Chapter 793: A Proposal for Collaboration

Cui Ji's assets were rather meager, wholly unbefitting his identity and cultivation level.

When Qin Sang picked up the flying saber astra, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

No wonder it's so sharp and ferocious. It's on par with the Golden Jade Lock, both being middle-grade astras. Cui Ji must have paid a hefty price to acquire it.

Now that Qin Sang had obtained new fortuitous encounters and made great strides in swordsmanship, he intended to continue advancing along the Sword Dao. He erased Cui Ji's imprint from the astra and temporarily stored it away.

"Daoist Master, thank you for helping me kill an enemy."

Madam Liu, having just vented her emotions, had regained her composure. She reached out her slender fingers, wiped the blood from her face, smoothed her hair, and thanked Qin Sang. Her gaze was now unnaturally calm, like a lifeless pool of water.

She bore no trace of weakness. She had undergone a rebirth through calamity.

"There is no need for thanks, Madam Liu. I did it for myself."

Qin Sang turned to her and asked, "From your words, it seems Cui Ji wasn’t your only enemy. Did he conspire with others to bring harm upon your husband?"

Madam Liu nodded solemnly and replied word by word, "There was also Xiang Yi and that man surnamed An. But the one surnamed An is already dead."

Just as he suspected.

Qin Sang nodded slightly and asked a few more questions before learning that, on their way out of the deadly place, they had been ambushed by a terrifying ferocious beast. She and her husband had originally had a chance to escape, but were betrayed and attacked by Xiang Yi and his companions.

The unfortunate fat man surnamed An had terrible luck and ended up being devoured by the beast.

Madam Liu’s husband had risked his life to save her but failed to escape himself. The young man with the sword had gone missing.

Upon hearing this, Qin Sang was greatly surprised. So even the outskirts of the Purple Mist End were prowled by such powerful ferocious beasts. According to Madam Liu’s description, this one was no weaker than the beast guarding the Purple Crystal.

It was fortunate that he had been delayed by the young man and the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells. Otherwise, he might have run straight into the beast as well.

He thought to himself.

I must be extra cautious next time I enter the Purple Mist End to retrieve the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells.

After confirming the location where the beast had appeared, Qin Sang cupped his hands toward Madam Liu. "Madam Liu, Seven-Kill Hall will soon close. I shall take my leave first. Until we meet again."

Just as he was about to leave, Madam Liu called out to him.

"Please wait, Daoist Master!"

She stopped Qin Sang and said, "Daoist Master, since we’ve both been betrayed by these villains, why not join forces for revenge? Xiang Yi’s cultivation is extremely high. I once heard him say that if everything went smoothly this time, he would reach the peak of the late stage once he left Seven-Kill Hall, only a step away from the Spiritual Infant Realm. His strength is far beyond Cui Ji’s. Alone, neither of us may ever get the chance. Only by working together do we stand a chance of vengeance."

Qin Sang paused slightly, then replied calmly, "My enemy is already dead. There’s no need to go further."

Madam Liu grew anxious and quickly added, "I don’t know what happened to you at the time, but if you think Cui Ji was the only one with the intent to kill you, then you’re gravely mistaken.

"When you went missing, my husband suggested the group go back to search for you. But when they failed to find you, they gave up. My husband grew suspicious then and kept a close eye on Cui Ji.

"But the three of them had long since been colluding in secret. I’m sure Cui Ji wasn’t acting alone when he plotted against you. Now that you’ve reappeared while Cui Ji has vanished, Xiang Yi will surely suspect something. Given his ruthlessness, he won’t let this matter rest.

"If you don’t wish to spend the rest of your life hiding in fear and living under a false name, the wisest move is to strike first and eliminate Xiang Yi.

"If you agree, I can take full responsibility for tracking them down. I’m skilled in pursuit and investigation, and you won’t need to lift a finger until the time comes to strike, just as you did today. Once I return and take some spiritual herbs, I’ll recover from my chronic illness and make significant cultivation progress. I won’t be a burden to you.

