Zhu Guqing left in a mixture of shame and anger.
She was afraid that staying any longer would only further infuriate Su Yi.
Naturally, Su Yi had no intention of stopping her.
Chen Zheng felt a tinge of regret and said, "Zhu Guqing is truly a stunning beauty, on par with the top beauties of the Tianyuan Academy. Despite being in her thirties, for warriors like us, this is the most radiant and glorious age."
Su Yi couldn't help but be surprised. He hadn't expected that the imposing and stern Martial Spirit Marquis would say such words.
Indeed, looks can be deceiving.
"Su Gongzi, how should we deal with this woman?" Chen Zheng pointed to Liu Xianglan, who was sitting not far away, looking terrified and helpless.
"Is Lord Marquis interested?" Su Yi couldn't help but ask.
In the past, he would never have said such a thing.
But after Chen Zheng expressed his admiration for beautiful women, Su Yi couldn't help but suspect that Chen Zheng had some thoughts about this mature and enchanting beauty.
Chen Zheng coughed dryly.
Zhang Yiren quickly stepped forward and smiled, "Su Gongzi, you may not know this, but in the military, it's always cold all year round. Those vigorous and energetic men sometimes find it hard to bear the loneliness and have nowhere to release their energy. Lord Marquis is just being considerate and believes that sending this wicked woman who is skilled in mischief to the military is the most appropriate."
Su Yi found it amusing in his heart but maintained a serious expression. "I see. Then let's do that."
Chen Zheng slightly bowed and said, "Su Gongzi, I won't keep you any longer. I will be returning to the Bloodthorn Demonic Mountain tomorrow. If you have the opportunity, I hope to meet with you at the Bloodthorn Demonic Mountain in a month's time."
"Good," Su Yi nodded.
Just at that moment, Huang Qianjun suddenly ran over and said, "Su ge, I... I also want to join the army and fight on the battlefield."
Su Yi was taken aback and suddenly remembered that when they arrived at Yunhe County City, Huang Qianjun had expressed his hope and longing to fight on the battlefield.
"Are you sure?" Su Yi asked.
Huang Qianjun lowered his head, not daring to look at Su Yi, and said, "Su ge, during this period of time, I feel like a useless waste, unable to help with anything. Because of my affairs, I have caused a lot of trouble for you..."
He took a deep breath and spoke with determination, "So, I want to go to the battlefield with Lord Chen and gain some experience. Whenever I make a name for myself, I will come back to repay your kindness, Su ge!"
A hint of appreciation appeared in Su Yi's eyes as he said, "Well said. It's good to find shade under a big tree, but one can also live in the shadow of that tree forever. Your choice is exactly what I want to see."
He understood very well that when everything was taken care of by himself, Huang Qianjun was at best just a servant running errands and pouring tea.
Without honing oneself, no matter how powerful the secret techniques were, future achievements would be limited, and he would gradually fall behind Su Yi's pace.
"Lord Marquis, what do you think of him?" Su Yi's gaze turned to Chen Zheng.
Chen Zheng said, "Whether he has the talent of a general or is a coward, that can only be seen through training on the battlefield. Of course, since he is following Su Gongzi, he must have his extraordinary qualities. If he is willing, he can return to the camp with me tomorrow."
He saw through Su Yi's intention to train Huang Qianjun.
"Thank you, Lord Chen, for your support!" Huang Qianjun expressed his gratitude and bowed.
Chen Zheng's expression turned cold as he said, "Don't thank me just yet. Even if you join the Green Armor Army, you won't receive any special treatment. On the contrary, because of Su Gongzi's relationship, I will have higher expectations of you. Do you understand?"
"I understand!" Huang Qianjun replied solemnly.
"I have high hopes for you," Zhang Yiren said with a smile as he patted Huang Qianjun's shoulder.
Chen Zheng didn't say anything more and soon left with Zhang Yiren, taking Liu Xianglan with them.
"You go and clean up the spoils first, then come to the pavilion to see me," Su Yi ordered and walked towards the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
Huang Qianjun got busy with his tasks.
Inside the pavilion in the courtyard, when Weng Yunqi woke up, he saw Su Yi sitting in the rattan chair. His face changed, and he struggled to get up, saying, "Why hasn't the young master killed this old man?"
"Where is the Soul Jade?" Su Yi asked.
He had searched Weng Yunqi earlier but hadn't found the Soul Jade.
"I see," Weng Yunqi's eyes flickered as he said, "Is the young master also trying to uncover Qing Wan's origins?"
Su Yi's gaze turned deep and cold as he replied calmly, "I don't like listening to nonsense. I'll give you a choice. Hand over the Soul Jade, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise, I guarantee you a fate worse than death."
Weng Yunqi remained silent for a long time and said, "Can the young master really give this old man a chance to live?"
Su Yi said, "Believe it or not, you can take a gamble."
"Good, this old man trusts the young master's character!" Weng Yunqi took a deep breath and suddenly used his fingertip to cut open his own flesh and blood on his arm. He inserted his finger into it and quickly took out a bloody jade pendant.
Despite the pain, he remained composed and wiped the jade pendant clean before handing it over. "Young master, please have a look."
Su Yi held the jade pendant in his hand and observed it. The pendant was about four inches in size, with an amber-like yellowish color. It had a warm and smooth touch, accompanied by a slight coolness.
On the front of the jade pendant, an ancient symbol of cloud patterns was carved, depicting a strange landscape where mountains and rivers were inverted beneath the sky and overturned above the abyss.
At first glance, it resembled a round and eerie eye, with the inverted mountains and rivers representing its pupils and a void abyss within the depths of the pupils.
