Chapter 254

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Qin Daren consoled: “With your martial arts, you’ve already done very well—I am naturally aware of that. However, since the matter that Ten Thousand Swords Peak is after is so mysterious, it must have a significant background. You must remain vigilant. If there’s any movement, report to me as soon as possible.” Situ Liang repeatedly agreed and then took his leave.

After Situ Liang left, Qin Daren fiddled with those objects a few times before casually tossing them to Ying Fei. Ying Fei caught them without a care and chuckled: “The Evil Tiger Gang is nothing more than a tiny sect, barely the size of a fingertip. I can’t fathom why the cult is giving them such importance. Whatever Situ Liang managed to obtain—could it really be something worthwhile? It hardly seems worthy of you making this trip yourself, Qin Daren.”

Qin Daren frowned and said: “The Cult Master has instructed us to pay attention to the Evil Tiger Gang, and naturally, he has his own reasons. The reasoning behind it is not for us to speculate on—just do your job properly. However, if not for that Cauldron, I wouldn’t have had to go through this trouble either.”

After speaking, he glanced toward the temple’s courtyard, where Zhang Xiaohua, who had somewhat recovered, was resting. He continued: “The secret chamber in West Cui Mountain was completely emptied. If it wasn’t the work of at least a dozen people, who would believe it? Yet, we’ve only caught a single young boy, and we still can’t determine whether he’s truly connected to the Cauldron. This is giving me a headache.”

“Daren, you are wise. Just as you said, even if this brat didn’t take the Cauldron, he is still connected to it. It’s best to cast a long line to catch a big fish. However, this brat is cunning—he keeps trying to escape. Why don’t I cripple his martial arts? That way, he’ll obediently follow us.”

Hearing this, Qin Daren’s frown deepened, and he said displeasedly: “Ying Fei, Ying Fei… how many times do I have to tell you? Can a dog spit out ivory? You’ve been under my command for quite some time now, yet you’ve learned nothing! You need to start thinking from a leader’s perspective if you ever want to develop a leader’s qualities. Have you even considered—if crippling his martial arts was an option, would I still be waiting for you to suggest it?”

Realizing he had flattered the wrong way, Ying Fei panicked and said: “I beg for my lord’s guidance. I truly do not understand.”

Qin Daren explained: “Think simply. This mere boy is no match for even a single finger of mine. If I crippled his martial arts just to prevent his escape, and the news spread, what would the martial world think of me? As someone in power, one must control people within the palm of their hand, letting them struggle all they want yet never allowing them to break free. That is what demonstrates my skill. With such petty thoughts as yours, sigh… you will never achieve greatness.”

“I wouldn’t dare. Serving under my lord for a lifetime is already my greatest honor—I dare not have extravagant ambitions.”

Qin Daren waved his hand and said: “Forget it. You’ll understand these things in time. Let that boy escape a few more times and suffer a little. Once he realizes his situation, he’ll obediently wait for someone to rescue him.”

“Understood, Daren. Are we heading to the Ma family in Xinji Town now?”

“Yes, to the Ma family. In recent years, they’ve gotten a bit too close to the Heaven’s Way Alliance, and it seems there are even some marriage ties between them. However, the Cult Master has instructed that if it’s a true bond of love, we should let it be and pay no mind. Otherwise, there’s no need to show courtesy.”

“The Cult Master is wise. But, Daren, isn’t the Cult Master being too merciful?”

“Enough. The Cult Master’s words carry absolute weight—do not speak further on this.” Qin Daren hesitated slightly before shifting his gaze to Zhang Xiaohua, who was lying on the ground. “Right, find a horse for him as well. Always having him slung over the saddle is an eyesore. Besides, the Ma family is a prestigious household in Xinji Town. We should at least appear presentable when we visit, shouldn’t we? Oh, and I haven’t even asked for this brat’s name yet.”

Two days later, on the official road leading to Xinji Town, three horses moved forward at a steady pace. At the front rode a middle-aged man in his thirties, his expression warm and approachable. However, his head full of silver hair drew curious glances. One horse-length behind him was an ordinary-looking man in luxurious robes, smiling obsequiously as he chattered away with the silver-haired man, who merely listened in silence, occasionally responding with a few indifferent words. Bringing up the rear was a listless, pale-faced youth with an ordinary appearance. He sat atop a white horse, saying nothing, yet his eyes darted around restlessly, taking in his surroundings.

They were none other than Qin Daren, Ying Fei, and Zhang Xiaohua.

Ying Fei chuckled and said: “Daren, in just about one incense stick’s time, we’ll arrive at Xinji Town. It’s still early—why don’t we dismount and rest for a while?”

Qin Daren replied: “We’ve barely traveled for half a day, and you’re already tired? Where has all your martial training gone? You’re not even as tough as Ren Xiaoyao. Didn’t you see? He just suffered the ‘Tendon-Splitting Bone-Displacing Hand’ this morning, and he’s still full of energy.”

Ying Fei gave Zhang Xiaohua a sidelong glance and laughed. “Of course! I only focus on carrying out your orders, Daren. But this brat? He’s got only one thought in his head—escaping. Naturally, he’s brimming with energy.”

Ever since leaving the ruined temple that day, Zhang Xiaohua had been forced to come up with a name under Ying Fei’s interrogation, so he casually called himself “Ren Xiaoyao”. Over the past two days, he had racked his brains trying to find an opportunity to escape, yet every attempt was easily seen through by Qin Daren. Last night, he even tried sneaking away, but Qin Daren didn’t even bother to chase after him. By morning, he had already been dragged back by Ying Fei. In fact, both Qin Daren and Ying Fei had now realized that this boy had one major flaw—he was a heavy sleeper. The moment midnight arrived, he would collapse into a deep sleep. So why even bother chasing him?

