Chapter 00173: Elder Qu Drinking Soak Water
# Elder Qu Drinking Soak Water
Chapter 173
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 173: Elder Qu Drinking Soak Water
The last remaining disciple of the Double Soul Sect rushed over to carry Elder Qu on his back as soon as he saw his condition.
Not only that, he carefully approached Ding Huan, saying, "Brother Ding, Elder Qu is unwell. May I carry him along with the others?"
Ding Huan's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery and a touch of pity.
This poor fellow still didn’t realize he was at Double Soul Sect to be possessed, did he? When Elder Qu left, he completely ignored him, and now he was acting like a loyal dog.
He deserved it.
“The road is meant for everyone. Of course you can go; why ask me? Besides, you’re carrying an injured person,” Ding Huan replied with a smile, as if he had no conflict with Elder Qu at all.
Meanwhile, Mo Huanping, who had been observing Ding Huan from afar, felt a sudden jolt in her heart.
Ding Huan truly lived up to her master’s expectations.
After witnessing Elder Qu’s serious injury, he didn’t kick him when he was down; instead, he was quite understanding towards the disciple from Double Soul Sect.
At that moment, Liu Yinzhu glanced over, and Mo Huanping instinctively lowered her head.
Was it really as her master had said? Would she die faster if she remained near Ding Huan?
Regardless of everyone’s thoughts, the group continued to advance.
Unlike before, it was still Ding Huan, the cook, leading the way.
Even the steward, Qiong, spoke to Ding Huan with some respect.
He was secretly afraid, wondering how he would fare if Elder Gu hadn’t insisted on following Ding Huan into the forest.
Perhaps he would have ended up like Elder Qu—without legs, or worse, dead.
The day went by in silence, and nothing unusual occurred.
At night, while setting up camp, Elder Gu and Elder Liu took turns keeping watch, and the injured Elder Qu could only rest within the tent.
As usual, Ding Huan studied formations inside the tent.
Basic formation techniques emphasized the combination of position, momentum, technique, and space, linking to one's aura.
This sparked Ding Huan's curiosity—what if he combined it with the characters from talismans? No, it should be the formation characters instead...
He had never seen formation characters but had encountered formation patterns before.
Common formations, like the one Elder Gu set up with flags, could be easily understood and dispelled by a skilled person.
For example, the invisible patterned wall he encountered when he first came from the mortal realm to the cultivator realm—was that a formation?
If that was a formation, then it must have been a top-tier one, likely connected to formation patterns.
How could he comprehend the knowledge of formation patterns? A nagging feeling lingered in Ding Huan’s mind, but no answers came.
He vaguely sensed that if he could uncover the relationship between formation patterns and formations, then mastering formations would elevate him beyond Elder Gu as soon as he learned the basics.
He chuckled to himself—he wanted to run before he could walk.
Best to focus on learning how to set up basic formations first.
“Brother Ding, may I come in for a moment?” A slightly familiar voice called from outside just as Ding Huan pondered how long it would take him to set up a defensive formation.
Ding Huan instinctively reached out with his spiritual sense but quickly restrained himself and got up to open the tent flap. “It’s you?” He was surprised to see the person before him.
It was the last disciple of the Double Soul Sect, who had been trying to curry favor with him earlier in the day by asking if he could carry Elder Qu alongside the others.
“Come in,” Ding Huan replied casually.
The disciple was just a novice, and he posed no real threat.
Once inside, the disciple quickly shut the tent door and bowed. “Brother Ding, my name is Yan Mei. I came here specifically to seek your guidance.”
Ding Huan was a little surprised at this. “Yan Mei, we are just traveling together. If you have problems I can’t solve, I doubt I’ll be able to help. If it’s truly problematic, you might as well ask the two elders.”
Yan Mei replied sincerely, “Brother Ding, I’m not like you. I’m merely a lowly outer disciple and have no right to seek advice from the elders. More importantly, this problem can only be addressed with your help.”
“Well, speak then,” Ding Huan said, not minding too much.
His ability to converse with the elders came from their reliance on him for survival, while Yan Mei truly could not approach them.
Yan Mei lowered his voice, “Brother, when I asked if we could walk together during the day, I saw pity in your eyes. I know you and Elder Qu are enemies; you wouldn’t feel sympathy for him. Please, show me a clear path.”
Upon saying this, Yan Mei attempted to kneel.
But before he could, Ding Huan waved him up.
He was profoundly shocked; it seemed those who survived were indeed extraordinary.
Yan Mei’s pity for him was genuine, stemming from Ding Huan’s moment of sympathy for him, fearing that this poor novice would be possessed after joining a large sect.
This fleeting glance had been caught by Yan Mei, showcasing his sharp observational skills.
Yet, Ding Huan didn't want to delve into the conflict he had with Elder Qu, as it did not involve the sect.
Even if Elder Qu wished to kill him, that was purely Elder Qu’s intention.
If the matter regarding the Double Soul Sect was exposed, then Elder Qu's intent to kill him would become a very different issue.
“You’re quite lucky, aren’t you? The whole Double Soul Sect was wiped out, yet you survived,” Ding Huan replied evasively.
