A timely help
Xiang Hutian lay on the tree roots, his body bound with ropes, most of the skin on his face gone, revealing horrifying red flesh.
Wen Zheng took two steps back, picked up a twig and poked the unconscious Xiang Hutian. The other man moved, but did not wake up.
"Xiang Hutian, wake up." Wen Zheng didn't dare to go forward, so she whipped him hard twice with a tree branch.
The tree branch hit Xiang Hutian, and the thin branch even touched Xiang Hutian's injured face, but he was completely unaware of it.
Unable to wake the person, Wen Zheng did not rush forward.
Xiang Hutian is lying here alone, with ropes tied around his body. Who tied him up?
The surroundings were quiet. The branches of the banyan tree stretched out in all directions, blocking out the only light beneath it. The roots hanging down from the trunk were like scattered ghostly hands, rushing towards people.
Wen Zheng shivered inexplicably and turned to leave.
"Wen Zheng, save me," Xiang Hutian said, opening his eyes.
Wen Zheng stopped and looked at him: "Xiang Hutian, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," Xiang Hutian struggled, his body tightly bound by ropes, making him look like a fish lying on a chopping board.
"Wen Zheng, help me untie this."
Wen Zheng glanced around; it was quiet, even the dark clouds in the sky had stopped moving.
Something seemed off about the surroundings. After thinking for a moment, Wen Zheng walked over to Xiang Hutian and prepared to help him untie the ropes.
Before her outstretched hand even touched the rope, a stench of decay assaulted her senses, and Wen Zheng felt as if her nose had been struck.
She turned her head away in disgust, about to ask Hu Tian a question, but her eyes caught sight of Hu Tian's feet, which had become bones, and maggots crawling all over them.
Wen Zheng paused for a moment, then naturally stood up and said, "The rope is too strong. I'll go borrow a knife."
After saying that, she didn't hesitate for a moment, turned around and ran away as fast as she could.
Seeing that the person who had delivered himself to his door had run away, Xiang Hutian broke free of the ropes and stood up, his pupils without whites staring straight at Wen Zheng: "No need for a knife, come with me."
"No need, we're not close. I have something to do, I'll be going now," Wen Zheng replied as she ran.
She ran fast, but she moved even faster towards Hu Tian. The ghostly energy clinging to him was like a gust of wind, pushing him in front of Wen Zheng.
"Come with me, come with me..." Xiang Hutian tilted his head and kept repeating the same sentence.
Wen Zheng looked at Xiang Hutian, who was blocking her way, swallowed hard, and threw out the explosive talisman she had drawn earlier.
The yellow paper burned and exploded on Hu Tian's body, turning that patch of skin red and then black. He let out a strange scream, his voice as sharp as a newborn baby's.
"If you don't obey, you'll die." Without hesitation, Xiang Hutian raised his hand and aimed it at Wen Zheng's face.
Wen Zheng hurriedly dodged, her flying snow-treading movements becoming increasingly skillful with each attack.
Xiang Hutian must have gone mad. Wen Zheng didn't want to get entangled with him any longer, so she flew away to run away.
Sensing that Wen Zheng was about to run away, Xiang Hutian frantically absorbed the surrounding black clouds, and the ghostly energy attached to his body instantly ignited like a burning flame.
With a simple reach, he grabbed Wen Zheng by the ankle and slammed her to the ground.
The ancient bluestone slab cracked from the impact, Wen Zheng's vision went black, and a sharp pain struck her in an instant. She felt like an ant being crushed, without even the strength to struggle.
“…Pfft.” Wen Zheng spat out a mouthful of blood, which dripped from the corner of her mouth and soaked into her collar. She opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, she completely fainted.
Seeing that Wen Zheng was not moving, Xiang Hutian dragged her away.
In prison.
Lin Su carved a mark on the wall. There were no windows in the cell, so he couldn't see outside. He could only calculate the time in his mind.
"Senior brother, what time is it now?" a junior brother asked weakly.
"It's past Shen Shi (3-5 PM)." Lin Su moved closer to her junior brother to check on him.
That day, they were caught off guard and injured by Xiang Hutian. They were also imprisoned by Chiyue in a cell with scarce spiritual energy, so they had no way to heal their injuries.
The medicines they brought with them before leaving home were also taken away; they are now practically waiting to die.
The junior brother who had asked about the time glanced at the scratched wall and asked sadly, "Senior brother, will the sect really send someone to rescue us?"
So many days have passed and they still haven't seen anyone. The sacrificial ceremony is about to begin, and they may not be able to wait for anyone to come.
A sense of sadness and panic lingered in the prison. Lin Su wanted to offer comfort, but couldn't bring herself to say it.
He didn't know why the sect members hadn't arrived yet; perhaps they were destined to die here.
Just as he was feeling sad, the cell door opened, and a half-dead man was thrown in by Xiang Hutian.
Lin Su and the others were terrified when they saw Xiang Hutian's feet, which had become nothing but bones.
"Is Xiang Hutian dead?" someone asked.
His feet were gnawed down to the bones, and even a miracle doctor couldn't save him.
No one answered him. Everyone knew Hu Tian's fate and was terrified that they might be the next to die.
