Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Arriving at Scarlet Sun City

“They’re right here,” Qin Yuan answered, then briefly summarized: “Before you arrived, Elder, I made a simple inquiry. Of three demonic cultivators, one was unlucky and was struck dead by lightning. The other two suffered backlash from their foul arts, their realms collapsed, and the few of us took them alive.”

“Not bad. You’ve done well,” Elder Xie said. “You all still have missions outstanding, yes? Leave these two to this old fellow.”

“Very well,” Qin Yuan nodded. He had sent word to the sect partly to request an elder’s assistance and partly so they could hand the matter over afterward and continue on with their task.

He added tactfully: “Elder Xie, if we take them back to the sect, perhaps we can interrogate something valuable out of them.”

Elder Xie’s brows pinched for a moment before he dipped his chin: “Mm. This old fellow understands. You have missions to complete; don’t tarry.”

Seeing that, Qin Yuan said no more. The other party was an elder of the Enforcement Hall and surely understood the procedures and methods; it was not his place to lecture.

“Then we will take our leave.”

After handing the two demonic cultivators over to the elder, Qin Yuan’s group relaxed. They exchanged farewells with Elder Xie, boarded their flying boat, and departed Tranquil Harmony Town.

Once he was sure Qin Yuan’s party had gone, Elder Xie turned to the two bound demonic cultivators, lifted a hand, and sliced their ropes.

“Many thanks,” the two said with pale faces as they stood and cupped their fists to him.

“Humph,” Elder Xie snorted coldly. “Trash. You can’t even handle so small a matter.”

Irritation flashed across their faces as one protested: “It’s not that we were negligent—”

Elder Xie sneered: “Negligent? I say you’ve grown worse with age. Three Golden Cores, and you couldn’t deal with a few junior disciples at Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining. If this old fellow hadn’t discovered and intercepted the message sent to Heaven’s Evolution Sect ahead of time, the ones standing here now would be the sect’s law?enforcement team.”

The two knew they had stumbled because of carelessness, but their mouths could not help arguing: “We didn’t plan on this. Those little brats were easy enough, but a mysterious person showed up out of nowhere, knocked the two of us out, and then even Feng Sha died. There were traces of lightning at the scene; that one is likely a thunder?root cultivator who can draw heavenly lightning. His cultivation is definitely higher than ours.”

Elder Xie’s face changed slightly. “A mysterious person as well?” He had to admit it made sense; with Qin Yuan’s group alone, how could they have subdued two Golden Core cultivators. “This must be reported to the sect. It may be that a great cultivator from the righteous path has his eye on us.”

“Right—” they began, but Elder Xie chose that moment, while the pair’s cultivation was crippled and their bodies still weak, to strike without warning. Using a finger as a sword, he drew a line of sword qi that flashed and slit both their throats.

The demonic cultivators’ eyes flew wide with disbelief as one gargled: “You—”

“Two wastes with shattered Golden Cores, ruining the grand design, and you still hope to live?” Elder Xie said with a cold smile. He traced another arc; the sword qi turned into an icy blade, pierced both hearts in turn, and ground them to pulp. After a few breaths, two corpses lay on the ground.

Elder Xie rose into the air above Tranquil Harmony Town. With a sweep of his sleeve, a sea of fire billowed out and engulfed the settlement. The inferno came on like a storm, erasing every trace. Only after setting the blaze did Elder Xie depart, and when the flames finally died, the once prosperous, tranquil town had vanished from the land.

Four days later, Qin Yuan’s party finally reached the outskirts of Scarlet Sun City. After the harrowing night in Tranquil Harmony Town, Dai Zhou and the others were exhausted in body and spirit. Traveling day and night for four days, they arrived even earlier than planned. At the first sight of the magnificent city—vast, imposing, and seemingly suffused with the righteous qi of heaven and earth—their hearts settled with a rare peace.

Of the twelve main cities of the Southern Wilds, each City Lord was a Divine Transformation Stage powerhouse commanding ten thousand elite troops, every soldier at least at peak Qi Refining Stage. All who entered were strictly forbidden to brawl within the walls, and no cultivator was permitted to fly over the main city. Outside Scarlet Sun City, Qin Yuan and his companions set their flying boat down and proceeded on foot through the gate.

At the gate, each person had to pay ten spirit stones to enter. Dai Zhou’s group of four paid their own way, while Qin Yuan covered the fee for Yu Ruan Ruan and Rong Shu as well. Thirty spirit stones was nothing to him; he did not mind, either, the reputation it earned before his fellow disciples as a caring senior brother.

Once inside, the two original parties decided to split up. Qin Yuan said with easy courtesy: “Let’s part ways here. If both sides finish their tasks, we can travel back to the sect together.”

Dai Zhou clasped his fists and answered: “Senior Brother Qin, we’ll take our leave first.”

After parting, Dai Zhou’s four left at once. Qin Yuan then turned to Yu Ruan Ruan and Rong Shu and said: “Come on. We’ll finish our sect assignment first, and if there’s time afterward, I’ll take you on a proper tour of Scarlet Sun City.”

The two answered in unison: “All right, third senior brother.”

Qin Yuan’s task was straightforward. After confirming with the quest giver the direction in which several spirit beasts had fled and where they were last seen, he led Rong Shu and Yu Ruan Ruan to the Great Chuan Forest outside Scarlet Sun City.

Qin Yuan summoned the Blood Patterned Black Panther and the Azure Sky Falcon. After letting his two spirit beasts sniff the droppings and fur the missing beasts had left behind to fix the scent, he sent them to track.

Many wild demon beasts lived in the Great Chuan Forest. For safety’s sake, he kept the strongest close at hand. When no danger presented itself, however, the forest’s scenery was quite pleasant. Yu Ruan Ruan seemed to be blessed with luck; once inside the Great Chuan Forest she moved as if born to it, and kept “happening” upon wild spirit herbs.

She called out with bright delight as they walked: “Third senior brother, I found another spirit herb.”

Qin Yuan praised her with a smile: “Ruan Ruan is impressive.”

She asked with earnest concern: “Do you need these herbs?”

He answered lightly: “No. But we can set them aside for Second Senior Brother. He can probably use them.”

She nodded happily: “Mm?hmm.”

Talking and laughing as if no one else were around, Qin Yuan and Yu Ruan Ruan wore easy smiles the whole way. Following behind without leaving the protective range of the Red Gold Explosive Flame Tiger, Rong Shu kept her eyes on the lay of the forest, and from time to time she heard the distant roars of unknown beasts.