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“Okay,” Qin Huai agreed. He then suggested a change in plan, “If we go directly to the Blue Sea Pavilion now, it might be too late. Let’s try to intercept Xu Tong and the others as they escape.”

They had wasted a lot of time along the way. In addition, the Blue Sea Pavilion was located at the edge of the inner city.

From the information they had gotten along the way, the Sacred Heart Sect and the demons had attacked at the same time, so it was likely that the Blue Sea Pavilion had become a wasteland by now.

“The Blue Sea Pavilion is linked to the Qingzhou River. If Xu Tong plans to escape, he’ll likely choose the water route, which would significantly decrease the number of experts capable of pursuing him,” Hua Yanli said. “Our Thunderbolt Gang and the Blue Sea Pavilion do a fair amount of business together, so it’s not uncommon for us to see their martial artists using the waterway.”

“Let’s get moving then,” Qin Huai suggested. Hua Yan’s reasoning seemed sound. Plus, the outskirts of the city were much safer than the heart of it.

The only person with a notable realm in the Thunderbolt Gang was their leader. Aside from him, they didn’t have many other formidable forces to rely on.

Everyone agreed and took the route following the Qingzhou River straight to the outskirts of the city.

…

The outer city was in chaos. A group of martial artists, clad in the uniforms of the Thunderbolt Gang, roamed the streets and alleys.

“Search! Search every house!” commanded a boisterous leader of the Thunderbolt Gang. Blood marked the corner of his mouth, but it was not his own.

His underlings’ eyes shone with an unsettling excitement.

“Now that we’ve found the great elder of the Blue Sea Pavilion and Xu Tong, we can choose any secret technique or treasure from the five great sects’ vaults!”

“Find the remaining evil spirits and seize their treasure!”

Their chorus filled the air, completely ignoring the absolute difference in power between them.

“Don’t be afraid. Even if we’re in danger, reinforcements from our sect will arrive soon. Now, all of Qingzhou belongs to our Sacred Heart Sect.”

Brandishing long knives, they kicked open a door. Desperate screams from a young girl and pleas from an elderly couple echoed through the streets.

Then, the long blade fell, blood splattering the windows and walls. The crimson stains transformed the once pristine courtyard into a scene of horror. Such scenes were a common sight in the inner and outer cities of Qingzhou.

Suddenly, a crisp crack echoed from a room. Moments later, Qin Huai emerged, trailed by two raggedly dressed girls and a frantic woman.

“Take your valuables and run out of the city…” he instructed, kicking the door open.

People, shocked and scared, fled their homes and ran out of the city along the main road.

“Who dares to kill a member of my Sacred Heart Sect?!” an angry voice echoed from the sky.

A man, his body enveloped in flames and a flaming tiger etched on his back, crashed to the ground. He was Jing Ye, the leader of the Thunderbolt Gang. As he landed, the people running for their lives felt a sudden surge of heat. Their legs buckled under the weight of despair.

“Don’t worry, just keep running. Leave the rear to us,” a calm voice assured. This comfort came from the young warriors, their eyes ablaze with determination.

Jing Ye, taken aback, stammered, “You… You guys…”

“Leader, I didn’t expect that we’d meet again this way,” Hua Yanli said, advancing toward Jing Ye.

The latter, his eyes moist with tears of joy, confessed, “To save you, I joined the Sacred Heart Sect. I am relieved to see you’re still alive.”

Hua Yanli, however, was skeptical. “Is that so? That’s not what you said earlier.” He knew the leader’s true colors too well.

“Are you really trying to betray your leader and dishonor your ancestors?”Jing Ye was incensed, his face turning a bright shade of red in an instant. He whirled around, intending to make a quick escape…

However, unbeknownst to him, there were already prodigies both in front of him and behind him. They were all influential individuals he recognized but with whom he rarely had the opportunity to converse.

Jing Ye’s expression eased into a more placid one. He spoke earnestly, “For the sake of our bond as master and disciple, please let me go. I can act as your spy, aiding in Qingzhou’s future revival.”

Moved by his plea, Hua Yanli replied, “I won’t take your life. You’re free to go.” He then dismissed Jing Ye with a wave of his hand.

Jing Ye was overjoyed. But his clemency was short-lived. As he turned to leave, Qin Huai, Le Ji’an, and Fang Huo moved in.

Boom!

A loud explosion marked the end of Jing Ye, the leader of the Thunderbolt Gang. Qin Huai and the others, already in the visceral prefecture realm, felt no pressure in killing the fledgling leader.

As they regrouped, their expressions were somber.

“Is there still no sign of Xu Tong and the others? They shouldn’t be…” Their faces clouded with uncertainty.

Just then, Qin Huai and Le Ji ‘an turned to an alleyway.

“Mr. Long.”

From the shadows, Fan Ziyu, the master of the Three Cauldron Elixir Dispensary, suddenly emerged.

“Huh? Mr. Long?” Le Ji ‘an and the others trailed Fan Ziyu’s gaze to rest on Qin Huai.

“Just an alias I used in the past,” Qin Huai clarified. “So, Pavilion Master Fan, you didn’t attempt to flee. Were you waiting for us here?” he mused.

He had discovered some of Pavilion Master Fan’s secrets. There was a high probability that Fan Ziyu was connected to the Emperor of Qingzhou or privy to certain secrets. In short, he was an ally. This was the reason Qin Huai spared his life.

“Please, follow me.” Fan Ziyu sidestepped, clearing a path for the group.

“Let’s go. Pavilion Master Fan can be trusted.” Qin Huai gestured to the group, and the ensemble of Qingzhou’s elites trailed behind Fan Ziyu. At his beckoning, the group followed him to the end of the narrow alley.

Fan Ziyu lifted his hands and whispered, “Rise!” Instantly, a large, square stone rose from the flat ground, revealing a stone staircase.

Qin Huai and the others followed Fan Ziyu down the stairs. With a loud thud, the stone settled back into its original position. Hua Yanli flicked his finger and a flame quickly lit the whole underground space.

The staircase was quite long, over ten meters, and the underground passage was very wide.

“This is a tunnel my family, the Fan family, built a long time ago,” Fan Ziyu began. “We’re in the business of selling pills, and it’s a big business. But we didn’t have any skilled martial arts genius in the family to protect it.

“So, starting from my grandfather’s time, we built these tunnels leading out of Qingzhou. That way, if we ever faced a disaster that could wipe out our family, we’d have a way to escape.”

Fan Ziyu paused here, his voice turning serious. “But over thirty years ago, I found out some important historical facts. Because of that, I decided to change what we use the tunnel for.”

Behind Qin Huai, Xiang Mingfeng and the others listened closely. They had never found any signs of this in the five great sects.

What could this pill pavilion master, who was pretty well-known in the outer city, have discovered?