Seeking Martial Dao in All Reborn Lives

’Interesting...’

After slaying the Yaksha Ghost, Zhuang Li turned to look in Zhao Xuanqi’s direction.

WHOOSH!

A shadow burst from a side window, its toes tapping lightly as it leaped onto the wall. A voice echoed, "Those ghoulish things are about to swarm us. This is no place to talk. Follow me."

Then, the figure dropped down from the wall.

Zhuang Li frowned slightly. She called out mentally but received no response. Then, she sensed the movement of Evil Spirits nearby. Her expression changed, and she hesitated no longer. She swiped her hand to erase the Technique, concealed her aura, and with a light push of her toes, pursued Zhao Xuanqi’s departing figure.

After running for a few minutes, Zhao Xuanqi landed in another deserted courtyard.

TAP!

A soft landing sound came from behind him. Zhao Xuanqi turned just in time to see the hem of the woman’s robe settle.

"You’re from the Red Heart Sect? What is this place?"

Zhuang Li looked at the plain gray robe Zhao Xuanqi was wearing, having seemingly identified his origins. She controlled her voice, focusing it into a direct line that entered Zhao Xuanqi’s ears.

"Yes. Let’s go inside to talk."

Zhao Xuanqi nodded, neither denying nor concealing his identity. He pushed the door open with a palm strike using Dark Force and entered the room.

Zhuang Li hesitated for a moment. She rested her thumbnail on her index finger, ready to cut her skin and draw a Technique at a moment’s notice, before following him into the room.

"My name is Zhao Qi. And you are?"

Inside the room, Zhao Xuanqi spoke to the wary Zhuang Li. Their relationship was tense, lacking a basic level of trust. Because of this, he didn’t give a perfunctory introduction using his codename, Qilin, as that would only increase their mutual distrust.

"Li Yue, from Miaoyin Hall."

Zhuang Li also casually made up a name but didn’t hide the faction she belonged to.

"Miaoyin Hall?"

Zhao Xuanqi wasn’t particularly concerned with her name, but he had heard of the faction she mentioned in recent days.

In all of Heqing Dao, there were five major Sealed Sects, collectively known as the "Five Sects of Heqing." The Red Heart Sect was one of them.

The Miaoyin Hall Zhuang Li mentioned was also one of the Five Sects of Heqing. It was said that this School’s legacy specialized in Sound Skills and was also proficient in the medical arts. Miaoyin Hall often opened pharmacies and clinics throughout Heqing Dao, practicing medicine to save the world, frequently treating the poor for free and managing plagues. They enjoyed an extremely high reputation and excellent public opinion among the common folk of Heqing Dao.

’However... if I remember correctly, the territory governed by Miaoyin Hall’s headquarters isn’t close to the Red Heart Sect’s.’

"Are you from the clinic Miaoyin Hall opened in Guming County?"

Zhao Xuanqi asked tentatively.

"Guming County? No, not long ago, I was in Tang City. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was here."

Zhuang Li frowned as well.

’Tang City...’

Zhao Xuanqi’s expression shifted. He searched Zhao Xing’s memories and found he had some impression of this Tang City. It seemed to be over five hundred li away from Guming County. Its scale and prosperity far surpassed Guming County’s, making it one of the few famous major cities in Heqing Dao.

’Over five hundred li away... people from Tang City have been pulled into this Realm as well?!’

As far as he knew, this Realm was a latent danger that arose after the Evil Cultivation incident. The influence of that incident should have been confined to Guming County.

’Was Zhong Maolin’s judgment flawed, or has this Realm undergone some unknown change?’

’No, the urban area where this Realm is located is indeed modeled after Guming County. It’s highly probable that the Realm itself has undergone an unknown change.’

’The wider its reach and the more lives it affects, the faster this Realm will devour its ’blood food.’ It will recover more quickly and become even more dangerous and unpredictable.’

"You still haven’t answered my question. What is this place?"

Seeing Zhao Xuanqi frowning in thought, Zhuang Li prompted him with a frown of her own.

"Have you heard about the Evil Cultivation incident that happened in Guming County not long ago?"

Zhao Xuanqi mulled it over for a moment and decided not to hide information from Zhuang Li.