After suffering some torment in the morning, Zhang Xiaohua had mostly given up on escaping, instead shifting his focus to finding another way out. His Qinggong was no match for Qin Daren, and his experience in the martial world was even more lacking. Without a truly unique escape method, any attempt would just be a pointless display, giving his captors another excuse to torment him—he had already become their plaything in a game of cat and mouse. At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua secretly took out a Yuan Stone, quietly absorbing its energy to strengthen his inner cultivation.

Though these two cult members were certainly ruthless—sealing his acupoints daily, using torture to extract information about the location of the large cauldron—they didn’t seem to care about anything else. At the very least, after flipping through his money pouch, Qin Daren and Ying Fei didn’t give it a second glance. They were somewhat puzzled by the four small stones he carried, but considering his young age, they ultimately returned them to him. As for mundane valuables like gold hairpins, they didn’t even spare a look.

Spotting a rather large roadside tea stall with many patrons coming and going, Qin Daren pondered for a moment before saying: “Let’s go. We’ll stop at that tea stall for some tea and take the opportunity to listen in on any interesting news from Xinji Town.”

They were already quite close to town, and many travelers preferred to rest a bit before entering to recover their energy. Because of this, the tea stall was spacious and packed with people. After the three dismounted, no attendants came forward to greet them. Qin Daren casually tossed his reins to Ying Fei, who glanced at Zhang Xiaohua before simply dumping both horses on him. “Tie them up properly and keep a watch out here. Don’t even think about running. You won’t escape from Qin Daren. If you try again this time, I’ll personally ask Daren to break your legs.”

Zhang Xiaohua took the reins, but he didn’t even need to extend his divine sense to know that Qin Daren’s attention was still on him. He let out a bitter smile—being a prisoner was bad enough, but now he had to play the role of a servant too. Leading the three horses to the side, he casually tied them up, letting them graze freely. Then, he reached into his robe, took out a Yuan Stone in each hand, and began absorbing their energy with his heart sutra. In fact, he had already decided that starting tonight, he wouldn’t attempt to escape anymore. He would simply focus on absorbing the Yuan Qi from the stones. After all, it seemed like he could still cultivate even while asleep.

Qin Daren continued to lock his focus onto Zhang Xiaohua, but upon seeing the boy standing quietly without any suspicious movements, he figured that after suffering enough, Zhang Xiaohua had finally given up on his foolish attempts to run away. Satisfied, he stopped paying too much attention. Inside the tea stall, every table was already occupied. Ying Fei quickly scanned the area before striding toward a corner table. Without hesitation, he stuffed a few pieces of loose silver into the hands of the people sitting there, dismissing them and claiming the table for themselves.

Qin Daren took his seat while Ying Fei pulled out a white cloth from his robes, meticulously wiping the tea cups and teapot. Only after that did he take out a paper packet, pouring out some tea leaves and signaling for hot water to be poured in.

The tea stall had been lively and bustling with conversation, but the moment Daren Qin displayed his mannerisms, the entire place fell silent. Even the chatter dropped to a hushed murmur.

Qin Daren had come to the tea stall precisely to gather information. Seeing the effect of their presence, he shot Ying Fei a glare. He then lifted his tea cup, carefully inspected it, and only after ensuring its cleanliness did he take a sip. Ying Fei felt a wave of injustice in his heart—Daren, it’s not like I did this on purpose! Would you really drink the tea served in a place like this? Even now, since we’re not using our own teaware, you’re still not satisfied!

Meanwhile, whispers began circulating through the tea stall. Though the voices were low, how could Qin Daren, with his profound inner strength, fail to hear them? Many were speculating about their identities: “Look at the way those two carry themselves—they’re clearly people of wealth and status. What are they doing in our Xinji Town?”

“What else could it be? They must have come for Master Ma’s sixty-eighth birthday banquet.”

“Hmm, that’s right. Ever since Old Master Ma’s eldest granddaughter married Qiu Xidao from the Heaven’s Way Alliance, the Ma family’s status has only grown more prominent. Even the local authorities have to give them some respect.”

“Exactly. I bet that gentleman over there must be some young master—or maybe even an old master—who’s run into some trouble in the Jianghu and has come to Old Master Ma for justice.”

“Pah, what do you know? I say he’s one of Old Master Ma’s nephews, here to pay respects for the birthday banquet. The world is peaceful nowadays, where would you find such grievances?”

The gossip continued without end, making Qin Daren frown deeply. What nonsense is this? I’ve somehow been demoted a whole generation! Jianghu’s rumors were truly outrageous.

Seeing Qin Daren frowning, Ying Fei instinctively wanted to stand up, but Qin Daren quickly waved a hand to stop him. They were already seated—how could they expect others not to talk? If they wanted to gather information, they had to endure a bit of chatter.

At that moment, at the neighboring table, three people exchanged glances. One of them stood up, walked over, and cupped his hands in greeting. “I am Kong Rang from Qimei Mountain. May I ask if you gentlemen are also here in Xinji Town to celebrate Master Ma’s birthday?”

Ying Fei was about to reply, but Qin Daren cut in first. “That’s right. May I ask what you need?”

Kong Rang turned back to look at his two companions, then hesitated for a moment before speaking awkwardly. “The three of us have also come to Ma Manor for the birthday banquet, but we’ve encountered a rather difficult problem. I wonder if you might be willing to lend a hand?”