Chapter 235: Unfathomable Peril

It wasn’t until Ma Gu and Wei Zian had finished eliminating the remaining mountain bandits that the round-faced middle-aged man and his disciples finally regained their composure.

Gazing at the blood-stained courtyard strewn with corpses, and the calm demeanor of Lu Qing, as well as the faint sigh from Old Doctor, the man immediately understood.

He had truly misjudged them.

This group—Chen Ye’s party—was far more formidable than they appeared.

No wonder they dared travel the world with a little girl in tow. Lu Qing and his companions were clearly far stronger than they seemed.

Earlier, those mountain bandits had been ferocious and their strength was not insignificant. The leader had barely reached the Nei Fu Jing stage, and the dozen or so lieutenants behind him were all martial cultivators—several even at the Jin Gu Jing level.

Add to that the other bandits stationed on higher ground, armed with powerful bows and hidden weapons.

In such a situation, even a cultivator as strong as the round-faced man—approaching Nei Fu Jing Da Cheng—wouldn’t have had absolute confidence in protecting everyone in the courtyard.

Yet, in the face of such overwhelming odds, Lu Qing’s group had shattered the ambush in an instant.

How could the man not be shaken?

Whether it was Ma Gu’s ruthless, devastating swordplay, Lu Qing’s supernatural skill with hidden weapons, or Wei Zian’s piercing, precise staff techniques—each one left him stunned.

And the cold-blooded efficiency with which they had dispatched the enemy only deepened the mystery surrounding them.

“Lu Xiao Langjun,” the round-faced man sighed, “I never expected your skill to be so extraordinary. I was truly overthinking it earlier.”

“Just a few petty thieves,” Lu Qing replied with a smile. “With your strength, Master, disposing of them would’ve been effortless. We merely overstepped.”

Xu Ping and her companions exchanged silent glances.

The bandits hadn’t been a challenge for Ma Gu’s group, but their raw qi and vitality had been real. Some of them even surpassed the disciples in cultivation.

They knew, deep down, that if they’d faced such a gang, victory would’ve been uncertain.

Yet, to Lu Qing, they were merely “petty thieves.”

Xu Ping was left speechless.

“Master,” Ma Gu said, scratching his head as he looked at the corpses. “We’ve got to deal with the bodies again.”

“Indeed,” Lu Qing muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice. “This is getting troublesome.”

The number of corpses was greater than those from the two previous days—more than enough to require careful burial.

He really needed to finish his Method of Erasing Corpses soon. Otherwise, every battle would end with the tedious chore of burying the dead.

Xu Ping and her siblings felt a chill at the words.

Earlier, they’d already found it strange how coldly efficient Lu Qing’s group had been. Their coordination was flawless—too mature for young people.

Now, hearing them casually say “again,” the truth struck them hard.

Had Lu Qing and his companions killed so many before?

Lu Qing didn’t notice their unease.

Turning to the round-faced man, he said, “Master Xu, we’ll be staying here tonight. Leaving so many corpses here isn’t safe. Would you mind asking your disciples to help us carry them out and bury them?”

“Of course,” the man nodded. “Wen Bin, Wen Wu, you three—help them.”

“Yes, Master,” the disciples replied in unison.

“A Qing,” Old Doctor suddenly spoke. “See to it that the girl’s head is buried separately, with care.”

“I understand, Master.”

Lu Qing looked down at the young girl’s severed head lying on the ground, sighed, then wrapped it gently in a cloth bag, planning to find a proper resting place outside.

With daylight still lingering, the group began moving the bodies out.

Xu Ping, being a girl and still shaken from earlier, didn’t need to help with the heavy work.

As the courtyard cleared, her heart slowly settled.

She glanced around and saw Xiao Yan quietly holding Xiao Li, standing beside Old Doctor—calm, unafraid.

A thought struck her.

Then it hit her—back then, when the bandits had surrounded the entire Mountain God Temple, Xiao Yan hadn’t shown fear either.

