Wang Suizhi frowned and scolded the kneeling boy in a low voice, "Since you've already become a disciple, how can you just leave like this? You're betraying the sect! Besides, without parents, where do you plan to go?"
The boy choked up and said, "It's because I have no parents, that you all bully me. You chose me and over a dozen other beggars to join the sect, but why did they one by one fall mysteriously ill and die, their bodies wasted away? What Master? I think she's a blood-sucking skeleton demon!"
Hearing such rebellious words from the boy, Wang Suizhi was initially furious, but then he became resigned. He took out a pouch from his pocket and handed it to the boy, saying, "Since it's come to this, I won't force you to stay. Here's some money for your journey, head northeast, where your luck will be better. Although you won't become rich, it should be enough to feed yourself..."
The boy gratefully took the money pouch and hurriedly left like he was escaping for his life.
Wang Suizhi stood in the courtyard for a long while, sighing at the solitary moon. But as he turned around, he saw Xue Ranran standing in the corner. He was surprised for a moment, then politely nodded before preparing to leave.
Ranran couldn't help but say, "Since you already know something is wrong with your Master, why not leave? Why assist in wrongdoing?"
Wang Suizhi's face turned stern, "How dare you slander my Master?"
Ranran continued, "Actually, you already have the answer in your heart, but you refuse to believe it. Your Master may be great, but if she's done wrong, blindly following her is akin to aiding wrongdoing."
Wang Suizhi hesitated, "Miss Xue, what do you mean?"
Xue Ranran said, "When you recruited those children at the border, they were all born in the Yin month. I was puzzled at first, why pay such attention to birth months? But today, seeing the children with Elder Mu all looking weak and spent, while Elder Mu herself is radiant, I suddenly understood. She must have practiced a demonic method of extracting life force…"
"Stop your nonsense! How could my Master do such a thing?" Wang Suizhi was both angry and anxious, but he was more afraid to disturb others, so he lowered his voice and growled.
Ranran took a deep breath slowly. If she hadn't discovered Su Yi Shui helping herself with replenishing her vitality qi, she might not have thought of this.
Both she and Mu Ranwu were fruits fallen from the Rebirth tree. Although Mu Ranwu used reincarnation to steal her sister's cultivation, after depleting her vitality in the palace, her lack of inner strength should have presented.
Mu Ranwu didn't have someone like Su Yi Shui to help her to replenish Qi, so how could she get through this crisis?
So tonight, after eavesdropping on Wang Suizhi and the boy, she immediately understood everything.
Seeing Wang Suizhi let the boy go, Ranran felt that Wang Suizhi's nature was not evil. She didn't want him to continue doing bad things with Mu Ranwu, so she deliberately pointed it out to him.
"Whether she'd done it or not, but deep down, you already have an answer, don't you?" Ranran said softly after hearing his question.
Wang Suizhi was momentarily speechless, unable to come up with anything.
Of course, he had also noticed something wrong. The children he brought in, although they were thin from not eating enough, were all healthy before.
But after following the Master's practice, the innately talented children fell ill one after the other, as if they were being drained dry. When they were dying, the Master would instruct them to be sent away, and he didn't know if they lived or died afterward.
Wang Suizhi hadn't slept well these days. Whenever he slept, he would see those children who were being sent away, looking at him with hollow eyes, and then he would wake up drenched in cold sweat.
But he couldn't say these things to other disciples.
After all, the rebirth of their Master was a miracle everyone had longed for. If he said even half a word, it would be considered treason.
Now hearing Xue Ranran's words, he actually felt enlightened. "If… I mean if it's true, what do you think I should do?"
Ranran looked at the middle-aged man in front of her. Perhaps twenty years ago, when he was still a youth, he had also asked her for advice when he felt lost.
"If you feel something is wrong, why not leave…"
Wang Suizhi sighed softly, "You don't know, my Master has brought in some people… Even if I wanted to leave, I can't…"
Thinking of the two expressionless people who fought with Shifu during the day, Ranran was also curious. Who exactly were they?
