Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Qin Hongdao looked at the two figures at the entrance.

They also gazed back at her. Mu Shan's delicate sword froze in midair, almost slipping from her hands.

Qin Hongdao grinned, flipped her hand, and a long blade appeared in her grasp, held vertically before her chest as she asked proudly, "Are you here to fight?"

This time, Mu Shan's sword truly fell to the ground.

It was evident how intimidating Qin Hongdao's long blade was.

Upon hearing this, Mu Ziming's face contorted. Unconsciously, he recalled the numerous times Qin Hongdao had bested him in combat. One could say that Mu Ziming's rise to fame on the Central Continent was overshadowed by Qin Hongdao's long blade.

Every time he saw her, he would have an illusion of his bones aching.

Gradually, whenever he encountered her, Mu Ziming would instinctively take a detour to avoid confrontation with this violent woman who didn't seem like one.

However, Mu Shan wasn't afraid of Qin Hongdao. She quickly regained her composure, picked up the sword from the ground, and yelled, "I'm looking for that despicable Min Chuo. Is she here?"

Qin Hongdao furrowed his brow slightly and said solemnly, "Junior Sister Mu Shan, is this how Daoist Dao Yan taught you? Using derogatory terms at every turn without realizing you're also insulting yourself? You're a young lady, why is your tongue so filthy?"

As the senior sister of Crimson Heaven Sect, Qin Hongdao was adept at scolding when she needed to, her words flowing smoothly.

Although Mu Shan was not a disciple of Crimson Heaven Sect, the three major sects had always maintained a friendly relationship on the surface, and their disciples would address each other as fellow seniors or juniors when they met, as a sign of familiarity.

Mu Shan, taken aback by the reprimand, suddenly flew into a rage. "You called me a slut?"

"I didn't say that, but if you want to think that way, I won't object," Qin Hongdao replied with a grin, her long blade radiating a chilling aura.

She stood at the entrance, her figure tall and imposing, effortlessly making Mu Shan, who was causing a commotion at the door, appear insignificant. Her once delicate features seemed to lose some of their luster.

Mu Shan was oblivious to this shift in dynamics. The sight of Qin Hongdao's face irked her. This woman wasn't pleasing to the eye and spent her days engaging in battles like a man, behaving arrogantly. If not for her formidable strength, many would have taken it upon themselves to teach her a lesson for her demeanor.

Mu Shan was the one who sought to teach her a lesson.

She held back her anger and said icily, "Senior Sister Qin, I address you with respect as my senior, so I hope you won't indulge in vain words. It's best if you hand over Min Chu."

"What if I refuse to give it?" Qin Hongdao asked.

"Well, don't blame us for being rude then."

Qin Hongdao chuckled as if she had heard something amusing. She turned to Mu Ziming and asked, "Junior Brother Mu, do you also wish to be impolite to me?"

Mu Ziming's face darkened, and he said apologetically, "Senior Sister Qin, Min Cuo has offended Little Junior Sister. At the very least, let her vent some of her frustration." Otherwise, how would the Qingyun Sect save face?

"Alright!" Qin Hongdao agreed promptly, holding her sword in front of her. "Let's have a fight then!"

Both Mu Shan and her brother were taken aback.

A sense of foreboding welled up within Mu Ziming.

Qin Hongdao was a straightforward person. In her mind, there was nothing that couldn't be resolved with a fight. If one bout wasn't enough, they could always have another.

"Min Cuo is my guest, and I won't allow you to harm her. Moreover, I understand the conflict between Junior Sister Mu and Miss Min. Junior Sister Mu brought this upon herself but now wants to harm the victim. Does that make any sense in this world? If you want to deal with her, ask my sword if it permits it."

Mu Shan shrieked, "Senior Sister Qin! Are you deliberately opposing us?"

"Enough chatter. Fight! If I win, you're not allowed to bother Miss Min anymore in the future!"

"Why do you think so?" Mu Shan blurted out.

