*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

Chapter 2001: Thirty Percent Drunk

“He’s not here now, and even if he is, I’m not afraid of him.” Mo Chen said with a smile. He picked up the cup of wine and sipped a little bit of the wine. The wine was mellow in his mouth and a breath of spiritual energy flowed through his body with that sip of wine, it was a very comfortable feeling.

“Did you make this spirit wine yourself?” He asked.

“Sort of! It’s some finer quality spirit wines I got my hands on and I mixed them up a bit. How is it? Is it nice?” She played with her cup of wine and looked at the cup of wine in his hands.

“It’s quite good, the taste is very special and it’s not inferior to what I’ve drank in the past.”

“I have prepared three kinds of wine today. Try them and tell me which one you like best and I will give you two jars.” She put down her cup of wine and picked up her chopsticks and began eating.

Upon hearing this, Mo Chen smiled gently: “Are you gifting me wine because you want me to help you take care of Heavenly Pill Tower? That’s not nearly enough, after all, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Only you get it, I won’t even take any out for anyone else.” Feng Jiu said with a grin: “I had specially asked the kitchen to prepare these dishes for you today and I took the wine out especially for you too. Even if you’re not willing, you still have to help me.”

“Don’t you think that it’ll be better if I went with you?” He looked at her with seriousness on his handsome face: “The dangers of the Volcanic Forest are beyond your estimation. I will worry if you go alone.”

Feng Jiu smiled: “It’s nothing in comparison to this matter. I don’t have many friends here and I trust you. Only you have the ability to take care of Heavenly Pill Tower for me.”

Mo Chen smiled helplessly upon hearing this: “It seems you have made up your mind and nothing I can say will change your mind. In that case, I won’t say any more. Do be careful on your trip to the Volcanic Forest!”

“Yes, I know. Come on, drink.” She poured more wine for him and continued speaking: “After you finish this wine you can try the other wine. It tastes completely different from this one…”

The two of them chatted in the courtyard as they drank wine and ate. On this day, Mo Chen was in Feng Jiu’s courtyard till evening before he left.

“Alright, it is getting late, I should go back first.” Mo Chen rubbed his forehead and stood up. He shook his head slightly and smiled: “I thought you said this wine isn’t strong. It takes some skill for me to drink from morning till evening and not be drunk.”

Feng Jiu sat unmoving, her flushed cheek rested on one of her hands. She looked at the swaying figure and smiled, then shouted outside: “Leng Shuang? Leng Shuang?”

“Master?” Leng Shuang had walked in from outside the courtyard. She walked over to Feng Jiu’s side after glancing at the two people.

“Go and prepare a bowl of hangover soup for him.” Feng Jiu said with a wave of her hand. She didn’t seem drunk. Her complexion was however flushed from drinking a lot of wine.

“Mo Chen, sit back down and wait for Leng Shuang to bring you a bowl of hangover soup. You can’t go back like this.” She smiled and motioned for him to sit down, then said: “I tell you, don’t compete drinking with Ze in the future, you are not his opponent.”

He waved his hand and said: “I’m not drunk so I don’t need to drink hangover soup.” He took two steps forwards with a hand on his forehead and looked back at Feng Jiu. He smiled and said: “I am only thirty percent drunk, that means I am seventy percent sober! Don’t worry, I will promise your request today.” Saying that, he walked out swaying.

Chapter 2002: Black Assassins Palace Lord

“Leng Shuang, see him out. Have a horse carriage take him home.” Feng Jiu shouted outside. She then stood up holding on to the table for support and shook her head with a smile as she turned and walked back to her room.

After she had returned to her room, she washed her face and lay down on the bed. However, just as she was about to go to sleep, she heard footsteps on the roof walking by. Her eyes opened and a cold light flashed across them.

Who dared boldly come to her house in the middle of the night?

Her eyes closed and she listened quietly. From the sounds of the footsteps, she could tell that there was only one person. Was he here to gather information? Various thoughts entered her head as she skimmed over her possible enemies. However, she felt that given the current reputation of Heavenly Pill Tower, the forces in Hundred Rivers City weren’t likely to make a move against her.

It could be the group of people that were chasing after Old Tan a few days ago.

After that day, there had been no news of those people. She had sent Luo Yu to investigate and he had only found out that they had belonged to some hidden forces. As those people hadn’t made any moves since then, she thought that the matter had come to an end.

After the time of half a stick of incense, Leng Shuang’s voice came from outside.

“Master.”

“Come in.”

After she heard the command from inside the room, Leng Shuang walked in and came to the inner chamber. She spoke in a low voice: “Master, the Black Guards in the Manor have informed me that we have a visitor in the Feng Manor. However, the person has now left and they didn’t alert the visitor that we know of their appearance.”

“Alright.” With her eyes closed, she pulled her quilt over and said: “Tell them to be more vigilant over the next two days. As for their discovery earlier, tell them not to show themselves since the opposition hasn’t revealed themselves to us.”

“Yes.” Leng Shuang responded then turned and went out of the room.

Feng Jiu slept for a while until night fell. Dozens of imperceptible footsteps passed over Feng Jiu’s roof and quietly appeared in the courtyard of the Feng Manor.

“Sure enough, there are no weak soldiers under the leadership of a capable leader. Did you know we would come?”

An evil voice could be heard in the night. The surrounding remained quiet as the voice came out. However, the excessive silence was not normal.

The door opened slowly and Feng Jiu, who was dressed in red, walked out slowly. Her gaze fell on the man who stood in the middle of the courtyard surrounded by his own men. She glanced calmly at him and asked: ” Are you from the Black Assassins Palace?”

The Black Assassins Palace was the force that had chased after Old Tan mercilessly and sought to kill him. This force was an assassination force and it was ranked quite highly in this area.

When the man in the middle heard this, his eyes flashed and he stared at Feng Jiu. Surprise showed in his eyes, much as if he had spotted his prey: “Hahaha, I didn’t expect the Ghost Doctor to not only have good medical skills but also adept investigative abilities. You have discovered that we are from the Black Assassins Palace in such a short time, impressive.”

“Are you the Black Assassins Palace Lord?” Her eyebrows raised slightly. She didn’t like that this person was looking at her like he had found his prey. This person had no awareness at all. On the contrary, he made no secret of his intentions.

The mouth of the leader twitched slightly and he stared at Feng Jiu: “It is such a pity for the Ghost Doctor to stay here in the small Hundred Rivers City with such talents. Why don’t you join me at Black Assassins Palace? The Palace highly appreciates the Ghost Doctor. If you are willing to come to Black Assassins Palace, then you will have much more than you do now.”

Chapter 2003: Inevitable

“Ha ha ha…”

Feng Jiu laughed lightly, though her laughter was cold and didn’t reach her eyes. She leaned against the door and her clear gaze swept across the dozens of people in the courtyard before it finally fell on the leader.

“Really? It’s a pity but I am not interested.” She said nonchalantly. Her arms crossed over her chest as she instructed the people in the Feng Manor: “Kill the trespassers!”

Her order was neither hurried nor slow and spread into the night. The coldness and murderous aura in her voice startled the people from the Black Assassins Palace. This woman actually dared to become an enemy of the Black Assassins Palace?

Just as they were thinking about this, twenty or so figures suddenly appeared around them. Most of these people were peak-stage Celestial Strong Exponents, and these weren’t just any ordinary men, they were men that Feng Jiu had once led.

They had originally left separately but some of them eventually returned to her side after a period of time away. They stayed by her side and did jobs for her because to casual cultivators like themselves, as long as they were in agreement, then their home was anywhere they wanted it to be.

Therefore, at Feng Jiu’s command, they instantly attacked the people in the courtyard. After the training they have had, they had excellent combat power and strong measures, they knew where the most vulnerable part of the human body was and their first strike would aim straight for the opponent’s fatal point.

The fierce sword potent spread out and filled the air with killing intent under the siege of twenty or so Celestial Strong Exponents. The faces of the people from Black Assassins Palace changed slightly but they responded quickly.

