Chapter 439: A Virgin’s Body

At Qin Tuo’s words, the Third Elder’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He instinctively shook his head and said,

"This is impossible. Yan Hongliang’s Gu Insect came from the Miao Village. Without his specific Gu techniques, it can’t be removed. Sir, are you trying to trick me?"

However, Qin Tuo just snorted coldly and said,

"Whether I’m tricking you or not is something you can find out for yourself, can’t you?"

The Third Elder realized this was true and carefully inspected his own body.

To his astonishment, he discovered that the Gu Insect that had tormented him for so many years was actually gone!

"Heavens, no way! The Gu Insect is really gone! This... this is wonderful!"

The Third Elder wept with joy. The moment it sank in, he dropped to his knees before Qin Tuo with a THUD, tears streaming down his old face.

Then, the Third Elder began kowtowing frantically to Qin Tuo, striking his head against the ground so many times that his forehead split open and started to bleed.

"I thank you, sir, for giving me a new life! To possess such miraculous abilities... you are like a god descended to the mortal realm!"

The Third Elder’s voice trembled with excitement, filled with deep admiration.

Now free from the Gu Insect’s control, a wave of relief washed over him. He no longer had to live every moment in its shadow as he had in the past.

In the distance, Sun Haicheng and the others frowned when they saw this, finding it quite perplexing.

But they said nothing. After witnessing Qin Tuo’s power, they understood all too well that they would have to rely on him from now on.

From that moment on, none of them dared to underestimate Qin Tuo again; their attitudes had changed completely.

Qin Tuo’s expression suddenly hardened, however, and he spoke to the Third Elder in a cold voice.

"I didn’t save you for free!"

The Third Elder froze for a second, then quickly nodded and said with a fawning smile,

"Of course, of course. I will cooperate with any request you have, unconditionally!"

Qin Tuo then said,

"Tell me the true location of the Blood Moon Pavilion. That is my condition for saving you."

’So that’s why.’ Just a moment ago, Qin Tuo had circled the mountain from its base to its back, making a wide loop, but he hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary.

’Logically, shouldn’t the Blood Moon Pavilion have been built somewhere around here?’

But the reality was not what Qin Tuo had imagined.

This made Qin Tuo strongly suspect that the Blood Moon Pavilion was hidden somewhere inside the mountain itself.

If that were the case, it would be very troublesome without a guide.

The Third Elder certainly didn’t refuse Qin Tuo, but his brow furrowed deeply.

"What’s wrong? You’re not willing?" Qin Tuo asked coldly.

The Third Elder was startled and quickly waved his hands, explaining with a nervous smile,

"You may not know this, sir, but I can lead the way. The Blood Moon Pavilion’s base is hidden inside this very mountain. Without a guide, you truly cannot get in."

Qin Tuo nodded in satisfaction. ’As long as this guy is willing to lead the way, it’ll save me a lot of trouble.’

But then, the Third Elder continued in a heavy tone,

"However, the path to the Blood Moon Pavilion is lined with complex mechanisms. We must use the proper entrance, or else we’ll alert the enemy. They would destroy the entrance mechanism at the first sign of trouble and relocate immediately. Finding them again after that would be harder than climbing to heaven!"

Hearing this, Qin Tuo felt a headache coming on and couldn’t help but click his tongue in frustration.

’The Blood Moon Pavilion really is a den of cunning vipers!’

’It’s a good thing I unintentionally spared this Third Elder’s life today. Otherwise, with no one to guide me, this trip would have been for nothing.’

Despite this, Qin Tuo’s resolve remained firm. He swore he would not rest until the Blood Moon Pavilion was eradicated.

"Alright then," Qin Tuo said slowly. "Lead the way now. We need to find Yan Hongliang and get him under control first!"

He knew that if they could control Yan Hongliang, he wouldn’t be able to command his Gu Insects. That was the key to dealing with the Blood Moon Pavilion.

The Third Elder nodded quickly, not daring to delay.

"Very well. Please, follow me!"

With that, the Third Elder immediately led the way out of the temple.

Qin Tuo followed swiftly behind him. Sun Haicheng and the others trailed after Qin Tuo, their heads lowered in silence.

As they watched Qin Tuo’s back, their expressions were all incredibly complex.

「...」

Deep within the mountain, at the center of a complex terrain, lay the headquarters of the Blood Moon Pavilion.

Inside the headquarters, Yan Hongliang, dressed in a brocade robe, was playing chess with the Grand Elder.

After playing for a while, Yan Hongliang suddenly asked,

"Grand Elder, have you gathered the twenty virgins I asked you to prepare?"

The Grand Elder frowned and said,

"Pavilion Master, we are still short a few. It will likely take some more time to gather them all."

Yan Hongliang’s face showed his displeasure. He snorted coldly and said,

"What’s going on? How can it take so long to handle such a small matter?"

But the Grand Elder just shook his head with a bitter smile and explained,

"Pavilion Master, you may not be aware, but there are very few girls nowadays who maintain their purity. It’s become quite difficult to find so many virgins."

Although Yan Hongliang could understand, he was still quite displeased.

These twenty virgins were extremely important to him; he absolutely could not tolerate any more delays.

After some thought, the Grand Elder finally couldn’t resist asking,

"Pavilion Master, isn’t what you’re doing a bit too heinous? The recent disappearances of so many girls have already caused a stir. If some powerful figures start looking into our Blood Moon Pavilion, I fear it will bring disaster upon us."

He spoke with extreme caution, carefully observing Yan Hongliang’s expression, afraid of causing any displeasure.

As expected, Yan Hongliang let out a heavy snort, his face dark as he said,

"What do you know? These twenty virgins are crucial for me. No matter the cost, I must complete this step!"

The Grand Elder was startled and immediately nodded, not daring to say another word.

Yan Hongliang’s gaze drifted into the distance as he spoke with soaring ambition,

"As long as I can obtain these twenty girls, my Ten Thousand Poison Technique will reach the next level. Once my divine technique is perfected, who will the Blood Moon Pavilion have to fear?"

After speaking, Yan Hongliang burst into a triumphant laugh, as if he could already see himself invincible, standing atop the world.

The Grand Elder listened from the side, not daring to object in the slightest, but he sighed silently in his heart.

Suddenly, at that very moment, a Gu Insect in the Gu Vessel beside them let out a mournful cry and died on the spot!

This sudden event left Yan Hongliang’s face etched with astonishment.

The Grand Elder beside him also found it very strange. For days, they had strictly forbidden the pavilion’s disciples from going out on their own.

’So, whose Gu Insect could have just died?’