Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The shopkeeper thought carefully and said tremblingly, "Reporting to Sect Leader Shen, that person was not tall, a little hunched over, and his voice was terribly hoarse, like a broken gong..."

"When he was giving me the spirit stones, I saw his hand; it was thin and dry, with long nails that were a bit bluish-purple..."

"Yes, he also had a... faint smell of blood on him, a bit like... like blood tofu that's been sitting out for a while..."

"Gaunt, with bluish-purple nails, and a bloody smell..." Su Xiao mused.

Shi Tie suddenly realized: "I know! If he practices that evil art that sucks people's life essence, his own body can't be in good shape either! He might even be half-human, half-ghost!"

Shen Mo became even more certain. He gave the shopkeeper a few spirit stones as a token of his gratitude, and then led everyone away from the market.

After leaving the market, Shen Mo did not immediately use his escape technique, but instead found a secluded place.

"Sect Leader, shall we head to the depths of the Blackwater Marsh to find that guy now?" Shi Tie rubbed his hands together, eager to get started.

Shen Mo shook his head: "No rush. That evil cultivator is cunning, and his lair must be well hidden. Searching rashly would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Since he needs a large amount of cultivators' essence, blood, and souls, once he succeeds and tastes the sweetness, he will never stop."

Su Xiao's eyes lit up: "Does the sect leader mean... he'll commit the crime again? And he'll most likely choose to do it in or near Qingtai Market again?"

"Not bad." Shen Mo gave Su Xiao an approving look. "The market is crowded and noisy, but he has teleportation abilities and can come and go freely, making it the easiest place to strike. We just need to... wait for him to come to us."

Wang Hu asked worriedly, "But Sect Leader, the market is so big, how can we know who he'll target?"

Shen Mo's lips curled into a mysterious smile: "He needs essence, blood, and soul, so he will naturally choose a cultivator with vigorous blood and energy."

"Moreover, he succeeded too easily last time, so he might choose a more 'high-quality' target next time... such as a lone cultivator who looks to be quite skilled."

He glanced at Shi Tie and Su Xiao and instructed them, "Junior Brother Tie, Junior Sister Xiao, you two conceal your auras and disguise yourselves as rogue cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining. 'Bump into' each other in and out of the market, deliberately revealing some wealth or unique cultivation techniques."

"Wang Hu, take Sun Hao and A Tu and provide cover from the shadows, setting up warning talismans. I will use my divine sense to survey the market from a distance; the moment any unusual spatial fluctuations or strong sinister aura appear, that will be the time for him to make his move!"

"Luring the snake out of its hole?" Shi Tie grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. "That's my specialty! Sect Leader, just you wait and see!"

Su Xiao nodded and said, "This disciple understands and will be careful not to reveal any flaws."

With the plan settled, everyone went their separate ways.

Shen Mo's figure flickered, as if merging into the clouds and disappearing from the spot, but his divine sense, like an invisible net, quietly covered the entire Qingtai Market and the surrounding area.

The range of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine sense far exceeds the imagination of a Qi Refining cultivator.

Over the next two days, the moss market seemed to return to its usual calm, but in secret, an invisible net had already been cast.

Shi Tie disguised himself as a reckless rogue body cultivator and boasted loudly in the tavern that he had just obtained a treasure from some ruin.

Su Xiao disguised himself as a cold and aloof wood-type mage, buying spiritual herbs at the stall and occasionally showing off his exquisite manipulation of spiritual power.

The two, one in the light and one in the shadows, one forceful and one gentle, both exuded an aura that was extremely "tempting" to evil cultivators.

Wang Hu, along with Sun Hao and A Tu, moved like ghosts around the outskirts of the market, placing barely perceptible warning talismans at key points.

Time passed by, and then it was late at night the next day, when the moon was dark and the wind was high!

Shen Mo, who had been shrouding the entire area with his divine sense, suddenly had a glint in his eyes! They're here!

