Chapter 95

"Gu Xiaosang..." Qi Zhengyan and Zhang Yuanshan also blurted out simultaneously.

This bizarre state of death, and the power to easily kill Xia Chulin, made Meng Qi and others feel as if they were reliving yesterday, immediately thinking of the Holy Maiden of the Luo Sect, Gu Xiaosang.

The Unborn Finger is a secret technique recorded in the *Scripture of the Descent of the Unborn Mother*, containing the highest mystery of returning to the Vacuum Home and embracing the Unborn Mother. Only the sect leader, the Holy Maiden, and a few high-ranking protectors who have made great contributions can cultivate it. Therefore, Meng Qi, Jiang Zhwei, and others were quite certain that Gu Xiaosang was here—those few high-ranking protectors were at least top-notch experts, reaching the Outer Scenery Realm, so even if they were reincarnated, they would not appear in this camp confrontation mission. Otherwise, they would directly come and massacre the entire manor, why go through such trouble?

As for the leader of the Luo Sect, it was even more impossible. He had attained the "Vacuum Dharma Body," ranking sixth on the Heavenly List, and it was estimated that destroying this world would be no problem for him.

Hearing the few people exclaim "Unborn Finger" and "Gu Xiaosang," Luo Shengyi, who had always been calm, changed his expression and whispered, "Is it Gu Xiaosang, the reincarnation of the Unborn Mother, ranked fourth on the Human List?"

"Yes, it's her." Meng Qi answered without hiding, as Luo Shengyi was at least a teammate in the same camp, and with seven orifices opened, he was powerful. If he were to be ambushed and killed by Gu Xiaosang unprepared, it would not just be a deduction of 200 merit points; the team's strength would decrease by at least 40%, making victory almost impossible.

Luo Shengyi reined in his shock and nodded lightly, "The Unborn Finger indeed lives up to its name..."

After sighing, he looked at Xia Dandan, whose face was filled with grief and shock, "Thirty million merit points, the 'Great Luo Golden Talisman,' can revive Chulin once, there is still hope."

Thirty million merit points... Meng Qi's tongue almost fell out. This was exactly the amount needed to leave the reincarnation world. In other words, only by giving up the hope of leaving the nightmare reincarnation could one save a life, a truly difficult decision.

But at least there was a glimmer of hope; sometimes, people need a bit of hope to live on.

Xia Dandan smiled bitterly, "Big brother, thirty million merit points are like a mirage of the Buddhist Paradise, unreachable. I don't indulge in such hopes; I only wish to kill Gu Xiaosang and avenge Chulin."

Luo Shengyi said sincerely and with great spirit, "If she doesn't die by someone else's hand, I, Luo Shengyi, will definitely kill her to avenge Chulin."

Meng Qi sneered, Gu Xiaosang was cunning and vicious, with high martial arts and abundant resources. It wasn't easy to kill her unless she suddenly "fell ill" and became Xiao Zi.

At this moment, the servants and guards of Fengyun Manor carefully examined the bodies, their faces pale, shuddering at the bizarre state of death.

Some of them went to report to the manor lord, while the rest turned to look at Meng Qi and the others.

One of the mature and steady men asked, "Honored guests, from your discussion just now, it seems you know who the murderer is?"

Luo Shengyi usually acted as the leader, but he didn't know the details about Gu Xiaosang, so he turned to look at Meng Qi.

Meng Qi pondered for a moment and said, "Amitabha, the murderer is indeed an acquaintance of us. She is a new rising star of the demonic sect, with vicious moves and a cruel personality, her strength is just a notch below the sect leader."

He wasn't sure about the strength level in this world, so he made it up, anyway, it was better to exaggerate Gu Xiaosang's strength.

"Only a notch below Hu the Great Demon? Isn't that the peak of the 'Penetrating the Mysterious' realm, close to the 'Entering the Divine' realm?" The man was shocked, disbelieving. The sect leader and the manor lord were always mentioned together, being the pillars of the orthodox and demonic paths, with strength surpassing others. Only a notch below him, that would be the level of the Wanjian Sect's leader, the Zhaixing Tower's Grand Elder, and the Xiaoyue Sect's Guardian Elder.