Now that the relationship between Mu Ranwu and Su Yu was delicate, she wouldn't be at ease having Su Yu's people around her. If they weren't from the Yiren Hall, could they be from the Crimson Gate?
Just then, on the other side of the inn, the sound of a child crying seemed to come through. It seems that Mu Ranwu wanted to cultivate, but found the child missing, so she sent people to search. The runaway boy hadn't gone very far before he was caught by an expressionless attendant and brought back.
Wang Suizhi trembled slightly upon hearing the child's cries, not out of fear of punishment from his master, but because he truly felt he had unintentionally done something that deserved condemnation.
Ranran took out a few talismans from her waist and handed them to Wang Suizhi. Then, channeling her voice only to Wang Suizhi, she conveyed, "These are invisibility talismans. If you intend to leave, please take the remaining children and General Qin with you. He's too principled and easily manipulated. You can get him drunk, then stick the talismans on everyone and hide in the wine barrels behind the inn… These talismans can conceal your presence, and the strong scent of the wine barrels will also help to conceal you… Don't confront Elder Mu, as she has strange people aiding her now, you won't be a match for her…"
After receiving them, Wang Suizhi gritted his teeth, seemingly determined to trust this kind girl just this once. For some reason, with his years of experience in business and reading people, he just felt Xue Ranran was worthy of trust.
At this moment, Wang Suizhi suddenly said to Xue Ranran, "Miss, if you're asking about wealth, your fortune lies in the north. If you head there tomorrow, you're bound to make a fortune…"
While they were speaking, a hoarse voice came from the other side of the courtyard, "Miss Xue has quite the asthetic mood, asking for financial opportunities from my disciple in the middle of the night? Is there something that couldn't wait until daytime?"
Mu Ranwu with her hoarse voice, appeared in the courtyard with a cold smile on her face.
Due to her neck being injured by Su Yi Shui, Mu Ranwu hadn't meditated in time today. After a tired sleep, she woke up and couldn't find the boy who had been nourishing her for several days. As she had been feeling on his qi for the past few days, she immediately sensed that he had left the inn.
As she prepared to go teach the runaway boy a lesson, she passed by here, and happened to overhear Wang Suizhi's words, as if Xue Ranran was asking about financial opportunities.
Mu Ranwu immediately came out to put a stop to it. Now, Wang Suizhi was her wealth god disciple; why should Xue Ranran be allowed to make money?
Moreover, when did Wang Suizhi become so close with Xue Ranran? Did Wang Suizhi realize that she was an imposter?
Mu Ranwu currently needed alot of money and couldn't do without Wang Suizhi, her money source. So she couldn't let Xue Ranran influence Wang Suizhi.
In the past, Xue Ranran would never have confronted Elder Mu head-on. But knowing that she was deliberately impersonating her and doing shady and sinsiter things, Ranran now looked at her coldly.
She looked at the few pale-faced children behind Mu Qingge, thinking that these children might not last long either.
Thinking of this, she looked at Wang Suizhi again and told him via voice channeling "These children were recruited by you. If you have a conscience, find a way to save them. If you need help in the future, you can come to Xishan to find me… Actually have you ever wondered, is your current master really Mu Qingge?"
After conveying these hidden words, Xue Ranran turned to Mu Ranwu and said, "I happened to meet Master Wang here and chatted with him briefly. Elder Mu won't mind, will you?"
Mu Ranwu was about to reply, but then she saw Su Yi Shui has also appeared in the courtyard. This startled her, and she took a few steps back, telling Wang Suizhi, "Hurry up and follow me!"
Wang Suizhi, on the other hand, seemed stunned by what Xue Ranran last said. Trying to maintain his composure, he cast an apprehensive glance at Xue Ranran, and left with Mu Ranwu.
Xue Ranran sighed. If she said she was Mu Qingge right now, she guessed Wang Suizhi wouldn't believe her, and he might even think she was sent by Su Yi Shui to sow discord between him and his mentor.
