240: Chaos

"Senior... Senior Sister..." her Junior Sister whispered, her voice still trembling slightly.

Chi Yu looked back at her, the coldness in her eyes instantly dissipating, replaced by her usual warmth.

"Don't be afraid, everything is fine now."

As she spoke, she walked slowly to the leader of the men in black who had fallen to the ground and lightly tapped his wrist with the tip of her toe.

A token at the man's waist fell to the ground with a soft "clink."

Chi Yu bent down to pick up the token, her fingertips gently tracing the complex patterns on it.

This token was indeed in the style of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect, but upon closer inspection, one would find a very faint scorpion pattern carved on the edge—the mark of the Western Regions' Poison Scorpion Cult!

Her brow furrowed slightly, and a cold smile played on her lips.

"How did a token from the Western Regions' Poison Scorpion Cult end up on someone from the Ten Thousand Gu Sect?"

Just then, a sudden rush of hoofbeats came from the distance, accompanied by the shouts of soldiers, getting closer and closer.

"You people up ahead, don't move! The Tianqi Imperial Guards are patrolling here! Drop your weapons and submit to inspection!"

Chi Yu's eyes narrowed, and she quickly tucked the token into her robes.

The Tianqi Imperial Guards had been frequently appearing in the heart of the Southern Border lately; their sudden presence here was likely more than just a "patrol."

She whispered to her Junior Sister:

"Let's go, we need to regroup with the Sect first. The arrival of the Tianqi Imperial Guards is suspicious; we shouldn't stay here any longer."

Her Junior Sister nodded hurriedly and followed Chi Yu.

Their figures were like two wisps of smoke, quickly disappearing into the depths of the forest, leaving behind only five bodies that were gradually growing cold.

Moments later, a squad of Imperial Guards dressed in silver armor arrived.

The leading general was tall with a resolute face, a long sword at his waist with the Tianqi Imperial Family's Dragon crest carved on the scabbard.

Seeing the five corpses on the ground, he frowned deeply. He knelt down to examine them and found traces of Gu and Qi, and his expression became increasingly grave.

"General, these people are Cultivators from the Ten Thousand Gu Sect, and they also carry tokens from the Poison Scorpion Cult," an Imperial Guard soldier reported after checking the bodies.

The general stood up, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding forest, and said in a heavy voice:

"It seems the Poison Scorpion Cult has indeed colluded with the Ten Thousand Gu Sect. Pass on my orders: strengthen the security around the perimeter of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion; no one is allowed to approach! Also, send word to the State Preceptor that the situation in the Southern Border is more complicated than expected, and let him decide the next move."

"Yes, sir!"

The Imperial Guard soldiers responded in unison and quickly dispersed. Some stayed to handle the bodies, while others rode off into the distance, soon disappearing into the forest.

The Xihua Sect's outpost was located in a hidden valley just outside the Poisonous Miasma Forest.

The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow passage for entry and exit, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

Over a dozen green tents were set up in the valley, each embroidered with the symbol of the Xihua Sect—a blooming pale purple crabapple flower.

Several Disciples in green Sect uniforms, holding Magical Artifacts, were patrolling the valley entrance.

As soon as Chi Yu and her Junior Sister appeared at the entrance, the patrolling Disciples sensed their presence and quickly surrounded them.

Upon seeing it was Chi Yu, the Disciples quickly withdrew their Qi and bowed in greeting.

"Saintess! You've finally returned!"

A round-faced Disciple stepped forward quickly. He was in charge of communications, and his face showed signs of anxiety.

"Saintess, the Sect just sent an emergency message saying that many Loose Cultivators are heading toward the Nether Crow Cave Mansion! They've brought many Spiritual Artifacts and Magic Treasures, and it looks like they intend to force their way through the formation!"

Chi Yu nodded and was about to ask for more details when a graceful figure stepped out from the main tent.

The woman was dressed in a moon-white dress with exquisite silver silk patterns embroidered on the hem. A golden belt was tied around her waist, with two jade bells hanging on either side that chimed clearly as she walked.

