The Blindfolded Youth

Nangong Tang was squatting dejectedly beside the fire, completely unaware that a senior brother from her sect had already branded her "a villain who used poison as she pleased."

She stared at the blindfolded youth in blue across the fire. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she shouldn't have come to this secret realm. Her luck was truly rotten!

While Feng Zhuo was away,

Nangong Tang suddenly kicked the fire. "You damned blind man! Keep staring and I'll start charging you Spirit Stones!"

The youth in blue nimbly dodged every flying spark and said at a leisurely pace, "Fellow Daoist Nangong, I counted on my fingers today, and I'm afraid you'll suffer a bloody calamity in the coming days!"

"Shut up!"

Nangong Tang hurriedly lunged forward to cover his mouth, but she was a step too late.

Through gritted teeth, she threatened, "Ye Qingyu, sooner or later, I'm going to poison that rotten mouth of yours mute!"

It was no empty threat.

The last time Ye Qingyu had said she would "suffer a financial calamity," the poison pills she had painstakingly refined were stolen;

The time before that, he had said she was "fated to encounter peach blossoms," so she had dressed herself up like a blooming flower every day, only to attract a six-year-old little brat who chased after her shouting, "Pretty big sister!"

At the memory of that dark chapter in her past, Nangong Tang's face twisted.

"You can't blame me for that," Ye Qingyu said, looking innocent. "If Fellow Daoist Nangong hadn't dressed like a gaudy peacock every day, she might have managed to attract at least one respectable male cultivator."

"You still dare bring it up!"

Nangong Tang bristled completely and pounced on Ye Qingyu, grappling with him.

Ye Qingyu refused to back down. Neither used spiritual power, and they fought with their bodies alone.

When Feng Zhuo returned, that was the scene he found.

The two cultivators rolled around on the ground like street thugs, aiming specifically for spots where a blow would hurt but leave no obvious marks.

Neither pulled hair nor tore clothes, but they fought with considerable "skill."

Yes, considerable skill at a "hair-pulling catfight."

The two were clearly old acquaintances. Feng Zhuo couldn't be bothered with them, so he closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, recovering the spiritual power he had spent refining Spirit-Feeding Pills earlier.

By the fire, Nangong Tang and Ye Qingyu's "sparring" continued, punctuated by Ye Qingyu's occasional cries of "Despicable! You actually hit me there!"

Yanba sneakily poked his lion head out of the beast pouch. Seeing Feng Zhuo meditating with his eyes closed, he immediately pulled it back in.

Then he quietly extended the tip of his tail and aimed it at the Storage Bag containing Spirit-Feeding Pills at Feng Zhuo's waist. Fast! Ruthless! Precise!

Got it...

"Smack!"

Without even opening his eyes, Feng Zhuo casually added a restriction to the beast pouch. "If you eat any more, you really will turn into a pig."

This had become the norm over the past few days.

After Feng Zhuo had joined Nangong Tang to search for the cave abode by following the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Vine's senses, they had encountered this blindfolded youth who called himself Ye Qingyu along the way, and the group had grown lively.

Ye Qingyu claimed to be a disciple of the Supreme One Divine Sect's Heavenly Craft Peak and said he had met Feng Zhuo once at the master-selection ceremony.

Feng Zhuo thought back carefully and did remember that a disciple with a single Fire Spirit Root and top-grade aptitude had borne that name.

Besides, in Feng Zhuo's memories of his previous life, this person had never appeared at Su Ruanruan's side, and Nangong Tang clearly knew him, so Feng Zhuo tacitly allowed him to accompany them for the time being.

But Ye Qingyu was far too thick-skinned. No matter how the two of them hinted, he played deaf and dumb and refused to leave.

Feng Zhuo was no good person, but he wouldn't go so far as to kill a fellow disciple with whom he had no grievance. He could only let him tag along until now.

Over there, Nangong Tang and Ye Qingyu finally grew too tired to fight and stopped, just as Feng Zhuo completed one Greater Celestial Circuit of the Everlasting Spring Scripture.

He opened his eyes and decided to cut the tangled knot with one swift stroke. "Junior Brother Ye, Fellow Daoist Nangong and I still have important matters to attend to. Might I ask you to take your leave for now?"

