494 The Enemy Is One of Us?

The two Sacred Heart Sect disciples couldn’t shake the sight of the scarlet blood lines. These fine, powerful lines weren’t like any others they’d seen before. They were pure and perfect, suggesting that the masked person in front of them must be a powerful, trusted aid on some mission.

Could this person be the rumored inspector? Fang Tiezheng, brave yet cautious, stole a quick look at Qin Huai. The latter was wearing a mask, so he probably didn’t want them to know his real identity yet.

Fang Tiezheng gathered his courage and said, “My lord, if you have any orders, we will do our best to follow them.”

“You’re not just brave, you’re cunning,” Qin Huai responded coolly. His mastery of the blood heart technique was clearly advanced, a useful trick to fool Sacred Heart Sect disciples.

His cold tone sent chills through Fang Tiezheng and his companion. Even though they were both strong cultivators, they were shaking uncontrollably in front of Qin Huai, not from fear, but due to his overpowering aura. They both bowed their heads to the ground, begging for mercy.

“What have the demons been up to recently?” Qin Huai asked.

“Demons?” Fang Tiezheng and his companion exchanged confused glances. “The demons disappeared long ago.”

“Disappeared?” Qin Huai was surprised.

“I think it was three days ago?” the other disciple chimed in. But Fang Tiezheng corrected him, “Four days ago! They all vanished suddenly overnight.”

“Are there any left in the Tang family?” Qin Huai probed further.

“We don’t know. We’re just guarding the White Cloud Sect. Right now, Qingzhou City is a battlefield. We would barely make it to the mountaintop alive if we leave the gate,” Fang Tiezheng replied with a forced smile.

Qin Huai didn’t react. He had indeed seen a lot of fights among martial artists on his way. Fights would break out for no reason, often escalating to the point where dozens of bodies littered the ground.

Afterward, the remaining people would start fires and cook meat. These fights seemed to boost their cultivation skills, regardless of whether they used the blood heart technique or their own methods. Some of those killed were even wearing the Sacred Heart Sect robes.

“What is the White Cloud Sect doing?” Qin Huai asked.

“My lord, the masters are following orders to monitor the movements of the Qingzhou Alliance and find vulnerabilities in Wuji Mountain. They are also observing the situation in Qingzhou City…” Fang Tiezheng answered, revealing everything he knew. “The masters have worked tirelessly and have never complained.”

“Kid, you’re pretty sharp,” Qin Huai said, patting Fang Tiezheng’s shoulder. “You can go now. Remember, I wasn’t here today.”

“Don’t worry, my lord. We understand!” the two of them assured him, nodding vigorously. After receiving Qin Huai’s approval, they sprinted off like racehorses.

“Why are we running?” the other disciple asked when they were almost at the sect gate.

“Are you really that clueless? If that person was a real envoy, wouldn’t he know where the demons went?” Fang Tiezheng responded, looking both disappointed and scared.

“But… but that person’s blood heart technique was flawless,” the other man said, clearly confused. He had his doubts initially, but they were dismissed when he saw Qin Huai’s pure blood heart technique.

“Well, I don’t know why either. Anyway, we should inform our superiors. That person is definitely trouble,” Fang Tiezheng declared confidently.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them.

“My lord…” Fang Tiezheng stuttered, looking at the tall figure in the bamboo hat.

“It seems we were all holding back earlier,” Qin Huai’s voice drifted over. “My mistake. I should be more open with people. Let’s change the way we talk.” He slowly removed his bamboo hat to reveal his face.

“My lord, you’re so handsome. You look like a god among men,” Fang Tiezheng couldn’t help but comment, filled with regret.

“Don’t you recognize me?” Qin Huai asked, smiling.

“No, I don’t!” Fang Tiezheng shook his head vigorously.

It was Qin Huai! He couldn’t believe it. He had bumped into Qin Huai, the leader of the Qingzhou Alliance. What terrible luck! But how could the leader of the alliance know the blood heart technique?

“Since you don’t know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Qin Huai, the leader of the Qingzhou Alliance and the successor of the Emperor of Qingzhou,” Qin Huai said, his smile warm.

“Are you… one of us?” Fang Tiezheng asked cautiously. The question even sounded ridiculous to him.

If there was anything they should worry about, it was not the remnants of Wuji Mountain but the Qingzhou Alliance, with its countless strong prodigies and unlimited potential.