Chapter 31 – He Chen Qi Descends
Above the Broken Jade Forest, clouds drifted in solemn procession. The wind teased the treetops, blind to the storm unraveling below.
A lone figure glided overhead on a silver-blue flying sword, robes lined with pale jade thread. A shimmering jade token at his waist pulsed softly, bending light around him.
With a flicker, his features shifted—cheekbones reformed, skin tone faded, and dark hair dulled to ash-gray.
> [Artifact Activated: Rank 5 Illusion Tool – Unfamiliar Face]
Liu Guan Yi vanished.
In his place stood a calm, sharp-eyed young man in silver: He Chen Qi.
Below, chaos tore through the underbrush. Two young cultivators sprinted through the dense jungle. The first was red-haired, lean, and fire-eyed. Each step cracked the soil beneath, flames dancing along his arms. Beside him, a tall white-haired girl flowed like moonlight—graceful, composed, and still unsheathing no blade.
Behind them, a black-silver blur cut through the trees. A Rank 5 elder pursued with killing intent—his aura thick and suffocating.
Liu Guan Yi narrowed his eyes behind the mask.
> Du Yansheng… mid Rank 5. Du Clan enforcer. Arrogant, reckless, greedy. Not worth a head-on clash.
He studied the pair below.
> Red-haired boy… no sword aura, but that strength and fire—Strength Path. Unrefined, but potent.
Girl—Sword Path. Steady, pure. Both cloaked in fortune… especially him.
A faint purple shimmer danced behind the red-haired boy's back, almost hidden.
> ...Purple luck? Hidden by interference. Hm.
No time to linger.
He Chen Qi leaned forward, descending like a hawk. Wind spiraled as he dropped—his form flickering through trees, bypassing branches like mist.
A heartbeat later, he appeared behind the fleeing pair.
Two hands shot out.
"What the—?!"
The red-haired boy spun, flames flaring to life. His dagger slashed upward—
Blocked.
A palm like water met the blade, absorbing its force and redirecting it harmlessly.
"Quiet," He Chen Qi said.
A pulse of sword intent shimmered. In a blink, he seized both by their collars and vanished—dragging them into a burst of wind essence. Branches blurred. The mist thickened.
They crossed into the Third Layer.
—
The forest changed.
Ordinary trees were replaced by towering spiritwoods, their bark veined with energy. The ground shimmered faintly. Luminescent fungi lit the fog in hues of violet and green.
He Chen Qi released them in a mossy glade.
The red-haired boy rolled to a knee, fire already rising across his skin.
"Who the hell are you?!"
The white-haired girl placed a hand on his arm. "He saved us."
"I didn't save you," He Chen Qi replied coolly. "I pulled you here. I want answers."
The boy narrowed his eyes. "We're not answering to a masked stranger."
He Chen Qi raised two fingers.
A thread of sword energy sang through the air, severing a few red strands from Zhou's hair.
The boy paused. Then smirked.
"…That so?"
"I'm Yan Qing'er," the girl said, voice like snowfall. "He's Zhou Fang. We're from the border provinces."
He Chen Qi's eyes narrowed. "And why was a Du Clan elder chasing you?"
Zhou shrugged, expression casual. "Found some golden quicksand in a beast pit. He showed up late and claimed it was his."
"He attacked first," Yan Qing'er added softly. "We just ran."
> Golden quicksand... body-refining treasure. Rare, unstable. Explains Zhou's raw strength.
No wonder Du Yansheng snapped.
"You ran with it?"
Zhou tilted his head. "Better than dying."
He Chen Qi stared for a moment, then chuckled.
"You've got guts."
Zhou folded his arms. "You didn't bring us here out of kindness. What do you want?"
Smart.
"I want a share," He Chen Qi said plainly. "Of what you find next. You two have talent. I'll keep us alive. That's the deal."
Yan Qing'er glanced at Zhou.
The red-haired boy's lips curled in a lazy smile. But his eyes gleamed with hidden calculation.
"And if we say no?"
He Chen Qi turned slightly. "Then I leave. Du Yansheng finds you by nightfall. Assuming the beasts don't first."
A beat of silence.
"…Fine," Zhou said at last. "We'll share."
Yan Qing'er nodded. "Agreed."
"Good." He Chen Qi gestured west. "That ridge has thinner beast signatures. Safer. For now."
Zhou raised a brow. "You can track that?"
"I've trained for this."
Zhou didn't argue, but his gaze lingered a little longer than before.
They moved.
Fog wrapped around twisted roots and glowing vines. Twice, He Chen Qi diverted them from beast dens. Once, a four-eyed fox leapt from the brush—He Chen Qi killed it in one stroke before it landed.
Zhou stared at the fallen creature, then at him.
"You're strong," he muttered. "But you're not just a wanderer."
"I never said I was."
Zhou smirked faintly. "Right. Just another mysterious sword cultivator who senses beast auras, slashes faster than I can blink, and hides his face."
He Chen Qi said nothing.
Yan Qing'er whispered, "Thank you. For earlier."
He Chen Qi didn't look back. "Don't thank me yet."
But inwardly, he smiled.
> The girl is pure. The boy's bolder than I thought—
…and sharper. He's watching. Measuring.
I'll tread carefully.
As night deepened, the mist shifted.
Shadows stirred ahead—three beast forms, hulking and lean.
Zhou cracked his knuckles. "Time to hunt?"
He Chen Qi drew his sword, a whisper of silver in the dark.
"Time to test our deal."
They advanced.