It was not just Xiang Lanzhi who shifted her steps. Yu Qing and the others also changed their positions one after another, pushing their hostage, Qin Fujun, to the very front.
Huan Yushan naturally saw Xiang Lanzhi as well. This potential future trouble had finally fallen into his hands again, and the corners of his mouth could not help but reveal a barely perceptible smile.
However, there was clearly a bit of trouble blocking him right now. The beloved disciple of the Law Enforcement Elder was in their hands. His gaze shifted back to Qin Fujun, and he threatened in a deep voice, “I think you are courting death. Release her immediately!”
Yu Qing replied, “If we release her, will you let us go?”
Huan Yushan said, “Scholar Tanhua, are you qualified to bargain with me?”
Yu Qing said, “Since that is the case, there is no use keeping this person alive.” He tilted his head slightly and gave Mu Aotie a look. “Ninth Brother, before we die, let us drag someone down with us. Cut off her head and offer it to the Grand Elder!”
“Alright,” Mu Aotie agreed loudly, and the sword in his hand immediately applied force to cut.
“Hold on!” Huan Yushan suddenly shouted to stop him.
Mu Aotie did stop his movement, but he had already drawn a streak of blood on Qin Fujun’s neck. Blood began to slowly seep down her neck, gradually dyeing her collar red in a striking and glaring manner.
But it was only a superficial wound and would not kill her.
Qin Fujun bit her lip, her sidelong gaze fixed intently on Yu Qing. She finally understood just how ruthless and cruel he could be, and she felt her teeth itch with hatred.
Little did she know that this was just the martial brothers working in perfect tacit understanding. Yu Qing had no intention of killing her at all. He was merely using her in reverse to test Huan Yushan’s bottom line and see how much leverage she actually provided. He could not just tear up the human shield talisman at the first sign of disagreement. Huan Yushan’s face also darkened. “If she dies, none of you will live either.”
Yu Qing countered, “Does the Grand Elder mean that if she does not die, we can live?”
Huan Yushan said, “You want to live? Fine, I can give you a chance.” He suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Xiang Lanzhi, who was hiding behind the group. “Kill her first, and I will spare your lives.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone roughly understood the other party’s intention. He wanted to force them to draw a clear line between themselves and the Daye Division.
Xiang Lanzhi’s expression remained calm as ever. The bearing of someone used to seeing the shifting winds of power was indeed different. She tilted her head slightly and glanced sideways, observing Yu Qing’s reaction.
Yu Qing remained silent for a while. No one knew what he was thinking. They only heard him say, “Being half dead also counts as sparing our lives. Life imprisonment, living in total darkness, and never having freedom also counts. I wonder which kind of sparing our lives the Grand Elder means. Are you going to give us complete freedom?”
As he spoke, a figure had already flown over from afar, taking the lead. It was Elder Qu, and there were faintly several others behind him.
Huan Yushan’s eyes flashed. He had already noticed the arrival of his fellow sect members. He quickly stared back at Yu Qing, his gaze gradually turning cold. “I do not have that much patience to argue over words with you. I will say it one more time. Kill her, and I will spare your lives!”
His words already revealed a murderous intent. It was not a joke. He truly harboured killing intent.
He could not ruin the grand plans of the entire Kunling Mountain just for a Qin Fujun, nor would he compromise the interests of the entire Kunling Mountain by being controlled by others over a single Qin Fujun. To put it selfishly, Qin Fujun was not his personal disciple, so her life or death was not that important to him.
However, he could not very well ignore Qin Fujun’s life or death in front of his fellow disciples. Seeing his sect members about to arrive, his intention to suddenly strike could no longer be contained. Even Qin Fujun vaguely sensed this killing intent, and her eyes revealed shock and uncertainty.
The martial brothers immediately felt that things were looking bad. Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie subconsciously glanced at Yu Qing. They really wanted to say that they might not give this Envoy Xiang a way out anyway, and they might have to kill her sooner or later. Since that was the case, it would be better to kill her temporarily to stabilise the current situation.
What the two of them did not know was that the dream from last night flashed through Yu Qing’s mind at this moment. He also glanced back at the silent Xiang Lanzhi, still asking himself the question in his heart. Was it her last night?
Perhaps it was this question, or perhaps it was something else, that caused him to silently make a decision.
He slowly straightened his spine. Unafraid of Huan Yushan’s threat, he stared straight back and forced the issue. “Do you want to know the method to reopen the gates of the Immortal Mansion?”
Nan Zhu, Mu Aotie, and Baili Xin were all secretly shocked and stared at him, not knowing what he wanted to do. This might be their only trump card to save their lives. How could he leak it so easily?
Even Xiang Lanzhi could not help but prick up her ears to listen clearly.
How could Huan Yushan not be interested in this secret? He immediately shifted his attention, his eyes flashing repeatedly, and said, “Are you willing to tell me?”
Yu Qing said, “You do not need me to tell you. You can figure it out just by using your own brain.”
“I can figure it out?” Huan Yushan frowned slightly and subconsciously began to ponder.
At this time, Elder Qu also arrived, flashing to the side. He did not know the current situation, only seeing that Qin Fujun was being held hostage.
Shortly after, several more people arrived one after another. Without needing instructions, they formed an encircling posture around Yu Qing and the others.
Yu Qing and his group quickly stood back to back, remaining vigilant in all directions.
Huan Yushan glanced at the arriving sect members but still could not figure anything out. He shouted at Yu Qing again, “Stop beating around the bush.”
