"Sect Leader Gu, Sect Leader Shi, what is the meaning of this?" Zhi Rou felt a premonition of danger as the two arrived.
Gu Qingcheng smiled charmingly, but her eyes glinted with ferocity.
"Meaning? Your Purple Cloud Sect disciple boldly accused my sister of killing members of the Li and Liu families."
She approached Zhi Rou, lowering her body to whisper, "Guess what my pet found in your courtyard?"
In her own courtyard! Liu Yingying's corpse!
Zhi Rou was shocked, staring intently at Gu Qingcheng.
That's right, when she found the dying Liu Yingying at the door that day, Zhi Rou had chosen not to save her. She had merely dragged her into the house and watched Liu Yingying breathe her last.
Because only when Liu Yingying died would the Liu family patriarch hold Bai Ran accountable and seek trouble for her at the Que Tian Sect.
However, Liu Yingying's body was still in her courtyard, and she hadn't had time to dispose of it!
Zhi Rou lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.
"Ban Ban," Gu Qingcheng called.
Suddenly, the ground vibrated. Shi Xu quickly jumped away, as if knowing something was about to appear.
A giant scorpion with spotted markings broke through the earth and emerged, startling the nearby Li family patriarch so much that he fell to the ground.
"Sc-scorpion!" He scrambled away on all fours.
A person seemed to be hanging from the scorpion's tail. Gu Qingcheng walked over and gently patted the scorpion's body.
"How rude, this is my new pet."
Shi Xu and Sect Leader Xiong looked on as if they were used to it. Who would have thought that a beautiful woman would spend her days playing with venomous creatures?
"Patriarch Liu, please take a look. Is this your junior relative?" Gu Qingcheng's voice rang out. The scorpion flicked its tail, and the hanging figure was thrown in front of the fallen Patriarch Liu.
At this moment, Patriarch Liu, poisoned by the toxic scales, was convulsing uncontrollably and frothing at the mouth.
He painstakingly opened his eyes. With a single glance, he confirmed that the unrecognizable corpse was Liu Yingying!
"Liu...Liu..." He tremblingly reached out a hand, but before he could touch the corpse, it fell limply.
"Patriarch Liu!" The Li family patriarch cried out in despair, and Zhi Rou's face turned extremely ugly.
How could this be! The evidence was conclusive; that bitch was bound to die!
How could it have ended like this? The Shen Yin Sect, the Chang Men Sect, and the Que Tian Sect – all three sects had chosen to stand by that bitch's side!
Now that even Patriarch Liu was dead here, it would be difficult for her to escape.
It seemed she had no choice but to use that...
Zhi Rou quietly clasped her hands behind her back and crushed a stone-like object, a wisp of black mist flashing.
Seeing Patriarch Liu die with his eyes wide open, Gu Qingcheng's eyes sparkled. She took Bai Ran's hand.
"Beauty! Your little snake is so venomous!"
She had never seen such a deadly Xuan Beast that could kill within a few breaths!
Bai Ran smiled at her. The little black snake crawled up Gu Qingcheng's arm along her hand, much to Gu Qingcheng's excitement.
"My heavens! These scales! These fangs! Beauty, this is truly a treasure!" She cradled the toxic scales with adoration.
Shi Xu and Sect Leader Xiong exchanged glances, shaking their heads helplessly.
"A beauty like a venomous snake," the saying was truly apt.
Shi Xu stepped forward and said with a gentle smile, "Patriarch Li, we will protect Miss Bai. If you are not satisfied with this outcome, we are ready to accompany you at any time."
Although he wore a smile, a terrifying murderous aura emanated from him, a perfect example of a smiling tiger.
The Li family patriarch trembled in fear. "Satisfied! I am satisfied!"
Back then, the Li family had a schism and sent their child with the worst aptitude to the lower realm because he was not qualified to inherit the Li family's vast fortune.
He had died, and out of respect, they had to seek justice for their family!
He was still a blood relative of the Li family; how could he allow outsiders to trample on him?
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to run into such a formidable opponent.
With Patriarch Liu dead, Patriarch Li backed down.
Bai Ran looked at the panicked Zhi Rou in the distance, raising an eyebrow. Only she was left.
Meeting Bai Ran's gaze, Zhi Rou guiltily dodged it.
Damn it! Why isn't it here yet!
"Do you have anything else to say?" Bai Ran drew her Feng Yin Sword and slowly walked towards her.
"Bitch! Don't get too smug! One day I will make your life worse than death!" she yelled at Bai Ran, her footsteps constantly retreating.
"What a lively scene," a male voice called out.
Sect Leader Xiong was startled and quickly pulled Bai Ran away, shielding her behind him.
Bai Ran also recognized the voice. The owner of the voice was the Sect Leader of the Purple Cloud Sect.
A ball of black mist appeared in mid-air, gradually taking on a human form.
A man wearing a white mask brushed back his long hair and stood in front of Zhi Rou.
The Purple Cloud Sect Leader!
Gu Qingcheng and Shi Xu tensed, staring fixedly at the person opposite them.
They had not expected him to appear in person. Was Zhi Rou so important to him?
Zhi Rou looked at the figure before her with surprise, her eyes full of worship and admiration.
"Useless thing," a cold voice said, sending a shiver down her spine.
She bit her lower lip tightly. "Zhi Rou is incompetent."
Everyone present mistakenly believed that the Purple Cloud Sect Leader had appeared because of Zhi Rou, but they were unaware that he cared nothing for Zhi Rou's life or death. What interested him was the Bai Ran before them.
"We meet again, little girl," he said, smiling at Bai Ran.
"Your esteemed presence is unlikely to be just for pleasantries, Sect Leader," Sect Leader Xiong said, protecting her and noticing that the young girl's expression was somewhat grim.
"Hand over the Vermillion Bird, and I will leave immediately," he said, his body already enveloped in black spiritual energy.
He had once again set up a barrier, even more formidable than before. This time, she would not escape.
Dark element...
The sect leaders' faces were grave. The Purple Cloud Sect Leader's strength was unfathomable; no one had ever lasted more than three rounds against him.
Even the three of them combined would not be a tenth of his power...
"Ban Ban!" Gu Qingcheng suddenly shouted.
The giant scorpion lunged forward, attacking the Purple Cloud Sect Leader. He merely waved his hand, and black spiritual energy shot out, directly sending the giant scorpion flying.
Gu Qingcheng flew out and caught the scorpion. "Ban Ban, Ban Ban, are you alright!"
Damn it... Even Ban Ban couldn't touch him with its speed...
Bai Ran's expression was somewhat grim. Zhi Rou, with her hands on her hips, looked at her triumphantly. "Still trying to struggle? Today is your death anniversary!"
"Hand over the Vermillion Bird, and I will spare your life," the Purple Cloud Sect Leader said, licking his lips. It would be too much of a pity to kill her.
"Sect Leader!" Zhi Rou couldn't believe it. How could he spare her!
"Ah!" In the next instant, she too was ruthlessly thrown aside by the man, curling up in pain, unable to straighten up.
The Purple Cloud Sect Leader looked down at her coldly. "Since when does a disciple dare to question my decisions?"
Zhi Rou lowered her head, her heart in agony.
He turned around and looked at Bai Ran. "How about it? This transaction is quite worthwhile, isn't it?"