Chapter 42: Wiped Out

Chapter 42: Wiped Out

Deep in the forested mountains, the members of the Taiqing sect were out in full force, searching every nook and cranny.

"Nanfeng's only an Acquisition-realm disciple, while that golden crow has already congealed an inner core! We've searched all night long, but we still haven't found a trace of him. I'm afraid... you had better prepare yourself, Yu'er," Ye Sanshui sighed.

"Nonsense! If anything happens to Nanfeng, Ye Sanshui, I'm blaming it all on you!" Yu'er howled, her eyes red.

"I—I urged against not involving ourselves in this affair, but Junior Brother Nanfeng insisted that we fight! If there's anyone to blame, it's him for being so meddlesome," Ye Sanshui replied, frowning uncomfortably.

"Ye Sanshui, how could you! Junior Brother Nanfeng's simply following the sect motto. How could that be considered meddlesome?!"

"That's right! When we return to the sect, I'll be reporting to my division leader that you claimed the sect motto to be meddlesome!"

"Count me in!"

A group of junior disciples glared angrily at Ye Sanshui, who stiffened. I'm the leader of this expedition—you all should remember that! Show me the respect I deserve!

Just then, bright fireworks were sent into the air from afar. Everyone stilled.

"That's our signal. Did someone find Nanfeng?!" Ye Sanshui cried out.

"Has he been found? We need to head there immediately!" Yu'er galloped off on her horse.

The fireworks were a clear indication that news about Nanfeng had been found, but who knew whether he was dead or alive?

Tears filled the village of Dawangzhuang. A number of villagers were crying their hearts out as they beheld the bodies of their newly deceased kin.

Yu'er, Ye Sanshui, and others headed to the front of the crowd.

"Senior Sister, this is Dawangzhuang. Junior Brother Nanfeng stayed in his home overnight." One junior disciple pointed toward Old Wang.

"Is Nanfeng still alive?" Yu'er asked expectantly.

"The golden crow spiritbeast had already congealed an inner core, whereas Nanfeng's only an Acquisition-realm cultivator! How in the world did he manage to escape...?" Ye Sanshui seemed very perplexed.

"Where is he? Where's Nanfeng now?!" Yu'er asked, desperately clutching onto Old Wang's clothes. This composition is securely entrenched in n0v*lbin★

"I'm afraid we've endangered him greatly. This morning..." Old Wang recounted what had happened earlier in the day.

"The crow troops?!" Ye Sanshui blanched.

"Even the worst cultivator among the crow troops is at the peak of Acquisition! And they've all gone chasing after Nanfeng?!" Yu'er cried.

"Yes, in that direction!" Old Wang pointed up the mountain.

Yu'er screwed up her eyes in worry. She called out, "Quick, everyone, we have to rescue Nanfeng!"

"Let's go!" A veritable horde of Taiqing disciples charged up the mountain with their weapons in hand.

By then, it was noon. The spring rains had stopped, and a bright sun hung in the air. Much of the mist had dissipated. Not long after Yu'er and her group entered the mountain, they saw cracked and broken branches, along with a few corpses on the ground. Clearly, a fierce fight had broken out earlier in the day.

"Nanfeng? We're here! Where are you?!" Yu'er cried out urgently.

Everyone's hearts sank. After all, Xiao Nanfeng's opponent was the crow troops, whereas he was only an Acquisition-realm cultivator...

"Senior Sister Yu'er! I'm over here!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted from a nearby copse.

"Nanfeng, did you kill all these cultivators?" Yu'er gaped at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Have you all forgotten? I have a purpleveil poison orb. I poisoned quite a few to death," Xiao Nanfeng explained, kicking at a corpse.

Indeed, the man was frothing from the mouth, poison having seeped into his body. He had died in pain and fear.

"So it was all the purpleveil poison's doing! That makes sense," Ye Dafu murmured, relaxing.

Only Yu'er and Ye Sanshui continued to glance at Xiao Nanfeng suspiciously. They were among the rare few people who had noticed that only about a dozen warriors had been poisoned; had Nanfeng killed the rest on his own?

"Nanfeng, you're going to suffer now! You've killed these crow troops that serve right under Marquis Wu, and we're only here on his invitation! Now that you've killed his subordinates, he'll surely hold a grudge for you!" Ye Dafu crowed.

A palm slammed the back of Ye Dafu's head.

"Third Uncle, why did you hit me?!" Ye Dafu shouted, clutching his head.

"Who would dare to report this to Marquis Wu? Who would want to do so? Nanfeng's helping the common people by ridding the world of this gang of evildoers? You?" Ye Sanshui chided Ye Dafu.

"Are you going to tell on Nanfeng? I'll kill you now if so!" Yu'er drew her sword.

"No, no! I-I was just saying..." Ye Dafu replied, swearing.

"Ye Dafu, listen up. If news of Nanfeng killing this gang of demons spreads, you'll be the first one I kill," Yu'er vowed, without giving him a chance to explain himself.

"Right, if Junior Brother Nanfeng suffers for this, you will too!"

"I'll kill you if word spreads!"

"Count me in."

Ye Dafu: ...How did I end up being the target? What if word spreads and I'm not responsible?!

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at Ye Sanshui in surprise. It seemed that he at least understood the big picture well, and wouldn't allow Ye Dafu to do as he pleased. However, he did intend to seize leadership from Ye Sanshui.

"Right, what happened to that village that had been slaughtered?" Xiao Nanfeng suddenly asked.

"The villager we rescued said that that village was called Zhengjiazhuang. Everyone that has survived is in stable condition now," a senior disciple sighed. [1]

"What? What happened to Zhengjiazhuang?!"

"You don't know? It's all your fault. If Nanfeng weren't here, everyone in Dawangzhuang might have perished, too!" Yu'er cried out.

"Hold on, what happened to Zhengjiazhuang?!" Zheng Qian shouted.

Yu'er frowned, but she recounted what had happened before the arrival of the crow spirits.

"H-How? Second Brother, Fourth Brother, what have I done? I didn't expect Marquis Wu would be so vicious, that I would bring ruin on the family. It's all my fault!" Zheng Qian, barely holding on physically, was stunned beyond belief. He began crying in sobs and wails.

"Sixteen children from Zhengjiazhuang and three villagers were saved. As for you—you knew there were enemies after you, so what were you doing looking for friends and relatives?" Yu'er sighed.

"Some are alive? Where are they? No, no, I apologize. Thank you all for your assistance!" Zheng Qian forcibly suppressed his anxiety and kowtowed to the gathered disciples.

Ye Sanshui was about to put on a benevolent act when Yu'er interrupted, "Why are you thanking us all? You should be thanking Nanfeng. If he hadn't persuaded us to help out, we wouldn't have headed to Zhengjiazhuang at all! And if he weren't coincidentally at Dawangzhuang too, everyone here would have been killed by you!" Yu'er pursed her lips.

Ye Sanshui twitched. Yu'er, how am I supposed to accept his thanks now?!

Zheng Qian looked again at Xiao Nanfeng, kowtowing as his tears welled up. "I am ashamed to face you, my benefactor. If not for your assistance, my family and friends would have perished. I have to thank you twice over!"

1. Zhengjiazhuang, literally Zheng family village, with the implication that Zheng Qian's family resides there and holds high status there. ?