Something's wrong with this demon.

Chapter 142 Collusion

"I dreamt about her?"

He wasn't surprised that the other person knew he had a sister.

Because he dreams frequently.

Sometimes, when he suddenly wakes up from a nightmare, he hears himself calling out for his sister.

"You even dreamed about that Senior Sister Bai."

she said.

Luo Qingchen was taken aback upon hearing this. Senior Sister Bai? Bai Tang?

How could he dream about that person?

That shouldn't be the case.

"What did I say?"

He was a little curious.

She said, "You want to cultivate the Joyful Union Technique with her."

"impossible!"

Luo Qingchen immediately denied it.

She didn't say anything more, got up from the ground, and walked forward.

Luo Qingchen got up and followed behind her, brushing the dirt off his clothes while frowning with a worried expression. It seemed that the demonic nature of that Hehuan Kung Fu technique had already been imprinted on his body.

The last time he saw Chen Ya's body, it instantly stirred up the demonic nature within him; now he dreams of that Senior Sister Bai, obviously because that time, he saw her seriously studying that cultivation manual, and he gave her several copies of that manual.

"Is she pretty?"

As she stepped out of the grave, she suddenly asked.

Luo Qingchen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I think a girl as robust as Senior Sister is the most beautiful."

"Of course, a little girl like you is very pretty."

He added another sentence.

But she still said coldly, "After I break through to the Qi Opening Realm, I will skin her alive and give her to you."

Luo Qingchen asked, "Senior Sister?"

She turned to look at him and said, "Whoever you like, I'll peel their skin off."

After saying that, she continued walking forward.

Luo Qingchen followed behind for a while and said, "I don't like anyone, and I won't like anyone."

She ignored him and walked coldly into the dark woods ahead.

The two parted ways outside the Black Forest.

Luo Qingchen went directly to the general store on the main peak.

When they arrived at Senior Sister Xiong's general store, she was checking the goods that had just been delivered.

Upon seeing him, the other party quickly smiled and said, "Junior Brother Luo, please wait a moment. The black iron nails you ordered have returned. I'll get them for you after I finish clearing this box of goods."

Luo Qingchen remained silent, her gaze fixed on her plump figure, waiting quietly.

After a while.

Xiong Hong finally finished counting, then took out a square wooden box from the drawer and handed it to him with a big smile, saying, "Junior Brother Luo, these are your Xuan Iron Nails. They were delivered a couple of days ago. Please count them."

Luo Qingchen took the wooden box, opened it, and took a look.

The nails made from black iron are even blacker in color, and they do not reflect any luster even when placed under light.

If placed on the ground, it would be even more discreet.

Its nail tip is as thin and sharp as a hair, and is even thinner and sharper than ordinary iron nails.

He carefully took out a nail and gently pricked his fingertip with the tip. Before he could feel any pain, the nail tip pierced his flesh instantly. Its sharpness was far beyond that of an ordinary iron nail.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Xiong."

He put the nails into the wooden box, shook it gently, and roughly checked the quantity; there shouldn't be any mistake.

Xiong Hong smiled and said, "By the way, Junior Brother Luo, you still have two pieces of Xuan Iron. What are you planning to do with them?"

Luo Qingchen put away the wooden box and said, "Could you offer a discount on the Xuan Iron Blade here? I recently acquired two more pieces of Xuan Iron, so I now have four pieces, which should be enough to forge the Xuan Iron Blade."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Hong's eyes lit up, and he said, "Four pieces of Xuan Iron are more than enough to forge a Xuan Iron Blade. Junior Brother Luo, if you're willing to have it forged here with me, I can give you a discount of two thousand taels of silver."

"Is the discount only two thousand taels?"

A thoughtful look appeared between Luo Qingchen's brows.

Xiong Hong smiled wryly, "This is already the cheapest price. You know, the craft of refining Xuan Iron requires finding someone from above. The refiners there don't charge low prices. I'm just earning a delivery fee."

"Okay, I'll come over again in a few days."

Luo Qingchen nodded, didn't linger any longer, and turned to leave.

Xiong Hong opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something more, but seeing that the other person had already left quickly, the smile on her face gradually disappeared.

At that moment, a slender figure walked over.

"This kid got two more pieces of black iron. Tsk tsk, he's really lucky. Even inner disciples rarely have such treasures."

Xiong Hong looked at the newcomer and said in a low voice.

The newcomer was dressed in a black robe, slender, and had a gentle expression; she was none other than Fang Jiao from Hehuan Peak.

"To have climbed up from Medicine Man Town and gotten to where he is now, it really takes a lot of luck. This kid has always been lucky. It's just that I didn't expect him to keep getting such a treasure as Xuan Iron. His luck is truly heaven-defying."

Fang Jiao's expression was calm, but her tone was full of envy.

Xiong Hong frowned, her face full of worry, and said in a low voice, "What's wrong with you all? One is at the peak of the Strength Realm, one is at the late stage of the Strength Realm, and you have several Nourishing Spirit Realm helpers, yet you still haven't dealt with him?"

