I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

At this moment, Xia Jinghong tugged at her sleeve and said, "That Xiangling is strange. I feel like she's the tentacle monster that attacked me that night."

"Ah? I see!" Qin Rufeng exclaimed in realization.

Then it dawned on him that Zeng Yuzhen had joined the Red Moon Sect.

This makes sense.

The members of the Crimson Moon Cult are all very skilled at healing injuries. For example, the Crimson Moon Saintess and those horse-faced men have terrifying healing speeds.

Furthermore, they are skilled at controlling puppets, as seen in both Crimson Moon Blood Slaves and Crimson Moon Blood Puppets.

If Zeng Yuzhen secretly joined the Crimson Moon Sect, obtained some of its techniques, or even started cultivating the Mysterious Infant... then it would be reasonable for her to possess the same recovery abilities as the Crimson Moon Sect members, even if she hadn't yet shown her pregnancy.

In that case, she might also be able to control the puppets using the methods of the Crimson Moon Demonic Sect. Anyway, no one would care if someone as insignificant as Xiangling acted strangely.

Qin Rufeng thought to herself, this Zeng Yuzhen hates me so much... maybe she hates everything about me, and that night's ambush on Xia Jinghong was also arranged by her. That's why Jinghong said Xiangling was like the monster she encountered that night.

This idiot... It's one thing for him to use the Crimson Moon Sect's techniques, but he even dared to bring a puppet with him.

"Hahaha~" Qin Rufeng suddenly laughed...

She had never shown such emotions before. Not only was Zeng Yuzhen puzzled, but Shangguan Qingxue, Qing Shi, and even Jinghong were also confused.

Qin Rufeng said with a smile, "We really do have a gathering of traitors here."

“Qingxue and I rebelled against Qingyuefang, and Meilanzhuju betrayed Qingxue. And you…” Qin Rufeng looked at Zeng Yuzhen and deliberately raised his voice, “You also betrayed the patriarch and joined the Crimson Moon Demonic Sect.”

Upon hearing this, Zeng Yuzhen visibly trembled. Qingmei and Baiju also looked at her simultaneously.

Zeng Yuzhen seemed to suddenly remember how Qingmei and Baiju would react if Xiangling revealed her true colors.

She was so eager to harm Qin Rufeng that when she learned Rufeng was trying to escape, she didn't think twice and immediately attacked.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qin Rufeng said to Qingmei and Baiju, "You two arrived way too quickly, didn't you?"

"If I'm not mistaken, when you went to inform the brothel owner, you probably didn't even see her, right? You must have run into her on the way..."

Qin Rufeng looked at Zeng Yuzhen and said with a sneer, "She must have told you that there's no time to lose. She sent someone to deliver a message to the neighborhood head and then brought the two of you here to intercept him."

"If you capture us before the guild master arrives, that will be a great achievement... right?"

Judging from Qingmei and Baiju's expressions, Qin Rufeng was certain she had guessed correctly! This gave her hope and made her even more confident.

Chapter 167 You are already dead

Qin Rufeng said loudly to Qingmei and Baiju, "But Zeng Yuzhen will never inform the workshop master! She wants to capture me and hand me over to the Red Moon Sect."

Beads of sweat appeared on Zeng Yuzhen's forehead; Qin Rufeng had clearly guessed right. Looking at the wavering Qingmei and Baiju, she quickly said, "Don't listen to this vixen's nonsense!"

However, Qin Rufeng's alluring eyes instantly captured the desires of Qingmei and Baiju.

At this moment, their desire was not for Qingyu but for their own benefit; they wanted to gain favor with the brothel owner. Therefore, they desperately wanted to know if Zeng Yuzhen had truly betrayed the brothel owner and joined Chiyue.

Therefore, Qingmei and Baiju wouldn't listen to Zeng Yuzhen at all. Qin Rufeng continued, "You two should think about what Zizhu went through."

"She got lost when she took me back to my room. She was still with me but disappeared... In reality, I was kidnapped by the Crimson Moon Cult. If I hadn't been lucky, I probably wouldn't have made it back."

Ru Feng's words were completely true, and Qingmei and Baiju also knew about Zizhu's ordeal. This made them even more suspicious of Zeng Yuzhen.

