The Assassin Huamei, the Demoness Slain by a Formation

After fleeing for six hours, Qin Yi stopped and glanced behind him. The panic on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by a cruel expression. "Come quickly, my lamb."

"Whew." Qin Yi let out a long breath. This was his first time setting up the Star-Binding Formation, and he was still somewhat unfamiliar with it. Once he finished, he flew into a tree and quietly waited for his lamb to come to him.

An hour later, the woman caught up. Looking at the towering ancient trees around her and the red dot on the compass that had stopped moving, she hesitated. She had intercepted and killed the other two while they were fleeing, but Qin Yi had struck her as a little strange, so she had saved him for last.

Holding her short blade in her hand, the woman carefully entered the woods, constantly extending her Divine Sense to search for Qin Yi.

A moment later, the woman stopped. She had spotted Qin Yi in a tree up ahead. A contemptuous smile appeared on her lips. "Given up struggling?"

With that thought, the woman strode toward Qin Yi. Just as she thought he would come down and put up one last struggle, strands of thread swept toward her from all directions. The woman swung her short blade in terror, trying to block them, but it was no use. The threads came at her from every side, far too fast for her to block them all. Only then did she begin to feel afraid.

Moments later, four threads had bound the woman's arms and legs, leaving her spread-eagled and facing Qin Yi. He came down from the tree and walked up to her. Looking at her impressive figure and beautiful face, Qin Yi smiled.

The woman struggled to change her humiliating position, but whatever material the threads were made of, she could not break free at all. Even all her spiritual power had been sealed. Despite Qin Yi's smile, her eyes were still full of killing intent.

"From now on, you answer whatever I ask. Understand?" Qin Yi said to the woman.

The woman snorted coldly and turned her head, completely ignoring him. The smile gradually faded from Qin Yi's face, and an icy voice sounded beside her ear. "You think I'm going to indulge you?"

Qin Yi took a whip and a wooden bucket full of water from his Storage Bag. The woman was puzzled by what he was doing, but she soon came to her senses.

Qin Yi sprinkled salt into the bucket and soaked the whip in the water. Looking at the woman, he said excitedly, "You know, I was born into the imperial family, so I know a great deal about torture. I just don't know whether these punishments work on cultivators." As he spoke, Qin Yi struck her with the whip.

"Ah!" The woman let out a piercing scream.

"Go on, scream. The more you scream, the more excited I get." At some point, Qin Yi's voice had grown hoarse.

The woman gritted her teeth against the pain, refusing to cry out. Qin Yi struck her again and again. After fifteen lashes, he put the instruments of torture away and looked at her uncontrollably trembling body. "You answer whatever I ask. Do you understand now?"

This time, the woman gave in. Panting heavily, she nodded. Qin Yi smiled with satisfaction and asked, "What's your name?"

The woman answered in a clear voice, "Huamei."

"Where are you from?"

"I'm a Rogue Cultivator."

Qin Yi froze. "A Rogue Cultivator?" When Huamei killed Li Ze, Qin Yi had thought she was an assassin from somewhere. But on second thought, it made sense. How could a professional assassin give in so easily?

Looking at Huamei's pitiful appearance, Qin Yi's eyes flashed. "Do you want to live?" he asked her.

A glimmer passed through Huamei's eyes. She looked at Qin Yi and said, "As long as you let me go, I can do anything for you. I can give you all the Spirit Stones I've obtained." As she spoke, Huamei also thrust out her impressive chest.

Qin Yi seemed very tempted. Smiling, he said, "All right."

Just as Huamei thought Qin Yi was about to release her, a sword stabbed into her heart. Qin Yi's gaze was icy as he leaned close to her ear. "A mere Rogue Cultivator dares ask for a hundred thousand Spirit Stones? I know the methods of your Seven Shas Valley, and you still dare play pitiful in front of me?"

"I almost forgot that assassins like you are skilled at disguise."

Huamei's face twisted in pain. She was about to speak when Qin Yi applied a little force, and the long sword in his hand instantly pierced through her body. Feeling her life rapidly slipping away, Huamei struggled with all her strength.

"I can't accept this. I hate you..."

Qin Yi pulled out his sword and watched indifferently as Huamei died. He then stepped forward and removed her Storage Bag. Sure enough, he found a Seven Shas Valley token inside, with the number five on it. Qin Yi looked at Huamei's gradually cooling corpse and snorted. "Nothing but a painted skeleton." He then tossed a flame onto her body, and just like that, a Foundation Establishment cultivator gradually turned to ash.

Qin Yi put the Nine-Eyed Demon Spider's corpse together with the Golden-Horned Rhinoceros, then took out the Ghost Willow's tree heart and examined it. Finding nothing special about it, he shook his head and put it away.

He then counted his spoils. Looking at the mountain of Spirit Stones piled up in his Storage Bag, Qin Yi sighed. "Sure enough, murder and arson earn a golden belt. That's how it is in the mortal world's jianghu, and the cultivation world is no different."

Qin Yi found Huamei's compass and dripped a drop of blood onto it. Closing his eyes, he sensed its marvelous uses. A moment later, he opened his eyes and smiled with satisfaction. "Who would have thought a mere Spirit Artifact could have such a marvelous use? It'll come in handy at the auction."

Once Huamei's corpse had burned away, Qin Yi turned and left. He had gained quite a lot on this trip. The final exchange between Li Ze and the Ghost Willow had given him a little insight, and he could now try to break through to Great Perfection.

"If I'd fought Huamei, I might have broken through on the spot. What a pity." Qin Yi sighed. Still, if the Star-Binding Formation had not trapped Huamei, he really would have had to fight her fiercely. Leaving aside who would have won, given her Foundation Establishment cultivation, he might not have been able to stop her if she had wanted to flee.

Then he would have lost both the lady and his soldiers. Not only would he have wasted his time, but he also would not have gotten the Nine-Eyed Demon Spider's corpse, much less the mountain of Spirit Stones now in his Storage Bag.

"Looks like I still need to be cautious in what I do."