At least, not nearly as much as she had.

“Xiao Yan,” Xu Ping approached, speaking softly. “You’re not afraid? There are so many dead people here.”

“No,” Xiao Yan shook her head. “They were bad people. And my brother and Xiao Li will protect me. So I’m not afraid.”

Xu Ping was stunned. She hadn’t expected such a reply.

But the girl’s words stirred something in her.

“Xiao Yan… you mean to say, there were other bad people before?”

She ignored the part about Xiao Li protecting her—just a child’s fantasy, she thought.

Even she, as a child, had once believed her mother’s old cloth doll would guard her at night.

“Yes,” Xiao Yan nodded seriously. “Many. But my brother and Ma Shu killed them all.”

Xu Ping sucked in a sharp breath.

She hadn’t been wrong.

Lu Qing’s group had truly been through countless battles.

No wonder they’d said, “Again, we have to deal with the bodies.”

Lu Qing and his companions, their strength unmatched, managed to move all the corpses before nightfall.

They dug a large pit in the nearby woods and buried them.

The girl’s head was placed in a favorable feng shui spot—carefully laid to rest.

Afterward, back at the temple, Lu Qing burned herbs around the courtyard and the main hall, dispersing the lingering scent of blood.

By the time it was fully dark, everything was done.

“Master Xu,” Lu Qing said, “today has been exhausting. I think we’ve all had enough. How about we rest here tonight? We can continue our journey tomorrow morning?”

“Excellent idea,” the man agreed. “My daughter’s been shaken too. We need proper rest.”

Now, he finally saw it—after the bandits were gone, Lu Qing no longer held back. He had grown more assertive.

Chen Ye no longer spoke; decisions now came from Lu Qing.

The two groups split the main hall, each taking half. They laid out bedding and prepared to sleep.

A few moments later, behind a bamboo curtain, Old Doctor and Lu Qing sat across from each other.

An unusual aura, subtle yet powerful, surrounded them—three feet of space, invisible to all but them.

“Master,” Lu Qing said, “I’ve been wondering—why did you decide to travel with Master Xu and his disciples? Why join them on the journey to Liu Yun Zong?”

The question had haunted him all afternoon.

After all, this trip to Liu Yun Zong was no small matter. One misstep could lead to dire consequences.

Given Master’s usual caution—his reluctance to involve others—this choice was unexpected.

“I can’t explain it clearly,” Old Doctor replied. “But when we arrived at this Mountain God Temple, and came close to Master Xu and his companions… something inside me stirred. A strong premonition.”

“Premonition?” Lu Qing’s heart tightened.

He knew his Master possessed the Merit Light—a divine protection that guided him in moments of danger.

This wasn’t mere imagination. It was a warning from heaven itself.

“Yes,” Old Doctor said. “The premonition was so strong, it unsettled my spirit. It felt as though something of great importance was at stake. So I felt I had to see what it was.”

“Could it be… the bandits?” Lu Qing asked quietly.

But he dismissed the idea almost immediately.

The bandits hadn’t been that strong. Even if Master Xu hadn’t encountered them, he could’ve broken through easily.

Only his disciples might’ve suffered.

But that alone wasn’t enough to trigger such a powerful warning.

“Could it be… Liu Yun Zong is facing some great upheaval?” Lu Qing rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

Master Xu and his disciples were only going to watch the spectacle—after all, nearly half the sects in Yun Zhou were uniting to confront Liu Yun Zong. Such a gathering was too big to miss.

But if Master’s warning was real… this “spectacle” might be far more dangerous than anyone imagined.

“A Qing,” Old Doctor asked, sensing his disciple’s concentration. “Do you have any thoughts?”

“A few,” Lu Qing said. “But I’m not certain. Still, since you’ve already accepted Master Xu’s invitation, we’ll simply travel with them. We’ll know the truth soon enough.”

