Don't Leave

"Elder brother! Young master! Young lady!" Seeing that the scholar in plain clothes Han Yundao, and Pei Que had not yet spoken, the short-bearded Rogue Cultivator, who was being held by the two, managed to identify his companions, whose bodies had been separated from their heads, from the mess and immediately cried out.

"What kind of nonsensical terms are these?" Han Yundao and Pei Que frowned in unison upon hearing this.

The scholar in plain clothes ignored the crying and commotion of the short- Rogue Cultivator rogue and glanced at Han and Pei. He saw that the two young men were distinguished by their appearance and their clothes and accessories were quite exquisite, so they must be from good families.

The scholar in plain clothes had been traveling in Pingrong County for some time, so he had a good eye. With just a glance, he could not mistake the two of them for the Bandit Cultivator he had previously wiped out.

Looking again at the short- Rogue Cultivator rogue cultivator they had captured, who exuded a bandit-like aura, the scholar in plain clothes' eyes flashed with a shrewd light. He understood. "He's probably sent by his elders to cause trouble for this group of Bandit Cultivator. Since they have elders, it's not appropriate to kill them without proper training. We should first assess their abilities."

"I am Xie Liusheng. Today, while passing through this road, I was harassed by this group of Bandit Cultivator, so I came here. May I ask why you two fellow Daoists have come here?" Xie Liusheng's cultivation level is now at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, and he considers his skills to be among the best of his peers.

In addition, he was quite wealthy, possessing more than First-Tier Superior-Grade Law Artifact, something that ordinary Rogue Cultivator could only dream of. He was absolutely confident that he could defeat Han Yundao and Pei Que, these two greenhorns.

Now all that remains is to find out their lineage. If they belong to a small, insignificant sect, their Movement Method Law Artifact are far more valuable than those of the previous group of cultivators who Bandit Cultivator the sect.

After Xie Liusheng finished speaking, he narrowed his eyes slightly. Pei Que saw this clearly and became somewhat nervous. He tugged at Han Yundao's sleeve to remind him. This scholar in plain clothes looked dignified and upright, but that might not be the case.

Who knows if the people who wiped out the Bandit Cultivator were also Bandit Cultivator?

"Xie Liusheng?" Han Yundao murmured nervously. The scholar in plain clothes before him gradually overlapped with the man in his memory who had delivered the invitation to the Lesser Cloud and Mist Formation. Han Yundao immediately bowed and asked, "May I ask if Brother Xie is a disciple of Master Fish Mountain?"

"Oh?" Xie Liusheng was quite surprised. Had he really run into an old acquaintance?

"I am indeed a disciple of Master Fish Mountain. May I ask where you are from, my friend?" Xie Liusheng's gaze softened slightly, but he did not loosen the hand seal hidden in his sleeve. A smile appeared on his face, and he looked much more amiable.

Han Yundao and Pei Que dared not relax their guard in the slightest. They had already kept the life-saving items that the Sect Leader Kang Da had given them before they came in their hands, ready to be activated at any time.

Han Yundao then spoke up, "I am Han Yundao. This is my junior brother, Pei Que. Our master is Kang Gong, the head of the Chongming Sect. A few years ago, when you came to Bimen to deliver invitations to the Treasure Gathering on behalf of Qin Household, I was by my master's side and had the good fortune to hear of your name. I never expected to see you again. What good luck!"

"Oh dear, it's my two virtuous brothers here. I was cautious in my actions, but I almost harmed my family. I'm so sorry." Upon hearing Han Yundao's words, Xie Liusheng's eyes and tone immediately softened. He cupped his hands in apology and repeatedly apologized.

As Xie Liusheng bowed, he thought, "Kang Dabao is not what he used to be. He has managed Chongming Sect very well, and many high-ranking officials in the state court value him highly."

After their nominal master and Lord Yin Shan left, the Fellow Cultivators Association was thrown into chaos by the power struggles among the elders. To say that it was going downhill was an understatement.

I never expected to encounter his apprentice here. Luckily, I was cautious and didn't kill those two brats outright, otherwise I might have gotten myself into a lot of trouble.

"Brother, you're too kind!" Han Yundao and Pei Que felt much relieved after hearing Xie Liusheng's words and immediately bowed in return.

The three of them set the short-bearded rogue Rogue Cultivator aside and sat on the stone bench at the entrance of the bandit's den to talk.