But only such a high-level expert could silently assassinate a newly entered 'Penetrating the Mysterious' realm expert within the manor.

"Amitabha, a monk does not lie." Meng Qi had an honest face.

The steward was both surprised and shocked, "When did the demonic sect produce such a new rising star? Little Master, what is her name, what does she look like, please describe her in detail so I can instruct the disciples to search."

"She is called Gu Xiaosang, perhaps she calls herself Xiao Zi. She is a girl around eighteen or nineteen years old, with exquisite features, a beautiful and refined appearance, and a graceful and ethereal demeanor..." Meng Qi roughly described the Gu Xiaosang he remembered.

The steward nodded lightly and instructed the guards on both sides, "Such a woman will definitely stand out. You let the disciples search carefully, but do not act rashly. Once discovered, shout loudly and retreat quickly."

After saying that, he looked at Meng Qi and the others, "Honored guests, please stay in the flower hall, do not go out, and wait for the manor lord's summons."

With such an incident, the previous summons by the manor lord could only be canceled, waiting for his current decision. Moreover, the group of power members, including monks, Taoists, and laymen, had unclear origins and were somewhat suspicious, so they could not be allowed to wander around freely.

"Guests follow the host's convenience." Luo Shengyi smiled in response.

Xia Dandan pursed her lips and said, "Can I carry Chulin's body back to the flower hall? If you need to examine the body and identify the martial arts, please come to the flower hall."

Seeing another body, the steward let Xia Dandan enter the room.

"Wait a moment." Fu Zhenzhen suddenly spoke.

She was sweet and generous in front of familiar people but was usually shy, so she rarely spoke. Her sudden stop made everyone pause and look at her in surprise.

Fu Zhenzhen's face was slightly red, staring at her toes, "There are poisons specifically placed on the body and clothes to target those who closely touch the body."

Hearing this, Xia Dandan took a step back, away from her brother.

"Chulin's death made me lose control of my emotions and forget such a simple trap." Luo Shengyi sighed, waved his sleeve, and a breeze blew, making Xia Chulin's clothes puff up. At the same time, Jiang Zhwei and others who had opened their eye orifices focused their gaze and saw a faint light blue color on the clothes.

The steward was terrified, grateful that he hadn't moved the body rashly, only checking the state of death and the surrounding environment, otherwise, he would have already met the King of Hell.

"Zhenzhen, can you remove these poisons?" Zhang Yuanshan indicated for Fu Zhenzhen to handle the body.

Fu Zhenzhen slightly raised her head, "I recognize this poison; as long as you don't directly touch the skin, it's fine."

"Gu Xiaosang is actually good at using poisons?" Meng Qi whispered to Jiang Zhwei.

Jiang Zhwei, who had always been on guard, shook her head, "Or perhaps she has a teammate skilled in poisons."

After that, Xia Dandan, with a face as dark as water, tore off a piece of her clothes, wrapped her hands, and carried Xia Chulin back to the flower hall, planning to find a place to bury him after leaving Fengyun Manor.

...

After an hour, Meng Qi and the others finally met the manor lord of Fengyun Manor, Gu Kongshan. He was a man in his fifties, with black hair, a straight back, a robust build, and a naturally imposing presence. He was accompanied by three men and two women, both old and young, either elders or his most talented disciples.

"Where do you come from, fellow practitioners?" Gu Kongshan asked straightforwardly.

Luo Shengyi had already learned from Xia Chulin about the general distribution of forces and the geographical location here, so he casually made up a remote state.

Gu Kongshan nodded without comment, his face heavy, "We haven't found Gu Xiaosang; she must have left the manor in the chaos. You must be careful and do not leave the courtyard you are staying in."

He didn't say much more, didn't ask about Meng Qi and the others' strength levels, and after a few polite words, dismissed them.

"Gu Kongshan seems to suspect us a bit." After returning to the assigned courtyard, Zhang Yuanshan pondered.

