Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 93: Kill Formation

Inside the Grand Pavilion, the firelight flickered, while outside, the cold wind blew in dust. The mist in the Zongwu Mountains refused to disperse. The brightly lit Grand Pavilion was squeezed into the valley, as if it were a mirage floating from somewhere. The stench of corpses and the fragrance of wine from inside the building were dispersed by the wind, which made Su Si’s tense heart finally relaxed a bit.

Shi Jingzhi, the fake elder, was eye catching, so fortunately, no one paid attention to the servants. He and Yan Qing could still have the chance to go out for some fresh air. However, apart from taking a breath of fresh air, they had more important things to do—Shen Zhu was outside the Grand Pavilion investigating the surrounding area, and they needed to exchange information with her to avoid exposing their plans and ending up with no escape route.

According to the agreement, Shen Zhu should be waiting near the entrance of the valley after completing her investigation. However, after passing the red lantern at the entrance, there was no sign or signal nearby, not even a single sparrow feather.

With no other choice, the two had to wait where they were.

Su Si leaned against the stone wall and looked at the desolate Zongwu Mountain, exhaling a breath heavily. “They say that the Chigou Sect is the number one demonic sect, and the Ling Sect is the second. The two are like water and fire. But just now, I felt that the Chigou Sect seemed a bit innocent.”

The Ling Sect was lax and only consumed Yan Budu’s fortune. Their strength was vast, and their ambition couldn’t be exhausted in a short time. The Chigou Sect, on the other hand, lost its persistence, but it strictly governed the sect and ambitiously sought to rise. The two could be considered evenly matched in the martial world, but the Ling Sect took the principle of “having no shame” to the extreme, unlike the Chigou Sect, which managed to maintain a reputation in both righteous and evil.

Su Si had only regarded Matron Wuxue as badmouthing their opponents, but now he thought back to her words and found that she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Yan Qing absentmindedly made a sound, seeming a bit distracted.

“What are you thinking, San Zi? Feeling overwhelmed suddenly from meeting your relative?”

That Yan Zheng also had a pair of ghost eyes and didn’t look too old—perhaps only a year or two older than them. It wasn’t strange that Yan Qing was momentarily dazed; apart from his biological father, he had never seen any other “relatives” before.

Little did he know that when Yan Qing spoke again, the topic would jump to something tens of thousands of li away. “Don’t you think he looks a bit like Senior Yin?”

“Huh?”

“His gaze.” Yan Qing was used to his ghost eyes and was uninterested in other people’s expressions. He was more concerned about what was behind their eyes. “When I first met Senior Yin, he also gave me that feeling—I can’t describe it, but he seemed indifferent to everything, as if he had no interest in anything.”

Su Si thought about it for a while and found it to be true. The danger level of the Kushan Sect and the Ling Sect was equally high, but Sect Master Shi didn’t miss any of the seven emotions and six desires. He could still see through people’s intentions. Yin Ci seemed more like a pool of ink, and nobody knew what was hidden underneath. If he had to say what he feared the most, Su Si was even more afraid of Yin Ci.

However, recently, their Senior Yin seemed to have experienced some kind of stimulation and had lost that gloom, gaining a bit of liveliness. When Yan Qing mentioned it specifically, Su Si could finally match the memory.

…But this Yan Zheng, was he really indifferent?

During his time in the Chigou Sect, Su Si had learned a bit about Yan Zheng—Yan Zheng’s parents were killed by Taiheng, and when he was around fourteen or fifteen, he was brought back to the Ling Sect by Chai Xin. He had above-average talent but rarely appeared in front of others, always obediently manipulated by Chai Xin.

But Yan Zheng was willing to be the Patriarch, which definitely meant he had his own purpose. After all, the strength of a demonic sect was paramount, and being a puppet Patriarch wasn’t an easy role. Chai Xin wouldn’t force him into that position. If Yan Zheng really had no ambitions, he could have casually taken up the position of an elder, enjoying life without causing any trouble.

