Chapter 1085: Chapter 332: Wei, Chuan Has Found Ao’s Tracks—Come to the Blood Maple Forest Immediately!

A few years ago, when the Seventh Prince Xuanyuan Yichen brought gifts to thank the Taiqing Sect, the Duobao Trading House held an auction.

Senior Brother Ghost Mastiff and Lan Caiwei among others attended together.

The trouble began with a longspear magical treasure!

Ghost Mastiff took a liking to a high-quality Black Scaled Spear, but unexpectedly, Nangong Xiao from the Nangong Family also set his eyes on it.

The two continued bidding against each other, and in the end, Nangong Xiao won it with overwhelming wealth, but held a grudge against Ghost Mastiff for making him pay extra money.

After the auction, Nangong Xiao led people to ambush Ghost Mastiff, but didn’t expect to get overturned and killed by Ghost Mastiff!

From then on, the entire Nangong Family was enraged, fully committing to hunt down Ghost Mastiff!

As for the matter of Lan Caiwei and the others, there is no record in Nangong Ye’s memories - after all, Soul Search is not omnipotent, memories are bound to be incomplete.

Seeing Zhou Qing coming out, Luo Lingling returned carefully from outside with an old hen.

"We acted quickly, plus we’ve cleaned up our tails, so for now we’re safe," Luo Lingling whispered.

Zhou Qing nodded, his gaze turning to the corner.

Lan Caiwei lay limply there, eyes looking vacantly at the ceiling of the cave, strands of hair in disarray, her eyes lifeless.

"Snap!"

With a crisp sound of fingers snapping, the restriction on Lan Caiwei’s lips was lifted.

"I saved you, yet you repay me with betrayal." Zhou Qing’s voice was terrifyingly calm, "Say your last words."

Lan Caiwei slowly propped up her broken body, a faint smile pulling at her lips: "Death... rather a release for me."

She swallowed arduously: "So, I have no last words."

"Besides, it’s too exhausting... being alive... more tiring than death..."

She suddenly began violently coughing, black blood froth spilling from the corner of her mouth: "On the account that we all claimed to be loose cultivators and did not expose your Taiqing Sect’s identity, just give me a swift death."

Luo Lingling spoke softly: "Two days ago, she was rolling on the ground, wailing, something seemed to be writhing within her, yet upon my search found nothing, it should be some kind of poison."

Zhou Qing frowned, staring at Lan Caiwei: "You reported to Nangong Ye, was it because of this poison?"

Lan Caiwei’s vacant gaze wandered between the two, laughing hysterically, laughter hoarse and harsh, then bowed her head to look at her bound body.

When she slowly lifted her head, her eyes were full of self-mockery and sorrow.

"We didn’t want to... really... but we had no choice..."

She stared tightly at Zhou Qing, her voice exceptionally clear.

"Mastiff’s Realm is fighting bravely, never yielding, he calls it ’Blood Battle Path’, each time near death, his power surges."

"I admit, initially we five followed him because we were drawn to this unstoppable momentum. Even when any of us were in danger, he’d unhesitatingly rescue."

Lan Caiwei’s eyes became hazy, as if back in the past.

"So gradually he became our leader, and often led us into those dangerous areas ordinary people dare not tread."

"It was also because of him that in less than twenty years, we all stepped into the mid-stage Divine Realm with him."

But in the next moment, her voice suddenly sharpened: "But what was the price? We were either injured or on the brink of injury! And he... kept growing stronger..."

The cave fell into deadly silence, only Lan Caiwei’s heavy breathing audible.

Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling watched her quietly, letting her vent her long-suppressed grievances.

"We six..." Lan Caiwei’s voice lowered, her bound body trembling slightly.

"We were once partners who lived and died together... but gradually... we couldn’t hold on anymore."

She struggled to lift her head, strands of hair wetted by sweat sticking to her face: "But he just kept pushing forward..."

Her voice tinged with suppressed sobs, "Never looking back to see if we were willing!"

Luo Lingling sighed softly upon hearing this.

Lan Caiwei’s face twisted, her bound body trembling fiercely: "Until that auction, he had to go head to head with Nangong Xiao."

Her voice suddenly heightened, "But even so, we still teamed up with him to kill Nangong Xiao, completely offending the Nangong Family."

The next moment, Lan Caiwei’s expression collapsed, tears mixed with blood slid down, her voice carrying a sobbing tone.

"Their family has Spirit Severing Realm... what do we have? Behind us are clans, sects, family..."

"People can’t be so selfish, we’re causing chaos outside, should the entire sect be buried with us?"

Zhou Qing looked at her complexly, without uttering a word.

Lan Caiwei cried and laughed again, then fell into silence once more.

After a long time, she finally spoke: "Because the target was too big, we had to temporarily split to hide."

"But in the end, they still captured Zhao Hanyue, after some torment, he contacted me, causing me to be caught."

"To survive... we found Xiang Fei, Man Jinggang, Mo Lanxin..."

Her lips pulled into a twisted smile, "How ironic... those we could once trust with our backs wholeheartedly, now have become such vile people."

"Regrettably, even with five of us working together, we intended to capture Ghost Mastiff to exchange for antidote from the Nangong Family..."

Her voice lowered, "But still he escaped badly injured... Xiang Fei’s Dantian... was pierced by a spear... obviously, Mastiff was gravely injured..."

Zhou Qing’s eyes slightly narrowed: "So you went out to find medicine, not to save Xiang Fei, but for your own rescue."

"Yes!" Lan Caiwei suddenly became agitated, her bound body struggling fiercely, eyes bloodshot firmly fixed on Zhou Qing.

"When we abandoned the bond and righteousness we’ve always taken pride in, now we’re just lifeless shells."