So she could only give a slight hint and let Wang Suizhi figure out this mess by himself. However, those children really couldn't wait any longer.
Anyway, they would all enter the mountains tomorrow. Even if Mu Ranwu noticed there were people missing, she wouldn't be able to spare the energy to chase them. Hopefully, Wang Suizhi could use those talismans cleverly and escape Mu Ranwu's control.
After Mu Ranwu and her group have completely gone.
Su Yi Shui walked slowly in front her, looking down at her. His handsome eyes narrowed slightly as he suddenly asked, "Are you unhappy because I attacked your sister during the day?"
She had been reluctant to go back to the room, choosing to linger in the courtyard. Was she mad at him?
Ranran took a pause, then immediately remembered that he thought that she was Mu Qingge's sister, Mu Ranwu.
Thinking of this, she said, "She's not my elder sister. I don't have a sister in this lifetime. Even if she were my real sister, if she did something wrong, she should bear the consequences herself…"
Su Yi Shui heard this and snorted coldly, "In her past life, she doted on you the most, always protecting you in every way. You are sure disassociating so cleanly now."
Although he had always disliked Mu Qingge's pampering of her incompetent sister who acted like a baby, her sudden ruthlessness now seemed heartless and ungrateful.
Ranran sighed softly, "I was really wrong. Can't I make up for the debt from my past life even by dying?"
Perhaps in the past life, she had pampered Mu Ranwu too much, allowing her greed to increasingly grow, ultimately leading to her desire to replace her.
She had made a mistake and paid with the price of death. In this lifetime, she had no sisterly affection for Mu Ranwu, nor did she want to shelter this extremely selfish and malicious woman.
But these words sounded different in Su Yi Shui's ears. He felt that he was perhaps too hard on this young girl. She didn't know anything in this lifetime. If he continued to criticize her, wouldn't it be too harsh?
The next morning, as people in the inn were getting ready to leave, Mu Ranwu discovered that Wang Suizhi, General Qin, and the children she used to nurture her Qi were all missing.
Despite searching the entire inn, she couldn't find them nor any clues. When asking the remaining people, they only said they saw Wang Suizhi drinking with General Qin last night, and after that, they knew nothing.
Mu Ranwu's face turned red with anger as she glared fiercely at Xue Ranran. She was now absolutely certain that her handy pawns were missing because of Xue Ranran's mischief!
Xue Ranran did not avoid her gaze and just stared coldly back at her.
Mu Ranwu felt her heart skip a beat instinctively, and her neck involuntarily shrunk: Damn it! The look in that brat's eyes is exactly the same as when her elder sister glared at her in her past life! It made her instinctively want to shrink her neck and admit her mistakes… This feeling of being suppressed for a long time is truly maddening.
Compared to her perfect sister, everything she did was wrong, and she would never be as perfect as her!
Mu Ranwu bit her lip hard and could only temporarily set aside this matter. Once she found the Tempering Fire, it would be her time to shine in the world.
By that time, those traitors who left the sect, she wouldn't let a single one of them go!
The wilderness around the Red Flame Mountain cooled down after a night, and it was only in the morning that one could walk on it comfortably.
Before setting off, Ranran was stopped by the old man watching the inn's entrance. "Little girl, your shoes are torn. The road on that wilderness isn't easy to walk on. Let me give you a pair of grass shoes."
Ranran looked down and indeed saw a hole in her shoes. In this vast area with few people, it would be inconvenient to buy new shoes.
After thanking the old man, she took out some silver from her pocket and said, "I'll buy a few more pairs, in case Shifu and others' shoes got worn out too."
The old man grinned, showing his yellowed teeth, "I only made two pairs. Take the other pair as well, free of charge, consider it a gift."
Ranran sniffed with her small nose, paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you, old uncle."
The old man lowered his head and said mildly, "I advise you all not to court your death. The road ahead is difficult…"
Ranran was about to say something else when the old man picked up his bamboo basket and went to the backyard to cut grass.
