Chapter 1330: Appearance

"One who stays near ink gets stained black. With this behavior of yours, you're becoming more and more like Hongniang!" Niu Youdao pointed at Yun Ji as he spoke, his tone carrying a reprimand for reasons known only to him.

Yun Ji looked disdainful. "You really care about your image, don't you? You did too many wicked things and got struck by lightning. Who can you blame? What a ridiculous habit." She turned her head away and ignored him.

In truth, she was struggling not to laugh. She had never seen this man, who always seemed to have everything in hand, look so bedraggled. She genuinely wished she could let the people of Maolu Villa see what the Master Dao in their minds looked like now.

Yuan Gang crouched silently by the water.

He understood Niu Youdao. Yun Ji had gotten one thing right: Master Dao had always cared about his appearance. In the past, his slicked-back hair had never been allowed a strand out of place, and he loved bathing and keeping clean. When had he ever tolerated himself looking this disheveled?

Given Yuan Gang's own background and temperament, he had always disliked those fussy habits of Niu Youdao's. He was not a woman, so why did he need to fuss so much?

He and Yun Ji maintained their tacit understanding and said nothing. Part of him perhaps wanted Niu Youdao to get used to it.

Niu Youdao pointed at Yun Ji. Fine. Her cultivation was too high, so he would not say any more to her.

Then he abruptly pointed at Yuan Gang, who was still crouching. "And you. You saw it, so why didn't you say anything? What, now that I've turned as red as you, you're happy?"

The moment he finished, he kicked Yuan Gang squarely in the backside.

Splash!

Caught off guard, Yuan Gang pitched straight into the river.

...

The carriage swayed as it passed through the city gate.

Inside sat Bai Kuanyuan, Jin's envoy stationed in Qi. A faint smile rested on his face as he occasionally lifted the window curtain to enjoy the scenery outside.

Jin was now in the ascendant. With a powerful state behind him, even his position as envoy carried prestige.

Once he confirmed they were well beyond the city gate, Bai Kuanyuan turned and pressed down the backrest behind him. He caught a carved pattern and pulled, revealing a concealed compartment.

A man sat curled inside the cramped space, his face covered in scabbed wounds.

It was none other than Ximen Qingkong.

The wounds on his face had all been clawed there by his own hands under the torment of the Spirit-Torment Pill.

Xiaoyue Pavilion had people watching the residence where the Ghost Doctor's disciple stayed. It was this Jin envoy who had used Jin's power to help smuggle Ximen Qingkong out of the city.

Bai Kuanyuan shifted aside and patted the open seat. "Mr. Ximen, please."

Ximen Qingkong climbed out and sat down without saying a word.

Bai Kuanyuan watched him with a strange smile in his eyes. "I know your great reputation, sir, and I admire you. I also know what lies in your heart. Rest assured. I, Bai, will certainly create an opportunity for you to take revenge. At present, only Jin has the ability to influence Qin's troop movements enough to create the opening you need!"

Ximen Qingkong remained silent.

Seeing that, Bai Kuanyuan merely smiled and said no more.

Naturally, Jin had no reason to help Ximen Qingkong out of kindness. But lending him a hand in passing so that he could kill some important figures from Xiaoyue Pavilion was hardly a bad thing for Jin. Better still if it could throw Qin's army into disorder.

A man whom even the Spirit-Torment Pill could not subdue was not someone they expected to surrender any of Wei's secrets.

But Jin believed Ximen Qingkong must still know of some of Wei's hidden forces.

After all, he was the number-one expert on the Golden Core Ranking. An assassin this formidable, combined with access to Wei's secret forces, would be a terrible thing to waste without extracting some value.

Jin also believed Ximen Qingkong would use those hidden forces without regard for the cost if it meant taking revenge.

No one knew how long they had traveled or how far when the convoy suddenly stopped.

Bai Kuanyuan lifted the curtain and pointed toward a mountain peak in the distance. "Mr. Ximen, do you see that mountain? Someone will meet you there and provide whatever assistance you need. Go with them. I won't escort you any farther. Take care, sir!"

Boom!

