Wei Qing was ruthlessly decisive—one sword stroke killed Du Lihuang. Immediately after, he scattered a handful of powder over Du Lihuang's corpse. Before long, a hissing sound filled the air as wisps of greenish smoke rose from the body.
Du Lihuang's corpse melted away rapidly, dissolving into a puddle of greenish pus that seeped directly into the grass. Apart from the foul stench, not a single trace remained.
Du Lihuang's Storage Ring, however, landed squarely in Wei Qing's hand.
Wei Qing glanced at the Storage Ring, and two Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines were clearly visible inside.
He grinned. "That Du Lihuang may have been brainless, but he did have some luck—ending up with two Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines. What a pity. A fool is still a fool. He had the luck but not the fortune to enjoy it. I suppose I'll have to bear the burden and enjoy them on his behalf."
Mu Gaoqi caught a glimpse of that shameless expression on Wei Qing's face and couldn't help but feel a wave of revulsion.
This man slaughtered his own teammates as casually as slaughtering chickens—ruthless and merciless—yet insisted on maintaining an air of utter sincerity. He was a textbook smiling tiger, utterly hypocritical through and through.
But that was exactly what made him so impossible to guard against.
Someone willing to kill his own teammates at any moment—what wouldn't he dare do?
Mu Gaoqi felt his stomach churn. He nearly vomited.
"Junior Brother Mu, don't be afraid. You're nothing like that idiot Du Lihuang. I killed him because he was insatiably greedy. Besides, the Sacred Sword Palace and your Dan Qian Palace are enemies—this was practically me doing you a favor. Wouldn't you agree?" Wei Qing's face was all smiles.
If Mu Gaoqi hadn't witnessed the brutal murder with his own eyes, he might have actually been won over by this performance. But knowing just how sinister the smile on Wei Qing's face truly was, Mu Gaoqi felt nothing but nausea rising again.
"Wei Qing, if you're going to kill me, just kill me. There's no need for this theatrical act. You kill your own teammates without blinking—what would stop you from killing me, Mu Gaoqi?"
Mu Gaoqi had made up his mind. No matter what Wei Qing said, he wouldn't believe a single word.
Wei Qing chuckled. "Junior Brother Mu, I've already explained why I killed Du Lihuang. Truthfully, I've always found the people from Sacred Sword Palace rather disagreeable. Given the choice, I'd much rather befriend someone from Dan Qian Palace. You should know—I've always had a great deal of admiration for your Senior Sister Ling Bi'er. In fact, the real reason I sought you out is for her sake."
Mu Gaoqi blinked. "You're looking for Senior Sister Ling, so why were you chasing me?"
"Chasing you? If I were truly chasing you, wouldn't I have struck already?" Wei Qing put on a look of pure innocence.
"Then this Spirit-Locking True Scattering powder on me must be fake?" A hint of mockery colored Mu Gaoqi's face.
Wei Qing laughed. "That was all for show—just to deal with Du Lihuang. If you want the antidote, I can give it to you at any time. However…"
"However what?" Mu Gaoqi glared at him.
Wei Qing replied in an unhurried tone. "I've had a small misunderstanding with your Dan Qian Palace's Jiang Chen. I'm worried this misunderstanding might leave a poor impression on Senior Sister Ling Bi'er. So I was hoping you could contact Junior Brother Jiang Chen—I'd like to speak with him personally and clear the air."
Mu Gaoqi burst out laughing. "Wei Qing, do you really think I'm a three-year-old child?"
Wei Qing looked exasperated. "What do you mean by that?"
Mu Gaoqi sneered. "Everyone in the Myriad Phenomenon Region knows exactly what kind of person you are, Wei Qing. You're a venomous snake—so stop pretending to be some refined gentleman. You can't find Brother Chen yourself, so you want to use me as bait to lure him out, and then deal with him. Isn't that right?"
"Why on earth would I want to deal with him?" Wei Qing's expression remained one of perfect innocence.
"Hmph! As if that needs explaining! Back in the Illusory Wave Hall, you threatened Brother Chen, telling him not to cross your path inside Illusory Wave Mountain. Don't even try to deny it. You lost face in front of Senior Sister Bi'er and now you want to take it out on Brother Chen—do you think I don't know that?"
Wei Qing protested. "Brother Gaoqi, do you really take me for that kind of petty person? That little spat has long since been forgotten. I swear a Heaven and Earth oath—I am absolutely not seeking out Junior Brother Jiang Chen for revenge. If I'm lying, may I be struck dead by heavenly lightning!"
It was a vicious oath.
But Mu Gaoqi still didn't believe him. "Even if it's not for that, you must have some other motive—something like the Longevity Pill formula, for example!"
Having already decided that Wei Qing was a villain, Mu Gaoqi naturally refused to believe any of his performances.
Wei Qing adopted a solemn expression. "I can also swear that I am not looking for him because of the Longevity Pill, not because of his alchemy talent, and not because of any nonsense like the Alchemy Tournament championship!"
Seeing Wei Qing speak with such conviction, Mu Gaoqi felt a flicker of doubt—what exactly was Wei Qing after?
Wei Qing noticed the hesitation in Mu Gaoqi's expression and pressed further with his honeyed words. "Brother Gaoqi, I'll admit that my methods can be rather unconventional at times. But this time, I genuinely have no intention of seeking revenge on Junior Brother Jiang Chen. Besides, we now share a common enemy in the Sacred Sword Palace. Why wouldn't we shake hands and make peace?"
There was no denying that Wei Qing's performance was convincing. But Mu Gaoqi had already made up his mind, and no matter how dazzling Wei Qing's rhetoric, he simply wouldn't bite.
"Wei Qing, enough with the endless chatter. I, Mu Gaoqi, am not a three-year-old child. Using me to find Brother Chen—forget it. If you truly want reconciliation, there will be plenty of opportunities after we leave."
Seeing that Mu Gaoqi remained completely unmoved, Wei Qing's expression turned cold. "Mu Gaoqi, so it's the cup of wine you refuse, and you'd rather drink the bitter brew? You think I can't deal with you?"
Mu Gaoqi threw his head back and laughed. "Wei Qing, the fox has shown its tail already, has it? Now that's the face you should be wearing!"
Wei Qing let out a cold snort. "Keep talking tough while you can, boy. Once I put something on your body that makes you wish you were dead—but won't let you die—you'll see if you can still be that brave."
Wei Qing truly could not locate Jiang Chen. He had been tracking Mu Gaoqi because he intended to use Mu Gaoqi to draw Jiang Chen out.
Put simply, he was after the Heaven Grade Spiritual Medicine on Jiang Chen's person.
Over these past days, being looked down upon by Elder Wuhen had filled Wei Qing with a belly full of resentment. He wanted to kill Jiang Chen, seize that Heaven Grade Spiritual Medicine, and use it to prove his worth!
The problem was, he had captured Mu Gaoqi, but the man was completely uncooperative—no amount of persuasion or threats made a dent. This infuriated Wei Qing beyond measure.
He extended his palm, and a small bottle of poison appeared in his hand.
Wei Qing snickered as he walked toward Mu Gaoqi. "Boy, the powder inside this bottle—even the tiniest whiff will leave you trapped between life and death. Take a good taste of that sensation. I have more than enough ways to break you. Let's see whether your mouth is harder, or your bones!"