Chapter 122: Chapter 108: Southern Border Tribes
With Ning Qi’s cultivation and strength, if he directly fought, he could naturally suppress the attacker before him. The reason for the elaborate scheme was simply for a more secure outcome.
For instance, now.
The attacker, caught off guard, never imagined that the pitiful little rabbit would suddenly transform into a man-eating tiger.
Ning Qi stared at the attacker before him, a strand of Gang Qi lifted her mask, revealing her true face. Unexpectedly, the attacker was a stunningly beautiful woman.
But Ning Qi did not hesitate, grabbing her neck and holding her before him, his vast Gang Qi pressed down like the sea, instantly locking down her movements, and even suppressing the Gang Qi within her body.
"Indeed, a Primordial Core Realm."
Ning Qi sensed the woman’s realm, his eyes slightly narrowing.
The alluring woman felt a torrent of emotions, the indifferent gaze of the young Taoist opposite made her tremble, and his strength was unbelievably overpowering.
"Who is this person? True Man Tianjian? True Man Tianjian’s true face is actually so young? Or is this not his true face at all?"
She raged internally, never expecting herself to be discovered by True Man Tianjian before making any commotion, but soon she dismissed her thought:
"No! This person may not be True Man Tianjian!"
"My heart’s Heaven-Sensing Gu showed no signs, meaning no fluctuation of Power of Heaven and Earth appeared!"
This discovery further horrified the alluring woman.
"Relying solely on Gang Qi to strip me of all abilities? Even an unparalleled expert in the top ten of the Celestial Being List couldn’t achieve this, right?"
"How could there be such a terrifying person in the world? Who is this person, and why hasn’t he taken action during the repeated crises at True Martial Mountain? Or perhaps he isn’t from the True Martial Sect at all?"
The woman was filled with various speculations.
Then she heard the young Taoist speak slowly:
"Who are you?"
Her body instinctively trembled, suddenly finding herself able to speak, but only barely, as threads of Gang Qi flowed, constantly monitoring her actions.
She snorted coldly, turning her head away.
While cursing Zhao Dong, she was already considering how to end her own life.
As for escaping?
She had abandoned this thought.
"Fine." Ning Qi smiled faintly, "It just so happens I know a bit about interrogation techniques, you can try them."
The woman’s pupils shrank rapidly, heart trembling.
Though she was a well-trained death warrior, the person before her was just too mysterious and frightening.
Ning Qi grasped her neck, walking forward, and suddenly, his eyes locked with hers, his voice carrying a peculiar bewitchment:
"Look into my eyes."
Caught off guard, the woman’s eyes instinctively met Ning Qi’s gaze, her heart already sensing danger, but it was too late. She seemed to be staring at a deep, bottomless pool, or perhaps a dark and boundless abyss, unable to resist, sinking into confusion, her focus lost.
Ning Qi’s lips curved slightly.
This was a pupil technique he created during leisure, with a hypnotic effect.
"What’s your name?" Ning Qi’s voice maintained a special allure.
"Shen Yubing." The woman instinctively replied.
Continuous tests showed no anomalies.
Ning Qi went straight to the point.
"Why did you infiltrate the True Martial Sect late at night?"
"Came for the Innate Sword Bone."
Ning Qi’s spirit shook, it turned out to be a big serpent.
"Why do you need the Innate Sword Bone?"
"The Innate Sword Bone is a major ingredient to refine Blood King Gu."
"What is Blood King Gu?"
"Don’t... know."
The woman’s brow furrowed tightly, as if struggling to recall. Ning Qi quickly changed the question; the pupil technique wasn’t omnipotent, questions concerning memories too deep or potentially life-threatening could shock the spirit, causing awakening, and a shock might leave the person a mindless idiot.
"Was the Divine Sword Sect destroyed by you?"
"Yes."
"What’s the name of your organization?"
"Nameless."
"What’s your relationship with Blood Rain Tower?" Ning Qi asked this crucial question.
"From the same place."
"Where are you from?" Ning Qi locked eyes firmly.
The woman’s brow furrowed, the question seemed to touch an exceptionally sensitive and profound part of her heart.
"Some... Southern Border."
"Where in the Southern Border?"
Ning Qi pursued the question.
But the woman showed signs of breaking away from the pupil technique, with no answer forthcoming, she began to struggle, the question triggering her fear.
Ning Qi focused his mind, instantly entering the Realm of Celestial Being Unity.
He aimed to fortify his pupil technique with the Power of Heaven and Earth, but this approach was too brutal, fearing the woman might soon face mental collapse and death. This was why Ning Qi initially refrained from directly using Power of Heaven and Earth to enhance.
Yet as the Power of Heaven and Earth just started to ripple beside him.
The woman’s body suddenly trembled, waking her up. She looked at Ning Qi in horror, only to realize that she had said so much just now. This person before her was practically like a demon!
She sensed the Heaven-Sensing Gu at her heart shatter, feeling both bitter and relieved.
The poison erupted from her heart, instantly sweeping through her entire body.
Ning Qi sensed the faint vibrations coming from this woman’s heart, and his face changed. He extended his Gang Qi, but it was too late.
The woman only had time to look at Ning Qi with hatred in her eyes before she died.
Ning Qi silently looked at the woman’s corpse, taking a deep breath after a moment.
"These people from the Southern Border... their methods are truly strange."
