Chapter 44: Choice

The Mortal World

However, it wasn't long before Qin Sang's face showed deep disappointment, and he sighed softly.

He rushed down the mountain, eagerly searching the chaotic battlefield for a long time. Apart from finding two strips of cloth hanging on tree branches, he saw no one, not even a corpse.

The battlefield seemed to be confined to an area of only a few hundred zhang. Unwilling to give up, Qin Sang expanded his search, but found no other traces.

Qin Sang held the two pieces of excellent quality cyan cloth, his gaze fixed on the unrecognizable valley below, a pensive look on his face.

The mountain peaks on both sides of the valley had collapsed, filling the valley with earth and rocks. A small river that originally flowed through the valley was now blocked, forming a small lake upstream. Could anyone be buried under the valley?

With so many scattered rocks, he couldn't possibly clear them by himself. Qin Sang hesitated for a moment, then returned to the ancient path and ordered a battalion of soldiers to come in and dig.

The valley was not on the ancient path, but no one dared to defy Qin Sang's orders. They immediately set to work with great enthusiasm.

Impatient with the wait, Qin Sang also stepped forward to help.

The valley wasn't large, but the earth and rocks were piled very deep. Qin Sang couldn't help but worry that even if someone was underneath, they would likely have been crushed to a pulp. He hoped the items hadn't been damaged.

Layer after layer of earth and rock were removed. Soon, night fell. Suppressing his anxiety, Qin Sang ordered them to set up camp and cook, then continue digging through the night.

Some soldiers couldn't help but grumble, but he pretended not to hear. Torches illuminated the valley, and they continued working until deep into the night when the bottom of the valley was finally reached.

The last layer of earth and rock was soaked into mud by water. Basket after basket was carried out, and Qin Sang himself was almost covered in mud.

Just then, a sudden cry of surprise erupted from the front. Qin Sang's heart leaped. He looked up and heard the soldiers in front shouting, "General Qin, there's someone down here!"

Qin Sang was overjoyed and quickly shouted, "Don't touch him!"

With a few quick leaps, Qin Sang reached the front and discovered that an underground river had been unearthed.

The terrain here was peculiar. The bottom of a massive bluestone on the riverbank had been hollowed out by the river, extending outwards to form a natural barrier. Several fallen large rocks had conveniently blocked the gaps, so the underground river was not obstructed and still flowed with trickling water.

And there, a person lay face down in the water, motionless.

The person was wearing deep cyan clothes. Qin Sang took out the cloth from his pocket and compared it; it was exactly the same, torn from this person's clothing.

Qin Sang crouched down and reached in. Just as he was about to check if the person was alive or dead, he heard someone else shout from behind, "Another one discovered!"

Then, he heard Zhang Wenkui shout, "General Qin, this person is dead. His head was crushed by a rock."

Another mutual destruction?

Qin Sang secretly thought that the world of cultivators was truly bizarre; whenever one died, a pair died. However, for him, this was definitely a great stroke of luck.

Qin Sang immediately ordered all soldiers to leave the valley.

The valley was brightly lit by torches, illuminating the surrounding mountains. In the distance, wolves howled and night owls shrieked, sounds that were eerie but filled Qin Sang's heart with anticipation.

He forcefully reached out, grasped the person's arm in the stream, and was about to pull him out when his expression subtly changed.

Half of the person's body was submerged in the water, and he was completely cold, indistinguishable from a corpse. However, the moment Qin Sang grabbed his arm, he detected a faint pulse!

Still alive!

For a moment, Qin Sang didn't know whether to be happy or worried. His expression flickered between different emotions, and after a moment of hesitation, he decided to gently pull the person out of the water first.

The young man had been in the water for a long time; his face was pale, and his thin lips were devoid of any color.

He looked older than the youth named Song, appearing to be around twenty years old. His features were rugged and well-defined. His breathing was extremely shallow, and his pulse and breath were almost imperceptible, indicating severe injuries. He didn't wake up even when Qin Sang dragged him out.

However, cultivators couldn't be equated with mortals; this person might still be saved.

Qin Sang gazed at the young man, his mind wavering. He was inclined to save him.

Seeking immortality, seeking immortality – he had gone through so much trouble, patiently dealing with mortals, all for the sake of cultivation, wasn't it? Now he had finally encountered a cultivator, with a shortcut right in front of him. Was there any need to waste more time in the mortal world?

Although killing him would allow him to summon the soul to question it, the soul's existence was so fleeting that it would be impossible to get a complete picture of the cultivator's world.

But Qin Sang couldn't help but recall the blood meals that the black-robed demon had sucked dry. What if this person was also a demon? And what if he was a righteous cultivator who discovered that Qin Sang had practiced a demonic cultivation method? Would he eliminate him as a demon?

Qin Sang was truly in a dilemma, unable to make a choice.

Unexpectedly, just as Qin Sang was secretly agonizing, the young man suddenly opened his eyes without any warning. From his narrow eyes, two gazes, sharp as drawn swords, pierced intensely towards Qin Sang's eyes.

Qin Sang hadn't expected the young man to wake up on his own. Caught off guard, he felt as if the young man could see through his deepest thoughts. Shocked, he quickly suppressed his true intentions, instantly made a decision, and bowed, repeatedly saying, "Qin Sang greets Immortal Master! I wish Immortal Master a safe and sound recovery!"

At the same time, his heart raced, and he remained secretly vigilant.

The young man stared at Qin Sang for a moment, the sharpness in his gaze softening slightly. His eyes darted around, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you a general from the mortal world?"

The young man's injuries were indeed severe; his voice was extremely faint, but Qin Sang heard him clearly and nodded, saying, "Qin Sang is a Deputy General of the Xuanwei Battalion."

"Xuanwei Battalion?"

A hint of doubt flashed in the young man's eyes, but he didn't press further. Instead, he asked, "Since you are a general, why have you brought your troops into Guling Mountain?"

Qin Sang hesitated. The surprise attack on Raven's Pass was a military secret; if leaked, it would certainly affect the course of the war, and his significant military achievements would be lost.

However, the thought that the young man was a cultivator, and that if he could just please him, there would be no need to go to Sacred Mountain, and it wouldn't matter whether King Dongyang won or lost, made him immediately reveal the full story.

"So that's how it is..."

The young man nodded, straining his neck slightly. "There should be another person nearby..."

Qin Sang quickly got up and brought the other corpse over. This corpse was truly gruesome; everything above the neck had been directly crushed by a large rock, completely gone.

"Immortal Master, please accept my condolences. Your companion has unfortunately perished."

The young man let out a cold laugh. "How could I, Han, be a companion to a demon? This person was a demonic cultivator, who committed many evils. I happened to encounter and slay him. However, his magical artifact was strange, and I almost fell victim to it..."

As he was speaking, the young man coughed violently a few times, barely managing to raise his hand to cover his chest, a look of pain on his face. "Search his body... see if there's a palm-sized pouch..."

Was this young man named Han truly a righteous person who abhorred evil?

Qin Sang suppressed his unease, not daring to reveal the slightest hint of his true thoughts.

He diligently searched the corpse's waist and indeed found a small pouch. Upon taking it out, he saw it was about the same size as the colorful brocade pouch, but it was made of gray cloth, looking utterly unremarkable.