76: Go to Gusu

Everyone's gaze converged on Xie Wangsheng.

He was the overall commander of this operation.

Xie Wangsheng felt everyone's eyes on him; he slowly raised his head and looked around at the crowd.

There was no expression on his face as he spoke calmly.

"Are you sure you want me to make the decision?"

No one spoke.

Silence was the best answer.

Liu Lian pouted, sheathing his longsword, adopting a "you're in charge" posture.

Fang Yuan, on the other hand, looked at him with anticipation, hoping he would provide a perfect answer befitting the Righteous Path.

"Good."

Xie Wangsheng said no more, uttering only a single word.

He walked up to the trembling Daoist name, looking down at the evil cultivator who had been so arrogant just moments before.

"Take him to Gusu."

"Hand him over to Lin Xiao and the authorities."

As soon as this decision was made, joy immediately appeared on Fang Yuan's face.

Liu Lian's expression, however, instantly fell.

"What the hell, Xie Wangsheng, what are you playing at?!"

Liu Lian was the first to jump out in protest, pointing at Daoist name on the ground, his emotions agitated.

"Isn't this the same as Fang Yuan's naive idea? It's too risky! It's hundreds of miles from here to Gusu; what if something goes wrong on the way? Who will be responsible?"

Xie Wangsheng ignored Liu Lian's roar.

He turned and looked at a somewhat quiet girl in the crowd who was holding a Pill Furnace.

"Zhang Qian."

The girl named Zhang Qian immediately responded, "I'm here!"

She was a student from the Alchemy Department.

"Do you have a 'Mother-Child Co-Fate Pill'?"

Xie Wangsheng's words stunned all the students present.

Mother-Child Co-Fate Pill?

Wasn't that a forbidden Medicinal Pill recorded in ancient texts? It was extremely malicious and had long been lost.

Zhang Qian was also bewildered; she subconsciously replied, "Classmate Xie, that Pill Formula... the academy library only seems to have fragments, we haven't even learned it..."

"Give me one."

Xie Wangsheng directly interrupted her and held out his hand.

Zhang Qian was completely at a loss; she looked to her classmates for help, but found everyone was equally bewildered.

Xie Wangsheng did not press further.

He simply watched Zhang Qian silently.

Zhang Qian felt uneasy under his gaze, and finally, she steeled herself, fumbling in her Storage Pouch for a long time before pulling out a black, burnt-smelling Medicinal Pill.

"Classmate Xie, this... this is a Body Tempering Pill I failed to refine..."

"It'll do."

Xie Wangsheng took the failed Medicinal Pill without even looking at it, walking directly towards Daoist name, who was slumped on the ground.

He grabbed Daoist name's chin, forcing his mouth open.

"No! Immortal! No! What did you make me eat?!"

Daoist name let out a pig-like howl, struggling desperately.

But all his resistance was futile before Xie Wangsheng.

"Gulp."

The failed Medicinal Pill was roughly shoved down Daoist name's throat, sliding down his esophagus.

Xie Wangsheng released his hand and patted Daoist name's face.

"This is the Child Pill."

"The Mother Pill is with me."

He opened his other hand, and in his palm lay an identical charred black Medicinal Pill.

"From now on, you'd best be honest. As long as you dare to make any unusual move, or even entertain the slightest thought of escaping, I will crush this Mother Pill."

"At that time, the Child Pill inside you will instantly explode, and your internal organs, your meridians, will be corroded inch by inch by the Medicinal Pill's poison. Not even an immortal could save you."

Upon hearing this, Daoist name completely collapsed, his crotch quickly soaked, and a pungent, foul smell permeated the air.

He completely gave up resisting, prostrating himself on the ground and kowtowing like pounding garlic.

"I wouldn't dare! This humble one wouldn't dare! Immortal, spare my life! I will serve you like an ox or a horse, with no second thoughts!"

Watching this dramatic scene, Liu Lian opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the words he wanted to say.

Although the process was convoluted, this outcome seemed more secure than simply killing him.

"Han Li," Xie Wangsheng called out again.

"Here!"

Han Li immediately scurried over.

"Give him a 'Five Senses Seal Talisman' to shut him up, and to prevent him from seeing or hearing."

"Alright!"

Han Li pulled out a yellow Talisman from his bosom, muttering, "Daoist priest, my apologies!"

He pressed the Talisman onto Daoist name's forehead.

Daoist name's body trembled violently, then his eyes rolled back, and he became completely still, with only faint breathing remaining.

"Alright, done."

Xie Wangsheng clapped his hands and said to everyone, "Clear the scene, dispose of the bodies of those evil cultivators, and leave no traces. In ten minutes, we'll depart for Gusu."

Everyone immediately acknowledged the order and began to act.

At this moment, Zhang Qian from the Alchemy Department approached Xie Wangsheng and asked in a low voice,

"Classmate Xie, that Mother-Child Co-Fate Pill... is it really effective?"

Xie Wangsheng glanced at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"No, it's not. It's about attacking the heart."

"That failed Medicinal Pill will, at most, give him a few days of diarrhea."

Zhang Qian suddenly understood, then became worried again: "But what if he finds out it's fake...?"

"He won't find out."

Xie Wangsheng said calmly, "Just in case, I had already set up an Eight Directions Spirit Locking Formation on him. As soon as there's any unusual movement in his spiritual power, the Formation will instantly drain it, turning him into a cripple."

"So, the Medicinal Pill is fake, but the threat of death is real."

Zhang Qian was utterly convinced.

She looked at Xie Wangsheng's calm profile, with only two words left in her mind.

Awesome... Ten minutes later.

All traces within Qingxia Temple had been cleaned up.

"Depart!"

With Xie Wangsheng's command, sixteen students, plus Daoist name carried on Fang Yuan's shoulder, and Han Li, who was responsible for the live broadcast, a total of eighteen people, simultaneously ascended into the sky on their swords.

Eighteen streaks of sword light transformed into meteors, piercing through the night sky, speeding towards Gusu City...

At the same time.

Gusu City, Special Affairs Bureau temporary headquarters building, rooftop.

The cold wind howled.

Two young team members in black uniforms were huddled, their necks drawn in, lighting cigarettes.

"Damn it, what time is it? Who is the captain making us wait for here? He's too high and mighty," one of the team members complained.

The other team member took a puff of his cigarette and blew out a smoke ring.

"I heard it's Lin Xiao's classmate. The captain said he'd give us an eye-opener."

"An eye-opener? Heh, I'd like to see how he'll open our eyes."

The first team member to speak sneered.

"How else could they come? By private jet? Or by the latest maglev? Could it be... they can fly here? Do they think they're immortals?"

Lin Xiao, who had been standing silently at the edge of the rooftop, slowly spoke.

"They're here."

"Ah? Where?"

The two team members craned their necks, looking around.

The night sky was pitch black; besides a few stars, there was nothing.

"Brother Lin Xiao, don't joke, it's pitch dark..."

Before he finished speaking.

At the end of the night sky, eighteen points of light suddenly appeared.

The points of light moved from far to near, at a speed that exceeded their comprehension.

"Holy crap! What is that?!"

"UFO?!"

The cigarettes in the hands of the two team members dropped to the ground, their eyes wide open.

The next second.

Eighteen brilliant sword lights tore through the night, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, precisely hovering above the rooftop.

Above the sword lights, eighteen young figures stood proudly, their robes fluttering in the wind.

The two team members looked up, their mouths agape, completely petrified on the spot.

Only one thought remained in their minds.

Damn.

They really did fly here.