Chapter 44

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Chapter 44: The Strange Events at Green Dragon Mountain

“What technique did you just use?”

As soon as Yi Qianmo returned, Zhou Lanting was the first to ask.

“As my bodyguard, I haven’t interrogated you about your duties, and yet here you are questioning me?” Yi Qianmo replied irritably.

If not for the constraints of being under Yi Qianmo’s control, Zhou Lanting might have slapped him on the spot. Instead, he grudgingly pulled out a top-grade Qi Nourishing Pill.

Yi Qianmo chuckled, swallowing it in one bite. He sat down to digest its effects, his spiritual power recovering significantly.

“Let’s forget about what just happened. But I don’t want there to be a next time,” Yi Qianmo said as he stood up.

“Feeling brave, are we?” Zhou Lanting glared at him. “If you hadn’t meddled in others’ business, would you have been in danger? Besides, weren’t you confident about defeating that Black-aura Giant Ape?”

“I was confident,” Yi Qianmo retorted, “but as a bodyguard, you didn’t do your job. And for the record, it wasn’t meddling. The blood of the Black-aura Giant Ape is immensely powerful—perfect for refining the Body Origin Fixing Pill. Don’t you know that?”

Zhou Lanting raised an eyebrow. “The Body Origin Fixing Pill for Qi Refining Stage cultivators? Do you seriously have the formula for that?”

“Of course,” Yi Qianmo replied, a sly grin forming. “If I can find a few more magical herbs, I can produce a batch. Speaking of which, I remember you’ve got some Yangming Grass stashed in your cave. Hand it over.”

“Get lost.” Zhou Lanting shot him a glare.

“Greedy,” Yi Qianmo muttered before changing the topic. “That little monk said the Black-aura Giant Ape appeared suddenly. Do you believe that nonsense?”

Zhou Lanting crossed his arms. “What are you trying to prove? If you think he’s lying, why not just kill him outright?”

“Are you insane?” Yi Qianmo snapped. “I follow the righteous path, not the way of evil. And even if I didn’t, killing an innocent monk is beneath me.”

“He’s lying,” Zhou Lanting said confidently. “That monk isn’t ordinary. Do you seriously believe a Black-aura Giant Ape just conveniently showed up on Green Dragon Mountain?”

Yi Qianmo frowned, Zhou Lanting’s words gnawing at him. The monk didn’t seem deceitful, yet the sudden appearance of the beast was suspicious.

As he mulled over the situation, a deafening roar echoed through the mountains, sending chills down their spines. Yi Qianmo exchanged a glance with Zhou Lanting, whose expression had turned cold.

The two followed the sound to find a battle already concluded. In the distance, a spirit beast lay lifeless on the ground as dozens of cultivators harvested its essence blood.

“Su Muyu,” Zhou Lanting muttered, her voice tinged with disdain. “I’ll stay out of this one.”

The leader of the group was Su Muyu, flanked by a team of unfamiliar cultivators, all at the Qi Refining Stage. Before Yi Qianmo could respond, Zhou Lanting disappeared into the shadows.

As Yi Qianmo approached, the crowd grew wary.

“Who are you?” one of them demanded. “Which sect are you from, and why are you here?”

Before tensions could rise further, Su Muyu spotted Yi Qianmo and smiled. “Old—”

“Can we talk?” Yi Qianmo interrupted.

Su Muyu nodded and quickly followed him away from the group.

“Teacher, why are you here?” Su Muyu asked.

“Can’t I be?” Yi Qianmo replied.

“It’s not that,” Su Muyu said, worry flickering in her eyes. “But if you’re here on Green Dragon Mountain, trouble might find you.”

“What kind of trouble?” Yi Qianmo asked, his brow furrowing.

“Have you seen Yu Youwei?”

“No.”

Su Muyu hesitated. “The events in Green Cloud City haven’t yet reached here, but Yu Youwei knows about your recovery. I’m afraid if you run into her, things might spiral out of control…”

“Are you worried she’ll kill me, or that I’ll kill her?” Yi Qianmo asked, smirking.

“This time, you can’t kill her,” Su Muyu said with a sigh. “Xuanyuan Sect has sent ten cultivators, all at least at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage—and that’s not counting those still on the way.”

“The fifth level?” Yi Qianmo raised an eyebrow. “So soon?”

“She’s talented. That’s why the Xuanyuan Sect took her in,” Su Muyu explained. “I know revenge is important to you, but with your current strength, it’s not the right time. You should focus on training at Tianyuan Academy. When you surpass her abilities, that will be the time to act.”

“Why wait?” Yi Qianmo countered, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Do you think she’ll sit idle and wait for me?”

Su Muyu fell silent, then shook her head.

“Exactly. Since neither of us will wait, I’ll settle the matter here and now. Find Yu Youwei. I’ll deal with her myself.”

Su Muyu hesitated, but seeing the determination in Yi Qianmo’s eyes, she relented.

When they returned to the group, Su Muyu immediately took charge. “From now on, his safety is as important as mine. Protect him at all costs.”

The cultivators exchanged confused glances. One of them, a young man at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, stepped forward. “Your Highness, we are here to protect you. Why should we—”

Su Muyu’s gaze turned icy. “Are you questioning my orders? Let me make this clear: if anything happens to him, you’ll never return to Tianyuan Academy. Understood?”

The man quickly backed down, nodding reluctantly.

“Liu Qingfeng,” Su Muyu continued, “go find someone from Xuanyuan Sect and tell them I need to discuss something important. The rest of you, set up camp here and stand watch.”

Despite their confusion, none dared disobey her.