Fragrant Wind Cave, Hundred Honey Workshop

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

Chen Fan continued, "Two final questions. Who exactly is the expert you mentioned, and who is 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 missions to me was an expert from the Heaven and Earth Gate. Also, several hundred miles west of this city, in a cave, I once saw that person cultivating a strange technique. At the time, he was practicing, while I had been ordered to deliver some cultivation materials." At this point, another trace of confusion appeared on his face. "Since you are a core disciple of Black Dragon Pool, how could you not have heard even the slightest rumor? And why have you attacked us? Do you not care about the safety of your sect's young sect master?..."

The next moment, he began coughing violently without pause, blood spraying from his mouth. He could no longer speak properly, merely looking at Chen Fan with pleading eyes.

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

The black-clothed man's eyes widened. He was surely thinking, Knew too much? You stole my line, didn't you? Then, as though preparing to unleash one final desperate blow, the Yuan Qi throughout his body surged. Chen Fan was startled and hastily drew the Soul Reaper Sword. Perhaps the poison had seeped too deeply into the man's body, leaving him unable to exert much strength at all. Sword Qi pierced straight through his throat, and he died just like that, unable to rest even with his eyes closed.

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

It seemed this matter truly had some connection to Black Dragon Pool, though it did not appear to be the main force behind it. If he had the chance to return, he could ask the deputy sect master and perhaps learn more. Yet she might not necessarily tell him. If she truly did, then he would only sink deeper and deeper into this affair. However, the matter was of great importance, and Chen Fan was beginning to suspect that these people might be directly connected to the destruction of Golden Wheel Temple. Thus, he decided to follow the black-clothed man's lead and delve deeper.

Several hundred miles west of West Ridge City stood a mountain that was not particularly high. Yet its terrain was steep, its strange rocks jagged and grotesque, enough to make one shudder at the sight. Few people ever ventured there. At this moment, within a hidden cave in the mountain, two people were speaking in low voices, plotting something.

"My lord, although this matter took great effort and many twists and turns, we ultimately succeeded. Truly cause for celebration!" said one of them, a rather burly man. He too wore black and covered his face, making his true appearance impossible to see.

The other person, whom he addressed as my lord, spoke coldly. The voice was extraordinarily hoarse, making it impossible to tell whether the speaker was male or female. This person also wore black, though without a mask. Instead, the outfit was a hooded garment, with the head buried within the hood. Layers of mesh hung before the hood, completely obscuring the face and revealing only a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes.

"This was thanks to you finding that crucial piece of Vermilion Blood Sand. But this cannot be considered a complete success. I must return as quickly as possible."

"Yes, yes. This subordinate understands. Then, my lord, please leave this place first. I will immediately begin the cleanup. Anyone who has seen you or been 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 past, and only the burly man remained.

In the dense forest not far from the mountain, a figure moved forward slowly. It was Chen Fan. Based on the information the black-clothed man had revealed before dying, 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 go, he would never feel at ease. But if he went and something happened, costing him his life, the loss would outweigh the gain. Thus, he decided to observe from the foot of the mountain for a while before making any further plans.

Suddenly, a voice rang out beside his ear, startling him badly enough 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. Though dawn had yet to arrive, under the moonlight Chen Fan could vaguely make out their appearances. The man looked around twenty years old, dressed like a scholar with an elegant bearing and rather delicate features. A huge gourd hung at his waist, clearly no ordinary item. The young woman beside him was even younger, around sixteen or seventeen, at the age of a flower bud waiting to bloom. Her looks were remarkably outstanding, sweet yet carrying a hint of seduction, enough to make one's heart itch.

Chen Fan shook his head hard, forcing himself to calm down. Focusing his senses, he found that both were cultivators with higher cultivation than his own. Though this little girl was quite pretty, she was no more beautiful than Wan'er or Qin Ziyan. Chen Fan was no inexperienced virgin either. This woman must have cultivated some technique containing charm arts; otherwise, he would not have felt this way.

"Oh? This fellow is quite young, yet he has good self-control. Senior Brother, take him down first, lest we make too much noise and draw attention," the woman said casually, utterly unconcerned.

The man did not hesitate for even a moment. He slapped the gourd at his waist, catching it in his hand. Then he lightly struck the bottom of the gourd with his palm, sending a stream of Yuan Qi into it. The gourd immediately shone with treasure light. The next instant, three butterflies flew out from its mouth. With a spread of their wings, they flew directly toward Chen Fan.

