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Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Evil Cultivator Outside the City
Looking up, there were several figures in black robes blocking the way ahead.
The three Xia brothers and Wang Ruoxian were all stopped, and they appeared to be very cautious, not daring to make any rash moves.
The man in black was holding a portrait, discussing something with Xia Jian.
"Woof, kid, those people are the Evil Cultivators who fought Lord Ergouzi for three hundred rounds before, they're here for you, take them down quickly!"
As soon as Ergouzi spotted the Evil Cultivators, it immediately perked up, its heart of justice pounding wildly, itching to leap into the fray, but it had the self-awareness to hold back in time.
Next to him, Ji Wuqing also perked up: "Hehe, kid, those people are looking for you, hurry up and get into the fight!"
"Let's observe the situation first."
Li Xiaobai opened the car door, got out, and the other cultivators also spotted the people in the distance and got out one after another.
"Boss Ye, what's happened up ahead?"
"Isn't that Young Master Xia and Immortal Wang?"
"Those people in black robes are Evil Cultivators, right? An Evil Cultivator blocking the way is big trouble."
The crowd seemed somewhat panicked, fearing encounters with Evil Cultivators above all.
"My Li Family has some connections with the Evil Cultivators outside the city, I'll go talk to them, they should give us some face," Li Ya said.
"No worries, let's see how things go first," Li Xiaobai said.
Meanwhile, Xia Liu up ahead seemed to have noticed something, pointed in Li Xiaobai's direction, and the other Evil Cultivators immediately walked over.
These Evil Cultivators and Zuo Da's group were dressed the same, clearly belonging to the same organization.
"Don't worry, Boss Ye, these honorable gentlemen are my superiors; I'll go and have a word with them," Zuo Da said cheerfully as he greeted them.
"Zuo Da greets Protector Liu!"
"Zuo Da, what are you doing here?"
The leading black-robed figure frowned, since the Zuo brothers were not on the personnel list for this area.
"To report to Protector Liu, my brothers and I have discovered a major clue related to Zhang Rui."
"Let's hear it?"
"Subordinate discovered an acquaintance of Zhang Rui within Ancient Moon City and was preparing to follow him to the Holy Demon Sect."
"Where is he?"
Protector Liu's eyes lit up, and he led a few men straight to Li Xiaobai.
The pressure from above was mounting by the day; if they still had no leads in the next few days, they feared that one of them would perform a blood sacrifice.
"Do you know Zhang Rui?"
Protector Liu came up to Li Xiaobai and asked, as the many cultivators watched apprehensively.
"You are..." Li Xiaobai tried to fish for words, wanting to see how far the other party had investigated.
"You need not know, just tell me Zhang Rui's whereabouts," Protector Liu said.
"I'm not sure myself, the last time I saw him was in the Divine Beast Mountain Range, it's been a long time since we had contact. To find him will take some time, are you also his creditor?" Li Xiaobai asked.
"Indeed, the debt he owes is enough to justify his body being cut into thousands of pieces."
"I'm on my way to the Holy Demon Sect, and I might just run into him, how about we go together?"
Li Xiaobai said, thinking he could still trick the Evil Cultivators into being his henchmen for a bit longer.
"How dare you, this is Protector Liu, a Nascent Soul Stage master, how could you travel with him? Boss Ye, hurry up and tell Protector Liu Zhang Rui's whereabouts, don't play tricks," Xia Jian said frowned beside them, knowing the Evil Cultivators were not ones to be offended.
Protector Liu's brows relaxed, the feeling of being flattered was rather satisfying to him.
Suddenly, an Evil Cultivator by his side seemed to have discovered something. He whispered a few words into Protector Liu's ear, causing Protector Liu's expression to drastically change. With a flick of his wrist, a Soul Summoning Banner appeared out of thin air, as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
"Damned fools, Zhang Rui is hidden among you!"
"That's impossible, my lord, I know these people inside and out, and there's absolutely no one by the name of Zhang Rui!" Zuo Da said, puzzled.
"Fool, you've been played and you still don't realize it. Get lost to the side and watch closely!"
Protector Liu did not want to say more, and with a slap, sent Zuo Da and his brothers flying. Several Evil Cultivators instantly dispersed, surrounding the crowd in the middle.
"Protector Liu, what are you..."
Wang Ruoxian was baffled. These Evil Cultivators changed faces as quickly as flipping a page; it was too sudden.
"I'm sorry, Immortal Wang, but the cultivator we've been chasing all this time is hiding amongst you. He carries a trace we've been tracking. No one is allowed to leave until we find him."
"I'll count to three. If Zhang Rui doesn't show up, I'll kill everyone present!"
Protector Liu was enveloped in black fog, exuding a ghastly and sinister aura.
Several Evil Cultivators used their Divine Skills together, and the evil Qi from the Soul Summoning Banner burst forth. Dark and deadly Qi roamed about, forming a black barrier that firmly trapped everyone inside.
The chilling wind howled through the arena, accompanied by ghostly wails and wolfish howls, and within the deadly Qi, one could vaguely see tiny skeletal remains.
Clearly, there was no shortage of cultivators who had perished under this Soul Summoning Banner.
The cultivators' hair stood on end, their hearts in a state of panic. Faced with Nascent Soul Stage cultivators—the level of their own families' ancestors—if a killing spree were to start, there would be no hope for survival for anyone present.
"Protector Liu, our group has been conversing with you all along without any anomalies; we should be excluded, right?"
Xia Jian, drenched in cold sweat, cursed the cultivator called Zhang Rui to high heaven in his heart.
"Indeed, your families have some relations with us. Step aside."
"Thank you, Protector Liu."
The Xia brothers and Miss Wang swiftly moved to one side, each letting out a sigh of relief.
The remaining cultivators became frantic, each revealing their identities and claiming that both the Xia Family and Wang Family recognized them and could vouch for them.
"Lord Liu, I beg for mercy, I am from the Yang Family..."
"When I was a child, I even wet the bed with Young Master Xia..."
In a bid to save their lives, they no longer cared about losing face—anything and everything was said, spilling secrets from their childhood days in open-crotch trousers to the women they had fraternized with in the brothel just days earlier.
However, neither the Xia brothers nor Wang Ruoxian had any intention of helping them.
"I'm sorry everyone, although I've seen many of you quite a few times, our relationship isn't that close. It's difficult for me to testify for you. Rest assured, once Zhang Rui is found by Lord Liu, you'll all be free," said Xia Jian with a grin, while a mocking glint flashed in Xia Liu and Xia Chuan's eyes.
"I have always stayed within the Xiao Cheng Sect and do not know you. It's better to wait; I trust Lord Liu will give you justice," Wang Ruoxian said with an indifferent tone, her cold voice adding to the crowd's despair.
"Shameless, our family has been on good terms with yours for generations, how can you be like this!"
"Indeed, before we set off, your family elders clearly instructed everyone to support each other..."
"I even considered you two as the pride of Gu Yue, as targets I've always aspired to reach—pah, despicable!"
"Shameless, Xia Jian, you disgrace the Confucian heritage, bringing shame to it in your hands!"
The cultivators were outraged, their anger erupting amidst the fear of impending death, feeling both furious and helplessly despaired.
Only today did they realize that the two people who had always appeared perfect were, in fact, so hideous.
"Shut up, since Zhang Rui does not wish to come forward, I have no choice but to use some methods. Don't blame me, blame Zhang Rui!"
"I will retrieve from your corpse the item you took from my master..."