121: Chapter 121 The Blood Fiend Sect's Trail

Silence was restored in the valley.

Only the thick smell of blood and corpses all over the ground remained.

Qiuyin and Xiamo put away their swords and walked over to Zhao Ruoan.

The faces of the two little maidens were a bit pale, and their breathing was slightly rapid.

Especially Qiuyin; she had killed three people with her own hands. Although she hadn't felt much during the battle just now, now that she had calmed down and looked at the three corpses on the ground that she had stabbed to death, her stomach still churned violently.

"If you want to vomit, then vomit. It's like this the first time." Zhao Ruoan glanced at her and said calmly.

Qiuyin forced down her discomfort and shook her head, "N... No need, Young Master. I'm fine."

She knew that this was the only way to become a true Cultivator.

If she couldn't even adapt to this kind of scene, how could she stay by the Young Master's side in the future and face even more powerful enemies?

Zhao Ruoan nodded and didn't say anything more.

Some things required one to adapt and overcome them on their own.

He walked over to the corpse of the bandit who had been frightened out of his wits, squatted down, and searched through his Storage Pouch.

Inside, besides some gold and silver and dozens of Low-Grade Spirit Stones, there were only some messy sundries with nothing of value.

"Poor ghost."

Zhao Ruoan curled his lips and ransacked the Storage Pouches of the other bandits who looked like leaders.

Added together, they only gathered a little over two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones and a few inferior Magical Artifacts.

"Better than nothing, I suppose."

He put all these spoils into his sumeru ring.

Even a mosquito's leg is meat; this was a habit he had cultivated in his past life.

"Alright, let's go."

After finishing the looting, Zhao Ruoan called out to the two maidens, preparing to leave.

This little episode couldn't even be considered a warmup to him.

"Young Master, wait!"

Just then, Qiuyin suddenly called out to him.

"What is it?" Zhao Ruoan turned around.

Seeing Qiuyin standing beside the corpse of a caravan guard, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, pointing at a mark on the corpse's chest, she said, "Young Master, look at this."

Zhao Ruoan walked over.

He saw that on the guard's clothes, a delicate emblem was embroidered with gold thread.

That was the pattern of a peak, and on the peak, a crossed sword and hammer were also engraved.

"This is..." Zhao Ruoan looked at this emblem and found it somewhat familiar.

From his sumeru ring, he took out the intelligence Jade Slip given to him by the Sect regarding the missing Disciples.

His Divine Sense probed into it, and very quickly, he found the relevant information.

"Golden Hammer Chamber of Commerce." Zhao Ruoan read out this name.

The intelligence said that those Inner Sect Disciples sent by the Sect to investigate the Black Wind Mountain Range had disguised themselves as guards of the "Golden Hammer Chamber of Commerce" to avoid suspicion, acting together with the caravan.

And this emblem of the peak with the sword and hammer was precisely the logo of the Golden Hammer Chamber of Commerce!

Zhao Ruoan's gaze instantly became sharp.

He immediately squatted down and carefully checked every corpse on the ground.

The manner of death of these caravan members was mostly killed by the bandits' Sharp Weapons, with crude methods, fitting the style of that mob.

However, very soon, in the corner of the pile of corpses, he discovered three unusual corpses.

These three corpses were similarly dressed in the guard attire of the Golden Hammer Chamber of Commerce.

But their manner of death was extremely bizarre.

There were no obvious knife or sword wounds on their bodies, but their skin presented an abnormal shriveled and ashen appearance, as if all the vital blood in their bodies had been drained dry.

On each person's face, expressions of extreme pain and terror before death still lingered.

"It's the Blood Scripture of the Blood Fiend Sect!"

Zhao Ruoan's pupils contracted slightly.

This vicious Cultivation Technique that sucked people's vital blood was precisely the signature of the Blood Fiend Sect!

He had seen a detailed description of it in the Sect's archives.

"It seems that our missing fellow Disciples did not perish at the hands of this group of bandits." Zhao Ruoan stood up, his expression somewhat solemn.

"Young Master, you mean..." Qiuyin also realized something.

"This group of bandits just happened to pass by and came here to 'pick up corpses' and make a fortune off the dead," Zhao Ruoan said coldly, "The ones who truly killed our fellow Disciples are people from the Blood Fiend Sect!"

"Then... what about our other Senior Brothers?" Xiamo asked nervously.

According to the intelligence, there were a total of five missing Disciples this time.

There were only three corpses here; what about the other two people?

Zhao Ruoan did not answer. He closed his eyes, and his powerful Divine Sense spread outward taking him as the center, towards the entire valley.

He began to carefully investigate this area, not letting go of even a trace of a clue.

Very quickly, under the cliff on one side of the valley, he made a discovery.

His figure flashed, appearing in front of the cliff.

He saw that in the grass there, there was a patch of flattened traces, and on the ground were a few drops of dark red blood that had long since dried up.

Most importantly, in the crack of an inconspicuous stone, he saw a small piece of fabric.

That piece of fabric was a corner of the attire of an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingxuan Sect, and upon it was embroidered an extremely small word "Xuan" using a secret technique.

Zhao Ruoan picked up that piece of fabric.

He also discovered that on the stone wall beside the fabric, someone had used their fingers to carve a very scrawled and almost indistinguishable arrow.

The direction of the arrow pointed towards the deeper parts of the Black Wind Mountain Range.

"It seems that a Senior Brother managed to escape desperately after being ambushed and left behind clues," Zhao Ruoan analyzed.

"They encountered experts from the Blood Fiend Sect, and three companions had their vital blood drained on the spot by the Blood Scripture. Of the remaining two, one was heavily injured, and the other carried him away, leaving behind a distress signal and directional guidance here."

"It's just a pity that they couldn't wait for the Sect's rescue, and instead waited first for a group of greedy bandits."

"The bandits killed the rest of the caravan, looted the goods, and then discovered these three drained corpses. Feeling they brought bad luck, they threw them here, only to run into us."

In just a few words, Zhao Ruoan deduced the course of the entire incident with near accuracy.

"Then let's hurry up and save them!" Xiamo said anxiously, "Maybe the other two Senior Brothers are still alive!"

Zhao Ruoan shook his head.

"I'm afraid... things look ominous for them."

He pointed to the bloodstains on the ground.

"Judging from the degree to which the bloodstains have dried, this matter happened at least three days ago. A heavily injured Disciple simply couldn't hold on for so long in a place like this."

"Furthermore, since the people of the Blood Fiend Sect made a move, they wouldn't leave any living witnesses."

Although he said this, a flash of cold light flickered in his eyes.

"However, to see people alive, or to see their corpses if dead. I must complete the mission given to me by the Sect."

"More importantly, those scum from the Blood Fiend Sect dare to kill Disciples of my Qingxuan Sect; this debt cannot just be settled like this."

He raised his head and looked towards the depths of the mountains shrouded in black mist indicated by the arrow.

"Let's go, let's follow and take a look."

Zhao Ruoan put away that piece of fabric, once again leading the two maidens, transforming into a streak of light as he flew into the hinterland of the Black Wind Mountain Range along the direction guided by the arrow.

This time, his speed was several times faster than before.

A chill of murderous intent slowly rose within his heart.