When Qiu Xier walked over and saw Ranran looking at the old man's back, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Ranran thought for a moment and said, "I seem to have seen this old man somewhere before…"
Qiu Xier looked as well but didn't notice anything unusual about the old man. He was just an ordinary old man commonly seen in the mountains.
As the area around Red Flame Mountain became lively with people gathering, Crimson Gate's Wei Jiu also received reports early in the morning.
He didn't care at all about the people coming to challenge them.
The demonic sect Crimson Gate has been rooted here, other than the beneficial fire attributes for cultivation, the difficulty to attack this place played a significant role.
After ambushing Su Yi Shui at the border, he did not know how effective the Soul-Cleansing Talisman was. Later he learned from the spies he placed in the town that Zeng Yi had taken Xue Ranran and left Su Yi Shui, he knew then that the talisman had worked.
Since Su Yi Shui had forgotten his love for Mu Qingge, he naturally wouldn't have any special feelings for Xue Ranran anymore.
Xue Ranran, toyed with and discarded by her master, must be feeling disheartened. Wei Jiu's plan was to first watch her and go look for her when he has the time. If nothing unexpected happened, he would bring Xue Ranran back to Crimson Gate.
Unfortunately, when he went to look for her after dealing with matters in the sect, that Xue Ranran had already returned to Xishan with Su Yi Shui. Even her parents were nowhere to be found with Zeng Yi.
Wei Jiu knew that Su Yi Shui was recruiting forces, and among the new disciples, there was even a descendant of his master Shen Wen.
And it seemed that when he found Xue Ranran, he had intended to take back his golden core. Wei Jiu thought that Xue Ranran was quite cunning and would find a way to save herself. But that was good too. After Su Yi Shui completely breaks her heart, she would understand who knows how to really care for her.
When he heard that they were gathering at the inn near Red Flame Mountain, Wei Jiu wasn't too flustered. He just sneered, "They want to enter my Crimson Gate to find the Tempering Flame, they'll have to see if I, the master, am willing!"
But since they are already here, it would go against the principle of hospitality if he didn't give them a good welcome.
Thinking of this, he ordered, "Someone, set up the Five Fiends Illusion Array and let our guests warm up a little!"
As for Xue Ranran, of course he would also prepare a special gift for her. Hoping that after she saw the true hypocritical nature of Su Yi Shui, she would realize the benefits of being with a truly cunning person like him…
As for the several groups of people from the inn, who arrived at the foot of Red Flame Mountain in batches, they did not encounter disciples from Crimson Gate to stop them.
But as they got closer to Red Flame Mountain, the temperature gradually became hotter.
Ranran felt her feet heating up again, so she took off her torn shoes and put on the grass shoes the old man had given her. When she put them on, they fit perfectly and seemed to have some peppermint and cool grass inside, making her feet feel cool and very comfortable.
She was about to ask Su Yi Shui if he wanted to change as well, when she noticed that he seemed to be staring ahead.
Following his gaze forward, the swirling sands in the desert scattered, revealing five huge eggs resembling big drums.
If one looked closely, the dust on these five eggs was blown away by the strong wind, revealing intricate carvings on their surfaces. The markings looked very ancient.
As the elders of the three major sects who were walking at the forefront saw the patterns on the eggs clearly, their faces changed drastically, one said in a low voice, "Not good! Are these giant eggs… the Five Fiends?"
The wilderness below the Red Flame Mountain was the battlefield where Dun Tian had fought against the Demon King years ago. It was said that the Demon King had gathered the Five Fiends' artifacts to form a formation, intending to trap Dun Tian.
Later, it was Dun Tian's wife, Rong Yao, who guided him with her voice infused with true qi, awakening Dun Tian in time to break through the formation.
Although the Demon King was ultimately killed, Dun Tian had achieved enlightenment when he abandoned his wife and children and ascended on the spot. Thus, this maze was preserved intact.
After all, it has been a long time, and even the three major sects' discussions about the Five Fiends are vague. However, the patterns on those eggshells are recorded in the classics of various major cultivation sects.
