17: Chapter 17

"Good, good, good!" Mo Wuchang said three "goods" in a row. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Mu Wanqing, a murderous intent rising in his heart: "I originally wanted to take you as a Disciple, pass on my immortal techniques, and from then on, we would become a pair of enviable immortal Dao Companions."

"But since you insist on courting death, don't blame this old man for destroying such a beautiful flower with a cruel hand."

Although this woman's beauty is indeed rare, the Divine Ability she possesses is more important. As long as I hand this Divine Ability over to the Sect, what kind of woman won't I be able to get in the future?

As he finished speaking, Mo Wuchang fully activated the Bone Talisman in his hand. Yin Qi scattered, instantly condensing into dozens of gray skulls.

"Those who insult my Senior Sister shall die!" Li Pingan roared, without the slightest fear, and charged straight toward Mo Wuchang.

The gray skulls rushed towards Li Pingan. With a "bang," just inches away from Li Pingan, they were shattered by a cone shape condensed from crystals.

Mu Wanqing was currently only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, and her combat power was far inferior to Li Pingan's, so she could only provide support from the side.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The several skulls blocking Li Pingan were all blasted apart. Mo Wuchang frowned tightly, filled with deep anger.

Facing Li Pingan's fists, he could only retreat again and again.

As a dignified Foundation Establishment Expert, when had he ever been so wronged?

Mo Wuchang was currently suffering in silence; facing the combined efforts of the two, he had no room to fight back at all.

He could only choose to stall for time by maneuvering against the two, waiting for the arrival of the Sect's Experts.

Boom!

Li Pingan grew crazier the more he fought, smashing a punch into Mo Wuchang's left ribs, sending him crashing into the ground, leaving a large crater.

"Pfft!"

Mo Wuchang, inside the large pit, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Clearly, this punch had caused him considerable injury.

Steward Wang, hiding in the dark, watched with a pale face.

"It's over, it's over. This old Immortal Revered Master is too useless, isn't he? Living to such an old age must mean he wasted his life."

Looking at the dark-skinned youth attacking him again, Mo Wuchang shouted, "Wait! You cannot kill me! I am an Elder of the Yin Yang Sect. If you kill me, the Yin Yang Sect will not let you go!"

If this continues, this old man will truly fall into the hands of these two little bastards.

Upon hearing this, Li Pingan paused his movement.

He had already caused trouble for the Sect with the Po Shan Sect. If he provoked the Yin Yang Sect again, even his Revered Master would likely find it difficult to cope.

Revered Master has shown me great kindness; I cannot cause trouble for Revered Master.

Seeing the opening, Mo Wuchang immediately seized the opportunity.

"Little bastard! Die!" He roared and slammed the Bone Talisman onto his palm. The surface of the talisman instantly cracked with spiderweb-like patterns, and dozens of skulls stacked up out of thin air to form a small mountain wreathed in gray mist, pressing down toward Li Pingan's head.

This was the final killing move he exchanged by burning his vital essence!

As long as he dealt with this dark-skinned youth, the remaining Qi Refining Realm girl could be handled at will.

"Junior Brother, be careful!" Mu Wanqing cried out in alarm. Three Ice Crystal Cones shot out in a 'pin' formation, accurately striking Mo Wuchang's old injury on his left ribs.

The sharp pain caused the old man's movement to stall for a moment. In that instant, Li Pingan's fist, carrying traces of golden light, pierced through the gray mist and punched straight through Mo Wuchang's abdomen.

He chose to take the blow head-on, trading injury for the old man's life!

"How could..." Before he could finish his sentence, a large gush of blood surged from Mo Wuchang's throat. His body fell uselessly to the ground, completely lifeless.

He never expected that he, a dignified Foundation Establishment Second Layer Expert, would today capsize in a ditch at the hands of a Martial Artist and a little girl at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

Steward Wang was so frightened by this scene that he fell to the ground: "It's all over! This old thing was just beaten to death? Isn't this a scam?"

"Junior Brother!" Mu Wanqing quickly rushed to Li Pingan's side and helped support him.

"Why are you so stupid? Why didn't you dodge just now?" She looked at Li Pingan anxiously, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the bloodstains from his body.

Li Pingan grinned, revealing bloodied teeth: "Senior Sister, I'm fine, I won't die yet. He insulted you, Senior Sister, so I had to kill him!"