The Black Assassins Palace Lord merely raised the corners of his lips and laughed at the killing order issued by Feng Jiu. His decisive gaze shined as he stared at the enchanting and beautiful woman in red in front of him.

“You are indeed just my type of woman, I am going to make you mine!”

“Huh? You?”

Feng Jiu sneered and her hand passed over her waist. As soon as she drew Blue Edge out, a fierce air current accompanied it and formed a cold green sword energy which attacked the Palace Lord.

“That’s right, me!”

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her with interest: “I was only intending to come and take a look tonight but I’ve changed my mind now. I will take you away tonight!” As he spoke, his hand flicked and condensed spiritual energy to fend off Feng Jiu’s sword energy. He stepped sideways to avoid it and came up beside Feng Jiu.

“Beautiful women are a common sight, but a rare beauty like yourself is hard to come by, don’t you agree, Ghost Doctor?” His finger stretched out towards Feng Jiu’s chin. However, before he was able to touch her chin, the airflow of the sword swept across and there was an instant pain in his arm.

“Ugh!”

He groaned and backed away a few steps quickly. He turned his head slightly and looked at his arm that was cut with Blue Edge and his gaze swept towards Feng Jiu gloomily.

Feng Jiu’s chin raised slightly and met his gaze. She said in a cold and mocking tone: “You should take a look in the mirror at your toady face, even if you dare to say those words to me I don’t dare to listen to them.”

Upon hearing that, the Palace Lord’s face stiffened and he stared at her with a sullen expression: “You’ve got a sharp tongue! We shall see if you still have the courage to say those kinds of words once you fall into my hands!”

As soon as he had spoken, his hands turned towards Feng Jiu in the shape of claws with a powerful air current. He was about to place his hand on Feng Jiu’s shoulders after the two of them had exchanged a few moves when he let out a groan and his face flushed red instantly.

Chapter 2004: The Most Vulnerable Place

“Ugh! Sss!”

He groaned and gasped a breath of cold air. Both of his legs had clamped together instantly and his face flushed red as he staggered back quickly, with a look of disbelief on his face as he stared at Feng Jiu.

“You, you, you are not a woman!”

He gritted his teeth and pointed at her. The most important part of his body between his legs had been kicked violently and the pain had caused him to tremble. He hadn’t expected this beautiful woman with outstanding temperament would kick the most vulnerable part of a man while they were fighting. It was a clear cut and crude kick which came so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to avoid it.

“Hiss!”

He took another breath and clamped his legs together tightly. If it weren’t because he had an audience, he would have felt his lifeline to see if it was broken.

Feng Jiu sneered and glanced between his legs: “Don’t forget, I am the Ghost Doctor. Do you think I would kick so casually?”

Upon hearing this, his face changed instantly and his eyes narrowed at her: “What do you mean!” Damn, that pain from that kick was so intense.

“I mean it literally.” Feng Jiu looked at him teasingly: “You have such an impure mind and evil thoughts, so I broke your evil roots. I believe it will be very interesting for you.”

His heart burst suddenly. He didn’t know if it was the effect of her words or the effects of her kick, but at that moment, he couldn’t feel anything in the most vulnerable part of his body between his legs. His heart sank uncontrollably and he stretched out his hand towards her: “Then I will capture you and take you back! If I can’t lift it up then you will have to suffer too!”

“In your dreams!” Feng Jiu turned the long sword in her hand and the sword energy shot out once again. The green sword energy that shot out was like a sharp blade as it attacked the Palace Lord.

There were only a dozen or so people from the Black Assassins Palace. They hadn’t expected anyone else other than people from Heavenly Pill Tower and were caught off guard with so many people guarding here. They were also shocked after witnessing their Palace Lord being at a disadvantage after fighting with the Ghost Doctor.

In addition to that, they also thought of the Celestial strong exponent who had lost his arm at the hands of the Ghost Doctor some time ago. They saw the fierceness of the people here tonight and the more they fought, the more frightened they became. One by one, they were all injured, and the smell of blood spread in the air.

“Boom!”

The Black Assassins Palace Lord flew a few metres into the wall before he fell to the ground after being struck by Feng Jiu’s whirling kick. A mouthful of blood also spurted out.

“Puff!”

After he spat out a mouthful of blood, he stood up against the wall and looked at the people surging forwards. He gritted his teeth and stared the the woman in red: “Feng Jiu, wait and see!”

“Retreat!”

At his order, the dozen men dispersed in embarrassment. Feng Jiu put away Blue Edge and her eyes narrowed as they left but she didn’t pursue them.

“Ghost Doctor? Are you alright? Did you get hurt?” Gray Wolf and Shadow One who had brought men with them came to Feng Jiu’s side quickly.

“I’m fine.” Feng Jiu shook her head and looked at them. She said with surprise: “Why are you here? Didn’t you go to Hell’s Palace to take care of matters?”

Although Xuanyuan Mo Ze wasn’t here, after he had arrived here, he had been secretly expanding the power of Hell’s Palace and has since gotten bigger and bigger. After he had left, Gray Wolf and Shadow One had been taking care of Hell’s Palace’s affairs. However, at this point in time, the both of them should have been in Hell’s Palace, and yet they had appeared here.

Chapter 2005: Good For Nothing

Gray Wolf glanced around and said: “We’ve finished handling the matters at hand so we came back. Master instructed us to send more men over to guard the Manor before he left. We must protect Ghost Doctor at all costs. We had intended to bring the men over tomorrow but we heard the commotion from next door so we decided to come over.”

Upon hearing that, Feng Jiu nodded. She looked at the men they had brought over, then said : “Tell you what! Place these men in the Lin Manor. I have enough men guarding the Feng Manor, I don’t need that many. If there is any commotion, they would be able to hear it from next door.”

“Alright.” The two nodded.

“Take them back first and come back over later. I have something I need to tell you.” Feng Jiu ordered, then she turned and went back into her room while the traces of the incident that had just happened were being quickly cleaned up by everyone else.

After Gray Wolf and Shadow One had brought their men over to the Lin Manor and got them settled, they came back again. They saw that the traces of blood had been cleaned up and the lights in Feng Jiu’s courtyard were still on. They looked at each other and called out.

“Ghost Doctor, we are here!”

“Come in!” Leng Shuang opened the door and motioned for the two of them to come inside.

Feng Jiu was in the room drinking tea at the table. When she saw the two of them, she motioned for them to sit down: “Sit down!”

How would the two of them dare to sit! They just stood at a distance and looked at her. Shadow One didn’t speak and just looked down while Gray Wolf smiled and asked: “What instructions do you have for us Ghost Doctor?”

“I will be going away in a few days. When I’m away, you and Leng Shuang will guard the two residences together and wait…” Before she was able to finish speaking, she heard Gray Wolf exclaim.

“What? Ghost Doctor is going away? Where are you going? For how long? Do you not plan to take us with you? If Master finds out we will be in trouble!”

Shadow One raised his head and glanced at Feng Jiu, and said: “Madam, Master has ordered us to protect you. If Madam is going away, you may leave Gray Wolf behind if you wish, but you have to take subordinate along.”

Gray Wolf was angry when he heard this and said in a huff: “Why does she have to take you and not me? I don’t think you are particularly better than I am.”

The corners of Feng Jiu’s mouth twitched. She glanced at the two of them and coughed lightly: “I don’t intend to take anyone with me this time. You just need to stay here and guard the mansions.”

“How can we do that? Just as Shadow One has said, even if you don’t bring him with you, you have to at least bring me along!” Gray Wolf said hurriedly. He patted his chest and said: “With me by Ghost Doctor’s side, you will be safer.”

Even Leng Shuang glanced sideways at Gray Wolf when she heard this and looked away silently.

“Are you stronger than me?” Feng Jiu asked Gray Wolf calmly.

Gray Wolf’s expression stiffened and he replied in embarrassment: “Of course not, but help you out and run errands for you or something.”

“If it’s just that, I have plenty of people who can do that for me.” Feng Jiu looked at him with a smile.

