Hold Steady, Don't Panic!

"Why did the family head suddenly call us to the main hall?" Pei Ling frowned. He was only a collateral branch son, the kind nobody at home cared about, and in all his life he had seen the family head no more than a handful of times.

"Answering Seventh Young Master." The servant was in a hurry to notify the next master and, turning away as he spoke, said, "It was because Immortal Master Zheng returned from outside and asked the family head to do this. You should hurry over. Immortal Master Zheng doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood."

Pei Ling was jolted. He quickly weighed the chances of continuing to flee.

Regrettably, the survival rate was basically zero.

Even though he had just broken through to the third level of Qi Refining and possessed enough strength to fight a lion or tiger, not to mention the disciples of the Mysterious Nether Sect, even everyone in the Pei household could deal with him effortlessly.

The key was that the Pei family enforced its rules with iron discipline. Once the family head issued a summons, as long as a person was still in the manor and failed to arrive within one incense stick of time, an expert would be sent at once to check and handle the matter.

Especially this time, with the summons related to Zheng Jingshan, the Pei household would only move faster so as not to lose face before a favored disciple of the Mysterious Nether Sect. If he ran now, he probably wouldn’t even make it out of the Pei family gates.

"Don’t panic!" Pei Ling steadied himself and analyzed calmly. "If Zheng Jingshan knew I broke into his room to steal the Bone Tempering Pill, he would probably already have had the Pei family send people to capture me or even kill me on the spot, instead of merely sending a mortal servant to notify me to come over..."

Thinking of that, he called out to the servant, who had already gone some distance away. "Immortal Master Zheng went straight to the main hall after returning? He didn’t go back to the Biwu Courtyard to rest?"

"No." The servant shook his head and urged him again, "Seventh Young Master, please go quickly. Don’t keep the immortal master waiting! Otherwise, the family head may not show you any mercy."

Pei Ling weighed it quickly. "Fine, I’m going now."

A moment later, in the Pei family main hall.

The family head, Pei Xuan, sat upright and solemn. The chief heir, Pei Hongnian, stood at his side, while the three family elders were seated below, all of them grave-faced.

And in the seat of honor sat a young man with a face like polished jade and a stern, handsome bearing. It was none other than the Mysterious Nether Sect inner disciple, Zheng Jingshan!

After Pei Ling entered and paid his respects to the family head, Pei Xuan waved him aside casually, signaling him to stand with the others and await orders.

From start to finish, no one paid him any attention.

That disregard finally gave Pei Ling a bit of the security that a true survivalist sought.

Clearly, Zheng Jingshan still didn’t know about the Biwu Courtyard.

That was great!

Pei Ling breathed a sigh of relief and quickly adjusted his expression. Like the other Pei clan juniors around him, he looked up at the five people at the head of the hall with curiosity and awe.

The cultivation realms in this world were divided into Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and so on. Qi Refining itself was split into nine levels. After the ninth level came Foundation Establishment, which had early, middle, and late stages. Only above late Foundation Establishment did one reach Golden Core.

As for the realm above Golden Core, there were no records of it anywhere in the Pei family’s teachings. After all, in all of vast Luquan City there wasn’t even a single Foundation Establishment cultivator. On the surface, the strongest person in the city was Pei Xuan, who was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

The clan heir, Pei Hongnian, whom the family had placed such high hopes in and sent into the Mysterious Nether Sect’s outer sect at great expense, was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining to this day.

And the two disciples from the Mysterious Nether Sect, with Zheng Jingshan being the younger of the two, were already in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

In other words, if Zheng Jingshan wanted to, he alone could slaughter the entire city of Luquan.

So it was hardly surprising that, at a single word from him, the whole Pei family dared not be the least bit negligent.

Pei Ling was still thinking about the purpose behind the gathering when he suddenly noticed someone not far away glaring at him with open hostility.

He looked over instinctively and saw that his younger half-brother in this life, Pei Tu, was staring at him with a vicious look.

"Did I somehow screw up the way I was lying low today?" Pei Ling was puzzled. He had never had a good relationship with this cheap little brother, but as he had become increasingly marginalized in the family, the stepmother and her son had long since considered him trampled underfoot. They usually acted as though he didn’t exist when they came and went. Why would they suddenly show such obvious hostility now?

Pei Ling’s mood immediately grew heavy. "Or did I get cocky after activating the system without realizing it?"

He was earnestly reflecting on all his recent behavior, checking whether he had in any way violated the way of keeping a low profile, when he saw a servant approach Pei Xuan and whisper a few words into his ear. Pei Xuan nodded slightly, coughed once, and the hall fell instantly silent.

Pei Xuan then addressed Zheng Jingshan with extreme deference. "Fellow Daoist Zheng, all of our family’s juniors are here. Please feel free to issue your orders."

