Li Xun was stunned. The half-dead man sprawled at Qin Wanru’s feet, wrapped in animal hides, was actually Qi Feixiong. A former cultivator of the long-dissolved Hundred Beasts Sect. Not only that, he’d once been a well-known spirit beast guardian, a position equal to an elder of the Mingxin Sword Sect.

Ten years ago, the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance stormed the Xuanling Cavern, destroyed the sect’s magical artifacts, and declared the Hundred Beast Sect’s fall.

In truth, aside from the sect leader, the Lion Camel King, and a few loyal followers who died with him, most of the sect’s disciples had scattered in all directions. They became wandering cultivators with no sect or affiliation. This was basically the space the Rogue Cultivators' Alliance had left for the Hundred Beasts Sect to survive.

Qi Feixiong never had any thoughts of reviving the sect. He had no intention of risking his life chasing this unrealistic goal. For the past ten years, he had wandered this world as a truly free cultivator, living life on his own terms. And it wasn’t a bad life at all.

It was only a month ago that several members of the Succubus Sect tracked him down. They told him that several of the Hundred Beasts Sect’s famous spirit beast guardians and beast tamers, with support from Luo Moshi, were planning a comeback to restore the sect. And they wanted him to join their cause.

But Qi Feixiong was no fool. He refused to be used as someone else’s pawn. He turned them down flat, only for them to immediately turn hostile. They told him that if he wouldn’t join, he’d at least have to hand over the “Hundred-Beasts Soulbinding Robe” he carried.

Only then did he realize that the Succubus Sect’s true goal was one of the few sect treasures the Hundred Beast Sect still had left. Of course he refused, and the two sides clashed.

He fought and fled, and for a time the situation wasn’t too bad. But not long ago, Thunder-Beaked Hawk joined in. He beat him so badly that Qi Feixiong ended up coughing up blood and had to flee for his life.

By chance, he ran right into a group from the Yin-Yang Sect. He was an old acquaintance of Qin Wanru’s, and in his desperation, he cried out for help. He only managed to give a rough account of what had happened before his old injuries flared up and he collapsed.

Qin Wanru hadn’t planned to get involved, but the Succubus Sect was pressing too hard. One on her side, quick-tempered and impatient, jumped in on his own. Luckily, Thunder-Beaked Hawk was cautious, only sending one person out to fight. Both sides took the chance to quickly gather their thoughts and figure out how to minimize the fallout of this unexpected mess.

The arrival of Yin Wanderer gave Qin Wanru much more confidence. As long as Yin Wanderer was holding the line, unless Luo Moshi himself showed up, how could the Succubus Sect possibly stir up real trouble?

Still, Thunder-Beaked Hawk in the distance had a frighteningly sharp sense for danger. Its birdlike face twitched, and it glanced over, clearly picking up on Qin Wanru’s actions and growing suspicious.

Yin Wanderer gave a nod of approval. “Old demon Luo really did take on a fine disciple.”

Then, not bothering with politeness, she gave Li Xun a look, signaling him to go handle it.

Li Xun felt a bit annoyed, but he knew that when it came to outsiders, Yin Sanren’s position was different. Right now, if Thunder-Beaked Hawk spoke up first, Yin Wanderer would be on the back foot. But if she stepped forward too soon, it would look like she was afraid of him.

By comparison, his own position was a bit awkward, but if he handled it carefully, it should work out better.

Having settled it in his mind, Li Xun saw no point in stewing. He let out a quiet hum, smiled, and strolled out from the shadows of the trees, immediately catching everyone’s attention.

“Senior Brother Hundred Ghosts?”

Thunder-Beaked Hawk’s surprise was clearly genuine. What caught Li Xun’s attention even more, though, was that unusual form of address. Their “relationship” had been forged entirely in battle. Given Thunder-Beaked Hawk’s status, there was no need for such empty courtesy.

Li Xun’s mind was racing, but his face stayed calm and relaxed. Hands clasped behind his back, he smiled and said, 'So what’s going on? Brother Hawk, Fairy Qin, are you two fighting over some treasure out here in the middle of nowhere? This humble Hundred Ghosts wouldn’t mind watching from the sidelines, if that’s all right.”

The words hung in the air, leaving a peculiar look on both their faces.

Li Xun kept smiling, though his eyes openly settled on Qin Wanru’s feet, where Qi Feixiong lay.

“Yeah, we are fighting over a treasure. A living one, actually,” Thunder-Beaked Hawk said. His voice carried a sharp, metallic edge. But then his tone softened, becoming quite friendly. “It’s been years since we last met, Brother Hundred Ghosts. You seem even more impressive than before. You must have made great progress in your cultivation, which is truly wonderful to see. It’s a lucky coincidence that we meet today. There are a few matters I’d like to discuss with you, but for now, I ask that you stay out of it. Once everything is settled, I’ll explain everything in detail. Would that be acceptable?”

His words were gentle but firm, with an openness that showed the poise of a senior disciple. It was clear he was well-cultivated and composed

But the so-called 'matters' made Li Xun’s heart skip a beat. For some reason, he felt a little uneasy

Outwardly, though, he showed nothing. He brushed past that phrase as if he hadn’t heard it, and answered with a calm smile. “Brother Hawk is an old acquaintance, and Fairy Qin and I share a bit of history as well. To stand by and do nothing... I couldn’t bring myself to it.

“How about this; If you're willing to trust me, why not explain what’s going on? I could serve as a mediator. How does that sound?”

Thunder-Beaked Hawk’s sharp gaze landed on him, and Li Xun returned it with his usual calm smile.

With Thunder-Beaked Hawk’s wits, it was obvious he could guess at Li Xun’s ambiguous ties with the Yin-Yang Sect. But saying it outright would do him no good.

