Chapter 60: Sect Traitor

In truth, upon hearing this, how could Chu Chang not know? Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue claiming it was noisy outside was a pretext; the key point was that she wanted to find him!

A moment later, Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue walked in.

That night, it was a sleepless night.

Several days later, sunlight pierced through the heavy, overcast clouds, casting its weak rays upon a wasteland filled with jagged rocks.

On the outermost edge of Black Wind Valley sat a small border town named Black Water Town.

This place was a notorious lawless zone. Due to its proximity to the treacherous and unforgiving Black Wind Valley, the town was shrouded year-round in a faint scent of blood and decay.

Both sides of the street were lined with low, crude stone houses. The people coming and going were mostly in a hurry, each exuding a fierce aura, their eyes flickering with vigilance and ruthlessness.

They were either mercenaries who licked blood off the blade, wanted criminals with nowhere left to run, or black market merchants here to fence stolen goods.

In order to avoid attracting attention, Chu Chang and Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue had changed out of their conspicuous Divine Sword Sect Disciple attire before entering the town.

At this moment, Chu Chang wore a slightly worn gray coarse-cloth robe, with a seemingly ordinary iron sword hanging at his waist. His complexion was sallow, and his entire body radiated the aura of an ordinary Loose Cultivator at the Body Refining Realm!

As for Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue, she wore a bamboo hat draped with a black veil, concealing her stunningly beautiful face. She was swathed in a loose, baggy cyan Daoist robe that completely hid her graceful figure, disguising her as a taciturn female companion.

The two walked side-by-side along the muddy street, seemingly strolling aimlessly, but in reality, they were listening to all directions and observing everything around them.

"We cannot ask directly when inquiring about the whereabouts of Zhao Meng," Chu Chang said, lowering his voice to transmit his thoughts to Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue beside him as they walked. "Zhao Meng betrayed the Sect and stole important items; he must be like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow right now. If we ask about his name directly, within half an hour, we will attract the attention of those Demonic Path eyes and ears within Black Wind Valley."

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly, a look of approval flashing in her beautiful eyes beneath the bamboo hat.

She realized that not only was Chu Chang's strength formidable, but his experience and cunning in navigating the Jianghu were so seasoned that he didn't seem like a young Disciple who had only recently joined the Sect.

"Then how should we proceed?" Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue asked via voice transmission.

"Let's go to a tavern or a black market exchange. In such places, information is most mixed, and it is easiest to pry mouths open with Spirit Stones." Chu Chang's eyes shifted slightly as he pointed toward a stone house ahead, which hung a tattered tavern flag and emitted waves of noise. "Let's go, let's check that place out."

This tavern was named the One-Eyed Dragon Tavern.

Upon entering, the smell of inferior diluted alcohol mixed with the stench of sweat and blood rushed to meet them. Around a dozen dilapidated wooden tables sat various Loose Cultivators.

Chu Chang led Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue to an empty table in the corner and sat down.

"Innkeeper, bring a pot of the strongest Burning-Knife Liquor, and slice two catties of cooked beef!" Chu Chang slapped the table and shouted in a rough, coarse voice, looking exactly like a low-level Loose Cultivator who had spent years fighting outside and possessed a rugged personality.

"Coming right up, honored guest, please wait a moment!" A one-eyed innkeeper responded, and soon brought over the liquor and meat.

Chu Chang took out a few Low-Grade Spirit Stones of average quality and toyed with them in his hand, speaking to the innkeeper as if unintentionally: "Innkeeper, we siblings came all the way from the east, intending to go into Black Wind Valley to gather some 'Black Heart Grass' in exchange for cultivation resources. But having just arrived in town, we feel the atmosphere is off. Why are there so many inspection checkpoints from the Sects on the road? Has something big happened in Black Wind Valley recently?"

The one-eyed innkeeper looked at the Spirit Stones in Chu Chang's hand, a glimmer of greed flashing in his murky eyes.

