“Now I have come.”

Four seemingly ordinary characters, embedded in the stone wall at the hundred chi mark, were arranged alongside those old and new inscriptions, not conspicuous at all. Perhaps they would soon be buried among countless people’s writings.

After leaving her inscription, Jian Chou directly turned back and happened to meet Pei Qian’s meaningful gaze.

Pei Qian had excellent eyesight. When Jian Chou had been concentrating on reading the inscriptions on the cave wall, he had already noticed her. Watching Jian Chou carve characters, he naturally saw the content on the wall at a glance.

What kind of breadth of mind and spirit would it take to write such a sentence?

Yet standing before him was a female cultivator.

Seeing Jian Chou look over, Pei Qian slightly curved his lips to show he meant no harm, while simultaneously revealing eyes full of curiosity.

Jian Chou could understand such a gaze.

She calmly lowered her eyes, acting as if she had done nothing, while the other few people finally noticed this scene.

Qin Lang and Zhou Qingyun had already collected their belongings. Seeing those four characters, they said nothing. Qian Que’s great sleeves were already bulging full. When he turned back to look, he was immediately surprised: “How are there inscriptions on this cave wall?”

“This is…”

Jian Chou had just opened her mouth to explain when, unexpectedly, Qian Que directly looked at Jian Chou with deep meaning: “Fairy, gentle rain moistens things silently – how can we act so ostentatiously?”

Jian Chou was stunned.

Qian Que sighed deeply, wearing a completely worried expression: “And what you carved… how to put it, is still too ostentatious. Watch me carve something low-key!”

As soon as his words fell, Qian Que pointed with one finger!

“Crack!”

A sound of shattering stones!

A beam of light shot from Qian Que’s finger. The massive stone wall immediately splattered countless fragments as a line of characters appeared: “Golden Abacus Qian Que graces this place, goods throughout the Nineteen Continents, honest dealings with all ages.”

Qin Lang was stunned!

Zhou Qingyun was stunned!

Pei Qian was also stunned!

“…”

What the hell was this writing?

Jian Chou couldn’t help but twitch her mouth corners, looking at the cave wall with indescribably complex emotions—

Compared to the other densely packed normal-sized characters on the cave wall, each character Qian Que carved was huge as a bushel basket!

The massive characters embedded in the cave wall instantly overshadowed that patch of inscriptions…

“Fairy, gentle rain moistens things silently – how can we act so ostentatiously?”

“How to put it, still too ostentatious.”

“Watch me carve something low-key…”

…

The words Qian Que had spoken moments ago still echoed in everyone’s ears.

So this is what your family calls low-key!

And what was “goods throughout the Nineteen Continents, honest dealings with all ages”?

Master Qian Que, who lacked money, you’re not drumming up business on this hundred chi wall, are you?!

Really…

Merchant nature, merchant nature indeed!

Why did she suddenly not want to know this person?

Jian Chou felt her teeth beginning to ache.

Qian Que himself felt no shame whatsoever, instead proudly saying: “Look at mine – all cultivators who come to this hundred chi wall will see my name, Lao Qian, at first glance. When I leave Black Wind Cave later, business will come rolling in, hahaha… Just thinking about it is refreshing. Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your assistance!”

His hearty laughter almost drowned out even the howling black wind from Black Wind Cave.

Looking at everyone and seeing them exchange glances and fall silent together, he didn’t care at all. Shaking his bulging sleeves, he said with satisfaction: “Good, we’ve collected the Wind-Swallowing Stones. Let’s go!”

“Whoosh!”

Hearing this, the little marten in the distance immediately darted back, landing on Jian Chou’s shoulder and pointing at the pile of junk on the ground.

Jian Chou’s eyebrows jumped fiercely. Fearing the little marten would make noise and expose them, she said nothing and directly collected the pile of junk from the ground.

In that instant, everyone’s gaze toward Jian Chou carried a magical complexity.

Pei Qian coughed and asked: “Fellow Daoist Qian, aren’t you collecting anything more? There seems to be more ahead.”

Qian Que was a greedy person. The group had walked this far and still had some strength left. If they walked a few more steps forward, they might have different gains. Why wasn’t Qian Que taking this opportunity to collect more?

Pei Qian’s question was everyone’s question.

Hearing this, Qian Que directly chuckled, glanced at the nearby ground he had picked clean of Wind-Swallowing Stones, and said nonchalantly: “I don’t do things that risk my life for money. Black Wind Cave has always been dangerous – how could it have an empty reputation? I’ll leave after collecting enough stones. If I covet more, I might have to pay back even more – not worth it, not worth it. Are you staying or leaving?”

