Chapter 68: Chapter 66: Coming Out of the Pass

Pei Haibing’s gaze was cold and indifferent. Hearing Su Jie’s words, he slowly walked over to Su Jie.

Swish, swish!

As Pei Haibing passed by, the disciples made way for him, fearful of becoming collateral damage.

“You have an opinion on the way I handle things?”

Pei Haibing’s eyes drooped, the two disciples he had previously killed were completely unworthy of an apology in his eyes.

“Of course not, Brother Pei. I can only admire the way you handle matters,” said Su Jie with a bright smile, brushing the dirt off his hands as he stood up.

Chen Yun and Gu Weonian watched the scene worriedly, afraid that Pei Haibing would, without a second word, kill Su Jie like he did the two other disciples.

“What about you all, does anyone else have an opinion?”

Pei Haibing’s sharp gaze swept over the surrounding area as each disciple promptly lowered their heads.

Who would dare say a word? Only if they were tired of living.

“On this journey, without me, what could you all do? Once we’re outside Ghost Ridge Palace, I am your greatest reliance. Today, I’m going to teach you all a lesson: As long as you have strength, even if I kill you by mistake, you’ll still have to beg me for protection. If you’re going to be a dog, you’d better understand your place and not think you can stand on equal footing with your master.”

With such arrogant words, Pei Haibing didn’t even regard the Outer Disciples as human; they were merely tools to be used and easily disposed of.

The disciples still dared not raise their heads, even if they were furious inside. Facing the power disparity with an Inner Sect disciple, they had no choice but to listen to Pei Haibing’s demeaning speech.

“As for you.”

Pei Haibing’s gaze once again fell on Su Jie, suddenly he patted Su Jie on the shoulder and said, “I don’t like the way you speak. You should learn more from me. As for these Outer Disciples, it doesn’t matter how many of them die.”

This abrupt change stunned all the disciples present.

No one had expected the previously ruthless Pei Haibing to suddenly show Su Jie in such a different light.

For a moment, many disciples looked at Su Jie differently, wondering if the two of them truly had a close and unbreakable bond, otherwise why would Pei Haibing speak to Su Jie, an Outer Disciple, like that.

“Brother Pei, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m a rather kind person by nature. I can’t do such things.”

Su Jie laughed, and behind him, Gu Weonian’s face twitched. How could you have the nerve to say such things! If Meng Dongge had known, he might have risen from his grave to protest.

Pei Haibing’s hand grew slightly heavier on Su Jie’s shoulder, perhaps sensing the sarcasm in Su Jie’s words about his malicious methods. He spoke indifferently, “You will understand what I’m saying in time.”

Su Jie was also an Outer Disciple, and Pei Haibing’s words, showing blatant disregard for the life and death of Outer Disciples, meant that he could kill Su Jie at will.

“Thank you then, Brother Pei, for your guidance. I will seek your advice in the future,” said Su Jie, his smile undiminished, seemingly not understanding the veiled threat because he was certain that Pei Haibing wouldn’t make a move at such an occasion.

Pei Haibing said nothing more, instead, he began storing the bodies of the Alien Ghosts in his waist Storage Bag.

Although he had exerted no effort in the battle with the Alien Ghosts, Pei Haibing was at the forefront when it came to claiming the spoils of war, with a face that said it was only natural. Each Alien Ghost was worth over a thousand Blood Marrow Crystals, causing the envy of countless disciples.

Pei Haibing didn’t care what the Outer Disciples thought, simply minded his own business and left.

However, just as he entered his tent, Pei Haibing’s expression suddenly changed.

“If it weren’t for the Master valuing you so much…”

With cold eyes, Pei Haibing remembered, it was only because Master Taoist Qiu highly regarded Su Jie that he dared not act against Su Jie to his face, instead maintaining an outwardly brotherly facade.

Especially since not long ago, Su Jie had made Taoist Qiu proud. Taoist Qiu had personally bestowed the White Bone Sky Slaying Sword upon Su Jie and even said he would remember Su Jie’s name, a great honor.

If Pei Haibing were to kill Su Jie in the presence of others without restraint, and the news reached Taoist Qiu’s ears, it would be like a slap to Taoist Qiu’s face, and Pei Haibing’s fate would be very grim indeed.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Pei Haibing would not move against Su Jie to his face.

“But not for much longer. As soon as we leave the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace, your fate will no longer be up to you.”

Pei Haibing murmured coldly to himself that once he left Ghost Ridge Palace, he could easily arrange some “accidents” for Su Jie to die in, leaving no one the wiser.