“But, Ghost Doctor, you will be safer with me accompanying you! If anything happens, at least I can shield you!” Gray Wolf tried his best to make himself stand out. However, after he thought about it, he realised there wasn’t really much he could say.

In terms of concealing his breath, he was not as capable as Shadow One. In terms of intelligence, he was also not comparable to Leng Hua and Du Fan. In that case, he was truly good for nothing.

Chapter 2006: Just Follow The Decision

Feng Jiu drank her tea and replied slowly: “I’ve already made arrangements with regards to this matter. I was just informing you so you won’t panic if you can’t find me. I’ve already dealt with the matters for Heavenly Pill Tower, you only need to take care of the matters your Master has entrusted you with as well as the safety of the Feng Manor and Lin Manor.”

Seeing that her mind was already made up, Shadow One paused for a while, then said: “Then where is Madam going? How long will Madam be away for? Will there be danger?”

They didn’t have to follow her but they had to know some details in case their Master asked them in the future. They couldn’t not know anything could they?

“Since my return, I have sent men to inquire about Han Rong’s whereabouts. Recently, I learnt that he has gone to the Volcanic Forest. My main aim for this trip is him.” Feng Jiu’s voice was cold. She played with the teacup in her hand and said slowly: “Once I’ve dealt with him I will return.”

Han Rong?

Gray Wolf and Shadow One’s eyebrows twisted slightly when they heard this name and they couldn’t help but cast a glance at each other. Of course they were not unfamiliar with Han Rong, however, they were unfamiliar with the Han Rong after the seizure.

The last time the Ghost Doctor had said that there was news of him, she didn’t take his life because the location wasn’t suitable. Later on when she had tried to find him, there was no news of him. Now that there was news of his whereabouts, naturally she wouldn’t let it go.

It was because of Han Rong that the Phoenix Empire had been destroyed, and it was precisely because of Han Rong that the Ghost Doctor’s relatives had been separated by death. The pressure their Master had received from several countries and their Dynasty being besieged were also caused by Han Rong’s provocation.

Han Rong was once their Master’s subordinate, however, he had caused so much trouble time and time again. If their Master were here, he would have taken care of him personally.

“Madam, Han Rong is a cunning person with many schemes up his sleeve. I’m afraid that it won’t be that easy to deal with him. Moreover, he recognises you. If he accidentally discovers you, I’m afraid for Madam’s safety…” Shadow One looked at her with worry. He knew very well that Han Rong couldn’t wait to tear his mistress apart.

“It’s because he’s not easy to deal with, that’s why I have decided to make the trip personally. I won’t be able to have peace of mind no matter who goes.” Feng Jiu said slowly: “This time, I won’t let him go back alive!”

There was a chill in her eyes. When she thought of that damn Han Rong there was a fire burning in her heart. If it weren’t because of him, little Feng Ye wouldn’t have died so horribly and she wouldn’t have to keep the truth from her grandmother till now.

Although Grandpa hadn’t said much, she knew that little Feng Ye’s death had been a big blow to him. It was because he was afraid of grandmother being upset that he hid his sadness.

After she had instructed them, Feng Jiu said: “The people tonight are from the Black Assassins Palace. The Black Assassins Palace Lord has been injured so he probably won’t come back soon, but you still need to remain vigilant. When I leave I will leave the Feng Guard behind to guard the Manor. I’ve also asked Mo Chen to take care of things at Heavenly Pill Tower. If you have any problems you can’t resolve yourself, you can ask him.”

“Yes, we understand.” They nodded in response. After she had given them instructions for other matters, the two of them retreated.

Back at the Lin Manor, Gray Wolf scratched his head and looked at Shadow One: “Are we really letting the Ghost Doctor go by herself? She’s not even bringing the Feng Guard, will she be alright? Han Rong is not easy to deal with.”

“We will follow everything Madam has decided.”

Chapter 2007: Volcanic Forest

“Alright!”

Gray Wolf sighed softly: “I suppose, with the Ghost Doctor’s strength, there are very few people who can hurt her. Moreover, she is also crafty and whoever is on the receiving end of her schemes will surely suffer.”

As he spoke, he saw Shadow One beside him look at him weirdly. He smiled slightly: “I was only saying it casually.” No matter how crafty the Ghost Doctor was, it was not something that they could talk about. Fortunately their Master wasn’t around or he would surely suffer punishment had their Master heard what he had said.

Over the next few days, Feng Jiu spent her time at Heavenly Pill Tower. She was refining pills and potions before she left so that they wouldn’t be overwhelmed by a shortage of supply while she was away.

A few days later, Feng Jiu returned to the Feng Manor after she had finished handling matters at Heavenly Pill Tower. In the evening, after she had changed her clothes and disguised her face, she walked alone to the West Gate and set off on the road by herself.

Among the four city gates in Hundred Rivers City, upon leaving the West Gate, one would find themselves on the mountain road. There were usually fewer travellers on this road. After she had walked out of the city gate, she took out the Aurora Teleportation Device.

“I should be able to gather the light emitted from the Aurora Teleportation Device. I was able to figure out how to work the device the last two times but the light was too dazzling when it was activated and it would likely attract fatal trouble.”

She whispered to herself softly, deep in thought, as she held the Aurora Teleportation Device. She was not in a hurry to activate the device this time, therefore, before she had activated the device, she thought about it repeatedly, and finally, she turned on the Aurora Teleportation Device and whispered Volcanic Forest in her heart.

Almost as soon as she had whispered the destination in her heart, she was wrapped in light and became transparent, then she disappeared from where she was standing with a swoosh. However, this time, she didn’t flash across the sky and there was no dazzling light.

When Feng Jiu had arrived at her destination, she didn’t drop from the sky like she did the last time either. Instead, she appeared on the ground where she stabilised her body gradually. She looked at the dark surroundings and couldn’t help but smile.

“So this is the correct way to use the Aurora Teleportation Device, it’s so much more convenient.” She flicked her clothes and adjusted them before she moved forward.

This is the Volcanic Forest?

This must be the outermost area of the forest! According to the information gathered, the forest was surrounded by sparse trees and the temperature was high. It was nighttime and through the moonlight, the lush greenery of the trees were visible. With the night breeze, the forest felt cool. This should be the outermost area of the Volcanic Forest.

It was more convenient traveling alone. She walked lightly across the forest, her cyan figure blended in with the greenery in the forest. If one weren’t observing closely, it would be difficult to see a human figure moving through the forest.

She walked lightly on her toes until she saw a faint light coming from ahead. She heard a voice speaking and slowed down instinctively. She lifted herself up and stood among the branches looking at the group of people sitting in the forest.

The group of people consisted of men and women, and some of them looked like mercenaries. A few of them appeared to be the head of the mercenaries. The two dozens of people were split into two groups and they sat between two fires talking to each other.

She noticed that although the clothes the head of the mercenaries wore weren’t magnificent, they were also not made of materials that ordinary people could afford to wear. Moreover, those few men didn’t appear to be that old either. Other than two or three men in their twenties and thirties, there were three girls who were about seventeen or eighteen years old. The faces of the men and women were remarkable.

Chapter 2008: Walk In The Forest

“Eldest Senior Brother, Master asked us to find the Volcanic Flare Stone, but my father said that the Volcanic Flare Stone is very rare and it only appears when the volcano erupts. Although we have hired mercenaries to escort us, I still feel that this trip is dangerous. I’m afraid that we may not leave this place alive.” One of the women said in a low voice, a little worriedly.

One of the older men in the group said warmly: “Don’t worry, just consider this event as an experience! It’s not the first time we have gone out for an experience after all. Don’t think too much into it.”

Upon hearing this, one of the other woman said: “But we’ve come to such a dangerous place, why doesn’t Master come with us? If there is an accident, then…”

The group of people were silent and speechless for a while. Their Master had ordered them to go down the mountain and go to the Volcanic Forest to search for something called the Volcanic Flare Stone. However, other than giving them a few self-defense items, there were no elders leading their team. It was precisely because of this point that after some discussion, they had decided to hire a team of mercenaries.