“Exactly,” Old Doctor nodded. “I can sense they’re good people. If they’re truly in danger, we should help—especially since it’s on our way.”

“I’ll follow your lead, Master,” Lu Qing smiled.

The Merit Light was indeed miraculous. Ever since Master entered the Xian Tian Jing, his supernatural abilities had grown stronger.

Even his instinct for discerning good from evil was nearly as sharp as his Abilities Probe.

With his doubts resolved, Lu Qing and Old Doctor retired to rest.

Their conversation, private and hidden, remained unheard by any other.

Night passed in silence.

The next morning, Lu Qing rose early and began preparing breakfast in the courtyard.

“Lu Xiao Langjun,” Master Xu called out, stepping outside. “You’re up so early?”

“Yes,” Lu Qing replied, busy with the pot. “Ma Ye and I take turns guarding at night. I usually handle the second half. I just took the chance to make breakfast for everyone. I’ve already prepared your portion—join us when you’re ready.”

“Then we won’t refuse,” Master Xu said, smiling.

But then he sighed. “So you weren’t just up early… you didn’t sleep at all.”

“Traveling requires vigilance,” Lu Qing said. “We’re used to it.”

“True,” Master Xu agreed. “But my own disciples—well, they’re not nearly as cautious. Last night, they slept like logs. If another attack had come, they’d have been the first to die.”

He shook his head, frustrated.

Same age, same master—but such a difference.

Look at Lu Qing—master of exquisite cuisine, never once needing his master’s help, always alert, always in control.

His own disciples? Like pigs.

“Perhaps they were just exhausted from yesterday’s journey,” Lu Qing offered with a smile.

He’d learned from their conversation that Master Xu had three male disciples: two brothers, Wen Bin and Wen Wu, both surnamed Wen, and another, Su, who’d been with him since childhood.

“Don’t make excuses for them,” Master Xu said, waving it off. “I don’t expect much. If they ever reach even half your skill, I’ll be satisfied.”

Wei Zian, who had just stepped out from the hall, froze.

Half his skill?

Even the Wei Family’s Ancestor wouldn’t dare say that.

A Nei Fu Jing cultivator? He was dreaming.

“Zi An,” Lu Qing called. “Go wake up Xiao Yan and Xiao Li. Breakfast is ready.”

Wei Zian nodded and disappeared back inside.

Master Xu sighed. “I’ll go wake my own lackluster disciples.”

He called them with clear irritation.

Now, with the contrast so sharp, he couldn’t help but feel anger toward his own students.

His voice was louder, his tone harsher.

When breakfast came, Xu Ping—still the last to wake—noticed the bruises on her senior brothers’ faces.

“Wen Bin Senior,” she asked, “what happened to your face? Did you fall while sleeping?”

Master Xu shot a sharp glance her way.

Wen Bin stiffened. “Ah… yes! We were sleeping, and when we turned over, we accidentally hit our heads.”

“Three of you, all at once?” Xu Ping frowned.

Wen Bin hesitated. “Yeah… the space behind the altar was too narrow. One turn, and we all bumped into it.”

“Oh,” Xu Ping said, nodding. “Be careful next time.”

She returned to her bowl, savoring the simple meat porridge—perfectly seasoned, rich in flavor.

Only one flaw: the man was too cold.

If he weren’t so distant, it’d be flawless.

Relieved that the question had ended, Wen Bin and his brothers exhaled.

They’d been truly disrespectful.

Everyone else was awake. Lu Qing had even prepared breakfast.

And they—still asleep.

No wonder Master was furious.

Lu Qing and his companions watched the scene, suppressing smiles.

They didn’t say a word.

After breakfast, the group packed up and set off.

The rest of the journey passed without incident.

Two days later, they reached the edge of a bustling town.

“Liu Yun Town,” Master Xu said, eyes bright. “Chen Ye, we’ve finally arrived.”

He pointed at the stone tablet outside the town gate.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end