Chapter 90

The next morning, Ye Qinghan’s exhaustion was visibly apparent.

No wonder. Anyone would be exhausted after being tormented by Ye Qiao all night.

“Are they cornered dogs trying to disgust us because they can’t beat us?” Su Zhu sneered.

“Who knows.” Regardless of Ye Qiao’s intentions, she was succeeding. The three sects were indeed exhausted, their heads throbbing, ready to collapse from fatigue.

“We’ll stop hunting monsters tomorrow,” Ye Qinghan gestured. “We’ll rest here and resume on the fifth day.”

Their rankings were secure enough; if they didn’t rest, their spiritual senses would collapse.

“In a way, Ye Qiao has achieved her goal, using such a cunning tactic to delay the other three sects for a day. They can kill a lot of monsters during this time.”

The cultivators had never seen someone leading a group of pill refiners to turn the tables, especially with such a disadvantage in monster numbers.

“There are two days left until the secret realm ends. Yueqing Sect has 2,000 monsters, Wenjian Sect 1,600, Chengfeng Sect 1,300, Changming Sect 900, and Bishui Sect 700. To overtake the scores, it depends on whether Ye Qiao can keep the other three sects occupied.”

Ye Qiao was also pondering this. Keeping three sects occupied with a group of pill refiners seemed unrealistic. However, if they could retrieve the storage bags of these pill refiners, the chances of victory would be higher.

At this moment, two sects were standing on a rock, holding a meeting.

“Let’s go.” Ye Qiao, hearing the activity from the monitoring device, gave a second order after a moment’s thought. “Sense where your pill furnaces are. Tonight, we’ll raid the enemy’s camp.”

“…”

“Wait. We’re not calling it raiding,” Mu Chongxi corrected her sternly. “We’re retrieving what rightfully belongs to us.”

“Hey,” Xue Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Since when did you become so cultured?”

Mu Chongxi flared up. “I studied the Four Books and Five Classics when I was young. I’m a prince!!”

The two started arguing again. Ming Xuan silenced them with a talisman and then asked, “Stealing storage bags?”

“After last night’s raid, they should be wary of us tonight, right?”

“When are we going to steal?” Zhou Xingyun, who usually kept out of things, suddenly opened his eyes, his lethargic expression gone. He blinked and asked calmly, “Can I join?”

All the righteous inner disciples present, raised with positive energy, had never stolen anything before. Ye Qiao’s suggestion intrigued them.

Stealing. It sounded interesting.

“If Ye Qiao fails and gets caught,” Xue Yu looked at the senior brother earnestly, “can you help them escape?”

If nothing else, Zhou Xingyun’s speed with his Clear Wind Step was the fastest among them.

“They will definitely be wary of us,” Ye Qiao said, taking an apple from her storage bag. “So today, we need to put on an act first, then steal tonight.”

“We’re at the bottom of the rankings. In their minds, we should be desperate enough to try to disgust them even if we can’t win.”

“I’ll stage another raid later. When Chu Xingzhi comes after us, we’ll pretend to be defeated, get injured, and then flee in disgrace.”

“Wait!” Ming Xuan interrupted her. Ye Qiao raised an eyebrow, thinking he had an opinion.

Ming Xuan: “Why do you have an apple?”

“Why didn’t you share with us? Aren’t we your beloved brothers?” He reached for her storage bag.

“…”

Ye Qiao ignored him. “Take it yourself.”

After a pause, she glanced at Ming Xuan. “Eat my apple, and you’ll join me in the act.”

A bewildered Ming Xuan, still munching on the apple, asked, “Huh?”

“Shouldn’t you ask Xue Yu for acting? I remember his outstanding performance in the small secret realm.”

Ye Qiao grabbed him and pulled him out. “Stop struggling. It’s you.”

She had thought it through. The other three senior brothers were unsuitable for sneak attacks; only Ming Xuan, with his trickster nature, was perfect.

“…”

Given the task, Ming Xuan quickly finished his apple and joined Ye Qiao, each holding a talisman, ambushing in a tree.

The inner disciples of the three sects were resting, with Chu Xingzhi still on guard. Sensing movement, he immediately grabbed his sword to investigate, only to be met by two talismans flying at him.

His eyes narrowed as he slashed through the talismans.

“Trying to run?” Chu Xingzhi’s sword transformed into an invisible blade, sweeping toward their retreat path.

The sword light, like snow, knocked the two ambushers to the ground.

Ming Xuan spat blood, covering his mouth. “Such domineering sword energy.”