Unexpectedly, this was quite a rational fellow.

Jian Chou couldn’t help but praise him inwardly. Greedy for money, but with restraint, yet also cherishing life – this was true “greed for money.”

As for Qian Que asking whether to stay or leave…

Jian Chou looked at everyone.

Qin Lang said, “Qingyun and I have already experienced Black Wind Cave. We know that without others, we lack the strength to explore, so we won’t stay longer.”

Zhou Qingyun nodded.

Pei Qian said, “I won’t stay longer either.”

“Then I won’t stay longer either.”

Jian Chou still needed to enter for body cultivation, but now wasn’t the right time. She preferred to find a time when no one knew to enter, to avoid being too shocking and scaring people.

“In that case…”

Qian Que immediately showed a big smile.

“Let’s retreat!”

As soon as he said “retreat,” Qian Que directly released his hands!

Boom!

The formation that originally required five people to maintain immediately crumbled at Qian Que’s corner!

Whoosh!

The black wind in Black Wind Cave swept up, and the entire formation immediately scattered without a trace.

Jian Chou, who had been supporting the formation, felt something was wrong the moment she saw Qian Que’s big smile.

However, it was too late to react!

Before she could curse, fierce wind like blades swept over, like angry waves from the sea, surging powerfully from the surface!

Including Jian Chou, all five people were swept up by the fierce wind and thrown out of Black Wind Cave like trash!

The short distance of just over a hundred chi – how swift!

What Qian Que lacked wasn’t money, but virtue and conscience!

This guy was doing it on purpose!

Qin Lang and Zhou Qingyun, being the weakest of the five, had no resistance and were directly slapped against Black Wind Cave’s entrance by the fierce wind!

Bang!

Utterly miserable.

Qian Que himself was prepared early, maintaining a forward-leaning posture with arms spread, borrowing the wind’s momentum to fly toward mid-air: “Haha, fellow Daoists’ assistance, Qian is deeply grateful. Fearing robbery, I bid farewell here. Until we meet again by fate!”

Until we meet again by fate…

The echo reverberated at the bottom of the cliff. In the blink of an eye, Qian Que had vanished.

Jian Chou was carried out by the black wind. The Liwai Mirror finally flipped, lightly blocking as a misty golden light scattered, reducing part of the wind force. She rather composedly flipped and landed steadily on the ground, breathing a sigh of relief.

Not far away, Pei Qian also landed, looking back at Black Wind Cave with lingering fear.

Only then did the four people turn around together.

The sky had already brightened. An old pear tree’s leaves had long since fallen, its branches coiled on the hard rocky ground, appearing gnarled and strong.

Under the tree, dozens of cultivators had stopped talking, watching these four people slapped out by the black wind.

Silence.

They looked at Jian Chou, and Jian Chou looked at them.

Qian Que had left dashingly but thoroughly screwed over Jian Chou and the others.

The morning wind passed through the cliff bottom, carrying some chill. In the eyes of that group of cultivators opposite, there was wariness.

Jian Chou looked at them, and Pei Qian also looked at them, falling into a strange mutual staring.

Finally, someone felt guilty and slowly stepped back. The originally stiff and strange atmosphere was finally broken as everyone stepped back together!

In that instant, Jian Chou seemed to hear neat footsteps.

Something was wrong.

Black Wind Cave behind them was still whooshing with fierce wind, but once away from the cave, there was nothing unusual.

This group of people, before them, after stepping back, had wariness mixed with a bit of fear in their eyes.

What were they afraid of?

Jian Chou didn’t understand.

She subconsciously turned around, cursing Qian Que for being too treacherous while looking at Pei Qian.

Pei Qian had the same expression – something was amiss.

Finally, the two looked at Qin Lang and Zhou Qingyun together. This pair had already gripped their weapons tightly.

Swords drawn and arrows nocked.

As if they would fight at the slightest disagreement.

Jian Chou’s brows furrowed tightly. She recalled that when Qian Que came out earlier, no one had stopped him – there was no reason to stop her.

The light of the Liwai Mirror surged in her palm.

But Jian Chou relaxed her facial expression and smiled as she asked the cultivators under the old pear tree: “We four just explored Black Wind Cave with that Golden Abacus and came out, never expecting that treacherous merchant to severely scheme against us and escape with most of the items. If you’re here to seize treasures, you surely wouldn’t target us four, right? May I ask what’s happening now?”

One side had over ten people, the other side four – if they fought, it would be challenging.

But when Jian Chou opened her mouth, she lied through her teeth without blinking, truly making the other three feel ashamed.

