Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 163 - 163 162 Return to the Western Miao Extra for Alliance Hierarch Elixir Qinghuaqingchang

163: Chapter 162: Return to the Western Miao [Extra for Alliance Hierarch Elixir Qinghuaqingchang] 163: Chapter 162: Return to the Western Miao [Extra for Alliance Hierarch Elixir Qinghuaqingchang] Watching as Hou Niao led a group of people away, the welcome crowd dispersed noisily, but the patrollers didn’t move.

Xiang Zhiwen turned back and said, “You killers, your social graces are worse than a newcomer’s.

Look at Hou Junior Brother, though he’s impatient at heart, he still performs the necessary courtesies on the surface.

Otherwise, he’d end up like me, staying put in this place.”

Li Jingxi just laughed, “Don’t give him too much credit; I think that kid is probably harboring some mischief!”

Dou Gong mused, “Is there a source for what Hou Junior Brother said about the instability of the Soul Ghosts in West Mang Mountain?”

Xiang Zhiwen gave a wry smile and shook his head, “He did mention it to me five days ago, but the Soul Ghosts in West Mang Mountain have been quiet for hundreds of years.

How could they just happen to become volatile now?

I suspect the kid just didn’t want to be a guide and made up an excuse.”

Tu Xiu, who was usually taciturn, spoke up, “That may not be the case!

When I returned from a patrol a few days ago, I heard that the human fortresses near West Mang Mountain were quite bustling, with each household preparing firewood, clearly in anticipation of a Soul Ghost invasion.

If Hou Junior Brother wasn’t certain, he wouldn’t have caused such a stir.”

Xiang Zhiwen was hearing about this situation for the first time, as he had been busy with the matters of Fang Family’s Castle and had neglected this aspect.

Now, it seemed, Hou Niao wasn’t just being temperamental; he was serious.

Looking back, a pair of eager eyes were upon him, like wolves eyeing meat.

He sighed, “I know you’ve all been cooped up in Fang Family’s Castle recently, and with the Town Government line nearly recovered, it’s time for us to leave this place.

Let’s take this opportunity.

“Order all patrollers to advance toward West Mang Mountain.

We won’t join in the fray of killing Soul Ghosts, but instead, we’ll scatter and station ourselves in the human fortresses closest to West Mang Mountain until their trial is over!”

There were those among the crowd who were dissatisfied and others who were excited.

Not entering West Mang Mountain was somewhat disappointing, but being close to it was still good, certainly better than idling away here.

With a whistle, they were off in a flash!

Leaving Xiang Zhiwen there, undecided about whether or not to inform the Town Government line.

This depended on the actual situation in West Mang Mountain and on Hou Niao’s judgment…

…Hou Niao raced on horseback, closely followed by three groups of people.

Among those from Jin City’s Mu Shuai house were three individuals, excluding Uncle Zheng.

Along with the two Bridge Connection Realm attendants, they represented the impartial party; three were enough and since they weren’t entering the fray, there was no need for more.

The Huncheng Sect had brought a total of fifteen people, led by a Tongxuan Cultivator.

The remaining fourteen were all in the Bridge Connection or Grain Avoidance Realm, a rather formidable team for those below Tongxuan.

The Anhe Daoist Sect had fourteen people as well, led by an Upper Tongxuan Cultivator.

The rest were all in Grain Avoidance or Bridge Connection Realm, without any filling the numbers from the Essence Building Realm; this was important in the exchange, as during the Essence Building Realm the Dantian was not yet full, making them at a disadvantage in both combat and skill demonstration.

As the senior brothers said, most of the low-rank exchange cultivators were indeed female, including the two leading Upper Cultivators.

This might also be a strategy for the exchange, as if they were female it wouldn’t seem so aggressive, and an occasional overstep wouldn’t be too conspicuous.

Whether the real intention was matrimonial was merely a joke.

Dual Cultivation among couples was quite common in the Cultivation World, but mostly confined within their own sects and Daoist schools, determined by cultivation techniques and philosophical concepts.

If one were to mix a Daoist with one from a demonic path, at the very least the assistance in cultivation would be greatly affected.

There wouldn’t be enough time to get along, unless one of them gave up their Daoist lineage, which would be pointless.

Dual Cultivation couples prioritize cultivation above all else, with affection between the two sexes coming second; pursuing immortality is even more worthwhile, as romantic moments pass by like fleeting clouds, a consensus in the cultivation circles.

If one could live for hundreds or more years, then the beauty or ugliness of the women around becomes insignificant.

The female cultivators wore veils over their faces, which seemed pointless for those protected by the Qi Gang; was it because a hazy beauty, obscured and therefore more alluring, was what people desired?

Hou Niao lacked any particular interest in these female cultivators; they were too much trouble.

His own path in the future might be fraught with difficulty, and he had no intention of involving a woman to share mutual concerns.

Without a word, he just ran wildly, starting from dusk and continuing until the clear dawn of the next day, with West Mang Mountain now clearly in sight.

Upon reaching the first hill within the boundaries of West Mang Mountain, Hou Niao reined in his steed, “Uncle Zheng, from here onwards, it is the outskirts of West Mang Mountain.

After dark, every hill from here to the north will gather a large number of Soul Ghosts.”

Everyone stopped in unison, and Uncle Zheng turned to two fellow practitioners: “How about we let the disciples rest and control their breathing here, while the few of us go in to find the most suitable place for the trial?”

The suggestion was sensible, so the disciples dismounted, practiced their breathing control, and made tea and boiled water; there was still an entire day ahead, plenty of time for them to ready themselves for battle.

Uncle Zheng turned his head, “Nephew Hou, please continue to lead the way, we need to take a look inside.”

Hou Niao felt somewhat unsettled; he didn’t know if those two Wandering Soul ghosts from last time were still around.

But after all, it was daytime now, and with three Tongxuan Upper Cultivators by his side, perhaps there was no need to fear?

He urged his horse forward, but Uncle Zheng suddenly grabbed him; before he could react, he found himself standing on a shuttle-shaped Magic Artifact, hovering several meters above the ground and trembling slightly.

Like him, the other two female cultivators also took out their Flying Artifacts; an upper cultivator from Huncheng Sect was on a lotus leaf, while an Anhe female cultivator rode a jade zither, both elegant and ethereal, as if about to ascend to immortality.

The three artifacts gradually climbed higher and flew slowly into the depths of West Mang Mountain after reaching a hundred meters high.

This was Hou Niao’s first experience of flight in his life, and he never dreamed it would be with an uncle he loathed; life’s encounters are indeed unpredictable.

Because they were looking for a suitable trial site, they did not fly very fast, just slightly quicker than a galloping horse; after a while, Hou Niao got used to the feeling and relaxed his grip on the edge of the shuttle, prompting another disdainful snort from Uncle Zheng behind him.

This was the most natural reaction for a junior cultivator without any backing; those juniors with a solid background had been taken flying by their elders, hadn’t they?

“On the edge of West Mang Mountain, after nightfall, each hill will attract hundreds of Soul Ghosts, mostly of low rank and not very aggressive…”

While flying, Hou Niao described everything in detail, earnestly sharing what he knew.

He couldn’t understand why these coquettish female cultivators would come here to kill Soul Ghosts and fight; wouldn’t it be better for them to stay somewhere safe, refining elixirs and making talismans?

But these were not his concerns.

What made him happy was that he had experienced the sensation of flying for the first time, a feeling he found enchanting.

In his cultivation career, he had never desired a skill so much; now, he had a goal.

The only regret was that it was a flight he was brought on, not one at his own will.