Trials of the Abyss

Chapter 12: Battle of Wits

Pang Jian blankly shook his head. "I don't know."

When the Eye of Imprint changed, he searched the crowd for the one receiving the information. Unexpectedly, the bronze pendant his father left him had become scorching hot.

Not wanting to reveal his secret, Pang Jian could only feign ignorance.

However, Shangguan Qin was not willing to let the matter drop. "You don't know? The Blood Moon Sect's Eye of Imprint wouldn't have just randomly selected someone like you."

"Enough!" Zhou Qingchen interrupted. He coughed lightly before solemnly asking, "Pang Jian, did you see anything else?"

"Anything else?" Pang Jian pondered seriously, then said, "After the vine-like entities killed the Blood Moon Sect cultivators and devoured their bodies, it retreated into the fissures. It should do the same after it's done with the members of Shangguan Clan."

The expressions on everybody's faces turned grim.

"Is that all?" Zhou Qingchen questioned with a heavy heart.

"The next scene I saw after that was you leading the way there," Pang Jian replied.

With that, the blanks were all filled in. Everything else that Pang Jian had witnessed through the Eye of Imprint, Zhou Qingchen had personally experienced.

The young master of the Zhou Clan recalled how Pang Jian was unaffected by the demonic sound emanating from the stone pile. Now, with the special favor shown by the Eye of Imprint, he speculated that there had to be some profound mystery about Pang Jian that he either could not discern or that could not be logically explained.

As everyone was in deep thought, Pang Jian addressed Shangguan Qin, "It should be safe to go back now. You can go collect the belongings of the deceased."

Shangguan Qin's previously alluring face was filled with panic and helplessness. She had yet to recover from the shock. In a cold tone, she said, "I don't believe a single word coming from your mouth!"

Her prejudice against Pang Jian ran deep. All she could think of was capturing him by any means necessary and prying open the secrets hidden within his heart.

Pang Jian seemed oblivious to her prejudice as he replied, "I'm willing to return and help you retrieve the belongings of the members of the Shangguan Clan."

The hatred in Shangguan Qin's eyes did not diminish. Through gritted teeth, she bit out, "You're so kind."

"We can go together," Pang Jian suggested.

Shangguan Qin hesitated, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, before she said coldly, "I don't believe you."

Pang Jian glanced at the crowd. "What about the rest of you? If you don't believe me, you can join me to go take a closer look."

Zhou Qingchen was surprised. Just as he was about to express his desire to join Pang Jian, he noticed Ning Yao opening her mouth to speak. Thus, he chose to remain silent.

"I'll accompany you," Ning Yao volunteered. Seeing everyone's surprise, she calmly explained, "I believe Pang Jian, but it might still be dangerous, so it would be more prudent for me to accompany him."

"Ning Yao, the situation there is still unclear. It might not be the best idea for you to go," Ning Yuanshan said worriedly.

"Don't worry. If Pang Jian dares to go, why should I be afraid?"

Ning Yao rode her warhorse and approached Pang Jian. She then patted her horse's head and whispered a few words into its ear.

Straightening her slightly protruding chest, she declared, "I'll ride on your horse."

Without waiting for Pang Jian's response, she leaped up, gracefully landing behind Pang Jian. Between Ning Yao and Pang Jian was the bamboo basket on his back, conveniently serving as a barrier that prevented them from getting too close.

She rested both her hands on Pang Jian's waist and urged, "Let's go."

Pang Jian's body and expression noticeably stiffened.

Ning Yao's spiritual power surged secretly in the palms on his waist, revealing her ill intentions. Sharing a horse with her felt extremely uncomfortable. It was like sitting on pins and needles.

"Why aren't we moving yet?" Ning Yao impatiently urged once more.

The spiritual power in her jade-white hands became more wild and violent like a dormant venomous snake preparing to strike.

Pang Jian's heart turned cold. Without a word, he grabbed the reins and moved to spur the horse toward the bone of the Celestial Phoenix.

"Miss Ning, just a friendly reminder. Pang Jian is our guide and knows the Solitary Mountain Range well. I trust him greatly. I hope you'll take good care of him. If something were to happen to him, I'm afraid we won't be able to properly look after Uncle Yuanshan here."

Ning Yuanshan's expression drastically changed. He never expected that Zhou Qingchen would use him to threaten Ning Yao and ensure she would not harm Pang Jian.

Ning Yao snorted coldly. "As the guide hired by my Ning Clan, I'm naturally well aware of his importance. There's no need for you, Young Master Zhou, to remind me."

"That's good to know," Zhou Qingchen said with a smile.

With that, Pang Jian spurred the crimson warhorse, and the pair gradually disappeared from everyone's sight.

After Ning Yao and Pang Jian departed, Ning Yuanshan awkwardly asked with a troubled expression on his face, "Nephew Zhou, Pang Jian is just a hunter. Must you go to such lengths for him? Isn't it a bit much to use me to threaten Little Yao?"

The others also found it puzzling and could not help but listen intently, eager to hear Zhou Qingchen's response.

Even Han Duping and the Zhou Clan's servants found it astonishing that Zhou Qingchen was going out of his way to take special care of Pang Jian.

"As you said, he's just a hunter. But he also just saved all of our lives!" Zhou Qingchen's demeanor turned stern, and he said, "Gratitude and reciprocity. Is this simple principle something that I, a junior, need to teach you? If not for Pang Jian's timely warning, would any of us have made it out alive?"

Zhou Qingchen's words left Ning Yuanshan speechless. As he reflected on the situation, he realized that he might indeed have been in the wrong. Accustomed to superiority and entitlement, he had never once considered those of lower status, such as Liu Qi or the other members of the Ning Clan who had died in the stone pile.

