On a tree by the road.
A woman was hanging from it, her Right Hand wrist slit open, and blood had pooled into a large puddle on the ground.
Zhou You got out of the carriage, his brows slightly furrowed.
It was undoubtedly Zhao Qian.
However, her death was quite gruesome; the person who killed her used this method to display their twisted sense of humor.
As the saying goes, 'killing is but a nod of the head.'
Naturally, one would rarely make the opponent die such a painful death.
Zhou You rubbed his fingers together, his eyes flickering.
All the above thoughts were unimportant; what mattered was that Zhao Qian had only just breathed her last before they arrived.
This was a typical deliberate setup.
Even Zhou Chen had sensed the strangeness and realized that this matter seemed to be directed at them.
Zhou You hesitated, "Second Master?"
Zhou You slowly walked forward, his gaze sweeping over the cut Right Hand wrist; the wound was small but wouldn't heal, indicating that some kind of medicine had been applied. After all, a Cultivator's physique is different from that of an ordinary person, and their self-healing ability is much stronger.
Lu Renjia subconsciously looked around, "Why does it feel so strange? And we all know her?"
"Is the Old Man's opponent targeting me?"
Zhou You's eyes flickered, and he grabbed Zhao Qian's ankle with his Right Hand, turning her body around.
"This?"
Zhou Chen retreated in surprise.
Zhao Qian's clothes on her back were torn, revealing her spine, where a message had been left by a Sharp Weapon.
"Are you full of questions now? Guess who's next."
Zhou You's face twitched, completely bewildered.
But this message seemed to be directed at him?
Lu Renjia looked bewildered, "What does this mean? Is it a warning to Evil Cloud Pavilion?"
Zhou You released his Right Hand, looked around, and simultaneously released his senses.
He found nothing.
"Someone has been near us the whole time."
Zhou You murmured, "At least, they were before."
In fact, calculating the time, Zhao Qian had been missing for three days now.
Yet, the other party chose to display the body here at this moment. Did they calculate that he would take this road back to Qingping City?
Zhou You narrowed his eyes, or rather...
Was the other party also there when he was at the inn?
Lu Renjia reacted, "Second Master, do you mean the other party is targeting us? Then, by killing the human trafficker, at least it means they're on the side of justice, right?"
"I don't know if they're just, but they're definitely very sinister."
Zhou You walked towards the carriage, "You deal with the body. Hanging there is creepy and might scare the children."
Lu Renjia agreed, thinking that Second Master was truly public-spirited, willing to even manage such things.
Zhou You sat back in the carriage, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Recalling his years on the mountain, the Old Man almost never spoke about his own affairs. He never mentioned any old opponents or enemies.
But thinking of the two shadows he discovered in Qingping City, and most importantly, those two shadows even followed him into the wilderness.
That token of the Evil Forces also proved that those two shadows came from the Evil Forces.
Yet, he still didn't know what kind of creature those shadows were; they certainly weren't human.
Ji Hao couldn't possibly do such a thing; Ji Hao would choose to act directly.
"Was it done by someone from the Evil Forces?"
Zhou You's eyes flickered. If he had known, he should have talked to Ji Hao.
Given Ji Hao's personality, he might have been willing to reveal something.
Before long, Zhou Chen got into the carriage, and Lu Renjia continued to drive.
"Second Master, are you alright?"
Zhou Chen looked at Zhou You's slightly grim expression and asked with concern.
"What could be wrong with me?"
Zhou You smiled, "I eat well and sleep soundly."
Zhou Chen hesitated, "But..."
Zhou You laughed, "Children shouldn't worry about so many things. Aren't the elders still here?"
Zhou Chen nodded slightly, and a small sigh of relief escaped her heart.
Zhou You's Left Hand rested on the sword scabbard, his fingers gently tapping, while his gaze looked out the window.
Who would be next?
Was this hinting at something?
Zhou You frowned slightly. Was it referring to the Zhou Family?
Could it be done by Lin Long, the Elder of the Lin Family's brother-in-law?
But his younger brother-in-law was only in the Zhen Xuan Realm, so how strong could his elder brother-in-law be?
Moreover, even if he didn't notice, would cunning people like Old Dog and Ou Ye not notice being followed?
A series of questions surfaced in his mind, making his head ache from thinking.
So, he decided...
Not to think anymore.
Reject internal struggle, let whoever be.
...
As the carriage departed, a shadow in the jungle writhed, then stood up, taking on a human form.
The shadow took out a Jade Slip. "I still can't detect his specific strength. Even after testing him with someone close to him, he remained unfazed, as if he didn't care at all."
A voice sounded from within the Jade Slip, "Didn't Ji Hao go to find him? Did they not fight?"
The shadow replied, "No, but I heard that Ji Hao seemed to have a conflict with Fairy Yun Ni. He should be heading to Evil Cloud Pavilion now."
"Ji Hao and Fairy Yun Ni had a conflict?"
"Yes, the specific reason is unknown."
"What exactly is Ji Hao doing? He keeps doing such inexplicable things."
"Then, should your subordinate continue tracking? Or should I directly make a move to test him?"
"Don't alert the enemy. That Old Man's Disciple cannot be a good-for-nothing. Rashly testing him will only arouse his suspicion. Find a way to lead Ji Hao towards him, and let them fight first."
"Yes, your subordinate understands."
The shadow put away the Jade Slip.
"Are you done talking?"
A voice sounded from above.
The shadow was startled and hurriedly looked up.
A burly man with a full beard was sitting on a tree branch, legs crossed, looking at him.
The shadow slowly retreated, "Who are you?"
"You don't know me?"
The burly man grinned, "But I know you all."
The shadow quickly darted backward but found that this area was completely sealed off, making it impossible to leave.
"Exorcist Bureau!"
The shadow let out an angry sound.
The burly man floated down, a smile in his eyes. "Your reaction isn't slow. Our boss said that some sneaky fellows have recently infiltrated the Hua Xia Dynasty. I never thought they would be related to a weak Cultivator. So, can you answer my question? What is it about that small Cultivator in the Tuotai Realm that makes him worthy of your attention?"
The shadow's body moved, and in an instant, the surrounding shadows writhed, transforming into sharp spikes that attacked the burly man.
The burly man laughed wildly, and four runes rose around him, emitting dazzling golden light. "We, the Exorcist Bureau, specialize in dealing with evil beings like you!"
The golden light swept across the surroundings, and the shadows melted away in large areas.
The burly man raised his hand and threw a yellow talisman, striking a mass of shadow against a tree trunk.
"You understand the methods of our Exorcist Bureau. Do you want to die quickly and painlessly, or suffer a torturous death? You can choose your own way to die."