Chapter 57: I Have More Helpers

Chu Chang could tell that Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang was truly jealous.

And jealousy, didn't that mean she had fallen for him?

Thinking of this, Chu Chang felt strange.

Since when had his charm become so great?

Looking at the pleading, even slightly humble look in Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's eyes, Chu Chang let out a long sigh.

To be fair, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang did have many temperaments of a Young Miss—vanity, jealousy, and sometimes a lack of clarity.

But Chu Chang could not deny that during his lowest and most confused days, it was Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang who brought him into the Divine Sword Sect, allowing him to truly step onto the path of Martial Artist cultivation.

This debt of guidance, Chu Chang had always kept in his heart.

"Forget it." Chu Chang reached out and held Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's small hand, which was slightly cold from nervousness, his voice softening. "Since I can help others, I naturally won't forget you. Lingshuang, as long as you listen to me, I guarantee your achievements will be no less than Zhou Linzi's."

Now, he no longer addressed her as Young Miss.

But by her name.

Hearing Chu Chang's personal promise, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang was stunned for a moment, then an expression of immense joy bloomed on her pretty face.

"Chu Chang, you are so good!" Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang excitedly threw herself into Chu Chang's arms, her previous grievances and jealousy vanishing into thin air at this moment.

For the entire next day, Chu Chang did not go out.

He stayed in the courtyard, patiently accompanying Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang.

Chu Chang first carefully examined the flow of her Meridians, made targeted corrections to the flaws in her daily Cultivation Technique, and then spared no effort to expend his own Pure Yang True Qi to personally clear her Meridians.

Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang only felt streams of pure, warm energy pouring into her body endlessly. The barriers that had previously been difficult to overcome were, under the guidance of Chu Chang's spiritual power, broken through one after another as if crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood.

Throughout the day, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang was immersed in the pleasure of her rapidly increasing strength and the happiness of being cared for by Chu Chang. She looked at Chu Chang's focused profile, and her heart was completely tied to him.

A few days passed in a flash.

During this time, Chu Chang's life was quite comfortable.

With the intelligence and tenderness secretly provided by Zhou Linzi, and the delicious meals and attentive service provided by Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang every day, his cultivation, with the assistance of the two women, had reached a new level in both Physical Body strength and spiritual power purity.

However, Chu Chang had not forgotten his primary role!

He was currently still just a probationary Disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall.

The word "probationary" meant he could be dismissed at any time for failing assessments; only by truly establishing merit could he become an official Law Enforcement Disciple with real power.

On this day, Chu Chang changed into the black training suit representing the Law Enforcement Hall, wore a standard long sword at his waist, and came to the side hall of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Passing through the solemn corridor, Chu Chang entered the inner chamber of the side hall and met the captain he hadn't seen for many days, Senior Sister Xu Shuang.

Senior Sister Xu Shuang was sitting behind the desk reading Sect files. Seeing Chu Chang enter, she put down the Jade Slip in her hand, and her sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, swept over Chu Chang.

"Hmm? Your Qi is contained, thick and steady. Your strength, brat, seems to have improved quite a bit again?"

A flash of surprise crossed Senior Sister Xu Shuang's eyes.

She had thought that after the battle at the Life-and-Death Arena, Chu Chang would need a period of recuperation, but she didn't expect that in just a few short days, Chu Chang's aura would actually become even more unfathomable.

"Thanks to Senior Sister Xu Shuang, I have made a slight Breakthrough." Chu Chang bowed, appearing very humble.

"Enough, no need for such pleasantries in front of me." Senior Sister Xu Shuang stood up, her expression gradually becoming serious. She picked up a blood-red Jade Slip from the table and handed it to Chu Chang.

"I called you here today because I have an official mission to give you. For you, this is both a test and an opportunity to become a full-fledged Law Enforcement Disciple."

Chu Chang's expression became solemn, and he received the Jade Slip with both hands: "Please, Senior Sister, give your instructions."

Senior Sister Xu Shuang said in a deep voice: "The file records a traitor from our Outer Sect named Zhao Meng. This person hid extremely well and suddenly defected from the Sect the day before yesterday. Before fleeing, he not only brutally murdered three female Disciples of the Outer Sect but also plundered all the cultivation resources they had accumulated."

Hearing "brutally murdered female Disciples," Chu Chang slightly frowned: "Why would this person be so insane?"

"This is the key point." Senior Sister Xu Shuang sneered, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "When our Law Enforcement Hall searched Zhao Meng's residence, we discovered letters of private contact between him and Senior Brother Huang, whom you killed previously. This person is highly likely to be an accomplice of Senior Brother Huang! Behind them, it seems they were secretly cultivating some kind of vicious blood-path Cultivation Technique that requires a large amount of Yin essence and vital blood from female Disciples as a catalyst."

Chu Chang's heart chilled, and he instantly connected the clues.

No wonder Senior Brother Huang had been so persistent back then; it turned out there was a hidden line involving the trafficking and harming of female Disciples behind it.

"According to clues, Zhao Meng is currently hiding in the 'Black Wind Valley' area, a hundred miles away from the Sect, attempting to cross the border and flee to the territory of the Demonic Path Sect. Once he escapes there, the Sect's reputation will be completely ruined."

Senior Sister Xu Shuang patted Chu Chang's shoulder and looked at him solemnly: "Chu Chang, this person's strength is around the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, and his methods are ruthless. Since this involves the remnants of Senior Brother Huang's party, this mission is best suited for you. I want to see him alive or dead! As long as you bring back his head, you will be an official Disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, and then, the Sect's resource rewards will certainly not be lacking."

"This Disciple accepts the order and will definitely not disgrace the mission!"

Chu Chang did not hesitate at all, immediately cupped his hands, a sharp Killing Intent flashing in his eyes.

Cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots—this had always been his principle of conduct.

Since this Zhao Meng was a remnant of Senior Brother Huang's party and also involved a hidden danger to those around him, he had to die.

Chu Chang put away the blood-red Jade Slip, turned around, and strode out of the Law Enforcement Hall's side hall.

Chu Chang's figure moved like the wind, quickly leaving the territory of the Divine Sword Sect.

He did not alert Zhou Linzi or Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang. As a Martial Artist, he was used to being alone. Moreover, this mission was an assessment from the Law Enforcement Hall for him; the more people who knew, the higher the risk of his whereabouts being leaked.

However, the moment Chu Chang's figure disappeared at the end of the Sect's mountain path, a figure slowly walked out from a corner of shadows in the Law Enforcement Hall's side hall.

This person was wearing a luxurious brocade robe with a sinister expression; it was Senior Brother Song Qing, who hated Chu Chang to the bone.

Senior Brother Song Qing stared fixedly at the direction Chu Chang had left, a cruel and gleeful sneer slowly curling the corners of his mouth.

"Chu Chang, you have finally left…"

Senior Brother Song Qing muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with crazy malice.

In order to obtain the cursed artifact in Chu Chang's hands, he had exhausted all his efforts and even used some connections to learn about this probationary assessment task assigned by Senior Sister Xu Shuang.

"Black Wind Valley… truly a good place to bury bones. A probationary Disciple accidentally encountering a counterattack from a traitor while out on a mission and dying in battle—this method of death is reasonable, isn't it?"

Senior Brother Song Qing snorted coldly, his figure flickering, turning into an afterimage, and he quickly sped off in the direction Chu Chang had left.

The mountain forest was dense, with ancient trees reaching the sky.

Chu Chang was dressed in black, moving through the forest like an agile black panther.

His speed appeared extremely fast, but if one observed carefully, they would find that every step he took was measured. The Extreme Yang True Qi within his body circulated slowly, feeding all the subtle movements in the surrounding world back into his mind.

From the moment he left the Sect ten miles away, he had faintly felt that there was an obscure aura with intense Killing Intent trailing behind him.

The other party had clearly used some kind of Magic Treasure or secret technique to conceal their aura, thinking they were doing it unnoticed.

But in front of Chu Chang's powerful Divine Sense, which far exceeded those of the same realm and had been nourished by the fusion of Divine Soul, such tracking methods appeared full of flaws.

However, Chu Chang did not expose them on the spot, nor did he slow down; instead, he deliberately headed towards even more remote and desolate mountain wilderness.

Two sticks of incense time later.

Chu Chang had completely left the scope of the Sect's patrols and arrived at the entrance of a canyon with dangerous terrain and jagged rocks.

Everything around was silent, with only the whistling wind echoing between the rock crevices, appearing somewhat eerie.

Just then, Chu Chang suddenly stopped.

He stood at the edge of a cliff, standing with his hands behind his back, the strong wind blowing his black clothes until they rustled.

"Having followed for so long, aren't you tired? Come out."

Chu Chang spoke calmly, his voice spreading through the empty canyon.

As soon as his voice fell, the Void Realm slightly distorted in the shadow of a giant rock behind him.

Immediately after, a burst of malicious, strange laughter came over: "Hahahaha! Worthy of being a Genius who could kill Senior Brother Huang, your vigilance is quite good."

Senior Brother Song Qing's figure slowly appeared.

He held a long sword in his hand that emitted a faint fluorescence, his face full of arrogance and mockery, as if victory was already in his grasp.

He took a few steps forward, blocking all routes for Chu Chang to retreat to the Sect, his eyes filled with cruel glee.

"Chu Chang, hehe, didn't expect this, right?"

Senior Brother Song Qing stared fixedly at Chu Chang, wanting to see an expression of panic, fear, or regret on the face of this once-arrogant opponent.

To ensure there was no mistake, he not only chased him himself but also carried a life-saving trump card bestowed by his Master.

In his view, no matter how strong Chu Chang was, he was just a Martial Artist who had just broken through not long ago. In this wilderness, without the protection of the Sect's rules, crushing him to death would be as simple as crushing an ant.

However, what disappointed Senior Brother Song Qing, and even made him feel a trace of anger, was…

Chu Chang slowly turned around. On that handsome face, not only was there no panic, but instead, there was a playful smile.

"I did expect it." Chu Chang looked at Senior Brother Song Qing, his tone as calm as if he were catching up with an old friend. "Or rather, I actually expected it a long time ago."

Senior Brother Song Qing's smile instantly froze on his face, his brows locked tight: "Stop putting on an act here! You expected it long ago? If you expected it long ago, would you still dare to drill into this wilderness alone? Do you think someone will come here to save you?"

"Save me?"

Chu Chang chuckled and shook his head.

"Senior Brother Song Qing, you overestimate yourself and underestimate me. I deliberately walked here not to give others a chance to save me, but to choose… a burial place with good feng shui for you."

As Chu Chang spoke, he slowly drew the standard long sword from his waist.

The sword blade left the scabbard, emitting a crisp sword hum that reverberated in the cold air.

"You are courting death!"

Completely enraged by Chu Chang's contemptuous attitude, Senior Brother Song Qing's face flushed red, and his whole body's spiritual power erupted with a boom.

The tyrannical pressure of the third level of the Qi Refining Realm spread wantonly, shattering the surrounding gravel into powder.

"A probationary Disciple who relied on luck and crooked ways to rise, yet dares to be rampant in front of me! Today, I will let you know just how big the gap between the Inner Sect and the Outer Sect is!"

"Hmm, you are very powerful, but unfortunately, I have more helpers."

As the words fell, Senior Sister Xu Shuang and Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue walked out.