Chapter 337: What Are You Looking At? I Didn’t Do It

Song Jiulai had changed her face, so neither Dong Yulan nor the other female cultivator beside her recognized her.

They just assumed this was an unfamiliar cultivator.

Dong Yulan glanced at Ma Feng’s corpse in the distance, then back at the male cultivator before them.

Their expressions were deferential. They were clearly afraid of him and dared not say much.

The Blood Replenishing Pill was mending Song Jiulai’s body, but since she had already taken two, the effect wasn’t as pronounced, and it wasn’t working as quickly.

Still, she at least had the strength to speak.

The male cultivator asked softly, "What happened here?"

Just speaking pulled at the wounds on Song Jiulai’s body. She said with great effort, "COUGH, COUGH... I was chasing that cultivator and accidentally stumbled into this area. We ran into a powerful cultivator. I fought hard just to stay alive. The one I was chasing... he was killed first."

She left her sentence hanging.

’How she managed to survive wasn’t important.’

’The point was, she was still alive.’

’Besides, Ma Feng had mistaken her for having the strength of the Golden Core Early Stage. These three would likely assume the same.’

’It wasn’t so strange for an Early Stage Golden Core cultivator to escape from a Mid-stage one. And with this powerful man arriving just in time, it made sense that the Demon Cultivator would flee immediately.’

Hearing this, the male cultivator looked up. His figure shot into the sky, and without a second thought for Ma Feng, he sped off in pursuit of the Demon Cultivator’s lingering aura.

He moved so fast he created a sonic boom.

’That speed...’

’He has to be at least Late-stage Golden Core.’

’No wonder the Demon Cultivator fled without a second thought.’

Dong Yulan and the other female cultivator breathed a sigh of relief as they watched him disappear.

Dong Yulan, however, was a little puzzled. "Fellow cultivator, are you the one who gave chase from the direction of First Mountain?"

Disciples from the Longevity Sect had told them that Su Huanli ran into trouble and was being hunted by a male Golden Core Early Stage cultivator. Fortunately, a female cultivator had suddenly appeared and saved her.

Since Song Jiulai wasn’t using her real face, the disciple hadn’t mentioned that it might be the Sect Master.

They only said that the female cultivator had chased after the male cultivator. Then, near Demon Cave Valley, they had sensed the clashing auras of two Golden Core Stage cultivators.

That was why Dong Yulan had followed the trail here.

Song Jiulai gave a barely perceptible nod.

Dong Yulan’s expression grew excited. "Fellow cultivator, were you the one who saved two Foundation Establishment Stage disciples, a man and a woman?"

Song Jiulai replied, "I was..."

Dong Yulan grew even more excited. The woman beside her, however, suddenly adopted a solemn expression. "I am Xie Yi, a junior. Thank you, Senior, for saving my disciple’s life!"

Song Jiulai was surprised as well.

She knew Su Huanli’s master was away most of the year. ’To think I’d meet her under these circumstances.’

She asked, "The female cultivator is your disciple?"

Xie Yi nodded. "She is."

A corner of Song Jiulai’s mouth twitched. "What a coincidence."

Dong Yulan said, "The Feique Sect is in your debt for this. May I ask which Sect you hail from, fellow cultivator?"

Song Jiulai was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Take me back to the Longevity Sect. I need to recuperate for a few days."

Dong Yulan and Xie Yi both froze.

’Longevity Sect?!’

’He’s from the Longevity Sect?’

Xie Yi’s reaction was one thing, but Dong Yulan was finding it hard to contain her shock.

’The Longevity Sect... actually has a Golden Core cultivator now?’

’How is that possible? How long has it been since they emerged?’

’Other than their Sect Master...’

’Other than the Sect Master of the Longevity Sect...’

But she had met the Sect Master before. When she signed the agreement with the Longevity Sect, their Sect Master was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

A complex mix of emotions flickered in Dong Yulan’s eyes, but she didn’t ask any questions. She and Xie Yi prepared to escort Song Jiulai away.

Song Jiulai then asked, "That senior who gave me the Elixir Pill earlier... I haven’t had a chance to thank him properly."

’Giving out a Fourth-rank Blood Replenishing Pill just like that... That man’s a saint, no matter how you look at it.’