Seeing that the time was right, Qin Rufeng suddenly shot out two ordinary foxfires. Zeng Yuzhen quickly raised her hand to block them, but the foxfires were not aimed at her but at Xiangling beside her.

Xiangling was hit by two foxfires. Although she wasn't seriously injured, she was still badly hurt. Her clothes were burned off, and her skin was charred black.

Xiangling may have lost her mind. But as the host, she had suffered obvious harm, and the parasites inside her instinctively wanted to defend and fight back. So the tentacle tail suddenly popped out from behind her with a "poof!" and twisted and wriggled.

Qingmei and Baiju were completely stunned. They exchanged a glance, then immediately turned and left. Zeng Yuzhen shouted, "Wait! We have to catch them first, no matter what!"

The two ignored him, their only thought being to leave. However, Qin Rufeng couldn't let them go... because if he did, they would inform Yuan Mengli.

Qin Rufeng's scheme to sow discord was very successful. At this moment, Qingmei and Baiju had lost all will to fight and only wanted to escape, completely exposing their backs to Qin Rufeng and making no attempt to defend themselves…

Perhaps they thought they should be thankful that Qin Rufeng and Shangguan Qingxue weren't joining the fight, so they weren't on guard. Little did they know that this mentality was extremely fatal in a closely contested battle.

It can only be said that no matter how high their cultivation level is, they are nothing more than servants... For many years, they have only served the courtesans.

Qin Rufeng, on the other hand, was completely different. She appeared delicate and frail, and her cultivation level was not high, but her cultivation was extremely solid.

He received the true teachings of various masters, and possessed top-grade treasures bestowed by his master and personally upgraded by Ye Qingyun. Furthermore, he had practical experience in numerous life-or-death battles where he defeated the strong with the weak.

Qin Rufeng quickly exchanged a glance with Shangguan Qingxue. Although Qingxue was sad, she still nodded resolutely. Rufeng then summoned two bluish-white spirit fox flames, which accurately struck Qingmei in the back of the heart.

Green Plum burst into pale flames, screaming as she plummeted to the ground, rolling around in agony. White Chrysanthemum, instead of fleeing, turned back to look, only to be struck directly in the face by a bolt of Xuan Yin lightning…

With a deafening roar, Bai Ju's body instantly swelled and then immediately collapsed. Blood flowed from her nine orifices, emitting white smoke, and her body slumped to the ground. Although she didn't die immediately, she lay on the ground convulsing uncontrollably.

Qin Rufeng wanted to finish off the two maids, but Shangguan Qingxue stopped him. She didn't want Rufeng to show mercy; instead, she personally stepped forward and ended the two maids' lives.

Qin Rufeng had only one Spirit Fox Fire left. He raised his hand and pointed it at Xiangling. Xiangling, who was already injured, was hit by the Spirit Fox Fire and became completely still.

Qin Rufeng knew her cultivation was far inferior to Cang Shuyun's. She had struck Qingmei with two spirit foxfires, yet the girl hadn't died immediately and was still struggling. Presumably, one foxfire wouldn't be enough to kill Zeng Yuzhen; it would be better to eliminate Xiangling first.

However, Zeng Yuzhen still did not want to escape. She seemed to send some signal to call for help, and then used magic to summon several Crimson Moon Blood Slaves to assist in the battle.

Regardless of who Zeng Yuzhen was asking for help from, Qin Rufeng couldn't afford to waste any more time. Every second he was held up increased the danger.

So she decided to use that ultimate move she hadn't used yet... the Netherworld Ten Fiends Formation!

Ru Feng first absorbed his soul into the soul lamp in a spirit form, then used the soul-binding threads to control his body. Next, he formed hand seals and chanted incantations.

The soul lamp slowly rose and hovered above Qin Rufeng's head. A pale flame suddenly shot out from the lamp plate and burned brighter and brighter.

In an instant, a cold wind arose, and the world changed color...

Zeng Yuzhen wasn't stupid. Although she didn't know what Qin Rufeng was doing, she could sense the danger of her move. So she unleashed a spell at the soul lamp. But all the spells were deflected.

The formation is activated, and the soul lamp is currently protected by it. Without overwhelming power, it's impossible to stop the formation by attacking the soul lamp.