"As long as you agree, everything we gain from avenging ourselves will belong to you. All I want are their lives."

Madam Liu’s voice was resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

Qin Sang turned back, appearing hesitant.

In truth, he had long resolved to kill Xiang Yi and the others. He merely wanted to test Madam Liu’s determination.

There was a world of difference between someone who had just entered the late stage and one who stood at the peak of it.

The reason Qin Sang had been able to kill the young man was primarily because of his favorable terrain.

Outside the poisonous regions, even with his significant progress in swordsmanship, he would struggle to take down Xiang Yi without using the Flame Orb. Careful planning would be essential.

Xiang Yi was deeply connected and extremely vigilant. Finding an opportunity to catch him alone would be difficult. If Madam Liu was truly devoted to revenge, then she could indeed be an excellent partner.

Qin Sang had maintained the identity of Daoist Master Qingfeng for decades and built close ties with the Qiongyu Merchant Guild. This identity was valuable.

However, Xiang Yi had the backing of the Dongji Alliance’s leader, a powerful figure. Qin Sang had no desire to attract his attention. As Madam Liu had said, only by eliminating Xiang Yi could he safely resume using his current identity.

Seeing that Qin Sang was moved, Madam Liu believed her words had swayed him and beamed with joy. She handed him a strangely shaped copper bell. "Daoist Master, if you agree, please go to Tianxing Island and give this bell to..."

She proceeded to tell Qin Sang how to make contact.

Qin Sang accepted the copper bell, then after a moment of thought, said in a low voice, "Daoist Liu, let me offer a word of caution. Do not let hatred cloud your judgment. If you become too eager for revenge and end up alerting Xiang Yi, he may well lay a trap. In that case, I might be able to escape using my evasion technique, but you may never get your chance at vengeance."

Madam Liu’s expression turned solemn, and she nodded in acknowledgment.

After a brief discussion, the two made an oath and parted ways.

Qin Sang retreated into a secluded spot, removed his hooded cloak, and returned to his original appearance.

Because of Cui Ji’s interference, heading to Celestial Blossom Lake was now out of the question. Even the seemingly safe outskirts of the Purple Mist End had concealed terrifying ferocious beasts, so there were bound to be even greater dangers lurking within the lake itself.

After some thought, Qin Sang decided to abandon his plan to go to Celestial Blossom Lake. Instead, he would go directly to the barren plains and lie in wait. If nothing turned up, he would visit the three islands beyond the storm to try his luck finding the bone flute. But truthfully, he had little confidence in locating it.

He oriented himself and flew toward the barren plains.

Along the way, Qin Sang began taking stock of his harvest from this journey.

The astras he had acquired went without saying, but most important of all was the jade slip. Not only had it completed the killing symbol, it also contained a divine ability for creating an external incarnation.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The earlier he began refining his external incarnation, the better. He would strive to raise its cultivation level before the next entry into Seven-Kill Hall.

Corpses of lower-level cultivators were not hard to come by. In the world of immortal cultivation, killing was a common occurrence.

As for the spiritual fruits, whose origins remained unknown, he could take them to Tianxing Island and have an alchemist examine them.

However, the matter most deeply on Qin Sang’s mind was still the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells. This concerned the crafting of a top-grade astra, and he was determined to give it his all.

Refining the black iron pillar into a banner pole would require many materials.

To gather them all, heading to Tianxing Island would be the best course of action. It also housed the largest human city, making it the easiest place to seek information. For Linggui Island and Qingzhu, it would be a trip worth making.

While pondering these matters, Qin Sang soon arrived at the edge of the barren plains.

He concealed himself within a mountain, overlooking the barren land below.

On the way back, Qin Sang had not seen any trace of Spiritual Infant cultivators from either race. He suspected that after obtaining whatever it was they had sought, they had already departed Seven-Kill Hall.