Yu Qing stopped beating around the bush. “That Demon King is the guardian beast stationed at the Immortal Mansion. He knows the method to open the cave dwelling.”
This statement caused Nan Zhu, Mu Aotie, and Baili Xin to have various expressions. Some frowned, while the corners of others’ mouths twitched.
Even Xiang Lanzhi could not help but roll her eyes.
Huan Yushan’s face darkened, feeling like he was being played. “Nonsense. Do I still need you to tell me that?”
Yu Qing said, “Then do you know where we are going?”
Huan Yushan said, “I will say it one more time. Do not beat around the bush with me.”
Yu Qing was not intimidated by him at all right now and continued to ask his own questions. “You went to see that Demon King early yesterday morning. Did you notice anything abnormal about him?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Huan Yushan was stunned. He subconsciously thought about the scene of paying respects to the Demon King yesterday morning, but then felt something was wrong and countered, “How do you know I saw the Demon King yesterday morning?”
Elder Qu and the others also felt surprised.
Yu Qing said, “I was hiding near the Divine Tree yesterday morning, also preparing to see the Demon King. It is just that our method of seeing him was different from yours. We had everything prepared, but who knew you would suddenly show up. Your appearance ruined our plan, causing us to not dare to go see him.”
Huan Yushan asked, “What do you mean?”
Yu Qing said, “Since I dared to come in, I would not joke with my own life. I naturally have a way to deal with the Demon King.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Huan Yushan and the others’ eyes lit up, secretly agreeing with this statement.
“The Demon King was originally a bee demon and likes to drink honey. The night before yesterday, we were busy near the Divine Tree all night, sprinkling a certain poison targeting the Demon King on a large number of flowers. We waited for the bee swarm to collect nectar and bring the poison on the pollen into the hive, contaminating the honey and thus poisoning the Bee King.
After we noticed the abnormality of the bee swarm, we thought we had succeeded and were about to rush over to capture the Bee King. Who knew you would suddenly pop up and meet the Bee King. Looking at the way you entered and exited, the Divine Tree was also very calm, with no abnormal signs at all. The Bee King did not seem to have fallen for the trap, which made us not dare to act rashly.
Later, we were discovered by the bee swarm and hunted by them. In desperation, we fled, only to run into your Kunling Mountain disciples and be hunted by you as well.
After tossing about all night, we realised we had made a huge mistake. When the bee swarm was hunting us, why did the Demon King’s people not make a move?”
Speaking of this, Yu Qing stared into Huan Yushan’s eyes and said solemnly, “It is highly likely that the Demon King has already fallen for the trap! The effect of the poison targeting him can only last for a day and a half. We do not have much time left. If we cannot take advantage of it before noon today, the same method will not work on the Demon King twice. I originally did not want to tell you this secret, but I am blocked by you now, and I have no other choice. Only the Demon King can reopen the exit. Once the Demon King recovers, no one will be able to escape, and we will have to die along with you!”
Making up these words on the spot was not easy for him. He had to deal with all aspects, and at the very least, he could not let Qin Fujun’s expressions and reactions make it seem fake.
To escape from the encirclement of these people, he could not think of any other way right now. The situation at the Divine Tree was his only hope.
He was also glad for his quick decision yesterday to decisively capture Qin Fujun. It more or less made the people in front of him a bit wary. Otherwise, how would they talk to them like this? They would have just captured them first.
Huan Yushan’s expression shook, and his eyes flashed rapidly. He had already realised something. When he saw the Demon King yesterday, the Demon King had suddenly granted three days of grace, and the expressions of the Demon King and his people were a bit abnormal. Could it be because they were poisoned?
Thinking about it now, the Demon King saying he was giving face to Xiang Zhen was indeed wrong. He had actually easily believed it at the time.
Elder Qu, whose eyes were also flashing, suddenly shouted, “Qin Fujun, where are they going now?”
Qin Fujun wanted to speak, but Mu Aotie, who was holding her hostage, restricted her ability to make a sound, leaving her unable to respond.
Yu Qing snorted, tilted his head, and gave Mu Aotie a look. “Ninth Brother, let her speak.”
Mu Aotie understood something and immediately released the restriction. However, the sword was still pressed against her neck without loosening in the slightest, ready to take her life at any moment.
Once Qin Fujun, whose collar was stained with blood, was able to make a sound, she immediately replied loudly, “Elder Qu, they are going to the Divine Tree…”
After finishing her words, she gathered her thoughts and wanted to say something else, such as how honey could cure the bee venom. Unfortunately, it was already too late. The magical power in Mu Aotie’s hand pressed down on her again, rendering her unable to speak.
Xiang Lanzhi watched Qin Fujun’s reaction and had already realised that Yu Qing was doing this on purpose. However, she remained calm, wanting to see exactly what Yu Qing was trying to do.
Seeing his own people confirm that these fellows were indeed going to the Divine Tree, Huan Yushan felt a surge of excitement. He was already somewhat eager to go and meet that Demon King. He originally wanted to just capture Yu Qing and the others directly, but after glancing at the hostage Qin Fujun, he ultimately did not dare to act rashly.
To be precise, he could not very well ignore Qin Fujun’s life or death in front of so many fellow sect members.
He could only instruct, “Junior Brother Qu, keep an eye on them. I will go and meet that Demon King first.”
Yu Qing was slightly surprised and quickly said, “Is the Grand Elder not afraid that we are lying to you by rushing over to test the waters so rashly?”