Such an obvious core of the spell must be protected by an array, a fact Zeng Yuzhen understood. Therefore, she began attacking Qin Rufeng.

However, this was even more impossible. Shangguan Qingxue, Xia Jinghong, and Li Qingshi stood together in front of Rufeng to protect her.

Xia Jinghong then activated the Crimson Moon Umbrella. Shining blades overlapped to form a circular shield, spinning rapidly to create a deflecting protective barrier. Zeng Yuzhen's spells were all deflected without a doubt.

As for the Crimson Moon Blood Slaves she summoned, they were all entangled by the thorny vines summoned by Qingxue, making it impossible for them to move an inch.

Zeng Yuzhen tried to run away when she realized that things were not going well, but she found that many hands in the form of spirits had appeared on the ground and grabbed her firmly.

Countless whispers of resentment flooded her ears and mind like a tidal wave, driving her almost mad. Looking up, she saw countless ghostly flames swirling around the soul lamp atop Qin Rufeng's head.

Just then, Qin Rufeng suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes!

Zeng Yuzhen felt a gust of wind rush towards her, and she was blown up and knocked to the ground.

However, when she stood up, she was surprised to find her own body right in front of her... and slowly collapsed weakly.

Countless vengeful spirits pounced on her, tearing her apart like a pack of wolves. Her hands, feet, and body were ripped apart and devoured piece by piece, yet not a drop of blood was seen.

At this moment, Zeng Yuzhen realized that her soul had left her body, but she had no way to save herself and could only tragically let the vengeful spirit devour her.

She cried out loudly, "Fairy Liu! Spare me... Spare me! Please, spare me~~~~ I know I was wrong."

Qin Rufeng said calmly, "You don't know you're wrong, nor do you know you're going to die... you're already dead."

As she spoke, Zeng Yuzhen's last remaining soul was also devoured by the vengeful spirit.

Qin Rufeng then took the zither from Li Qingshi and played a soothing melody to express his gratitude.

Those ferocious vengeful spirits regained some of their reason, bowed to Qin Rufeng, and then dispersed...

Chapter 168 Disaster Was One Step Behind Me

Zeng Yuzhen died, and the Crimson Moon Blood Slaves she summoned were torn to shreds by Shangguan Qingxue's thorny vines.

At that moment, a strange figure appeared on the mountainside not far away. Qin Rufeng looked closely and, sure enough, it was the Crimson Moon Saintess. Zeng Yuzhen had indeed sought help from the Crimson Moon.

But at the same time, another figure dressed in red gracefully arrived; it was Nangong Yue.

The Crimson Moon Saintess witnessed Qin Rufeng's Netherworld Ten Fiends Formation and was naturally shocked. Now that Nangong Yue had arrived, along with Qingxue, Jinghong, and Qingshi... the Crimson Moon Saintess dared not make a move and could only leave dejectedly.

Qin Rufeng exclaimed with delight, "Senior Sister! You've arrived!"

Nangong Yue let out a long breath, "I noticed the commotion here and rushed over. You're all in such a hurry, it seems something has changed."

She quickly glanced at the people around Ru Feng, offering a slight bow before speaking. Then she asked Ru Feng, "Is everyone here?"

Qin Rufeng was still worried about Zizhu, who was covering their retreat. But Qingxue knew that Zizhu couldn't possibly make it, so she decisively said, "Everyone's here."

Qin Rufeng then asked Nangong Yue, "Where is Senior Sister Gan?"

Nangong Yue shook her head helplessly. "There's been a major incident at the Xigu Spirit Stone Mine. This is no ordinary matter; she has been ordered to suppress the Blood Cloud."

Qin Rufeng said, "In that case, there is only one way: to go to the Netherworld Palace."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Qin Rufeng and his companions then quickly left, heading straight for the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, Yuan Mengli had just learned that Zizhu and Jinlan from Qingxue Pavilion had engaged in a fierce battle.

She immediately realized that Qin Rufeng and Shangguan Qingxue had escaped. However, the incident at the Xigu Spirit Stone Mine was too serious, forcing her to respond to the Yunxiao Palace's order and send Feng Hua to Xigu.

The plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums were surprisingly useless. Yuan Mengli had always been wary of Qin Rufeng but underestimated Shangguan Qingxue. She thought that years of training and taming had already broken Qingxue's wings, but she never expected that she would run away with Qin Rufeng.