Dong Yulan spoke with a hint of awe and fear. "That was a senior from the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect, at least Late-stage Golden Core. Xie Yi and I ran into him on our way here. He said he sensed the aura of a Demon Cultivator, so we followed him. We also saw that Soul Banner. If I’m not mistaken, the cultivator using the Soul Banner must have been the Demon Cultivator!"

It wasn’t strange for Demon Cultivators to appear on the borders of Demon Cave Valley. But this was the territory of a Major Sect, after all. Any Demon Cultivator who appeared here would normally keep a low profile and would never dare to reveal themselves so openly.

Song Jiulai suddenly had a theory about why Ma Feng died.

’Somehow, Ma Feng must have known that Demon Cultivator. He was probably trying to ask for help. But the Demon Cultivator was already in hiding; Ma Feng’s actions could have drawn the attention of other cultivators, which would have been disastrous. No wonder he was run through with a sword.’

And that was indeed the case.

’The Demon Cultivator must have been detected the moment he acted. These cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect are terrifyingly perceptive.’

’He got what he deserved!’

Xie Yi glanced back at Ma Feng’s corpse with a look of disgust. However, remembering that he had been killed by a Demon Cultivator, she didn’t press the matter. "Senior, was he killed by that Demon Cultivator?"

Song Jiulai nodded. "Yes. I chased him here, but I never expected him to suddenly call out to that Demon Cultivator for help. Before he could even finish his sentence, the Demon Cultivator killed him."

Dong Yulan was shocked. "That cultivator was collaborating with a Demon Cultivator?"

"He didn’t seem like a local cultivator," Xie Yi said, her eyes cold. "If he was from the Tianyang Sect, then it wouldn’t be surprising. Still, he died too easily."

After a moment of thought, Dong Yulan also nodded slowly.

There was no Jiezidai on Ma Feng’s body.

It was only natural that a Demon Cultivator would kill him and take his treasures.

What Dong Yulan and Xie Yi never would have guessed was that Song Jiulai had been the one to reap the benefits.

They took Song Jiulai and headed back.

Golden Core cultivators travel at an extraordinary pace. In just half a day, they had returned to the Longevity Sect from Demon Cave Valley.

Xie Yi hadn’t had a proper look at Wang’an County in over half a year.

Returning so suddenly, she was stunned by the immense changes before her eyes—especially the high walls of the county seat. A trace of bewilderment even broke through her typically cool expression.

"I’ll go back to tend to my injuries now. Thank you both for your help."

As she watched Song Jiulai head toward the Longevity Sect’s grounds, Dong Yulan confirmed her identity.

’The Sect Master of the Longevity Sect.’

’Only she has such a close relationship with Su Huanli.’

’No wonder she would risk her life to save her.’

’That was what Su Huanli herself had said.’

Xie Yi, on the other hand, grew even more astonished. "The Longevity Sect... I remember it was just a subordinate sect. I heard some rumors a while back that I didn’t dare believe, but... where did they get a Golden Core cultivator?"

Dong Yulan cut her off. "Let’s go back to the Sect and check on Huanli first."

Xie Yi immediately snapped back to reality. "Right!"

Song Jiulai returned to her own den. She had been away for months and had actually missed it.

She was about to start meditating to restore the circulation of her Spiritual Energy. Her body was in a bad state; while the Blood Replenishing Pill had mended her external wounds, her bones were so resilient that the pill was having almost no effect on them now.

She had to rely entirely on the Little Green Dragon, who was slowly mending her frame circuit by circuit. The constant sensation of her bones being repaired was deeply unpleasant.

So when an old man with a gray beard appeared before her, Song Jiulai could only stare back at him.

Han Daozi chuckled, stroking his beard. "You, the Sect Master of the Longevity Sect, are truly extraordinary. Your cultivation is at Late-stage Qi Refining, your face is a fake that doesn’t match the statue by the fountain outside, and you can even obscure the state of your own body. I can’t see through any of it. What a powerful Magic Treasure you must have."

"..." Song Jiulai was silent for two seconds. The searing pain of her bones knitting back together finally became too much to bear. She choked, and another mouthful of blood spewed from her lips.

Han Daozi: "..."

Just then, Zhai Xiaotian arrived. Seeing the scene, Han Daozi glanced back at him, immediately holding up his hands and taking two steps back.

"What are you looking at? I didn’t do it!"