Chapter 3, Stay Calm and Steady

Someone is watching him

He hurried to the Biyu Courtyard, but instead of going to his own room, he went to a more secluded chamber at the back.

As he watched numerous members of the Pei family depart, Pei Xuan smiled and said to Zheng Jingshan: "Friend Zheng, our residence has recently received some spiritual tea. I wonder if you would be interested in sampling a bit?"

He has already thought it through; once they leave the city later, everyone will head towards Yuanla Mountain, which is precisely his opportunity to quietly depart and escape a thousand miles away

"No need," Zheng Jingshan stood up and said indifferently, "I must return to Biwu Courtyard; the head of the Pei family has good intentions, and I will accept it later."

Thinking of this, he called to the servant who had already walked a distance, "Has Master Zheng just returned and gone to the main hall? Has he not returned to the Bihu Courtyard to rest?"

Zheng Jingshan's expression changed dramatically, and he immediately knelt down: "Yes!"

Do not panic! Pei Ling remained calm and analyzed the situation, "If Zheng Jingshan knew that I had entered his room to steal the Bone Tempering Pill, he would have likely sent someone from the Pei residence to capture me or even kill me on the spot, rather than just sending an ordinary servant to inform me to come over..."

Once outside, I could only feel a layer of cold sweat forming on my back

Meanwhile, Pei Ling took the opportunity to escape successfully while the main force passed through a forest

From beginning to end, no one cared about him

Then, with measured steps, he moved forward quietly to the front of the crowd

"No," the young servant shook his head and urged him, "Young Master Qi, please hurry and set off, so as not to keep the immortal master waiting! Otherwise, the head of the family may not be so lenient."

Pei Xuan spoke to Zheng Jingshan with the utmost respect, saying: "Friend Zheng, all the young members of my family are here, so please feel free to give any instructions you may have"

Upon hearing this, the members of the Pei family displayed various expressions, instinctively looking towards the family head, the eldest son, and the family elder.

He glanced at his house, hesitated slightly, but ultimately did not dare to delay. He even left in a hurry without greeting the Pei family, heading straight for Yuanlao Mountain

As he spoke, a figure appeared in the hall, a man with a sinister face and cold, piercing eyes. He introduced, "This is the traitor of the Holy Sect, Wu Tingxi. If his whereabouts are discovered, do not delay; quickly send a signal for assistance to the clan, and at that time, Daoist Zheng will arrive to capture him"

As for the realm above the Golden Core stage, there is no record of it in the teachings of the Pei family. After all, in the vast city of Luquan, there isn't even a single person at the Foundation Establishment stage; the most prominent expert in plain sight is Pei Xuan, who is at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement.

Seeing that others were already eager to leave, Pei Ling quickly put on a facade of suppressing his excitement and blended into the crowd to exit.

He instinctively looked over and saw his half-brother Pei Tu glaring at him fiercely.

Yuanlao Mountain is located north of Luquan City. After emerging from the woods and orienting himself, he proceeded southwest. This is an expanse of wilderness, and upon crossing it, one reaches the official road that leads to several other cities.

Pei Ling's mood suddenly became heavy, "Is it still that after activating the system, one floats away without realizing it?"

Péi Hóngnián, the heir of the family who is highly anticipated and has been sent to the outer sect of the Zhòngmíng Sect with abundant resources, has only reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement to date

Pei Lingfei quickly weighed the options and said, "Alright, I will go right away"

Therefore, it is no wonder that upon a single command from this person, the entire Pei family did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent

But soon, he felt that something was amiss

Rest assured! Zheng Jingshan said lightly, "Wu Tingxi is currently gravely injured, with only a fraction of his cultivation remaining. Even a novice cultivator could easily take him down. He is now like a stray dog, and would never dare to show himself actively.

In other words, as long as Zheng Jingshan is willing, a single person can annihilate the entire city of Luquan.

Is it that Laozi's way of surviving today is incorrect? Pei Ling felt very puzzled. Although his relationship with this cheap younger brother had never been good, as he became increasingly marginalized within the family, his stepmother and her son had clearly regarded him as beneath them, often ignoring him in their daily comings and goings. Why, then, did they suddenly show such obvious hostility?

Zheng Jingshan opened his eyes expressionlessly and casually glanced at the crowd, saying indifferently: "The traitor of our sect, Wu Tingxi, has recently escaped to Yuanla Mountain, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. You are to enter the mountain immediately to search for him. Anyone who discovers any trace of Wu Tingxi will be rewarded with fifty Bone-Tempering Pills."

If there are no issues, we can set off now

Although the Bone Forging Technique does not emphasize speed, once the Iron Bones are fully developed, the body becomes filled with strength, and the steps naturally become much swifter than before

Moments later, in the main hall of the Pei residence

After a moment, seeing that there were no further instructions from the people in the room, he finally stood up and cautiously exited.

Upon closer inspection, one will find that the wind chime is composed of numerous skulls strung together, with countless distorted human faces struggling in vain, emitting silent screams

According to Senior Sister's words, it has been confirmed that Wu Tingxi has fled to Yuanla Mountain, and all other disciples of Elder Luo have been eliminated. The Six Desires Secret Classic must be in his possession. Zheng Jingshan hurriedly said, "I have already instructed the Pei family..."