Zheng Jingshan opened his eyes expressionlessly, swept a casual glance over the crowd, and said flatly, "A traitor of our sect, Wu Tingxi, recently fled into Mount Yuanlao, and his whereabouts are now uncertain. From this moment on, all of you will enter the mountain and search for him. Anyone who discovers signs of Wu Tingxi will be rewarded with fifty Bone Tempering Pills."

"If there are no questions, you may depart now."

After hearing this, the Pei family juniors in the hall all showed different expressions and subconsciously looked toward the family head, the heir, and the elders.

Pei Xuan looked troubled and coughed lightly. "Fellow Daoist Zheng, that Wu Tingxi was once a favored disciple of your noble sect, and also Elder Luo’s direct disciple. I’ve heard his cultivation had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. Our family’s juniors are all mediocre in ability, this..."

"Rest assured!" Zheng Jingshan said indifferently. "Wu Tingxi is heavily injured right now and has lost ninety percent of his cultivation. Even a cultivator just beginning on the path can take him down. He’s already a stray dog now and absolutely wouldn’t dare show his face on his own."

Pei Xuan let out a breath of relief and looked around at the crowd. "Did you all hear that? Anyone who dares to be careless and ruin Fellow Daoist Zheng’s important business will have this family head show no mercy!"

As he spoke, he formed a seal and revealed a projection in the hall: a sullen-faced, cold-eyed man with loose hair. He introduced him, saying, "This is the traitor of the Holy Sect, Wu Tingxi. If you find any trace of him, do not delay. Send the clan distress signal immediately, and Fellow Daoist Zheng will come at once to capture him."

All the Pei clan juniors answered in unison, "We respectfully obey the family head’s command!"

Pei Xuan nodded. "Then why are you still standing here? Move out!"

Seeing everyone else already itching to leave, Pei Ling quickly put on the look of someone forcibly suppressing excitement and followed the crowd out the door.

Then he shifted his steps and, without drawing attention, moved to the very front.

He had already made up his mind. Once they left the city, everyone else would head for Mount Yuanlao, and that would be his chance to quietly slip away and vanish a thousand li into the distance.

After all, the important things were already on him. He could run at any time.

Otherwise, if Zheng Jingshan still didn’t know someone had broken into his room and stolen his things, but then went back and took a look... he’d definitely be finished!

...Watching the Pei clan juniors depart, Pei Xuan smiled and said to Zheng Jingshan, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, our estate recently received some spiritual tea. I wonder whether you might have the leisure to sample it?"

"No need." Zheng Jingshan stood up and said flatly, "I need to return to the Biwu Courtyard. Please accept the Pei family head’s kindness another day."

He hurried back to the Biwu Courtyard, but instead of going to the room where he stayed, he went to a more secluded pavilion in the back.

The pavilion was elegant in appearance, with a string of wind chimes hanging beneath the eaves, swaying lightly in the breeze. Against the backdrop of the low thatch eaves and rustling green bamboo all around, it gave off an air of quiet serenity.

Only on closer inspection would one notice that the wind chimes were actually strung together from skulls, and countless phantom faces twisted and struggled within them, emitting silent screams.

Even though Zheng Jingshan was already at Foundation Establishment, a careless glance almost made him dizzy.

He quickly steadied his mind and turned his gaze toward the ground. Outside the pavilion door, he bowed respectfully and had not yet spoken when a voice colder than ice sounded from within. "Have you found the person?"

"Replying to Senior Sister, we have already confirmed that Wu Tingxi fled into Mount Yuanlao. All of Elder Luo’s other disciples have been killed. The Six Desires Secret Manual must be in his hands." Zheng Jingshan said hurriedly. "I have already sent the Pei family..."

"Useless!" Before he could finish, the person inside cut him off with a frosty rebuke. "This seat does not have the time to waste here. You will go search as well! If I do not see the Six Desires Secret Manual within three days, I will strip your soul and refine it into a magical tool!"

Zheng Jingshan’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately dropped to his knees. "Yes!"

After a moment and no further orders from inside, he rose and carefully backed out.

Once outside, he felt that his back was already covered in cold sweat.

He glanced sideways at his own room, hesitated briefly, but in the end did not dare linger. He didn’t even bother informing the Pei family before hurrying off straight toward Mount Yuanlao.

At the same time, Pei Ling took advantage of the main group passing through a stretch of woods and slipped away cleanly.

Mount Yuanlao lay north of Luquan City. After leaving the woods, he checked his direction and headed southwest. Beyond this was open country, and after crossing it he would reach the main road, which led to several other cities.

He had already planned it out. First he would go to the nearest city. If he still wasn’t caught by the time he arrived, he would change his appearance, quickly find a traveling caravan, and blend in with them, going as far as he could.

Although the Bone Forging Art was not particularly focused on speed, once his Iron Bones reached great accomplishment, his body was full of strength, and his pace had naturally become much swifter than before.

Pei Ling was worried that Zheng Jingshan had already discovered what happened in the Biwu Courtyard and dared not be negligent. He ran for more than an hour in one breath. Only after seeing no one around did he finally relax a little.

But soon, he felt that something was off.

Someone was watching him!