Chà Chà Novel

Hearing this stranger dare mention his master, Qin Du felt an instinctive surge of displeasure.

His cold eyes, bright as scattered starlight, scrutinized the man who had appeared out of nowhere.

“Who are you? What gives you the right to speak of my master?”

Even Lin Huaiqing was startled by his manner. This was the first time he had come face-to-face with this other side of his disciple.

After all, Qin Du had never spoken to him so harshly.

It was his voice that had allowed Lin Huaiqing to identify the young man before him as his eldest disciple—Qin Du.

He had never seen Qin Du as an adult, except for that fleeting glimpse in his dream. Yet the face from the dream was identical to the real one.

Could it have been a prophetic dream? How could it have been so accurate?!

With no time to dwell on it, Lin Huaiqing improvised a lie.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. I know your master. He sent me to keep an eye on you in the realm. Where are you going?”

Why was Qin Du alone? Where was Mu Yunting? And the girl named Yu’er?

Qin Du clearly didn’t believe him.

“You know my master? If you’re trying to fool me, you’d better understand the consequences!”

As he threatened him, Qin Du fiddled with his signal device.

Clearly, if the stranger was lying, his own device would not remain in his possession for long.

“Why would I lie? Your master asked me to tell you this: if he finds out you’ve been quarreling with or bullying your junior brother in the realm, he’ll punish you with copying duty once you get out. The entire ‘Guide to Advancing in Cultivation’!”

This time, however reluctant he was, Qin Du had to believe him.

Ever since he was young, whenever he misbehaved, his master neither beat nor scolded him. He simply insisted that Qin Du copy books.

He was the Demon Venerable, yet his hands had developed calluses from writing! Besides, the title this man mentioned was exactly the book his master had recently told him to read.

Qin Du looked him up and down disdainfully.

“Why would my master send a little brat like you to watch me? You’re so skinny. Can you even lift a sword?”

Lin Huaiqing ignored the provocation and asked seriously, “Enough nonsense. Where’s Mu Yunting? Aren’t you two supposed to be together?”

“Him? He’s dying. If you go now, you might still catch one last glimpse of him alive!”

Qin Du deliberately made it sound like a joke.

“Then take me to him. Quickly!”

Qin Du had intended to refuse. But then he considered how heartless he would look if his master learned he had abandoned Mu Yunting.

The two returned to the cave, where Yu’er was giving water to the still-unconscious Mu Yunting.

Seeing Qin Du return, she remarked sarcastically, “Weren’t you going to leave him to his fate? Why are you back?”

At the sight of Mu Yunting’s dark, purplish face, Lin Huaiqing hurriedly crouched beside him and checked his pulse.

The poison had spread throughout his body. Despite its potency, Mu Yunting still had not been deemed dead.

As expected of the male lead—blessed with extraordinary luck and an equally tenacious hold on life.

“Keep him lying flat. I can save him!”

“What?! But medicinal pills aren’t allowed! If you take one out and the Heavenly Eye detects it, you’ll be disqualified!” Yu’er exclaimed.

She knew her own sect’s system better than anyone. Even the slightest violation would be detected.

“My method doesn’t break the rules!”

Lin Huaiqing immediately made an incision on Mu Yunting’s hand. Channeling spiritual energy, he forced the poisoned blood out through the wound at his fingertip.

His water spiritual root made detoxification his specialty. Although he was inhabiting someone else’s body, he could still wield half his original body’s spiritual energy.

As the blood flowing out gradually returned to its normal color, Mu Yunting’s complexion began to improve.

“He’s all right now.”

Lin Huaiqing withdrew the spiritual energy connecting him to Mu Yunting and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This disciple’s body was remarkably frail. He had only pushed it a little beyond its limits, yet he was already sweating so much.

And this was supposed to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

While they waited for Mu Yunting to regain consciousness, Qin Du’s stomach had long since begun growling.

“You stay here. I’ll find us something to eat.”

Yu’er immediately asked, “You’re not planning to run off again, are you?”

Qin Du ignored her and headed straight for the nearby river.

By evening, the three were eating piping-hot fish that Qin Du had grilled himself. There was no salt, but it wasn’t bad.

“Come and look! Fellow Daoist Mu is awake!”

Mu Yunting slowly opened his eyes to find three people gathered around him, watching intently. One was a stranger he didn’t recognize.

“Fellow Daoist Mu, you’re finally awake! Thank goodness!”

“Only just waking up? Pathetic!”

Lin Huaiqing said nothing, merely observing from the side.

No wonder these two never got along. Behind his back, Qin Du really was asking for a beating.

“What happened to me?”

Mu Yunting rubbed his aching head. The weakness in his body had yet to fade.

“You were poisoned,” Qin Du said. “If those two hadn’t saved you, you’d have been dead long ago!”

“Then why are you here too?”

“I’m waiting for you to die so I can take all your points.”

Qin Du briefly recounted everything that had happened since Mu Yunting collapsed.

Mu Yunting rose unsteadily and bowed respectfully to Lin Huaiqing.

“Thank you for saving my life, fellow Daoist!”

“No need for thanks. Let’s make good use of our time and study this treasure map!”

There was a limit to how long Lin Huaiqing could possess someone else. The longer he stayed, the more likely the realm’s Heavenly Eye was to detect something amiss.

His most important task now was to help Mu Yunting find his bonded spirit sword as quickly as possible.

According to the map, they were already close to the treasure site.

They only needed to cross the mountain ahead.

Given the realm’s difficult terrain, all four agreed to wait until daylight before setting out.

Cultivators recovered much faster than ordinary people. By the time they departed the next morning, Mu Yunting was full of energy again.

The atmosphere in their makeshift team of four, however, was rather peculiar.

After everything they had been through together, Yu’er was clearly growing closer to Mu Yunting. Strangely, he seemed to be deliberately keeping his distance.

Qin Du, meanwhile, kept staring at Lin Huaiqing without saying a word, leaving him distinctly unnerved.

“Brother Zhao, forgive the question, but what kind of spiritual roots do you have?”

Qin Du’s question sounded casual and polite, yet Lin Huaiqing immediately grew wary.

Hopefully, he hadn’t noticed anything.

“Dual wood and water spiritual roots. Why?” Lin Huaiqing answered with feigned nonchalance.

“Oh! No wonder you can treat poison! My master has a water spiritual root too. He’s very good at detoxification.”

“Ha ha… Is that so?”

Not daring to say more, Lin Huaiqing quickened his pace and put some distance between them.

Qin Du’s remarks sounded like a probe. Of course, it was only natural to be wary of a stranger who had suddenly appeared among them.

Especially since Qin Du, as the villain, was suspicious by nature and did not trust others easily.

Following the map, the group crossed mountains and valleys until they finally reached their destination.

Before them stretched a vast lake, its waters rolling in broad ripples.

They all stared, dumbfounded.