Mu Wanqing was deeply moved, but she scolded him angrily: "Idiot! Being insulted a few times won't make me lose a piece of flesh. You are not allowed to risk your life like this again."

With a tearing sound, Mu Wanqing ripped off a strip of fabric from her skirt hem and used it to bandage the wound on Li Pingan's arm.

"Junior Brother, thank you for this time."

A moment later!

Li Pingan, whose bleeding had stopped, sat cross-legged on the ground, circulating the Divine Profound Mountain Shaking Art within his body to heal his injuries. Having forcefully endured a blow from a Foundation Establishment Expert who burned his vital essence, even with the Heaven-Loathing Divine Body, he would still need to return to the Sect and lie down for two months.

The Martial Dao First Layer is equivalent to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer Realm.

Fortunately, the difference in Realms wasn't too great. If it had been a Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer Cultivator, Li Pingan would have died on the spot.

In the center of the Mountain Stronghold, Mu Wanqing gathered the captured women together.

To soothe their emotions!

"The Mountain Bandits have been wiped out by us. You can go back now."

The women looked around blankly, and after seeing the corpses of the bandits on the ground, a trace of twisted smile gradually appeared on their faces.

Mr. and Mrs. Mu came to their daughter's side and said, "Qing'er, have you seen Steward Wang? He was also captured and brought to this Mountain Stronghold."

"Father, Mother! If you hadn't mentioned him, I would have almost forgotten him. The fact that you encountered Mountain Bandits this time was entirely his fault." Mu Wanqing’s expression was cold, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed.

Vice Minister Mu’s expression became serious upon hearing this: "Qing'er, what makes you say that?"

Mu Wanqing glanced around, then immediately struck the hiding Steward Wang with a palm.

"Father, let him tell you himself."

Steward Wang was sent flying five or six meters away by the palm strike, crashing down in a dizzy mess.

But he couldn't care about that now. Enduring the pain, he rolled over and knelt on the ground, forcing out an expression of pitiful regret:

"Revered Master, it was all my fault. I was blinded by profit."

"You are a man of great magnanimity; I beg you to spare my life."

How could Vice Minister Mu not understand the situation now? A person who could attain the rank of Third-Rank Official was no fool.

He glared at Steward Wang and shouted, "You traitorous dog! This official truly misjudged you."

"Revered Master, I have served you for over ten years. Even if I have no merit, I have put in effort."

Steward Wang continuously kowtowed. At this moment, his desire to live was extremely strong.

Mu Wanqing frowned and said, "Father, don't believe his nonsense. If Junior Brother hadn't come with me this time, your daughter would have fallen for his wicked scheme."

"Father knows what to do!"

Vice Minister Mu looked around, picked up a Large Saber dropped by a Mountain Bandit, and walked towards Steward Wang.

A flash of blade light, blood dripped, and Steward Wang fell diagonally to the side.

Seeing this, Mu Wanqing sighed in relief: "Father, this place is not suitable for a long stay. You and Mother should follow me back to the Sect first."

"This... is improper. It would disturb Immortal Master Chen's cultivation!" Vice Minister Mu was a clever man, knowing that his daughter's achievements were entirely thanks to Immortal Master Chen.

He couldn't delay his daughter's future because of himself!

"Father, don't worry. Revered Master is very easy to talk to! Your daughter will beg Revered Master to let you rest in the Sect for a few days." Mu Wanqing continued to persuade him.

After this incident, she had to ensure the safety of her Father and Mother.

After some persuasion, Mr. and Mrs. Mu finally agreed to their daughter's suggestion.

The group was just about to leave!

Just then, the mountain wind suddenly became cold and bone-chilling.

It wasn't the chill of dissipating Yin Qi, but the spiritual pressure belonging to fellow Cultivators, carrying a sense of deadly intent.

Li Pingan, who was healing nearby, suddenly looked up. At the edge outside the Mountain Stronghold, five figures dressed in black and white Sect robes were slowly approaching.

The old man leading them glanced at the corpses on the ground, then looked at the cross-legged Li Pingan and Mu Wanqing beside him. Unconcealed murderous intent surged in his cloudy eyes.

"You killed an Elder of my Yin Yang Sect, and you still expect to leave alive?"