The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"These two may be young, but their cultivation is stable, and their spiritual energy is exceptionally dense. If this drags on, I'll lose to them!"

Faced with the relentless onslaught from Yun Yanshuang and Yun Yantian, Lan Cai'er's delicate brows furrowed in frustration, her expression turning grim.

"I can't keep fighting—I have to escape!"

With a determined leap, Lan Cai'er soared backward, attempting to flee.

Unbeknownst to her, Yun Yanshuang had anticipated this move. With a swift command of her divine sense, the five enchanted iron rings shot out again, snapping onto Lan Cai'er's wrists, ankles, and neck, locking her firmly in place.

Crack!

Lan Cai'er struggled to break free, but before she could muster enough strength, Yun Yantian closed in. His black short spear drove mercilessly into her shoulder blade, pinning her to the ground.

The searing pain forced a muffled groan from her lips, her face going deathly pale.

"Don't move, or you'll die."

While Yun Yantian held her down, Yun Yanshuang darted forward, pressing her Qingshuang Sword against Lan Cai'er's brow, the blade's chill sharp enough to silence her resistance.

Lan Cai'er stopped struggling, though her crimson eyes burned with fury. She glared daggers at the Yun siblings, committing their faces to memory. One day, she vowed, she would repay this humiliation in blood.

"Brother Yantian, Sister Yanshuang, your skills are truly extraordinary to capture this demoness!"

Sun Fenglin approached with Sun Fengxuan, his voice laced with praise, though a tinge of unease lingered beneath his words.

Yun Yantian paid him no heed, his focus fixed solely on Lan Cai'er.

"Where's the antidote for the Sound Gu?" he demanded coldly.

"You want the antidote? Simple—let me go, and I'll give it to you," Lan Cai'er said with a faint, mocking smile, her shoulder visibly trembling from the pain.

"Still trying to bargain when you're at death's door?"

"I'm not the only one at death's door—don't forget, you are too. Even without the human-skin drum, the Sound Gu in your body will grow hungry. Without my guidance, they'll start consuming your spiritual energy and devouring your internal organs until you're completely hollowed out.

"At most, you'll last seven days before you're dead. And don't bother thinking anyone else can cure this—only I can remove the Gu."

Despite her dire situation, Lan Cai'er's composure was unnerving. Her calm demeanor only added weight to her words.

"Brother Yantian, don't listen to her lies!" Sun Fenglin interjected hastily. "The antidote must be in her storage pouch. If you let her go, she'll come back stronger and wipe out my family for good!"

Yun Yantian hesitated for a moment before crouching down and removing the storage pouch from Lan Cai'er's waist.

"Give that back!" Lan Cai'er's eyes flared, and she tried to snatch it back.
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"Don't move!"

The edge of Yun Yanshuang's sword dug into Lan Cai'er's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. The crimson streak starkly contrasted against her pale skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

Realizing the little girl's intent to kill, Lan Cai'er reluctantly froze, her rage simmering beneath her calm façade.

Removing the spiritual seal from the pouch, Yun Yantian opened it to find a trove of items: spirit stones, various vials, and even a detailed manual on cultivating Corpse Gu and Sound Gu.

"Which of these vials is the antidote?" he asked, his voice steady but cold.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Do you want to die?"

"Then kill me! If I die, so do you!"

Lan Cai'er's stubbornness knew no bounds. Her defiant gaze made it clear she had no intention of yielding.

"Brother Yantian…"

Yun Yanshuang's voice was soft, tinged with unease as she glanced at her brother's conflicted expression.

"Kill or not to kill?"

After much deliberation, Yun Yantian made his decision. "Seal her dantian and hand her over to Magistrate Chang and Captain Xiao. Let them escort her to the imperial court for judgment."

The rationale was simple: delivering Lan Cai'er alive to the court would earn his family a handsome reward. The Yun clan was in desperate need of cultivation resources to bolster its future development, and every bit of imperial favor counted.

Killing Lan Cai'er outright and presenting her corpse wouldn't suffice. The court's directive was clear: they wanted her alive. It was evident the imperial court sought to extract valuable intelligence from her or use her as leverage against other members of the Gu Cult.

For the court, a living cultist was far more valuable than a dead one.

"I understand!"

Yun Yanshuang nodded in agreement. With a focused expression, she began performing the Sealing Technique taught by the blind elder.

This technique could effectively block a cultivator's dantian, rendering their spiritual energy inert and reducing them to a mere mortal. However, the caster's cultivation level needed to be on par with or higher than the target's, lest the technique backfire.

"You two just wait!" Lan Cai'er spat venomously. "The day I escape is the day you both die!"

Her expression turned grim upon hearing that her dantian would be sealed and that she would be handed over to the Yue Kingdom's court. She knew all too well what awaited her—inhumane torture and being used as a bargaining chip to coerce her cult's elders.

Her crimson eyes burned with fury as she glared at the Yun siblings, seething with unbridled hatred and murderous intent.

"Magistrate Chang, Captain Xiao, this witch is yours to guard," Yun Yantian announced coolly as he handed over the subdued Lan Cai'er.

"Master Immortals, your efforts this day have been extraordinary!" Chang Yuan, the magistrate, bowed deeply, his face plastered with a flattering smile.

"Rest assured, we will transport her safely to the county office and immediately inform the imperial court. Officials from the court will soon arrive to take custody of her. She won't escape and threaten you again."

Chang Yuan paused before continuing, "And as for the credit for this operation…"

"Don't worry. I will ensure the court recognizes your contributions and grants you ample rewards."

"That puts my mind at ease," Yun Yantian replied, his typically stoic face softening with a faint smile.

"Hold on!"

Sun Fengli, who had been nursing his injuries, suddenly stepped forward. "This wasn't just the Yun family's doing. The Sun family deserves credit too!"

Both Sun Fenglin and Sun Fengxuan remained silent, exchanging subtle glances. Although they knew the Yun siblings were the real heroes, this was a joint operation. Surely their contributions couldn't be overlooked entirely.

After all, the Sun family desperately needed cultivation resources. Even a small share of the imperial rewards could be a lifeline for their struggling clan.

Boom!

Before Sun Fengli could utter another word, Yun Yantian raised his palm and struck. The oppressive force of his spiritual energy slammed into Sun Fengli, pinning him to the ground. The impact caused Sun Fengli's freshly scabbed wounds to split open, blood spurting in all directions.

"Brother Yantian, what are you doing?" Sun Fenglin exclaimed in shock, rushing forward.

"Your younger brother is far too noisy," Yun Yantian replied coldly.

"If you feel the Sun family hasn't contributed enough to deserve a share of the credit, just say so! Why resort to violence?" Sun Fenglin protested, though his tone softened upon noticing Yun Yantian's icy demeanor.

"It's not about that." Yun Yantian's eyes narrowed, his gaze icy and murderous.

Sun Fenglin hesitated, recalling his brother's earlier words. His heart sank. "Brother Yantian, my younger brother speaks recklessly. I offer my sincerest apologies on his behalf. If it will appease you, the Sun family is willing to forfeit all claims to the reward."

"Do you think that changes anything now?" Yun Yantian's voice dripped with contempt as his gaze bore into Sun Fengli.

Yun Yantian's fury wasn't about the reward. What truly enraged him was Sun Fengli's slip of the tongue—revealing the Yun siblings' family origin right in front of Lan Cai'er!

"Cloud Cang Yun clan?"

Lan Cai'er suddenly burst into laughter despite her grim situation. "So that's who you are. Interesting… very interesting. I'll remember this!"

Her piercing laughter echoed through the canyon, sending chills down everyone's spine.