Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

At this moment, Shen Mo appeared on the stone steps of the mountain gate. He was not wearing the sect leader's robe today, but only an ordinary blue shirt. He walked down slowly, holding three palm-sized brocade pouches made of ordinary blue cloth that looked inconspicuous.

Upon seeing this, everyone stood at attention.

Shen Mo walked up to the three of them, his gaze sweeping over their faces one by one, and calmly said, "Everything that needed to be prepared has been prepared. Everything that needed to be explained has been repeatedly instructed. Before you leave, I will give you three more things."

He handed the three blue cloth pouches to Shi Tie, Su Xiao, and Wang Hu respectively.

The three of them accepted the pouch with both hands. When they touched it, the pouch felt light and airy, as if it contained nothing. However, the fabric was slightly cool to the touch, and a very faint, almost invisible "cloud" character was embroidered on it with the same color silk thread.

"These are three brocade pouches." Shen Mo's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Each pouch contains a wisp of my divine imprint and a message. They must not be opened unless it is a matter of life and death. Remember, they must be used only when you are truly on the verge of death, when your mind is completely overwhelmed and you feel there is no way out. If you peek at them beforehand, your divine imprint will be destroyed, and the pouches will become ordinary objects."

Shi Tie squeezed the light, flimsy brocade pouch, scratched his head, and asked, "Sect Leader, what kind of life-saving treasure is inside? A talisman? Or some kind of secret technique?"

Shen Mo shook his head slightly: "It is neither a talisman nor a technique, but merely a word. As for what that word is, you will know in due time. The use of this thing lies not in its power, but in its 'timing'. I hope that you... will never have the day to open this bag."

All three felt a chill run down their spines. The sect leader's words were deeply meaningful. Was this brocade pouch a last resort, a glimmer of hope in despair, or a test?

Su Xiao carefully tucked the brocade pouch into his inner pocket and solemnly said, "Disciple understands! I will strictly follow the Sect Leader's instructions and will not use it unless absolutely necessary!"

Shi Tie and Wang Hu quickly put away the brocade pouch, their expressions becoming even more solemn.

"Go ahead." Shen Mo waved his hand, his tone calm. "It's already Chen Shi (7-9 AM), don't be late."

"Yes! Take care, Sect Leader! Take care, everyone!" Shi Tie, Su Xiao, and Wang Hu bowed deeply towards the mountain gate one last time, then turned around and strode down the stone steps, their figures quickly disappearing into the swirling morning mist.

The people who came to see them off stood there for a long time, until the three figures were completely out of sight, before dispersing with mixed feelings. Li Xiaocao secretly wiped her eyes. Han Lin looked in the direction they had left and sighed softly.

Shen Mo turned around and silently walked back to the main hall of the sect leader. His gaze seemed to have traveled across mountains and rivers and landed on the ruins called "Liuyun Cave".

On the way down the mountain, for the first part, the three were still immersed in the emotions of parting and the excitement of shouldering a heavy responsibility, and silently made their way. But soon, Shi Tie's restless nature could no longer be contained.

"Hey! Junior Sister Su, Junior Brother Wang Hu, what do you think is inside this brocade pouch the Sect Leader gave us?" Shi Tie asked, walking briskly as he couldn't help but pull out the blue cloth pouch, weighing it in his hand and looking at it curiously from left to right. "It's just this light and flimsy thing, and they say it's some kind of divine imprint? I don't feel like there's anything there. Could the Sect Leader be bluffing us?"

Su Xiao frowned and whispered, "Senior Brother Shi, be careful what you say! Since the Sect Leader has given such a serious instruction, there must be a deeper meaning. Quickly put it away, don't lose it!"

She subconsciously touched her chest; the brocade pouch was tied with silk thread and kept close to her body.

Wang Hu said nervously, "Senior Brother Shi, the sect leader is definitely right! Let's keep it safe and hope... hope we won't need it."