"Oh, so you two brothers have been chasing this group of Bandit Cultivator all the way here," Xie Liusheng said with a smile. "The leader of this group is quite foolish. I was just walking along without getting in his way, but he ended up robbing me instead. He deserves this misfortune."

When Pei Que followed Pei Yi in his early years, he encountered many Bandit Cultivator people. He knew that these kinds of people were often the most likely to bully the weak and fear the strong, so there was no reason for him to choose Xie Liusheng, a character who was clearly a troublesome opponent.

"They've probably used some kind of 'pretending to be weak to catch a wolf' trick to lure people in and then try to earn resources," Pei Que thought to himself.

Han Yundao, however, adopted the manner of his elders and said, "If it weren't for this, we brothers wouldn't be able to meet."

Xie Liusheng laughed heartily in response, saying, "Indeed, indeed, they have done a great job. My two brothers have come at the perfect time. This bandit's lair is deep and secluded, and I, your foolish brother, have only managed to capture a few, but haven't yet cleared it out. Now that the three of us are together, there's no chance of failure."

Unexpectedly, a simple remark that seemed to be trying to build rapport made Xie Liusheng willing to share some of the loot with the two of them, which pleased Han Yundao.

He was quite pleased to find that learning his master's way of speaking was truly useful, and he pulled Pei Que aside to thank him.

The reason Xie Liusheng spoke so generously was, of course, based on experience, that these nomadic Bandit Cultivator usually didn't have anything of value; the only place they truly trusted was their own Storage Bag.

As Xie Liusheng had predicted, a group of impoverished Bandit Cultivator could only have a few worthwhile possessions at their makeshift stronghold.

After searching for a while, the three of them only found a bottle of charred pills that emitted a strange smell, two broken low-grade magic Law Artifact, and a few low-level spirit talismans that looked like they were made by a wild talisman master.

These things, however, were truly beneath the notice of Han Yundao and Pei Que.

Not wanting to owe Xie Liusheng a favor, the two thanked him for his suggestion to split the items equally, and only took the bottle of pills that no one could recognize.

The two men made up their minds that this pill was definitely not for human consumption. They would first find Gold-Devouring Rat and feed it one. If the rat didn't die after eating it, then they would feed the rest to the old donkey.

Xie Liusheng clearly understood the feelings between the two and didn't try to persuade them further.

Just as the three were about to leave the bandit's lair, they heard someone outside wailing in a heart-wrenching way, followed by a hail of arrows.

The sudden rain of arrows was ineffective. Xie Liusheng only summoned a golden bell Law Artifact, which transformed into a ten-foot-tall figure and charged out through the rain of arrows. He smashed countless rock pillars and stalagmites along the way, resisting the sudden attack of the arrows while also kicking up a large cloud of dust.

"Is that short-bearded Rogue Cultivator?!" Having been attacked by their own captive, Han Yundao and Pei Que immediately showed expressions of embarrassment.

"Tsk, why didn't we finish him off sooner?" Han Yundao thought of his master's admonition not to underestimate any opponent, and the thought became even more profound.

The three then rushed out of the bandit's lair together with Jin Zhong.

"Blood-Burning Great Method?" Xie Liusheng murmured in surprise. With just one glance, he understood why this short-bearded rogue Rogue Cultivator was able to break free of the restrictions.

At this moment, the short- Rogue Cultivator rogue cultivator had a violent expression, his hair and beard stood on end, and red light emanated from his two narrow eyes. He was drawing a large bow, a magical Law Artifact he had found from who-knows-where, and was firing arrows in rapid succession. Large plumes of blood mist rose from his skin, making him look less like a living person.

Admittedly, the Blood-Burning Great Method is indeed a common and widely used secret technique, but its use ultimately leads to death, and only a few cultivators are truly willing to ruthlessly practice it.

Therefore, not only had Han Yundao and Pei Que, who were both ignorant, never seen it before, but even Xie Liusheng was seeing it for the first time.

The short-bearded rogue Rogue Cultivator's ferocity was not to be underestimated. If only Han Yundao and Pei Que were present, they might not be able to subdue him easily without some effort.

Unfortunately, Xie Liusheng was not afraid of him at this moment. With a thud of the golden bell, a sound wave deflected the dozen or so arrows that were coming at him.

