Chapter 296: Hunter and Prey

A moment later, the Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat broke through the sea of fire and came to an abrupt halt in front of him.

Qin Sang turned and thrust out his Ebony Sword, while Yun Youzi activated his magical artifact to engage in battle. Their exchange of blows sent spiritual energy howling as they traded moves. What seemed like a thrilling and desperate fight was, in fact, entirely under control, a mere charade.

As they feigned combat, they rapidly communicated using their divine senses.

After a quick exchange, Qin Sang finally understood the full story.

It turned out that by the time Qin Sang sent his message via the Conjoined Heart Pendant, Sheng Yuanzi and Luo Xingnan had already received intelligence from their informant even earlier, and their respective groups had coincidentally encountered each other. At that point, it was no longer possible for Yun Youzi and Ge Yuan to leave the group. However, after learning from Qin Sang that Yu Kong had set a trap, they seized the opportunity to strategize their escape.

Unexpectedly, when the true crisis unfolded, Luo Xingnan was already prepared. He had even readied a Talisman Treasure in advance, using it to severely injure a King Hook Serpent. Witnessing this, Yun Youzi immediately knew there was an internal conspiracy. He promptly abandoned the idea of escaping alone and continued to feign loyalty by remaining at Luo Xingnan's side. Before escaping, Luo Xingnan also took the opportunity to betray Sheng Yuanzi, who otherwise wouldn't have died so quickly.

Ultimately, because this group of Hook Serpents was too powerful, most of the cultivators still fell prey to them. Only five individuals managed to escape alive. Luo Xingnan feigned his death, deceiving everyone. The roles were instantly reversed: Yu Kong became the hunted, and Luo Xingnan the hunter.

“I helped Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan escape amidst the chaos,” Yun Youzi said. “He is currently outside the restriction. Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan still has his Conjoined Heart Pendant, so we can now have Luo Xingnan scout ahead for us. After you rendezvous, await my instructions...”

Qin Sang did some calculations and couldn't help but frown deeply. His side only had three people. Luo Xingnan was the only expert at the Foundation Establishment middle stage. With the addition of the elder surnamed Gong and two others, their strength already surpassed his side's severalfold. Now, they had received further reinforcements: Shangguan Lifeng was also one of Luo Xingnan's people. Wu Chen had been captured alive, while Yan Wu's fate remained unknown. The disparity between the two sides could no longer be simply described as large; even operating covertly, it would be difficult for them to achieve anything significant once they entered the mountain.

“I wonder if you've noticed, Brother Qin, that the aura of these spiritual medicines isn't quite normal. I suspect there aren't nearly this many spiritual medicines on the mountain, and there might not be enough to go around,” Yun Youzi revealed another piece of news Qin Sang didn't want to hear. “What have you discovered, Senior?” Qin Sang asked in a low voice. If there weren't enough spiritual medicines to go around, conflict would be inevitable. Yun Youzi shook his head. “I can't be certain right now,” he said, “but I feel that most of the auras are too faint and obscure, not like what thousand-year spiritual medicines should possess. However, I don't know what other restrictions are on the mountain, so this glow might not represent the true aura of the spiritual medicines. Nevertheless, we must prepare for the unexpected.” Yun Youzi hailed from the Taiyi Pill Sect and possessed profound knowledge in the Dao of Alchemy. For him to say this, he likely had at least a seventy percent certainty.

Qin Sang abandoned any wishful thinking and pondered a countermeasure. The opponent's forces were immense. To snatch food from the tiger's mouth, they had to plan meticulously. Even if the chances were slim, they had to give it their all.

