Behind Yin Na, the loud oinking of the Spicy Oil Boar signified it was finding its way back to its master, Yin Na.

The Spicy Oil Boar was an intelligent beast, it instantly sensed the tension in the air and rushed to its master even though it was blind in both eyes. It squealed with mighty aggression until Yin Na calmed it down with a single “shhh.”

“That’s right, Mao Shi Qi,” said Yin Na. “My pig came to me on its own, there’s nowhere to run anymore. You all knew he’s at the Golden Core level of power, right? Either way, I know you’re out there. Your two comrade’s actions gave you away. Just because I’m reborn in the Qi Refining stage and can’t use qi sense anymore doesn’t mean I can’t conclude that you’re there watching.”

Yin Na was met with no response from the forest as he waited for the span of three breaths. The 1,000 year syrup wine was burning him up, he was dripping with sweat.

“Mao Shi Qi,” He said again. “If you don’t come out right now, I’ll command the boar to sniff you out.”

Suddenly, Yin Na heard a rustle from a thin tree above the bush he was staring at so intently.

A figure of a cultivator slowly emerged from the branches like a predatory feline coming out of camouflage to pridefully reveal its spots, as the Yao Guai-turned human landed soundlessly on the forest floor.

“Ah, Mao Shi Qi. You successfully eluded me, I’ll admit I didn’t actually know if you were there!” Yin Na congratulated in a patronizing tone. Even though his skin looked red as a tomato, he didn’t sound uncomfortable in the least bit.

The cultivator was a girl, wearing a black sash and a veil covering her nose and mouth. Her large round eyes were piercing, the green irises were captivating as emeralds, and her pupils were two characteristically cat-like slits. Despite the killing intent emanating from these clearly Yao Guai-originated eyes, from what little one could see of her masked-up face, one could assume she was young.

“Hehehe, come over here. Don’t make me trick you into coming closer like I did to Lu Jin Be!”

Mao Shi Qi approached Yin Na slowly and cautiously, as if still considering if she could make a run for it. She saw what happened to Lu Jin Be, and although she knew his killing was mostly meant to mentally cripple the stupid snake cultivator She Yi Jao into submission, she also knew it was Yin Na carefully eliminating the stronger Yao Guai out of a potential formation prepared for him.

Her lithe, slender figure made its way towards Yin Na, careful not to make any sudden movements for fear of the Spicy Oil Boar’s retaliation. A hundred thoughts bounced back and forth within Mao Shi Qi’s mind. Her mask and cold eyes hid the contents of most of them.

“Beneath your mask, your face must be twisted in an ugly expression of fury,” said Yin Na teasingly. “Come here.”

At last, she was within arm’s distance of Yin Na.

“Can you take off your mask?” asked Yin Na as if asking for a favor.

Mao Shi Qi obeyed, while keeping the sash framing her oval face on. Indeed, without the mask, her button nose, and pink, warm lips beneath her intensely green-Emerald eyes could only be described as cute.

Yin Na chuckled internally, knowing that Mao Shi Qi was using great self-control to maintain a “thick face.”

“Are you the only one left?” Yin Na asked.

“Yes,” Mao Shi Qi answered, knowing that Yin Na was referring to any other nearby Yao Guai that stayed behind. Her voice was soft and delicate, but currently it was cold and full of resentment for her Master who had just foiled their lethal plot.

“Did you make contact with Liao Ya Shu before he died?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“We wanted to see if he’d do our job for us, and if he failed, to probe your strength.”

“En, and if he succeeded at his ‘job,’ what were you going to do instead?”

“Kill him, and take his possessions.”

“Okay. Was my… performance satisfactory?”

Mao Shi Qi felt a tremor of adrenaline and the overwhelming desire to punch Yin Na in the face, but she suppressed it.

“Y-yes.”

“You do realize I can still kill you as easily as I could when I was a Foundation cultivator.”

“Yes.”

“Good. How was I detected, and who was the one who noticed me first?”

“Lu Jin Be kept an eye on Liao Ya Shu while She Yijiao and I scoured for any of Master’s possessions he may have dropped on the battlefield.”

Yin Na believed her. By the time he had killed Liao Ya Shu, Lu Jin Be would have already contacted his Yao Guai comrades, and they’d have long quietly assembled into formation while Yin Na was distracted by battle.

“What were you planning to use the treasures for?”

“To keep and use, or sell if necessary.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Very good,” smiled Yin Ya. ““What formation were you planning to use?”

“Scorpion Claw and Stinger.”

Yin Na praised inwardly in his mind. Such a basic formation was more than enough to kill him, with two Yao Guai attacking the victim on opposite sides on the ground while the third soared through the air from a higher vantage point to deliver the killing blow.

“What was your plan if you failed?”

“We made no contingency plan together. But personally, I decided from the moment She Liao Ji gave us away to either run, or kill Master on the spot.”

“You made a mistake right there. Why did you choose to wait instead of escape?”

“Lu Jing Be died. Right before doing so, he gave away my presence by looking behind him.”

“What was your plan then?”

“To figure out if the Master secretly had some hidden ability or item to call the Spicy Oil Boar from out of calling range. If Master said or betrayed something that indicated he needed the Spicy Oil Boar nearby to defend him, or if he turned to go seek the Boar runt himself, I’d come out and kill Master on the spot.”

Yin Na was glad he didn’t ask She Ji Yao for confirmation after killing Lu Jin Be if another Yao Guai was hiding. If he did, the moment she heard him asking it would confirm that she was still undetected, and enable her to escape or take a more drastic measure, such as attack him before the Spicy Oil Boar was near.