The carriage suddenly burst apart.

A blue sword-shadow flashed in every direction like a bolt of lightning. The accompanying men and horses fell in a row like grain beneath a scythe, severed through the waist.

The change came too suddenly. Everyone was caught completely unprepared.

A cultivator who had already flown into the air and unfurled a Heavenly Sword Talisman was met by a sword-shaped streak of blue light rising into the sky. Blood rained down.

Dozens of accompanying cultivators immediately joined forces and attacked.

Chaos erupted.

Blue sword-shadows flashed and crossed through the melee.

Amid sprays of blood, the blue sword-light suddenly stopped. Ximen Qingkong appeared on the ground, his scarred face expressionless. In one hand he held a Heavenly Sword Talisman he had just seized.

Of the dozens who had surrounded him, only three remained standing at a distance, trembling.

Their faces were filled with terror.

So many men, and not a single one had been able to withstand even one strike. Dozens had died in the blink of an eye.

Fast.

Far too fast!

Only today did the three finally see for themselves the terrifying strength of the number-one expert on the Golden Core Ranking.

The horses drawing the carriage had long since panicked and fled with the shattered frame rattling behind them. As it jolted away, a corpse rolled off.

More precisely, two halves of a corpse.

Bai Kuanyuan had been severed straight across the chest. His eyes remained wide, and his mouth still opened and closed faintly.

The dozens of Jin soldiers still alive gripped their weapons, uncertain what they should do. Not one dared approach Ximen Qingkong.

The three surviving cultivators glanced back at the dead Bai Kuanyuan.

Then Ximen Qingkong turned his cold gaze toward them.

It was as though the same mechanism had been triggered in all three men at once. They flashed away simultaneously and fled.

Bai Kuanyuan was already dead. There was no longer any value in protecting him, and none of them had any reason to risk their lives for a corpse.

Ximen Qingkong suddenly flashed away as well. After several rises and falls, he caught up to a panicked horse fleeing the scene. He vaulted onto its back, seized the reins, turned it, then drummed both heels against its belly.

He galloped away into the depths of the grasslands...

At a pasture, several connected tents stood among the grazing grounds.

A lone rider came thundering toward them, jumped the fence, and charged directly inside, sending cattle and sheep scattering in alarm.

People in the pasture, including the owner who hurried out from the tents, drew the sabers at their waists.

Ximen Qingkong rode straight up to the owner and hauled the reins tight. From horseback, he looked down at the man.

The moment the owner recognized that terrifying scarred face, he hurriedly sheathed his saber and immediately signaled the others who had gathered around.

They dispersed at once, pretending nothing had happened while in truth taking up watch around the area.

This place was actually one of the Mist Bureau's points in Wei. Ximen Qingkong had been here before.

The pasture owner caught the reins, grief in his eyes as he looked up. His voice trembled. "We heard you had met with danger, sir. I never expected to see you again."

Ximen Qingkong did not linger over sorrow with him. He jumped down and strode into one of the tents.

Going straight to a table, he picked up a jug of milk, tilted his head back, and drank deeply.

Behind him, the pasture owner had already begun choking with sobs. He lifted his face and tears streamed down it.

The state had fallen, and their sovereign was dead.

Ximen Qingkong lowered the milk jug, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and asked without turning around, "Where have Xuan Wei's remains reached?"

The pasture owner choked out, "Her Majesty's remains have already been taken by Mr. Yucang to the Qin army's front line."

Ximen Qingkong said, "Confirm whether the flying mount at the rendezvous point is still there. Make the arrangements immediately. I need it. And find me a suitable sword, preferably about the same size as my old one."

The pasture owner wiped his tears. "Sir, you mean to..."

Ximen Qingkong turned.

His face, clawed until it had become somewhat savage, confronted the other man directly. He enunciated every word. "Go arrange it immediately!"

Near dusk, the pasture owner returned carrying a cloth-wrapped bundle. He offered it with both hands to Ximen Qingkong, who was sitting cross-legged on a couch.

"The flying mount at the rendezvous point has been arranged. I've already ordered it back to the original standby location."