The current situation, no matter how he looked at it, seemed to be collusion between two parties, right?

Su Si had no favorable impression of the Ling Sect, and he wouldn’t mince his words. “Indifferent to everything, but he still caused trouble for us earlier? Now, they’ve called back members from all over, and it’s obvious that they are still up to their thieving ways and can’t wait any longer.”

Yan Qing, with a good temper, said, “Hmm, maybe I misjudged him. I just…”

He suddenly stopped, holding up the Sword of Compassion wrapped in cloth. Su Si immediately guarded Yan Qing’s back, and the butcher knife glinted with a cold light in the night.

There was hostility.

The hostility flashed past, thin as a strand of hair, but it was enough to make the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end.

The hostility undoubtedly targeted them, and although it lacked murderous intent, its imposing presence was enough to be shocking. If it were the Ling Sect’s demonic cultivators who had discovered their identity, they wouldn’t have played such a roundabout game. The problem was that apart from major sects like the Ling Sect, Taiheng, and the Chigou Sect, there were also quite a few smaller sects and lone cultivators trying their luck in the vicinity. They were newcomers here and didn’t know which powerful figure they might have disturbed.

Did the other side mistake them for Ling Sect’s lackeys, or did they find out that they were from the Kushan Sect?

Su Si was experienced in escape. When he didn’t see anyone, he grabbed Yan Qing. “Things are not good. Let’s head back to the Grand Pavilion first.”

As he was about to take a step, an arrow shot towards them with a piercing sound. This time, the hostility was filled with murderous intent, like a warning—if they dared to go back, they would be immediately pinned to the stone steps.

At the same time, a strong hostility emerged near the Grand Pavilion, presenting a perfect encirclement. Now they were completely trapped, unable to advance or retreat. Su Si hadn’t fully recovered from his surprise when he saw a figure stumbling towards them—

It was Shen Zhu.

Shen Zhu’s face looked grim, with an arrow stuck in her shoulder. She gasped for breath as she grabbed Yan Qing and quickly hid behind him, as if she had found a lifesaving straw. “Good Brother, help Sister block them!”

Before Yan Qing could react, Su Si twisted his waist, using the butcher knife to slice through another arrow that was shot towards them.

The disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion were adept at investigating and exploring, and their qinggong was passable. Based on Shen Zhu’s reaction, it was difficult to judge the opponent’s level. Who knew what Shen Zhu had encountered outside while scouting, which made her this anxious.

However, considering the current situation, the opponent seemed more intent on preventing them from escaping back to the Ling Sect than outright killing them. And they happened not to be members of the Ling Sect, which meant there might still be room for negotiation. The three of them exchanged glances and, together, activated their qinggong, rushing into a secluded corner shrouded in thick fog.

Once they were far away from the grand pavilion, Shen Zhu pulled out the arrow with a grimace. “I say, this warrior, since I saw you just now, why not reveal yourself openly?”

The moonlight illuminated the light mist, and the valley was silent.

Shen Zhu’s face was pale as paper, but there was no trace of weakness in her demeanor. She finally managed to steady her breathing and raised her voice. “We’ve had a few exchanges just now, can’t you see? If we were members of the Ling Sect, we would have rushed back to the Grand Pavilion without hesitation.”

“Yeah, if you were from the Ling Sect, you would have been shot dead by me at the entrance just now.”

A deep voice converged into a line and was transmitted to them.

“That footwork just now… disciples from the Yueshui Pavilion? You better mind your own business. Stay with me for an hour or two, and I won’t hurt you.”

Su Si snorted and immediately changed his voice to that of a young girl, saying crisply, “It’s bad enough to bully a defenseless girl. And now you want me to accompany you for an hour or two at this late hour? Shameless!”