"Because of my blade!"

Mu Shan's face paled, while Mu Ziming remained silent.

Seeing the two not responding, Qin Hongdao, tired of wasting time, asked, "Are we fighting or not? I won't bully you. Junior Brother Mu, you can fight in your sister's place."

This time, it was Mu Ziming's turn to turn pale.

He took a deep breath and asked, "Senior Sister Qin, are you really going to protect those who offended your junior sister?"

"Yes," Qin Hongdao replied without hesitation.

"May I ask why?"

"They saved Junior Brother Sheng's life."

Upon hearing this, Mu Ziming understood. He hadn't expected these two to possess such skills that they could earn the gratitude of Qin Hongdao and Sheng Yunshen. He was well aware of Qin Hongdao's character—her righteousness would never allow her to change her mind once she had made up her mind. If he wanted to deal with the duo, he'd have to defeat her first.

Mu Ziming swiftly assessed the situation and said, "Senior Sister Qin, we've disturbed you enough."

"Martial Brother!" Mu Shan stomped her foot in frustration, discovering that her brother intended to let the two individuals off.

Mu Ziming didn't comment further and began leading his sister away.

Qin Hongdao called out to them, "Also, let's withdraw the bounty. This matter was caused by Junior Sister Mu's own actions. To vent your anger on others would be the act of a petty person, wouldn't it?"

"I won't!" Mu Shan declared stubbornly. "Why should I listen to you?"

As an only child raised with love and indulgence by her parents, she wasn't intimidated by Qin Hongdao, whose cultivation was higher than hers. No one had taught her to fear, so she only needed to live true to herself. Her parents had taken care of everything else, providing her with a strong foundation.

Since childhood, no one had dared to make Mu Shan feel inferior.

Even Qin Hongdao failed to inspire fear in her. This was because Qin Hongdao was an extremely principled individual. She wouldn't attack the weak or women unless they truly deserved it.

"Junior Sister!" Mu Ziming warned sternly.

Mu Shan looked up, maintaining her indignant expression.

Qin Hongdao didn't indulge her. "Since Junior Sister Mu is unwilling to give up, we'll have to let strength speak for itself. Let's fight outside the town; no holds barred."

"Fight it out then!" Mu Shan shouted. "Senior Brother, fight with her."

Mu Ziming's face darkened. What was a so-called 'useless teammate'? This was one.

Qin Hongdao grinned, about to speak when suddenly he heard Mu Shan say, "Senior Brother, you fight with her, and I'll fight this woman."

Mu Shan pointed at the courtyard behind Qin Hongdao.

Qin Hongdao turned back and noticed that Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao had somehow come out of the room and were standing on the veranda, looking in their direction.

Qin Hongdao slightly frowned. She naturally knew what Mu Shan was planning. Being in the late-stage Primordial Martial Realm, she was one realm higher than Wen Qiao. In a fight, the one with the lower realm would be at a disadvantage. Then, Mu Shan could seize the opportunity to kill Wen Qiao during the match, and they wouldn't be able to say anything since both parties had agreed to it.

"You take me for an idiot?" Qin Hongdao refused to play along. "Don't you know your own cultivation level and hers? Do you think everyone else is a fool, allowing you to decide everything? You can openly seek revenge like that?"

Mu Shan was infuriated by her straightforwardness once again and shrieked, "I was going to retaliate against her anyway! What's wrong with that? You won't allow this, you won't allow that—what do you want? I'm going to tell my father that you're bullying me!"

"Go ahead, I don't care," Qin Hongdao said casually. Did she think threatening Dao Yan Realms would scare her? If so, she wasn't the senior sister of Crimson Heaven Sect.

Mu Shan was fuming, her delicate face contorting as she panted heavily.

Mu Ziming remained silent. He knew his junior sister's temperament; there was no point in trying to dissuade her. It all depended on Qin Hongdao's decision now.