Pei Qian was, after all, a Northern Region cultivator. On Central Region territory, he always kept a low profile and feared causing trouble that would ruin his plans. Having Jian Chou step forward now was perfect.

Originally, Jian Chou thought that after her words, the group opposite should at least respond somehow.

Unexpectedly, they all showed strange expressions. Several people even exchanged glances, seemingly communicating through transmission simultaneously.

Jian Chou’s brows furrowed another degree.

It seemed the situation wasn’t so simple.

After a long time, an elderly white-haired cultivator stepped forward and said, “Wasn’t it you who killed that female cultivator from Jianzhu Sect?”

“What?”

The speaker wasn’t Jian Chou, but Qin Lang.

He subconsciously looked at Jian Chou.

With this glance, everyone followed his gaze and looked at Jian Chou in unison!

Did she kill her?

Gulp.

Someone was swallowing.

The cultivators opposite were already gripping their swords tightly, slowly backing away several steps.

Wariness.

This was absolute wariness.

Jian Chou’s expression immediately turned ugly.

She knew clearly what she had done.

Zhao Yunbin couldn’t have been completely unharmed, but she also couldn’t have died directly. Now they were saying she was dead?

How was this possible?

Her gaze slowly swept across the group standing opposite.

Each face held one or two parts of fear.

Jian Chou spoke: “Please don’t misunderstand, fellow Daoists. Though we five had a conflict with Zhao Yunbin and her companion, we never harmed her life. Could you please tell us the whole story?”

The people standing under the old pear tree couldn’t help but exchange glances again.

Among them, a steady old woman stepped forward, shaking her head: “Jianzhu Sect’s Zhao Yunbin has already left Medicine Gathering Peak, taking away that female cultivator’s corpse…”

Before she finished speaking, Jian Chou’s gaze immediately became sharp as a blade: “The one alive is Zhao Yunbin?!”

Behind Jian Chou, Pei Qian’s brows also immediately furrowed.

How was this possible?

When the lightning flashed earlier, they saw Zhao Yunbin standing there, launching an attack against their group of five, then being counter-attacked by Jian Chou’s leg.

If anyone was most severely injured, it had to be Zhao Yunbin.

Could that female cultivator have also been affected?

Initially, when this group said a Jianzhu Sect female cultivator was dead, they all, without exception, thought it was Zhao Yunbin!

Who would have thought that this old woman’s words revealed that Zhao Yunbin was alive while the other one was dead?

Had they made assumptions?

The group standing opposite didn’t know what they were surprised about.

The old woman’s voice was hoarse and low as she leaned on her walking stick: “Witnessed with our own eyes – could it be false?”

“…”

Jian Chou and the others were momentarily speechless, completely unable to understand what had gone wrong.

The old woman continued: “This old woman observed that when Jianzhu Sect’s Zhao Yunbin left, her face was fierce – she probably won’t let this go easily. Before Black Wind Cave, storms may gather. We don’t wish to participate in such conflicts, only wanting to explore while Black Wind Cave’s wind isn’t too strong. As for the whole story, you need only leave Medicine Gathering Peak and return to Feitian Town to learn the details. We mean you no harm, only seeking mutual peace.”

In one sentence: you kill yours, we explore ours – completely unrelated.

After hearing this, Jian Chou remained silent.

Standing nearby, Pei Qian sensed the situation seemed abnormal and couldn’t help transmitting to her: “Best to leave first.”

Hearing a voice suddenly in her mind startled Jian Chou.

She glanced sideways at Pei Qian, finally nodded slightly, then turned back and bowed to the old woman: “Thank you for the guidance, senior. We’ll take our leave first.”

With that, Jian Chou unhesitatingly transformed into a stream of glazed golden light, flying straight toward the bright cliff above!

Pei Qian glanced at the group under the old pear tree, who maintained defensive postures but hadn’t attacked, felt somewhat relieved, and immediately followed.

On Sheshen Rock, the rising sun hung high.

Because it was approaching the time when Black Wind Cave’s wind was strongest, no more people could be seen on the cliff today.

Jian Chou looked back down the cliff. Clouds floated below as three streams of light shot up in succession – Pei Qian, Qin Lang, and Zhou Qingyun.

All three landed on Sheshen Rock.

Qin Lang, who had subconsciously glanced at Jian Chou earlier, felt quite embarrassed. He opened his mouth wanting to speak to Jian Chou, but couldn’t say anything.

Instead, Zhou Qingyun bowed to Jian Chou, her voice slightly hoarse: “Feitian Town will become a place of trouble. We two have always been free spirits who don’t like getting involved in disputes, so we won’t stay longer. Farewell, both of you.”