He wiped the table nonchalantly and lowered his voice, saying: "Heh, little brother, you are quite well-informed. Take my advice: do not enter the valley these next two days."

"Oh? Why is that?" Chu Chang casually slipped two Spirit Stones into the innkeeper's palm.

The innkeeper accepted the Spirit Stones, his expression immediately becoming much more enthusiastic. He leaned in and whispered: "To tell you the truth, there was a big commotion in the valley the day before yesterday. I heard it was a powerful outsider Loose Cultivator who offended the Divine Sword Sect and was pursued all the way by experts from the Divine Sword Sect. But that guy is quite a ruthless character; despite being heavily injured, he actually forced his way into the Ten Thousand Poison Cave area deep within Black Wind Valley, and now his life or death is unknown."

Chu Chang's heart stirred, but he feigned surprise on his face: "Forced his way into the Ten Thousand Poison Cave? Isn't that place filled with poisonous fog and rampant Yao Beasts? Isn't that person just seeking death by going there?"

"Who's to say it isn't? However, I heard that person has a treasure in his possession that can ward off all poisons. So, these past two days, not only are people from the Divine Sword Sect guarding the valley entrance, but even several Demonic Path forces within the valley, such as the lackeys of the 'Blood Evil Sect' and the 'Hundred Poison Sect,' are secretly searching for his whereabouts, all wanting to seize the treasure he has on him. The valley is a complete mess right now; with your cultivation, you wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth if you went in!"

Chu Chang and Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue exchanged a glance, both seeing realization in each other's eyes.

This pursued outsider Loose Cultivator was nine times out of ten the traitor Zhao Meng!!!

And that treasure capable of warding off all poisons was likely the Sect secret treasure he had stolen from the Divine Sword Sect.

Chu Chang pretended to be frightened, shrank his neck, slipped over another Spirit Stone, and lowered his voice to ask: "Many thanks for the pointer, Innkeeper. However… since that person entered the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, how do those Demonic Path forces and Sect Disciples know he hasn't died yet? Is there some concrete clue?"

The innkeeper chuckled and said mysteriously: "You asked the right person for that. Last night, several peripheral Disciples of the Blood Evil Sect carried two heavily injured people back to the town's medical clinic. I have an old flame who works at the clinic, and she told me that those two wounded were injured by a guy wielding a heavy sword and missing a little finger on his left hand in the 'Mist Forest' on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave using thunderous means. That heavy sword and the missing finger—don't those characteristics match up perfectly?"

Upon hearing the words "wielding a heavy sword and missing a little finger on his left hand," Chu Chang and Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue were both shaken.

These were precisely Zhao Meng's most prominent physical characteristics!

"So that's how it is. Many thanks, Innkeeper. We really dare not go to Black Wind Valley now. Once we finish eating and drinking, we will head back home." Chu Chang cupped his hands in a salute, revealing an expression of lingering fear.

"A wise choice. Preserving one's life is paramount." The innkeeper patted Chu Chang's shoulder and left happily, stashing the Spirit Stones away.

Once the innkeeper was far away, Chu Chang raised his wine cup and took a sip, speaking to Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue in a very low voice: "Senior Sister, the clues match up. Zhao Meng is currently hiding in the area between the 'Mist Forest' and the 'Ten Thousand Poison Cave' deep in Black Wind Valley. However, the Blood Evil Sect and other pursuit squads from the Divine Sword Sect should have their eyes on that place as well; we must act quickly."

Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue's face beneath the bamboo hat appeared somewhat grave: "The Mist Forest is filled with toxic fog and is easy to lose one's way in. Coupled with the interference of Demonic Path forces, this battle is likely to be even more dangerous than dealing with Senior Brother Song Qing. Chu Chang, what do you intend to do?"

Chu Chang set down his wine cup, a cold, sharp glint like a hunter eyeing their prey flashing in his eyes.