191: Chapter 191 Entering the Wolf's Den?

After bidding farewell to the patrolling Disciples, the group continued to climb upward and finally stepped onto the summit of Xitian Mountain.

The scene before them caused the four of them, led by Chu Feng, to pause in surprise.

They had originally assumed that the lair of a Demonic Path Family would surely be filled with Yin Qi and lurking murderous intent.

Yet, what lay before them was a completely different world.

Vast stretches of emerald bamboo swayed in the breeze, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of Spiritual Plants.

There was absolutely no trace of the fierce atmosphere they had imagined; instead, it exuded a sense of leisure and the quiet, peaceful air of cultivation.

"I never expected that the ancestral grounds of the Ximen Clan would be such a quiet place for cultivation."

Chu Feng did not relax his vigilance; on the contrary, he became even more wary of the Ximen Clan.

Returning to simplicity—to be able to manage this land of slaughter into such a state showed that there must be an extremely formidable figure overseeing this Family.

As the group walked up to the sprawling palace complex, they saw an old man in black robes walking towards them.

The old man's beard and eyebrows were completely white, yet his complexion was exceptionally ruddy, almost like that of a newborn infant.

His entire being exuded an amiable aura, possessing the bearing of an immortal with an otherworldly air.

He was actually a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator!

"Junior pays respects to Senior!" The four of them clasped their hands in unison.

"Hehe, not bad."

The old man smiled slightly, his gaze gentle as he examined the four of them, finally landing on Chu Feng.

"I heard from Little Qing that thanks to the help of you young Fellow Daoists along the way, he was able to turn danger into safety."

"I, this old man, would like to thank you all first."

His tone was kind and gentle, making one involuntarily feel a sense of respect.

However, Chu Feng was secretly vigilant in his heart.

This was his first time meeting such a Demonic Path Cultivator; the kinder they appeared, the more it often implied danger.

"Senior is too polite!"

Chu Feng immediately cupped his hands, his tone becoming even more respectful.

"Junior and Brother Ximen hit it off immediately and are of the same mind."

"Encountering some petty scoundrels on the road, helping out was simply a matter of duty; it is not worthy of a 'thank you' from Senior."

"Haha, what a good 'hit it off immediately'..."

The old man chatted with them about trivial matters for a while longer, asking about what they had seen on their journey, his attitude remaining amiable throughout.

After chatting for a while, seeing that his uncle had no intention of asking further, Ximen Qing gestured for Jin Lian to take Chu Feng and the other three to rest.

The group followed Jin Lian and officially entered the interior of the Ximen Clan.

The summit of Xitian Mountain occupied a vast area, with pavilions and towers arranged in an orderly fashion, nestled amidst ancient pines and green cypresses.

Rare Spiritual Plants and herbs could be seen everywhere, emitting various colors of light, and the Spiritual Qi permeating the air was several times denser than at the foot of the mountain.

Everything seemed peaceful and quiet, but Chu Feng always felt that a pair of eyes was watching them from the shadows, and an invisible pressure weighed on his heart.

Not long after, Jin Lian stopped in front of an independent courtyard.

The courtyard was built extremely exquisitely, with bright red gates and two small stone beasts standing at the entrance.

Jin Lian turned around, a gentle smile on her face, and gestured with her hand: "Fellow Daoists, this is the guest courtyard our Family reserves for distinguished guests."

"There are several high-quality guest rooms in the courtyard, which have already been tidied up; I hope you will not find them lacking."

Chu Feng smiled slightly and cupped his hands: "Fellow Daoist Jin is too polite."

"We are already very sorry for intruding so abruptly. If there is any rudeness on our part, I hope you will tell us directly."

"What are you saying, Fellow Daoist Chu."

Jin Lian covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.

"If not for your great help this time, Brother Qing and I would likely have suffered heavy losses."

"Being able to host you all is our honor."

As she spoke, she gently pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped aside to invite the four of them in.

"This courtyard is rarely occupied on normal days, so it is quite quiet."

"Everything in the guest rooms has been carefully prepared by the Family; the bedding is freshly changed, and tea and snacks are all provided."

"If you need anything, just instruct the servants in the courtyard; please do not stand on ceremony."

Afterwards, Jin Lian said a few more words before leaving.

As soon as the courtyard gate closed, the courtyard instantly quieted down, with only the sound of running water on the rockery tinkling.

Chu Feng's expression remained unchanged, but his Divine Sense quietly spread out, carefully investigating every corner of the courtyard.

After a good while, he confirmed that there were no surveillance arrays set up in the courtyard, nor was anyone hiding in the shadows eavesdropping.

"Everyone, be careful and maintain your concealment. This Ximen Clan is not simple." Chu Feng transmitted his voice to the three of them.

"Brother Feng, I also feel that something is not right."

Tang An also put away his previous relaxed expression, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Their arrangements are indeed very good, and one cannot pick out a single flaw."

"But in my heart, I always feel uneasy, as if there is always a pair of eyes watching us from behind."

"That's right!"

Yun Luoli also nodded in agreement.

"And those patrolling Disciples had strange looks in their eyes when they saw us along the way, as if they were paying special attention to us."

"This doesn't look like the attitude towards ordinary guests."

Chu Feng frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said: "Our primary goal now is to leave here as soon as possible."

