Translator: CinderTL
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Ye Bing's injuries had largely been brought under control, but full recovery would require prolonged nurturing.
She opened her eyes and gazed at Song Wen, who stood several meters away.
"I'm mostly recovered now. Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist."
Song Wen smiled. "Immortal Maiden, there's no need for such formality. Your celestial beauty is a blessing to behold. It's my honor to serve you."
Ye Bing found Song Wen's flattery unsettling. It was hard to imagine that this man, now so eager to praise her beauty, had once sought to end her life.
"What should I call you, Fellow Daoist?" she asked. "Gou Jun? Yang Yu? Or something else?"
"A name is just a label," Song Wen replied. "Why concern yourself with it, Immortal Maiden? Just call me Gou Jun."
Seeing Song Wen's reluctance to reveal his true name, Ye Bing pursed her lips.
"Fellow Daoist Gou Jun," she continued, "were you the one who traded me information about Jiang Yushan years ago? Did you use that intelligence to deliberately approach him, even joining us in entering the Rotting Miasma Ridge? What was your true purpose? Were you also trying to eliminate Jiang Yushan?"
Song Wen looked genuinely bewildered. "Trade information? Fellow Daoist, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm only here with Jiang Yushan to gain some advantages, nothing more."
Ye Bing rolled her eyes, realizing that Song Wen rarely spoke the truth.
She had initially hoped that if Song Wen also harbored a grudge against Jiang Yushan, they might collaborate and one day confront him together.
Song Wen abruptly changed the subject. "Fellow Daoist Ye Bing, what are your plans after we reach the Qicang Domain?"
Ye Bing paused briefly before replying, "I'll head to Cloudveil City first. It's the largest cultivator city in the Qicang Domain, so it should be the easiest place to gather information about the Spirit Herbs needed to refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill."
"Do you know which Spirit Herbs are still missing?" Song Wen asked.
"Quite a few," Ye Bing replied. "Over a dozen, including Purple Spirit Ginseng, Celestial Star Grass, Earthfrost Vine, Profound Wood Fruit..."
After discussing the matter in detail, they set off.
Although they had left the core region of the Rotting Miasma Ridge, they still had a considerable distance to travel before completely exiting the treacherous terrain.
Following the route provided by the Dual Polarity Sect, they continued their journey without encountering any significant dangers.
During their journey, they encountered several groups of cultivators, but both sides cautiously avoided conflict.
Over two months later, a wide river stretched before them.
The river's surface shimmered with mist, and the miasma had weakened to negligible levels.
Crossing this river would mark their true exit from the Rotting Miasma Ridge.
"Fellow Daoist Gou Jun," Ye Bing suddenly stopped and asked, "shouldn't you return my mystic treasure now?"
Song Wen's eyes flickered, his expression feigning remorse.
"My apologies, I completely forgot about it."
With that, he retrieved the plum blossom fan and handed it to Ye Bing.
Ye Bing naturally didn't believe Song Wen had genuinely forgotten; he was merely being cautious, fearing she might turn against him once she regained her Natal Magic Treasure.
I swore a Soul Oath, yet he still doesn't trust me. How cautious indeed, Ye Bing thought to herself as she accepted the fan.
The pair then soared across the river.
As they reached the center, three figures rapidly approached from ahead.
All three were male cultivators: one at the mid-stage of Divine Transformation, and two at the peak of Divine Transformation.
Even from nearly a thousand miles away, Song Wen and Ye Bing noticed the trio.
Having just arrived in this unfamiliar territory, Song Wen and Ye Bing had no intention of interacting with the local cultivators. They changed course, flying downstream along the river.
However, despite their desire to avoid contact, the trio seemed particularly interested in them and pursued them relentlessly.
"Fellow Daoists, please halt!" the mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivator called out from a distance. "I am Jin Xiuqi. I would be honored if you would grace me with your presence for a discussion."
The man was dressed in opulent robes, his handsome face framed by resolute brows. The two cultivators trailing a few meters behind him clearly deferred to him as their leader.
Hearing this, Song Wen and Ye Bing exchanged a glance before reluctantly stopping their escape light.
The trio quickly closed the distance. Jin Xiuqi, the self-proclaimed leader, greeted them with a warm smile.
