Chapter 23: Zhang Kai’s Scheme

On the gravel shore, the bodies of three Silver Armored Leopards were gradually growing cold.

Bai Yue Ning deftly harvested valuable materials from them—claws, scaled armor, and the gallbladders infused with the essence of demon beasts’ blood. Though these were not as precious as her previous finds, they could still be exchanged for a considerable number of contribution points.

“These scales are decent enough, not remarkable, but better than nothing,” Ye Ming remarked, his tone tinged with the pickiness of someone who had just feasted. “Still, even a mosquito’s leg counts as meat—let’s take them.”

Bai Yue Ning stowed the materials in her storage pouch and was about to leave when Ye Ming’s spiritual sense suddenly stirred.

“Hm? Someone’s coming this way, and fast… two of them. Their aura feels familiar, but it’s not Li Mao and his group.”

Immediately, Bai Yue Ning suppressed her aura, flashing silently into the shadow of jagged rocks nearby, her gaze sharp as she watched the direction Ye Ming had indicated.

Within moments, two figures appeared at the edge of her vision, swiftly advancing across the gravel shore. As they drew closer, Bai Yue Ning saw their faces clearly and frowned slightly.

The one in front was a tall, powerfully built young disciple with an arrogant countenance—it was Senior Brother Zhang Kai, the same man who had appeared at the valley entrance with Sun Wei, showing her obvious disdain. At his side was another disciple with shrewd eyes.

They quickly noticed the Silver Armored Leopard carcasses and halted, faces filled with suspicion and surprise.

The shrewd disciple crouched to examine the wounds, exclaiming, “Silver Armored Leopards? Three of them?”

“The wounds are clean, decisive—each killed in one blow or quickly in succession.”

“Whoever did this is strong—at least at the peak of Qi Refining level seven, maybe even level eight!”

Zhang Kai swept his gaze over the battlefield, his eyes flickering, and snorted coldly, “Looks like someone was quite efficient.”

“There was certainly a fierce fight here just now. Who knows who gained the upper hand and what spoils they secured?”

There was an almost imperceptible greed in Zhang Kai’s tone. To swiftly dispatch three Silver Armored Leopards, the opponent must be formidable—but if they had expended much energy or obtained a rare treasure…

The shrewd disciple stood and whispered, “Senior Brother Zhang, we should hurry and meet up with Senior Brother Song. He seems to have found the exact entrance to that place and needs manpower…”

Zhang Kai waved him off, his gaze still scanning the area, as if searching for traces.

Suddenly, his eyes locked onto a patch of moss trampled beneath a nearby rock—the marks were fresh and pointed in a specific direction.

“Damn, I didn’t pay attention to my footing when killing the leopards,” Ye Ming thought grimly.

A meaningful smile curled at Zhang Kai’s lips as he signaled to his companion. Then, he deliberately raised his voice, “Looks like our fellow cultivator has already ventured deeper.”

“Well, the Silver Armored Leopard materials are nice, but not worth the trouble to chase after them.”

“Let’s go; more pressing matters await, and Senior Brother Song is expecting us,” he said, leading the other disciple in what seemed a casual departure, heading in the opposite direction of Bai Yue Ning’s hiding place. They quickly vanished behind the stone forest.

Yet Bai Yue Ning and Ye Ming, concealed in the shadows, remained vigilant.

“They haven’t gone far,” Ye Ming’s senses firmly locked onto the two seemingly departing figures. “They’re circling over there, hiding their aura well—but they can’t fool me.”

“They’ve definitely noticed your tracks, and those words were meant to lull you into complacency. I bet they’re waiting for you to relax and come out, or planning to follow you.”

Bai Yue Ning’s gaze grew cold. Zhang Kai, as expected, was scheming.

The “Senior Brother Song” he mentioned was likely Song Kui, the nephew of Elder Song from the inner sect, whom Zhou Qing Wan had spoken of earlier. These people gathering together must be plotting something significant.

Indeed, after about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the two figures returned, quietly approaching from another direction. Their keen eyes swept the area where Bai Yue Ning had previously hidden.