"When Ximen Qing comes, we will find an opportunity to bid farewell, saying we are in a hurry and hope to use their Family's teleportation array to head into the depths of the Endless Mountains."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ximen Qing followed the black-robed old man into a Meditation Room.

He respectfully handed in his mission report, then stood to the side with his hands hanging down, not daring to even breathe loudly, waiting respectfully for the old man's inquiry.

The old man sat upright in a grand armchair.

"Little Qing, have you verified the origins of these Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect Cultivators you brought back?"

Ximen Qing's body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head even further, answering respectfully: "Traveling with them along the way, I have observed them carefully."

"Judging from their speech, conduct, and the style of their techniques, they are indeed like people from the Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect."

He paused, then added, "Especially the leader, Ding Xiu."

"His cultivation is profound, and his methods are ruthless."

"Relying on his strange poison techniques and that Five Poisons Banner, he easily killed several Foundation Establishment Stage opponents when we encountered ambushes along the way."

"His strength cannot be underestimated."

"The Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect has never had any dealings with our Ximen Clan."

"They suddenly appeared at this time, and it just happened that you ran into them; I fear... there is a hidden agenda."

The old man frowned slightly, his index finger tapping lightly on the armrest of the armchair.

"Have you inquired about what their purpose is for this trip?"

"Replying to Uncle, I have asked."

"That Ding Xiu claims he is going to the depths of the Endless Mountains for training, and to earn some Spirit Stones to buy Medicinal Pills along the way."

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Ximen Qing's forehead; he dared not conceal anything and confessed the entire experience of the journey.

"I also have my doubts and always feel that they are hiding something."

"But along the way, they really did not show any abnormalities, and they were very helpful to us; that Ding Xiu even saved my life."

After listening, the old man fell into deep thought.

This Ximen Qing had been intelligent since childhood and always handled matters reliably.

Since he said so, the behavior of these few people indeed had no flaws on the surface.

Yet, the more perfect it was, the more suspicious it made people.

"Little Qing, you have been intelligent since you were young, and I have always trusted you to handle matters."

The old man pondered for a moment, a flash of shrewdness in his eyes.

"But the appearance of these Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect Cultivators might be related to the recent tense situation in the Asura Empire."

"You must immediately arrange manpower, activate our intelligence network outside, and investigate the recent movements of the Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect."

"In addition, arrange a few clever servants in the courtyard to secretly observe their every word and action, using the excuse of delivering tea or cleaning the rooms."

"Remember, do it secretly; do not alert the enemy."

"Yes, Uncle!"

Ximen Qing quickly replied, but his face showed a look of difficulty.

"It's just... Uncle, if they notice they are being watched, will it cause unnecessary trouble? After all, they are our guests now."

"Hmph!" The old man snorted coldly.

"If they have nothing to hide, why would they be afraid of being watched?"

"If there is truly a problem, discovering it early will allow us to prepare in advance."

He paused, his tone becoming grave.

"In recent years, the Asura Empire and surrounding forces have been in constant war."

"As one of the top families in the Empire, our Ximen Clan cannot stay out of it."

"Any potential hidden dangers must be snuffed out in the bud!"

"I... I understand."

Ximen Qing wanted to say something but stopped, the expression on his face becoming even more troubled.

"If you have something to say, just say it; what is this stuttering like!" The old man waved his hand impatiently.

"Yes!"

Ximen Qing gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle, that Ding Xiu mentioned several times on the road that he wanted to use our Family's teleportation array to head to the depths of the Endless Mountains at the border."

"If they propose to leave now, what should we do?"

He dared not conceal it and threw out this most thorny problem.

The old man's brows instantly knitted into a "river" shape, and he fell into deep thought.

This was indeed a difficult problem.

Let them go? Or forcibly keep them?

Letting them go was definitely not an option.

But keeping them by force was also not feasible.

This old demon at the Golden Core Perfection stage, who had seen many great storms and waves, was now somewhat hesitant.

The Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect was not weak; if they could befriend them, they might become allies in the future, which would be a good thing.

But if the choice was wrong, not only would they offend people, but they might also forge a powerful enemy.

Demonic Path Cultivators are almost all vindictive; offending one side almost certainly guarantees retaliation.

Ximen Qing continued: "Ding Xiu and his group are not weak, especially that Ding Xiu, whose methods are strange; even Golden Core Stage ambushes could not stop him."

"These are troubled times, and having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy; we cannot offend the Ten Thousand Poison Demon Sect for no reason."

The old man nodded slightly.

"That may be true, but we cannot easily let them go without figuring out their purpose."

"If they really have a problem, and we let them go to the depths of the Endless Mountains, letting them get entangled with other forces, it will definitely bring us even greater trouble in the future."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed the old man's eyes.

"It seems we can only use extraordinary means."

Ximen Qing's expression changed.

"Uncle, you must not! Currently, most of the Family's main force has been transferred away by those bastards from the Asura Ghost Sect to deal with the war on the front lines."

"Even the Old Ancestor has gone personally, and the Family is empty inside."

"If a conflict occurs at this time, it will be extremely disadvantageous for us."

"Ding Xiu's poison techniques are truly very strong."

"If he uses poison, those below the Golden Core Stage simply cannot withstand it."