Fang Jiao said, "He's been hiding for a while and only showed up today. My elder brother said there's no rush; his confinement will be lifted in four months. The sect will give him a mission then, and we can make our move once he's down the mountain. Right now, he's in the sect, so even if we're incredibly bold, we wouldn't dare to make a move."

He then looked at her and said, "Senior Sister Xiong, we're after the Xuan Tie and the other things on him. What are you after? Last time we asked you, you hesitated and wouldn't answer. We need to know the reason before we can believe you."

Xiong Hong's expression shifted for a moment, then she glanced outside before leaning closer and whispering, "I had no choice. Back when he was still in Medicine Man Town, I made a mistake. I didn't take it to heart at first because back then, he was just a mere Medicine Man who could die at any moment. Now, he's climbed up step by step, his cultivation speed is too fast, he's already broken through to the Strength Realm in the blink of an eye. So, I have to kill him. If he doesn't die, I'll definitely be the one who dies, and even my whole family will die."

"What's wrong?"

Fang Jiao was very curious.

Xiong Hong sighed and said, "It concerns inner disciples, I'm sorry, I really can't say."

"All right."

Upon hearing that this matter had actually involved inner disciples, Fang Jiao immediately stopped talking, chatted with her for a few more words, and then turned and left.

"Four pieces of black iron... Don't worry, as long as he goes down the mountain to do his mission, I guarantee he'll never come back!"

As she left the general store, a figure slowly emerged from behind the blood-stained stone house not far away, watching her retreating figure with a cold glint in his eyes. "As expected, there was a prior conspiracy."

"Fang Shi, Fang Jiao, Xiong Hong..."

He silently recited these names in his heart, stood there for a while, and then walked towards Black Phoenix Peak.

That junior sister is still the smartest.

In a place like this, revealing too much is like carrying a piece of good meat among a pack of hungry wolves; it's impossible not to be coveted. But he had no background, no connections, and had to do everything himself.

Sometimes, you have no choice but to take these risks.

"The main problem is that we're not strong enough..."

As he walked towards Black Phoenix Peak, he secretly pondered his next plan.

Hunt magical beasts or monsters, drink their blood, and cultivate through medicinal baths.

If given the opportunity to absorb more blood, he felt he should first upgrade his gilded blood; the medicinal bath would be more effective, and his cultivation speed would be faster.

He must break through to the Tongqiao realm as soon as possible.

Four months later, his confinement will end, and the sect will definitely assign him a task.

That was the most dangerous time.

Since the other party covets the black iron and other items on his body, they will definitely be eager to make a move.

When he goes down the mountain to do his mission, that will be the best opportunity for the other side.

Since Fang Shi and Fang Jiao are the senior brother and senior sister of Hehuan Peak, their cultivation and strength must be the highest among the direct disciples.

Even if he hasn't reached the peak of the Strength Realm, he's definitely in the later stages.

The only way to kill the opponent is to break through to the Tongqiao Realm.

Thinking this through, he soon returned to Black Phoenix Peak.

Just as they reached the entrance to Cave No. 6, a clear voice suddenly rang out from the path beside them: "Junior Brother Luo! You've finally decided to come back!" Luo Qingchen turned around and saw it was his fourth senior sister, Lin Yudie.

She was still wearing that pink dress and a pink headband, skipping and hopping as she walked, looking playful, lively, and innocent. But in a place like this, no one is truly innocent.

"Where have you been all this time? Every time I come looking for you, you're not there."

Lin Yudie approached and said somewhat unhappily.

Luo Qingchen cupped her hands and said, "Fourth Senior Sister, I've been cultivating elsewhere recently. What brings you here?"

Lin Yudie said, "It's nothing serious, I just want to ask you to come to the training ground to train together. It's better for everyone to spar together than for you to hide in your cave and train alone."

As she spoke, she directly grabbed his wrist and said, "Let's go, Senior Sister and Fifth Sister are at the training ground right now, I was just about to go there. It just so happens that Senior Sister seems to need to see you."

Luo Qingchen glanced at the hand gripping her wrist and followed behind her.

The two quickly arrived at the training ground.

On the field, a tall and imposing figure was wielding a long sword, with a whirlwind around him and layers of sword light all around him, dense and numerous, like a ribbon tightly enveloping his body.

On the other side, a slender figure was holding a sword, wielding it with such skill and precision that it was impossible to see through.

In the distance, two more figures were cultivating.

"Senior Sister, Junior Brother Luo is here!"

Lin Yudie walked towards the tall, imposing figure. Compared to him, she looked like a small, thin child. Yuwen Rou sheathed her sword, wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, and looked at Luo Qingchen, who had approached, saying, "Junior Brother Luo, have you been staying in someone else's cave these past few days?"

Luo Qingchen nodded: "I guess so."

