Du Qiu Captured

Tracking someone at night is a perilous matter. The slightest lack of caution invites discovery, yet the poor visibility necessitates keeping close-a proximity that itself risks exposure.

Although Song Wen was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining and seemingly outmatched, one could never be certain what life-preserving measures a cultivator might possess. Having emerged alive from the Withered Blood Secret Realm, Song Wen was clearly no ordinary disciple.

Deadly toxins, insidious Dharma Artifacts, and concealed weapons... should he fall victim to some underhanded ploy, his own life could be forfeit.

Du Qiu recalled how Elder Shi Shou had flown into a rage upon learning of Song Wen's sudden entry into the Secret Realm. He shrank his neck, shivering with apprehension. He had feared that if Song Wen perished inside, he would become the target of Shi Shou's wrath and meet a gruesome end.

Song Wen had just survived that trial and immediately left the Sect under cover of night, driven by a matter of great importance. If he failed to discover the reason and report it to Shi Shou, he would surely suffer a brutal penalty.

Weighing these risks, Du Qiu resolved to follow.

Song Wen, who had been keenly observing Du Qiu's movements, felt a surge of relief. He had been worried the man might not take the bait.

To ensure he did not lose his pursuer, Song Wen kept to the main thoroughfare rather than the wilderness. Over time, the constant movement of Corpse Demon Sect disciples had carved out wide paths suitable for carriages leading away from the Sect.

After traveling for over an hour and covering nearly a hundred li, Song Wen released his Black-armored Gu to verify that the surrounding few li were deserted.

He came to a halt and turned around.

"Senior Brother Du, you have followed long enough. Come out."

Du Qiu's heart jumped. Relying on the clarity of the main road, he had kept several hundred meters behind, confident he wouldn't be lost. Under normal circumstances, a mere fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivator should have been unable to detect him at such a distance.

His position was compromised; concealment was now futile.

He walked forward quickly, stopping a few dozen meters away.

"Junior Brother Jiyin, having just returned from the Secret Realm, you are in quite a hurry to head out. Where are you going?"

Song Wen smiled thinly. "That is hardly your concern, Senior Brother. I am more curious why you are toiling away in the middle of the night, trailing me."

Du Qiu sneered. "Your cultivation is low, but your arrogance is not. In the dead of night, in this desolate place, do you not fear I might kill you? After all, you must have secured quite a few spirit herbs in the Secret Realm, have you not?"

Song Wen let out a mocking laugh. "Kill me? You lack the spine for it. You know full well that Elder Shi Shou would not let you live if you did."

Du Qiu's expression froze. "How do you know Elder Shi Shou sent me to track you?"

Before the words left his lips, Song Wen suddenly erupted into motion. He moved with such terrifying speed that in the darkness, he was little more than a blurred shadow.

Du Qiu didn't have time to process how a fifth-layer cultivator could display such ferocity; he instinctively reached for the corpse-raising bag at his waist to summon his puppet.

A cold gleam slashed through the night.

"Ah!"

Du Qiu's scream shattered the silence. The cold light had severed his right hand at the wrist just as he reached for his storage bag. Arterial blood sprayed into the air.

Before he could react, a hand like an iron clamp locked onto his throat. The pressure was immense; Du Qiu felt his windpipe on the verge of collapsing.

"Behave, or I will crush your neck," Song Wen said, his voice cold as ice.

"Hkk... hk..." Choking, Du Qiu's face turned a deep, congested purple, leaving him unable to speak.

Song Wen used his free hand to retrieve Du Qiu's severed limb from the ground. Then, channeling his spiritual energy, he struck the blood-stained earth, shattering the ground and erasing all traces of the struggle.

Summoning his flying boat, Song Wen dragged the captive aboard and vanished into the darkness.

...

Song Wen injected a surge of energy into Du Qiu's body.

"Pfft!"

Du Qiu vomited a spray of blood. The internal surge shattered the flow of his meridians and inflicted severe damage, rendering him unable to channel his own spiritual energy.

Song Wen tossed him onto the deck of the boat.

"Senior Brother Du, tell me: why does Shi Shou want me monitored?"

Having accepted that Song Wen's true strength far exceeded his cultivation rank, Du Qiu looked up in terror, his voice bitter.

"Do you honestly think Elder Shi would explain his reasons to me? I am just a lackey doing his bidding."

Song Wen's eyes grew glacial. "Then you have no further use."

A cold light flashed again.

Du Qiu's left leg was severed at the root.

"AHHH!"

Du Qiu's wail echoed through the night.

"Junior Brother Jiyin, I swear I know nothing! Please, give me a quick death!"

"Are you certain you know nothing?"

Song Wen remained doubtful. After a moment of contemplation, he spat two ordinary Beetle Gu from his mouth. They vibrated their wings, hovering directly before Du Qiu's eyes.

"These are Beetle Gu. They feed on the essence blood and organs of the living. These two are only at the first layer of Qi Refining; their feeding is slow and agonizing. They will begin by gnawing through your internal organs before finally consuming your brain."

"Rest assured, I will ensure you remain alive and fully conscious throughout the process. You will have plenty of time to feel them working."

Du Qiu stared at the insects in horror. To him, they were like demons crawled from the pits of hell. His skin crawled with primal fear.

"I will tell you! Just... please, grant me a quick death!"

"The Corpse King Blood Refining Art you practice was given to me by Shi Shou to pass on to you."

"He ordered me to monitor your movements and cultivation progress. As long as you did not change your techniques or attempt to kill yourself, I was not to interfere."

"A few months ago, when you broke through to the fifth layer, he demanded I increase my surveillance. If you reached the sixth layer, I was to report it immediately."

"Your sudden entry into the Withered Blood Secret Realm made him furious. That is all I know."

Du Qiu closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.

"Then tell me," Song Wen asked, "what is special about this Corpse King Blood Refining Art? Who else in the Sect is practicing it?"

"I don't know the specifics. It is not an official Sect technique; Shi Shou obtained it elsewhere. I have seen him practice it, and his appearance was much like yours when you utilize corpse transformation."

"I assume he cultivates it as well. As for anyone else in the Sect? I have no knowledge of it."

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