Lame Excuse

Standing to the side, the second brother, Zhao Qinghai, who had been silent until now, took a slight step forward. A smile hung on his face—one that appeared honest and good-natured but was actually sinister and insidious.

Since Eldest Brother's Great Dao is promising, this spiritual treasure naturally belongs to you. I wouldn't dare harbor any improper thoughts. It's just...

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Qinghe obscurely, his humble tone laced with calculation.

After Eldest Brother extracts the core, could those dregs be left for us younger brothers to dispose of?

Seeing Zhao Qinghe looking at him, he hastily explained, putting on the appearance of a thrifty housekeeper.

After all, she is the Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect. Even without her core spiritual treasure, the physical quality of her furnace physique is still superb. Wouldn't it be a waste of heaven's gifts to just destroy it? Why not let us younger brothers use it to temper our states of mind? At the same time... it could also be considered clearing away the final demonic obstacles for you, Eldest Brother.

Second Brother is right. The third brother, Zhao Qingjiang, understood implicitly and immediately assumed an awe-inspiring, righteous expression. Demonic witches deserve to be killed by everyone. Eldest Brother seizing the treasure to prove his Dao is complying with the will of heaven. For us to help deliver her ruined body afterward is also to prevent demonic qi from leaking out and bringing disaster to the mortal realm.

Hearing this, Zhao Qinghe looked deeply at his two junior brothers.

He naturally understood the hidden meaning behind their words.

But he didn't reprimand them. Instead, he nodded in gratification, a faint smile curling the corners of his lips.

Excellent.

Our Qingxu Sect is a prominent and orthodox sect. In our actions, we naturally make the best use of everything and cannot waste any fortuitous encounters.

With a flip of his wrist, his longsword left its sheath, the blade pointing straight into the depths of the cave.

Wait until I have retrieved the spiritual treasure. The rest... I will leave to you two to purify on my behalf.

Thank you for fulfilling our wishes, Eldest Brother!

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with irrepressible excitement.

In their mouths, there was no rape, no slaughter. There was only seizing treasures, tempering, and purifying.

This was the righteous path.

A righteous path that ate people without spitting out the bones, and even chewed the bone fragments to pieces before swallowing them down.

Enter!

Zhao Qinghe gave a low shout. The three of them instantly formed the Three Talents Formation, transforming into three streaks of flowing light as they scrambled to rush into the pitch-black, maw-like entrance of the karst cave.

...

Fifty feet away, up in an ancient tree.

Su Wanyin huddled in the shadows of the branches, wrapped in a loose gray robe that smelled faintly of honeylocust—it was Gu Yang's spare clothing.

Her charming peach-blossom eyes were currently staring in astonishment at the direction of the cave, before turning to look at the expressionless man beside her.

Half an incense stick of time ago.

When Gu Yang found her, his first word was: Strip.

At the time, she thought she had just escaped the tiger's den only to enter the wolf's lair. Overwhelmed with shame and indignation, she was about to fight to the death. But the man merely tore off her bloodstained, ruined outer robe roughly, threw this gray robe at her, and then took her clothes to set up the scene.

So... it was all for this.

You knew there was an ambush here? Su Wanyin kept her voice extremely low, carrying a trace of disbelief.

Gu Yang didn't look at her. His gaze remained calmly fixed on the cave entrance while his hands played with the Black Turtle Shield he had just extorted.

Inside that cave is a Black Fiend Python currently shedding its skin and in heat.

Gu Yang's voice was as flat as if he were discussing what he had for dinner. When a Black Fiend Python sheds its skin, the lust poison in its body is at its peak. The protective toxic mist it expels is the most potent aphrodisiac in the cultivation world. Barging in at this time, let alone three mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, even a Golden Core cultivator would lose a layer of skin.

Hearing this, Su Wanyin's delicate body involuntarily shuddered.

A demonic beast in heat... the most potent aphrodisiac...

She subconsciously looked toward the cave.

At this moment, the originally pitch-black entrance had somehow developed a layer of eerie pink mist.

That was the sign of the formation activating, and also the omen of the toxic gas erupting.

Ah! Eldest Brother! What... what are you doing?!

A miserable, distorted shriek, refracted by the echoing walls of the cave, clearly reached their ears.

Immediately following it was a series of noises that would make one blush but also make one's blood run cold.

Su... Holy Maiden Su... you are so beautiful... This was the voice of the second brother, Zhao Qinghai, filled with heavy panting and frantic delirium.

Get lost! She is mine! She is mine! The eldest brother, Zhao Qinghe's voice had long lost its previous awe-inspiring righteousness, leaving only beast-like roars.

Riiip—

The sound of tearing fabric sounded exceptionally harsh in the spacious cave.

Although Su Wanyin was inexperienced in matters of the flesh, as the Holy Maiden of the Joyous Union Sect, how could she not hear what kind of appalling tragedy was taking place inside?

Those three righteous cultivators who usually called each other brothers.

They were turning on their own.

Third Brother! Why... why are you pulling down my pants?! Ah!!!

Eldest Brother! Your skin... is so white...

Su Wanyin's face burned hotly; she didn't know if it was from shame or fear.

These were the so-called elites of the righteous path.

Faced with this most primal bestial nature, they were ten thousand times uglier than demonic cultivators.

She turned to look at Gu Yang.

Gu Yang was still leaning against the tree trunk. The rain had soaked his bamboo hat, dripping down the brim, but it couldn't conceal the bottomless indifference in his eyes.

Why?

Su Wanyin tightly wrapped the gray robe smelling of honeylocust around herself. Her voice trembled slightly from the cold and fear, but a stubborn resolve to get to the bottom of the matter burned in those peach-blossom eyes.

She stared intently at the side profile of the mysterious male cultivator before her.

Meticulous planning, ruthless methods, treating Foundation Establishment cultivators like weeds. Such a person could never be a bleeding-heart saint.

You clearly could have waited until both sides were heavily injured before striking, reaping the benefits as the fisherman. Why go through all the trouble to save me? If you were after my body, back in the ruined temple you could have...

Su Wanyin bit her lower lip. Before she could finish speaking, her cheeks were already flushed red.

Gu Yang's movements paused slightly.

I saved you to complete a system quest. How was he supposed to explain that?

There aren't that many whys.

Gu Yang didn't turn his head. He merely reached up to press down on his bamboo hat, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.

When I passed by earlier, those three guys were making a racket. Their voices were too ugly and ruined my elegant mood for listening to the rain.

...

Su Wanyin's mouth fell open in astonishment, her entire body freezing in place.

Found them noisy? Listening to the rain?

Just for this reason, he fed three Foundation Establishment geniuses of the Righteous Alliance to a snake?

This excuse was more than just lame.

Yet, seeing Gu Yang's matter-of-fact appearance, the tense guard in Su Wanyin's heart inexplicably relaxed a bit.

At the same time, a faint blush appeared on her face.

Roar!!!

Right at this moment, a deafening hiss echoed from the depths of the cave. It was the signal that the Black Fiend Python had finished its meal.

The nauseating chewing sounds inside the cave finally ceased.

Following that, the pink, lust-inducing toxic mist permeating the entrance seemed to be drawn by some force, rolling back inward like a whale swallowing water.

Crash—

The sound of tumbling rubble rang out.