Chapter 984: Fire Curse

One pursued and the other fled. They had already rushed out of the market and arrived outside the city.

The two middle-stage Core Formation cultivators had been captured one after another, leaving only Vice Commissioner Zuo. In utter despair, he tried to self-detonate his Golden Core, but Qin Sang naturally would not give him the chance. After some effort, he subdued the man alive.

In the forest outside the city, Vice Commissioner Zuo and the others had their cultivation sealed and were thrown onto the ground. Qin Sang turned around and swept his gaze toward the back.

In the distant woods, there was a sudden commotion. Figures scattered in all directions like startled birds.

Those people had followed out, hoping to seize an opportunity to scavenge something valuable, but to their shock, Vice Commissioner Zuo and his group were defeated without suspense and even captured alive. The other side looked completely unharmed.

"What was that bead?" Bai looked at Qin Sang with a grave expression, as if sensing something ominous.

"We’ll know once we ask them." Qin Sang’s tone was cold. Unwilling to waste time, he grabbed one of the captives and immediately used the Soul Search Technique.

The two middle-stage Core Formation cultivators screamed miserably and died. Qin Sang failed to obtain the information he wanted, so he reached out and drew Vice Commissioner Zuo toward him. Vice Commissioner Zuo glared at him with hatred, yet his spiritual consciousness and body were both bound, leaving him completely powerless.

Soon, the soul search was completed. After casting the Soul Search Technique three times in a row, Qin Sang’s face turned slightly pale. He slowly exhaled.

"Let’s leave this place first." He burned the corpses, erased all traces, and recalled his incarnation and the Two-Headed Hou.

The master of Dayuzhou’s market had yet to appear. Having caused such a ruckus, Qin Sang did not know how that person might react. It was best not to linger. Once they flew out of Dayuzhou, Qin Sang turned to Fei You.

"Many unexpected turns today, and I haven’t thanked Daoist Fei for taking the risk to warn me. The road ahead is uncertain. I can’t keep dragging you down, so let’s part ways here. The merchant guild is powerful, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to take my revenge. Daoist Fei, since you’ve been implicated by me, you’ll likely have to live under a false name from now on. As for the two Daoists Wang, please warn them not to reveal their identities no matter what..."

Fei You looked relieved and cupped his hands. "Rest assured, Senior. The world is vast. As long as we find a place to hide and cultivate in seclusion for a few decades, they’ll never find us."

Qin Sang nodded and handed him a Mustard Seed Pouch. "I noticed you were using an artifact just now, so you must have only recently formed your core and haven’t had time to refine an astra yet. Inside are some astras. Pick two as a token of my gratitude."

He could tell Fei You’s Malevolent Demonic Qi was extremely thick, obviously from forcefully forming his core after taking several Malevolent Demonic Pills. His future prospects were bleak.

Perhaps the elderly couple had truly been grateful, but Fei You likely had other motives. Still, Fei You had risked himself to deliver the warning. Even if he had done so for gain, it was understandable, and Qin Sang would not be stingy.

Inside the Mustard Seed Pouch were all the spoils Qin Sang had accumulated over the years, including what he and Bai had just plundered from the guild’s storeroom. Two astras were enough to change Fei You’s fate.

"How can I..." Fei You hesitated, but Qin Sang waved him off.

Fei You’s eyes nearly popped out from excitement. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to calm down, though his heart was shouting with joy. He had truly gambled right.

He had exhausted nearly all his savings to reach the Core Formation Realm, only to discover how difficult refining an astra was. Even after joining the Qiongyu Merchant Guild, he had been ignored and could only dream of owning one.

Knowing time was short, Fei You didn’t dare hesitate and picked a sword and a shield on instinct, one for attack and one for defense.

"Good eye. Both are of superior quality. With careful refinement, they might advance to become middle-grade astras. But they once had masters, so while I’m not worried, you’d best be cautious when using them."

Qin Sang put away the pouch, offered a respectful gesture, and said, "Daoist Fei, until we meet again."

"Daoist Master, may you overcome all calamities and avenge your grievances soon!" Fei You said sincerely.

Qin Sang nodded slightly. His figure flickered several times before vanishing into the boundless sea.

Fei You watched him disappear, then swept his eyes around cautiously. The joy on his face could no longer be restrained. He quickly stored the astras away and fled in silence.

***

Elsewhere, Bai walked beside Qin Sang.

Qin Sang sighed softly. "The order came from the guild’s headquarters. They’ve issued a bounty on me, promising rich rewards for any trace of my whereabouts. But Vice Commissioner Zuo knew little and couldn’t identify the mastermind. Still, I think I now know who my true enemy is. The jade bead was given to Vice Commissioner Zuo by the guild. When it exploded, it released blue flames. I’ve seen and even obtained a wisp of that very flame before. It’s called the Dongming Cold Flame, a unique spiritual fire once belonging to Saint Dongming. After his passing, the fire was left in his cave dwelling and taken by a devilish cultivator known as Old Devil Mou, who is said to be a middle-stage Spiritual Infant expert."

"A middle-stage Spiritual Infant with a secret technique to seize spiritual fires?" Bai’s eyes flickered. "You mean..."

Qin Sang nodded, his voice hoarse. "Most likely him. We were mistaken. The man’s target might not have been the ancient treasure within the devilish barrier, but the devilish flame itself, or perhaps both."

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"You’ve obtained a strand of Dongming Cold Flame before. You should know what it can do, shouldn’t you?" Bai studied Qin Sang with a frown.

Qin Sang shook his head. "This fire’s aura originates from the same source as Dongming Cold Flame, but the feeling it gives me is completely different. When the Flame Orb exploded, the force and fluctuations it released were unlike anything I’ve ever seen. None of my defenses worked. It invaded my body easily and vanished without a trace."

Before he could finish, Qin Sang’s expression changed drastically. His body stiffened, and he abruptly raised both arms. Blue lines had silently appeared along his arms, intertwining to form countless strange runes.

The runes densely covered his entire body, linking together into intricate patterns. At the same time, that same mysterious fluctuation returned and seemed to resonate with something far away.

Moments later, the fluctuation faded. The runes sank back into his flesh and disappeared once again.

This time, Qin Sang felt it clearly. The runes contained a trace of Dongming Cold Flame’s power.

He had already summoned the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to keep watch on his body, and it had finally detected the anomaly.

Those runes infused with the Dongming Cold Flame were hidden within his flesh and meridians, fused seamlessly with his blood and body. Seeing this, Qin Sang and Bai exchanged grim looks.

"This power..." Bai pondered for a moment. "It feels familiar. I think I’ve seen something like it before. It’s some kind of curse technique. Such power is insidious, and ordinary means can’t remove it. Since these runes are fused with the Dongming Cold Flame, calling it a Fire Curse would be more fitting."

"Fire Curse?" Qin Sang frowned. It was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

Bai’s voice grew heavy. "The only thing that can resonate with a Fire Curse is the one who cast it. And the closer that person is, the stronger the resonance becomes."