Chapter 336: Doubts

Chapter 336: Doubts

Since Zhang Yuelu had gone into the woods when Wei Wugui was chasing her earlier, she was now quite familiar with the terrain. She ran straight toward the small pool, still stringing along Wei Wugui like a kite.

Thus, he kept bumping into the branches of trees. Although it did not hurt him, it was still quite embarrassing to be repeatedly slapped in the face by the tree branches. It made Qi Xuansu wonder if Zhang Yuelu did this as revenge for the Bliss Needle.

After a while, Qi Xuansu decided to get down on his own. He reached out to grab the trunk of a big tree as an anchor and jumped from branch to branch, struggling to catch up with Zhang Yuelu. That way, he would not have to be dragged around, bumping into every tree in his path.

When Qi Xuansu finally caught up to her, they ran side by side. Zhang Yuelu acted as if she had done nothing wrong. She calmly retracted her paper rope and asked casually, “How’s your injury?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I won’t die for the time being, but that old man seems to be a Heavenly Being.”

“It’s not surprising. If they didn’t have a Heavenly Being as a backup, they wouldn’t have been so confident in this siege to silence me. But I’m very curious as to who gave the Yuan family the courage to do this.” Zhang Yuelu pondered aloud.

Qi Xuansu took a deep breath to adjust his qi. He casually said, “The Li family.”

“How do you know?” Zhang Yuelu could not hide her surprise.

Qi Xuansu answered truthfully, “It’s just my guess. There are only a handful of people in the Daoist Order with such a powerful background. Mage Zhang, you’re from the Zhang family, so I assume your family won’t try to kill you in this manner. Although there are too many factions in the Quanzhen Sect to completely rule out their involvement, they would be low on the suspect list because the Earthly Preceptor values you. That leaves us with only one option—the Li family of the Taiping Sect. Even if this isn’t the Li family’s direct instruction, this is inseparable from them.”

Zhang Yuelu felt a little disappointed. She muttered, “That makes sense, but we shouldn’t come to a conclusion without evidence...”

At this moment, they heard frenzied footsteps from far behind, so they tacitly stopped talking and ran as fast as they could.

Along the way, Qi Xuansu did not notice any trace of Bu Yue and Liu Hu.

Not long after, they could finally see the small pool in front of them. They came to an abrupt stop and looked up. The old man who injured Qi Xuansu was standing above the waterfall with his hands behind his back, looking at them below with a smirk.

Seeing how that old man could arrive before them, they could confirm that he was undoubtedly a Heavenly Being.

Zhang Yuelu whispered, “If you and I join forces, we might stand a chance to get out alive.”

Qi Xuansu did not deny Zhang Yuelu’s statement. After all, Zhang Yuelu was not far from the Heavenly Being threshold, and he was a capable fighter.

He pointed behind them and reminded her. “There are still hundreds of people behind us. They’re the ones with the strength in numbers here.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” Zhang Yuelu asked with a frown.

Qi Xuansu pondered. “I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that the Heavenly Being is not out to kill us. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, he could have ambushed me with a lethal strike. He wouldn’t have just wounded me. We both know that he has the power to kill me immediately.”

Zhang Yuelu’s eyes flickered. “You’re right. There is something fishy about this.”

Qi Xuansu suggested, “Let’s run in another direction.”

Zhang Yuelu hesitated for a moment before following his advice. They turned around and ran northwest.

This abyss was actually the boundary between two mountains.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu went up the mountain from one side and crossed the abyss. After that, it was a downward slope.

While they ran for their lives, Zhang Yuelu asked, “What is your relationship with Pei Xiaolou?”

Qi Xuansu kept silent, thinking Zhang Yuelu was fishing for information.

Zhang Yuelu asked again, “You and Pei Xiaolou arrived in Jiangling Prefecture one after another. Is it related to the major Jiangnan case?”

That was when Qi Xuansu found out that Pei Xiaolou had also come to Jiangling Prefecture. However, if Pei Xiaolou were here, why did he not help them? Was he also held back by the enemy?

Since the mastermind could send a Heavenly Being to support Yuan Shangdao, they could also send a Heavenly Being to hinder Pei Xiaolou.

But why did the Heavenly Being wait until the last minute to take action, and why did he hold back? His attitude was truly puzzling.

This whole situation was just as foggy and mysterious as their current surroundings.

......

After Zhang Yuelu left, Pei Xiaolou also excused himself. However, he stayed in the city.

Shortly after Pei Xiaolou left, two old men came to the main building of the Taiping Inn and went to the private room on the third floor to meet with Yuan Chongzong and Yuan Shangdao.

Not long after, one of the old men and Yuan Shangdao hurriedly left Taiping Inn to gather an army.

Another old man went to the Yuan Residence with Yuan Chongzong.

The Yuan Residence was a typical Jiangnan-style mansion, with beautiful landscapes, water features, and pavilions. It did not seem luxurious or grand at first glance, but those who knew what to look for could see extravagance in the details. For example, the red sandalwood furniture in the living room and the polished marble floor with inlaid jasper.

The pair of carved red sandalwood armchairs in the center of the living room were each occupied by an old man.

Yuan Chongzong sat on the chair on the left, while another old man with white hair sat on the chair on the right. However, compared to the elegant Yuan Chongzong, this old man was taller and more rugged, like a well-traveled powerful swordsman.

Yuan Chongzong looked worried. “If we fail—”

The white-haired old man said calmly, “Brother Yuan, why are you still doubtful at this time? That’s a secret letter from Old Master Jin, sent using the rapid post talisman and stamped with his private seal. You’ve verified it yourself. Since he arranged this, it’s a done deal.”

“I’m not doubtful. I just feel uneasy.” Yuan Chongzong took a deep breath.

The white-haired old man remarked, “It is impossible to achieve great things without risk.”

“What about afterward?” Yuan Chongzong asked.

The white-haired old man reached out for the gaiwan, took a sip of tea, and murmured, “Afterward, everything will end here, of course.”