In Ning Yuanshan's eyes, Pang Jian's status was even lower than Liu Qi's. Therefore, it was hard to believe that Zhou Qingchen would use him to threaten his niece for Pang Jian.

Shangguan Qin screamed angrily, "What helped us wasn't the little hunter, but our Blood Moon Sect's Eye of Imprint! If he weren't around, the Eye of Imprint would have chosen me. If I had received the information, I would've also warned everyone to run away. Luo Meng and the members of the Shangguan Clan also would not have died!"

"Senior Shangguan." Zhou Qingchen's expression turned slightly cold. He no longer addressed her as "Aunt Qin," and bluntly rebuked her, "What makes you so sure that the Eye of Imprint would've selected you? Although your cultivation method is from the Blood Moon Sect, you haven't passed their test. You're not a cultivator of the Blood Moon Sect.

"The only reason you can cultivate the Blood Wheel Technique is because the elders of your Shangguan Clan secretly bestowed it upon you. Not even I dare to think that the world revolves around me. What makes you think the Eye of Imprint would've acknowledged you?"

Zhou Qingchen snorted, chuckling coldly from where he sat on his black warhorse. "And you dare to say it's 'our' Blood Moon Sect? Senior Shangguan, you will only have the right to say the words 'our Blood Moon Sect' to me when your name is recorded into the upper world genealogical record."

Shangguan Qin paled upon hearing Zhou Qingchen's words.

Although the young master of the Zhou Clan had always been polite to her and even addressed her respectfully as "Aunt Qin", there was still a significant gap between her Shangguan Clan and the Zhou Clan.

She had neither been acknowledged by nor was she a real member of the Blood Moon Sect. Therefore, she could not use the word "our" when mentioning it.

Zhou Qingchen was indeed one of the top talents in the Fourth World. The Red Mountain Sect had recruited him not long after he was born and his name had been recorded in the Red Mountain Sect's genealogical record.

Her Shangguan Clan could not compare to the Zhou Clan, and she could not compare to Zhou Qingchen. Even her influence was inferior.

Therefore, she could only forcibly suppress her anger and fall into resigned silence.

***

Meanwhile, Pang Jian rode stiffly. Ning Yao's hands were still on his waist, thrumming with spiritual power.

He feared she would lose control and blast his internal organs to pieces. All through the ride, he remained tense, and his forehead was drenched in sweat.

Once they were far out of sight, Pang Jian heard Ning Yao's cold voice near his ear. "Pang Jian. Remember, the money you accepted was from the Ning Clan, not Zhou Qingchen. When danger arises, you should tell me first so we can leave with you! You took our Ning Clan's money and ride our Ning Clan's warhorse, but the first person you told was Zhou Qingchen!"

Ning Yao pinched the flesh on Pang Jian's waist, causing him to inhale sharply. Pang Jian grimaced in pain, fearing that Ning Yao's fingers would release a burst of spiritual power and kill him instantly.

Fortunately, Ning Yao only pinched him. Though he was in excruciating pain, he knew that Ning Yao was just trying to teach him a lesson and not actually trying to kill him.

Pang Jian said in a low voice, "The gray ape was my friend. When I made that clear, Zhou Qingchen tried his best to protect it for me. Meanwhile, you and your uncle said nothing."

"It's your friend, not mine. What does it have to do with me?" Ning Yao coldly chuckled.

Pang Jian chose to remain silent.

Not long after, the warhorse arrived at the brutal scene.

A thick, pungent smell of blood permeated the area in front of them. After Pang Jian stopped, he caught sight of a large skeleton.

The skeleton belonged to Luo Meng. His flesh and organs were gone, and his bones were soaked in blood. Even his eyeballs had been devoured. The hollow eye sockets looked as though they were filled with despair.

The vine-like entities only devoured the flesh of the dead. The belongings of Luo Meng and the other members of the Shangguan Clan were left untouched and scattered around the skeletons.

Ning Yao pinched her nose, shoved Pang Jian, and ordered in a disgusted tone, "Go and help Shangguan Qin retrieve their belongings."

She liked to be clean, and the bloodstained items were simply too disgusting for her. With Pang Jian present, she saw no reason to handle them personally.

"Alright." Pang Jian had already expected this. Dismounting, he collected the items, disregarding the bloodstains as he bound them together with hemp rope.

Ning Yao did not dismount. Instead, she kept a watchful eye on Pang Jian as she studied the skeletal remains and the Formless Sailboat.

She suspected Pang Jian had a hidden motive for returning and doubted he was helping Shangguan Qin out of goodwill.

"I plan to look around in the Formless Sailboat," Pang Jian suddenly said.

This statement confirmed Ning Yao's suspicions. She pretended to ask in surprise, "The Formless Sailboat? Everyone who went to explore it just now died. Are you sure you want to go?"

Pang Jian nodded. "They died because the Eye of Imprint needed fresh blood. It was a blood sacrifice. Now that the Eye of Imprint has exploded, it's safe inside the sailboat's cabin."

After he finished speaking, he turned toward the Formless Sailboat.

"I'll go have a look," Ning Yao declared as she dismounted. Swiftly leaping over the fissures on the ground and heading toward the Blood Moon Sect's Formless Sailboat, she ordered, "You remain here. If there's any strange movement outside, you must inform me immediately!"

Pang Jian frowned. "Alright."

Ning Yao turned her head to see Pang Jian looking despondent. This further convinced her that the Blood Moon Sect had left behind treasures on the Formless Sailboat. Pang Jian likely learned about them through the Eye of Imprint, which was why he insisted on coming back.

"Despite his young age, he's wildly ambitious," Ning Yao muttered to herself. It seemed that this taciturn young man was not so simple after all.