These five fiends were Giant Mosquito, Golden Armor Beetle, Human-Faced Flea, Ghost Infant, and Mirage. Each fiend was a creature of evil Qi bred by the Demon King back then and sealed in stone eggs. They wouldn't dissipate for hundreds of years.
Just as everyone was hesitant and uncertain, a melancholic and eerie flute sounded, piercing the eardrums and causing pain. The five giant eggs slowly floated up, and dense mist began to emanate from the cracks of the stone eggs, creating a formation.
At this moment, Elder Gao Shen from Jiuhua Sect shouted, "Excellency Wei, we are here with a request, why use such a big show of force to welcome us?"
A strange laughter came from the rocky caves scattered around Red Flame Mountain, "You Elders have always been hospitable to me before. Today, after much anticipation, we are honored by your esteemed presence. If I don't make it more grand, wouldn't it be disrespectful? Please, show your skills. Whoever can successfully pass through this Five Fiends Illusion Array, I, Wei Jiu, will offer fine wine to host you!"
After saying this, there was no more sound.
An elder from Feiyun Sect said, "The array is about to be set up, and now is when the defense of the Five Fiends is weakest. Let's each choose a giant egg and attack simultaneously. If we can break them, we can surely break the array!"
After speaking, he pointed his hand, and a blazing fire shot towards one of the eggs in mid-air. Others also joined in, spells flying everywhere, with fire, water, and frost intertwining, creating a spectacular scene.
As people attacked the eggs, the flute melody suddenly intensified, its already unpleasant sound now resembling the desperate cry of an old crow on the brink of death.
The eggs continued to rise, and after reaching a certain height, they moved in unique trajectories in the air, then burst open with a bang, releasing a terrifying aura that surged towards everyone like a monstrous wave.
It was like a pot of fragrant soup instantly turned into black soup with the addition of pitch-black ink, the arena was filled with a sinister aura, surrounding everyone.
After resisting the impact of the sinister aura, they saw five huge gates of sinister energy appearing where the five eggs were. Everyone knew that to break the formation, they had to break through these gates.
At this point, it all depended on luck. Thinking about breaking into the formation that Dun Tian had once broken into, everyone was eager to try it, and make a name for themselves.
Some even took out Feng Shui compasses to sense which gate had the least sinister energy inside and entered that one. Because every formation would have a Life Gate, if they were extremely lucky and entered it, their chances of escaping smoothly would be higher.
Yue Sheng's eyes were fixed on Lao Feng from the Yiren Hall.
He knew that Lao Feng's Yin-Yang Eyes were very powerful, so he decided that wherever Lao Feng went, he would follow.
After Lao Feng surveyed the five entrances and decided to enter the one directly to the west. Just as Yue Sheng had thought, Lao Feng's eyes could see through the mist. The other gates were filled with dense black aura, only the one directly to the west had the least sinister energy. So Lao Feng led the people from the Yiren Hall to enter the western gate first.
Yue Sheng was eager to enter as well but was stopped by Ranran, "You go in with the people from the Yiren Hall. Even if there's no sinister energy in that gate, you could be ambushed by them."
After saying this, Ranran turned to Shen Kuo and asked, "You are a descendant of the former master of Crimson Gate, do you know the way to break this Five Fiends Array?"
Shen Kuo shook his head slowly, "Although my grandfather was a demonic cultivator, his methods were only different from those of immortal cultivators. He never acted as boldly and recklessly as Wei Jiu, nor did he dare to use ancient evil formations. But according to the ancient records of Crimson Gate, the longer you stay in the formation, the stronger the attacks of the sinister energy, so it's best to get out quickly."
After hearing Shen Kuo's words, Yue Sheng no longer wanted to waste time and clasped his fists to Su Yi Shui, "Master, disciple is willing to scout ahead for you and take a look at the west gate."
After speaking, he turned around and hurriedly leaped into the west gate. Gao Cang was so angry that he spat at his back, "He's really young master who cherishes life. Master has yet to choose, but he's so eager to escape on his own!"