494 The Enemy Is One of Us?
The two Sacred Heart Sect disciples couldnât shake the sight of the scarlet blood lines. These fine, powerful lines werenât like any others theyâd seen before. They were pure and perfect, suggesting that the masked person in front of them must be a powerful, trusted aid on some mission.
Could this person be the rumored inspector? Fang Tiezheng, brave yet cautious, stole a quick look at Qin Huai. The latter was wearing a mask, so he probably didnât want them to know his real identity yet.
Fang Tiezheng gathered his courage and said, âMy lord, if you have any orders, we will do our best to follow them.â
âYouâre not just brave, youâre cunning,â Qin Huai responded coolly. His mastery of the blood heart technique was clearly advanced, a useful trick to fool Sacred Heart Sect disciples.
His cold tone sent chills through Fang Tiezheng and his companion. Even though they were both strong cultivators, they were shaking uncontrollably in front of Qin Huai, not from fear, but due to his overpowering aura. They both bowed their heads to the ground, begging for mercy.
âWhat have the demons been up to recently?â Qin Huai asked.
âDemons?â Fang Tiezheng and his companion exchanged confused glances. âThe demons disappeared long ago.â
âDisappeared?â Qin Huai was surprised.
âI think it was three days ago?â the other disciple chimed in. But Fang Tiezheng corrected him, âFour days ago! They all vanished suddenly overnight.â
âAre there any left in the Tang family?â Qin Huai probed further.
âWe donât know. Weâre just guarding the White Cloud Sect. Right now, Qingzhou City is a battlefield. We would barely make it to the mountaintop alive if we leave the gate,â Fang Tiezheng replied with a forced smile.
Qin Huai didnât react. He had indeed seen a lot of fights among martial artists on his way. Fights would break out for no reason, often escalating to the point where dozens of bodies littered the ground.
Afterward, the remaining people would start fires and cook meat. These fights seemed to boost their cultivation skills, regardless of whether they used the blood heart technique or their own methods. Some of those killed were even wearing the Sacred Heart Sect robes.
âWhat is the White Cloud Sect doing?â Qin Huai asked.
âMy lord, the masters are following orders to monitor the movements of the Qingzhou Alliance and find vulnerabilities in Wuji Mountain. They are also observing the situation in Qingzhou Cityâ¦â Fang Tiezheng answered, revealing everything he knew. âThe masters have worked tirelessly and have never complained.â
âKid, youâre pretty sharp,â Qin Huai said, patting Fang Tiezhengâs shoulder. âYou can go now. Remember, I wasnât here today.â
âDonât worry, my lord. We understand!â the two of them assured him, nodding vigorously. After receiving Qin Huaiâs approval, they sprinted off like racehorses.
âWhy are we running?â the other disciple asked when they were almost at the sect gate.
âAre you really that clueless? If that person was a real envoy, wouldnât he know where the demons went?â Fang Tiezheng responded, looking both disappointed and scared.
âBut⦠but that personâs blood heart technique was flawless,â the other man said, clearly confused. He had his doubts initially, but they were dismissed when he saw Qin Huaiâs pure blood heart technique.
âWell, I donât know why either. Anyway, we should inform our superiors. That person is definitely trouble,â Fang Tiezheng declared confidently.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them.
âMy lordâ¦â Fang Tiezheng stuttered, looking at the tall figure in the bamboo hat.
âIt seems we were all holding back earlier,â Qin Huaiâs voice drifted over. âMy mistake. I should be more open with people. Letâs change the way we talk.â He slowly removed his bamboo hat to reveal his face.
âMy lord, youâre so handsome. You look like a god among men,â Fang Tiezheng couldnât help but comment, filled with regret.
âDonât you recognize me?â Qin Huai asked, smiling.
âNo, I donât!â Fang Tiezheng shook his head vigorously.
It was Qin Huai! He couldnât believe it. He had bumped into Qin Huai, the leader of the Qingzhou Alliance. What terrible luck! But how could the leader of the alliance know the blood heart technique?
âSince you donât know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Qin Huai, the leader of the Qingzhou Alliance and the successor of the Emperor of Qingzhou,â Qin Huai said, his smile warm.
âAre you⦠one of us?â Fang Tiezheng asked cautiously. The question even sounded ridiculous to him.
If there was anything they should worry about, it was not the remnants of Wuji Mountain but the Qingzhou Alliance, with its countless strong prodigies and unlimited potential.