Most of Luo Qingyao’s followers had turned right to chase after her. Zhou Lixing asked worriedly, “Brother Luo, what now?”
If Luo Qingyao escaped, today’s efforts would all be wasted.
Nan Sining watched with regret as Luo Qingyao switched to another flying artifact and shot forward like an arrow, quickly pulling free of the beast tide. “No matter. We’ll rob that navy-robed cultivator first.”
The Dragon Head Blood Ginseng was the main target. Luo Qingyao’s life could wait.
Still, Luo Qingyao felt a chilling killing intent on her back. She looked over her shoulder in panic but saw nothing.
Meanwhile, Nan Sining signaled the Frost Wolves to pursue the navy-robed cultivator and his companions. Panic scattered them from Luo Qingyao’s group, driving them into a different direction.
Before long, they’d left the beast tide behind, arriving in safer ground.
“Damn, thought I’d die back there.”
“Wonder how Luo Junior Sister’s doing? Hopefully she escaped.”
“How the hell did I end up with you lot? What rotten luck.”
Without Luo Qingyao, their masks of camaraderie fell away, replaced by curses.
After a few complaints, Zhang Yun noticed two strangers—Nan Sining and Zhou Lixing in disguise. His anger shifted. “It’s you two! If not for you luring that beast tide, we wouldn’t have been separated from Luo Junior Sister!”
Others piled on:
“Exactly! If Luo Junior Sister gets hurt, you’ll pay with your lives!”
“I had to waste a lifesaving talisman—compensate me!”
“And I burned half a bottle of high-grade Spirit Restoring Pills! Hand over your storage bags and rings, and maybe we’ll let you live.”
While they ranted, Zhou Lixing glanced at Nan Sining, waiting for her lead.
Nan Sining folded her arms, listening with an almost amused smile.
“Brother Luo, why are you…” Zhou asked.
She chuckled. “Nothing. Just remembering—villains always die from talking too much. The more they yap, the sooner they die.”
While Zhou puzzled over the phrase, their opponents’ fury boiled over. Swords flashed, and they charged.
Nan Sining clicked her tongue. “Tsk, cultivators in this world really lack manners. Always drawing swords at the first word—what are you supposed to be?”
Yet her actions were swift. She slapped the Frost Wolf’s back, sending it lunging at the enemy. Zhou nearly summoned his trusty ladle before catching himself and drawing his sword instead.
The fight broke out—four men against two people and two wolves. Numbers were even, but Nan Sining was useless in combat. It took Zhou and the wolves a while, but eventually, all four were cut down.
Though reluctant to kill, Nan Sining had no such qualms about looting. She rushed in first, stripping storage rings, hairpins, pendants—even their robes.
Zhou quickly stopped her. “Little Junior Sister, leave the clothes to me.”
Once every scrap was collected, they burned the corpses clean.
Then, riding hard for hundreds of li, they finally stopped to breathe. Inside a newly found cave, they set up barriers and restrictions. Nan Sining could no longer hold back her glee—she dumped their loot out with shining eyes. “Come, time to split the spoils!”
Since the cultivators were dead, their spiritual imprints had faded. She poured everything onto the ground.
“Look! Dragon Head Blood Ginseng! Two of them!”
They’d only expected one, stolen from Zhou, but this man had hidden a second. No wonder he’d been so generous about gifting one to Luo Qingyao.
Zhou’s grin nearly split his face. After so many days, to finally touch Dragon Head Blood Ginseng—it felt unreal.
He cradled them reverently, then returned them to a jade box. “With these, Second Brother can live comfortably for at least a year or two.”
Nan Sining nodded. The book said Yuan Qing’an’s rampant spiritual power constantly tore at him—without help from pills or someone smoothing his energy, he suffered like his body was being pricked by a thousand needles. To endure that for years was unimaginable.
“If Master were here, Second Brother would never lack Blood Ginseng,” she sighed.
That touched Zhou’s fury. “Master left enough spirit stones and contributions for us! But those petty villains in the sect deliberately sabotaged us, calling Cijian Peak freeloaders. They’ve made it harder and harder for Second Brother to get Blood Ginseng!”
Nan Sining blinked. The book never mentioned this. But of course—from Luo Qingyao’s perspective, even her petty schemes were painted favorably. Details of Cijian Peak’s hardships would’ve been cut.
Even honest Zhou was enraged. No wonder Senior Sister pushed so hard for glory in the tournament.
Nan Sining patted his shoulder. “Don’t be angry. With me here, the future will only get better. Today’s just the beginning.”
His heart warmed. “Yes—just the start. Whatever you say, I’ll follow. Always.”
Relieved, Nan Sining set about sorting their haul.
“Spirit stones—over a thousand high-grade, six hundred mid, three thousand low. We split them half and half.”
“These swords—we’ll save for Senior Sister to distribute.”
“This defensive artifact is nice, I’ll keep it.”
“Eh? What’s this?” She pulled out two thin booklets, expecting cultivation manuals. Instead—smutty love stories. Her lip curled. “Gross.”
She tossed them aside. Zhou peeked, blanched, then burned them without a word.
Nan Sining remained speechless. So this is the level of Luo Qingyao’s simps? Pathetic.
Meanwhile, far away, Luo Qingyao sneezed, drawing concern from her lapdogs. She feigned guilt, sighing, “I don’t know where Zhang Yun and the others went. That beast tide was terrifying… if something happened to them, I blame myself.”
At once her followers rushed to soothe her:
“They’ll be fine!”
“Those cowards abandoned you, unworthy of your care!”
“They’ll come crawling back once safe. Don’t worry, Junior Sister Luo!”
Thus, Luo Qingyao remained the delicate white lotus, while her missing followers became villains in her name.
Back in the cave, Nan Sining neatly packed Zhou’s share into a new storage ring. “This is bigger than your pouch—use this from now on.”
He beamed. “Thank you, Little Junior Sister.”
He noticed, though, that she hoarded even broken swords and damaged artifacts. “These are useless. Let me toss them.”
Nan Sining shielded them like treasure. “What toss? These are useful!”
He blinked. “Useful?”
She quickly bundled them into an old pouch, eyes shining. Storage bags and rings really are scavenger’s best friends!
“You’ll see, later,” she said firmly.
Zhou trusted her word.
After tidying up, Nan Sining flopped onto a soft mat. “Senior Brother, I’m hungry.”
“I’ll cook.”
“Good. We’ll rest a few days, then go rob Luo Qingyao again!”
Not catching her personally today left Nan Sining frustrated and unwilling to quit.