Shortly after Boss Gao began his search for spirit beasts on Qi Ping's behalf, Qi Ping and Sister Nan finished purchasing their basic supplies. Though it was still early in the day, they both felt it was wiser to return to the mountain as soon as possible.
Sister Nan had cast a surprised glance at Qi Ping when he mentioned buying a spirit beast, but she hadn't brought it up since leaving the chamber of commerce. If Qi Ping didn't speak of it, she wouldn't pry.
This was a vital unspoken rule for friendships between loose cultivators: one must be sincere and helpful while respecting the other's secrets. In the cultivation world, digging into someone's hidden depths was a major taboo. After all, which cultivator didn't have a few trump cards or skeletons in their closet? If two people actually shared all their secrets, it meant their relationship had reached a level of profound intimacy.
A carefree young master from a wealthy mortal family like Lin Chaoyang was a rare commodity in this world—a true curiosity. Qi Ping knew this well. He trusted Sister Nan precisely because she was a clever woman who understood these boundaries, which was why he hadn't hesitated to discuss the spirit beast in her presence. Of course, it was also because the necessity of hiding such a request was low; he would never expose his truly critical secrets under any circumstances.
At the entrance of the Qingshi Market, the two looked down the road leading back, their gazes heavy with apprehension.
"Little Qi, we must be exceptionally careful on the way back. My soul feels restless... I have an ill omen," Sister Nan said.
"Sister Nan, they say a woman's intuition is the sharpest. Please don't scare me like that; you know how timid I am," Qi Ping replied, his voice low.
Cultivators occasionally experienced inexplicable premonitions of impending doom. This might manifest as a sense of unease or a restless soul. The more acute one's perception, the easier it was to sense such omens. Sister Nan was clearly one of those gifted individuals. Old Man Zhou had mentioned that she had predicted crises several times in the past, managing to survive only through her meticulous preparations.
"Little Qi, I am not joking. We had better prepare ourselves. Did you bring any poisons?" Sister Nan looked at him with a grim expression.
"I have them," Qi Ping nodded solemnly.
Seeing her gravity, he knew this was no laughing matter. Fortunately, he had been cautious enough to bring the majority of his Golden Marrow Bees. Besides the hundred hidden on his person, five or six hundred more were concealed in the woods surrounding the market. Having consumed honey with a higher concentration of Blood Ginseng, these bees had seen a significant boost in strength. The thought of his swarm helped settle Qi Ping's trembling heart.
"Good. I brought quite a lot as well. Let's find a secluded spot and decide how to arrange them."
A few moments later, the two ducked into a corner outside the Qingshi Market. They inventoried their lethal supplies: toxic powders, corrosive liquids, and more. Sister Nan stared at the poisons for a long time before finally speaking.
"Little Qi, we will divide these into sixteen portions—eight for each of us. We will hide them on our hands and feet, and coat our weapons in them."
"I have several needle-shaped spirit tools here. We will coat them in the most potent toxin. If the enemy's attention is diverted by the poison dust, immediately find an opening to fire these needles with everything you have."
"If the enemy is truly powerful, you stay behind me. I will draw their focus while you watch for a chance to strike with the poisons."
Sister Nan explained every detail and trick of using the toxins with absolute gravity. She even had Qi Ping rehearse the maneuvers with her several times.
Qi Ping was left stunned. 'Toxins can be used like this?'
According to her methods, even a first-level Qi Condensation cultivator might have a chance to poison a mid-level expert if they caught them off guard. Though the probability was low and relied heavily on timing, Sister Nan was determined to create those openings for him.
Even a mid-level Qi Condensation cultivator couldn't maintain a high-intensity spiritual shield around their entire body indefinitely—the drain on their energy would be too great. If the shield's intensity dropped even for a second, a needle-shaped spirit tool could easily punch through.
If he were to face a version of Sister Nan at his own level without knowing her tricks, Qi Ping estimated he would have an eighty percent chance of being poisoned. Her methods were simply too varied and insidious to defend against.
Old Man Zhou had said she was a master of poisons, but Qi Ping hadn't understood the scale of it until now. Compared to her, he was a mere novice. This served as a chilling reminder: combat in the cultivation world was far more treacherous and terrifying than he had imagined. He was still very green in this regard and vowed to move with even greater caution in the future.
After ensuring there would be no mistakes in their coordination, the two stepped onto the path home with extreme vigilance. To be safe, they even switched to a different back road.
However, this didn't provide much comfort. This type of premonition was like a flicking warning light—it was real, but inconsistent. Changing routes or times might avoid one danger but cause them to walk straight into another. The threat could be on a back road, the main road, or waiting for them if they stayed a night in the market. There was no predictable pattern.
The only thing they could do was follow Sister Nan's lead: act with extreme caution and make every possible preparation.
On the road back, the two were silent, focusing every bit of their concentration on their surroundings. They feared that talk would distract them, allowing a marauder to succeed with a hidden weapon or a sudden ambush.
Qi Ping simultaneously manipulated his Golden Marrow Bees, spreading them out to scout a wide perimeter.
They managed to cover the majority of the journey safely, allowing them to finally exhale a breath of relief. Just a little further and they would be within the boundaries of the Cloud-Mist Mountains. As a primary production zone for the county, the mountains were regularly patrolled by the Qingyuan Sect and the three clans. Marauders rarely dared to act there, as the commotion of a fight would quickly draw an enforcement team.
However, that sigh of relief was short-lived. As Qi Ping followed Sister Nan into a narrow forest path, he suddenly felt something was wrong!
Sister Nan hadn't noticed anything, and the Golden Marrow Bees that had passed through the area earlier hadn't detected any anomalies either. But Qi Ping knew that in this forest, his perception was amplified by his Jungle Druid class. He could doubt anything else, but he could never doubt a Druid's acute connection to the woods!
Without hesitation, he began secretly summoning his swarm, ordering them to prepare for battle. Simultaneously, he reached out and grabbed Sister Nan's arm, halting her in her tracks.
"Sister Nan, something is wrong!" Qi Ping signaled with his eyes.
Though she sensed nothing, she chose to trust him instantly. Her vigilance peaked. She knew Qi Ping's character; he wouldn't do this unless he had truly discovered something. She didn't know how he had sensed it given his level, but some cultivators possessed extraordinary innate talents, and she was one of them herself.
Now was not the time for questions. Just as she was about to whisper to him, two figures suddenly erupted from positions that had previously seemed empty!