Chapter 976: Chapter 976

The mountainous path was complicated, but for Ye Qing, it was nothing to worry about. After all, while he was at the border, his principal activities had always taken place in the mountains.

With the Seven-Star Ancient Sword in hand, Ye Qing stealthily made his way through the mountain forest. Silent as a nocturnal cat, he crept toward the direction of the sound. After walking for about ten minutes, Ye Qing finally arrived at the vicinity of the source of the noise.

In the midst of the forest, there was an open space roughly ten meters wide. In the clearing, three men were currently standing. Judging by their expressions, the three men appeared to be hostile to each other.

Around the clearing, there were more than twenty other people standing in three separate groups. Among one group stood a tall and strikingly beautiful woman. Unfortunately, Ye Qing had arrived very early today; otherwise, he would have known that this woman was none other than the sister of the masked Fire Sang girl. The people by her side were members of the Huo Family, and the man standing at the forefront of their group was actually their father.

These three groups seemed to have met by chance and were now in a tense standoff. Judging by their posture, it appeared that a fight could break out at the slightest provocation.

Witnessing the situation, Ye Qing understood that these people were surely not here for him; most likely, it was old enemies running into each other.

Seeing they weren't targeting him, Ye Qing initially intended to leave quietly. However, at that moment, another strange howl emanated from the scene.

Ye Qing had already heard this sound multiple times today. Truth be told, he was genuinely curious about it. So, as soon as the howl rang out, he instinctively turned his head to see what might be causing it.

As Ye Qing turned his head, many people at the scene simultaneously looked toward his direction. The crowd carried faces full of suspicion and wariness, as though they had somehow sensed Ye Qing's hidden presence and turned accordingly. Despite Ye Qing's careful concealment, it seemed these people had purposely sought him out, making his hiding spot almost useless.

Sure enough, as the crowd looked over, some immediately spotted Ye Qing lurking amidst the trees. One man instantly shouted in a deep voice, "Someone's here!"

Hearing this, Ye Qing's expression changed slightly. He had no idea what was happening. Despite being extremely cautious, how had they still discovered him?

"Hmph, looks like you're a Han person!" A man in the clearing said coldly in Mandarin, "How dare you spy on a Gu Master's Gu Battle! Miao people would never stoop to such behavior!"

Fire Sang girl's father also sneered coldly, "This man clearly knows little about Miao Borderlands. The Gu insects of the Great Gu Master can sense any unfamiliar presence around them. He thinks he can sneak in undetected? Hmph, no matter how well he hides, he cannot escape my Zi Ying's nose!"

Upon hearing this exchange, Ye Qing immediately realized his mistake. He hadn't expected the Gu Master's Gu insects to possess such abilities. It seemed that the strange cry from earlier was actually a warning to the Miao people that someone had arrived—that was why they all turned to look his way.

Since he had been discovered, Ye Qing abandoned the idea of continuing to hide. He placed the Seven-Star Ancient Sword among the trees, walked out bare-handed, and raised his hands, saying, "Apologies for disturbing you, friends. However, please rest assured that I mean no harm."

But as Ye Qing stepped forward, all eyes focused sharply on him. His words seemed to have no impact whatsoever—the surrounding crowd continued to glare hostilely at him, with no one responding to his statements.

Ye Qing had long anticipated that these Miao people would be difficult to deal with, so he wasn't discouraged. Smiling slightly, he stepped forward two more paces and said, "Everyone, I've come to the Miao Borderlands to find a friend of mine. I wonder if any of you happen to know them!"

Finally, one of the three men standing in the center spoke up and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

When a member of the Miao people began speaking, Ye Qing couldn't help but feel a flicker of joy. It was undoubtedly a good start.

Clearing his throat, Ye Qing said, "I'm looking for a Gu Master in Miao Borderlands named Mu Chen. Do any of you know him?"

At those words, the crowd's expressions immediately changed drastically. Fire Sang girl's father asked in a deep voice, "You know Mu Chen!?"

"Does this uncle know Mu Chen, the Gu Master?" Ye Qing's excitement grew, and he hurriedly said, "He is a friend of my master. My master sent me here to find him. Please, can any of you tell me where Mu Chen, the Gu Master, might be?"

"Your master's friend?" Fire Sang girl's father frowned and replied coldly, "Mu Chen has Han friends? Hmph, are you trying to deceive us?"

"Of course not!" Ye Qing exclaimed urgently, "My master personally told me to come to Miao Borderlands and find Mu Chen, the Gu Master, for assistance."

"Hmph, your master must be trying to harm you!" Fire Sang girl's father said coldly. "Everyone in Miaojiang Seventy-Two Dong knows that Mu Chen hates Han people the most. If he were to encounter a Han person, he'd kill them on sight. And your master told you to seek him? How laughable—you were sent here to die!"