With this sudden change, the person opposite was caught off guard and released a breath. Su Si seized this momentary pause and swiftly closed the distance, rushing towards the source of the breath. He struck without mercy. The butcher knife’s cold light flashed as he aimed for the person’s throat, but the attack was halted by two fingers in mid-air.

The person easily intercepted the strike with just their strength.

The person wore a mask, carried a longbow on their back, and had dirty animal skin finger guards on their hands. Seeing that his attack failed, Su Si tried to retreat, only to find that the butcher knife was firmly clamped by the person’s fingers. Su Si had never suffered such a setback. He immediately changed his tactics, using his fingers to aim for the eye holes of the person’s mask—

But he hit empty space.

The person exclaimed and took half a step back, easily avoiding Su Si’s attack. “Not bad, kid. Quite sneaky. You were the one pretending to be a woman just now, weren’t you? No wonder a little girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere.”

There was no tension in the person’s words, but instead a hint of admiration. Su Si had thought that being in close combat would give him an advantage, but unexpectedly, he hadn’t even touched the person. Despite not being young anymore and having a significant wound on their waist, the person still wielded their bow like a sword, putting up a good fight without revealing any weakness.

“Your approach doesn’t seem like that of the Yueshui Pavilion. Let me think… Could you be from the Chigou’s Red Scorpion Foot?”

The masked person saw through Su Si’s background with just a few words, his voice carrying a deeper sense of amusement.

With Shen Zhu’s safety confirmed, Yan Qing joined the battle with his sword. Several moves of the Jade Chime swordsmanship were executed, and the masked person seemed pleasantly surprised. The butcher knife and the swings of the sword were powerful, yet the masked person was able to hold his ground against the two of them without showing any weakness.

This battle felt like a quagmire; the more they fought, the deeper they seemed to sink. The masked person probably used only about twenty to thirty percent of his strength initially, seemingly probing for their abilities. Several incense sticks had passed, and far from showing fatigue, the masked person became even more stable, instilling fear in the hearts of the two.

However, they still didn’t know his intentions.

Faced with this unexpectedly powerful opponent, Su Si couldn’t help but feel anxious. “Shen Zhu, who is this person?”

Shen Zhu clicked her tongue. “This person is using the Fog Tomb Formation to hide and is preparing a large-scale formation nearby. I sensed some subtle fluctuations in qi and followed them, coincidentally discovering him drawing the formation… It’s my fault; I wasn’t swift enough in retreating, and he noticed us.”

Su Si smiled wryly. Although Shen Zhu blamed herself, they both knew that this person’s strength was beyond measure. Even if it were Su Si, trained as an assassin, he might not be able to escape unscathed. Shen Zhu was originally here to scout the surroundings and happened to run into him.

To avoid any accidents, she even brought along Lord Bai, but who knew if the goose was lazing around somewhere.

Creating and activating a large-scale formation wasn’t a simple task, and it took time. The masked person was probably worried about Shen Zhu leaking information, so he chased her here, taking the opportunity to deal with the three of them as well.

Yan Qing closed his eyes, gradually calming himself down. He used his large sword to block the masked person’s longbow and said straightforwardly, “Senior, your gentle approach doesn’t seem like that of someone from a demonic sect. We can swear here that we won’t reveal your secret.”

“Young man, you’re not bad, but unfortunately, I’m not from any reputable sect, so I don’t believe in oaths.” The masked person sighed. “But if I swear not to kill you, will you come with me?”

He asked but didn’t intend to wait for an answer.

A wave of imposing momentum surged, not expanding but echoing in the confined space. This time, the masked person didn’t hold back; Su Si immediately spat out blood and was pushed back several steps. Yan Qing’s large sword hummed and vibrated, making his hands numb. He wanted to counterattack, but Shen Zhu held his sleeve.

She let out a light hum with a calm expression. “Alright, we are no match for this person. Engaging in a direct fight might alarm the Ling Sect. It’s better to follow him for now. He hasn’t harmed me so far, and his words might carry some weight. Since we’ve encountered him, let’s treat it as fate.”

