Gu Ming waved his hand, and a gust of powerful wind swept through. Instantly, the three small swords collapsed onto the ground, and the sword formation they comprised was broken.
Only after the sword formation was destroyed did Mu Qianqian’s complexion improve, but the sudden cessation of her Spiritual Energy being devoured still left her uncomfortable. After a bout of dizziness, her body involuntarily slumped backward.
Seeing this, Gu Ming could not afford to worry about the 3 million high-grade spirit stones that had just gone down the drain. He hurried over to support Mu Qianqian.
“Brother…”
Mu Qianqian’s cheeks were flushed, and her long eyelashes fluttered. She tilted her chin up slightly, her beautiful eyes gazing at Gu Ming.
Her body was soft and incredibly supple. As Gu Ming held her in his arms, an inexplicable, wicked fire rose in his gut.
He fought to suppress it, and only after extreme effort did he manage to push the feeling down. Then, a hauntingly alluring fragrance wafted into his nose, making his head spin.
Even more fatal were those long, snow-white legs. They provided a massive visual impact which, when paired with Mu Qianqian’s innocent yet flirtatious face and that soft, sweet cry of “Brother,” nearly sent Gu Ming over the edge.
‘Qianqian is really becoming more and more charming.’
After this involuntary exclamation in his heart, Gu Ming immediately began to scold himself.
‘Gu Ming, Gu Ming, are you even human? How could you harbor such thoughts about your sister?’
‘Truly a beast!’
‘Worse than a beast.’
Gu Ming and Mu Qianqian were not related by blood. Because Gu Ming was one year older than her, Mu Qianqian always called him “Brother” in private.
Gu Ming did not want to ruin the image he held in Mu Qianqian’s heart, so he had always played the role of the “Brother” she spoke of.
Since he was her “Brother,” he naturally could not have any improper thoughts about his sister.
If he did, he would be lower than a dog.
Or so Gu Ming told himself.
Gu Ming focused his mind and asked softly, “Qianqian, are you alright?”
“Mm.”
Mu Qianqian’s soft, sweet voice drifted up.
“I am fine. I was just tricked by that Jade-Faced Young Master and fell into his formation. That formation was truly sinister; not only did it have a binding effect, but it could also drain the Spiritual Energy of anyone trapped inside. All my Spiritual Energy was sucked away, and he took advantage of my predicament to escape.”
When mentioning the Jade-Faced Young Master, Mu Qianqian’s voice was filled with rage, but when she spoke of his escape, she was overcome with guilt and shame.
Listening to her account, Gu Ming could not help but feel guilty. He knew everything she was saying — after all, he was the person involved.
“I am sorry, Brother,” Mu Qianqian lowered her head, looking utterly ashamed. “Qianqian is incompetent.”
Gu Ming’s guilt intensified.
Perhaps to make himself feel better, he offered a stiff word of comfort.
“As long as you are safe, it is fine. As for that Jade-Faced Young Master, I will certainly make him pay the price.”
He spoke with conviction, his tone full of overbearing authority. In reality, he was extremely sheepish, and his words were nothing but empty air.
How was he supposed to make the Jade-Faced Young Master pay?
He was the Jade-Faced Young Master.
He could hardly tie himself up and hand himself over to Qianqian.
“Mm.”
Hearing Gu Ming’s dominant words, Mu Qianqian lowered her eyes and snuggled closer into his embrace.
Gu Ming looked down and saw her crimson cheeks, which resembled a ripe peach that one couldn’t help but want to take a bite of. Shifting his gaze further down, he could glimpse the slightly swaying peaks and the deep valley between them.
Gu Ming quickly looked away and stared at the sky.
Unbeknownst to him, Mu Qianqian caught all of his small movements.
She did not say anything, however. Instead, she leaned even closer to him.
On the surface, Gu Ming remained as composed as a monk, but his heart was already a mess of confusion.
“Brother, although the Jade-Faced Young Master escaped, Qianqian managed to wound one of his arms.”
Mu Qianqian raised her vivid eyes to look at him, acting like a little girl asking for a reward.
“Qianqian is truly amazing.”
Gu Ming gave a bitter smile. She was already so grown up, yet she still acted like a child.
Nevertheless, he did not hold back his praise and even patted her head.
Mu Qianqian closed her eyes comfortably, enjoying his affection.
“Brother.”
“What is it?”
Suddenly, Mu Qianqian’s tone changed, causing Gu Ming to start.
She spoke urgently, “Brother, go after them quickly. With your strength, you will definitely be able to catch them.”
“They went that way!”
Mu Qianqian pointed in the direction where the Jade-Faced Young Master and Mu Ningxue had fled.
Gu Ming followed her finger at the appropriate moment and nodded.
“Alright, I will be back shortly.”
Gu Ming reluctantly released Mu Qianqian’s soft body, then pulled a jade bottle from his robes and pressed it into her hand.
“These are pills to nourish your Spiritual Energy. They will help with your recovery.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
Mu Qianqian smiled sweetly but urged him again.
“Brother, go quickly.”
“Mm.”
Gu Ming nodded and leaped into the air. He transformed into a streak of light, racing toward the direction Mu Ningxue had taken.
—
Once he was out of Mu Qianqian’s sight, Gu Ming gradually slowed his flight speed.
His goal was to let Mu Ningxue escape.
How could he possibly give chase?
As for the responsibility of letting the Divine Maiden of the Divine Maiden Palace escape, Gu Ming had already thought of a countermeasure.
He needed to deal with two groups of people: his own subordinates led by Mu Qianqian, and the high-ranking members of the Demon Cult led by the Sect Leader.
The former were his people; they likely would not give him a hard time and would instead comfort him. Therefore, he only needed to say he arrived too late and that Mu Ningxue had already left their territory.
The latter would be more difficult to handle.
If he used a perfunctory excuse, he would likely be subjected to round after round of interrogation, and might even lose his life.
Therefore, his plan had begun back at the cell where Mu Ningxue was held.
In the cell, the reason he had forced those alluring cries out of Mu Ningxue was to mislead the Sect Leader’s spies —
He wanted them to think he had already made his move.
That Mu Ningxue had lost her Primordial Yin.
Without her Primordial Yin, Mu Ningxue’s cultivation would be broken, and she would naturally no longer pose a threat to the Demon Cult.
The Sect Leader would not continue to pursue the matter of her escape.
Even if it was later discovered to be a misunderstanding, Gu Ming was not afraid of the Sect Leader settling scores afterward.
The Sect Leader needed him. He needed this Fifth Heavenly King to balance the power of the other Four Heavenly Kings. Thus, the Sect Leader would not do anything to him.
As long as there was no evidence pointing to Gu Ming betraying the cult.
Gu Ming was taking advantage of exactly this point, which was why he was so fearless.
After waiting for a while, Gu Ming took one last look in the direction Mu Ningxue had gone. Just as he was preparing to head back, he suddenly froze.
Wait.
That direction is —
Gu Ming looked over again in a panic, an ill omen rising in his heart.
‘No way.’
‘She probably won’t go in that direction, will she?’
Gu Ming’s gaze grew heavy as he stared into the distance —
Aphrodisiac Valley.