Shi Tie chuckled and stuffed the brocade pouch back into his pocket: "I was just curious! Don't worry, I know what's important! But speaking of which, this time it's just the three of us, it feels... hehe, pretty exciting! Finally, we can go all out and do something big!"

Su Xiao shook her head helplessly, but a slight smile appeared at the corner of her lips. Indeed, leaving the mountain gate brought a sense of freedom and responsibility, a feeling of being able to stand on her own. She composed herself and said:

"Senior Brother Shi, Wang Hu, according to the plan, we need to reach the outer perimeter of Liuyun Cave within five days. We need to stop at Qingtai Market to replenish our water supply along the way, and then cross the edge of Black Wind Ridge. The road may not be safe, so we need to be vigilant."

"Understood!" Shi Tie and Wang Hu replied in unison, their expressions turning serious.

The three of them walked quickly, arriving at Qingtai Market around noon. Qingtai Market seemed somewhat different from before. The market entrance was still bustling with people, but when Shi Tie and his companions entered, many eyes turned to them.

Especially when someone recognized Shi Tie's iconic burly figure and heavy iron rod, as well as Su Xiao's aloof and elegant temperament, whispers immediately broke out.

"Look! It's people from the Qingyun Sect!"

Which Qingyun Sect?

"Hey! It's the Qingyun Sect that teamed up to take down that mutated wolf spider in Black Mountain City a few months ago!"

"Yes, yes, yes! That big guy is Shi Tie! I heard he can fight against a near-second-tier demonic beast at the sixth level of Qi Refining!"

"That female cultivator must be Su Xiao, right? They say she's incredibly shrewd and ruthless!"

"Where are they going? Just three people? Traveling light, could they be planning something big?"

"Tsk tsk, the Qingyun Sect is quite something now. I heard they've even forged connections with the Black Mountain City Lord's Mansion and the Zhao family; they're practically 'allies'!"

Though the whispers were faint, they couldn't escape the ears of the cultivators. Shi Tie puffed out his chest even more, and couldn't help but smile. Wang Hu also felt a sense of pride, and unconsciously straightened his back as he walked.

Only Su Xiao remained calm, seemingly oblivious, but a chill ran through him. The sect's reputation had indeed spread. This was both a good thing and meant more attention, and even… potential trouble.

When they bought water and a small amount of dry food in the market, the shop assistants were much more respectful. Some even tentatively asked if they needed a guide or guards, but Su Xiao politely declined.

Even the few rogue cultivators who had set up stalls in the corner of the market, whose eyes seemed to be darting around, looked at the three of them with less of their usual disdain and more of scrutiny and apprehension.

"Looks like the name of our Qingyun Sect is quite effective now!" Shi Tie said with a smug smile after leaving the market.

Su Xiao cautioned, "Senior Brother Shi, with fame comes trouble. Not all these people are benevolent. We need to be extra careful and avoid revealing our whereabouts to attract unwanted attention."

Shi Tie suppressed his smile and nodded, saying, "Junior Sister Su is right! I got carried away."

Passing through the mossy market, one arrives at the sprawling Black Wind Ridge. The mountains become increasingly precipitous, the forests deep and secluded, rarely visited by humans.

Following the map, the three chose a relatively safe path, but they still dared not be careless. Shi Tie led the way, Su Xiao provided support in the middle, and Wang Hu brought up the rear. Everyone spread out their spiritual senses, alert to everything around them.

As expected, they encountered several groups of low-level demonic beasts that dared to attack them, but the three of them easily dealt with them with perfect teamwork. They even sensed the aura of two rogue cultivators who seemed to be robbing travelers in the distance, but the two seemed to recognize their origins, hesitated for a moment, and then quietly retreated without any conflict.

"Hey, it seems the 'Qingyun Sect' signboard really does scare away some scoundrels." Shi Tie flicked the blood off his stick and laughed.

Su Xiao, however, did not relax and reminded him, "It might not be that they're afraid. Perhaps they think the three of us are not easy to deal with, or perhaps... they're waiting for a better opportunity. In any case, we can't let our guard down."