On the back of the pendant, there was a twisted and intricate decree engraved.
Su Yi narrowed his eyes, feeling that there was something peculiar about it.
This jade pendant was crafted from the "Spiritual Mystical Essence," which could be considered a divine material on the vast Nine Provinces, on the level of a precious treasure. It was extremely rare.
In the eyes of Ghost Cultivators, the Spiritual Mystical Essence was regarded as something "sacred." It had incredible uses in nurturing and cultivating the divine soul.
In Su Yi's previous life, he had only accumulated about ten jin of such divine materials in his treasure trove, accumulated over countless years.
To find such a piece of jade pendant in this mundane world was naturally unbelievable.
Furthermore, the eye pattern on the front of the pendant was particularly eerie and unique. The inverted mountains and rivers were difficult to decipher, but Su Yi could recognize that the runes and cloud patterns used to create this pattern were the work of an imperial realm figure!
Within those faint and intricate patterns, profound mysteries were embedded.
Unfortunately, the spirituality had long been erased, leaving behind only an empty shell without flesh, blood, or spiritual energy, causing those mysteries to have dissipated.
As for the decree on the back of the jade pendant, there was nothing particularly special about it. It was a "Spiritual Essence" decree that could nourish and preserve the divine soul.
After a while, Su Yi withdrew his gaze and looked at Weng Yunqi, asking, "Where did this Soul Jade come from?"
Weng Yunqi's expression became complex as he replied, "All this old man knows is that thirty years ago, the branch master of the Yin Sha Sect in Gunzhou, Huyan Hai, brought back this Soul Jade. He regarded it as a precious treasure and kept it in his treasure trove."
"Huyan Hai?" Su Yi raised an eyebrow. "Where is he now?"
"He is the branch master of Gunzhou, and their branch is located in the depths of the Little Copper Mountain, three hundred miles outside Gunzhou City. However, since this old man defected from the Yin Sha Sect back then, it's highly likely that the Gunzhou branch has already changed its allegiance."
As Weng Yunqi spoke, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Young master, I have an irreconcilable feud with Huyan Hai. If you don't mind, I am willing to offer my services!"
Su Yi stared at the figure of this desolate and aged old man for a while before saying, "You want to seek revenge through my hand?"
Weng Yunqi replied with bitterness, "Huyan Hai has reached the Second Stage of the Grandmaster Realm and has mastered various sinister and evil techniques. He is cunning, ruthless, and ordinary people of the same realm are not his match. With my own strength alone, it would be difficult to seek revenge in this lifetime."
"What can you do to assist me?" Su Yi asked again.
Weng Yunqi spoke in a deep voice, "Although my cultivation is inadequate, I was once one of the four protectors of the Gunzhou branch. I possess many secrets related to the Yin Sha Sect."
Su Yi said, "Leave behind a method for me to find you. If I truly decide to find Huyan Hai in the future, I will bring you along."
Weng Yunqi felt somewhat disappointed, realizing that Su Yi didn't trust him and was unwilling to have him serve by his side. However, he still nodded and said, "Alright."
He took out a broken copper coin and said, "I will immediately set off for Gunzhou City. If you want to find me, you can send one of your attendants to the 'Tai Ping Inn' within the city and give this copper coin to the innkeeper."
Su Yi nodded. "You may leave."
Weng Yunqi cupped his fists in salute and turned to leave.
Watching him depart, Su Yi played with the broken copper coin in his hand and thought to himself, "Whether you have ulterior motives or genuinely want to cooperate with me when I go to find Huyan Hai, if you dare to hinder my plans, I will make sure you suffer."
Huang Qianjun soon entered with the spoils he had collected.
"Brother Su..."
Before he could finish speaking, Su Yi interrupted, saying, "Keep the spiritual stones and materials for yourself. Consider them as a token of my appreciation for you."
Huang Qianjun was stunned for a moment, feeling a bit emotional.
He took a deep breath and said, "Brother Su, besides the spiritual stones and materials, I found some peculiar items."
As he spoke, he took out a blood-colored candle, a stack of black talismans, a string of beads made from white bones, and a wooden puppet smeared with blood.
Su Yi examined them briefly and instructed Huang Qianjun to destroy the stack of black talismans and the bone beads.
Those were all some sinister and cursed items of no value.
However, the blood-colored candle and the blood-smudged wooden puppet piqued Su Yi's interest.
"A summoning wax made from vital blood? It seems that those three fellows were able to track Weng Yunqi's whereabouts because of this item."
Su Yi pondered for a moment and kept the blood candle.
With this, there was no need to rely on the broken copper coin. He could easily find Weng Yunqi and reach Gunzhou City at any time.
"And this seems to be a 'Blood Corpse Puppet'..."
Su Yi's gaze fell upon the blood-stained wooden puppet, about the size of a palm, crafted from human skin, covered in malevolent and eerie blood-red talismans, exuding a strong scent of blood.
"Those guys must have set up a blood-refining array in the city in advance, and this Blood Corpse Puppet was the key to activating it. However, they won't have the chance to use it in this lifetime..."
As he contemplated, Su Yi used his fingers like a knife and lightly wiped across the wooden puppet.
The head of the Blood Corpse Puppet fell to the ground.
In a desolate courtyard within the city, at the bottom of a bone-built altar, a resentful and unwilling roar resounded.
Bang!
The bone altar shattered.
At the bottom, a bloody corpse gradually dissolved into pus and dissipated.
In the pavilion, Su Yi pondered for a moment and said, "You were quite interested in Langtaosha when we entered the city, weren't you? Tonight, I'll take you there for a visit."
Huang Qianjun was dumbfounded. "Brother Su, are you taking me to...to engage in that activity?"