Chapter 00174: Elder Liu Is Also Afraid (A Bonus for Alliance Leader Mu Qinfeng)
# Elder Liu Is Also Afraid (A Bonus for Alliance Leader Mu Qinfeng)
Chapter 174
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 174: Elder Liu Is Also Afraid (A Bonus for Alliance Leader Mu Qinfeng)
Qu Yue Mountain soon sensed that something was amiss; his internal organs felt as if they were crumbling to pieces.
Yan Mei wanted to kill him...
Understanding this, Qu Yue Mountain felt as though his very soul was about to leave his body.
What kind of poison is this? It was so potent that he hadn’t even realized any toxins were at work.
He couldn’t expel it with his True Qi either; once struck, it fused with his body, leading to a complete collapse.
At this moment, Qu Yue Mountain wanted to roar for someone to come in, but his body was utterly unresponsive.
Ding Huan was still studying the formation array.
Even if Yan Mei had murdered Qu Yue Mountain and got caught, Ding Huan wouldn’t fear Qu Yue Mountain seeking retribution.
Once more, a voice echoed at the entrance of the tent: “Ding Dao Friend, may I come in for a chat?”
“Elder Liu?” Ding Huan recognized the voice immediately and hurriedly opened the tent flap.
Liu Yinzhu entered with a cheerful smile, “I hope I didn’t disturb you, Ding Dao Friend?”
“No, not at all. I didn’t know if Elder Liu had something to instruct me about?” Ding Huan feigned a look of alarm.
Liu Yinzhu quickly responded, “Instruct? I wouldn’t dare! I just wanted to ask Ding Dao Friend what you think of Elder Qu?”
Ding Huan was taken aback.
Why was a sect elder asking him, a mere chef, about another sect elder? It seemed rather strange.
“I’m just a simple chef, how could I dare to speak of an elder behind their back? Please don’t put me in a difficult position, Elder Liu,” Ding Huan replied hastily.
Inside her heart, Liu Yinzhu scoffed.
You call yourself simple? If you were that simple, you wouldn’t have orchestrated Qu Yue Mountain’s injury.
You wouldn’t be afraid to berate Elder Qu right in front of him either; such words wouldn’t fool anyone.
“Ding Dao Friend, I’ve gotten to know Elder Qu's character somewhat. Although he seems injured, what he intends to do, he will undoubtedly pursue.” Liu Yinzhu still wore a smile.
Ding Huan’s heart sank; he knew this was Liu Yinzhu’s way of warning him—Qu Yue Mountain wouldn’t let him off easily.
“But what can a mere chef like me do? I can only leave everything to fate. Ah, if only my spiritual roots were better! If I could join a sect, then Elder Qu wouldn’t bother with someone like me,” he said, revealing his thoughts.
Ding Huan hoped Liu Yinzhu had summoned him because she sensed his intuition and wished to invite him to join Zixia Valley? If so, that would be remarkable indeed.
Liu Yinzhu understood Ding Huan’s thoughts, but just like Gu Youchang, she didn’t have the authority to pull him into Zixia Valley.
She found Ding Huan interesting and wanted to learn more about his intentions before reporting back to her sect.
If the sect agreed, she would then inform Ding Huan.
“Ding Dao Friend, Elder Qu has been part of the Shuanghun Sect for no more than ten years. In such a short span, he became an elder, which is why he appears so young…”
When Liu Yinzhu spoke, she looked directly at Ding Huan.
She suspected that Ding Huan had uncovered something.
Hearing this, Ding Huan immediately felt a sense of alertness.
He had only thought that he was the only one to realize the Shuanghun Sect was a sect specializing in possession.
Now, Liu Yinzhu’s words pointed directly at Qu Yue Mountain being involved in this dark practice.
It appeared other sects were already aware of Shuanghun Sect's true nature.
If even the rival sects feared confronting them, how could a newcomer like him dare to expose their secrets? Wouldn’t that spell his doom?
“Indeed, Elder Qu is truly wise and capable, exceptionally talented—what a remarkable figure Shuanghun Sect has!” Ding Huan said, avoiding mentioning the sect’s dark practices outright.
Liu Yinzhu felt frustrated; she wanted Ding Huan to reveal that Elder Qu was involved in possession, thinking it would pull their conversation closer together, thus building some rapport.
If she brought it up herself, the impact would be diminished.
If Ding Huan voiced it first, keeping it a secret and discussing it together would foster his trust in her.
Ding Huan, though a chef, was slippery as an eel.
Just as Liu Yinzhu was about to say something else, an anguished voice called from outside: “Elder Liu, Elder Gu, you must come see Elder Qu! He, he…”
Upon hearing those words, Liu Yinzhu’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly charged outside.
When she arrived at Qu Yue Mountain's tent, Gu Youchang was already there.
Yan Mei, the only surviving disciple of Shuanghun Sect, stood outside, his eyes red with tears and a grieving expression.
Though his sorrow seemed feigned, deep inside he was filled with genuine fear and horror.
That Ding Huan was far too formidable.
He knew Ding Huan had potent poisons or insights into killing without a trace, but he never expected the poison he unleashed would be so dreadful.
How little time had passed? Qu Yue Mountain was already dead, and the sight of his demise was unlike anything Yan Mei had ever seen.
In Yan Mei’s heart, no matter what, he had to stick by Ding Huan in the future.
Even if he couldn’t follow him, he must at least become friends with this Big Brother Ding.
Glancing at each other, Gu Youchang and Liu Yinzhu stepped into the tent.
