Chapter 64

(PS: Recently, many readers have been complaining about the slow updates. This... cough, cough, is for the quality, I'm just a bit slower... However, I have completed works like "The Return of the Ghost and God" that you can check out... Also, the upcoming chapters will formally involve the realm of Tantric practices, stay tuned.)

In the cave, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, making one drowsy. Ding Qi's shout was like a bolt of lightning, instantly waking everyone up. All the disciples turned to look at him, their faces showing confusion, doubt, shock, and bewilderment. Some were stretching their arms and waists, whispering to each other, and reaching out to warm themselves by the fire, creating a scene of chaos and noise.

Zunxianbao seemed oblivious, only scanning each person's face, paying attention to the three flames of mystic light. This meticulous inspection was naturally slow, but it was also stable. Ding Qi understood his intention and, seeing the disciples start to move, immediately shouted:

"Don't move!"

Miaofeng, who had been guarding Baihe, suddenly felt very uncomfortable when Zunxianbao turned to check on everyone, and Ding Qi was standing there. He asked loudly, "Ding Qi, Zunxianbao! What do you mean? Do you suspect us?"

He didn't understand that Zunxianbao was looking for signs of soul separation, thinking they were searching for traitors among the disciples due to Huang Datong's incident.

As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples erupted in a frenzy, their faces agitated, and they began to argue and shout. A few of the more temperamental miscellaneous disciples stood up, not daring to scold Ding Qi but targeting Zunxianbao:

"What are you, anyway..."

"How dare you..."

"Come on! Explain yourself..."

Ding Qi, being a middle-of-the-road disciple, didn't dare to defy the norms and quickly raised his hands, shouting, "Don't panic, don't be disorderly, please listen to me..." "What are you going to explain?" Miaofeng fanned the flames, "Who here hasn't been on the mountain for years? You actually suspect us?" He stood up abruptly, pointing at Zunxianbao and shouting, "Explain yourself!"

Seeing this, the other disciples also stood up, surging forward, and the shouting didn't stop.

Zunxianbao had no time for such trivial matters. He was anxious but could only continue his inspection amidst the chaos. Ding Qi, in a panic, shouted, "No... I'm not suspecting you... Ah! Senior Brother Zhao, you explain... Senior Brother! Senior Brother Zhao!"

Zhao Feng, known for his prudence and high prestige among the disciples, was the only one Ding Qi could turn to. Zhao Feng, standing at the cave entrance, had intended to listen to the reason before speaking, but seeing the chaos, he stepped forward and shouted, "Quiet! No disorder! Let's talk this out..."

"Don't come over!" Zunxianbao suddenly shouted, "Be careful..."

Before he finished speaking, a figure darted from behind Zhao Feng, rushing toward the cave entrance! The speed and suddenness of the movement were astonishing!

At the same time, the figure threw a paper package toward the cave ceiling!

What was in the package? Why did he throw it?

The sudden shout stunned everyone. By the time they recovered, the paper package had been thrown, and the figure had escaped. They immediately thought of Baihe's poisoning and were thrown into a panic. The first to realize what was happening was Miaofeng, who grabbed Miaoshuang's hand and rushed out—this movement triggered a chain reaction, and everyone surged toward the exit!

It was a chaotic scene, with people fleeing in all directions, trampling and pushing each other, using their hands and feet to crawl and push forward, a scene worse than a market brawl.

"Better one dies than all!" someone shouted!

"Be careful, Uncle!" Zhao Feng shouted as the crowd began to panic, diving onto Baihe to protect him. As he landed, someone stepped on his face. Looking back, he saw a terrified face crawling away, only to be kicked down again...

His face was now scratched.

"Be careful!" someone panted, rushing over to protect Baihe's feet, shouting, "Senior Brother... it's no good... protect Uncle... we'll die together..." It was Ding Qi!

Everyone was rushing out, but he was the only one who came back to protect his uncle!

Zhao Feng, relieved, said, "Good—uh..." but was knocked down by someone from behind.

Crash! A row of wooden racks fell onto the fire, sending sparks and embers flying in all directions.

Thud! Someone fell heavily to the ground!

Ding Qi and Zhao Feng struggled to lift their heads, seeing Zunxianbao in front of them. He was hugging his chest, pressing his clothes tightly, his face and body covered in dust and spider webs. He looked at the two of them, then pushed himself up with his feet, struggling to stand—his hands remained firmly on his chest!

Everyone else had squeezed out of the cave, even the injured were struggling to crawl out, ignoring Baihe's fate.

They never expected Zunxianbao to stay behind!

Just as they were about to call him for help, something unexpected happened—

Zunxianbao glanced back and then followed the crowd out of the cave!