Chen Fan was greatly surprised. It seemed this fellow was a beast tamer, and one who raised butterflies at that. That was quite distinctive. Yet when the three butterflies flew toward him, Chen Fan sensed only deadly danger from their colorful bodies. After emerging from the gourd, the butterflies had grown considerably larger. He could now clearly see countless strange patterns on their wings, which beat continuously as though preparing to release something. They were clearly highly poisonous creatures. Chen Fan did not dare be careless. He immediately circulated the Golden Wheel Scripture throughout his body, preparing for battle.

Yet strangely, once Chen Fan activated his technique, the three butterflies suddenly stiffened slightly, as though they had seen something terrifying. They turned around and flew back at high speed, their bodies abruptly shrinking as they plunged back into the gourd. The gourd's glow dimmed, returning to calm. Chen Fan was equally baffled, staring blankly at the entire scene.

The young man opposite him was shocked beyond measure. What was going on? These three Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterflies had been cultivated by him for many years. Not only were they lethally poisonous, but they possessed many other divine abilities as well. In battle, they were incomparably fierce; ordinary third-realm disciples could not handle them at all. Why had they suddenly failed him now? This was bad. The three butterflies were connected to his mind and will, and his cultivation technique was specifically meant to drive them into unleashing their power. Without them, he was just a combat good-for-nothing with fourth-realm Internal Qi.

Fortunately, he still had a teammate beside him. The woman acted decisively upon seeing the situation, taking a step forward and rushing toward Chen Fan. At some point, a short staff had appeared in her hand. It was several inches shorter than even Chen Fan's Snake Staff, but it was clearly no ordinary weapon. Under the woman's Yuan Qi, the tip of the short staff suddenly released a cloud of mist straight at Chen Fan's face.

Chen Fan had already been prepared. Reaching behind his back, he pulled free the Snake Staff transformed from Little East, then swung it directly toward the woman. From the snake head atop the staff, a stream of poisonous gas also spewed forth. The two clouds collided, immediately mingling and devouring each other. Moments later, both dispersed and vanished. Their power appeared evenly matched, 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. They had been the ones who wanted to fight, and now they could simply decide not to fight? Did they take him for an easy target? He said coldly, "What is it? The two of you planned to bully the few with the many, but now you've lost your nerve?"

"Not at all. You misunderstand, sir. Earlier, we believed you to be an accomplice of certain villains, so we intended to subdue you. But now, judging from your technique, speech, conduct, and clothing, you do not seem to be one of them. We must have made a mistake. Please do not take offense."

Hmph. If I had lost just now and been captured, they certainly would not be speaking this way. Chen Fan sneered inwardly. Still, he could tell that these two were not part of the black-clothed group, and he seemed to have seen their techniques somewhere in some ancient text.

Seeing Chen Fan put away his technique, the woman's expression eased, and her tone became exceedingly friendly. "My name is Hua Yuewu, and this is my Senior Brother Yang Dawei. We are disciples of Myriad Blossom Valley, here to investigate the disappearance of children. Since you appeared here and possess considerable skill, I imagine your purpose is the same as ours. May I ask which sect you belong to?" Since someone Chen Fan's age had such respectable cultivation, she guessed he was likely a core disciple of one of the four great sects. Yet during their brief exchange, she had been unable to identify the origin of his technique, hence her question.

So they were from Myriad Blossom Valley. No wonder. Myriad Blossom Valley was famed for its skill with poison and for cultivating venomous insects, poisonous flowers, and the like. Rumor had it that its most elite core disciples were all bestowed the surname Hua by the sect. It seemed this woman was also a key disciple receiving focused training. She might even be another "Qin Ziyan." Better not provoke her too much.

Seeing Chen Fan remain wary and silent, the woman spoke again. "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 piece of jade engraved with the character for fragrance. "And my Senior Brother is the most gifted young disciple of the Insect-Taming Division at Hundred Honey Workshop. Though those butterflies seem strangely reluctant to fight today, I believe you have seen their extraordinary quality. There should be no need for any further proof, correct?"

Fragrant Wind Cave, Hundred Honey Workshop? They sounded like places similar to the three halls of Swordcry Mountain's inner court. 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 background is humble and not worth mentioning. How did you two trace things to this place?" He was greatly curious. If not for following the West Ridge prince's trail all the way here, he could never have found this place. How had these two learned of it?

At that, the woman revealed a trace of pride. "That is thanks to Senior Brother Yang's remarkable methods. Earlier, we saw several black-clothed men in a small town, and Senior Brother Yang secretly scattered some flower pollen on them. Then, relying on the Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterflies' ability to sense that pollen, we followed 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 exchanged a general account of what each knew. Learning that they knew nothing about the Heaven and Earth Gate expert or the mysterious cultivator, Chen Fan did not reveal that matter to them.