Chapter Nineteen: Junior Sister, This Is a Robbery!

This inner disciple named Ziyu had her eye on the alchemy furnace in Feng Ke’er’s hands—a lower-grade spiritual artifact. Such a treasure wasted on a rookie in the acquired stage was truly a shame! In the cultivation world, valuable items always ended up in the hands of the capable. If she didn’t “take” it for herself, the heavens would surely punish her.

The four of them weren’t new to this kind of ambush and robbery; they were seasoned veterans. Once they left the marketplace, they didn’t rush to attack but followed their prey from a distance. First, this wouldn’t alert the target, making it easy to handle her. Second, the area around the market was crowded; if anyone witnessed the act and word reached the sect’s elders, the four of them would be in serious trouble. Worse, they’d end up as foolish mantises paving the way for the next opportunist. Though the sect had strict rules forbidding internal strife, as long as nothing was exposed, who cared about the lives of a few low-level disciples? Thus, black-on-black betrayals within the sect were all too common.

As the saying goes—walk the night road too often, and you’re bound to meet a ghost. This time, they made a slight miscalculation.

Thanks to her Concealment Talisman, Feng Ke’er seemed to have eyes on the back of her head, seeing through their every move. This frightened her immensely. Of the four, three’s cultivation levels were indiscernible to her, meaning they were at least mid-stage Qi Refinement or higher. In truth, even if all three were just at the early stage, she wouldn’t be confident facing them alone.

But there was no escaping—if she sped up, her “tails” matched her pace; if she slowed down, so did they. No matter how she adjusted her speed, they kept a steady fifty-meter distance.

Ahead loomed a secluded bend. The midday sun blazed, and apart from the five of them, the road was deserted.

The location was prime for murder and robbery; the timing was perfect for the deed.

Should she use her Swift Step Technique? Feng Ke’er was sweating with anxiety, her thoughts tangled in knots. If she didn’t use it, she stood no chance in a fight—she was doomed! If she did, with three of them stronger than her, escape was still uncertain. Even if she managed to flee, word would spread, drawing unwanted attention. Among those who heard, there might be someone with extraordinary perception who’d notice her Concealment Talisman. She didn’t even know how to remove such a talisman. If it could only be taken off upon death, she’d be doomed either way.

After much deliberation, she decided against using the Swift Step Technique. At worst, if they wanted the bronze cauldron, she’d hand it over.

Having made up her mind, she calmed down, becoming composed once more.

Finally, she turned into the bend.

Ziyu, seeing the time was right, exchanged a glance with her two male Qi Refinement companions. She herself, along with the junior sister in a blue robe, hung back to cover the rear and keep watch. For such a greenhorn, there was no need for her to act personally.

The two male disciples nodded in understanding, channeling their spiritual power, and sprinted forward with Swift Step, quickly overtaking her.

“Junior sister, where are you off to in such a hurry?” One of them, tall and thin, blocked her path with a forced smile. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

The other quietly stood about ten meters ahead, keeping watch and waiting in reserve.

Their posture made it clear they had her cornered. Feng Ke’er sighed inwardly. Pretending not to understand their intentions, she smiled mysteriously. “So it’s ‘senior brothers.’ Sorry, I was in such a rush to report back that I nearly bumped into you.” She bit down on the words “senior brothers” with a sarcastic edge—at the critical moment, inspiration struck her with a daring idea: bluff, bluff with all her might!

“Reporting back?” The tall one caught the implication, his smile widening. “May I ask your name, junior sister? Whose tutelage are you under?”

Of course, it was all polite pretense. The high elders never took greenhorns as disciples, but since she claimed so, it was prudent to ask before robbing her. If, by some mischance, she really was connected to someone powerful, they could all be doomed.

“No need for such courtesy, ‘senior brother’.” Feng Ke’er dropped her smile, glancing around with feigned vigilance before lowering her voice. “Judging by your attire, you’re inner disciples as well. To be frank, I was sent out on a small errand by my master, the Honorable Huilan.” She deliberately paused here, watching their reactions.

Sure enough, the tall one’s smile froze, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He was an ordinary inner disciple and had been in the sect for five years—how could he not know Huilan’s rules? She only took disciples at Foundation Establishment or above! Yet this girl called Huilan her master, implying she was at least at Foundation Establishment. It had to be a trap! She must have used a Concealment Talisman, otherwise how could an outer disciple have a lower-grade spiritual artifact and flaunt it so openly?

Perfect—someone was starting to believe her!