No sooner had he spoken than four golden characters, "Supreme One Divine Sect," suddenly appeared on the distant horizon. It was the sect's assembly signal.

Ye Qingyu had only wanted to annoy Nangong Tang after running into her; he had no intention of stealing anyone's fortuitous opportunity.

Now that Feng Zhuo had issued an "eviction order" and the sect had summoned him, he had no reason to keep pestering them.

"Naturally."

Ye Qingyu calmly adjusted the veil over his eyes. "The sect only issues an assembly order in an emergency. Senior Sister Yun Li seems to have something important to discuss. Will you come with me, Senior Brother?"

Of the Supreme One Divine Sect's six main peaks, Heaven-Soaring Peak was foremost.

Since Yun Li was in the secret realm, an important matter like assembling the disciples would hardly fall to Su Ruanruan.

That was also why the Purple Yang Pill Sect had issued an assembly order several days ago, while the Supreme One Divine Sect had yet to make a move.

After his death, Feng Zhuo had read a storybook that was much like an autobiography of Su Ruanruan's, and he knew her usual tricks all too well.

What trick was she planning to play this time?

Would she say he had suffered a backlash and fallen under the vicious plant's control after contracting with it, or fabricate a story about him slaughtering innocents so she could rally everyone to "carry out justice on heaven's behalf"?

Feng Zhuo shook his head calmly. "Thank you for understanding, Junior Brother. Fellow Daoist Nangong and I have other important matters to attend to, so we won't join the commotion. If you have the chance, please keep our whereabouts concealed."

Nangong Tang was not nearly so polite. She slammed her fists together with a heavy clack. "Ye, if you dare reveal my whereabouts to that bastard Shen Mingxiao, I'll make you pay once we're out of the secret realm!"

Ye Qingyu gave a solemn reply. "Rest assured, Senior Brother. I'll keep my lips sealed."

Then he turned to Nangong Tang, raised a brow, and smiled, deliberately drawing out his words as he mimicked her tone. "Nangong, if I 'accidentally' reveal your location to that son of a bitch Shen Mingxiao, will you 'beg me in tears' to make you pay once we're out of the secret realm?"

He even winked at Feng Zhuo and added, "Don't worry, Senior Brother. You told me to keep my lips sealed, and I certainly will!"

"Ye Qingyu!"

Nangong Tang's roar startled the birds in the forest, sending them fleeing as fast as beasts.

Leaning on a bamboo staff, Ye Qingyu strolled through the Purple Yang Pill Sect's camp and arrived at the Supreme One Divine Sect's encampment.

Though the disciple on guard looked down on this "blind senior brother," he was exceedingly respectful on the surface. "Are you Senior Brother Ye?"

When Ye Qingyu nodded, the disciple became even more deferential. "The direct disciple senior brothers and senior sisters have been waiting for some time. Please follow me."

The bamboo staff tapped against the ground. Ye Qingyu really did play the blind man to perfection.

The disciple led him through rows of tents, which grew more luxurious the farther in they went.

Finally, they stopped before the central main tent, surrounded by the others like stars gathered around the moon.

"This way, Senior Brother Ye."

The disciple bowed and stepped aside, but the tapping of the bamboo staff continued straight into the tent.

Before Ye Qingyu could sit down, someone said sarcastically, "Senior Brother Ye, you certainly kept us waiting!"

"My apologies, my apologies. A blind man's feet are always a little slower."

Ye Qingyu paid it no mind. "Eh? Junior Brother Xuanfeng, you're looking well. Has your cultivation advanced again? Congratulations, congratulations!"

"Hmph!"

Sure enough, Xuanfeng let the matter drop.

Though Su Ruanruan had lost Feng Zhuo's fortuitous opportunity from the book, she had still found a stalk of Spirit-Cleansing Grass just over a thousand years old in the Green Wood Illusion Forest.

After reuniting with the sect, she had sought out Bai Wuxia to refine a pill for Xuanfeng, even though her meridians were clogged with blood resentment Qi.

Now she had gathered everyone to discuss matters, and Ye Qingyu had arrived late. Naturally, Xuanfeng had to stand up for his junior sister.

Little did they know that Su Ruanruan's action had spoiled Taisu's plans, and Xuanfeng's future achievements would be hard-pressed to reach the heights of the original work.