223: Tianque Sect

Moments later!

A thin young girl dressed in coarse hemp clothes, with an ink-colored long sword hanging from her waist, was dragged out of a house.

"Behave yourself, don't move!"

Her hands were bound behind her back by spiritual power, her face was stained with a bit of grease, and there seemed to be food crumbs lingering at the corners of her mouth, making her look quite disheveled.

The two quickly brought the girl before Zhao Jingchen and reported with a bow, "Senior Brother Zhao, we've searched the entire village, and all the villagers have vanished. We only caught her in a house at the west end of the village; she was hiding inside and stealing food at the time."

Zhao Jingchen looked up, his sharp gaze sizing up the girl.

Beside him, Lin Xiuqin narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a cold tone, "Qi Refining Second Layer?"

Ye Hao and the other continued to watch the situation secretly, not knowing how to evaluate the girl. Hadn't she gone to look for her Revered Master? Why did she end up here?

Li Pingan asked in a low voice, "Should we step in?"

He also recognized the captured Qi Refining Second Layer girl as Su Yue, whom they had parted ways with right after getting off the ferry.

Ye Hao shook his head slightly, signaling to wait a bit longer. "Let's observe the situation first. We don't know what power this group belongs to or what their purpose is for coming here."

Held in place, Su Yue looked up tremblingly, her eyes filled with terror, yet she still forced herself to ask, "Who... who are you? Why did you catch me?"

Hearing this, Zhao Jingchen suddenly chuckled. "Aren't you asking the wrong person, miss? It's we who should ask you: who are you, and why are you here in this deserted Bishui Village?"

Su Yue looked at the group of green-robed Cultivators before her; each had a refined aura, and none were people she could afford to provoke. In this situation, telling the truth was the best way to save her life.

So she bit her lip and said in a fearful but clear voice, "I... I came to find my Revered Master. After asking around, I found my way to this Bishui Village."

"Looking for your Revered Master?" Zhao Jingchen raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Who is your Revered Master?"

As for suspecting the girl was related to the villagers' disappearance, neither Zhao Jingchen nor Lin Xiuqin considered it. A Cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining couldn't even achieve Bigu and had to rely on mortal food to fill her stomach; how could she have the ability to make an entire village of people vanish into thin air?

Su Yue shook her head. "I don't know my Revered Master's name either; she never told me."

"Are you playing with us?"

A green-robed Disciple nearby immediately shouted sternly, instinctively releasing a bit of spiritual pressure. Su Yue shuddered in fear, her face turning pale instantly, but she bit her lip and stopped speaking.

Zhao Jingchen raised his hand to stop the Disciple and turned to Lin Xiuqin. "Junior Sister, what do you think?"

Lin Xiuqin didn't answer immediately, but turned her head again to look at the deserted village.

Her gaze swept over the tightly closed doors and the houses that showed no signs of struggle.

After a moment, she returned her gaze to Su Yue, her tone still cold. "You said you came to Bishui Village after asking around? Since you're looking for your Revered Master, what exactly did you hear that made you come all this way? Also, since you're here, do you know where the people of this village went?"

Su Yue hesitated for a long while, considering her words.

Zhao Jingchen reminded her, "You'd better tell us everything you know. Otherwise... we'll have no choice but to take you back to the Sect and find a way to make you talk."

"I... I heard news in Yunxi City that there's a village here where the entire population has vanished without leaving a trace."

"It's somewhat similar to when my Revered Master disappeared! I thought I might find clues here, so I quietly sneaked in..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Jingchen and Lin Xiuqin's eyes narrowed simultaneously, a fleeting look of surprise passing through them.

The two glanced at each other and continued to press her:

"What was the village where your Revered Master disappeared? Was the situation there exactly like this Bishui Village?"

"I... I came from the Flame Continent, and my Revered Master is also a Cultivator from the Flame Continent. The village where my Revered Master disappeared was completely different from here. There were collapsed walls everywhere, and in the end... the entire village turned into a sea of fire, leaving not a single clue to investigate."

"Flame Continent?"

Zhao Jingchen was momentarily stunned, his brows furrowing instantly.

"You actually crossed a continent, coming from the Flame Continent all the way to the Rain God Continent?"

Beside him, Lin Xiuqin was also full of surprise. "You mean, with just your Qi Refining Second Layer cultivation, you crossed continents alone to reach the Rain God Continent just to find your Revered Master?"

Seeing Su Yue nod, Lin Xiuqin sighed softly. "Truly foolish enough." She turned to the Disciples holding Su Yue and ordered, "Take her back to the Sect first; we'll decide after we've investigated the situation."

As the words "take her back to the Sect" were uttered, Su Yue's pupils constricted suddenly. Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, quickly pulled out a folded yellow paper Talisman.

It was the only "Light as a Swallow Talisman" she had on her.

Su Yue condensed a faint trace of spiritual power at her fingertips and suddenly ignited the Talisman! A pale yellow spiritual light instantly enveloped her body. She felt her weight lift and bolted toward the edge of the village, her pace several times faster than usual.

After running for a full seven steps, a wisp of green spiritual power shot out like an arrow, precisely wrapping around Su Yue's ankle. Su Yue tripped and fell to the ground with a thud, the spiritual light instantly dissipating.

Lin Xiuqin was almost moved to laughter by her overconfident attempt. She walked over to Su Yue and looked down at her.

"It seems you still haven't grasped the situation. The Rain God Continent is far more dangerous than your Flame Continent. There are crises everywhere here. Let alone a minor Cultivator like you at Qi Refining Second Layer, even Golden Core or Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators must act with extreme caution, as the slightest mistake could cost them their lives."

She paused, her tone softening slightly.

"Now come back to the Sect with us, and at least you can save your life. If you insist on running around, out here in the wilderness, in less than a day, you'll either be swallowed by Demonic Beasts or become nourishment for other Cultivators. Which fate do you think is better?"

Su Yue lay on the ground, her hands pinned down again. She struggled a few times but couldn't move an inch.

"I'm not going with you, I still have to find my Revered Master..."

Looking at Su Yue's stubborn struggle on the ground, the last bit of patience in Lin Xiuqin's eyes vanished.

She raised her hand to smooth her sleeves, spiritual power flickering at her fingertips. Clearly, she intended to use a technique to control Su Yue directly and take her away by force.

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit."

After all, the Sect was waiting for them to investigate what happened to the missing villagers; she didn't have much time to waste on a minor Qi Refining Second Layer Cultivator.

But just then, a calm voice suddenly drifted from a courtyard, breaking the deadlock: "Though you two Fellow Daoists mean well, why insist on forcing someone against their will?"

As the voice fell, two figures walked slowly from behind the courtyard wall.

Zhao Jingchen turned his head sharply, his pupils constricting as a storm of shock surged in his heart.

Both he and his Junior Sister were at the Late Stage of the Golden Core Realm, with perception far exceeding ordinary Cultivators, yet until the others appeared of their own accord, they hadn't sensed a thing! Such concealment methods meant either the others' cultivation far surpassed theirs or they possessed an extremely special Breath-concealment technique. Either way, they were certainly not people to be trifled with.

"Who are you?" Zhao Jingchen shouted in a low voice.