The shrewd disciple frowned, “No one here—did she really leave?”

Zhang Kai’s expression soured as he examined the ground. There were only signs of departure, no evidence of lingering or further action.

“Lucky her!” Zhang Kai spat, his face full of resentment. “A useless fifth level Qi refiner, able to kill three Silver Armored Leopards—she must have some secret. I’d hoped for a little extra profit…”

“Senior Brother, focus on the main task,” the shrewd disciple reminded him. “Senior Brother Song is urging us, and that place seems tricky.”

Zhang Kai took a deep breath, suppressing his greed, and nodded, “Let’s go. Once we finish business, if we cross paths with her again, she won’t get off so easily!”

This time, the two didn’t linger and swiftly departed.

After waiting a bit longer, until Ye Ming confirmed they had truly gone, Bai Yue Ning emerged quietly from a pile of rocks further away. She had already silently shifted her hiding place during their circuitous search.

“That guy is truly cunning,” Ye Ming scoffed. “Luckily, we didn’t fall for it.”

Bai Yue Ning gazed deeply in the direction Zhang Kai and his companion had disappeared. Song Kui and Zhang Kai were clearly up to something. That “place” they sought was surely extraordinary.

“Let’s follow them,” she said suddenly.

“Huh? Follow them?” Ye Ming was startled. “They’re obviously trouble, and that Song Kui sounds even tougher—why get involved?”

“The bigger their ambition, the greater the risk—and perhaps the greater the opportunity,” Bai Yue Ning analyzed calmly. “We won’t get directly involved, just observe from afar. If a chance arises, we won’t let it slip.”

“If things turn sour, we’ll quietly withdraw.”

Risk and opportunity always go hand in hand.

With her newfound strength and Ye Ming’s far-reaching perception, she felt more confident in muddying the waters. Besides, she had no fondness for Zhang Kai or Song Kui; if she could hinder them, she wouldn’t mind.

“Hehe, makes sense!” Ye Ming immediately grasped her intent, his mischievous nature surfacing. “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! Maybe we’ll snag a great bargain!”

“Let’s go, keep close—don’t lose them!”

Bai Yue Ning suppressed all traces of her aura, blending into the environment and trailing far behind Zhang Kai and his companion.

Ye Ming magnified his senses to the utmost, not only locking onto the two ahead but constantly scanning the surroundings, anticipating and avoiding any danger that might expose their presence.

Zhang Kai and his companion clearly knew the area well; their path was purposeful, avoiding several obvious hazards.

After following them for about half an hour, a vast fissure appeared ahead, as if a giant sword had cleaved the mountain wall.

From deep within the fissure, powerful energy fluctuations and faint voices drifted out.

Zhang Kai and his companion perked up, quickening their pace as they slipped inside.

Bai Yue Ning stopped outside the fissure, hiding behind a massive boulder and peering carefully within.

She saw five or six people already gathered in a clearing deep within the fissure. Leading them was a young man in indigo inner sect robes, his face somewhat sinister—Song Kui.

He was surrounded by several other strong inner and outer sect disciples, and Zhang Kai and his companion hurried over to them.

All their attention was focused on the center of the clearing.

There, the ground had been cleared to reveal a complex, ancient stone array. At its heart lay several spirit stones, their energy nearly exhausted, surrounded by intricate runes. The array emitted a faint, unstable glow, struggling to maintain some kind of seal.

Beneath the seal was a narrow, dark entrance that could fit only one person at a time, leading downward.

From the edge of the opening, pure and scorching Fire Sha energy continuously seeped out, distorting the air around it.

Song Kui and the others were gathered around the array, discussing something gravely, apparently facing a difficulty.

“This is… a Fire Sha Vein?”

Bai Yue Ning’s heart stirred. Such a vein was a treasured site for forging, alchemy, or cultivating certain rare arts—but fraught with peril. The Sha energy could easily corrupt, leading to madness.

For Song Kui and his group to go to such lengths, their purpose must be significant.

“This Sha energy is fierce, but incredibly pure.”

“Judging by their actions, they want to fully open it—or enter for some purpose?” Ye Ming was puzzled.