"You make a good point," Bai Yu said, his previous annoyance vanishing as he nodded thoughtfully.
"But if I take you along, you'll need to give me ten merit coins. Don't misunderstand, I'm not being stingy, but it's the rules of the Qingxuan Sect. When spirit beasts carry humans, they must receive merit coins, or else we'll be punished by our oath," Bai Yu added, looking at Xu Taiping.
"No problem, I have merit coins!" Xu Taiping smiled, holding up the pouch of merit coins.
This was the same pouch that Liu Zijing had given him earlier.
"Then get ready quickly. I'll take you with me, and we can hunt a few more," Bai Yu said, now speaking more warmly, his tone far less haughty than before.
"Alright!" Xu Taiping nodded vigorously.
"By the way, where do you plan to hunt for yellow goats?" Bai Yu suddenly asked as Xu Taiping was about to go inside.
"Qingfeng Gorge!" Xu Taiping replied.
"Qingfeng Gorge? That's at least four hundred miles from here. Why go so far?" Bai Yu tilted his head, his large eyes full of confusion.
"Because the yellow goats in Qingfeng Gorge are the best!" Xu Taiping answered with a grin.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yu's confusion immediately disappeared and was replaced by excitement. "Then let's go to Qingfeng Gorge!"
Qingfeng Gorge, Baima Slope
"Lu Chen, Zijing, where have you two been for so long?" A young man dressed in the Qingxuan Sect robes glared at Lu Chen and Liu Zijing as they dismounted from their horses.
The young man had a long face, narrow eyes, and a tall, thin frame, exuding an air of coldness.
"Sorry, Senior Brother, we…"
"Senior Brother, Zijing's horse wasn't feeling well, so we were delayed," Lu Chen lied.
The person Lu Chen called Senior Brother was Mo Jun, the eldest disciple of Qingxuan Sect's Fifth Peak. His cultivation was among the best among his peers.
"Really?" Mo Jun's eyes narrowed coldly as he looked at Liu Zijing.
"Yes, Senior Brother," Liu Zijing answered, even though she felt it unnecessary to lie about her search for her sister. However, since Lu Chen had said so, she didn't want to contradict him.
"Mo Jun, since the two of you are here, let's set off," a woman riding a spirit horse called out from not far away.
She was accompanied by another young girl dressed in white, riding a white spirit horse. Though both women wore veils, their beauty was still undeniable.
"Senior Brother, who are these two?" Lu Chen asked, almost in a daze.
"Those are Senior Sister Ziyan from Sixth Peak and her new junior sister, Wuyu. On the way here, they happened to be going to Qingfeng Gorge for their training. Killing the tiger demon is easy, but capturing it alive to use as a mount is no small feat, so I asked her to join me," Mo Jun replied, mounting his horse while speaking to Lu Chen.
"With Senior Sister Ziyan's help, Senior Brother, you'll definitely be able to capture the tiger demon alive as a mount," Lu Chen said with a flattering smile.
Mo Jun gave him a cold look before turning his gaze to Liu Zijing. "Zijing, once we arrive at Qingfeng Gorge, you and Wuyu can just observe from the side. You don't need to get involved in the hunt for the tiger demon."
"Senior Brother, could you…"
"Junior Sister, just listen to your Senior Brother. We'll capture the tiger demon first, then talk," Mo Jun interrupted before Liu Zijing could finish.
"Mm." Liu Zijing reluctantly nodded.
"Let's go then, to Qingfeng Gorge," Mo Jun said, before urging his horse forward, his figure vanishing like the wind.
Their horses, all spirit beasts, galloped swiftly through the mountains. Within moments, they arrived at Qingfeng Gorge, a place where sunlight rarely reached.
Qingfeng Gorge, Red Maple Forest
"The tiger demon's lair is deep in this maple forest. Senior Sister Ziyan and I will go hide first. Lu Chen, once I give the signal, you can lure the tiger demon to the position where we're lying in ambush," Mo Jun said seriously in the red maple forest.
"What about me, Senior Brother?" Liu Zijing asked urgently.
She was eager to visit the tiger demon's lair to see if her sister had been captured by the demon.
"Zijing, you and Wuyu will stay here. Once the tiger demon is drawn out, you two can assist if necessary," Mo Jun said sternly, looking at Liu Zijing.
"Senior Sister Ziyan and I will take care of Wuyu. She's only been a disciple for six months, and this is her first time dealing with a demon," Mo Jun continued, his expression serious.
Liu Zijing was about to argue when Senior Sister Ziyan suddenly brought Wuyu to her and spoke earnestly.
"Wuyu greets Senior Sister Zijing," Wuyu said with a cold expression, greeting Liu Zijing in a flat tone.
"Mm, Senior Sister Ziyan, don't worry. I'll take good care of Wuyu," Liu Zijing replied, eventually dropping her desire to go with Lu Chen to lure the tiger demon.
She grabbed Wuyu's hand, standing beside her.
"Phew…" A mountain breeze blew through, lifting Wuyu's veil and revealing her almost flawless face.
Not only Lu Chen but even Liu Zijing couldn't help but stare for a moment.
Wuyu seemed used to the attention, quietly raising her head to gaze at a giant eagle soaring above through the gaps in the tree branches.
Above Qingfeng Gorge
At this moment, Xu Taiping was high in the sky, holding onto Bai Yu's neck as they soared over the gorge. Looking down at the mountains and forests below, Xu Taiping asked, "Bai Yu, there are only a few Qingxuan Sect disciples below, where are the yellow goats?"
Bai Yu, looking down as well, spoke with some dissatisfaction, "There are no yellow goats here."
Xu Taiping looked at him in surprise. "Can you see clearly down there?"
"I certainly can!" Bai Yu replied smugly.
"You can see that clearly?" Xu Taiping asked, impressed.
"Of course! Our white-headed eagles are among the best when it comes to vision in the spirit beast world. Not only can we see large figures like those people, but we can even spot ants clearly," Bai Yu boasted.
Xu Taiping couldn't help but marvel at Bai Yu's abilities.
"Bai Yu, can you see if there's a girl in a green dress among the disciples below?" Xu Taiping immediately asked.
"There is indeed a girl in green," Bai Yu replied after a quick glance.
"But the girl beside her seems even more beautiful," Bai Yu added with a hint of playfulness.