“That Demon Crystal can actually help Demon Cultivators refine their power? …”
Bai Hong lowered his eyes, seemingly deep in thought as he weighed his options.
The black shadow smiled wickedly.
He knew how much Bai Hong doted on his daughter.
As long as his demands weren’t too unreasonable, the old man would undoubtedly agree.
However, even if Bai Hong were beaten to death, he would never guess that the black shadow didn’t want the [Tianxin Demon Crystal] for cultivation at all.
His real plan was to throw it into the Purple Nether Altar, detonate the crystal’s core, and blow all of Tianxin City sky-high!
Moreover, even if Bai Hong genuinely handed over the [Tianxin Demon Crystal], the black shadow had absolutely no intention of returning Bai Muxue.
He had another use for her.
The Cultivation Method he practiced happened to require the blood of a noble maiden who had never known a man as a sacrifice!
Therefore, he didn’t care which young lady he kidnapped.
There were seven [Tianxin Demon Crystals] in total, each treasured by the City Lord and the heads of Tianxin City’s major families.
The young ladies of the other six great families were all noble-born maidens who had never known a man.
Thus, no matter which young lady he chose, she would perfectly serve his purpose.
That was why, last night, he had simply handed the target selection plan over to Wan Caimei and his subordinate Demon Cultivators to discuss among themselves.
He couldn’t be bothered to manage such a trivial matter.
By now, Wan Caimei should have completed the Purple Nether Altar and escaped with Bai Muxue, right?~
Imagining the scene unfolding according to his plan, the black shadow could practically see Bai Hong’s future expression of utter despair. He couldn’t help letting out a pig-like laugh.
“Heh heh heh~ All right, old man, stop hesitating. Losing one worthless stone won’t kill you or destroy Tianxin City. Even if I don’t get the Demon Crystal, I won’t die either. At worst, I’ll find another way to steal it later.”
“But, old man, if you lose Bai Muxue, I’m afraid you’ll spend the rest of your life drowning in grief!”
“Despicable Demon Sect scum…”
Bai Hong’s sore spot had been struck. His expression darkened, and his eyes burned with fury.
The black shadow shrugged and flashed another wicked smile.
“I’ll give you five minutes. Hand over the [Tianxin Demon Crystal], or tomorrow, Bai Muxue’s corpse will be hung upside down at your front door.”
He was utterly confident in his plan, completely unaware that Wan Caimei hadn’t contacted him for an entire hour.
Outside Tianxin City, in a forest, He Qiu was still running for his life, panting heavily.
He had almost been caught by that witch just moments ago, but he hadn’t dared to look back.
With his head lowered, he had unleashed the greatest potential of his life and sprinted like mad, finally shaking off her pursuit.
However, because he had fled without paying attention to the direction, He Qiu hadn’t even noticed when he left Tianxin City’s urban area and reached the outskirts.
After confirming that nobody was chasing him, He Qiu found a shady spot, leaned against a tree, and rested while clutching the box.
Honestly, he had no idea what was inside it.
That shopkeeper must have been crazy to sell it to him for a mere five wen!
He Qiu had initially suspected that the box contained some kind of treasure, and the other party had practically shoved it into his hands for next to nothing.
His instinct for spotting bargains had gotten the better of him, and before he knew it, he had bought the box.
As he was leaving, He Qiu had still felt a little suspicious, so he turned around and glanced back at the shady shop.
As it turned out, he saw the witch named Wan Caimei discussing something with the shopkeeper who had sold him the treasure box.
Soon afterward, Wan Caimei and the shopkeeper both turned their gazes toward He Qiu.
Their expressions grew increasingly hostile, their eyes filled with vicious intent.
At that moment, He Qiu realized that he had been careless. He had fallen into a trap and been set up!
He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
That shopkeeper had tricked him!
The box definitely contained some kind of contraband from the Demon Sect. Otherwise, why would that witch have chased him relentlessly for eight whole streets the moment she saw him carrying it?
Sigh, he really was unlucky beyond belief…
Fortunately, the box was still in his hands. In the end, he had still gotten a “good item” for free.
Leaning against the tree, He Qiu rested for a long time and finally regained his strength.
He planned to find a road and quietly return to his Sect, back to his Senior Sister’s side, where he could recover his former sense of security.
Being alone in such a desolate wilderness was simply too dangerous!
With that thought, the young man pushed aside the grass and began searching for the way home.
Just then, the moment he stepped through the grass, he came face-to-face with a well-dressed man wearing a pitch-black demon robe.
“…?”
The man in the demon robe also met He Qiu’s gaze.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned strange, and both of them stared at each other in utter bewilderment.
He Qiu was completely stunned.
His instincts told him that the cultivation of this well-dressed man in the black demon robe was probably immeasurable.
He was at least ten times, perhaps even 100 times, stronger than the witch Wan Caimei who had just been hunting him!
‘It’s over! It’s over…’
‘What’s going on? Why are there Demon Sect big shots everywhere in and around Tianxin City?!’
On the other side, Mo Qianjun stared at the white-robed youth and remained silent for a long time.
He was Wan Caimei’s master, the leader of the left faction who sought to split the Demon Sect and compete for the position of Demonic Venerable.
At that very moment, one of Mo Qianjun’s clones was still negotiating with Bai Hong at the City Lord’s Mansion, while his true body remained in this small forest, waiting for his subordinate Wan Caimei to arrive with Bai Muxue after completing the plan.
According to the original arrangement, once Wan Caimei had prepared the Purple Nether Altar beneath Cloud Dance Pavilion, she would retrieve the box containing Bai Muxue and bring it to this forest hideout to meet Mo Qianjun.
Meanwhile, Mo Qianjun’s plan was to obtain the [Tianxin Demon Crystal] from the City Lord in exchange for Bai Muxue’s release.
He would then send another clone to the underground secret chamber in Cloud Dance City, throw the [Tianxin Demon Stone] inside, and detonate it.
Afterward, his true body would take Wan Caimei and Bai Muxue, who was hidden inside the box, forcibly break through Tianxin City’s barrier, and escape together.
However, there was a problem.
Wan Caimei, who should have arrived as agreed, was nowhere to be seen.
Mo Qianjun hadn’t obtained the [Tianxin Demon Crystal] either, yet the box containing Bai Muxue had somehow ended up in the hands of a white-robed youth.
‘Who is this youth?’
‘Why do I instinctively feel that his background and cultivation are unfathomable?’
‘And why does he have Bai Muxue’s spirit box? How does he know the meeting place Wan Caimei and I agreed upon?’
After pondering for a long time, Mo Qianjun finally spoke in a cold voice.
“Did someone send you here?”
“…”
Being questioned by such a terrifying Demon Sect big shot, He Qiu was extremely nervous.
However, relying on his remarkable ability to control his expressions, he forced himself to remain calm and replied coldly.
“No. I came here by myself.”
“?”