The mercenaries laughed after they had heard their conversation: “Don’t worry too much, we are in the outermost area of the Volcanic Forest at the moment. Even if we are to meet with danger, it will only be in the innermost area of the forest. However, if you feel that it is too dangerous, you can walk through the innermost area of the forest and come back out. There is no need to wait for the volcano to erupt, as it only does so once every three months.”

“Furthermore, the Volcanic Flare Stone may be found in some areas of the innermost area of the forest. After all, there’s no telling that every time the volcano erupts, all the Volcanic Flare Stones would be picked up. Don’t you think so?”

Upon hearing this, Feng Jiu’s eyes moved slightly and a thought formed in her mind.

Rather than entering the forest by herself and finding her own way, she would be better off joining other groups of people and entering the forest together. That way, even if Han Rong had any defences prepared, he would never have expected her to go in with a team.

Once this thought had formed in her head, she decided that she would integrate into the group of people below. The six men and women looked like they knew martial arts, it shouldn’t be difficult to join them!

Her eyes darted around as her mind spun with thoughts, trying to think of how she would join these people and walk through the forest. What method should she use?

There was a flash in her mind and a smile appeared on her lips. She looked down at those people as an inexplicable smile appeared on her face.

As the sky got brighter, those people extinguished the fire and continued on their journey. Behind them, Feng Jiu followed them at leisure while she waited for the right time.

She had followed them through the forest for two days and entered the innermost area when the right opportunity had finally arrived.

“Oh? Your family clan has come out for an experience? Since we are all going to the volcano, why don’t we travel together?” Several sect disciples had suggested when they saw that the other party consisted of thirty or forty people. Moreover, with elders leading the way, they would be stronger, hence they wanted to travel with them as it would be safer.

Seeing as they were the disciples of Nebula Immortal Immortal Sect, one of the Four Great Sects, the people of the family clan agreed and extended a signal of friendship towards them: “Of course, it is safer to walk in groups anyway.”

After all, they knew their background. If it had been other people, naturally they wouldn’t have invited them to travel together. However, every disciple from the Nebula Immortal Sect came from big family clans, so if they were able to befriend the younger generation, it would benefit them.

Chapter 2009: Call Me Little Jiu

Therefore, the two groups of people gathered around together and rested. As some people went to the water source nearby to get some water, an azure figure blended into the group seamlessly.

“Is the water ready? I’ve hunted a wild boar, we can go back to roast it and share with everyone.” Feng Jiu’s hand held a wild boar that weighed about a hundred catty and spoke to the people getting water.

They glanced at the young boy. When they saw the young boy who wasn’t physically strong, had a simple smile on his face and was holding a wild boar in his hand, they stepped forward and said: “Come, let me help! We have filled enough water. Brother, did you hunt this huge boar all by yourself?”

“I can’t let Elder Brother call me brother, just call me Little Jiu.” She grinned and scratched her head: “I was just lucky. The wild boar was injured when I caught it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easy to catch it.”

“Little Jiu? That’s easy to remember.” The strong man said with a smile as he picked up the wild boar that Feng Jiu had placed on the ground.

“What about Elder Brother? How shall I address you?” She asked with a smile and looked at the young strong man.

“My surname is Chai. I am a collateral relative of the Chai family and I’ve come out with them for an experience this time. You can call me Brother Chai.” The young man said to Feng Jiu: “Come, let’s go back! We are in the innermost area now, next time don’t go too far alone to hunt game lest you run into danger.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Jiu’s eyes squinted as she smiled: “Thank you Brother Chai for reminding me, I will remember.” She walked back with him and chatted with him along the way.

When the people who were sitting around resting saw that they had come back with a huge wild boar, they were surprised. The middle aged man who was leading the Chai Family looked at the young man and asked: “Where did you get the wild boar?” Wild boars were rare in this area and they hadn’t seen any along the way.

“I didn’t hunt it. It was Little Jiu. ” The young strong man replied. He patted Feng Jiu, who was next to him, on the shoulder and continued speaking to the middle aged man: “Second uncle, let’s deal with the wild boar and roast it and share it with everyone. You can have a rest first.”

The middle aged man glanced at the simple and honest looking young boy in azure and smiled: “Alright, you go on then!” He gestured and then looked back at the men and women on the opposite side.

However, at this moment, Feng Jiu walked over and smiled into crescents as she looked at one of the men: “Brother Fan, can you come with me to collect branches?”

The young man who had been called was startled. He looked at the young boy in azure and said: “Of course.” He stood up and smiled at several people, then walked into the woods with Feng Jiu.

“Your name is Little Jiu?” Fan Yixiu asked, turning his head slightly to look at Feng Jiu.

“Yes! Brother Fan can call me Little Jiu.” She smiled and squinted her eyes as she picked up dry branches in the forest. When she saw some dry branches on the branches of the trees, she jumped up and broke them off.

The two of them chatted while they gathered branches. When they arrived at the resting place, Feng Jiu took the branches from his arms and said: “Go and rest Brother Fan! When the roast meat is ready I will bring it over for everyone.” Having said that, she turned and walked over to the place where the boar was being roasted.

Fan Yixiu was dumbfounded upon seeing the young boy’s familiar tone with him. He found it weird but he couldn’t describe why.

“Eldest Senior Brother, sit down! Drink some water!” One of the women next to him handed a water bag to Fan Yixiu.

Chapter 2010: Scorpion Mercenary Group

“Thank you.” Fan Yixiu took a sip of the water and looked over at the young boy in azure who was busy barbequing.

Chai Second Master who was sitting opposite him followed his gaze. His eyes fell on the young boy in azure and he smiled: “Little Jiu has a likeable personality and he seems honest and trustworthy.”

“Yes!” Fan Yixiu smiled and nodded. After he retracted his gaze, he chatted with Chai Second Master about the Volcanic Flare Stone.

On the other side, Feng Jiu soon became acquainted with the Chai Family through her barbeque skills. She called out Elder Brother, Sister, and so on which made the people delighted and wanted to take special care of her.

“The roast meat is here, have a taste of it. It’s just finished cooking and the taste is really good.” Feng Jiu brought over the barbequed meat then ran back to the barbeque area to help. For a while, the forest was filled with a strong scent of meat and sounds of laughter from everyone.

After they had finished eating the roast meat, Chai Second Master said: “It’s time to go, we shouldn’t stay here for too long.”

“Alright.” Fan Yixiu nodded in response. He told everyone and then followed the Chai Family’s team into the forest.

Feng Jiu followed the team and stayed close to the young man, the two of them talked and laughed along the way. They weren’t at the front nor the back of the group but were in the middle.

Suddenly, the team at the front had stopped. Chai Second Master who was leading the team gestured and the surrounding people gathered round vigilantly. Their backs were to each other and they faced the outside, at the same time, their hands were on their weapons ready to take action at any time.

Fan Yixiu and the others also watched the surroundings vigilantly. Though they were being guarded by the mercenaries, they didn’t dare relax for one moment. Then, they heard a loud laugh.

“Hahahahaha…..”

The laughter was accompanied by strong men in mercenary uniform that emerged from the surrounding forest. Everyone of them were at least at the level of Celestial Strong Exponent. The evil and murderous aura was extremely prominent and it made everyone feel very uneasy.

The mercenaries who were protecting Fan Yixiu and his team had recognised who the other party was and couldn’t help but gasp: “It’s the Scorpion Mercenary Group!” Their faces paled and fear could be seen in their eyes.

Every mercenary in this area knew of the Scorpion Mercenary Group’s infamous name for looting. These men specialised in looting and those who resisted were killed. The men were often killed after they had been robbed and the women’s fate was even worse. Those with ordinary looks were killed after they’ve had their fun with them. If they encountered women who were good-looking, they would lock them up after they’ve had their fun with them and keep them as their play-thing. Their methods were cruel and terrifying.

“What Scorpion Mercenary Group?” Several girls from the Nebula Immortal Sect didn’t know about their reputation and couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.

