entire process.

The young man opposite him was already shocked beyond measure. What was going on? These three Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterflies had been raised by him for many years. Not only were they extremely poisonous, they possessed many other supernatural abilities as well. They were incomparably fierce in battle, and ordinary third-realm disciples could not deal with them at all. Why had they suddenly dropped the ball now? This was bad. These three butterflies were practically linked to his mind, and his cultivation technique was specifically meant to command them and unleash their power. Without them, he was nothing but a useless fighter with fourth-level Internal Qi.

Fortunately, he still had a teammate beside him. Seeing the situation, the woman acted decisively. She lunged toward Chen Fan in a single step, and at some unknown time, a short staff had appeared in her hand. It was several inches shorter than Chen Fan's Snake Staff, but it was obviously no ordinary item. Driven by the woman's Origin Qi, the top of the short staff suddenly emitted a cloud of mist that rushed straight at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan had long been prepared. He reached behind his back and pulled off the Snake Staff formed by Little East, then swung it directly toward the woman. From the snake head atop the staff, another stream of poisonous gas spewed forth. The two clouds collided and immediately fused, devouring each other. After a moment, both dispersed and vanished. Their power appeared evenly matched, with neither able to do anything to the other.

Just as Chen Fan was about to continue attacking, he heard the woman say, "Stop. Don't fight anymore."

Chen Fan found it amusing. You were the ones who wanted to fight. Now you say we stop, and we stop? Do you take me for an easy target? He said coldly, "What is it? You two were planning to bully one man with your numbers, but now you're scared?"

"Not at all. You misunderstand. Earlier, we believed you to be an accomplice of certain villains, which was why we intended to capture you. But now it seems that your cultivation technique, manner, and attire do not resemble theirs. It appears we were mistaken. Please do not take offense."

Hmph. If I had been defeated and captured just now, they would not be speaking so politely. Chen Fan inwardly scorned them, but he could also tell that these two were not members of the black-clad group. Moreover, he seemed to have seen their cultivation techniques in some ancient text before.

Seeing Chen Fan withdraw his technique, the woman's expression eased, and her tone became exceedingly friendly. "My name is Hua Yuewu. This is my senior brother, Yang Dawei. We are disciples of Myriad Blossom Valley and came here to investigate the case of missing children. Since you have appeared here and possess considerable skill, your purpose must be the same as ours. May I ask which sect you belong to?" Since Chen Fan was so young yet possessed considerable cultivation, the woman guessed that he was likely a core disciple of one of the four great sects. However, she had failed to discern the origin of his cultivation technique during their exchange, which was why she asked.

So they were from Myriad Blossom Valley. No wonder. Myriad Blossom Valley was renowned for its skill in using poison and cultivating venomous insects, poisonous flowers, and the like. Rumor had it that the sect bestowed the surname Hua upon its core elite disciples. It seemed this woman was also being heavily nurtured within the sect. She might even be another "Qin Ziyan." Better not provoke her too much.

Seeing Chen Fan remain wary and silent, the woman continued, "Please do not doubt us. This is the disciple token of our sect's Fragrant Wind Cave." As she spoke, she took out a diamond-shaped jade stone engraved with the character for fragrance. "My senior brother is the most gifted young disciple of the Insect-Taming Division of Hundred Honey Workshop. Though we do not know why those butterflies seemed somewhat afraid to fight today, you must have seen that they are extraordinary. There should be no need for further proof, right?"

Fragrant Wind Cave, Hundred Honey Workshop? They sounded like places similar to the three inner courts of Swordcry Mountain. Chen Fan did not wish to reveal his identity, so he said, "Since we are all here to punish evil and eliminate wickedness, we are fellow travelers. My origins are humble and not worth mentioning. How did the two of you trace your way here?" He was deeply curious. If he had not followed the trail of the Xiling prince, he could never have found this place. How had these two learned of it?

At his words, the woman revealed a trace of pride. "That is thanks to Senior Brother Yang's brilliant methods. Earlier, we encountered several black-clad men in a small town. Senior Brother Yang secretly scattered some flower pollen on them. Then, relying on the Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterflies' ability to sense that pollen, we tracked them all the way here."

Chen Fan nodded. It seemed there was no issue with these two's identities. Afterward, Chen Fan and the pair roughly exchanged the information each side knew. Learning that they knew nothing of the Heaven and Earth Gate expert or the mysterious cultivator, Chen Fan did not reveal that matter either.