Su Si: “…It’s all because you lured him here!”

Shen Zhu smiled openly. “What comes around goes around. As long as we survive, we won’t worry about not having a chance.”

With half a warning in her words, Yan Qing sighed and quietly released his grip on the Sword of Compassion, hiding it in an inconspicuous crack between the stones.

Not long after, the three members of the Kushan Sect were strung together and brought into the Fog Tomb Formation.

The location of the person’s formation wasn’t far away, amidst a rugged and strange rock formation, making it extremely difficult to find. The masked person sealed the three of their acupoints and firmly tied them to the side of a giant stalagmite. He then used blood and ink to meticulously draw runes, fully focused on the task.

Su Si was bored to the extreme, so he lowered his voice and asked, “What about my goose?”

Shen Zhu moved her injured shoulder and replied, “I let it go in time; it’s fine.”

Although the three of them could speak, the masked person wasn’t far away, so they couldn’t have a proper conversation. They could only watch the complex formation emit flickering, dim light with anticipation.

Fearing they might escape, the masked person refused to even tie them far from the mist’s edge. He specifically took out a Fog-Evading Pill and fed them some crushed powder to prevent them from being affected by the Fog Tomb Formation.

The Fog-Evading Pills that the Kushan master and disciple hadn’t acquired yet were now tasted by their subordinates.

Su Si suffered a small loss, but he wasn’t too anxious. The masked person didn’t seem to have any intention to kill them. If their lives were in danger during this trip, Lord Bai would surely come to find them. Although he didn’t know what the masked person was planning, the formation didn’t seem to target the Kushan Sect specifically. In any case, since they had nothing better to do, he couldn’t help but closely observe the situation.

The formation looked like it took at least seven days to be almost complete. Its power had begun to manifest; the green grass nearby withered and turned black with the slightest touch, crumbling into powder. There were numerous dead insects on the ground, lying on their backs with only empty shells left. The air inside the formation was thick with murderous intent, making it difficult to breathe.

Su Si felt that something was off and furrowed his brow slowly. “This is… a battle formation?”

At this time, most sects were resting in their own territories. The majority of the foreign sects were scattered, and there weren’t many masters present who could deal with a large-scale battle formation.

Yan Qing quickly reacted, and his face turned a bit pale. “The Ling Sect’s Grand Pavilion?”

The Ling Sect was usually disorganized, with its elders wandering around. But now, after the clues about Zongwu Mountain were revealed, not only were all the elders gathered at the main branch, but most of the side branches were also congregated in the Grand Pavilion. If they were attacked right now, half of the Ling Sect’s members would be destroyed in an instant.

Setting up a battle formation wasn’t an easy task, as the fluctuations in the formation’s qi were easily detectable in normal places. However, this was Zongwu Mountain, where many ancient formations remained, constantly humming in chorus. Now, the Ling Sect had set up the Fog Tomb Formation, covering everything with mist, even hiding the unnatural signs, making guarding the formation unnecessary.

If this was indeed a battle formation targeting the Ling Sect’s Grand Pavilion, Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci might still be inside there.

Yan Qing was extremely anxious, wishing to break free from the acupoint restraints right away. He gritted his teeth and tried to lower his voice as much as possible. “Shen Zhu, can your sparrow… Shen Zhu?”

Shen Zhu didn’t respond.

She stared fixedly at one corner of the formation, as if her soul had been drawn out of her body. After a long time, she managed to speak, her voice filled with incredulous shock.

“This is not an ordinary battle formation; I recognize this type of formation.”

She then shouted at the masked person with a shrill and deeply resentful voice.

“You lunatic! Do you want to kill half of Zongwu Mountain?!”

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The author has something to say:

Lord Bai: What do you mean by “lazy”? I took her there, didn’t I? I took her there, didn’t I?

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