However, the mercenaries who were protecting were pursing their lips and the expressions on their faces were of terror. They were unable to speak a word.

Fan Yixiu had heard of the Scorpion Mercenary Group. At this moment, when he saw that those people had a red mark of a scorpion on their faces, his heart sank. He lowered his voice and spoke to the people around him: “The situation will get ugly soon, you should go first, run straight out of the Volcanic Forest and don’t stop.”

The other two sect members’ hearts also sank when they saw the faces of the mercenaries who were protecting them, and even the faces of the elders in the Chai Family had changed.

It seemed they were in trouble. They just hadn’t expected to encounter such a tricky situation so soon after entering the innermost area.

Chapter 2011: Feng Jiu Presents A Plan

The people from the Chai Family looked at the people that had emerged from the forest. There were about fifty or sixty or so members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group, and most of them were Celestial Strong Exponents. They also specialised in looting and used brutal methods. They had amazing combat effectiveness and they feared that if they were to exchange blows, they would suffer serious casualties.

The most important point was that the Scorpion Mercenary Group was more cruel to women and there were many women in their group. If they were to fall into their hands their lives would be living hell and they would be better off dead.

He pondered, then walked forward and bowed respectfully: “My good sir, we have no intention of offending you. If you will allow us to leave safely we are willing to leave some of our belongings for you.”

Upon hearing this, the Scorpion Mercenary Group men laughed loudly: “Leave some belongings? Hahahaha! Old man, are you confused? We don’t want all of your belongings, we don’t want any of those delicate beauties and we will just let you go? All for just a bit of your belongings? Hahahaha! If that was the case, how can we, the Scorpion Mercenary Group, still survive in this Volcanic Forest?”

Feng Jiu who was being protected in the middle looked at the situation in front of her, and saw Chai Second Master trying to make peace and seeking a chance for survival, her eyes flashed and she tugged the sleeves of the young man next to her, whose face was full of worry.

“Little Jiu? Are you afraid?” Chai Feng glanced at the young boy next to him and said in a low voice: “Just watch the situation later on. If we can’t defeat them you run away with your senior sisters.”

Upon hearing that, Feng Jiu smiled lightly. She pulled him back and motioned for him to lower his head. When Chai Feng saw that, he glanced in front of him. He saw that his Second Master was in discussion with those people, hence, he lowered his head and drew closer to the young boy: “What is it? Tell me.”

“Brother Chai, do you think we stand a chance if we fight?” Feng Jiu asked.

Chai Feng shook his head solemnly: “There’s no chance of us winning. I’m afraid we will suffer serious injuries and death. The opponents are mercenaries who have combat experience while most of us have only just come out for an experience for the first time. If we really fight, I’m afraid…”

“I have a plan. Will you do as I say?” She whispered. When she saw his puzzled look, she added: “My method might save everyone’s lives.”

Feng Chai’s eyes brightened when he heard this and determination filled his eyes: “Tell me! If I can save everyone’s lives I will not hesitate even if it means sacrificing my own life!”

Feng Jiu smiled and whispered her idea into his ear and handed him a bag of things. She looked at him and said quietly: “Success or failure depends on you.”

Although Chai Feng had doubts in his heart and wasn’t sure if the plan was feasible, there was no other option at the present and he could see that the other party was not going to let them go easily. Therefore, he nodded at Feng Jiu, took a deep breath and held the things in his hand tightly.

At this moment, the leader of the Scorpion Mercenary Group laughed arrogantly: “Kill the men! The women will be brought back to service our brothers!”

“Yes! Hahahahahaha….” The men of the Scorpion Mercenary Group responded loudly. They laughed with excitement as they looked at the beautiful women who were being guarded in the middle of the group, impatience unconcealed in their voices.

“Take those ladies home!” The Scorpion Mercenary Group men raised their swords in their hands to the sky and shouted. Just as they were about to take action, they were interrupted by a sudden scene.

Chapter 2012: Insane

“Ahhhhh….”

A panicked and terrified voice sounded and a young man rushed out suddenly from within his team, his arms and legs flailing in horror as he exclaimed.

“No, no! I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die! No, no…. Ah…. I want to go home, I want to go home… Hooo, I don’t want to come out for an experience… I want to go home, Mother… I want to find my mother…”

The sudden cries and exclamation not only stunned the people from the Scorpion Mercenary Group but also the other people whose faces had paled when they heard the Scorpion Mercenary Group men declare that they were going to kill them.

When he saw a decent disciple in such a frightened state, Chai Second Master found himself unable to react for a long while. When the women of the Chai Family and the Nebula Immortal Sect had heard that they were going to take them back to service the mercenaries, their faces paled and could barely stand upright. Now that they saw this big man in such a frightened state, they gritted their teeth and thought to themselves, if they were not able to escape, they would kill themselves!

Even death was better than falling into the hands of those people and having their bodies ruined by them!

When the Scorpion Mercenary Group saw the young man crying and screaming, and even taking off his clothes, they couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hahahahahaha…. Big Brother, look, we haven’t even made a move yet and this kid is scared crazy. It seems our reputation precedes us, hahahaha…”

One of the men from the Scorpion Mercenary Group smiled triumphantly but didn’t rush to make a move. Instead, he held his sword in one hand and rested it on his shoulder while the other hand rested on his waist and stood there watching the young man cry his eyes out.

They felt such a sense of achievement upon seeing a strong young man being frightened by them. In the future, it seemed that once they showed up, if people recognised them as members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group, they would surely be so frightened they would wet their pants.

When Chai Second Master saw his own family member acting so foolishly, he was livid and couldn’t help but shouted: “Chai Feng! Come over here!”

“No… no… I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…” Chai Feng murmured and ran in front immediately.

When the Chai Second Master saw this, his face was livid: “Go and get him back!”

Two middle aged men from the Chai Family stepped forward to catch the young man. However, Chai Feng had resisted fiercely and ran around and jumped around: “Don’t… don’t catch me… I want to go home… I want to go home…”

Feng Jiu who was standing in the middle couldn’t help but smile and her mouth opened slightly with a strange dazed expression on her face when she saw the scene in front of her. How unexpected! Chai Feng was quite talented at pretending to be insane. He did seem like he had gone insane with fright, it was beyond her expectations.

She watched as Chai Feng ran around everyone, his flailing arms and scattered clothes directed more at the Scorpion Mercenary Group. Finally, after he had run a lap, he was dragged back by the two middle-aged men from the Chai Family.

“Let me go, let me go…” He struggled in vain.

Upon seeing this, the Scorpion Mercenary Group sneered coldly. Their gazes moved on to the pale faces of the women. The leader of the group smiled lewdly and raised his hand: “Do it!”

As soon as he had given his order, those people besieged them. At the same moment, Chai Second Master said in a deep voice: “The first team will fight! The second team will escort the tribe to safety!”

Chapter 2013: Damn Bastard

Together, the people from the Chai Family, the people from Nebula Immortal Sect and the accompanying mercenaries attacked the Scorpion Mercenary Group in an instant. At the same time, Fan Yixiu from the Nebula Immortal Sect shouted to his three junior sisters behind him: “You leave with the Chai Family first!”

“Eldest Senior Brother…”

Although the three of them had gone through experiences before, they hadn’t encountered a situation like this. Their faces were pale with fright and they were at a loss. Their only option was to retreat with the Chai Family. However, the people from the Scorpion Mercenary Group had surrounded them and there was nowhere to escape to even if they had wanted to escape.

Feng Jiu had also helped. She had calculated the time from when those people had inhaled the medicine to when they gathered the spiritual energy from their bodies. The effects of the medicine were about to appear.

Sure enough, just as the situation was about to become precarious, the members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group started to sway. Although they had tried to conceal their shock internally, their minute expressions couldn’t escape Feng Jiu, who had been observing them.

At this time, some of the members of the Chai Family who had also inhaled the medicine had started to suffer the side effects. Some of them were supported by the people around them when they started to sway, and some of them had retreated to a tree and gasped for air.