When he had caught this woman earlier, Ning Qi had already probed her entire body with Gang Qi and confirmed nothing unusual. He had never expected her to still manage to take her own life.
"Is this some sort of special Gu insect? It melds with the heart without the slightest trace, even Gang Qi can’t detect it, and once it senses the fluctuations of the Power of Heaven and Earth, it shatters and releases poison instantly?"
Ning Qi pondered for a moment, nearly pinpointing the woman’s method of taking her own life.
"This person was probably just a pawn, already prepared to encounter a Celestial Human Realm expert when she climbed the mountain. If one such expert appeared, she would kill herself, leaving no trace. If no such expert intervened, she would successfully take the tenth junior brother, using the Innate Sword Bone as a medicinal guide while also intimidating the master, causing him to act with caution. A truly twofold gain."
There was no need to search to know that this woman must have nothing on her, no trace of identity to be found.
It must be said.
The mysterious force from the Southern Border, though somewhat reckless in their actions, were indeed in control. They simply could not have anticipated that there would be an anomaly like Ning Qi.
Yet even so, they still managed to catch Ning Qi off guard.
At this moment.
Ning Qi could only be grateful that he hadn’t immediately used the Power of Heaven and Earth, otherwise he wouldn’t even have these current bits of information.
Ning Qi took a deep breath, pondering the questions that the woman had responded to earlier.
"This unnamed organization and the Blood Rain Tower both hail from the Southern Border. The Southern Border has the Hundred Thousand Mountains, filled with countless powerful exotic beasts. According to fifth senior brother, there might even be a Beast Emperor that can rival a Martial Saint. Besides that, there are also some mysterious tribes."
"Those tribes have mysterious methods, dabbling in divination, Gu insects, and beast taming. Originally, these tribes were situated in the Southern Border, rarely contacting the outside world. Who would have thought they were secretly controlling some forces to commit such vile acts within the Great Yan region!"
Ning Qi’s gaze turned cold.
Perhaps it was because his parents discovered some trace back then that they were slaughtered and their clan exterminated.
"For the Blood King Gu? What is this Blood King Gu?"
Earlier, even the woman only knew the name of the Blood King Gu, unaware of its specific purpose. From this, it was clear that the so-called Blood King Gu was kept highly confidential.
Ning Qi speculated it might be some kind of object for ascension.
But that’s not important. What’s important is that he finally knew who was behind the Blood Rain Tower.
Knowing that both the Blood Rain Tower and the unnamed force that destroyed the Divine Sword Sect came from the Southern Border made things simpler. Moreover, their use of a Human Blood Pool to raise the Blood King Gu means they would undoubtedly commit abductions or trafficking in secret. Now that there’s a direction, it will be much easier to track down, and there will surely be clues.
"I must immediately send a message to Master, asking him to come back once."
Explaining in a letter could easily lead to leaks. If someone from the unnamed force intercepts, it would be a disaster. It wouldn’t take long for Taoist Longshan to return this way, which would be more secure.
...
Nameless town.
Secret chamber.
Several people in black gathered together, some meditating with eyes closed, some deep in thought, while others stared at a Gu insect on the table.
The Heaven-Sensing Gu Mother and Child Two Insects, this was the mother insect.
If the mission succeeded, the mother insect could lure out the child insect upon return, ensuring safety. If the mission failed, the child insect would shatter, and the mother insect would perish likewise.
And at the moment the seductive woman in the body of the Heaven-Sensing Gu shattered.
The mother insect let out a mournful cry, its mystical connection severed, and its vitality immediately extinguished.
When everyone sensed these waves, they immediately looked over, surprise flickering across their faces, followed by silence.
"It seems that True Man Tianjian was the one who acted, Lady Yu is dead," someone sighed softly.
This mission was a gamble, betting that True Man Tianjian was not at True Martial Mountain or wouldn’t intervene over such a minor matter.
But now it seems, they lost the gamble.
Though the cost was tolerable, losing a Lady Yu wouldn’t leak any important information anyway.
The leader, Zhao Dong, took a deep breath and said:
"Since things are this way, let’s cancel the operation targeting the Innate Sword Bone. I’ll explain the situation above, and we can discuss it later if there’s a chance. For now, lie low until this blows over. Lady Yu dying at True Martial Mountain is not without its benefits."
"At least it’s a warning to True Man Longshan."
This was their only mental solace.
A Primordial Core Realm powerhouse sent out like this is sure to make True Man Longshan reconsider the pros and cons of further investigation.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
No one felt regret or sorrow for Lady Yu’s death; they were simply relieved. Thankfully, it wasn’t they who had gone on this mission this time. Though they weren’t afraid of dying, they still wished to live a little longer.
Someone else then asked:
"What about the orders from above?"
Zhao Dong’s eyes flickered slightly:
"I’ll go ask for instructions. If it’s truly unfeasible, then decentralize, even if it means being a little more troublesome but not overly conspicuous. Let Blood Rain Tower take on a bit more burden. If not for their unwillingness to join the Divine Sword Sect operation, how would we end up with so much trouble?"
He snorted coldly, speaking with a tone of dissatisfaction towards Blood Rain Tower.
If there had been a few more Primordial Core Realm experts, even if the Divine Sword Old Man exploded with Secret Techniques, he wouldn’t have had a chance to escape, thus avoiding the current problems.
Everyone merely nodded.
Then they left.
In an instant, the once occupied secret chamber was now empty.