Finally, Mu Shan bypassed Qin Hongdao and directly addressed Wen Qiao, "Min Cuo, do you dare to have a match with me? No holds barred, life or death?"

"Really? No holds barred?" Wen Qiao asked.

Mu Shan nodded proudly, looking down on her with disdain. Did this girl, at the pinnacle of the Yuanming Realm, truly think she could defeat her?

Wen Qiao replied, "Fine. If I win, you'll have to withdraw your bounty and never trouble us again."

"I agree!" Mu Shan quickly agreed, fearful that Qin Hongdao might intervene again.

Qin Hongdao chuckled and said, "Then I'll be the witness!"

Mu Ziming inwardly groaned. However, Mu Shan had agreed so swiftly that he had no chance to intervene. All he could do was watch them swear their oaths, with Qin Hongdao standing by as their witness.

After they had made their vows, Qin Hongdao said, "It's already late, so let's schedule the match for tomorrow afternoon after we leave the town."

Mu Shan, having obtained the outcome she desired, didn't persist and left with Mu Ziming.

She wasn't worried that Wen Qiao would be frightened and flee. Qin Hongdao, despite being rather detestable, was a man of his word and wouldn't renege on a promise.

Before departing, she shot a sinister glance at Wen Qiao and gave her a triumphant, spoiled smile, already treating her as good as dead.

On their way back, Mu Ziming's frown remained etched on his face, a veil of gloom clouding his sharp eyes.

"Junior Sister, you really shouldn't have challenged Min Chu," Mu Ziming said.

Mu Shan was unconcerned. "Do you think I can't defeat her? She's only at the Yuanming level, and besides, I never said we couldn't use weapons in the match. It's all about our abilities, isn't it?"

Thinking of the various protective items their master and mistress had given to their youngest junior sister, Mu Ziming felt a slight relief.

However, he was still unhappy. There were no surprises in his junior sister's match against Min Chu, but he could predict the outcome of his own bout with Qin Hongdao without even watching – he'd likely end up being beaten by the woman once again.

And all of this was due to his junior sister's actions.

As Mu Ziming reached this realization, he glanced at his junior sister beside him, his eyelids drooping slightly.

Closing the door behind her, Qin Hongdao spoke with a serious expression, "Miss Min, do you have confidence in tomorrow's match?"

Wen Qiao was a straightforward girl. She replied, "Yes, I do."

Upon hearing this, Qin Hongdao felt greatly relieved. She admired such self-assured girls. Regardless of whether they would win or lose, it was crucial to maintain one's momentum and give the opponent an impression of invincibility. Perhaps they could really triumph?

As for the fact that Wen Qiao's cultivation was lower than Mu Shan's, Qin Hongdao didn't really mind. After all, she herself enjoyed challenging opponents from higher realms, so naturally, she believed others could too. Mu Shan had been overly pampered by Dao Yan, and her cultivation wasn't taken seriously. At nearly twenty years old, she was only at the Primordial Martial Realm, revealing her weakness.

Defeating a weakling wouldn't be a difficult task.

"Alright then, fight her tomorrow without holding back. Just make sure she survives," Qin Hongdao said. "We're sparing her life because Dao Yan is irrational. We shouldn't waste time on such people."

Wen Qiao obediently agreed.

After saying her piece, Qin Hongdao returned to the central chamber and opened the door, only to find Sheng Yunshen already awake in the tub.

With a hoarse voice, Sheng Yunshen asked, "Senior Sister, what happened?"

"There's nothing to worry about. I just bumped into Senior Apprentice Brother and Sister Mu Ziming from the Qingyun Sect, and they challenged me to a fight," Qin Hongdao said nonchalantly.

Sheng Yunshen, well aware of his senior sister's temperament, chuckled. "Then Mu Ziming is bound to lose again. Too bad I'm in this state now; otherwise, I would have loved to spar with him too."

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance."

Qin Hongdao reassured her as he cradled his long blade and sat beside the tub, his gaze still fixed on the rune fire.