"Fellow Daoists, your faces are unfamiliar. May I ask where you hail from and what your names are?"
As he spoke, Jin Xiuqi's gaze remained fixed on Ye Bing, barely glancing at Song Wen before dismissing him entirely.
Seeing this, Song Wen couldn't help but steal a glance at Ye Bing's breathtakingly beautiful face, inwardly cursing her as a "femme fatale."
After a moment of silence, Ye Bing, realizing Song Wen had no intention of responding, finally spoke up.
"My name is Li Yue, and this is Fang Pengyi. We're visiting the Rotting Miasma Ridge for the first time, seeking some of its unique spiritual materials," Li Yue said.
Song Wen and Ye Bing had agreed to use aliases to prevent word of their successful arrival in the Qicang Domain from reaching the Qianchang Wilderness.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li Yue and Fellow Daoist Fang," Jin Xiuqi replied. "Have you already obtained the spiritual materials you sought? I'm Jin Xiuqi, and though I'm not particularly skilled, my Jin Family has some connections in this border region of the Rotting Miasma Ridge. Perhaps we could offer some assistance."
"We've already found what we needed," Ye Bing said, her tone dismissive. "There's no need to trouble you, Fellow Daoist."
Undeterred by Ye Bing's clear rejection, Jin Xiuqi persisted. "May I ask where you plan to go next?"
"Phoenix Feather City," Ye Bing replied.
Phoenix Feather City was the final destination on the route provided by the Dual Polarity Sect.
As the largest human cultivator city near the Rotting Miasma Ridge, Song Wen and Ye Bing planned to gather information about the Qicang Domain and the location of Cloudveil City there before deciding on their next course of action.
Jin Xiuqi said, "My Jin Family resides in Phoenix Feather City, and I'm returning there myself. Fellow daoists, would you care to join me? We could watch out for each other along the way."
Ye Bing pondered briefly before nodding in agreement. "Fellow Daoist Jin, your invitation is most gracious. We would be glad to travel with you."
A smile bloomed on Jin Xiuqi's face as he gestured eastward. "Please, lead the way."
The group of five flew eastward at a steady pace.
Throughout the journey, Jin Xiuqi was exceedingly enthusiastic, chattering incessantly about Phoenix Feather City and the general conditions of Rotting Miasma Ridge. He occasionally probed about Song Wen and Ye Bing's relationship, though his questions were primarily directed at Ye Bing.
"You two ventured deep into Rotting Miasma Ridge together, so you must share a profound bond. What exactly is the nature of your connection?" After two hours, perhaps feeling they had grown sufficiently acquainted, Jin Xiuqi finally inquired directly about Song Wen and Ye Bing's relationship.
Ye Bing had long sensed Jin Xiuqi's lustful gaze. With a flicker of her beautiful eyes, she devised a way to dissuade him.
"We are daoist partners."
Jin Xiuqi's expression froze momentarily. Based on their interactions, he had assumed their relationship was merely casual.
To his surprise, he received the answer he least wanted to hear.
Jin Xiuqi's expression darkened slightly.
At that moment, Song Wen suddenly interjected, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction as he addressed Ye Bing.
"Fellow Daoist Li Yue, our acquaintance is merely superficial. Why deceive Fellow Daoist Jin? He has treated us with sincerity; how could you betray his trust?"
Ye Bing turned to look at Song Wen, her expression stunned.
She had never anticipated that Song Wen would publicly expose her.
However, she quickly realized that Song Wen was worried Jin Xiuqi might harbor resentment and later act against him.
Once again, Ye Bing witnessed Song Wen's cautious and meticulous approach, his determination to avoid even the slightest entanglement in trouble.
Upon hearing this, Jin Xiuqi's spirits lifted, and he offered Song Wen a warm smile.
"Fellow Daoist Fang, I apologize for my abruptness. It was presumptuous of me to approach you both so hastily and inquire into your backgrounds. Fellow Daoist Li Yue's caution is entirely understandable."
As Song Wen observed the 'reasonable' Jin Xiuqi, he inwardly muttered, "Simp."
Whether this "simp" was genuine or harbored ulterior motives remained unclear.
(End of the Chapter)
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