Enemies Meet
As the day to leave the secret realm drew closer, the hundred people who had participated in the third competition began to slowly converge at the agreed-upon location.
Wuyue Qing and her group had already given up on continuing their treasure hunt when they discovered that someone was secretly watching them and trying to steal their things.
Although she couldn't find out who the person who had sneaked over to steal the items was, she guessed it must have been someone from the Yin Mountain Sect, and not just a guest elder sent by the Yin Mountain Sect. To have such a deep grudge against them and chase after her to steal her treasures, that person must be a disciple of the Yin Mountain Sect, and probably had a good relationship with Liu Duanyue and his son.
She secretly made a mental note of this debt, planning to settle it with the Yin Mountain Sect people when she left the secret realm.
Time flew by within the secret realm, and before they knew it, it was time to leave.
Sang Ying and her companion didn't linger. They were waiting to see Liu Duanyue so they could give him the treasures they no longer needed and say goodbye to the Yin Mountain Sect.
However, she did not forget the Spring-Heralding Bird that had followed her all the way.
"Alright, alright, it's just that we won't see each other for a while, is it really that big of a deal?" Jiang Zhuoxue looked at the blue bird, who was looking aggrieved and clinging to Sang Ying's leg, and felt a little depressed herself.
If he could, he would want to hold her tightly and never let go, regardless of his pride.
Sang Ying moved her legs, causing the enormous Spring-Heralding Bird to sway twice. But it seemed exceptionally persistent, showing no intention of letting go.
Sang Ying sighed helplessly, "You can't come with us. You're Demon Beast that cultivates using Spiritual Qi, and the Spiritual Qi outside is all murky. If you go out, not only will you be unable to cultivate, but you'll also be targeted by those who refine and raise corpses."
Although the cultivators in the Hidden Nether Realm mostly use corpses from legitimate sources for corpse refining, or corpses voluntarily donated by people who want to live in the world in another form.
However, this does not mean that there won't be people with ulterior motives who secretly plot against those they fancy or against Demon Beast.
Moreover, the Spring-Heralding Bird is Demon Beast that possesses the power to find treasure and has always lived in a secret realm to absorb Spiritual Qi.
If someone were to create their own corpse puppet, it would be far more powerful than an ordinary person!
The Spring-Heralding Bird softened a bit after her words, but still refused to let go, only rubbing against Sang Ying again in a coquettish manner. Jiang Zhuoxue was so angry at this scene that he almost laughed. He really wanted to pull the Spring-Heralding Bird away, but this guy was very strong, and if he did, he would probably have to drag him away for a while.
Sang Ying understood what the Spring-Heralding Bird was saying. She helplessly bent down and patted its head. "I can't stay here with you. I have people to save."
As she said this, Sang Ying glanced at Jiang Zhuoxue, but he kept his head down and didn't notice.
After much coaxing and persuasion, the Spring-Heralding Bird finally released Sang Ying's leg, though the bird looked even more aggrieved than before.
Sang Ying didn't say anything more, but Jiang Zhuoxue seemed to feel a sense of shared sorrow and offered a rare word of comfort, "Don't be sad. I'll stay in the secret realm, and we can rely on each other then."
As soon as he finished speaking, the vines wrapped around his wrist couldn't help but lash out at him twice, as if to assert their presence.
"Oh right, I almost forgot about you. That's the three of us who depend on each other for survival." His words carried a strong sense of self-pity.
But the Spring-Heralding Bird was clearly not very cooperative, immediately swatting him with a wingful of ash before turning its back on them, probably because it didn't want to watch Sang Ying leave.
She left the Spring-Heralding Bird a few spirit fruits as a final treat; they were its favorite kind.
"Just like I told Jiang Zhuoxue, there will be a day when I see him again, just like there will be a day when you and I meet again," Sang Ying gently comforted the Spring-Heralding Bird.
Even though the Spring-Heralding Bird never turned back to look at them until the very end, Sang Ying knew that the Spring-Heralding Bird had accepted the fact that she was leaving and would obediently wait for the day when the two of them would meet again.
Jiang Zhuoxue didn't say anything, but obediently followed Sang Ying to the meeting place agreed upon by the Yin Mountain Sect.
They weren't slow, but by the time they arrived, a large crowd had already gathered there.
Sang Ying immediately spotted Liu Duanyue standing in the center of the crowd, his face ashen. Just as she was about to step over and say a few words, a voice filled with mockery rang out:
"What, is your clan now afraid to admit its mistakes?"
Sang Ying paused, recognizing Wuyue Qing's voice.
Liu Duanyue, standing in the crowd, had a cold face and her hands clenched tightly, as if trying to suppress her anger. "I advise you to watch your words. Although our Yin Mountain Sect doesn't like to cause trouble, we're not afraid of it either. I haven't settled accounts with you for the disgusting things your Moonless Household did!"
This was certainly true. Although Liu Duanyue had warned the Moonless Household that their disciples carried Image-Retaining Stone, some still had the audacity to try and provoke them.
Not to mention others, even Liu Duanyue himself has encountered it several times.
Fortunately, they weren't pushovers; those who deliberately provoked them were eventually driven away. However, they clearly remembered those people's disgusting faces with their Image-Retaining Stone.
But Wuyue Qing wasn't there to argue with them. "We were merely competing fairly with your sect, and the methods your sect used were far more despicable than ours! If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't have believed that your sect would send people to keep a close eye on us, and even wait until I found the treasure before trying to steal it away!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Before Liu Duanyue could even speak, the disciples from the Yin Mountain Sect couldn't wait to retort.
Others might not know, but how could their own people not know? Long before they came here, their sect leader had already given them instructions, saying that they should not clash with the Moonless Household this time. As long as they completed their mission well, the Moonless Household would definitely lose this time.
Since they're doomed to lose anyway, why bother making things harder for themselves?
But to Wuyue Qing, these words sounded like they were trying to distort the facts, "Heh, your Yin Mountain Sect always pretends so well, but now that you've done something wrong, you won't admit it? My Storage Bag and those dozens of treasures were all stolen by you. Since you won't admit it, then dare I use a tracking talisman to find my Storage Bag?"
She had carried the Storage Bag with her for many years, and it had long been imbued with her aura. Once this tracking talisman was activated, it would surely be able to find the Storage Bag's whereabouts. As long as the item was found on the Yin Mountain Sect disciple, no matter how the other party denied it, there would be no way to find it.
In this way, even if the Yin Mountain Sect has a higher final score, they will still have a reason to cause trouble again!
Wuyue Qing was having her own good plans.
Liu Duanyue knew that his fellow disciples would never do such a thing, and the guest elder they had invited was there for the treasure, so he would never target the Moonless Household. Therefore, he was not intimidated at all and was about to agree.
But before he could even agree, he was interrupted, "We did it!"
Upon hearing this, Wuyue Qing immediately revealed a smug smile. She looked in the direction from which the voice came, and as soon as she saw those two familiar faces, her expression turned to horror.