“Retreat!”

The leader of the Scorpion Mercenary Group cried violently all of a sudden and ordered his mercenaries to retreat quickly. The members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group retreated quickly upon receiving the order because they could feel that something was wrong with their bodies. However, they didn’t want to show their vulnerability in front of those people and forcibly endured it.

Everyone on the other side was astonished, they didn’t know what tricks the Scorpion Mercenary Group were up to.

Chai Second Master took a deep breath and stared at the members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group. He could tell that something was wrong with them, but he was puzzled as he didn’t know what the reason could be.

“Leave half your belongings behind! We will let you leave here alive!” The leader of the Scorpion Mercenary Group said in a solemn voice. As soon as those words had been spoken, everyone in the Chai Family and the Nebula Immortal Sect were dumbfounded.

“What tricks are you up to?” Chai Second Master frowned. He refused to believe that they would let them go so easily.

“Hmph! We don’t feel like killing anyone today so we will let you live. Why? Don’t you want to live?” The leader of the Scorpion Mercenary Group said in a solemn voice. However, upon listening carefully, there was discontent and killing intent in his voice.

“Second Uncle, don’t listen to them! They’ve been drugged, kill them!”

Chai Feng, who was behind him, shouted loudly at this moment. He struggled and said to the two people who were restraining him: “Let go of me, I’m not afraid, I’ve just drugged them!”

The Chai Family were surprised upon hearing this. However, before they could react, they heard the angry cry of uproar from the members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group.

“Damn bastard! You dare to use backhand methods on us!”

They cursed loudly with undisguised anger and murderous intent. They were skeptical before, but upon hearing the young man’s words, they were infuriated. The reason why they were unable to gather their spiritual energy and were gradually losing their strength was because of this young man’s tricks!

Chai Second Master stared at Feng Chai in shock: “What did you say? You drugged them? Just, just now?” He turned his head back abruptly and looked at the ashen faces of the members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group. At this moment, he finally understood why they had suddenly retreated.

Chapter 2014: Unbelievable

He could feel that their combative effectiveness was worse the further back they went. He also noticed that some of their footsteps were unsteady. This was because they had been drugged?

“Yes, that’s what I was going earlier. They have inhaled colourless and odourless medicine, their combat power is now lost. Second uncle, we should join forces right now and kill them to eliminate a great evil! If we let them recover, we will no doubt die!”

While he was speaking, Chai Feng had already struggled free and rushed forward with his long sword in his hand. He hadn’t been drugged and his skills were good to begin with. At this point, he had already killed one of the members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group at an unpredictable speed.

“Sss ah!”

A shrill cry sounded and blood splattered all across the ground. That sharp scream brought everyone back to their senses instantly.

Upon seeing this scene, Chai Second Master was motivated and he shouted immediately: “Kill them! Eliminate evil from the Volcanic Forest!” As soon as he had spoken, he rushed forwards and slashed at the pale-faced Scorpion Mercenary Group members with his sword.

Previously, the Scorpion Mercenary Group had been eager to take the lives of their opponents. However, the situation of life and death had been reversed now and everyone’s mood had changed, there was excitement in the air.

At this moment, they didn’t feel fear, there was only killing intent, all they wanted to do was kill every single member of the Scorpion Mercenary Group in front of them! Only by killing them would they be safe!

As Feng Jiu watched on, her lips curled slightly and there was a glimmer of light in her eyes as she watched the killing in front of her. The sounds of swords colliding and blood splashing, as well as the screams and shrill cries spread through the forest.

In front of her and around her, she saw shadows and glints of lights from the swords flashing past. The Chai Family and Nebula Immortal Sect had taken advantage of the reversal of the life and death situation and taken the lives of the Scorpion Mercenary group mercenaries one by one until no one survived…

After the Scorpion Mercenary Group members had been slaughtered and they saw the ground was covered in blood and corpses, they stood there covered in blood with their swords and sabres pointing down to the ground, dripping blood, they came out of their daze.

“They’re, they’re all dead!”

“Yes, everyone from the Scorpion Mercenary Group is dead, everyone from the Scorpion Mercenary Group is dead! We actually killed them? We actually killed them!”

“Unbelievable… it’s unimaginable… we are still alive…”

Every one of them muttered as they held their sabres and swords. Only moments before they were facing impending death, but in the next moment the situation had reversed, and all this…”

Suddenly, everyone’s eyes fell on Chai Feng. Chai Feng who was standing in a daze however, was staring at the figure in azure with disbelief, shock and astonishment in his eyes.

He hadn’t expected it to work! He also hadn’t expected the outcome to be as he had said, he had really turned the situation around. He hadn’t expected that they would still be alive in the end and that it would be the members of the Scorpion Mercenary Group who died…

At this moment, no one knew how much shock and astonishment arose in his heart. It was just an idea, one bag of medicine, and it was able to destroy the brutal mercenary group that ran rampant in the Volcanic Forest…

It was just unbelievable, and if he hadn’t experienced it personally and seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed that it was true…

Chapter 2015: You Deserve It

“Ah Feng, come over here. What exactly happened? Tell me now.” Chai Second Master came out of his daze and suppressed the shock and called out to Chai Feng who was standing there dumbfounded.

At this moment, even Fan Yixiu and a few others looked at this awkward looking young man. He had actually reversed the situation and saved everyone’s lives?

“Ah Feng, you really scared me. I really thought that you had gone insane, but it was actually your plan after all! How did you come up with this plan? Why do you have such powerful medicine? Those people were Celestial Strong Exponents, and they were all rendered powerless.”

“Brother Ah Feng, you are amazing!”

“Brother Ah Feng, we are so fortunate to have you otherwise our plight would be so tragic.”

Exclamations of surprise and excitement pulled Feng Chai out of his daze. He glanced at Feng Jiu, then retracted his gaze and came to his second uncle’s side: “Second Uncle, this wasn’t my idea, the medicine wasn’t mine either. It was Little Jiu who saved everyone, not me.”

Chai Feng pointed to the young boy who was wiping his dagger: “It was Little Jiu’s idea and it was Little Jiu who gave me the bag of medicine. If it weren’t for him, I’m afraid we would all be dead.”

“It was Little Jiu?”

Everyone looked at the simple and honest looking boy in shock. This young boy was so inconspicuous, how could he…

When she saw everyone staring at her, Feng Jiu, who was wiping her dagger, smiled simply at everyone then lowered her head and continued wiping her dagger.

“Yes, it was Little Jiu. He was the one who gave me the medicine and the plan was his.” Feng Chai emphasized. He looked at his second uncle and said: “Little Jiu said that he would help everyone through this crisis but he wants everything those mercenaries have on their bodies.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded and their eyes fell on the young boy in azure. He wanted all their belongings? That meant they wouldn’t get any?

However, if it wasn’t for his plan and medicine, they would probably be dead right now. His request actually wasn’t too demanding. It wasn’t as if he wanted their belongings, it was just the mercenaries’ belongings that he had wanted.

Their lives had been saved by him, even though they knew that the Scorpion Mercenary Group mercenaries would have a lot of possessions, they wouldn’t expect to fight with this young boy over them. After all, since the young boy could come up with such a brilliant idea and possess such a powerful medicine, this was someone they would want to befriend and not make an enemy of.

“Brother Fan, what do you think?” Chai Second Uncle looked at Fan Yixiu and asked.

“We have no objection.” Fan Yixiu replied. He looked at the young boy in azure clothes: “If it weren’t for Little Jiu, we would be dead right now. We aren’t greedy people and we don’t need these items, they are what Little Jiu deserves.”

Chai Second Master nodded: “I think so too.” He ordered several people to gather the mercenaries’ cosmos sacks, space rings and weapons, and put them into two piles.

“Little Jiu, thank you for saving us with your plan. You deserve all this.” Chai Second Master said. He gestured for him to put away all the items.

Feng Jiu glanced at everyone, then she smiled and walked forward slowly.

Chapter 2016: Where did you get it?