Yin Na was observing She Liao Ji’s face as Mao Shi Qi was explaining. The cultivator’s face was shaking, as his sweat poured from his bowed head like rain. In fact, She Liao Ji looked like he was sweating more than Yin Na was!

“She Liao Ji,” Yin Na said gently.

“Y-yes, master!” The cultivator that was still kneeling on the ground quickly prostrated himself, almost burying his head into the ground like an ostrich.

“In any of the questions I asked, did Mao Shi Qi lie to me?”

She Liaoji’s heart pounded like a rabbit’s, his eyes darted between his master who was a mere mortal Qi Refining cultivator and Mao Shi Qi who was his fellow Yao Guai co-conspirator. Then his eyes stared at the floor, unable to bear Mao Shi Qi’s cat-like eyes burning a hole into his.

The truth was, She Liaoji wasn’t sure how to answer the question. In his delirium he wasn’t paying attention at all to Mao Shi Qi’s words!

“M-master?”

“Yes or no?” Yin Na let his breath fall on She Liao Ji’s neck.

“....No!”

Yin Na sighed, and pat the back of She Liao Ji assuredly.

“Do you fear Mao Shi Qi more than you fear me?”

“No!” She Liao Ji exclaimed without hesitation.

SPLAT!

In one move, Yin Na drew the gold-colored dagger, and sliced She Liaoji’s head clean off. The head rolled two times in the grass before it turned into the severed head of a snake’s. He promptly began to search She Liao Ji’s robes, only to be disappointed to find nothing else.

“Damn, it’s so hot in here!” Yin Na cried, as he took off his tattered clothes, revealing his lean, muscular torso and chiseled abs that were the standard of men in the Jiang Hu.

“I should have fed him alive to the Boar Runt,” thought Yin Na silently. “Yao Guai transformed into humanoid or human form are far more nourishing to a desolate beast than their reverted, original animal husks once dead.”

Yin Na wiped the golden blade clean of blood on She Liao Ji’s robes, as he asked: “Now, Mao Shi Qi, do you have any questions for me?”

Mao Shi Qi knew the killing of She Liaoji meant that Yin Na retroactively punished She Liao Ji for respecting her authority over his, but also that it was practically done to intimidate her. However, the decapitation of the snake cultivator did little to scare her. She wanted to kill him herself for messing up their plan, and she was only more angry that Yin Na robbed her of the opportunity to do it herself. She paused briefly, ultimately more concerned that her master would only allow a limited number of questions.

“Did you really not know I was there?”

“Next question,” said Yin Na. He really did not know Mao Shi Qi was hiding; he killed She Ji Liao for hiding this from him.

“What is that…brick, that you used to kill Liao Ya Shu? What kind of treasure is it?”

“It’s a good thing. That’s all you need to know.” Yin Na was technically not lying that the 9 Yin Treasured Jade Block was indeed, a very good benefit.

“Did you really have a way to call the boar back even though it was out of calling range for you?”

“Okay, that’s enough questions.” Yin Na said. “I now only have one question for you left. Answer it truthfully or instead of cutting your head off, I’ll have the Boar runt eat you alive.”

Never answer questions that would reveal your weakness, especially not to your subordinates eager to stab your back every chance they get!

Mao Shi Qi was forcefully left in the dark, kept ignorant by Yin Na’s unfair exchange of questions and answers. His message was clear: she was only to give, give, give, while he was only to take, take, and take! The realization that she, a mid-Foundation Yao Guai cultivator being treated like so by a mere mortal at the Qi Refining stage— was so infuriating she wanted to kill Yin Na right where he stood! But the blind Spicy Oil Boar seemed to sense her killing intent, as it snorted threateningly at her, dissipating her will to fight instantly.

The sweat on Yin Na’s body was rising in steam. He began to take off his bloody pants. He was completely naked. Mao Shi Qi tore her gaze violently away from the monster between her master’s legs.

“Without using words, tell me why you knew you had to come back to me.”

Mao Shi Qi’s eyes widened in shock, before her face finally broke into an uncontrollable scowl. She trembled in anger! Yin Na’s face looked absolutely hateful to her at the moment.

Her face was crimson with embarrassment as the slender fingers on her tiny hands rose slowly to the covering she was keeping tightly on her head.

Very, very slowly, she pulled them back, a humiliated expression of defeat implanted itself on her face that would make the most sadistic of men lose their self control. The hair cover was peeled back, revealing shining blue hair and a pair of… cat ears!

Mao Shi Qi was a Yao Guai who messed up her cultivation. Her lifelong goal was to turn completely human.

Yin Na’s face betrayed no emotion of pleasure, but she knew that this bastard was enjoying every moment of this! Forcing her to humiliate herself before him with her own hands, under the threat of death by a cultivator 3 levels before her, she wanted to kill him so badly, but could not!

“Very good. Constantly trying to learn from and surpass her teachers secretly, and knowing when you’re beaten and when to submit. You’re the kind of student I cherish!”

Without warning Yin Na’s arms wrapped tightly around hers, pinning them to her sides as he pulled her to his body.

“Ah!” her voice cried out involuntarily in shocked pain.

Her master held her tightly to him, but it was not intended to crush her. Instead, Yin Na’s bare skin burned her through her clothing. Mao Shi Qi’s smooth, snow-white skin felt like it was being charred on a grill made of muscle and bone even through her clothing, as Yin Na gripped tighter through her spasms. She did not dare to break away from him forcefully, though she thrust her head to the side to gasp for cool oxygen.