Jian Chou’s lips curved extremely faintly, but she said nothing.

Pei Qian’s manners were still proper. He also bowed, and a clear breeze blew, carrying righteous energy: “Until we meet again.”

Thus, Zhou Qingyun directly pulled Qin Lang, and the two rode the wind again, disappearing into the horizon.

“Fellow Daoist Pei isn’t leaving?”

Jian Chou watched the horizon for a long time, finally slowly withdrawing her gaze and glancing at Pei Qian.

The blazing sun above gilded Pei Qian’s body like a burning red sun. He also looked at Jian Chou, only saying: “I come from the Northern Region and indeed don’t wish to get involved in disputes. However, I’m quite curious – someone of Fellow Daoist Wuchou’s caliber shouldn’t be completely unknown in the Central Region.”

“Fellow Daoist Pei, I’ve also heard a story.”

Jian Chou suddenly smiled, narrowing her eyes.

Pei Qian was startled: “A story?”

Jian Chou nodded: “A story. Legend says that hundreds, or perhaps over a thousand, years ago, the Northern Region’s Yin Sect produced a traitor who later joined the Yang Sect. Remarkably, this person mastered two completely different cultivation methods in one body and became an artifact refining grandmaster.”

Speaking to this point, her smile deepened.

Pei Qian’s pupils contracted sharply, but the next moment they relaxed. He lowered his eyes, and when he raised them again, they were completely calm: “That Yin and Yang sects had such events is truly unbelievable. Even I never heard of it in my sect – it seems Central Region’s Left Three Thousand is indeed a place where outstanding figures emerge.”

That story was told to her by Fudao Shanren when she obtained the Ghost Axe.

Regarding Pei Qian’s meaningless words, Jian Chou remained noncommittal.

Pei Qian seemed quite interested and continued: “However, I don’t believe this story. The cultivation methods of Yin and Yang sects are completely different – this is known throughout the world. Ordinary people would explode and die if they tried to cultivate both slightly. How could this person possibly become an artifact refining grandmaster?”

“Just a story.”

Jian Chou still didn’t refute, her voice so light it scattered in the wind.

“The storyteller also said that after this person integrated the two schools’ methods, he forged a Two Aspects Pearl with the ability to communicate between the yin and yang realms. This pearl was originally embedded in a massive ghost axe.”

Two Aspects, Pearl?

Pei Qian’s gaze immediately became strange.

He stared intently at Jian Chou, as if trying to see through what she was thinking.

“Heh.”

After a long time, he suddenly smiled, relaxedly: “Fellow Daoist Wuchou tells this story so vividly that I almost believed it was real.”

When he smiled, Jian Chou’s tense body also relaxed.

Her gaze was gentle and calm as she followed Pei Qian’s words: “Yes, I almost believed it was real myself.”

“Hahaha…”

Pei Qian’s light laughter suddenly became loud laughter. Originally full of righteous energy, standing on this cliff, he suddenly burst with strange, wild energy.

He laughed.

Heartily and freely.

Jian Chou listened to this laughter, quietly watching Pei Qian, whose demeanor had suddenly become arrogant, or rather…

Pei Qian is showing his true nature.

Silence.

After laughing for a long time, Pei Qian finally stopped, as if finally satisfied.

His face still carried residual mirth as he leisurely spoke: “Fellow Daoist Wuchou, do you know this story isn’t pleasant? The Northern Region’s Yin and Yang sects are in constant conflict. If such things happened, it would inevitably trigger a bloody storm. Tell me, before the person in the story has fully matured, how should he deal with someone who tells such stories carelessly?”

He looked at Jian Chou, and Jian Chou looked at him.

Light flashed from her brow center, and instantly, endless starlight poured from her ancestral aperture. Wind swept from beneath Jian Chou’s feet as a battle disc, one zhang and six chi across, spun wildly.

Those points of starlight fell into Jian Chou’s slowly opening palm, forming an axe shadow that gradually solidified.

Pei Qian’s expression suddenly changed.

Almost horrified!

A stream of light darted from Jian Chou’s fingertip, following the fierce demon patterns on the axe handle, circling the concave round hole on the axe’s spine, finally gradually illuminating the “Space-Splitting Slash” dao seal on the axe’s body.

Jian Chou slowly tightened her fingers, turned her wrist, and swung heavily. The massive axe carved an afterimage through the air.

Ghost Axe—

Pointed diagonally at the ground!

How to deal with someone who tells stories carelessly?

Narrowing her eyes with a smile, Jian Chou seemed extremely pleased: “Fellow Daoist, please try.”