C115 Intimidation

Ning Qi offered a polite bow with a smile, "What serendipity." Almost immediately, he noticed Zhantai Qingxuan had ascended to a One-Star Battle Spirit. "Miss Qingxuan, my congratulations on your advancement," he beamed.

He then observed the pair positioning themselves as if by chance near the wind's edge. That's when Ning Qi became aware that his own scent might rival that of the Plague Rat. Amused internally, he nonchalantly shifted aside, allowing a gust of wind to waft past. Zhantai Qingxuan's brow furrowed, and she covered her nose with her hand.

Liu Suifeng's gaze upon Ning Qi was icy. Realizing that Ning Qi had reached the status of Peak Grand Battle Master, his frown deepened. It had been over a year since their last encounter when Ning Qi was just a Peak Battle Master. Could it be that in such a brief span, he had surged ten levels?

A flicker of murderous intent passed through Liu Suifeng's eyes.

Zhantai Qingxuan glanced at the cave behind Ning Qi and inquired, "Mr. Ning, you must have spent quite some time in there, no? Otherwise, you wouldn't have acquired such a potent odor."

With a grin, Ning Qi replied, "I needed to elude some adversaries, so I took refuge inside for a bit. It wasn't for long."

"Mr. Ning, with your caliber, who would dare become your enemy?" Zhantai Qingxuan smiled. "I've heard about your prowess as an alchemist; you've garnered quite the reputation in Jing City recently."

A shadow of irritation crossed Liu Suifeng's face, a hint of envy lurking in his eyes, perhaps unnoticed even by himself.

Ning Qi chuckled awkwardly, "You're too kind, Miss Qingxuan. But tell me, have you both come in search of the Plague Rat?"

He wasn't naive. Their presence in the area was far from a mere coincidence, and apart from the Plague Rat, there seemed little else here to pique their interest.

"Exactly," Zhantai Qingxuan confirmed with a nod.

Liu Suifeng gave a disdainful snort, "Junior sister, let's not divulge too much."

Liu Suifeng fixed his gaze on Ning Qi, his voice icy, "Lengfeng told me you once severed his arm—is that true?"

Ning Qi returned the look with a smile. "Indeed, when I learned he was your fellow sect brother, I couldn't resist. Mr. Lau, please don't take it personally. Next time I visit Qinglan Sect, I'll go easy on you."

Liu Suifeng was taken aback by Ning Qi's candid admission and his bold words, which ignited a surge of anger within him. He could feel the stirrings of a murderous intent towards Ning Qi. Had he known earlier that Ning Qi was an alchemist, before the Skeleton Pirate incident, he might have shown some respect and avoided such a deep-seated enmity. But now, with the knowledge of Ning Qi's alchemical skills and his rapidly advancing cultivation, Liu Suifeng harbored thoughts of eliminating him.

Zhantai Qingxuan also picked up on Liu Suifeng's barely concealed intent to kill Ning Qi. She hesitated only briefly before shifting her gaze away.

Ning Qi inwardly sneered and addressed Liu Suifeng, "Mr. Lau, what's the matter, can't contain yourself? I'd actually prefer to handle you on my own, but if you're itching for a fight, I'll call my brother to assist."

With those words, a burst of purple light appeared beside Ning Qi. Purple, the majestic creature, raised its head and glanced disdainfully at Liu Suifeng and Zhantai Qingxuan.

"A Fifth Rank Demon Beast, the Purple Lightning Bird!"

Liu Suifeng started, and Zhantai Qingxuan's eyes widened in shock. Quick-witted as she was, she immediately connected the dots to a previous hunting day when an adult Purple Lightning Bird had crashed into Falling Leaf Valley—surely Ning Qi was involved!

But if Ning Qi had stolen just a fledgling, and only a year or two had passed, how could it have matured so rapidly?

"He's an alchemist!"

Realization dawned on Zhantai Qingxuan, and she instantly regretted her earlier hesitation, knowing full well that Ning Qi had taken note of her reaction.

Liu Suifeng cast a wary glance at Purple before turning to Ning Qi with a forced smile. "What was that? I didn't catch it," he said. Then, addressing Zhantai Qingxuan, he suggested, "Junior Sister, shall we head into the cave?"

Zhantai Qingxuan nodded in agreement.

Without giving Ning Qi another thought, they made their way directly toward the cave.

"You're One Star Battle Kings, aren't you supposed to be impressive? Pretending to be ignorant is just laughable!"

Ning Qi watched their retreating figures, a smirk playing on his lips.

He distinctly noticed Liu Suifeng's shoulders quiver, but ultimately, Liu Suifeng didn't turn back to confront Ning Qi, well aware that a Fifth Rank adult Purple Lightning Bird could easily dispatch them both.

"Coward," Ning Qi muttered contemptuously, spitting to the side.

"Senior Brother, stay strong."

Zhantai Qingxuan's gentle hand took hold of Liu Suifeng's, her eyes showing concern yet remaining composed. It was this that helped Liu Suifeng quell the fury boiling within him, as he vowed silently, "His arrogance knows no bounds! I'll make sure to repay him tenfold for today's humiliation!"

Ning Qi, realizing Liu Suifeng wasn't taking the bait, felt a twinge of disappointment. He then mounted Purple, intent on finding a stream to cleanse the scent from his body.

Before long, Liu Suifeng and Zhantai Qingxuan emerged from the cave, their expressions darkened.

"Why? Not a single Plague Rat in sight!"

Liu Suifeng seethed through clenched teeth.

In a sudden outburst, he slammed his fist into a nearby boulder, shattering it into dust that scattered across the ground. "It must have been him! He was just coming out of there!"

Zhantai Qingxuan's brow furrowed as she suggested, "Senior Brother, the Tianfeng Forest has more than just Plague Rats in this area. Let's search elsewhere."

Liu Suifeng regained his composure, straightened his collar, and with a nod, regained his usual serene and relaxed demeanor. "Alright," he agreed.

Yet, as Zhantai Qingxuan's gaze fell upon Liu Suifeng, a flicker of pity crossed her eyes. She concealed this fleeting emotion well, careful not to let Liu Suifeng catch on.

With a splash, Ning Qi leapt from Purple's back and plunged into the water below. Purple, being somewhat water-shy, perched on the riverbank, watching with curiosity as Ning Qi deftly swam about.

It took Ning Qi a full two hours to scrub away the stench clinging to his skin.

"Time to hit the road. Off to the Shanhai Realm we go," Ning Qi said, straightening his clothes and giving Purple an affectionate pat on the neck, his face breaking into a smile.

He wasn't sure of the exact location of the Shanhai Realm, but he had a rough idea of which way to head. He planned to ask for directions along the way to ensure he wouldn't lose his path.

"Dragon Slaying Marquis, you're here?" boomed a voice from above.

Ning Qi glanced up to see Qiu Wanli and Huangfu Fei approaching, with Huangfu Fei's laughter ringing through the air.

Without hesitation, Ning Qi stepped into the Dragon Slaying Shop.

"The Host has purchased access to the Low Level Training Ground for three days," announced the shop.

"The total cost to the Host is 300 Dragon Slaying Coins. The Host may enter the training ground at any time when not in combat mode (Host is considered out of combat mode one hour after exiting combat)."

"I'm going in!"

"Warning: The Host is currently in combat mode. Please try again after 60 minutes."