“From my observation, those three might not be willing to follow Luo Xingnan to the bitter end. The scholar in white robes probably has no connection with Luo Xingnan; he's a rogue cultivator who was accidentally drawn into this. When surrounded by the Hook Serpents, Luo Xingnan showed no particular intention of protecting him. This person's evasion technique was excellent; he relied on extremely nimble movements to maneuver through the battlefield, remaining unharmed, which allowed him to keep up. The hooked-nose man, surnamed Yin, was originally one of Sheng Yuanzi's subordinates. This person proved to be decisively ruthless; to save his life, he betrayed and ambushed Sheng Yuanzi on the spot, pledging allegiance to Luo Xingnan. Only the elder surnamed Gong, whom Luo Xingnan had sent to be an undercover agent under Sheng Yuanzi, certainly had a deep relationship with Luo Xingnan and earned his profound trust. At that time, the only person Luo Xingnan took with him was the elder.”

Yun Youzi briefly introduced Luo Xingnan's allies. After hearing him out, Qin Sang felt considerably relieved. The opposing side was not a monolith; apart from the elder surnamed Gong, the other two could be swayed. As long as there were significant enough benefits, they could betray Luo Xingnan at any time. Neither he nor Yun Youzi were greedy individuals; they only sought the spiritual medicines they needed. If absolutely necessary, they could even trade for them under other conditions. But if the spiritual medicines on the mountain couldn't satisfy Luo Xingnan's appetite, would he willingly share the spoils? Luo Xingnan was the strongest among them, with allies by his side. He would only need to allocate some to pacify his trusted confidants; forcibly seizing others' shares would be no problem. The other individuals were disorganized and dared not contend with Luo Xingnan. With a little manipulation, they could stir up trouble.

“How much do you know about Yu Kong's people, Junior Brother Qin?” Yun Youzi asked again, deliberately adding, “Shangguan Lifeng... Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan didn't even know Shao Chunhui had a disciple. I wonder what kind of person he is?” Qin Sang understood the implication of Yun Youzi's words. If Shangguan Lifeng was someone who repaid kindness, after Luo Xingnan helped him avenge his master, he would certainly be utterly obedient to Luo Xingnan and impossible for them to sway. Memories from this period flashed rapidly through Qin Sang's mind, and he found his impression of Shangguan Lifeng to be very vague. This person was taciturn, spending his days holding his treasured blade and comprehending blade intent, rarely interacting with others. If it wasn't a disguise, a person with such a personality would be unlikely to betray others. Qin Sang shared his assessment with Yun Youzi. The two of them directly classified him as being on Luo Xingnan's side.

“It can be confirmed that Wu Chen is a rogue cultivator,” Qin Sang paused, then added, “The one who escaped with me is Yan Wu; he is Yu Kong's trusted subordinate.” Yun Youzi's tone grew increasingly relaxed. “Luo Xingnan, the elder surnamed Gong, Shangguan Lifeng; you, me, Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan, plus the man surnamed Yin, the scholar in white robes, Wu Chen... If you, Brother Qin, can find an opportunity to steal the spiritual medicines, that would be ideal. Even if we confront them directly, six against three, we might even have the upper hand. Later, when breaking through the restrictions, some people might still get injured or even perish, as Luo Xingnan certainly won't let his trusted confidants scout ahead... However, as long as the timing is right, our strength won't be much weaker than Luo Xingnan's. This matter holds great promise! At this point, one more person means one more source of strength. If we can save Yan Wu, that would be even better.” Their divine sense communication was extremely fast; although it seemed like they had exchanged so many words, only a few breaths of time had actually passed, making it still possible to save Yan Wu.

Qin Sang secretly frowned, but in the end, he nodded in agreement. The conflict between him and Yan Wu was neither minor nor major; moreover, it was Yan Wu who had lost face, and Qin Sang hadn't suffered any losses, so there was nothing to dwell on. Previously, he had been wary of Yan Wu because of Yu Kong's presence. Now that Yu Kong was dead and Yan Wu had lost his backing, Qin Sang truly didn't take Yan Wu seriously. Yun Youzi was right; seizing the medicines was the top priority, and the overall situation was paramount. Of course, this didn't mean Qin Sang fully trusted Yan Wu; he merely intended to use Yan Wu to suppress Luo Xingnan. He would also constantly monitor Yan Wu's actions.

The two made a decisive choice, put away their respective magical artifacts, and boarded Yun Youzi's Spirit Bamboo Flying Boat.