What a pity that Pei Haibing did not know he was not the only one with such thoughts.

……….

After a night of harrowing experiences, the team continued their journey the next day.

For another two days, they traveled through the mountains, passing across treacherous terrains and checkpoints guarded by the Law Enforcement Team.

Perhaps luck was on their side; ever since the encounter with the Alien Ghosts that night, the convoy had not run into a single one, unbelievably reaching the very edge of Ghost Ridge Palace’s domain without incident.

Sigh!

Su Jie pulled at the reins and looked up.

Blocking their path was the last checkpoint before leaving Ghost Ridge Palace’s domain.

If one wished to leave Ghost Ridge Palace, this was the easiest route to take. The other exits involved treacherous locations teeming with demons and Alien Ghosts, places even the Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace would avoid like the plague.

At the checkpoint, three towering watchtowers stood imposingly beside the mountain path.

On these hundred-meter-high stone towers, not only did the elite Law Enforcement Team stand guard, but three Elders also took turns overseeing the area.

The towers themselves provided both living quarters and defensive capabilities. Once a battle commenced, the multiple formations carved into the towers would activate, repelling any invading forces.

Beneath the towers, being the sole passageway between Ghost Ridge Palace and the outside world, traders weary from travel often made temporary stops to rest and prepare before embarking on their journey to the Ghost Ridge Palace Black Market.

Over time, a small town camp formed nearby, modest in structure but fully equipped.

Upon entering the town, Su Jie’s convoy did not stop to rest but continued through the town to the checkpoint formed by the three high towers. They were quickly subjected to inspection.

“Another batch transporting slaves for Liuyun Manor? How many has it been now?”

Dressed in red uniforms that reeked of blood, several members of the Law Enforcement Team flipped through the Task Tokens, and upon verification, one of them picked up a snail.

This snail’s spiral shell featured a ghostly face that seemed to slowly revolve upon closer inspection, its faint crimson eyes nearly sucking one’s soul into its vortex.

Su Jie’s heart skipped a beat as he dared not look any longer, suspecting this was a Mid-grade poisonous insect.

“Everyone, release any restrictions on your Spiritual Power, including you.”

The Law Enforcement Team spoke in an icy tone, showing no courtesy even to an inner disciple like Pei Haibing.

Answerable only to the Sect Master and possessing strengths starting from the Sixth Level of Yunling Realm and above, the team could easily disregard inner disciples, often holding even greater authority than those less-experienced ones.

Once everyone deactivated the automatic circulation of Spiritual Energy within their bodies, the Law Enforcement Team member holding the snail smeared its secreted mucus onto the skin of the disciples.

Su Jie felt a chill on his skin. Without the defense of Spiritual Power, an odd gas penetrated his body and quickly dispersed throughout his limbs and bones.

“This is a Red-eyed Ghost-faced Snail, a Mid-grade poisonous insect. Once it’s mucus is applied, no matter the distance, it can track the scent. So don’t think just because you’ve left Ghost Ridge Palace, you’re free as a bird and can think of escaping never to return. Our execution order is still valid outside the domain of Ghost Ridge Palace. There’s only one path for traitors—death.”

After dropping the chilling warning, the Law Enforcement Team waved their hands, signaling the convoy to move along.

Su Jie barely had time to contemplate the strictness of Ghost Ridge Palace as he passed through the last checkpoint, and suddenly, his view became startlingly clear.

No longer surrounded by towering mountains, the vast plains stretched before him beneath the brilliant blue sky. The grass was soft and lush, like a vast yet delicate green carpet extending to the horizon.

“Qingzhou, the Da Li Dynasty’s largest grain-producing plain, lives up to its reputation.”

Seeing a landscape never visible from within Ghost Ridge Palace’s domain, Su Jie looked back at the rugged mountain path wrapped in clouds, the continuous range of peaks, and realized Ghost Ridge Palace really was like a different world.

For some reason, looking out at the vast plain before him, Su Jie felt a surge of boldness within.

In the half-year since his accidental arrival at Ghost Ridge Palace, this was Su Jie’s first time venturing out. Unknowingly, he had grown from someone who could only hide in cave dwellings at the Mountain Gate, constantly hunting insects and worrying about surviving the next day, to someone not bounded by the constraints of the Second Level of Yunling Realm.

“I wonder what the outside world will be like.”

Breathing the exceptionally fresh air, Su Jie realized that book knowledge was shallow after all. Only by seeing with his own eyes could he truly understand the outside world.