Feng Ke’er whispered confidentially, “The Honorable received word that someone was impersonating an inner elite at the market to trade for spiritual artifacts. She gave me a Concealment Talisman and sent me, disguised as a new outer disciple, to investigate. Sure enough, I stumbled upon something.” She gestured at the bronze cauldron, as if to prove her story. “But that person used a Concealing Spirit Talisman and was far beyond Foundation Establishment. I wanted to bring both person and goods back to my master, but feared harming low-level disciples in the market during a fight. Unexpectedly, the culprit recognized me from a previous encounter and fled with the treasure. Luckily, I was quick and managed to snatch this—good enough to report back with.”

“Master Ancestor…” The tall one was now trembling. If this were true, it involved disputes among the upper echelons—not something a small fry like him should be privy to. If she told him, there could only be one reason—dead men tell no tales.

Feng Ke’er chuckled, silently gathering all her strength, channeling her energy, while outwardly keeping a calm, harmless demeanor. She patted his shoulder lightly. “Master Ancestor? Boy, aren’t you afraid of twisting your tongue? You should call me Grandmaster Ancestor!”

Everyone knew that before the sect’s elders, a mere Qi Refinement disciple wouldn’t dare channel spiritual power, unless he had a death wish. So the tall one dared not defend himself with spiritual energy.

Thus, with a single slap, there was a loud crack—his shoulder blade fractured! His face drained of all color, and he nearly fainted.

She couldn't let him collapse just yet—if his companions saw, they’d attack without hesitation.

Quick as a flash, Feng Ke’er grabbed him, wrinkling her nose in disdain. “With your ability, you dare chat up strangers on the road? Lucky for you your Grandmaster Ancestor is kind and doesn’t bother with juniors.”

The implication: with his cultivation, he wasn’t even worth her personal action.

Her words perfectly matched the temperament of high-level disciples. Moreover, he hadn't felt the slightest ripple of spiritual energy, yet his shoulder was shattered by a seemingly casual pat from a young girl. He had no doubts left. Dizzy with pain, hearing her words of forgiveness was like music from the heavens; his knees buckled, and he prepared to kneel in gratitude.

“What are you doing?” Feng Ke’er snapped. “That person surely has accomplices nearby. Are you trying to tip them off and ruin my plan?”

“Grandmaster Ancestor, your disciple wouldn’t dare…” Unable to kneel or stand, the tall one was so terrified he nearly wet himself.

That was about right—too much and his companions would be drawn over. Feng Ke’er waved her hand dismissively and softened her tone. “Forget it, your cultivation is too low to notice anything.” She took out the small jade bottle gifted by Fairy Mo Xue, gritting her teeth as she handed it over. “There are two pills in this bottle. The black one is for healing—take it for your injury. The red one is for your senior sister; tell her not to speak to strangers again. And remember—breathe a word of today to anyone, and the moment it reaches my ears is the moment you’re ashes. Understand?”

Delighted yet afraid to bow, the tall one awkwardly supported his injured arm, took the bottle with both hands, and kept repeating, “Yes, I understand. Your disciple will obey Grandmaster Ancestor’s teaching. Thank you for the medicine, thank you for the medicine…”

“That’s enough.” Feng Ke’er waved impatiently. “Go tell that boy ahead to step aside. With my heavy hand, he’s worse off than you—if I hurt him, that would be unlucky for me!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Cradling his arm, the tall one hurried up ahead, showed the bottle to his companion, and whispered the whole story.

The other man, terrified, grabbed him and dashed toward the two women behind.

Feng Ke’er stood as if nothing had happened, though her palms were slick with nervous sweat, watching their every move intently.

The four huddled together, whispering urgently.

Success or failure hung on this moment! Seizing the chance, Feng Ke’er used a combination of “Dragonfly Skims Water” and Swift Step, the bronze cauldron on her head, and in a single breath fled over twenty miles.

Truth be told, her guilty conscience made her overcautious. The elixirs were Mo Xue’s handiwork—once Ziyu saw what she’d been “given,” she believed it completely and was too terrified to give chase.

Once Feng Ke’er returned to her small courtyard, the first thing she did was lock the gate tightly. She took a moment to calm herself, then hurried to the pond, where, using the water’s reflection as a mirror, she raised a dagger and snipped herself a thick, heavy fringe that covered her eyebrows, eyes, and most of her nose.

Damn, that was terrifying.

[End of Chapter Nineteen: Junior Sister, Stand and Deliver!]