Translator: CinderTL
Shi Man looked genuinely grateful and was about to speak when her expression suddenly changed. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a Communication Jade Slip.
Clearly, someone was sending her a message.
Using her divine sense, she silently transmitted a few messages before storing the jade slip away again.
Qi Luo asked, "Elder Shi Man, is there some urgent matter?"
Shi Man replied, "It's a message from Young Master Chi Pei."
"If Young Master Chi Pei is contacting you, it must be something important. Elder Shi Man, you should return to Veiled Moon Hall immediately," Qi Luo said, glancing deliberately at Song Wen as she spoke.
However, Shi Man didn't comply with her suggestion.
"There's no need to return to Veiled Moon Hall. Young Master Chi Pei is coming here."
"Young Master Chi Pei is coming here?" A flicker of surprise, tinged with excitement, crossed Qi Luo's eyes.
Shi Man nodded and pointed toward the chamber door. The restriction on the chamber immediately dissolved, and the door swung open.
She then led Song Wen and Qi Luo to the chamber entrance, where they stood quietly awaiting Chi Pei's arrival.
Simultaneously, she instructed the Moon-Caressing Pavilion's attendants to clear away the remaining food and dishes from the chamber.
Before long, Chi Pei arrived.
"Greetings, Young Master," Song Wen and the others bowed in unison.
Chi Pei glanced at the three of them before entering the private room and settling into a chair.
"Shi Man and Ye Hua, come in," he instructed.
The trio outside reacted differently to his words.
The excitement in Qi Luo's eyes vanished without a trace.
Song Wen and Shi Man, however, were visibly surprised.
Both entered the room and stood before Chi Pei.
"Young Master, shall I have some spirit banquet and Spirit Wine brought in?" Shi Man asked.
"No need," Chi Pei replied. "Sit down."
"How could a subordinate presume to sit before the young master?" Shi Man protested.
Just moments ago, she had been asking Qi Luo for advice on how to seduce Chi Pei. Now, with his sudden appearance, she felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation, though her expression remained perfectly composed.
"This young master orders you to sit," Chi Pei insisted. "Obey."
Shi Man found an empty chair and sat down, leaving only Song Wen standing.
"Young friend Ye Hua, you should sit too."
Song Wen was taken aback.
In the twenty years since Wu Yuan's death, he had only seen Chi Pei twice, and on both occasions, the young master had completely ignored him. Now, not only had he been invited into the private room, but he was also being personally invited to sit down.
Chi Pei's unusual courtesy must have a reason.
As Song Wen had predicted, Chi Pei spoke after he sat down.
"Shi Man, I recall you mentioned that you and your young friend Ye Hua both hail from Phoenix Feather City?"
Shi Man replied, "Young Master, that is indeed the case."
Chi Pei continued, "Phoenix Feather City borders the Rotting Miasma Ridge. Have you ever heard of a Blood-Eyed Divine Ape dwelling within those mountains?"
"Blood-Eyed Divine Ape?" Shi Man's face showed genuine confusion. "Forgive my ignorance, but I've never encountered such a demon beast. Could you describe its characteristics in detail, Young Master?"
Chi Pei explained, "The Blood-Eyed Divine Ape is as massive as a mountain, possessing boundless strength. Its most distinctive feature is its pair of enormous, crimson eyes that can unleash two beams of blood-red light. These beams possess the power to disrupt spells, nullifying cultivators' techniques and weakening their connection to mystic treasures. Against opponents weaker than the ape, these beams can even completely sever control over mystic treasures. I recently overheard someone mention encountering a fifth-tier Blood-Eyed Divine Ape in the Rotting Miasma Ridge, so I came to you for confirmation."
Shi Man's face showed thoughtful consideration. "Young Master, please forgive my ignorance. This subordinate has never heard of such a demon beast."
Slightly disappointed, Chi Pei turned his gaze to Song Wen. "Then, young friend Ye Hua, what about you?"