The head of the family, Pei Xuan, sat upright with a serious demeanor, while his son, Pei Hongnian, stood respectfully at his side. Three elder family members sat at the lower end, all with solemn expressions.

This gathering is particularly called for Zheng Jingshan, and in order to avoid losing face in front of the esteemed disciples of the Chongming Sect, the actions of the Pei family will only become more efficient. If he tries to escape now, he probably won't even make it out of the Pei family's front gate.

In any case, the important items have already been taken, and I can leave at any time

This is truly wonderful

Otherwise, Zheng Jingshan would still be unaware that someone has broken into his house and stolen something. When he returns later and sees...! ... he will surely be in for a shock

Pei Xuansong let out a sigh and glanced around at the gathered disciples: "Have you all heard clearly? Whoever dares to be negligent and disrupt the important matters of Daoist Zheng, do not blame this family head for being merciless"

The exterior of the retreat is elegant, with a string of wind chimes hanging under the eaves, gently swaying in the breeze, complementing the surrounding low thatched roofs and the rustling green bamboo, creating a scene of tranquility

Regrettably, the survival rate is essentially zero

"Why did the head of the family suddenly summon us to the main hall?" Pei Ling frowned; he was merely a collateral descendant, the kind that was neither favored by his father nor loved by his mother. Throughout his life, he had seen the head of the family no more than a handful of times.

It is evident that Zheng Jingshan is still unaware of the matters concerning Biwu Courtyard.

Seated in the position of honor was a young man with a face like a jade crown and a resolute, handsome appearance, who was none other than Zheng Jingshan, an inner disciple of the Chongming Sect

Pei Ling was worried that Zheng Jingshan had already discovered the scene at Biwu Courtyard. Not daring to be negligent, he ran for over an hour without stopping. Upon seeing that there was no one around, he finally let out a slight sigh of relief

Pei Ling was pondering the purpose of the other party gathering the Pei clan's descendants when he suddenly noticed someone not far away looking at him with hostility

Pei Xuan nodded: "Why aren't you hurrying to set off?"

He quickly steadied his mind, directed his gaze to the ground, and respectfully bowed outside the temple door. Before he could speak, a voice that was extremely cold came from inside: "Have you found the person?"

Pei Xuan's face showed difficulty as he cleared his throat and said: "Zheng Dao-you, Wu Tingxi was indeed a distinguished disciple of your esteemed sect and a direct disciple of Elder Luo. I have heard that his cultivation has reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement, while the strength of my family's disciples is rather insignificant, this ... ... "

This indifference has finally allowed Pei Ling to regain a sense of security as a survivor in the world of survival.

All the members of the Pei family spoke in unison: "We shall strictly obey the command of the head of the family"

"Waste!" He was interrupted before he could finish speaking, and the person in the room coldly reprimanded, "I do not have so much time to waste here. Do not just sit idly; come and search together! If the Six Desires Secret Tome is not found within three days, I will extract your soul and use it to refine a weapon!"

The cultivation realms of this world are divided into the Qi Refinement Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, and Core Formation Stage. The Qi Refinement Stage is further subdivided into nine levels; after the ninth level, one enters the Foundation Establishment Stage, which consists of three phases: early, middle, and late stages. Only after reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment and surpassing the knowledge contained in books can one achieve Core Formation

Pei Ling entered and paid his respects to the head of the family. Pei Xuan casually waved his hand, indicating that he should step aside like the others and wait for instructions

Although he has just been promoted to the third layer of Qi Refinement and possesses the strength to fight against lions and tigers, it is not only the disciples of the Chongming Sect but even the members of the Pei family who could easily arrange for him.

Among the two disciples from the Chongming Sect, Zheng Jingshan, though still young, has already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment

"Reply to Young Master Qi." The young servant hurried to inform the next master, turning around and saying in a rush, "It is Master Zheng who has returned from outside and instructed the head of the family to do this. You should go over quickly, as Master Zheng seems to be in a rather bad mood."

He has already made up his mind to first go to the nearest town. If he arrives there without being caught, he will disguise himself and quickly find a traveling group to blend in with, going as far as possible.

Pei Ling's heart trembled as he quickly calculated the feasibility of continuing his escape

He was carefully reflecting on his various behaviors during this period, pondering whether he had violated the principles of propriety. Just then, a young servant approached Pei Xuan, whispered a few words in his ear, and Pei Xuan nodded slightly. With a light cough, the hall immediately fell into silence.

Even though Zheng Jingshan has already laid the foundation, at this moment, a careless glance caused a wave of dizziness to wash over him

The key point is that the family rules of the Pei residence are strict. When the head of the family summons someone, if that person does not arrive within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, skilled individuals will immediately come to investigate and take action

Pei Lingsong let out a sigh of relief, quickly adjusting his expression. Like the other members of the Pei family around him, he regarded the five individuals at the head of the table with a gaze filled with curiosity and reverence