Lin Su watched Xiang Hutian's retreating figure, her last hope vanished, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
The others were in a similar situation, having already given up on the idea of escaping.
Their cultivation levels were all at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. The only one, Senior Brother Qi, who was at the middle stage of the Golden Core realm, was missing. It was simply a pipe dream for the few at the early stage of the Golden Core realm to think they could escape.
A deathly silence fell over the crowd; no one spoke.
Wen Zheng had already woken up when she was thrown in, and after realizing there were many people around, she chose to play dead.
After waiting for a long time, Wen Zheng didn't hear any voices or even footsteps. She quietly opened one eye and looked around.
The familiar red auspicious cloud pattern is the official robe of the Immortal Pursuit Sect.
Wen Zheng suddenly opened her eyes and sat up, turning her head to look at the people around her.
I didn't recognize any of them, but their attire and appearance were definitely from the Immortal Chasing Sect.
Thinking of her argument with Xiang Hutian at the Mission Pavilion that day, Wen Zheng suddenly asked, "Did you come to the Ghost Clan with Xiang Hutian?"
Hu Tian probably sensed the eagerness in her eyes when she looked at the Ghost Clan mission that day.
Hearing her mention Xiang Hutian's name, Lin Su's eyes lit up immediately: "Who are you?"
The pain in her body had not yet subsided. After sitting for a while, Wen Zheng could no longer bear the pain and lay down: "I am Wen Zheng, a menial disciple of Aoxue Peak."
Lin Suliang's eyes dimmed. A menial disciple, whose cultivation was even lower than his, was not here to save people at all. He was probably just an unlucky fellow.
Seeing Lin Su's hopeless expression, Wen Zheng comforted her, "Senior brother, don't be so discouraged. Someone will come to save us."
Lin Su was now completely heartbroken and said dejectedly, "Who can save us?"
Wen Zheng: "Senior brother, think about which peak I belong to."
Lin Su thought for a moment, then her eyes widened instantly: "Immortal Venerable Mu, you've come too?"
Wen Zheng made a shushing gesture and then nodded.
Lin Su's disappointment vanished instantly. The others, who had also overheard his conversation with Wen Zheng, crowded around and asked, "Where is Immortal Master Mu now?"
"I got separated from the Immortal Venerable, I don't know either." Wen Zheng scratched her head and asked, "How come all the senior brothers and sisters have been arrested?"
A group of Golden Core cultivators, even if they couldn't escape, could have at least hidden for a while. How did they all get captured?
Hearing her ask this, Lin Su's face turned ugly as she said, "We were ambushed by Xiang Hutian while we were hiding in the concealment array."
Wen Zheng's lips twitched; this was a familiar, unlucky way to end up.
However, she was in a much worse state than these people. The way Hu Tian threw her was too hard; the blood she spat out contained blood clots, and her internal organs were definitely injured, and quite badly at that.
Wen Zheng glanced at the faces of her senior brothers and sisters, which were as white as ghosts. She generously took out some pills from her storage ring: "Senior brothers and sisters, I still have my storage bag. There aren't many pills in it. Please share them."
She took out the portion she had used to heal her own wounds and gave the rest to Lin Su and the others.
With the Jade of Unity, Mu Qing would arrive soon. These people wouldn't die, and Wen Zheng was happy to do them a favor and get them to speak well of her.
Opportunities to offer timely help are rare, so she must make the most of them.
Lin Su was stunned, not expecting Wen Zheng to be willing to share the few remaining medicines with them at this time. "You really want to share your pills with us?"
Wen Zheng nodded: "I don't have much money, this is all I can get."
"That's enough," Lin Su said, taking the pills and distributing them to the others. She then turned to Wen Zheng and asked, "Junior Sister Wen Zheng, how are your injuries?"
Wen Zheng didn't even have the strength to sit up; she must be seriously injured.
“It’s alright,” Wen Zheng waved her hand and took out the Heart Jade: “Even if it’s broken, Immortal Venerable Mu will be able to sense it.”
Lin Su took it, infused it with spiritual power, and then slammed it heavily to the ground.
The blue jade pendant shattered into pieces the moment it hit the ground. The fragments flashed with light, and when the light disappeared, the jade pendant turned into powder.
After sending out the distress message, Wen Zheng lay down with peace of mind and comforted Lin Su, "Immortal Mu already knows our location and will be here to rescue us soon."
Upon receiving news of their impending rescue, the group relaxed considerably and began chatting together.
Inside the inn, Mu Qing was meditating and cultivating when the jade pendant hanging on her body shattered, making a crisp sound.
Mu Qing suddenly opened her eyes, sensed the location of the broken jade pendant, grabbed her sword, and prepared to go out.
Wei Ming hung a lantern at the door. Seeing Mu Qing about to go out, he asked, "Going out so late, did someone invite you out?"
His teasing remark did nothing to ease Mu Qing's indifferent expression; instead, it made Mu Qing look at him with icy eyes: "Wei Ming, do you really not know about the disappearance of the disciples of the Immortal Pursuit Sect?"
