“Oh my, you’re being too protective of the young lady. If she cultivates according to the proper path, when will she ever break through The divine is doing this for your own good – who told you to be...Landslides and rocks tumbled.

The old man led us to a crevice mountain cave that had been exposed by a landslide in the mountains to the northeast.

The cave wasn't big, it only looked like it could fit one person curled up inside.

The old man stooped and crouched at the doorway, reaching inside.

Soon, the old man seemed to have grasped something, and began to drag it out.

A muddy footprint appeared before us.

"Grass." My brother scared me and blocked me behind him.

This foot was bare, covered in grass clippings, dirt, and dried blood.

"You old bastard, you're so vicious!" my brother shouted.

The old man let out a strange laugh. “Still warm, not dead yet…”

He kept pulling outwards, saying. Don't underestimate the old man, although he looks thin and frail, his body is trained like it's covered in iron plating, very sturdy and strong.

Under the hazy moonlight, he grabbed at his ankle and with brute force dragged out a body.

Calves, knees, thighs...and higher...

"Damn, you old scoundrel, even your teeth are gone and you're still up to no good!" My brother reflexively turned around.

He didn't want to see the eye-searing scene.

This girl was as delicate as a willow in the wind, her lower garments were gone, leaving only her upper half clad in a disheveled and tattered bra.

I previously saw a clump of burned clothing, it looked like trousers that had been bundled together and burned.

"...This is just to prevent them from running away..." the old man said in a hoarse voice.

I reckon these girls must have been scared stiff, and to think, this small cave could actually fit three grown people lying down! There's no room to even move in there, is there

This old geezer is so mean!

I glared down at the girl just dragged out, her breathing shallow, barely responding.

The old man then dragged out a second woman.

I can hardly imagine this old man actually treating people like livestock, as if they were just moving meat.

The second girl was also naked, only wearing a bra with one strap broken.

My brother didn't want to watch, he turned his head and asked me, "Are they all still alive!"

"No obvious external injuries, but it seems like he's fainted..."

I touched my nose and could barely feel it. This situation needs to be sent to the hospital immediately.

"Old rascal, what era are you still using living people to cultivate in You're too bold!" My brother was furious.

The old man dragged the last person out. While my brother turned his head to avoid the scene and I crouched down to check for a pulse, he suddenly broke free from my brother's grasp and lunged his head into the cave—

My older brother was prepared. He had tied a live shackle around this old man's neck. At that moment, he suddenly yanked it tight, forcefully dragging the old man out of the hole.

"As expected of a cunning old fox, those who practice evil arts don't understand the concept of trust." My brother stomped hard on the old man's back.

The old man seemed to have something in his mouth, which my brother knocked out with a stick.

Glu glu glu, a little thing rolled into the grass.

I reached out and grasped it. It was icy cold.

I raised my hand and formed the incantation, intending to borrow Qi from the Moon Lord. A sudden noise came from not far away —

"...Yao Guang's True Essence, bestowed upon my body... Illness!"

Moonlight as silver, my eyes seemed to flash with white light, and the icy object in my hand fell into the grass before I could even see it clearly.

Clank...clack...the thing rolled down the ground, over the jagged stones, and was picked up by a tall, dark figure.

My brother sneered: "Brother, you're really from the underworld, and you act quite convincingly."

I rubbed my eyes and, by the bright moonlight, made out the shadowy figure—it was the menacing middle-aged man we had encountered in the courtyard at the village entrance!

The man looked at us gloomily and said, "Each other's each other. Don't you also pretend to be ignorant I didn't expect you two to get here before me... I've been inquiring around here for several days, waiting until after the July 15th before entering the mountain to find out what's going on. Unexpectedly, you two are not afraid of the strong ghost qi in July and a half, and dare to enter the mountain..."

"What are you doing lurking here" I asked, frowning.

"There's an order to exorcising demons and subduing monsters, you two are both fellow practitioners, so why not let this old man go to me I have a report to file." The man glared at us menacingly.