Inside, Qu Yue Mountain lay dead on the ground, his face decayed and beyond lifelessness.
“His meridians have vanished, flesh turned to blood water; such terrifying poison,” Gu Youchang said gravely.
With a simple mental scan, they could glean how Qu Yue Mountain met his end.
Liu Yinzhu felt a shiver run down her spine.
While she had been speaking with Ding Huan just moments ago, deep down she hadn’t felt much fear of him.
Ding Huan was clever, sly, and had a strong instinct; he was far weaker than her in strength, so she saw no reason to be wary.
Now, seeing Qu Yue Mountain’s state, she realized her mistake.
Liu Yinzhu was 100% certain that Ding Huan had a hand in Qu Yue Mountain’s demise.
For Ding Huan to remain inside and still manage to kill Qu Yue Mountain, such means were utterly frightful.
Did she suspect Yan Mei? Not at all.
Yan Mei was a newly initiated disciple, timid and hesitant—a mere shadow of Qu Yue Mountain in his current state; he wouldn’t even dare to kill him, even if ordered.
Originally, Liu Yinzhu had planned to recommend Ding Huan to the sect leader upon returning, but now she had changed her mind.
Ding Huan absolutely must not join Zixia Valley; this person was too frightening.
He was just an ordinary chef yet could dispatch an elder.
If this fellow grew stronger, wouldn’t he easily eliminate even the sect leader?
“To think the toxin of the Tongue-Eater Zombie could be so terrifying; it’s hard to believe,” Gu Youchang sighed after a long while.
Liu Yinzhu countered, “It’s also possible that Han Ba’s poison wasn’t completely cleansed.”
“Alas…”
Gu Youchang sighed and strode out of the tent.
Facing Yan Mei, whose eyes were swollen from crying, he said, “This isn’t your fault. Go and properly bury your sect elder. You’ll take his belongings back to Shuanghun Sect, won’t you?”
“Elder Gu, the junior dares not touch Elder Qu’s things,” Yan Mei immediately bowed respectfully.
Gu Youchang nodded, “Then I’ll take them back to Shuanghun Sect.”
As a fledgling instructor, Yan Mei technically was not yet a disciple of Shuanghun Sect, so it made sense he wouldn’t dare touch an elder’s items.
“Understood,” Yan Mei replied, quickly bowing again.
At this moment, Liu Yinzhu lost interest in chatting with Ding Huan and didn’t want to get too close to him either.
Ding Huan didn’t go out.
Upon hearing Yan Mei’s cries, he knew that this young man had succeeded.
This guy was impressive; he had indeed come up with a useful plan.
That night, Yan Mei didn’t come to see him.
Ding Huan nodded inwardly; it was for the best.
Had Yan Mei approached him that very first night, it would have only shown how foolish he was.
Everyone knew he and Qu Yue Mountain had a bad relationship.
If Qu Yue Mountain had just died, and yet Yan Mei sought him out afterward, how could he avoid suspicion?
The next day, the group continued their march.
With Qu Yue Mountain dead, no one felt their life was any more valuable than the fallen elder’s.
Throughout the day, the whole party hurried along at a faster pace.
That night, after setting up camp, Ding Huan still ventured out seeking food.
In such a perilous land, with Han Ba in front and the Tongue-Eater Zombie behind, not one of the disciples could help but admire Ding Huan’s courage.
Yet, even with such bravery, Ding Huan didn’t go far; he only caught a nearby Iron Spine Pig before returning.
Since Ding Huan was now their pathfinder, Guan Zhu had even instructed him not to bother cooking.
In fact, Ding Huan had scaled back his quests for food significantly; one expedition provided meals for several days.
Not because he was afraid, but because he wanted to devote all his time to studying the formation array.
The following days passed without incident, bringing some vitality back to the group.
Yan Mei also seized the chance to get closer to Ding Huan and quickly became a decent friend.
“Big Brother Ding, thank you,” Yan Mei expressed heartfelt gratitude when he returned the gene toxin mist to Ding Huan.
Although he was a fledgling disciple, within his heart, Ding Huan’s standing surpassed even that of Elder Gu and Elder Liu.
Elder Gu and Elder Liu couldn’t ensure their survival, but Ding Huan could.
They couldn’t lead an ordinary newcomer to kill Qu Yue Mountain, but Ding Huan could.
“Big Brother, can you tell me about that question now?” Yan Mei asked in a hushed voice.
Ding Huan chose not to conceal it any longer, lowering his voice as well, “Shuanghun Sect is a possession sect. They wish to recruit you simply for the purpose of letting those old monsters in the sect take over your bodies.”
Yan Mei was stunned, taking a moment before stammering, “So that’s it. No wonder I understand now…”
Previously he had still considered returning to Shuanghun Sect, but after hearing Ding Huan’s words, even if he had a thousand boldness, he would never dare approach them again.
“Big Brother Ding, can I follow you?” After regaining his composure from the shock, Yan Mei hurriedly asked Ding Huan.
Ding Huan pondered for a moment before saying, “The matter between me and Elder Qu will certainly reach Shuanghun Sect, so once everyone is safe, it'll be time for me to escape. However, you still have a path due to your decent aptitude. You could try currying favor with Elder Liu or Elder Gu; if you could join their sect…”
Yan Mei shook his head, “Big Brother Ding, though my aptitude is decent, neither Yanyue Sect nor Zixia Valley would offend Shuanghun Sect over me. As long as I don’t want to join Shuanghun Sect, my only option remains to follow you, Big Brother Ding.”
Ding Huan laughed heartily, “Then let’s escape together!”
(End of Chapter)