She took away all the space rings, the cosmos sacks, as well as the jade ornaments on the Scorpion Mercenary Group members’ waists. As for their weapons, she gave them to Patriarch Chai. “It’s no use giving me the weapons. Let them keep these! They may be useful later.”

“This won’t do. These are all your…” Before Second Master Chai finished speaking, Feng Jiu interrupted him.

“It’s no use keeping them. I can’t use these many weapons by myself.” She smiled, took out a space ring from her space and handed it to him. “Brother Chai, this is for you.”

“No, no. I can’t take it. It’s not easy for all of us to survive. Keep these things! I can’t take it.” Chai Feng waved his hand and stepped back, refusing to take the ring. Even if Feng Jiu asked him repeatedly to take it, he would still keep turning her down.

Finally, Feng Jiu had no choice but to put the ring away. “Alright! Since you don’t want it, I’ll keep it. When we return to the city, I’ll sell it to get some money. ” She smiled with her eyes narrowed.

Second Master Chai ordered everyone to choose one of the weapons and kept one at his side. Seeing the dead bodies on the ground and the stench of blood, he told his people. “Don’t stay here for long. We have to leave now and find a cleaner place to rest.”

“Yes.” Thus, the people quickly lined up and left this place, looking for an area that didn’t reek of blood to sit down and rest.

“Little Jiu, do you still have that medicine?” Second Master Chai asked while wondering. What kind of medicine was it? It could even affect Celestial Strong Exponents. It’s very likely that it’s not refined by an ordinary man.

“No.” She answered with both hands spread out.

“Then, where did you get that medicine?” Second Master Chai asked again, thinking that if they knew where she had bought it, they could also get some for an emergency.

“It’s from the Heavenly Pill Tower in Hundred Rivers City.” Feng Jiu answered with a smile.

“The Heavenly Pill Tower in Hundred Rivers City?” Second Master Chai looked at her in surprise, then at several members of the Chai family around him. Finally, he told Feng Jiu, “We have never heard of the Heavenly Pill Tower.”

Fan Yixiu and several others who sat beside him were silent but thoughtful. Among them, Fan Yixiu was the one who thought it was very odd.

He looked at Feng Jiu and asked, “In Hundred Rivers City? There’s nothing called the Heavenly Pill Tower in Hundred Rivers City before!”

A female disciple next to him remarked, “Eldest Senior Brother’s home is in Hundred Rivers City.”

Feng Jiu’s eyes flickered. Fan Yixiu’s home was in Hundred Rivers City? It seemed there were not many people with the surname Fan in the city. A person crossed her mind, but it went away in a flash.

“The Heavenly Pill Tower is newly opened. It specializes in selling medicinal pills, potions as well as medicinal powder. The pack of medicine that I took out today is good and of top quality. It’s just that the price is very expensive. Some things also can’t be bought with money.”

“Oh? Can’t be bought with money? So, how can one get it?” A person next to him asked, looking at Feng Jiu with surprise.

“With medicinal materials. But, the spirit herbs have to be of a certain age, at least five hundred years old. Its reputation has spread over the city and many people went there to request medicine. It was only by chance that I got this package of medicinal powder.”

“I see.” Suddenly, they were curious about the Heavenly Pill Tower, thinking that they must find a chance to see it when they came out of the Volcano Forest.

Chapter 2017: The scene ahead

“Second Uncle, do we still need to head back inside the Volcano Forest?” After a moment of silence, Chai Feng asked what he most wanted to ask in the whole trip.

After having encountered the Scorpion Mercenary Group and barely survived, he had been thinking about this problem. They had been to other places to gain experience before, but this time, several disciples with little experience, among them several women from the family, were brought on this trip.

If Little Jiu hadn’t come up with that way to reverse the situation and save everyone’s life today, perhaps none of them would be alive now. Moreover, he felt that their strength was still too weak compared with the people here.

Even if the man leading their team was Second Master, the most talented of the Chai family, an early-stage immortal cultivator, it’s impossible to protect these many people by himself.

He kept a faint hope in his heart to either go home or find a new place to gain experience, not necessarily this Volcano Forest.

When he heard Chai Feng’s question, Second Master Chai was startled and looked at him with a slight frown. “Should we go back now that we are all here? Immortal cultivation is to go against the heavens. There will naturally be many obstacles on the road of our cultivation, even death. Should we retreat because of the danger ahead? If we retreat like this, I’m afraid we won’t be able to improve our strength for the rest of our life.”

“But, we’re just outside the inner perimeter. I”m afraid that if we continue to go in, all of us will possibly die here.”

Second Master Chai scolded him. “Nonsense! The Scorpion Mercenary Group is gone now. I reckon we won’t meet many people in the forest. If you are afraid of danger, just raise your vigilance. What’s to worry about?”

Chai Feng bowed his head and kept silent. He knew that they wouldn’t necessarily listen to his suggestion.

They rested in the forest until it was getting dark. Today’s battle made them a little exhausted. At this time, each one of them relaxed, feeling like they had no energy left in their bodies.

While others sat around the bonfire under the tree, Feng Jiu slept atop the tree. Taking advantage of the night’s rest, she explored the space rings and cosmos sacks with her divine sense and found the volcanic flare stone among them.

However, she could not enter the space because people were guarding around the trees. After finished exploring, she made a mental note of the volcanic flare stone’s characteristics.

Early morning the next day, they all got up and looked particularly energetic after a night’s rest. They stretched out their waists and were ready to continue to walk deep into the forest.

The following journey was also calm. Occasionally, a small beast appeared and was beaten back. The tranquil experience made them gradually forget the previous danger until the sound of people talking in the forest ahead came into their ears as they walked deep into the forest.

“I’ll go and have a look first!” Fan Yixiu said, briefing a few people behind him, and then proceeded to explore alone.

Because the Chai family had been the one exploring the way and they only followed, now that they heard a sound, he naturally had to investigate.

However, to his surprise, as he followed the voice and reached its location, he saw an astonishing scene.

Chapter 2018: A chance encounter in the forest

In front, more than twenty men were on the ground wailing. They were all wounded. The air was filled with a faint stench of blood. Although they were injured, their wounds were not fatal.

To his surprise, those people on the ground were men in their twenties and thirties. Next to them, an old man in grey was sitting with his feet up on top of two men who were stacked up together on the ground. With an impatient look, he urged, “It took so long to deal with these twenty-odd people. Say, isn’t it better to wipe them off directly with the blade? That’s more efficient.”

“Senior Uncle!” After recovering from his shock, Fan Yixiu came over to him with an excited shout.

Sage Hun Yuan was startled by this greeting and jumped down. He looked at Fan Yixiu, who came striding towards him, up and down. “Who are you? What senior uncle? Don’t call people randomly!”

“Senior Uncle, disciple Fan Yixiu, a disciple of the Nebula Immortal Sect. Disciple had the honour to have seen Senior Uncle in the sect from a distance and thus recognize him.” Fan Yixiu was thrilled. He hadn’t met anyone from the sect on this trip. Unexpectedly, he ran into the mysterious and elusive Senior Uncle Sage Hun Yuan here.

“Senior Uncle, here is Disciple’s identity token.” Fan Yixiu took his identity token out and handed it promptly.

Sage Hun Yuan looked up at him with one hand on his beard. He saw that the man was wearing the Nebula Immortal Sect’s robe, but the outer coat was a defensive magical artefact. So, he took his identity jade token, swept with his divine sense and confirmed that it matched the person in front of him. Only then did he ask, “So, you’re the Jade Forest Peak’s disciple?”

“Yes, Disciple is indeed from the Jade Forest Peak.” Fan Yixiu answered quickly.

“Since you are the Jade Forest Peak’s disciple, why are you here?” Sage Hun Yuan glanced at him and snorted. “How dare you go into the Volcano Forest with this strength? Are you looking for death?”

Fan Yixiu bowed his head and answered respectfully. “Our master gave an order for Disciple and several junior brothers and sisters to enter the Volcano Forest to search for the Volcanic Flare Stone.”

