Ghost Qi felt the blade at his neck press colder. He immediately begged, "Sir... please, don't kill me! Spare my life! Are you trying to get into the Stony Sect? I... I'll lead the way for you!"
"Aren't you afraid they'll retaliate and kill your family?"
Ghost Qi said, "I am. But if I don't do anything, I'm the one who's going to die..."
"You're a practical man. Do you know how to get into the Stony Sect?" Xu Luo asked.
"Yes, yes, I've been inside the Stony Sect twice before." Ghost Qi grinned obsequiously, but a strange glint flashed in his eyes.
'I, Ghost Qi, certainly know how to get into the Stony Sect. And more importantly, I know where they've laid their ambushes!'
"Fine. Lead the way," Xu Luo said coldly. "But remember, you only get one chance. The moment I find you've deceived me, you will die. No question."
"Rest assured, Sir. How would I dare deceive you?" Ghost Qi said respectfully, then began to lead the way with an eager-to-please expression. He didn't spare a single glance for Steward Leng, who lay on the ground with his arms and head severed from his body.
When they reached a cliff face, Ghost Qi tapped it lightly a few times. A moment later, a grinding sound, CRUNCH... CRUNCH..., echoed as a stone door opened directly in the rock.
Ghost Qi went first, and Xu Luo followed close behind, his immensely powerful Spiritual Power locked onto the man. He monitored Ghost Qi's every move and had even sensed the slight mental fluctuation when Ghost Qi first offered to lead the way.
After traversing a long, narrow, and gloomy stone passage, they emerged into the light. Xu Luo looked around. They were surrounded by snow-capped mountains that soared into the clouds, making it nearly impossible to enter from the outside.
But their path didn't end there. Xu Luo followed the bushy-bearded man named Ghost Qi for several more miles until they reached a valley, warm as spring and filled with blooming flowers.
The valley was filled with wildflowers of every color, their fragrance drifting on the wind. The scent was invigorating, a deeply pleasant sensation.
"Is this the place?" Xu Luo asked, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Ghost Qi.
"Sir, look over there." Ghost Qi pointed. Among the trees in the valley, a number of buildings could be seen. "That's the outer perimeter of the Stony Sect. The core of the sect is farther inside."
"Keep leading the way," Xu Luo said calmly.
"Sir... I've... I've already brought you in. You can go the rest of the way on your own. I dare not go any farther! If I'm discovered, they'll really kill my family!" Ghost Qi exclaimed, his face a mask of terror.
"Lead the way, or die." Xu Luo glanced at Ghost Qi, then narrowed his eyes at the path ahead.
Ghost Qi gritted his teeth, feigning a look of reluctance. "Since you insist, Sir, I'll continue leading the way. I just hope you'll keep your promise and spare my life!"
With that, Ghost Qi took the lead and started forward again.
As they walked, Ghost Qi suddenly stumbled, pitching forward toward a patch of flowers. At the same time, he tried to shout a warning, "Lookβ"
PFFT!
A bloody hole appeared in the back of Ghost Qi's head. Master Mao, now standing on the man's shoulder, sneered, "What a cunning human. A pity... he's not nearly as cunning as you. Not by a long shot. The fool was courting death!"
The corner of Xu Luo's mouth twitched. Ignoring Master Mao, he activated the Shaking Light Step, leaping dozens of meters in a single bound. He landed, glanced back, and remarked calmly, "The trap is passable, I suppose."
Although Xu Luo wasn't an expert in Mechanical Skill, he had spent years with Sui Yan at his side. He might not be a master, but he certainly wasn't a complete novice.
Ghost Qi's actions had been clearly suspicious, and coupled with the ill intentions he'd harbored from the start, it was obvious he wanted Xu Luo to walk into that trap. Xu Luo didn't know what kind of trap it was, but one set up inside a sect was guaranteed to be unpleasant.
At that moment, Master Mao shrank down and slipped into Xu Luo's pocket.
Then, Xu Luo's figure vanished once more as he sped toward the valley of flowers.
...
From a distance, Xu Luo could hear voices. It seemed Ghost Qi hadn't been lying about everything.
"Senior Brother, do you think our sect will soar to prominence because of this? Will we become like one of those super-sects?" a somewhat naive voice asked.
"Perhaps. We discovered those ruins, which are said to contain many Pill Formulas and Cultivation Technique manuals from the Ancient Era. It's a shame that secular fellow refuses to say where he hid them. But no matter. Sooner or later, he'll talk!" a cold, arrogant voice replied.
"Once we torture the location out of him, we should just sentence him to death by a thousand cuts! How dare a puny, secular human be so stubborn with us!" the naive-sounding voice said with vicious cruelty.
Xu Luo was taken aback. 'He could tell the naive voice belonged to a boy who was probably just a teenager. To have such a vicious heart at such a young age... Just what kind of values does this so-called Stony Sect instill in its people?'
"Death by a thousand cuts? That's letting him off too easy," another voice interjected coldly. "Hmph. Even Senior Sister Guo is defending him. What right does a piece of secular trash like him have to catch her eye?"
"Senior Sister Guo comes from above, so her words carry weight. Even the Sect Leader has to show her some deference. But then again, how can one Senior Sister Guo speak for our entire Stony Sect? If her status weren't so special, the Sect Leader would have dealt with that man long ago," said the cold, arrogant voice. "The Sect Leader has sent a message to the higher-ups. We should have a decision soon. I'm sure they... will absolutely approve of the Sect Leader's plan."
"That's right. He's just an ordinary person from the secular world. No method of dealing with him is too extreme!" the third voice sneered.
The naive voice spoke again, "Oh, right. I heard his background in the secular world is actually quite impressive. Is that true?"
"I don't know. But so what if it is? Even if he were a Prince of the secular Royal Family, would we be afraid of him?" the arrogant voice said with cold disdain.
Xu Luo carefully moved closer. Peeking from the shadows, he saw three young disciples sitting under a massive, ancient tree, discussing the matter.
The one with the naive voice was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, with fine, delicate features. The one with the cold, arrogant voice appeared to be around twenty, with slightly tanned skin and a cold, murderous aura about him. The third was a little older, perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six. He was rather ugly, with short eyebrows, triangular eyes, and a sallow, jaundiced complexion that made him look sickly, yet he radiated a powerful aura.
Xu Luo's eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up the trio. Without alerting them, he bypassed their location and continued deeper inside.
After weaving between the buildings for a few dozen meters, Xu Luo's face suddenly flushed, and a look of anger appeared. The crisp sound of a slap rang out with startling clarity.
With a cold expression, Xu Luo drew closer to the room where the sound had originated. The door was shut tight, but he saw two or three young men in their twenties sitting in the courtyard.
A young man in his thirties grumbled, "How was I supposed to know this bitch would be so damn wild? But don't worry, aren't there still a dozen more locked up in the dungeons? Just go drag another one over!" the man said nonchalantly.
"I... I don't think we can do that, Senior Brother," someone else whispered. "The merchandise in the dungeon might be top-quality, but they're the exclusive property of our Martial Uncles... If they find out, we'll definitely be punished."
"What are you afraid of? All desire and no guts?" The man shot back. "Didn't I, your Senior Brother, drag this little wench out of the dungeon myself? All our Martial Uncles have gone mad trying to torture information about the Ancient Ruins out of that secular fellow. When would they have time to worry about this?"
The man in his thirties continued, "Besides, these women are just playthings. We have plenty of vassals in the secular world... including even more families who are desperate to become our vassals but don't have an 'in'. Getting them to send us a hundred pretty women would only take a single word, right?"