Demonic Insanity

When Jing saw Ling Yun's aura, his eyes widened in shock.

"Sir! Are you… an immortal?!"

She hesitated for a moment, as if tasting the words on her tongue, then spoke again in a quieter voice.

"Does that mean… my grandfather was an immortal too?"

Ling Yun offered a faint smile and stepped forward. Thousands of questions swirled in Jing's mind as she hurried after the old man. By now, she had no doubt—this man was an old friend of her grandfather's.

They spent the entire night talking, their conversation stretching across countless topics. By the time dawn broke, Jing, too exhausted to speak another word, drifted into a deep sleep.

Ling Yun rose soundlessly, casting a brief glance at the girl before slipping out of the hut without disturbing her.

But Jing's pursuers had been lurking nearby. The moment they spotted the old man leaving, they began tailing him. Having never seen Ling Yun up close, they mistook him for old Zhou—the very man they had been hunting!

With calm patience, Ling Yun navigated through uncharted paths, traversing rugged cliffs where each step required precision and skill.

His pursuers, first-layer Qi Refiners, possessed abilities beyond ordinary mortals but had yet to reach the stage where they could soar through the skies or wield powerful spells. True transformations in their cultivation would only begin at the second layer.

They followed from a cautious distance—not so close as to alert him, but not so far that they might lose his trail.

Whenever one of them suggested returning to the hut, Ling Yun would subtly change his behavior—pausing as if resting, then taking a detour toward places where rare spiritual herbs grew. This kept their curiosity piqued, preventing them from abandoning the chase too soon.

At times, he even cast uneasy glances around him, hesitated at crossroads, and moved forward with deliberate hesitation, mimicking the demeanor of a man who was wary or unsure.

He didn't want them to give up the pursuit.

Finally, Ling Yun reached a towering rock face—and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into its shadow.

The pursuers rushed forward, scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes. But there was no trace of him.

One of them, a sixteen-year-old boy, scowled as he glanced around.

"Brother, where'd that old man go? It's like he just sank into the ground!"

"This has to be where he hid his treasure! We should head back and report to Elder Tai."

But the man who seemed a little older than the rest sneered, his voice laced with calculation.

"Heh! You really think Elder Tai cares about us? He'll take everything for himself. Wouldn't it be smarter for us to find the treasure on our own, sell it, and set some aside for our future? Maybe we could even leave this sect and join one of the real sects out there. I'm sure spirit stones carry a lot of weight when it comes to joining those sects."

After a brief moment of contemplation, the third one spoke hesitantly.

"Elder Tai might have already considered this. What if he planted a spy among us? I'm not taking that risk. Besides… where exactly are we going to sell these herbs? Every market in the area is under our sect's control."

The second man scoffed. "We've been together for years. Even if Elder Tai did plant someone among us—which I highly doubt—we can still handle this our own way."

The third man chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, the three of us know each other well. But the fourth… well, he's a bit suspicious."

The fourth man felt cold sweat bead on his temple as he saw their doubtful gazes. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, his tone carrying both frustration and a hint of nervousness.

"Brothers! What kind of nonsense is this? Why the hell would I work for the man propping up the sect's tyrants? Elder Tai is corrupt—everyone knows that! But because of his power and influence, even the sect leader doesn't dare touch him. Do you really think I'd help him climb even higher?"

He stepped forward, emphasizing his words with a pointed gesture.

"Brothers, Elder Tai and the others have hoarded all the sect's resources for themselves. And despite all that, they haven't even reached the sixth layer of Qi Refinement! This sect has no future. Why should we throw our lives away in this pit of stupidity? When we have the chance to soar like a crane and escape this mire, why should we chain ourselves to the ground?"

The three other disciples fell silent, exchanging meaningful glances. Then, suddenly, they burst into laughter.

"You're right! That's the kind of mindset a righteous path cultivator should have!"

The first man clapped a firm hand on the fourth's shoulder. "Brother! I need you to check that side. That old man must've slipped into a cave we haven't noticed yet."

They each split up. The fourth disciple wandered the area, scanning the surroundings. Then, making a decision, he pulled out a paper crane to scout the area. He ran his finger across the delicate folds, channeling his spiritual energy into it. Just as he was about to send it into the air—

A cold glint flashed through the darkness.

A blade spun through the air.

A moment later, his throat was pierced.

Blood dripped onto the paper crane. His wide, horrified eyes stared blankly at the sky as he collapsed, lifeless.

One of the three remaining cultivators smirked as he slid his throwing knife back into its sheath.

"See, brother? You were right! He was going to sell us out."

The second man shook his head with a sigh. "Hmph… times have changed. You can't even trust the man who's shared a meal with you."

The first one, staring at the corpse, caught sight of the paper crane. With a closer look, he realized—it wasn't a messenger crane but merely a tool for detecting spiritual energy! Yet, as he listened to the others justify their actions, doubt crept into his mind.

He said nothing.

Sometimes, speaking the truth was more dangerous than ignorance.

Suddenly, from behind a rock, an old man appeared. His wary eyes scanned the area around the cave. He hesitated briefly—then stepped inside.

The three cultivators exchanged a look, their gazes gleaming with greed.

"It's him! That damned old man!"

"We have to follow him! If he's kept this treasure hidden for five years, it must be worth a fortune!"

"Who knows how much Elder Tai has already squeezed out of him? I bet he forced the old man to hand over a ton of spirit herbs just to accept his daughter!"

"Heh! And now he's sent us to collect whatever's left. What a hypocritical old bastard."

Without another word, the three of them slipped into the cave, their shadows merging with the darkness…