Chapter 110: Leaving the Valley

Returning once more to the baleful energy, Zhou Qi found that it could no longer cause him any harm. To avoid recognition, he had adopted a new appearance.

He was now capable of flying on his sword, a sight that made Huang Qianqian furrow her brows in contemplation. *So he could have used his spiritual power all along, just to ride on my back? What a despicable man—saying he didn't want to, yet his body was so honest.*

From afar, Zhou Qi spotted a naked cultivator wandering about in the baleful energy. He hurried over to offer a warning, only to realize it was the very man whose silk shorts he had stolen earlier. Thankfully, he had changed his appearance, or it would have been quite awkward.

"Fellow Daoist, leave Ansi Valley at once. This place is about to be destroyed," Zhou Qi said, doing his best to avoid looking at the man to save him from further embarrassment.

"Was it you who stole my silk shorts and left me unable to leave?" the cultivator demanded, his injuries having already begun to heal.

"Fellow Daoist, what are you saying? This is my first time meeting you. When would I have stolen your shorts? Look at me—do I look like someone who needs to steal yours?" Zhou Qi asked, looking at the man in confusion while gesturing to his own neatly dressed form.

"That can't be right. I’ve been guarding this spot the whole time. The last person to come out was the Daoist who was completely naked, and it clearly wasn't him. The only other person is you. If it wasn't you, then who could it be?" the cultivator asked, unconvinced.

"Fellow Daoist, is your life more important, or is being seen more important? Don't overthink it; just get out of here. A massive change has occurred inside, and I fear it will be destroyed before long," Zhou Qi urged.

"Fine. You really are a good person." Upon hearing of the mortal danger, the cultivator cast aside all thoughts of face and dignity, clutched his private parts, and followed behind Zhou Qi.

Huang Qianqian transmitted a message: "You have a hobby of stealing other people's shorts? How perverted. I like it."

Zhou Qi was speechless. He could only reply, "Senior, do I look like that kind of person to you?"

"You do," Huang Qianqian replied, nodding incessantly.

Zhou Qi decided to ignore her. With a naked man trailing behind him, he could no longer fly on his sword, so he sprinted toward the exit, shouting warnings to any body-cultivators he encountered.

The group following Zhou Qi grew larger; when one's life is at stake, it is better to believe the warning than to ignore it.

***

They finally reached the outer perimeter of the baleful energy, where Zhou Qi had previously been charged a consultation fee. "Fellow Daoists, Ansi Valley is undergoing a transformation and is about to be destroyed. Please stop your training and leave immediately."

The cultivators were startled. Some scrambled to their feet, but a few remained unmoved. One of them asked with a sneer, "Who are you? Where did you get this information, and why are you so kind as to warn us? What are your true intentions?"

"Exactly," another chimed in. "Ansi Valley has been fine for years. Why would it suddenly be destroyed? Fellow Daoists, this man is fear-mongering. If he cannot explain why, he likely has malicious intent."

Zhou Qi was speechless. He had kindly offered a warning, only to be met with suspicion. He could not tell them the true reason for the destruction; if they knew he had entered the depths of the valley, they would likely be consumed by greed.

"These humans are so unreasonable. Little Zhou, since they are looking for death, why bother with them?" Huang Qianqian grumbled from his shoulder, disgusted by their snide expressions.

"Oh? A member of the demon race? How bold, daring to appear before us. Are you looking to die?" one of the men said, clenching his fists.

Another stopped him, warning, "This bird shouldn't be a demon; there isn't a shred of demonic energy on it. It must just be an ordinary bird that can talk. Fellow Daoist, you are overreacting."

"A talking bird? That’s interesting. I love playing with birds. Friend, will you sell this bird?" a cultivator asked Zhou Qi.

"What bird? You’re the bird! Your whole family is birds!" Huang Qianqian, hearing their discussion, was incensed and about to retort when Zhou Qi’s voice echoed in her mind: "Senior, if you don't want to be captured and sliced up for research, it would be better not to reveal your identity as a Phoenix. After all, living Phoenixes are nowhere to be seen these days."

Upon hearing this, Huang Qianqian fell silent, though white mist vented from the top of her head, showing just how furious she was.

"I am not selling this bird. I have warned you all; you will know soon enough if it is true or false. Since it concerns your lives, I suggest you set aside your conspiracy theories. If it turns out to be false, you can always come back in later. As for where I got the information, I have no obligation to tell you," Zhou Qi said, bowing. Although these people were hateful, they were still human, and he preferred to save those he could. Remembering the actions of the old dragon, Zhou Qi decided to set aside his personal likes and dislikes.

At these words, some of the skeptics began to waver, though one or two remained unmoved. Seeing this, Zhou Qi could only give up; he had tried to save their lives, and if they wouldn't accept it, there was nothing more he could do.

As he was about to step out of the baleful energy, he saw that all the cultivators were bare-chested, looking like a gang of thugs. He was the only one fully dressed, and with a bird on his shoulder, he stood out far too much.

Dao Fan possessed eyes that could see through illusions, and Zhou Qi wasn't sure his disguise would hold up against his scrutiny. After a moment's thought, Zhou Qi took off his outer shirt, leaving only his shorts, and took a step back to blend in with the crowd of naked men.

***

As they walked out of Ansi Valley, the cultivators outside widened their eyes in shock to see a group of naked men emerging together. What had happened?

From a distance, Zhou Qi saw a man standing among the cultivators outside: it was Dao Fan. He had returned to his elegant, immortal-like appearance, looking exceptionally handsome. Clearly, the agony of his crushed testicles had been resolved; for a Golden Core cultivator, such an injury was nothing. Even if they were severed, there were countless ways to regrow them using rare treasures and secret arts.

Seeing the crowd of naked men emerging, Dao Fan’s eyes lit up, and he began to scan the group intently.

A chill ran through the cultivators as they felt his gaze. "Could it be that the Daoist has changed his tastes? He’s actually interested in me. Should I refuse, or should I play along? If I submit to him, I won't have to worry about resources anymore, but it's a bit revolting. If I don't, I fear he might persecute me." Some of the cultivators were already caught in an internal struggle.

Seeing Dao Fan’s behavior, Zhou Qi knew he was hunting for him. He silently lowered his head and retreated further into the crowd.

"Fellow Daoist, what happened inside? Why have you all come out?" an outsider asked a familiar face.

"A fellow Daoist said Ansi Valley is about to be destroyed, so he told us to get out quickly. Wait, where is he?" The cultivator turned around, only to find that the man with the bird on his shoulder had vanished.

Zhou Qi pressed Huang Qianqian tightly behind his back, pleading with her through mental transmission to remain silent.

Suffocating, Huang Qianqian cursed through their connection: "Little Zhou, we have a major score to settle! How dare you hide this lady in a pile of men? You must give me several flames to soothe my anger, or I will expose you right now!" Seeing that Zhou Qi was hiding from an enemy, she used it as leverage.

"Easy, everything is easy," Zhou Qi said, trying to appease her.

A thunderous "Boom" interrupted their transmission.