NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 – Night travel
"Alright."
Li Xunran picked up the teacup and drank it in one gulp.
No poison?
After a while, seeing that the woman was fine, Lin Hao's thoughts swirled. This woman hadn't poisoned him after all.
"Yes, I did misunderstand you. But if something like this happens again, you must inform me in advance, understand?"
Li Xunran's beautiful eyes sparkled with joy as she cautiously said, "Master, are you concerned about me?"
Lin Hao didn't respond. He just felt that this approach was inappropriate. If something went wrong, the woman would certainly be doomed, which would implicate him as well.
"Did anyone else know you were traveling with Mu Xuan?"
The woman quickly shook her head and said firmly, "No one knows."
"Mu Xuan, that bastard, knows how to slaughter his fellow disciples. Even if an elder protects him, he will be severely punished, so his whereabouts are secret."
So that's how it is; this saves me some trouble. Lin Hao had been worried that news of Mu Xuan's disappearance would spread and arouse the suspicions of the inner sect elders.
But what should he do with this woman in front of him?
Sensing Lin Hao's murderous intent, Li Xunran knelt on the ground, cleaning up the mess while swearing an oath.
"Master, rest assured, I will never betray you."
Lin Hao was noncommittal about the woman's words.
If it weren't for the fact that the woman's usual flamboyant behavior would draw attention if she suddenly disappeared, he would have preferred to eliminate her entirely. After all, the dead are the most reliable.
"Yes, you better understand your situation clearly. The sword that severely injured Mu Xuan was thrust by you."
After the stick, Lin Hao immediately offered a carrot.
He took out a bottle of Spirit Gathering Pills and said lightly, "Here are ten pills, take them."
Li Xunran's face lit up with joy as she accepted the jade bottle, expressing her gratitude, "Thank you, Master, for your generosity."
Lin Hao pulled out Mu Xuan's storage bag from his pocket, preparing to count the spoils.
Once a cultivator dies, the restrictions they leave behind weaken. Moreover, Lin Hao's cultivation level was slightly higher than Mu Xuan's.
So it didn't take much effort to break the restrictions on the storage bag.
Pouring out all the items inside, Lin Hao's eyes lit up. Goodness, indeed, killing and arson bring wealth.
There were three bottles of Spirit Gathering Pills alone, not to mention over a hundred and eighty low-grade spirit stones, a stack of first-level talismans, and two mid-grade magical artifacts.
For an average cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, the monthly spirit stones they earn are barely enough for cultivation, with no surplus, and their magical artifacts are mostly low-grade.
For a cultivator like Lin Hao, who has a special skill, saving ten spirit stones a month is considered good, and he also uses low-grade magical artifacts.
A slightly better mid-grade magical artifact would cost a hundred or two hundred spirit stones, something outer sect disciples can't afford.
Taking the risk to kill an enemy was worth it!
However, these mid-grade magical artifacts were likely bestowed by an inner sect elder and couldn't be used within the sect. They would have to be sold at a market outside.
***
In the middle of the night, Li Xunran quietly left the cave dwelling.
Lin Hao, who was asleep, suddenly opened his eyes. His instincts told him that Li Xunran still had issues.
So he got up and followed her out.
As soon as he exited the cave dwelling, he saw the woman sneaking up the mountain.
What is this woman up to?
He furrowed his brows and quietly followed her, stopping only when he reached a spot about six hundred feet up.
His doubts grew. This area was home to the top outer sect disciples. Who was Li Xunran here to see?
Li Xunran stood in front of a cave dwelling and respectfully called out, "Senior Sister, Xunran requests an audience."
"Come in!" A cold voice came from inside.
Seeing the woman enter the cave dwelling, Lin Hao's expression froze. He hadn't expected Li Xunran to meet her.
Chen Yueming, with her stunning beauty and celestial grace, had reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Because of her outstanding looks and profound cultivation, she had high prestige in the outer sect and quite a following.
Lin Hao hadn't expected Li Xunran to have connections with this woman, and his expression turned cold because he didn't have a good impression of Chen Yueming.
He knew her and remembered her voice because she was an enemy of his senior sister, Li Qiushui.
Li Qiushui was also at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, extremely beautiful, and along with Chen Yueming, was known as one of the Great Bamboo Peak's two outstanding beauties.
The two were mortal enemies. If the Xuan Yin Sect didn't prohibit internal strife, they would have fought on sight.
Lin Hao had a good relationship with Li Qiushui. She was the one who brought him from the mortal world to the cultivation world and took good care of him, often taking him on well-paying tasks. So he was considered one of her people.
Li Xunran meeting his senior sister's enemy at night naturally caught Lin Hao's attention, and his expression turned icy.
Although he couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation, based on his own speculation, they were likely plotting against his senior sister!
This woman was truly not simple. No wonder she dared to severely injure Mu Xuan, just to gain my trust and get close to my senior sister!
Lin Hao initially thought of taking care of the woman directly when she returned, but on second thought, doing so would alert the enemy. It would be better to play along and gather intelligence on Chen Yueming.
After all, now he knew Li Xunran was a wolf. The enemy was in the open, and he was in the shadows. He wanted to see what tricks the woman had up her sleeve!