81: Yangjia Village

Outside the Flowing Cloud Sect, a village with dozens of households was now on high alert, all the strong men holding makeshift weapons and guarding various points in the village, keeping watch in all directions.

"Father, we should quickly migrate our entire clan. Including Liujia Village, three villages have already been destroyed by evil cultivators. If we don't leave soon, our Yangjia Village will sooner or later suffer the same fate." Inside a wooden house, several middle-aged men sat around an elder, one of the younger middle-aged men said anxiously.

"Yes, Clan Chief, Liujia Village left no survivors. Only a pile of dry white bones remained, and the food and money in the houses were untouched. It's clear they came specifically to slaughter the villagers. These people have massacred one village after another; they definitely won't spare us." Another middle-aged man clutched his head in pain, his eyes filled with terror.

"Where can we flee to? Our villages have relied on the Flowing Cloud Sect for generations, and such tragedies have never happened before. Now it seems the Flowing Cloud Sect can no longer deter these demonic cultivators. We are all Mortals, with families to drag along, where can we escape to? It's better to stay here and wait for the Flowing Cloud Sect to notice this matter and send people to eliminate the demonic cultivators." Just as everyone was urging to leave, the elder, known as the Clan Chief, sighed softly, looking up.

"Has Little Six returned yet?" While everyone was sighing, the middle-aged man who spoke first quickly recovered and asked.

"Not yet. To show respect for Immortals, our village is hundreds of miles from the Flowing Cloud Sect. Even if Little Six traveled day and night without rest, he probably wouldn't reach the Flowing Cloud Sect by now." A middle-aged man also sighed, his words full of despair.

"The only solution now is to wait for the Flowing Cloud Sect to act. Little Six is the youngest hunter in our village, with the best foot speed. As long as Little Six reaches the Flowing Cloud Sect's mountain gate and delivers the message to the Flowing Cloud Sect, the Immortals of the Flowing Cloud Sect can arrive in an instant, and we will all have hope of survival!" The Clan Chief rapped on the table, drawing everyone's attention, and said resolutely.

Not far outside the village, a group of people with various clothes and expressions also sat together, discussing.

"It's been several days now, why hasn't the Flowing Cloud Sect reacted at all? Are they so lax in defending the area around their mountain gate? Or do they simply not care about the lives of these Mortals?" A young man with a terrifying scar on his Face, which not only showed no signs of healing but also twitched with his breathing, looked extremely gruesome.

"Hard to say. After all, we encountered little resistance when we infiltrated, and even the number of Flowing Cloud Sect Disciples in the secular Dynasties subservient to the Flowing Cloud Sect was very sparse. It seems the Flowing Cloud Sect has recalled all its forces to the mountain gate and no longer concerns itself with external affairs." Another man, shirtless with a terrifying tattoo on his back, looked as if it could crawl out at any moment.

"That's even better. Then we'll slaughter all the villages on the outskirts of the Flowing Cloud Sect and go back to report." Just then, an ordinary-looking young man spoke. Although his appearance was not terrifying, everyone fell silent after he spoke, looking at him with apprehension.

"Senior Brother Guo, how should we deal with the villager we caught earlier who secretly ran out to report?" A young man heavily threw a bound boy onto the ground. The boy showed no fear towards the crowd; instead, he mumbled, twisted, and struggled, his eyes filled with defiance.

"Of course, we'll kill him, then extract all his blood. Make the best use of everything!" The person with the terrifying scar on his Face said sinisterly.

The young man called "Senior Brother Guo" remained silent, seemingly acquiescing to their actions.

Just as the boy was about to fall into the tiger's den and die a violent death, someone who had been silent spoke with a somewhat effeminate voice. At these words, even "Senior Brother Guo" frowned slightly and looked at this person.

"Fan Qing, Elder Chen wants us to test the Flowing Cloud Sect. If we don't let this person go to report and alarm the Flowing Cloud Sect, and we just casually massacre a few villages, how will we explain it to Elder Chen?" A handsome man with a soft, slow tone spoke, but no one dared to interrupt or show any impatience. Each of them watched these two confront each other, with a hint of schadenfreude in their hearts.

"Fan Qing, we naturally understand Elder Chen's meaning. Isn't everything we're doing now in line with Elder Chen's intentions? The Flowing Cloud Sect was once the continent's foremost power. Not to mention the area around its mountain gate, even the entire continent was within its sphere of influence. Even if it shows some decline now, it's not something ordinary small sects can compare with. Even those nameless small sects wouldn't allow us to rampage so freely near their mountain gate. The Flowing Cloud Sect has remained silent about our actions these past few days; isn't this an attitude from the Flowing Cloud Sect?"

"Since the Flowing Cloud Sect doesn't want to meddle, our objective for this trip is achieved. If we truly let this person go to the Flowing Cloud Sect and widely proclaim everything we've done here, then the Flowing Cloud Sect's Face will be completely lost, and this tacit understanding will disappear. At that time, the lives of us few will be a small matter; ruining Elder Chen's and the Demonic Sect's grand plan would be the real disaster! So, all the Qi we collect this time will be yours. I hope Junior Brother will put in a good word for us brothers with Elder Chen later." Guo Hai's eyes flashed with a cold light, but then he explained to Fan Qing with a beaming smile.

Hearing Guo Hai's words, Fan Qing found them quite reasonable. Previously, he was only afraid that Elder Chen would punish him for not completing the mission. Now, hearing that the mission could also be completed this way, his knot in his heart immediately untied. When he looked at the purple-skinned gourd in Guo Hai's hand, which contained Qi, his eyes gleamed with greed, and he said, "Easy to say, easy to say. Then let's do as Senior Brother Guo says." With that, he snatched the gourd from Guo Hai's hand, walked to the side, and began to Cultivate cross-legged.

Guo Hai saw that Fan Qing actually dared to snatch food from the tiger's mouth, and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes, but he then suppressed this emotion. His gaze turned to the two people who had spoken earlier, giving them a meaningful look.

Scarface and Tattooed Brother had followed Guo Hai for a long time and naturally understood the meaning in his eyes. Their gazes, somewhat unkind, fell upon Fan Qing, who was continuously absorbing Qi to Cultivate, and then they turned and walked towards the nearby village.

"Senior Brother Guo, since this boy is no longer useful, let me make the best use of him." The scar-faced man lifted the boy in his hand, shaking him at Guo Hai, his arm strong and powerful.

Guo Hai naturally knew what this person was planning. He impatiently waved his hand, then sat back down, also glancing at Fan Qing, who was Cultivating, and with a cold smile, closed his eyes to rest.