Chapter 609: One Against Three

The three Hou brothers heard the rebukes from Xiao Xiao and her companions, but far from getting angry, they simply laughed. Their smiles grew even more ambiguous, especially when they saw Xiao Xiao’s stunning beauty.

Ye Qingchen remained silent, using his Dual Pupil Martial Soul to probe the trio’s thoughts.

The first thing he heard was Hou Shui’s lewd laughter.

No wonder that kid Zhang Guangling won’t show his face. Turns out he was luring such a pretty little thing here. I can’t let him have all the fun.

Ye Qingchen snorted coldly and continued listening to Hou Hu’s thoughts.

So this is the so-called beauty of the Northern Domain, Xiao Xiao? I’ve heard this girl isn’t just stunning—she also possesses a ten-star Vermilion Bird Holy Soul. She’s a rare cultivation prodigy. If I could Dual Cultivate with her, my strength would soar effortlessly.

Ye Qingchen clenched his fists tightly. He hadn’t expected these bastards to not only plot against Xiao Xiao but also to covet her ten-star Vermilion Bird Holy Soul. However, since he hadn’t yet gotten the information he wanted, Ye Qingchen could only suppress his rage and continue probing Hou Long’s thoughts.

That Zhang Guangling is far too cautious. Bringing the three of us wasn’t enough; he even went to ask the Saint Heir to send more experts. Doesn’t he realize there’s only one beauty here? When more people arrive, how are we supposed to divide her up?

Although the brothers’ minds were filled with lewd fantasies, Ye Qingchen sharply caught a key piece of information: Zhang Guangling hadn’t appeared because he was still gathering reinforcements.

It only took a moment of thought for Ye Qingchen to connect the dots. The trio from Houtu Palace must have pinpointed their location because Zhang Guangling had left some kind of tracking device on a member of their group. Ye Qingchen was confident Zhang Guangling couldn’t have done anything to him without his noticing, so the problem had to be with the other disciples from Wuji Immortal Palace. He decided to expose Zhang Guangling’s treachery in front of them.

Ye Qingchen snorted coldly and spoke to the three brothers. "If I’m not mistaken, you didn’t come here for some True Demon gathering ground, did you? Where’s Zhang Guangling? Did he decide not to show up and send you three as cannon fodder instead?"

Zhang Guangling had originally paid them a hefty price to keep his involvement secret. But now that Ye Qingchen had mentioned him, the brothers assumed his group already knew the whole story. Besides, in their eyes, Ye Qingchen was already a dead man, so they tossed Zhang Guangling’s instructions to the back of their minds. Hearing Ye Qingchen’s words, they burst into laughter.

"Didn’t expect you to be so sharp, kid. So you know who you’ve offended. Surrender now, and we brothers might show some mercy and give you a comfortable death. If you dare to resist... well, you should know the consequences, right?"

Ye Qingchen ignored them and continued, "Zhang Guangling and you serve the same master, don’t you? He’s not here yet. Haven’t you three considered why?"

Of the three brothers, the second, Hou Hu, was the most impatient. "Do you think we’re as cowardly as that brat Zhang Guangling?" he snapped. "Big Brother, let’s move! If we wait for Zhang Guangling to bring more experts, our share of the credit will be cut in half!"

Hou Hu’s words confirmed they were in cahoots with Zhang Guangling, leaving the three Wuji Immortal Palace disciples utterly shocked.

When Ye Qingchen had first mentioned Zhang Guangling, they had felt something was wrong and wanted to speak up, but Xiao Xiao had stopped them. Now, even the most naive among them understood: Zhang Guangling had colluded with outsiders to deal with Ye Qingchen.

If it had just been about targeting Ye Qingchen, they might have thought Zhang Guangling was making a mountain out of a molehill. But Ye Qingchen was part of their team. Colluding with outsiders against one’s own team was undeniable proof that Zhang Guangling had betrayed Wuji Immortal Palace.

Even Xiao Xiao felt the urge to immediately report this back to the Sect, but Ye Qingchen stopped her. He was counting on Zhang Guangling to draw in more people so he could capture them all in one fell swoop. This was no time to spook the prey.

However, Hou Hu’s outburst also served as a reminder. If he didn’t deal with these three swiftly, he’d be facing a siege once Zhang Guangling returned with reinforcements. Though fearless for himself, Ye Qingchen worried he couldn’t protect Xiao Xiao. Therefore, with his objective achieved, he took the initiative, preparing for a swift and decisive battle.

Ye Qingchen had already adjusted himself to combat readiness during his conversation with the Hou brothers. The moment Hou Hu finished speaking, Ye Qingchen activated his Fire Spirit Charm Shadow. He left a phantom afterimage in his place as his real body teleported behind Hou Shui.

Ye Qingchen’s masterful control over nature’s spiritual energy made the afterimage incredibly realistic. The brothers never expected him to have the guts to strike first, so Hou Shui was caught completely off guard.

However, as a master at the fifth layer of the Martial Emperor Realm who controlled Attribute Energy, Hou Shui finally sensed something was wrong the instant Ye Qingchen’s sword descended. He frantically mobilized his energy, instantly conjuring an earthen-yellow shield behind him to block Ye Qingchen’s Double Pupil Sword.

Seeing his sneak attack had failed, Ye Qingchen unleashed his Sword Qi and then immediately used Fire Spirit Charm Shadow again to pull back and create distance.

At that same moment, Hou Long’s and Hou Hu’s attacks slammed into the spot where Ye Qingchen had just stood. The two brothers had reacted at the same time as Hou Shui, launching their own attacks the instant he put up his defense.

If Ye Qingchen hadn’t retreated so quickly, he might have injured Hou Shui, but he would have had to simultaneously face the combined attacks of Hou Hu and Hou Long—a price not worth paying.

Although Ye Qingchen’s attack hadn’t fully connected, the Sword Qi he released still shattered the earthen-yellow shield and struck Hou Shui. By then, however, the shield had absorbed most of the attack’s power, leaving Hou Shui with only a minor injury.

Ye Qingchen steadied himself at a distance, frowning as he looked at the three Hou brothers before him. From that probing exchange, he could tell that all three brothers had comprehended Earth Attribute energy. Their defensive power was remarkable. He realized it would be incredibly difficult to gain the upper hand with sneak attacks alone.