Ximen Qingkong opened his eyes and reached for the bundle.

Whoosh!

Spiritual power burst outward and tore the wrapping apart, sending scraps flying.

He caught the sword in both hands, drew it, inspected the blade, then returned it to the sheath with a clang.

Rising, he took several lengths of cord and fastened the sword to his back.

A gray cloth cloak hung from one of the tent supports. He removed it in passing, shook it open with both hands, draped it over himself, and tied the shoulder straps. Then he flipped up the hood until it half-covered his face and strode out.

The pasture owner suddenly hurried after him and caught his arm. Agitated, he asked, "Sir, are you going to avenge Her Majesty?"

Ximen Qingkong said, "Move."

The pasture owner said, "Sir, think carefully! It's a trap. Yucang took Her Majesty's body away from the Qi capital precisely to lure you out!"

Ximen Qingkong said, "If I do not die, Xuan Wei's body will never know peace. They may even dishonor it."

The pasture owner cried out in anguish, "Sir, you must hold secrets of the Mist Bureau that Her Majesty entrusted to you. We are willing to obey your commands. We can rebuild our strength in secret and fulfill Her Majesty's last wish, restoring the mountains and rivers of Wei! Xiaoyue Pavilion was able to restore Qin. Why should we be incapable of doing the same? Sir, the surviving people of Wei are looking to you!"

Ximen Qingkong shook his arm and sent the man staggering backward several steps. He continued striding away. "Xuan Wei is dead. What does Wei have to do with me?"

"Sir!" The pasture owner chased after him and watched helplessly as Ximen Qingkong pulled over a horse and mounted.

Unable to stop himself, he shouted, "What about us? What are we supposed to do?"

Rapid hoofbeats broke out.

Ximen Qingkong had already sent the horse racing away. It leapt the fence and accelerated again across the open land.

The attached hood blew back from his face. Ximen Qingkong stared straight ahead without expression.

Under the setting sun, in the wind, he rode away through a long trail of dust, farther and farther into the distance.

"Ahhh!" The pasture owner dropped to his knees, threw back his head, and howled toward the heavens, tears streaming down his cheeks.

...

At the Ice and Snow Pavilion, Chuan Ying was pacing with a child in his arms when the muscles of his face suddenly twitched violently. His steps froze.

After forcing his expression under control, he immediately turned aside and handed the swaddled child to a servant.

Then he hurried away, returning directly to his own room.

He shut the door, strode quickly to the dressing table, and leaned toward the mirror.

Looking at his reflection, he gradually relaxed his spiritual power.

The flesh of his face slowly began to twist and distort.

Hearing footsteps pass outside, he jerked his head around. His expression was one of sudden alarm.

Only after the footsteps had gone did he release a breath. He looked back into the mirror, his Adam's apple shifting.

Then he used his spiritual power on his face again, forcing the gradually distorted features back into their normal appearance.

Afterward, he quickly left the room.

He departed the Ice and Snow Pavilion and flew deep into the snowy mountains of the vast ice fields.

When he emerged again, he wore a false face, different clothing, and an entirely different appearance.

He raced onward and went directly into the trading gorge of the Ice and Snow Pavilion, where people constantly came and went.

Landing on the road outside a row of shops, he walked rapidly until he found one particular establishment. After glancing up at it, he strode inside.

At the counter, he displayed a token in his palm to the shopkeeper.

After seeing it, the shopkeeper signaled an assistant to watch the entrance, then personally led Chuan Ying deep into the rear of the premises.

Once the two entered a room, Chuan Ying shut the door himself. Then he stepped forward, seized the shopkeeper, and demanded in a low voice, "The medicine. Where is the medicine? Why hasn't it arrived? Why hasn't anyone delivered it to me?"

The shopkeeper stood with hands at his sides and remained silent.

"The medicine is with me."

Another man's voice suddenly came from somewhere inside the room.

"Who?" Chuan Ying whirled and looked around.

Creak.

A standing cabinet against the wall was pushed aside, and a man stepped out from behind it.

It was none other than Hei Shi, Elder of Tianmo Sacred Land.

[End of Chapter 1330]