Ye Qing stood stunned upon hearing this. It was Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun himself who had instructed him to find Mu Chen. Ye Qing had assumed that Mu Chen was one of the few Miao people with a friendly relationship toward Han people. But who would have thought he was actually the most hostile to Han people within the entire Miaojiang Seventy-Two Dong? What on earth was going on here? Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun wouldn't possibly be setting him up for harm, would he?

"Uncle, are you sure the Mu Chen you're talking about isn't a different person than the one I'm looking for?" Ye Qing said. "My master personally told me to seek Mu Chen, the Gu Master, and he assured me that he knew him. My master claimed Mu Chen, the Gu Master, would undoubtedly assist us. That doesn't sound like the same person you're describing!"

"Ridiculous!" Fire Sang girl's father snapped, "There's only one Mu Chen Gu Master in the entire Miaojiang Seventy-Two Dong. How could I be mistaken?"

"That can't be right. Are you saying there aren't any other people in Miaojiang with the same name?" Ye Qing asked incredulously.

Another man said in a deep voice, "There are very few people in Miaojiang who can truly call themselves Gu Masters. There's no one here who shares the same name."

"Enough giving him the benefit of the doubt. Han people are always deceitful. This Han person must be trying to trick us again!" A third man said coldly, "He stealthily hid in the shadows, obviously trying to steal the secrets of our Miao Borderlands' Gu techniques. Such a person cannot be allowed to live!"

"Kill him!" Fire Sang girl's father bellowed in a deep voice. He raised a hand, signaling those around him to rush toward Ye Qing.

"Everyone, let's calm down…" Seeing the threatening crowd approach, Ye Qing hurriedly backed up several steps and said anxiously, "I truly mean no harm. If you don't wish to provide any information, I'll leave immediately."

"Hmph, you've trespassed deep into Miao Borderlands, and now you think you can simply leave?" The third man sneered, "Impossible!"

Following this man's command, his group advanced toward Ye Qing. Similarly, the second man ordered his people to charge in as well. In an instant, over twenty individuals rushed toward Ye Qing, their aggressive posture causing him mounting concern.

The Miao people were different from the Han people. If it were merely twenty Han persons, it wouldn't be an issue for Ye Qing. But the Miao operated differently—they relied heavily on their Gu insects. Ye Qing had already suffered at the hands of Gu insects during his time here, and he now harbored a deep-seated dread toward them. Faced with this many Miao people advancing, Ye Qing couldn't help but feel increasingly uneasy. Truth be told, if all of them released their Gu insects, Ye Qing wouldn't even know how to evade them!

Before long, Fire Sang girl's sister led a group toward Ye Qing, stopping about fifty meters away. The creature entangled in her hair suddenly jumped down, perched on her shoulder, and began hissing fiercely at Ye Qing.

Fire Sang girl's sister paused briefly in surprise, then widened her eyes and stared hard at Ye Qing, speaking in a deep voice, "You are the Han person who killed in the boulder field, aren't you!?"

"You… how did you know?" Ye Qing asked, flabbergasted. These Miao people were truly too strange!

"Shameless Han person, how dare you stain Miao Borderlands with bloodshed! I'll kill you!" Fire Sang girl's sister roared furiously, letting out a resonant howl. The creature perched on her shoulder—neither snake nor lizard—immediately leapt to the ground and charged toward Ye Qing.

This creature was unlike anything Ye Qing had ever encountered. Seeing it rush toward him, he instinctively retreated several steps, ducking behind the tree where he had placed the Seven-Star Ancient Sword. Yet the creature was relentless, heading directly for Ye Qing and lunging at his feet.

Ye Qing couldn't let the creature get close. As it pounced, he quickly raised his foot and kicked it away. Though small, the creature flew fifteen meters, tumbling several times on the ground before swiftly recovering, as if unharmed, and continuing its attack on Ye Qing.

Observing this, Ye Qing's eyes widened in disbelief. Being kicked so far yet shrugging it off—this creature's resilience was simply astonishing.

Fire Sang girl's sister smirked triumphantly and said, "Hmph! My Snake Lizard is an exotic breed personally cultivated by my father. Its skin is impervious to blades and bullets, and it possesses unparalleled strength. A mere Han person like you is nothing more than a meal for this Snake Lizard!"

The surrounding crowd froze in place, their attention firmly fixed on the Snake Lizard's attack against Ye Qing. Many showed expressions of amazement, seemingly awestruck by the creature's ferocity.

Ye Qing managed to kick the Snake Lizard away twice more, but it continued to charge at him without hesitation. Finally, Ye Qing could no longer hold back and said in a commanding voice, "Young lady, quickly rein in your Gu insect. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

"You should've shown no mercy from the start!" Fire Sang girl's sister sneered. "What now? Are you trying to scare me with empty threats? Hmph! If you can defeat my Snake Lizard, I'll admit defeat!"