’Everyone who entered this Realm is in the same boat. Scheming against each other is pointless. It’s better for everyone to be open. If we can cooperate, we cooperate. If not, saving even one person is better than nothing. The less blood food the Realm absorbs, the slower its recovery will be, which benefits us all.’

Afterward, Zhao Xuanqi slowly explained what he knew to Zhuang Li, including the fact that a rampage of a hundred demons would occur when the Blood Moon reached its zenith, and that all related memories would be sealed upon leaving the Realm.

"A suspected latent danger following the Guming County Evil Cultivation incident?"

After hearing Zhao Xuanqi’s explanation, Zhuang Li’s expression also grew solemn. She didn’t really suspect him of lying; after all, she had witnessed the city’s condition on her way here. It was highly unlikely to be false.

Thinking of this, the way she looked at Zhao Xuanqi changed slightly. If this information was true, it was incredibly important—it could even save her life at a critical moment. The man before her must have gone through life and death to obtain it. He had no obligation to tell her any of this for free; he could have easily used it as a bargaining chip to make some demands.

’If the information is true, then I owe him a favor.’

"Thank you for the information, Zhao."

Zhuang Li said, cupping her fist in her hand toward Zhao Xuanqi.

"It’s nothing. To break this Realm and survive, it’s difficult to succeed alone. Of course, the more help, the better."

Zhao Xuanqi said with a wave of his hand.

"I wonder what your plans are now, Zhao?"

Zhuang Li asked Zhao Xuanqi. She was in a completely unfamiliar place, and Zhao Xuanqi was right—this Realm was not something she could break on her own.

"I’ve already scouted this neighborhood. This time, I plan to leave this area and probe the source of the Realm to see if we have any chance of resolving it with our current strength. Even if we can’t solve it, we at least need to get a general understanding of the situation so we know what we’re up against."

"If it’s a situation we can’t contend with for now, I’ll prepare to use this neighborhood as a base. I’ll clear out a safe zone and gather as many survivors as possible to resist the Blood Moon’s Night Parade of Hundred Demons together. If we succeed, and the same group of people leaves the Realm from the same location, then we’ll reappear in the same place the next time we enter. With more people, we can accomplish more."

Zhao Xuanqi said in a deep voice.

Currently, these were the two most important points.

First, investigate and gather intelligence. Second, gather people.

Even for someone at the Harmony realm, numbers still have some effect, let alone for those at the Five Organ Realm. When facing a swarm of Evil Spirits and Demon Ghosts, even ants can kill an elephant. People are needed to share the pressure.

In the short term, it was impossible for his strength to recover to the point where he could single-handedly crush this Realm.

"What you say makes sense, Zhao. I can go with you."

Zhuang Li pondered for a moment before agreeing to Zhao Xuanqi’s plan.

"As for scouting, I’m fine going alone. You can stay here and clear out some of the Evil Spirits, or conserve your strength and wait for my news."

Zhao Xuanqi said.

Hearing this, Zhuang Li raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What, you think I’ll slow you down, Zhao? You don’t need to worry about that. Scouting deep into the Realm is extremely dangerous to begin with. Besides, if we really find the source, our chances will be much better if we work together."

Zhuang Li said with a smile.

"Alright then. But if we run into trouble, I can only guarantee my own escape. I can’t promise I’ll be able to protect you."

Zhao Xuanqi considered it for a moment, then nodded and said.

’How amusing,’ Zhuang Li thought. Based on his earlier account, she knew his Cultivation was only at the Blood Strengthening realm. Back at Miaoyin Hall, not a single disciple in the entire Blood Strengthening realm would dare speak to her like that. In fact, it was likely no disciple at that level from any of the Five Sects of Heqing would dare.

’This disciple from the Red Heart Sect is certainly confident in his abilities. If it really comes to that, it’s not yet certain who will be protecting whom.’

However, he had been generous enough to share his intelligence with her, so she couldn’t bring herself to burst his bubble. A faint, almost mesmerizing smile appeared on her fair, beautiful face as she spoke:

"It’s fine. If that time comes, just worry about saving yourself, Zhao."