"Junior Brother... you..."
Liu Qingdai’s pale cheeks, a result of her injuries, suddenly flushed a deep red.
That night, her thoughts had already been somewhat erratic. A young girl’s heart always harbors dreams of romance.
When Wen Zhixing abruptly took her hand, how could she not be completely flustered?
The next moment, Wen Zhixing leaned closer to her ear, his warm breath caressing her skin, making every hair on her body stand on end.
"Junior Brother, I am not that kind of woman..."
Liu Qingdai instinctively backed away, but Wen Zhixing’s hand gently pushed hers inward.
"Qingdai, keep this jade slip safe. Remember the secret skill it contains; it will be of great use."
Wen Zhixing’s voice was very soft, his expression earnest, clearly not wanting others to overhear.
"...Eh, a jade slip? A secret skill?"
Liu Qingdai was taken aback, only then feeling the firm object in her palm.
"Qingdai, no need to ask further. Just remember my words."
Wen Zhixing’s gaze was deep as he spoke quickly.
The secret skill recorded in this jade slip was indeed the Clear Heart Incantation. He had previously managed to retain his consciousness using this very skill.
Hua Yourong was bound to try to control Liu Qingdai with the devil seed eventually. However, with the Clear Heart Incantation, the devil seed would pose little threat for the time being.
"Junior Brother, what’s going on?"
Liu Qingdai suddenly came to her senses, her delicate brows knitting together. With Wen Zhixing acting this way, it seemed likely something major was about to happen.
"It’s nothing. This place is fraught with danger. Qingdai, you should go back with Hua Yourong for now and be cautious on the way."
Wen Zhixing just shook his head. "This secret skill is just a precaution," he said with a light laugh.
"A precaution? Alright then."
Liu Qingdai’s heart stirred. She nodded and asked no further questions. If Wen Zhixing said so, then he surely had his reasons.
"Alright, I’ll go get Senior Brother Zhang," Wen Zhixing said.
Having said that, Wen Zhixing didn’t linger. He turned and went straight into Zhang Tiancheng’s room.
Zhang Tiancheng’s condition was already strange, so naturally, he wouldn’t need the Clear Heart Incantation. It all depended on whether Liu Qingdai could quickly learn this secret skill. However, with Liu Qingdai’s talent, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Shortly after, Liu Qingdai and Zhang Tiancheng both walked out of the room.
The group gathered outside the house again. Liu Qingdai glanced at Wen Zhixing, then addressed Bai Luqiu, "Luqiu, I’ll be heading back first."
"Mm, Daier, be careful on your way."
Bai Luqiu nodded. She had thought Liu Qingdai would be reluctant to go back, but to her surprise, she was very obedient this time.
Immediately, she also cautioned Hua Yourong a few times.
Hua Yourong naturally nodded in agreement. She was inwardly overjoyed, lamenting only that it wasn’t a good time to act against Bai Luqiu. If only I could act now, this would have been perfect. But it’s not a big issue; there will be plenty of opportunities later.
Soon, Hua Yourong led the others away.
Wen Zhixing watched them leave, not saying anything.
He simply turned and asked, "Luqiu, what should we do next?"
"Let’s enter the city first," Bai Luqiu said indifferently, retracting her gaze.
"Should we go to the government office first?"
Wen Zhixing looked up, towards the direction ahead. A little more walking would bring them to An Kou City.
He remembered that Wang Shouzhen’s home was located here, though he wasn’t sure if the recent events were related to him.
"We certainly need to visit the government office. However, the local authorities here are basically just for show. Let’s find the other disciples first," Bai Luqiu said, shaking her head.
Some of the information they had received before was incorrect. The reports had stated that the demons here were not very strong, merely fast. But that was clearly not the case now.
The two exchanged glances before quickening their pace forward.
Along the way, Wen Zhixing and Bai Luqiu walked and talked. They had returned in a rush last night, so Bai Luqiu hadn’t yet had the chance to share what she knew with Wen Zhixing.
"So, there might still be quite a few demons lurking around here?"
After hearing Bai Luqiu’s account, Wen Zhixing’s brow furrowed slightly.
The woman from last night wasn’t with the Corpse Bone Demons; she was under the command of a different demon. It could even be said that the two sides were scheming against each other, each wanting to devour the other.
"All the incidents of demon attacks on people here are because a demon was injured and urgently needs to consume blood and essence to recover." Bai Luqiu then told Wen Zhixing everything she knew, combined with her own speculations.
Now, in her eyes, Wen Zhixing was no longer a frail furnace. Instead, he was a God pride who could compete shoulder to shoulder with her.
"Luqiu, if that demon fully recovers, its strength is very likely to be at the Sixth Realm," Wen Zhixing said with a slight frown.
He had witnessed the strength of a Sixth Realm demon before. Liu Qingxuan’s battle with Si Nanyan that day had left him mesmerized. He was clearly no match for it now.
"Don’t worry. If it really is a Sixth Realm demon, then it’s an injured one. If we truly encounter it and decide to flee, it will struggle to catch us," Bai Luqiu said calmly, having clearly considered this already. "Support from the sect will also arrive soon. We just don’t know which Elder is coming to help."
Wen Zhixing nodded at this. With support coming, he felt relieved.
"If the demons here were really that strong, they wouldn’t continue to act so cautiously. It’s obvious they still fear our Righteous Sun Sect," Bai Luqiu added after some thought.
"Mm," Wen Zhixing replied.
After trekking for some time, Wen Zhixing and Bai Luqiu finally entered An Kou City.
This was where the disciples of the Righteous Sun Sect were stationed.
Although the sky was already bright, indicating it should be a bustling morning market, the place seemed rather desolate.