Hearing this, Sage Hun Yuan frowned. “Your master ordered you to go into the Volcano Forest to search for the Volcanic Flare Stone? Besides you, how many others from the Nebula Immortal Sect are there? Why are you here alone?”

“To answer Senior Uncle, besides Disciple, there are also two junior brothers and three junior sisters. Master also knew that our strength was limited, so he gave each of his disciples a piece of defensive magical artefacts, which is this flame-resistant garment. The junior brothers and sisters are resting not far behind at this time.” Fan Yixiu pointed to the place where the team was.

After hearing this answer, Sage Hun Yuan swept his divine sense towards that location and saw a large group of people resting in the forest hundreds of meters away. Among them, there were indeed several young disciples wearing the Nebula Immortal Sect’s clothes.

He looked back. “Who are those people? How did you get together with them?”

While Sage Hun Yuan was questioning Fan Yixiu, in the place where everyone was resting, Feng Jiu’s eyes flashed. She sat under the tree drinking water with her eyes directed towards the front, as if deep in thought.

She had just noticed that a powerful divine sense probed this way, but the other party only took a glance and then withdrew. There was no hostility.

However, she was still a little confused. Fan Yixiu went to the front to explore. Why did a strong divine sense from the front sweep towards this place?

Chapter 2019: A surprise

If it was the enemy, Fan Yixiu should have given them a warning. But, there was no peculiar movement. So, was this person his acquaintance?

She could have used her divine sense to probe, but since she perceived that the other’s divine sense was very powerful, naturally she wouldn’t use it. Otherwise, it would have attracted the other party’s notice and suspicion.

As for who that person was? She was sure that she would soon find out.

After a while, Sage Hun Yuan had finished listening to Fan Yixiu’s story about what had happened to them after they entered the Volcano Forest. He nodded, looked at him and said, “What kind of luck your team has! Even after staying here for several days, we still haven’t encountered the Scorpion Mercenary Group. Yet, as soon as you enter the inner area, you’re immediately being surrounded.”

“Tsk, tsk. Your luck was also against the heavens. The fact that all of you survived the Scorpion Mercenary Group without any fatalities, still alive and well even after being injured, you must have had some luck!”

With that, he looked aside to Zhuo Junyue. “Look at their luck, then look at yours. Tsk, tsk. ”

Zhou Junyue glanced at the old man with a deadpan look, closed his eyes indifferently and couldn’t be bothered to talk with him.

“It’s our luck to have Little Jiu. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for us to avoid this calamity.” Fan Yixiu answered. Looking at the old man in front of him, he proposed, “Senior Uncle, are you also looking for the Volcanic Flare Stone? Would you please come with us?”

He hung his head in shame. “Only after arriving here did Disciple realize that he could not even protect himself. Now, several junior brothers and sisters are following. If we’re to return, there’s no way we can report without bringing the Volcanic Flare Stone. But if we’re to get in the forest, there’s a worry that Disciple and others will die here. So, so…”

Sage Hun Yuan stroked his beard but didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at the man standing still next to him and asked, “Junyue, what do you think?”

“As you wish.” His answer was brief, not at all wordy.

After thinking about it, Sage Hun Yuan nodded. “That’s alright It’s just the two of us, anyway. This guy is dull. It’s boring to stay with a guy who doesn’t say much.”

Hearing this, Fan Yixiu thanked him happily. “Thank you so much, Senior Uncle. Thank you so much…” He suddenly remembered that Senior Uncle didn’t seem to tell him the Young Master’s name.

“His surname is Zhuo. His name is Zhuo Junyue.” Sage Hun Yuan didn’t give a more detailed introduction.

“Thank you so much, Young Master Zhuo.” Fan Yixiu saluted quickly, then glanced at the people on the ground.

“Never mind these people. They won’t pose a big problem even if they aren’t dead. Let’s go! ” Sage Hun Yuan waved and told him to lead the way.

At this time, the Chai family and the Nebula Sect’s people were worried since Fan Yixiu had not come back for such a long time.

“What’s taking him so long? Is there anything wrong?”

“Why don’t I go and take a look?”

“No need. Look, he’s back. But, who are those two?” One of them said, looking at the old man and the man who came with Fan Yixiu.

And Feng Jiu, who was sitting under the tree drinking water, glanced at them casually. When he saw the old man and the man coming, she couldn’t help but choke.

“Cough!”

As she patted her chest, she quickly moved to the back of the tree, twisted the water sac and put it into the space, then poked her head out stealthily from behind the tree to look at the two men.

That’s right! Those people were really Sage Hun Yuan and the man called Zhuo Junyue. How did these two end up here and meet her again?

Chapter 2020: Being recognized

Feng Jiu touched her face. Even though she had put on a disguise, she seemed to have this same appearance when she had last seen the old man. She was sure that even if she had put something on it to hide her face from him, he would have recognized her when she met him. After all, her mystical spirit body couldn’t escape his eyes!

What about sneaking away?

But where? It was not easy for her to join this team. Besides, she’s had a good time here and couldn’t bear to leave now! But if she didn’t slip away, once she was recognized, the old man wouldn’t let her go easily.

For a moment, her mind turned quickly. Just then, she heard a faint voice from the front.

“Second Master Chai, this is our Senior Uncle, Sage Hun Yuan. This is Young Master Zhuo.” Fan Yixiu introduced them to everyone.

When all the members of the Chai family heard that it was Sage Hun Yuan of the Nebula Immortal Sect, their eyes lit up and their faces excited. “It’s Immortal Lord Hun Yuan indeed. I’m sorry for my disrespect, I am ..”

Feng Jiu listened to the Second Master Chai giving an enthusiastic introduction, calling the Chai family’s younger generation to come forward and pay their respects, and declaring his great admiration with many words. Finally, he was interrupted by the old man.

“Alright, alright. I heard there was a young man named Little Jiu here? Which one is he?” Sage Hun Yuan glanced around and didn’t see any particularly outstanding boys.

“Oh, it’s Little Jiu. He was resting under this tree just now.” Second Master Chai answered with a smile and pointed to the big tree not far behind. But, when he saw that the young man had disappeared from there, he was stunned. After walking over to the place, he couldn’t help smiling as he returned to Sage Hun Yuan. “Little Jiu seemed to be tired and fell asleep against the big tree.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Sage Hun Yuan leaned forward and caught a glimpse of the corner of the cyan robe, becoming more and more curious. Is this the kid who used a trick to save everyone here?

He took little steps forward and arrived at the back of the tree to take a look. His eyes immediately widened. With trembling hands, he pointed to the sleeping young man in azure. “You, you, you! It’s you, little scoundrel! ”

Zhuo Junyue, who had always kept a blank face, saw it with a flicker in his eyes. After taking a glance at Sage Hun Yuan, he walked to the big tree and couldn’t help being stunned.

The young man’s face was handsome, but not dazzling. His facial features were harmonious, making him very good-looking. The more he looked at the young man, the more familiar he felt. When he thought of Sage Hun Yuan calling this young man ‘little scoundrel’, his facial expression became strange as if he recalled something.

Fan Yixiu and others also gathered around them. Second Master Chai looked at Sage Hun Yuan and asked him with some doubts. “Does Immortal Lord know Little Jiu?” Then, he felt that this question was inappropriate to ask. Little Jiu was originally with Fan Yixiu and others. Since they were all from the Nebula Immortal Sect, they should have known each other.

But, after giving it some thought, he felt that it’s incorrect. Sage Hun Yuan had always been elusive and possessed a special position in the Nebula Immortal Sect. How was it possible for him to know an insignificant disciple? However, looking at his appearance, it seemed that there had been some intersection between him and Little Jiu.

Intersection? When he thought of this, he could only shake his head and smile inwardly. What intersection would these two people have?

“Senior Uncle, do you know Little Jiu?”

Fan Yixiu was also puzzled. He looked at the young man who was sleeping against the tree and thought to himself. Little Jiu is a disciple of the Chai family, and that is also a collateral disciple to boot. How could his teacher and uncle know him?

                                         *.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*