Now he had to carefully weigh the cost of his actions. With someone like Hundred Ghosts in the mix, the consequences for their plans could become much more serious.

Thunder-Beaked Hawk’s eyes flickered for a while, then he suddenly smiled.

“Actually, I bear no real grudge against Fairy Qin. What happened today really shouldn’t have… Very well. For the sake of Brother Hundred Ghosts, I’ll let this traitor, who tried to steal a sect treasure for his own gain, go for now. I trust that once you and Fairy Qin understand the full story, you won’t defend such a rat.”

There was a hidden barb in his words, a touch of threat, but neither Li Xun nor Qin Wanru paid it much mind.

Thunder-Beaked Hawk knew his limits. With a slight smile, he called his men back. He gave Qi Feixiong a long, penetrating look, then turned. “Brother Hundred Ghosts, do you have time for a chat?”

Li Xun nodded calmly on the outside, but his mind was heavy. Whatever matter was weighty enough to force Thunder-Beaked Hawk, and the Succubus Sect, to back down, it had to be incredibly significant.

And during that time, the only thing he had done that had anything to do with the Succubus Sect was…

For now, he didn’t say anything. He just followed Thunder-Beaked Hawk a few dozen yards into the trees, watching coldly as the man set up layer after layer of restrictive barriers. With each one, his suspicions only grew stronger.

Only after Thunder-Beaked Hawk had carefully finished did he finally speak. “In dealing with others, honesty is best. I won’t beat around the bush. Brother Hundred Ghosts, my sect master, Master Moshi, asked me to deliver a message. The saying goes: ‘An innocent man is not guilty, but carrying a treasure makes him a target.’ With your wisdom, I’m sure you’ll understand what this means.”

Even though Li Xun had been expecting it, his brows twitched at the words. But he quickly raised them in a questioning look.

Thunder-Beaked Hawk fixed his sharp gaze on his face, trying to read any change in expression, but he could glean nothing from it. In the end, it could only let out a wry chuckle.

“Brother Hundred Ghosts, my master thinks very highly of your cunning and resourcefulness. But it seems you’ve underestimated his wisdom, and that of the other immortal masters in the Five-Sect Alliance....”

Li Xun now fully understood Thunder-Beaked Hawk’s intent. Inside, his heart shook, but outwardly he turned that trace of doubt into sudden realization. “Mist-Hidden Pavilion?”

Thunder-Beaked Hawk hadn’t expected him to “admit” it so bluntly. He was overjoyed. “Exactly,” he quickly said. “Mist-Hidden Pavilion, Brother…”

Li Xun let out a dry laugh. "Brother Ying, you must be joking. Back in the southeastern forest, the so-called Five Sect Alliance had me running for my life, humiliated and beaten. And now you’re coming to me asking for Mist-Hidden Pavilion? That’s just absurd."

Before Thunder-Beaked Hawk could say a word, he raised an eyebrow. "Looking at you, Brother Hawk, has the Mist-Hidden Pavilion thing already been settled? Your alliance brought together so many sects, with countless experts, and still got nothing out of it? Or are you just here throwing up smoke screens to confuse everyone?"

A look of genuine doubt appeared on his face.

Thunder-Beaked Hawk was caught off guard and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But this man was impressive. In no time, he composed himself, and ignoring Li Xun’s attempts to twist the subject, he stuck to his ground and smiled calmly.

“Brother, you wield a fine smoke-and-mirror trick. Too bad you used the wrong person. You know as well as I do what kind of trash Xiao Zhongzi is. If even that useless fellow could snatch the treasure right under Master Mo and the others’ noses, then maybe our Five Sect Alliance might as well just disband."

He reached into his chest and pulled something out, holding it in his hand.

It was a piece of iron-like stone, no bigger than a fingernail, charred as if scorched by fire. So blackened that you couldn’t tell what it was made of.

The instant Li Xun saw it, the corner of his eye twitched again.

This time the change didn’t escape notice. Thunder-Beaked Hawk caught it clearly and gave a low chuckle. “If this were ordinary fabric, it would have turned to ash long ago under the Crimson Blood Chaos of Bone Rot Child. But Wusong Iron your sect produces is truly extraordinary. The poison has only eaten away a thin layer, merging with it, leaving just a trace behind.”

His eyes slid deliberately to the Daoist robe Li Xun was wearing.

That robe was indeed woven from drawn Wusong Iron thread. Li Xun had never imagined to slip up over such a detail, and his brow creased before he could help it.

But Thunder-Beaked Hawk wasn’t about to let it go. “A few days ago, while going through his poisons, Bone Rot Child happened to find this. He said that poison had only been used once recently, deep beneath a lake in the southeastern forest. By that alone, Brother, you can’t deny that when he unleashed his poison that day, you were there at the bottom of the lake.”

Li Xun’s eyes flashed. He gave a dry laugh. “The bottom of a lake? I’ve never been to any lake bottom. Brother, don’t try to trick me. True, Wusong Iron is a specialty of my sect, but its quality is so prized that every year countless sects purchase it in bulk. How could you possibly prove this piece was scraped off my robe?”

By that logic, when the Hundred Beasts Sect was wiped out, if someone had left a Wusong Iron robe there, that would make my sect the culprit?

It was clearly sophistry, but for his own reasons, Lei Chuiying couldn’t push back too hard. He could only say, “It’s natural that Brother would be unwilling to admit it…”

“Brother Ying,” Li Xun cut him off with a smile. “From where I stand, this way of leaping to conclusions on your side will only lead you astray.”

But Thunder-Beaked wasn’t flustered. He returned the smile. “No need to be hasty, Brother. Let’s start from the beginning. You wouldn’t deny that on the day our alliance was clearing the field, you clashed with a few of our disciples, would you? And at that time, you took the underground water route. That much is true, isn’t it?”