“Wait…” Chu Xingzhi realized his sword energy hadn’t touched them yet.

The young man looked at his hand, amazed at his supposed ability to strike from afar.

Chu Xingzhi was so enthralled by his perceived power that he didn’t notice Ye Qiao’s exaggerated acting and Ming Xuan’s suppressed laughter.

Hilarious.

“Do inner disciples need such high standards now? Not only exceptional talent but acting skills too.”

“Maybe only in Changming Sect.”

“I can’t stand it, Chu Xingzhi, you idiot. Ahhh.” Fans of Wenjian Sect were furious.

“This year’s competition is lively.”

Each match more exciting than the last. The competition, held once every century, was usually boring. Not this time.

“Hey, I ran into someone from Changming Sect earlier.”

As soon as Chu Xingzhi returned to the main camp, he couldn’t resist boasting to Song Hansheng about his recent prowess. Confidently, he said, “That puny Ye Qiao, ridiculous! They were injured by me and fled in disarray.”

“Are you sure?” Qin Huai stared at him. He knew Chu Xingzhi wasn’t very bright, but his strength was undeniable, so he wasn’t overly suspicious.

“Of course,” Chu Xingzhi replied. “With one sword strike, both she and Ming Xuan were on the ground. If they hadn’t run so fast, they’d both be out of the game tonight.”

Song Hansheng squinted his eyes. “Are you sure they were injured?”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this situation seemed familiar.

It was reminiscent of an encounter with three masked bandits in a secret realm. Back then, a woman handed him a box, and he believed her lie that it contained treasures.

Later, forty-nine days later, he found only a half-eaten pancake inside.

Chu Xingzhi had come to show off, but he didn’t expect both of his sect’s leaders to doubt him. He immediately jumped up, “You can question my character, but don’t doubt my strength.”

Song Hansheng reluctantly suppressed his doubts. Indeed, with Ye Qiao being of a lower realm and Ming Xuan being a talisman user, both were not fighters. It made sense for them to be injured by Chu Xingzhi.

The audience laughed uproariously: “If they had asked a few more questions, he’d be exposed.”

“Hahaha, Chu Xingzhi is such an easy fool to trick.”

Unaware of the laughter outside, the three sects continued their meeting.

“With Ye Qiao and Ming Xuan injured,” Song Hansheng asked, “will they still come tonight?”

“They probably won’t,” Ye Qinghan calmly judged based on both sides’ strengths. “With Ye Qiao and Ming Xuan injured, the remaining pill cultivators won’t be a threat.”

“Let’s rest for another night. Hunting demon beasts on the fifth day will still be on time.”

The most uncomfortable aspect of the Flaming Mountain secret realm wasn’t just the heat but also the hallucinations, which severely damaged one’s spiritual consciousness over time. Bishui Sect’s spirit-restoring pills were insufficient, forcing them to rest for a day.

Ye Qiao’s method wasn’t illegal, but it was annoying and had exhausted the three sects.

As night fell, several talisman users set up formations around the perimeter.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Ye Qiao, Ming Xuan, and Zhou Xingyun sneaked in. All the direct disciples of the three sects were sleeping soundly.

Ye Qiao noticed that Chu Xingzhi’s foot was almost on Su Zhuo’s face. Disgusted, she looked away and quickly searched for the mustard seed bags.

The Bishui Sect’s mustard seed bags were all placed in a corner. The trio moved lightly, coordinating to take the bags.

Due to the formations, the two talisman users didn’t dare be too reckless and prepared to leave immediately after getting the bags.

Before leaving, Ye Qiao noticed Ye Qinghan’s clothes nearby.

On a whim, she took them.

“… You freak, Ye Qiao,” Ming Xuan thought. If they weren’t in the enemy’s camp, he would have said it out loud.

Why steal someone’s clothes?

When the two rejoined the main group, Ming Xuan couldn’t wait to criticize Ye Qiao’s actions, “She stole someone’s clothes!”

“Whose?”

“Seems like Ye Qinghan’s.”

“Oh my,” Mu Chongxi stood up in shock. “Ye Qiao, are you secretly in love with him? Even taking his clothes?”

“You’re the one who likes him,” Ye Qiao rolled her eyes. “He left his clothes lying around while sleeping.”

Of course, she took them as an easy pick. Maybe she could even sell them on the forum. She already had a name in mind: ‘Private Clothing of the Sword Sect’s Chief.’

“I even left him an inner garment,” she added.

Zhou Xingyun glanced at her and commented, “A bit of morality, but not much.”