Luo Shengyi smiled faintly, "With unclear origins and such an incident, I would also be suspicious. But suspicion is one thing; he will definitely take us along. Our combined strength is very powerful. If we are fellow practitioners, we can explore and take risks, becoming their scapegoats. If we are demonic sect spies, he will use our plans to weaken the demonic sect. Spies are not scary; what's scary is unknown spies."

Jiang Zhwei and Qi Zhengyan didn't like the domineering Luo Shengyi much. After discussing for a while and confirming the strategy, they each returned to their rooms to meditate.

Meng Qi was eager to return and practice the fifth level of the Golden Bell Shield, so he didn't delay, only staying to chat a bit more with Zhang Yuanshan and Fu Zhenzhen.

After practicing for a while, Fu Zhenzhen and Zhang Yuanshan knocked on Meng Qi's door.

"Is there something?" Meng Qi looked at them in surprise.

Zhang Yuanshan smiled and pointed at Fu Zhenzhen, "Zhenzhen has prepared some medicinal powder that can repel venomous insects, so she came to sprinkle it for you."

"Is there such a good thing?" Meng Qi said with delight.

Fu Zhenzhen, who was relatively familiar with Meng Qi, covered her mouth and laughed, "I'm worried that enemies might drive venomous insects into the room at night to attack, so I used realgar, fivefold seeds, and other drugs to make a powder that can keep most venomous insects away."

Actually, it's just a bug repellent, Meng Qi thought with a smile, watching Fu Zhenzhen sprinkle the powder around the door and windows, feeling especially grateful to have a medical expert or poison master in the team.

...

Deep into the night, Meng Qi sat on the bed, his skin glowing with a dark gold, like a bronze statue.

Knock, knock, knock, a light knocking sound came, startling Meng Qi.

"Who is it?" Meng Qi reined in his circulating internal energy and asked guardedly. If it was Gu Xiaosang outside, he would have to shamelessly shout for help.

"It's me." Jiang Zhwei's voice sounded from outside the door, adding, "To teach you the Yama Scroll."

Hearing "Yama Scroll," Meng Qi immediately relaxed, knowing it wasn't someone pretending to be Jiang Zhwei, so he opened the door and let her in.

Jiang Zhwei had changed into a different dress, the same light yellow as when Meng Qi first met her. Her hair was slightly damp, hanging over her shoulders, giving her a casual and relaxed yet slightly lazy appearance, presenting a unique aura.

Seeing Meng Qi somewhat dazed, she smiled openly, "I only remembered to teach you the 'Yama Scroll' after bathing, so I came to disturb you. Little monk, are you not welcome?"

As she spoke, she threw a long sword to Meng Qi, which must have been borrowed from the manor.

"Welcome, of course, welcome, it's a great honor." Meng Qi caught the sword and immediately focused on the sword technique.

Jiang Zhwei was also not polite, sitting at the table and talking freely, occasionally demonstrating. She had outstanding talent in swordsmanship, was dedicated, and put in hard work, not only knowing how to use the sword but also why to use it. Therefore, her teaching was clear and to the point, making Meng Qi quickly enter the state.

Meng Qi, skilled in saber techniques, occasionally asked questions from the perspective of saber techniques, which also helped Jiang Zhwei understand by analogy, gaining much.

The two, one teaching with heart and the other learning with focus, lost track of time, and the sound of the third watch of the night rang outside.

"Let's stop here for tonight; we need to stay alert for any sudden attacks." Jiang Zhwei covered her mouth and yawned slightly.

Meng Qi nodded, thinking of something, "Zhwei, have you opened your nose orifice?"

Jiang Zhwei smiled, "In the Sword Washing Pavilion, the advancement of sword techniques inevitably comes with the improvement of cultivation. I could create the 'Yama Scroll,' so I must have already opened my nose orifice."

Before she finished speaking, she raised her finger to her lips, signaling Meng Qi to be quiet, and at the same time, waved her left palm to extinguish the candle.

Meng Qi didn't speak, waiting quietly. After a while, a rustling sound came from outside the door.

PS: At 3:30 AM tonight, this book will be published. Please support it, and I also request recommendations.