The location indicated by the jade tablet was very close; Mu Qing didn't believe Wei Ming didn't know it was so close.
Wei Ming stood on the ladder, the bright red lantern in his hand was painful to the eyes, its blood-like color instilling fear and making one wonder if it was stained with blood.
"I don't know, Immortal Master Mu. I'm just an ordinary innkeeper. What could I possibly know?"
Mu Qing stared at him coldly for a long time with her frosty gaze before walking outside.
He had just taken a step when a sword blocked his way. Wei Ming grinned, revealing sharp teeth: "Immortal Master Mu, you should stay at the inn and rest well tonight so you can be in good spirits for tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony."
The intention to block the way was clear, so Mu Qing said no more and drew her Taiqing Sword to fight back.
Inside the Ghost Clan's prison.
Wen Zheng was able to sit up and communicate with Lin Su. After taking the healing pills, her injuries had improved a lot, and she felt more energetic.
Through their conversation, Wen Zheng learned that Xiang Hutian had tricked them into coming to the Ghost Clan. Lin Su and the others also learned that Wen Zheng was a menial disciple who cultivated talismans, and they all felt great sympathy for her.
A menial disciple chose the most useless talisman cultivation, making matters worse.
Wen Zheng really wanted to prove her talent in talisman cultivation on the spot, but when she realized that all she could draw right now was explosion talismans, she immediately shut her mouth.
Fortunately, she didn't mention that she was a disciple of Qingling Daoist. If Lin Su had asked her to demonstrate on the spot, wouldn't she have been incredibly embarrassed?
Before her conversation with Lin Su had ended, another person appeared outside the cell.
Lin Su was the first to notice, turning to look at the newcomer, "Red Moon Ghost General."
"You're quite perceptive." Chi Yue had the cell door opened and his gaze swept over the group of people.
Seeing that his gaze lingered on the female disciple for too long, Lin Su's expression changed, and she stepped in front of the crowd, saying, "If you have the guts, come at me."
Chi Yue was extremely annoyed by Lin Su's blocking his way, so he kicked him aside and said to the crowd, "Now there is a great thing that has fallen on your heads. Tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony requires a man and a woman. The man has already been found, and I plan to choose the one who is still left over from among you."
The female disciples present all changed their expressions. Chi Yue's words sounded nice, but it was almost impossible to guess what would happen to those who were taken to the sacrifice.
The senior sister who cultivated arrays stood up, leaning against the wall, and together with Lin Su, stood in front of the crowd, asking, "Was the male cultivator who performed the sacrifice Senior Brother Qi?"
Chi Yue shrugged: "How should I know? But that person was wearing clothes similar to yours."
Everyone's face immediately turned ashen. The most powerful Senior Brother Qi had been kidnapped and used as a sacrifice. Could they still survive?
Wen Zheng listened to their conversation and learned the general outline of the situation, including the fact that someone had been kidnapped and needed to be rescued.
However, the most dangerous ones right now are those in prison. By the way, why hasn't Mu Qing arrived yet?
Wen Zheng slowly looked through the treasures Mu Qing had given her, and the only one that could be used to connect with Mu Qing was the Jade of Shared Hearts.
Lin Su endured her injuries to prevent Chi Yue from getting close to her junior sisters: "Unless you step over my dead body, don't even think about touching them."
The senior sister who was in charge of array formations recited a defensive array on the spot, hoping to stop the Crimson Moon from advancing.
Chi Yue had always treated human cultivators like a cat playing with mice, and now that the mice were trying to rebel, he was extremely displeased.
Ghostly energy gathered in his palm, and the misty energy gradually materialized, like a floating blob of ink. Though small in appearance, the power it contained was terrifying to everyone.
Wen Zheng had been hiding in the back, hoping to sneak in until Mu Qing arrived, but judging from the current situation, it seemed that before Mu Qing even got there, the others would be dead.
Is her investment, which she just nurtured with elixirs, about to vanish before it even grew?
Wen Zheng couldn't accept it. She touched the soft armor she was wearing. Mu Qing said that the soft armor could withstand attacks from those below the Void Refinement stage. This person didn't seem as powerful as Mu Qing.
While she was still analyzing the approximate strength level of Chiyue, Chiyue made a move.
The ink transformed into a palm and slapped towards Lin Su and the senior sister of the array cultivator. The oppressive force rendered them unable to move, leaving them only to quietly await their death.
The two men stared wide-eyed as the black handprints approached, fear forcing them to turn their heads away and refuse to look.
Wen Zheng had just come to her senses when she saw that the two were about to die, so she immediately rushed over and pushed them away.
The black hand struck Wen Zheng, causing her to cough up blood again. Her head felt like it had been hit by a blunt object, all her thoughts vanished, leaving only one thought.
That bastard Mu Qing actually lied to her.
Chi Yue struck down with his palm, thinking the two were surely dead, but unexpectedly someone rushed out to block the blow for him. His gaze then fell on Wen Zheng, who was lying on the ground coughing up blood.
"There aren't many people who survived my attack, but you've got guts."
After Chi Yue finished speaking, she waved her finger and pointed to Wen Zheng on the ground, saying, "The matter has been settled. Send her over there."
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