Yan Mei sighed. “After joining the Double Soul Sect, I felt I might have chosen the wrong sect. It’s rumored that they are desperate for new disciples and invest a lot in their training. Yet, during the last ten days traveling with Elder Qu and the steward, I didn’t feel that at all. When you first left the main group to go off on your own, I wanted to join you to escape, but I feared that if I did, Elder Qu would kill me on the spot. So, at night when we set up camp, I made an excuse to leave the Double Soul Sect’s camp and wandered near Zixia Valley, chatting with a disciple there. And just as I expected, trouble broke out. I saw Elder Qu abandon his disciples and flee; I quickly followed Elder Liu of Zixia Valley and managed to escape.”
Ding Huan looked at Yan Mei in surprise.
This guy was impressive, no wonder he noticed Ding Huan’s fleeting glance.
No, it wasn’t just that.
By approaching Ding Huan while carrying Elder Qu, he was trying to gauge Ding Huan’s thoughts.
This showed a level of cunning and strategy that was quite impressive, yet ultimately useless—at least to Ding Huan.
“Brother Ding, I know Elder Qu is injured and poses no immediate threat to you, but I know his nature—he is someone who holds grudges. Even if he cannot act against you himself, he may have allies, and he probably won’t let me off either...”
Before, Ding Huan had avoided thinking about it.
Now, understanding that Elder Qu wouldn’t spare Yan Mei, the new disciple of Double Soul Sect, a light bulb lit up in Ding Huan’s mind.
Yan Mei came to ask him for advice while carrying the burden of Elder Qu; if Elder Qu did not kill Yan Mei afterward, then Elder Qu was no longer Elder Qu.
“You know Elder Qu won’t let you off, and you still dare to come?” Ding Huan questioned.
Yan Mei clenched his fists. “Brother Ding, the moment I carried Elder Qu to you, I decided to kill him.”
Ding Huan was taken aback.
This fellow wanted to kill Elder Qu? Did he have guts? Even if Elder Qu had lost his legs, Yan Mei still seemed like a chick trying to challenge a mountain.
Yan Mei's tone grew earnest. “I may not have the means to kill Elder Qu, but I’m confident you do. I have two purposes for coming here today. One is to inquire why you felt pity for me, and the other is to ask for your help. If you also have no way, I’ll leave the group and venture into the mountains to fend for myself. I won’t continue carrying this old thief, as he doesn’t have that much face.”
Ding Huan raised his thumb in approval. “You have guts.” No matter how Yan Mei thought, killing Elder Qu could only benefit him.
Ding Huan didn’t hesitate and pulled out a spray canister of genetic poison mist. “Just spray this once, and everyone in the room, including you, will be done for. It’s up to you how to handle Elder Qu. If you survive, return it to me, and I’ll tell you the answer.”
He didn’t mention the consequences of dying, but Yan Mei understood.
“Thank you, Brother Ding. I hope you’ll send me a message after a while,” Yan Mei said, handing Ding Huan a communication pearl.
As Ding Huan examined it, he quickly grasped how to use it. “Alright, I’ll send you a message soon.”
Yan Mei expressed his gratitude yet again before quickly leaving with the genetic poison mist.
Ding Huan was eager to see how Yan Mei planned to deal with Elder Qu without dying.
He could use the poison mist on others because he was immune, but Yan Mei clearly was not.
...
Elder Qu, within the tent, was feeling increasingly restless.
Just as Yan Mei suspected, he would never let Ding Huan go.
Did he think that just because he had lost his legs, he could escape his grasp?
Just then, a sound came from the next tent—that was Yan Mei returning.
For Elder Qu, this Yan Mei was undoubtedly marked for death.
A newly inducted disciple begged for mercy from Ding Huan before consulting him? He had brought shame to the Double Soul Sect.
That wasn’t all; the disciple had tossed him into the tent, showing zero regard for him.
He didn’t even check on Elder Qu when he left; it was as if he didn’t exist.
Thinking of this, Elder Qu focused his spiritual sense on Yan Mei.
When he saw Yan Mei playing with an item he had never seen before, looking pleasantly surprised and excited, rage boiled within him.
“That spray can really cleanse spiritual roots? And remove the dark energy from the body?” Yan Mei muttered to himself, examining the item cautiously.
Just at that moment, his communication pearl lit up. “Huh, what does Elder Gu want?” Yan Mei gazed at the pearl in puzzlement.
He quickly stuffed the item into his bag and hurried out.
Almost the instant he stepped out, Elder Qu’s spiritual sense swept over, and the spray can that Yan Mei had stuffed into his bag landed in Elder Qu’s grasp.
A hole appeared in the tent dividing the two.
It seemed like it was made of crystal and could cleanse spiritual roots and remove dark energy? Where did this fellow get it?
Items that could cleanse spiritual roots were worth a fortune, how could they be contained in such a mundane crystal container? Removing dark energy? That directly corresponded with his injuries.
Elder Qu snorted and casually pressed the spray nozzle, releasing a mist.
He immediately held his breath and quickly swallowed an antidote pill, soon realizing it wasn’t poisonous.
He sprayed a few more times, revealing a hint of disdain in his eyes.
This stuff can cleanse spiritual roots? How ridiculous.
(End of Chapter)