In the eastern part of the market, in a secluded alley near the edge, a sinister aura, extremely subtle yet perceived by him as a beacon in the darkness, suddenly appeared!

At the same time, there was a slight spatial fluctuation!

"Let's do it!"

Shen Mo's telepathic message instantly resounded in the minds of Shi Tie, Su Xiao, Wang Hu, and the others!

Shi Tie, who had been waiting for a long time, burst forth like a tiger released from its cage, his blood and energy exploding, transforming into a streak of light that rushed straight towards the alley!

Su Xiao moved with lightning speed, arriving before anyone else. With a wave of her jade hand, several emerald green vines, like serpents, instantly blocked the sky above the alley!

Almost at the same time, in the alley, a hunched figure in black robes stepped out from a faint blood-red light gate, grabbing at a Qi Refining Level 6 rogue cultivator who was imprisoned by an invisible force and whose face was full of terror!

It was that evil cultivator who bought the Void Stone and Yin Blood Sand!

He never imagined that the target he had carefully chosen was actually a trap!

He never expected that a Foundation Establishment ancestor in the distance had already locked onto his aura!

"Not good!" The black-robed evil cultivator was terrified. He felt Shi Tie's violent blood and Su Xiao's exquisite wood-type binding. Without thinking, he tried to activate the Blood Shadow Escape Talisman to escape!

However, a calm yet supremely authoritative voice exploded in his mind like thunder:

"Certainly."

In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to freeze! The black-robed evil cultivator felt a tightness all over his body, as if he were stuck in a quagmire, unable to move even a finger!

The Blood Shadow Escape Talisman that had just been activated flashed with bloody light and then suddenly went out!

Shen Mo's figure appeared like a ghost above the alley, looking down at him with icy eyes.

"A mere ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator dares to be so insolent in front of me?!"

The black-robed evil cultivator's face was ashen. His bamboo hat slipped off, revealing a gaunt, sallow face covered with strange bluish-purple patterns, his eyes filled with despair and disbelief.

"Build...build the foundation..."

Shi Tie and Su Xiao arrived at this time, one on the left and one on the right, locking him firmly in place.

Wang Hu, Sun Hao, and A Tu also emerged from the shadows, their eyes filled with shock and admiration as they looked at the evil cultivator who had been subdued by the sect leader like a chicken.

Shen Mo, the sect leader of Qingyun Sect and a Foundation Establishment ancestor, swiftly and decisively uncovered the true culprit behind the market massacre! The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Qingtai Market!

When Shen Mo carried the ashen-faced evil cultivator out of the alley with Shi Tie, Su Xiao, and the others, Jin Dadao, Liu Sandao, Zhao Yuanming, and the members of the Deacon Council, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, had a variety of interesting expressions on their faces as they watched the scene before them!

There was shock, shame, and even more profound awe!

"Shen... Sect Leader Shen... you've... caught him already?" Jin Dadao's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

Liu Sandao's face turned pale and then red, and he could no longer utter a single sarcastic remark.

Zhao Yuanming, on the other hand, was beaming with pride.

Elder Zhou of the Deacon was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down his face. He led the group in a grand ceremony of worship, saying, "Sect Leader Shen possesses great supernatural powers and has rid the people of a scourge! Please accept our bow!"

Shen Mo calmly waved his hand, and a gentle force supported everyone:

"It's our duty, no need for formalities. This person will be handed over to the market council for handling; you can decide how to deal with him. I hope that all parties can work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the future."

Having said that, he said no more, flicked his sleeves, and led the Qingyun Sect members away in a beam of light. The people of the market were left behind, staring silently in the direction they had disappeared.

As a result of this incident, Shen Mo's name and the reputation of the Qingyun Sect reached an unprecedented height within a radius of hundreds of miles in the Blackwater Marsh!

The Foundation Establishment Ancestor is not only highly skilled, but also possesses keen insight and extraordinary abilities!

Qingyun Sect has truly become a powerful force that no one in this region dares to ignore!