She had a beautiful face with an air of authority in her brow; she was Luo Yu, the Elder of the Xihua Sect in charge of this Southern Border expedition.

Seeing Chi Yu, Luo Yu's brow furrowed slightly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach:

"You shouldn't have acted alone. With the opening of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion, the Western Regions' Poison Scorpion Cult, the Southern Border's Ten Thousand Gu Sect, and the Gongsun Family from the north have all arrived. The various factions are mixed together; any slight carelessness could lead to danger."

Chi Yu lowered her gaze and gave a slight salute with both hands.

"This Disciple admits her mistake. It's just that I found some clues in the Poisonous Miasma Forest, which delayed me."

As she spoke, her fingertips gently traced the Poison Scorpion Cult token in her sleeve.

"Elder, this Disciple encountered an ambush by the Ten Thousand Gu Sect outside the Poisonous Miasma Forest. They were carrying Poison Scorpion Cult tokens. I fear the two Sects have already colluded and are secretly killing Cultivators to frame other factions."

Hearing this, Luo Yu's expression changed instantly.

She had originally thought the Ten Thousand Gu Sect only wanted to seize the Legacy for themselves, but she hadn't expected them to collude with the Poison Scorpion Cult from the Western Regions.

One Sect excelled at refining Gu, while the other excelled at refining poison. If they joined forces, it would likely cause great trouble for the other factions.

"This matter is of great importance."

Luo Yu turned and led Chi Yu into the main tent.

"Come inside and we'll talk. There's a map of the Southern Border in the tent; let's examine it closely."

The space inside the main tent was much larger than it appeared from the outside. In the center hung a massive map of the Southern Border, marked with cinnabar, ink, indigo, and other colors to indicate the positions of various factions.

Luo Yu walked to the map and pointed to a red dot in the direction of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion, saying in a heavy voice:

"No wonder Cultivators have been mysteriously killed lately. Before, we thought Village Elder Gongsun was refining a Soul Banner and needed the essence and blood of Cultivators. It turns out these two groups have hooked up to intentionally stir up chaos! Have they reached an agreement to join forces and seize the Legacy of Daoist Ming Ya?"

Chi Yu walked to the map, her gaze falling on a dashed line between East Lin City and the Nether Crow Cave Mansion—the original route of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce's Flying Ship.

But now, the blue marker representing the Flying Ship had retreated ten miles, with a line of small characters noted beside it: "Forcing through the restriction in three days."

"Elder, look here."

Chi Yu pointed at the blue marker.

"The Qingyun Chamber of Commerce's Flying Ship has retreated ten miles and released news that they will force through the restriction in three days. Mo Chenggui is a calculating man who never does a losing deal. Do you think he really intends to act, or does he have other plans?"

Luo Yu followed her finger, her beautiful eyes flashing as her expression grew solemn.

"Mo Chenggui has been with the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce for decades; he is shrewd and excels at reaping the benefits while others fight. His sudden announcement of forcing through the restriction is likely meant to lure other factions into acting first so he can fish in troubled waters. Furthermore..."

She paused and pointed to another corner of the map.

"The Tianqi Imperial Guards suddenly appeared here and said the State Preceptor is coming personally; there must be something fishy behind this. The Tianqi Imperial Family has always turned a blind eye to the affairs of the cultivation world, yet they are so serious this time. Could there be some secret in Daoist Ming Ya's Legacy that we don't know about?"

Chi Yu didn't speak, only reaching out to lightly touch the marker for the Nether Crow Cave Mansion on the map, the Qi at her fingertips fluctuating slightly.

She felt that this trip to the Southern Border would likely be much more complicated than anyone imagined.

The collusion between the Poison Scorpion Cult and the Ten Thousand Gu Sect, the unusual actions of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce, and the sudden intervention of the Tianqi Imperial Family—these seemingly unrelated events seemed to be weaving into a giant web around the Legacy of Daoist Ming Ya.

And she, along with the Xihua Sect, was already in the center of this web. Escaping it would not be easy.

Outside the tent, a breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of plants from the valley, but it could not dispel the gloom in the hearts of the two women inside.