Immediately afterward, Xie Liusheng produced a trident, with each of the two small tips emitting a burst of golden energy. The trident flew to the side of the short-bearded Rogue Cultivator and with a light swipe, slashed two deep cuts that revealed the bone on the left and right shoulders of the cultivator who was drawing his bow and nocking an arrow. The short-bearded Rogue Cultivator was completely unaware of the pain, and roared as he released the bowstring and shot a fierce arrow at Xie Liusheng.

The arrow flew out, but was easily blocked by the golden bell. At the same time, the short- Rogue Cultivator's two arms fell to the ground, covered in dust.

The short- Rogue Cultivator roared wildly, his feet moving with incredible speed as he charged forward. Xie Liusheng showed no mercy in his eyes, and with a practiced thrust, twist, and Rogue Cultivator of his halberd, he easily severed the rogue's head.

The column of blood that shot into the sky from the severed head of the short- Rogue Cultivator, disheveled man did not attract Xie Liusheng's attention for even a moment. After finishing his work, Xie Liusheng turned around and said, "This scoundrel's Law Artifact, the great bow, is quite good. If you two brothers are interested, you may also use it."

Xie Liusheng was halfway through his sentence when he realized that Han Yundao and Pei Que were not paying any attention to him at all.

The surprise didn't last long before they understood: half of a magic array had been revealed in the stone wall that had been smashed by the golden bell, drawing their attention.

At this moment, a talisman flew out of Han Yundao's hand at lightning speed, giving Xie Liusheng no chance to react at all.

Xie Liusheng's gaze sharpened, and the golden bell trembled again. A thin layer of stone shell covering the outside of the magic array peeled off, revealing the complete magic array.

"Is this a cultivator's cave abode?" Xie Liusheng saw it clearly and thought to himself that this group of Bandit Cultivator were quite fortunate, but their luck was a bit bad. They had lived next to this cultivator's cave abode dwelling for so long without discovering it, and instead, they had benefited from it.

However, how can such a treasure be shared with others? This formation is clearly extraordinary, and the valuable items within it are far superior to the junk found in the previous bandit dens.

Just as Xie Liusheng had a few thoughts forming in his mind, he turned his head and saw that Han Yundao and Pei Que had already activated a simple array plate. They were each Law Artifact in the array, looking at him with a serious expression.

"Brother Dao, that cultivator who just Bandit Cultivator likely had accomplices. I have already informed our master, and my Martial Uncle Jiang is nearby and will be there to provide support soon. Please rest assured, Brother Dao."

Han Yundao held his flying sword horizontally, speaking politely, but Xie Liusheng could easily discern the threat in his words and began to plot in his mind.

Not to mention that Qin Sufu was merely his nominal master, who had never cared about him since going to the state court to enjoy his newfound wealth, his relationship with Han and Pei was pitifully shallow, so how could he bear to share this fortuitous opportunity with them?

Even though he was Kang Dabao's own disciple, when faced with personal gain, he would turn his back on even his own family and friends. He would probably have to do these two junior brothers' things to feel at ease.

Just as Xie Liusheng's eyes were beginning to flash with murderous intent, Xie Liusheng shuddered when he heard Han Yundao "Martial Uncle Jiang."

That was someone even his nominal master, Qin Sufu, had praised highly. Don't be fooled by how casually Xie Liusheng fought against a few Rogue Cultivator earlier; if he were to truly face the number one swordsman of the Chongming Sect, he would surely be doomed.

Not to mention, she no longer has a place in the Fellow Cultivators Association. Chongming Sect really comes knocking, those elders who are used to open and covert struggles will most likely not protect her.

The risk of eliminating his two virtuous brothers and then taking control of the cave abode for himself was too great, leaving Xie Liusheng no choice but to hesitate.

Xie Liusheng didn't hesitate for long before sheathing his golden bell halberd and a smile bloomed on his face, "Brother, you've considered this very well. In that case, I'll go explore the outside of this formation first. If Uncle Jiang arrives and we juniors are completely clueless, it would be too impolite of us."

Before Xie Liusheng could finish speaking, he swiftly landed outside the magic array and picked up a compass to begin calculating.

Cultivators like Xie Liusheng, who roamed various counties and possessed some skills, naturally knew a bit about all the arts of cultivation. For example, they could recite a few lines while holding a compass. "Spirited and clever, head cut off armor and soldiers, left of the Southern Dipper, right of the Seven Stars"—these were all shallow techniques.

