Chapter 117: A Ghost in the Pond

Qin Feng stood by, eyes wide with astonishment.

What kind of mess is this?

From the tone, it seemed to involve a woman named Luo Yuchan and some old fellow from the Qin family.

“Luo Yuchan? Why does that name sound so familiar?”

“And the old man from the Qin family?”

“Wait, didn’t Grandpa write a letter to a woman named Luo Yuchan? Could that old man be Grandpa himself?”

At that moment, Qin Feng nearly fainted.

“Looks like Grandpa wasn’t exactly free of romantic entanglements in his youth.”

Qinxinyue loved Li Xingjian, Li Xingjian loved Luo Yuchan, and Luo Yuchan loved Grandpa! Qu She, in an attempt to please Qinxinyue, harmed Luo Yuchan, and Grandpa was severely injured protecting her, retreating sorrowfully to the Qin family.

Thinking it over, it all seemed to fit.

However, the grudges and disputes were undoubtedly far more complex than Qin Feng had guessed.

No wonder Grandpa’s cultivation had been stuck at the Great Perfection of the Ren Gang Realm for over a century—this Qu She was the root cause! His body must have suffered some grave hidden ailment, preventing any recovery and progress.

To avoid implicating Luo Yuchan, Grandpa had quietly returned to the Qin family.

Qin Feng’s mind was sharp; in an instant, he pieced everything together clearly.

At the same time, he felt a surge of fury toward the treacherous couple before him.

If Qinxinyue learned that Li Haoran was dead, she would surely come after him with relentless vengeance. And that Qu She, who had grievously harmed Grandpa back then, could not be forgiven either.

This was Qin Feng’s resolution.

What happened next took Qin Feng by surprise once again.

Qu She suddenly began to plead, “Yue’er, come with me! I know these years haven’t been happy for you. Li Xingjian’s heart never truly belonged to you; he’s still hung up on Luo Yuchan. When Luo Yuchan fled Shu Sword Mountain last time, he secretly went after her and met her. You can’t have been unaware of this!”

“The only reason your marriage still holds is because you have a son!”

Qu She’s words struck at the softest spot in Qinxinyue’s heart. The pain and twisted anguish immediately showed on her delicate, beautiful face.

“Hmph! Luo Yuchan—that wretched bitch—she deserves to die! I will kill her with my own hands! I wasn’t her match before, but now, after soaking in this Yin Blood Pool, within a hundred years, I’ll advance to the Tian Gang Realm! Luo Yuchan, just wait—I’ll make sure you die without a grave!”

“Wake up, Yue’er. Come with me, please.”

Qu She’s tone was almost desperate now, but Qinxinyue remained trapped in her hatred for Luo Yuchan, unable to pull herself free.

“Revenge, revenge, all you think about is revenge!”

Suddenly, Qu She laughed loudly, then slapped Qinxinyue hard, waking her up with a scowl. “Yue’er, it’s over between you and Li Xingjian. Your only bond—Li Haoran—is dead!”

“What? What nonsense are you spouting?”

Qinxinyue covered her injured face, startled and full of disbelief.

Qu She gripped her hand coldly. “I’m telling you, your son is dead. You and Li Xingjian are finished. Come with me!”

“No, I won’t go. You’re lying!”

“I’m not lying. I planned to kill your son Li Haoran myself during his inheritance ceremony, but unexpectedly, someone else did it for me. Ha! It must be fate! Heaven wants us to be together!” Qu She mocked with sinister laughter.

Qinxinyue didn’t believe it. She hurriedly took something from her storage ring and froze when she saw it.

Her son’s life jade was shattered.

Earlier, while soaking in the Yin Blood Pool, fully immersed in its transformative power, she hadn’t noticed the jade in her storage ring breaking.

Li Haoran was dead. Truly dead.

What did this mean? It meant she, Qinxinyue, was about to lose everything.

Qu She’s words were true—Li Xingjian had long known of her schemes and no longer trusted her, let alone loved her. Their only connection was their precious son, but now, he was gone.

This meant she would lose Li Xingjian forever.

Anger, despair, and fear twisted across Qinxinyue’s exquisite face, rendering her momentarily hideous.

Time hadn’t stolen her youthful beauty, but love and hatred had warped her soul.

“Why didn’t you save him?”

“Why would I? I wanted your son dead sooner so nothing would stand between us!” Qu She’s laughter was wild, as if he’d awaited this day for a long time.

“Tell me who killed my son! I’ll tear them apart!”

Qinxinyue growled like a furious lioness, grabbing Qu She’s collar.

Qu She hesitated, then said, “I can tell you. It was a Shu Sword Mountain disciple named Qin Feng.”

“Qin Feng!”

Qinxinyue frowned deeply, then opened her eyes again, radiating murderous intent.

Qin Feng sighed beside them.

He hadn’t expected that the one using the clay corpse clone to track him was Qu She. He had suspected this man harbored ill intentions.

As he guessed, things unfolded just as he thought.

Just as Qin Feng planned to retreat and lay low, one sentence from Qu She startled him.

“Do you want revenge? If you agree to come with me, I’ll tell you where that kid is and help you find him immediately.”

Qu She spoke confidently, causing Qin Feng to wonder if Qu She had really discovered his whereabouts.

But no, if that were true, Qu She would have captured him instantly or at least locked onto him with spiritual sense. Why was he so sure then? Did Qu She possess some special supernatural power?

While Qin Feng pondered this, the distraught Qinxinyue suddenly gritted her teeth and agreed. Qu She sneered, forming a hand seal, and the lid of a huge black coffin behind him swung open.

Inside lay a massive clay corpse.

Clay corpses are those who accidentally suffocate in swamps or mud, their bodies long soaked in the muck, developing special supernatural abilities.

This one was huge and grotesque, bloated from prolonged exposure, oozing water and mud continuously.

As the clay corpse emerged, it suddenly swelled like a giant sphere before exploding into countless mud fragments. From these fragments, thousands of clay corpse clones rapidly sprouted heads and limbs, each with a ferocious, beast-like face.

Qin Feng was stunned but quickly understood.

This was a large-scale sweep search.

Qu She clearly knew Qin Feng was heading toward the central area and guessed he lurked somewhere nearby, hence deploying this tactic.

“Go!”

At his command, countless clay corpses sprang into action, prowling like savage beasts over the ground.

Qin Feng’s heart sank.

Despite wearing a large black cloak, moving swiftly under the eyes of two powerful Tian Gang Realm cultivators would inevitably make some noise, making it hard to fool their spiritual senses.

Yet staying put would mean eventually being discovered by the clay corpse clones.

A clever trap.

They were forcing him to reveal himself.

“Haha, that kid must be hiding nearby, but he’s strange—he seems to use a special concealment technique. Still, with my clay corpse clones searching, even if he hides underground, there’s nowhere he can escape. Just wait; before long, he’ll be exposed!”

Qu She was confident in his clay corpse clones, leaving Qin Feng helpless.

Over time, discovery was inevitable.

“What to do?”

Though anxious, Qin Feng remained calm.

His gaze turned to the Yin Yang Blood Pool, a purple gleam flickering in his eyes. When he saw a vague shadow lurking within the pool, he was shocked.

“There’s something sinister in the pool!”

…