Ten hours passed by gradually.

When the time was almost up, Ning Yuzhou entered the room to examine Sheng Yunshen.

The rune fire beneath the tub continued to burn softly, while the water inside had transformed from dark green to pure black, emitting a pungent yet slightly sweet odor. An immense change had also taken place within the tub—Sheng Yunshen's black boils no longer oozed pus or blood, and their color had significantly faded.

Compared to before the treatment, where Sheng Yunshen resembled a terrifying demon, he now looked like someone who had suffered an allergic reaction from consuming something harmful. At the very least, his facial features were discernible.

Qin Hongdao stood anxiously by the side, asking worriedly, "Mr. Ning, how is my junior brother doing?"

After examining Sheng Yunshen's body, Ning Yuzhou replied, "This session extracted thirty percent of the poison, which should suppress it for about half a month. To prolong the effect, more treatments will be necessary."

"Then I'll trouble Young Master Ning," Qin Hongdao hurriedly said.

When the time was right, Ning Yuzhou asked Qin Hongdao to lift Sheng Yunshen up.

"I can do it myself," Sheng Yunshen insisted, using the bathtub to pull himself up. "Senior Sister, please turn around."

Seeing that he could indeed stand on his own, Qin Hongdao turned and walked out of the room.

Outside the door, Wen Qiao held Wen Tuantuan in her arms. Both she and the rabbit were munching on spirit pills as if they were candy.

Qin Hongdao's eyes twitched slightly, especially when she realized that the spirit pills they were treating like candy were all top-grade. She couldn't help swallowing as she watched them.

As the senior sister of a top-tier sect, she had access to ample cultivation resources, but no matter how abundant they were, they couldn't possibly compare to Wen Qiao and the demonic rabbit casually consuming top-grade spirit pills like candy, with no limit to their consumption. How many alchemists would it take to supply such a demand? Moreover, there were many disciples in the sect, and it was impossible to cater solely to one person. Qin Hongdao cared for her junior siblings and wouldn't selfishly monopolize the sect's resources.

There was no need to ask who supplied these top-grade spirit pills. It was clear that they were refined by Ning Yuzhou.

Back then, she sought out Ning Yuzhou because he sold top-grade spirit pills in bulk. Very few alchemists would be willing to part with thirty top-grade pills at once, unless they were truly in need of money or didn't value top-grade spirit pills. Undoubtedly, Ning Yuzhou didn't lack top-grade spirit pills, and the quality of the ones he refined was exceptional.

Now, it seemed Ning Yuzhou was even more skilled than she had initially guessed. The yield rate of top-grade pills from his refinement process was impressively high.

Inside the room, Sheng Yunshen quickly attended to himself, slipping into a loose robe and sitting on a high-backed armchair. Though he still appeared somewhat frail, he was definitely in better condition than the day before.

Qin Hongdao and Wen Qiao entered.

"Lord Ning, what preparations do we need for next steps? Are we continuing with the medicinal bath?" Qin Hongdao asked with concern.

Ning Yuzhou acknowledged, "The medicinal bath must continue. I'll also refine some more pills to aid in recovery. With both treatments, just a few days more should suffice."

Qin Hongdao was overjoyed and promptly asked what ingredients were needed so she could gather them swiftly.

Ning Yuzhou wrote down another list of spirit herbs, instructing her to collect them accordingly.

Qin Hongdao tucked away the paper, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's almost time. We should set off now."

They had arranged with Mu Shan to hold their match outside the town in the afternoon, right after Sheng Yunshen finished his bath. It wouldn't be too late to collect the spirit herbs after the competition.

"Sister-in-law, you're going out? Count me in then," Sheng Yunshen offered.

Qin Hongdao was reluctant to leave her junior brother alone, so she promptly fetched a cloak for him to wear, covering him from head to toe.

Next, the group left the small residence and set out towards the outskirts of Cangwu Town.