Yuwen Rou took out a water bottle, uncorked it, and gulped down a few mouthfuls before looking at him and saying, "I heard that Fang Shi from Hehuan Peak is causing you trouble because you killed quite a few disciples of Hehuan Peak before. The disciples on our peak all say that Fang Shi even came here looking for you, and you hid because you were scared. Is that true?"

Before Luo Qingchen could answer, she continued, "As long as you don't leave the sect, he won't dare do anything to you. If he brings people to Black Phoenix Peak again, go to my cave dwelling immediately, or go to Spring and Autumn Pavilion to find me, and I'll deal with him. That guy never does anything without a profit; it's impossible for him to keep bothering you just because you killed a few disciples from his Joyful Union Peak. I guess you offended him somewhere."

Lin Yudie, who was standing nearby, said, "Senior Sister, I heard that Fang Shi had already reached the peak of the Strength Realm two years ago. I guess he's about to break through, right?"

Yuwen Rou put away the water bottle and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, he should break through to the Tongqiao Realm and become an inner disciple in less than a year."

After saying that, she looked at the young man in front of her and said, "So, Junior Brother Luo, if you can reconcile with him, try your best. If you really can't reconcile, you'd better not go down the mountain. As for the sect mission, you can postpone it for now. At worst, you'll be punished, which is better than losing your life." "Of course, if you're willing to pay some money, I can help you solve it."

She laughed again.

Lin Yudie said, "Senior Sister, why don't you help Junior Brother Luo kill Fang Shi?"

Yuwen Rou sneered, "You want me to kill a peak-stage Qi Refining expert? At most, I can only fight him to a draw. Besides, he has a sister who's at the late-stage Qi Refining realm. And I don't have any deep-seated hatred for him, so why should I risk killing him?"

Lin Yudie asked worriedly, "What will Junior Brother Luo do? After his confinement is lifted, the sect will probably assign him a mission. This is Junior Brother Luo's first time accepting a mission at the Strength Realm, so I'm afraid he won't be able to refuse."

Yuwen Rou said, "With money, anything can be solved."

Then, looking at the young man before him, he asked, "Junior Brother Luo, what are you thinking?"

Luo Qingchen initially wanted to say, "I'll handle it myself," but after thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll try to raise the money. Hopefully, I can solve it with money."

Now, he trusts no one.

Therefore, he had to learn to pretend and show weakness in front of everyone.

In such a place, he had to imagine everyone around him as an enemy.

One must not reveal one's true intentions in any word or action.

"Junior Brother Luo is right to think that way. If it can be solved with money, don't risk your life. By the way, if you need money later, Junior Brother Luo, you can come to me for an IOU."

Yuwen Rou smiled, picked up the knife beside her again, and prepared to continue her cultivation.

Luo Qingchen took his leave.

Seeing that it was already evening, he did not go to the cave again, but went directly to the back mountain.

As soon as he entered the dark forest leading to the Ghost Graveyard, he suddenly smelled a strong stench of blood, carried by the cold wind in the forest.

He immediately drew his knife and slowed his pace.

Soon, he saw a bloody skin hanging on a large tree in front of him.

In the shadow of the large tree stood a petite figure draped in a black cloak, wearing a black hat and veil, her dark, cold eyes seemingly fixed on him.

Once he was closer, she spoke, "A girl named Chen Ya is looking for you..."

Luo Qingchen paused in her steps.

"I was going to bring her to you, but your drug-using person was watching from the side."

She took out the steamed bun in her hand.

"I went downstairs to buy you some steamed buns and waited here for a while, thinking you wouldn't come back."

Luo Qingchen's tense muscles slowly relaxed as she looked at the bark on the tree and asked, "Who is this person?"

She shook her head: "I don't know either. She's a disciple of Hehuan Peak."

Luo Qingchen looked at her and asked, "Where did you see Chen Ya?"

She said, "Next, at the management office, she's delivering a message for your medicine person. It seems she's broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm; she looks very happy and wants to see you."

Then he added, "Do you want to see her? I'll bring her to you after dark, okay?"

Luo Qingchen didn't say anything more, gripping the knife tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on her.

By this time, night had quietly fallen.

The two were five feet apart.

She held nothing but steamed buns in her hands, but on the tree above her head, many scarlet, bloodthirsty eyes appeared eerily, as if they were all staring at him.

All around, there was complete silence.

Only the sound of the wind in the forest, a mournful whisper, swept by.

"By the way, I've inquired around, and recently a lot of monsters have appeared near Blood Eagle Gate, destroying many villages and towns. If you want to hunt monsters, we can go there."

She suddenly spoke.

Then, she handed the steamed bun in her hand to him.

"Shall we leave tonight?"

She blinked her dark, night-like eyes, her pupils seemingly sparkling with the innocence and naivety of a little girl.

The tense atmosphere in the arena seemed to vanish in an instant.

"Blood Eagle Sect?"

Luo Qingchen couldn't help but think of the woman named Shangguan Yunman again.

The other party is from the Blood Eagle Sect.

The blood pact between the two has not yet been broken.