However, they often dabble in many things but lack expertise in any of them, and few of their skills are truly presentable.

That's how it is right now. After only a rough calculation and trying a few directions, Xie Liusheng said it wasn't good.

His rudimentary array techniques were utterly inadequate to break the array. This array was at least First-Tier Superior-Grade. Although its power had diminished considerably due to its age, it was still impossible for him to break it by force alone.

Seeing that he couldn't keep it all for himself, and that his plan to be the first to gain some benefits had also fallen through, Xie Liusheng was somewhat discouraged and frustrated.

"It seems the only way is to wait for the elders of the Chongming Sect to come. Hopefully, Jiang Qing can get a bigger share of the spoils." Thinking of this, Xie Liusheng regretted it again. If he hadn't been so blatant earlier and had built a good relationship with Han Yundao and Pei Que, he wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

There's no medicine for regret in this world, Xie Liusheng could only comfort himself. Chongming Sect had always had a good reputation, and since Kang Dabao, there had been few cruel and bloodthirsty people among them. He hadn't gone too far, so he shouldn't be punished.

Just as Xie Liusheng had thought this, he saw two cultivators, one tall and one thin, land there in a flying boat. Han Yundao and Pei Que finally relaxed upon seeing the newcomers and removed the array plate.

Pei Que hurriedly asked, "Second Martial Uncle, Senior Brother Wei, is Third Martial Uncle here yet?"

Yuan Jin frowned upon hearing Pei Que's words. Little Sanzi was currently at the critical juncture of breaking through to the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer and hadn't come to Double Brightness Trade Market with the others. Pei Que clearly knew this, so why was he asking?

But after a while, when his Divine Sense swept over Xie Liusheng, he realized that there was another Sixth Layer of Qi Refining here.

"What? If I, as the senior brother, am coming, does he, as the junior brother, dare to steal it? I killed a few foolish Rogue Cultivator on the way and left them behind to clean up. They'll be here shortly."

Yuan Jin deliberately put on a stern face and retorted in a gruff voice, leaving Wei Gu, who had come with him, completely bewildered, while Han Yundao and Pei Que secretly cheered.

When Xie Liusheng saw that the person who came was not Jiang Qing, the strange thoughts that had arisen in his heart were suppressed after hearing Yuan Jin's words.

At this moment, he also came over, bowed and said, "This humble one is Xie Liusheng, a disciple of Master Fish Mountain, paying respects to my uncle. I am poor-looking and do not know which esteemed elder of the Chongming Sect is here. I hope you will enlighten me."

Yuan Jin was also at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, accepted Xie Liusheng's bow without hesitation. After nodding, he glanced at Xie Liusheng and said, "Nephew, you truly are worthy of being my brother Qin's esteemed disciple. Your foundation is solid, and you are a formidable young man. My surname is Yuan, and I am the second son in my family. I wonder if Nephew Xie has ever heard of me?"

Yuan Jin was certainly aware of Xie Liusheng's claim that those under Master Fish Mountain's tutelage were merely climbing the social ladder. In his early years, Kang Dabao had entrusted him with managing all the relationships and interactions with relatives and friends.

Qin Sufu had truly taken the matter seriously and had met all the disciples he had taken on. Since Xie Liusheng didn't recognize him, he was most likely just a disciple in name only.

"This person is Yuan Jin?!" Xie Liusheng completely suppressed the ulterior motives in his heart. Originally, he had some ideas when he saw that the newcomer was also at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, but now...

"This is the most brutal and bloodthirsty person in the Chongming Sect!"

"Greetings, Uncle Yuan." Seeing Xie Liusheng readily admit defeat, Yuan Jin nodded with satisfaction and turned to Wei Gu, saying, "Nephew Wei, go and take a look at that formation."

Wei Gu obeyed and took out his compass to calculate carefully.

As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and Wei Gu quickly found several potential weak points in the formation.

Xie Liusheng volunteered to try, but failed to break through, so he cast a questioning look at Wei Gu. The plain-robed scholar's eyes conveyed a simple meaning. "Are you even capable of this?"

Wei Gu blushed under Xie Liusheng's gaze. Although he was only a First-Tier Lower-Grade array master, First-Tier Lower-Grade array master was still a genuine array master and had his own pride as an array master.