Yuan Mengli didn't understand. She had clearly witnessed Liu Ruyan being tormented to the point of being dazed and speechless; didn't she feel despair?

How did Shangguan Qingxue manage to escape with her after she was ruined like that?

Yuan Mengli was completely baffled. But regardless, it was too late to catch up with Qin Rufeng now…

She roared and smashed the table beside her to pieces. Then, she hysterically shouted for her men to search for Qin Rufeng and Shangguan Qingxue.

Meanwhile, Qin Rufeng had already led her sisters to escape from the Cangyun Mountain area.

Following the route that Cang Shuyun had previously pointed out to Ru Feng, they arrived at a forest called "Ghost Cry Forest".

This place is truly eerie. It truly lives up to its name...

The grayish-blue miasma condensed into a gel-like substance in the forest, and the ancient locust trees stretched out their twisted branches, intertwining to form a canopy.

The tree trunk is covered with dark brown cracks, which look like countless screaming faces pressing against each other under the bark.

Some of them had half of their faces broken through the wood layer and protruded outwards, while their lips were still firmly stuck to the growth rings, and dark red mycelium was emerging from the hollow eye sockets.

However, upon closer inspection, it was merely a distorted Reimu! The first "tumor"...

Seven locust trees with abnormally swollen trunks are arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, with translucent gelatinous substance hanging from the ends of their branches, through which the dark hair and red lips of a woman can be vaguely seen.

A jagged notch split open in the center of the thickest trunk, from which a fair toe emerged. The toenails were as red as blood.

Half a woman's body emerged from the surface of an adjacent burl, completely fused with the wood below the waist. It seemed to be trying to crawl back into the tree hole but was stuck by two enormous rabbits.

From the depths of the miasma came a sticky cracking sound, and a branch suddenly swelled up with a nodule, on which two overlapping female faces moved and struggled.

Their hairs turned into aerial roots that burrowed into the branches, and whenever resin dripped from the canopy, those hairs would spasm and pump more of the murky liquid into the core of the tree.

Qin Rufeng knew that these trees imprisoned vengeful spirits.

Fortunately, they could not escape the tree's hold, otherwise these vengeful spirits would have pounced on them and their companions like a pack of hungry wolves.

Even when bound, those trees were absolutely off-limits. Their drooping branches and tendrils were like tentacles catching their prey.

No wonder the Netherworld Palace is now just a lone commander like Cang Shuyun, and Cangyun City is merely distancing itself from her rather than trying to wipe her out. This doesn't conform to the cultivation world's fine tradition of eliminating all traces of trouble...

It seems that the root of the problem cannot be eradicated. Presumably, if Cang Shuyun were willing, she could release the vengeful spirit from the tree. Even if the Empress were to come, it's hard to say she could escape unscathed.

Cang Shuyun was putting herself in danger by going to Cangyun City, but as long as she stayed in the Netherworld Palace, she would be absolutely safe.

In this way, it would be impossible for Yuan Mengli to have tracked him here.

But how will they get through this Ghostly Weeping Forest?

Qin Rufeng's keen hearing had already detected that the pursuers were following closely behind.

Cang Shuyun simply told Qin Rufeng that he could come at any time, but did not arrange any signal.

Although she should be able to sense someone's arrival, if she is cultivating or something similar, her reaction may be delayed.

Qin Rufeng could sense that there were quite a few people chasing after her, so in order to avoid any accidents, she could only lead her companions into the Ghost Cry Forest.

Ru Feng boldly walked ahead, thinking that at worst, if he got caught by these trees, Cang Shuyun would come to his rescue.

However, it turned out she was overthinking it...

She wore a hairpin given to her by Cang Shuyun. The flower buds on the hairpin blossomed into large flowers after she entered the forest, seemingly absorbing the miasma within.

Upon seeing Qin Rufeng, the trees immediately shrank back and made way for him, as if kneeling in reverence.

Qin Rufeng knew that it wasn't the trees that recognized her, but rather the hairpin.

After Ru Feng and his companions passed through, the strange trees began to bar their fangs and claws again.

Screams and the sounds of spells being cast soon followed behind, but they subsided quickly.