"What are you kidding Since you understand the principle of first come, first served, that means we should take this old man first! You're afraid of the strong ghost energy in July and August and dare not enter the mountain. You just watched these girls come in without stopping them. With such a small heart and courage, you dare to talk about first come, first served with me!" My brother scoffed disdainfully.

The man's face grew even darker. He gritted his teeth and said, "I am entrusted by my master, I cannot cause unnecessary trouble! Besides, it is difficult to dissuade a person who is determined to die. If you want to save people, then save them. This old man and his magic artifact, I will take them away!"

He stuffed the things he picked up into his breast pocket.

In a daze, I saw a smooth head emerge from between his fingers.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, "Isn't there a small Buddha in your hand! Carved with the Tibetan script!"

The man was stunned for a moment, then said in a low voice: “I’m just following my master’s orders, I don’t know anything else. Friend, our master rarely leaves the mountain and doesn’t participate in your power struggles between yin and yang circles. We have no intention of offending fellow practitioners. Let's discuss this, what conditions do you want in order to hand over this old man to me”

Under no conditions, you simply tell me, is there a small Buddha in your hand, engraved with strange runes

The man hesitated for a moment, looked down at his palm, and nodded. "Yes," he said.

"How many of these little Buddhas are there" I asked.

The man shook his head. “I don’t know... I've already answered your question.”

I nodded and said, "Alright, this old geezer is yours to take. Little Buddha is also yours… However, the mountains are high and the waters deep. Could you leave your sect's name so we know who we've dealt with"

The man was taken aback: "Young lady, judging from your words, you're no ordinary person... Our sect has been secluded in the mountains for cultivation, and we only recently descended the mountain by order of our master. We are unknown individuals, so it's best to remain silent."

"Without you saying anything, I could find out myself." I muttered the invocation, summoning the clueless Land God.

This man's hand gestures and incantation just now when he borrowed Qi from Yuejun, I can probably guess his school of origin.

Although schools of thought are broad categories, their branches, families, and lineages are vast and flourishing. He claims his school doesn't leave the mountain, so I can only rely on the power of the underworld to investigate.

My brother raised an eyebrow and said, "Big brother, don't take advantage of my little sister just because she's gentle. She has a good temper, but that doesn't mean she's helpless... The way things work in the world is this: if you show respect and drink with each other, you're still friends. Taking a step back doesn't hurt anyone."

The Earth God appeared behind me with a wronged expression. Before he could even speak, the man sensed something unusual about the atmosphere.

He nodded and said, "What the young brother says is reasonable... My surname is Zong, my master's given name is inconvenient to mention, but we have a younger disciple who went down the mountain to hone his skills beforehand. If fate allows us to meet, please take care of him."

This leaves room for communication. He means they can be reached through the younger apprentice.

I looked at my brother, he raised his hand and knocked the old man unconscious, kicking him to the ground at the man's feet.

“Thank you for your understanding.” The man’s purpose was achieved, and his tone had softened considerably.

He slung the old man over his shoulder and turned to leave. I hurriedly asked, “What's your junior brother called”

"His surname is Xiao, his given name is Shanming." The man disappeared into the night without looking back.

Xiao Shanming... Uh My brother and I were taken aback.

Isn't he the one who was treated as a kept man and a half-baked mage by Yin Luo!

After all this back and forth, it turns out they're on the same side, and their connection to this bronze Buddha amulet runs deep.

I furrowed my brows deeply, it seemed I'd have to find out more about Xiao Shanming's sect from him.

"Hey, hey... Qiao." My brother called me a few times.

"Huh"

"Let's talk about other things later. First, we need to figure out how to get these slick, reckless little brats back."

This... this is indeed a problem... day he came and started sweeping the courtyard, opening for business, and even taking care of washing vegetables and cooking. In short, he was very hardworking and always looked radiant, smiling happ...