Seeing that Yuan Jin was also looking at him, Wei Gu quickly explained, "Uncle Yuan, this formation is a common Six Harmonies Primordial Chaos Formation, not of high grade, and it's mostly broken due to years of neglect. Even if my calculations have some errors, they shouldn't be wrong everywhere, Uncle Yuan."

Wei Gu was clumsy with words; after trying to explain, he could only repeat the phrase "there can't be any mistake" in reverse. Yuan Jin could see his anxiety and comforted him, "Alright, Nephew Wei, it's not too late for me to give it a try."

With a "crack," Xie Liusheng immediately saw just how formidable the once -Chongming Sect renowned Ape Demon Cannon Hammer of the Chongming Sect truly was.

Seeing that the array nodes, which had remained unmoved after being struck by his halberd, were as fragile as eggshells under Yuan Jin's fist, the array immediately shattered, scattering into countless rays of light that fell down in a flurry.

Xie Liusheng was both horrified and secretly relieved as he followed Yuan Jin into the cultivator's cave abode that had troubled him for so long.

This cultivator's cultivation level wasn't particularly high during his lifetime; Yuan Jin guessed he probably hadn't even reached the Foundation Establishment.

Because there weren't many things in this cave abode: one top-grade magic Law Artifact, seven or eight mid-grade magic Law Artifact, one cultivator's remains, one spirit beast skeleton, and four or five Desolate Tier Cultivation Method and Daoist arts with annotations.

There were also some small, ungraded items with some spiritual energy scattered around, which Yuan Jin took all of them. He planned to take them back to Ye Zhengwen for his consideration. Ye Zhengwen's spiritual appraisal skills were top-notch in Pingrong County, so he shouldn't have missed these hidden gems.

After carefully searching with his disciples and finding nothing further, Yuan Jin led the way out of the cultivator's cave abode with considerable satisfaction.

Admittedly, no extraordinary high-level items appeared here, but to obtain so many good things without much effort is quite a rewarding harvest.

Yuan Jin generously allowed Xie Liusheng to choose two mid-grade magic Law Artifact, and his three disciples each chose one as well. Yuan Jin then took the rest back to Sect Leader Kang Da.

Although Xie Liusheng was envious, he dared not say anything. Yuan Jin had already been Chongming Sect. If it weren't for the presence of Chongmingzong and the others, he wouldn't have been able to enter the cave abode by himself. Didn't he see that Wei Gu, whom he had suspected earlier, was turning his head to look at him with a relieved expression?

"Nephew, it's been a long time! Come! Come back with us and let's have a good drink today." Yuan Jin smiled and grabbed Xie Liusheng's arm, making it seem like they were about to become close friends.

Xie Liusheng, however, had a guilty conscience and dared not go. He tried to break free, but found his arm tightly gripped by an iron clamp, unable to move at all.

Now he knew perfectly well that the other party wanted to settle old scores one by one, so he could only reluctantly agree, "That's exactly what I was thinking, thank you for your kindness, Uncle."

Han Yundao and Pei Que, who were watching from the sidelines, were delighted, but Wei Gu was still completely confused. He mistakenly thought that this impolite scholar had won the favor of his martial uncle, and he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

"I seem to have been somewhat rude earlier." Wei Gu regretted his actions along the way, Yuan Jin piloted the flying boat carrying everyone to Double Brightness Trade Market.

At that moment, Sect Leader Kang Da was entertaining guests. Upon learning of everyone's return, he only invited Yuan Jin in.

Xie Liusheng was outside, his head down, his eyes darting around, trying to figure out how to escape, when he heard Kang Dabao walk out laughing loudly.

Kang Dabao moved quickly, and Xie Liusheng felt his arms being tightly gripped by two rough, large hands again, making it even harder to break free than before.

This shocked Xie Liusheng: "I've only heard that Kang Dabao has humiliated many women over the years, how come his cultivation has also advanced by leaps and bounds?" When he went to deliver the invitation back then, Kang Dabao's cultivation was not as good as his, so he couldn't even bring himself to call him "Uncle." He never expected that the latter's cultivation had actually surpassed his own and that he had become a late-stage cultivator.

"Most likely, he sold himself into servitude to the Fei Household as a son-in-law in exchange for it." Xie Liusheng was still in astonishment when he heard Kang Dabao loudly proclaim, "It's good that Nephew Xie has arrived; now that you're here, don't leave."

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