"You...!" Ding Qi shouted to stop him, but didn't know what to say, only angrily, "Human hearts are unpredictable, even he left..."

"He?... No! No!" Zhao Feng suddenly shouted, surprised, "The poison... the poison..."

There was no toxic smoke in the cave, and the paper package thrown up didn't fall?

They realized that Zunxianbao must have leaped up at the critical moment, using his clothes to wrap the poison, thus... No wonder someone shouted, "Better one dies than all," it must have been him!

※

Zunxianbao rushed out of the cave, seeing the disciples scattered like birds and beasts. He walked to the side and opened his clothes—immediately, the mountain wind blew the poison away, dispersing it into the night sky.

He dusted himself off and returned to the cave.

As soon as he entered, he saw a pair of extremely bright eyes, clear and transparent, belonging to the now awake Baihe. Zunxianbao, delighted, said, "Uncle, you're awake! Feeling better?"

"No problem!" Baihe coughed, "They were just talking about you, how you bravely held the poison... Have you dealt with it? Are you feeling any discomfort?"

Zunxianbao shook his head, "I don't feel anything, it might be related to me—when I entered the hall to get the ancestral tablet, I got some on me, but it wasn't a big deal!"

"Cough, cough, we were wrong to doubt you," Ding Qi, helping Baihe sit up, said with a guilty expression, "We thought you were like the others..." "How could that be?" Zhao Feng, extinguishing the scattered embers, said, "Those are just outer disciples, not part of our Wulun Sect. Zunxianbao is different, he's a disciple of the fifth uncle, one of us... uh, except for Miaofeng, who is despicable!"

Hearing this, Ding Qi also said angrily, "Right! That guy ran—humph! I wonder how he'll have the face to come back!"

Zunxianbao shook his head, "He probably won't come back. When I was outside, I saw many disciples looking around the mountain, they might return, but Miaofeng and the others were nowhere to be seen. I noticed movement in the hall, they might be preparing to escape."

"Escape? Can they escape?" Zhao Feng interjected, "Does he think he can escape and be safe? Will the enemy let him go?"

"Not necessarily," Baihe slowly unbuttoned his clothes and took out the ancestral tablet, "When I threw the enemy's flag, I saw the words on it: 'Wulun disciples, root out completely, leave the sect, spare their lives!' What arrogance, what arrogance!"

Though his tone was calm, the suppressed heroism was gradually revealed.

"Perhaps Miaofeng saw these words and decided to escape?" Ding Qi, no longer calling him senior brother, said angrily, "What a despicable man! He was so ambitious, wanting to be the top disciple, but now he's so weak..."

"Not exactly!" Zunxianbao suddenly said, "He thought we were dead!" In a few short sentences, he guessed Miaofeng's thoughts.

Baihe's eyes flickered, and he thought, "Bao'er is right! Miaofeng must have thought we all died from the poison, or if not, we wouldn't escape the enemy's hands, so he decided to go down the mountain alone to seek help from his master and senior brothers. When he returns, he can make up an excuse and be the third-generation top disciple of our Wulun Sect again."

"What about him..." Zhao Feng was about to ask, but Baihe waved his hand, "Forget it, we don't need to worry about his trivial matters. Let's focus on the present! Do you have any suggestions?"

Before Ding Qi and Zhao Feng could speak, Zunxianbao, recalling the escape from the ghost market, immediately said, "Uncle, time is pressing, I'll speak out of turn, but why don't we gather the disciples who haven't fled and leave the mountain to avoid the danger?"

"Leave the mountain?" Ding Qi and Zhao Feng exclaimed in unison! They never expected Zunxianbao to suggest such a bold move, and were about to protest, but saw Baihe smile—

"Right, when I woke up, I understood. The enemy is skilled and well-prepared, and we are at a disadvantage. Since the enemy is strong, a true man can bend and stretch, let's temporarily avoid them."

Ding Qi, anxious, said, "Uncle, the enemy is hiding, maybe they're afraid of our Wulun Sect's techniques, so they only dare to attack by surprise? If... if..."

He hesitated, looking at Zunxianbao, "You're scared! We don't have to admit defeat!"

Baihe laughed, "You mean if I were well, I could resist, right? To be honest, the enemy's method is to break my techniques, leaving me powerless to counter... This poison is strong, not only can I not use my techniques, but my body is weaker than a common man. How can I resist? Sigh... They have succeeded in their plan, thinking we wouldn't abandon this mountain, but we will do the opposite and leave!"

Ding Qi and Zhao Feng, seeing Baihe's fatigue and trembling, knew he was telling the truth and didn't argue. They accepted the order to gather the scattered disciples.

"Remember, go together and return together, never be alone!" Baihe reminded them.

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