Upon hearing the description of the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape, Song Wen immediately recognized it as the giant ape with crimson eyes that he, Ye Bing, and the others had encountered in the Rotting Miasma Ridge.
The giant ape's strength was astonishing. Even when four Divine Transformation Stage cultivators, including Ye Bing, a peak Divine Transformation Stage cultivator, joined forces, they were no match for it.
Reflecting on it now, the ape's name included the word "Divine," suggesting it likely possessed the bloodline of a Divine Beast.
True to Song Wen's nature, he preferred avoiding trouble. Normally, he would never reveal the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape's existence to Chi Pei.
However, today's situation was different.
Chi Pei's refusal to allow Qi Luo into the private room made it clear he didn't want too many people to know about this matter.
If Song Wen proved to be of no value, Chi Pei might resort to eliminating him to silence him.
Elsewhere, Song Wen would have been confident in his ability to escape, even if he couldn't defeat Chi Pei.
However, within Cloudveil City, Song Wen dared not openly oppose Chi Pei.
"Young Master," Song Wen reported, "when I was still in Phoenix Feather City, I attended an exchange meeting where a Divine Transformation Stage Senior mentioned encountering a Giant Ape in the Rotting Miasma Ridge. It stood over a hundred zhang tall, possessed peak fifth-tier strength, and had crimson eyes. Whether this is the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape you seek, this junior cannot confirm."
"That Giant Ape must be the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape," Chi Pei's eyes suddenly lit up.
The Giant Ape described by Song Wen perfectly matched the characteristics of the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape, making it impossible for the story to be fabricated.
"Ye Hua, what was the name of that Divine Transformation Stage cultivator?"
Song Wen replied, "Young Master, please forgive me. I only encountered that Senior by chance. Moreover, the Senior wore a mask that concealed both their face and aura. I have no way of knowing their identity."
"Do you know where this person encountered the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape?" Chi Pei asked.
"The Senior mentioned he had accidentally strayed into the core region of the Rotting Miasma Ridge and encountered the demon beast in a mountain range," Song Wen replied.
A glint flashed in Chi Pei's eyes as he flipped his hand and retrieved a jade slip.
As he channeled his spiritual power into it, the slip emitted a radiant glow, and a topographical map materialized in the air.
Song Wen's eyes narrowed slightly as he realized it was a complete map of the Rotting Miasma Ridge.
This was the first time he had ever seen such a comprehensive map of the region.
Previously, whether it was the maps he had purchased in the Qianchang Wilderness or the route charts provided by the Dual Polarity Sect, they only covered small, fragmented areas, far less complete than the map before him.
Moreover, the map clearly marked the lairs of sixth-tier and seventh-tier demon beasts, as well as various perilous locations.
Song Wen couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "The Divine Blood Gate's power truly runs deeper than anyone can fathom. In the entire Qicang Domain, only the Veiled Moon Hall, a subordinate force of the Divine Blood Gate, could produce such a detailed map of the Rotting Miasma Ridge."
Chi Pei pointed to a steeply rising area on the map, his voice filled with excitement.
"This is likely the only true mountain range in the core region of the Rotting Miasma Ridge. If what that Divine Transformation Stage cultivator said is true, the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape should be somewhere within these mountains."
Song Wen followed Chi Pei's gaze and realized the pointed area was the very mountain range where he had encountered the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape.
The map even named the mountain range: the Nether Miasma Mountain Range.
However, finding the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape within such a vast mountain range would be no easy task.
According to the map, the Nether Miasma Mountain Range varied in width from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of li, yet stretched nearly a hundred million li in length. Moreover, this mountain range was the most miasma-dense region in the Rotting Miasma Ridge, severely hindering cultivators' vision and divine sense perception.
Searching for a single demon beast in such an immense and treacherous area would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Chi Pei clearly recognized this challenge as well. The initial joy from obtaining the Blood-Eyed Divine Ape's trail gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression.
(End of the Chapter)
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