Chapter 257: Gong Xifan Is Captured
“The Gate of Birth is just up ahead. Please be careful on your journey, Great Master Gong.” Ye Jiuge looked at Gong Xifan with a hidden meaning behind her gaze. She wanted Gong Xifan to pay close attention to his two followers.
Gong Xifan stared at the eerie reddish fog for a while before wordlessly stepping into it.
Lin Yanxi and w.a.n.g Haoqiang fought hard to suppress the elation in their hearts as they trailed behind Gong Xifan.
The blood-colored fog engulfed the pair at once, and they vanished from sight.
Baili Moyun knew that they were spies, so he could not help but worry about Gong Xifan.
However, he did not make a scene because everyone else was just as worried.
“Miss. Are we going to wait here for them to come back?” Gong Honglei asked nervously.
“No. We are all going to attack the Bloodthirsty Sect now,” replied Ye Jiuge.
Ye Yu had already arranged for Shou Hou to wait for them at a spot further ahead. From there, they would all attack the protective formation together. All that was left was for them to do now was make their way over and initiate the attack.
“Right now?” Gong Honglei asked with a frown. “But, my uncle only just went in!”
“We only have a fleeting moment to destroy the protective formation and make our way past it. We must prepare to attack now.” There were too many spiritual pract.i.tioners around at the moment, and Ye Jiuge found herself unable to explain to Gong Honglei that the spiritual tool Gong Xifan was carrying was actually a trap for the spies.
“I can’t go with you. I have to wait for my uncle to come back.” Gong Honglei shook his head obstinately.
This is not good, Ye Jiuge thought to herself. I know how stubborn Gong Honglei can be. Things could really turn troublesome now!
She did not have the time to explain what was Gong Honglei was doing now.
Should I just knock him out and take him with me? As Ye Jiuge considered the possibility, Baili Moyun suddenly took a step forward.
Don’t tell me that Baili Moyun going to throw a wrench at her too?
The troubles that kept cropping up were giving Ye Jiuge a headache.
However, what Baili Moyun did next surprised Ye Jiuge. He looked at Gong Honglei with a solemn expression and said, “Honglei, did you forget what Great Master Gong said before he set off? He wanted you to help Ms. Ye manage the various teams. Is this how you intend to help her?”
“I’m just worried about my uncle.” Gong Honglei became fl.u.s.tered. He had no intention of defying Ye Jiuge.
“Great Master Gong will be fine. You should believe in him,” Ye Jiuge rea.s.sured Gong Honglei.
“But…” Gong Honglei did not know how to express his uneasiness. He just had a nagging feeling that something terrible was going to happen to his uncle.
“Honglei, Ms. Ye is our leader right now, and her commands have to be obeyed at all times. You are in no position to disobey her.”
Baili Moyun knew that time was running out. Ye Jiuge could not afford to waste any more time persuading Gong Honglei. Thus, he was left with no choice but to be harsh.
“That’s right!” Nangong Li voiced his support for Ye Jiuge.
Su Xun’er, Xia Chenxi, and Sun Shufeng also began expressing how they all ought to listen to Ye Jiuge’s orders after hearing what Baili Moyun and Nangong Li had said.
Some of the spiritual pract.i.tioners who wanted to get on Ye Jiuge’s good side had even proposed leaving Gong Honglei behind while the rest of them followed.
Ye Jiuge looked at Gong Honglei awkwardly. She could not possibly leave him here.
Fortunately, Gong Honglei was able to come to his senses quickly, and he bashfully told Ye Jiuge, “What Moyun said was right. You are our leader right now. I should listen to you.”
“Good. Let’s move then!” Ye Jiuge said. Then, she led the team in the direction of the Gate of Death. [1]
“Miss, that path leads to the Gate of Death.” Gong Honglei was stunned. There was no way out from the Gate of Death.
“I know that. I want all of you to trust and follow me.” Ye Jiuge nodded. The most dangerous place was also the safest place. With Shou Hou’s help, they would definitely find a way out.
Gong Honglei wanted to speak, but he was stopped by a tug to his sleeve from Baili Moyun.
“Have faith in Ms. Ye,” Baili Moyun told him resolutely.
Gong Honglei was stumped. When had Baili Moyun become so close to Ye Jiuge?
“She’s the leader,” Baili Moyun added.
Gong Honglei decided not to utter another word.
Ye Jiuge heaved a sigh of relief. She was very thankful for Baili Moyun’s help.
She did not know how much more time and saliva she would have wasted if he had not stepped in to persuade Gong Honglei.
The Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples exchanged glances when they noticed that Ye Jiuge and the rest of the spiritual pract.i.tioners were charging the Gate of Death.
“Why did they leave?”
“What should we do next?”
The Patriarch had ordered them to take the entire Spiritual Pract.i.tioner Alliance down at the Gate of Birth.
All of the Bloodthirsty Sect’s forces were stationed at the Gate of Birth. It would be complicated for them to pursue Ye Jiuge and the others now.
“Let them go for now. We can still chase after them once we’ve finished off Gong Xifan.”
The disciples in charge of killing every single member of the Spiritual Pract.i.tioner Alliance came to a decision very quickly.
Gong Xifan was still the more significant threat. Hence, the disciples continued to lie in ambush at their respective spots. They began hurling rays of b.l.o.o.d.y spiritual light toward the Gate of Birth.
The Gate of Birth was engulfed in reddish fog, and a miasma of dread hung covered the place.
As he made his way in cautiously, Gong Xifan cast a Spiritual Light of Protection around himself to fend off the attacks from the Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples.
“Great Master Gong. I think this is a good spot to place the spiritual tool. Why don’t we just put it here?” w.a.n.g Haoqiang pointed at a secluded area.
“We are in no hurry. Continue searching.” Gong Xifan shook his head and continued to survey his surroundings.
His plan was to toss the ‘Secret Spiritual Tool’ in his hands aside when the two spies attack him. However, for his plan to work, he needed to figure out his escape route first.
w.a.n.g Haoqiang and Lin Yanxi exchanged glances before slowly approaching Gong Xifan from behind.
To their surprise, Gong Xifan frowned at them and said, “Why are you getting so close to me? Spread yourselves out. Do your jobs properly.”
“Yes, yes.” w.a.n.g Haoqiang and Lin Yanxi did not dare to attack him face-to-face, so they had no choice but to retreat for now. For the next few minutes, they pretended to search for a spot to place the spiritual tool.
Time slipped by quickly, and the Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples intensified their attacks on the trio.
Gong Xifan had attained a high stage of cultivation, so he was not afraid of these attacks, but Lin Yanxi and w.a.n.g Haoqiang were different. The rays of b.l.o.o.d.y spiritual light hurled by the Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples did not just magically miss them. They had to spend a lot more energy fending off the attacks. Eventually, they began to struggle.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer!” Lin Yanxi gave w.a.n.g Haoqiang a look.
The Patriarch had given them a box of Fire Pellets each. Initially, they had intended to use them on Gong Xifan when he put down the spiritual tool. However, they no longer had the luxury of waiting.
w.a.n.g Haoqiang understood what Lin Yanxi’s look meant, and he immediately sent the Fire Pellets toward Gong Xifan using his spiritual power.
Boom! There was a loud explosion.
A blaze soared skyward, and the reddish fog emitted a putrid stench as it came into contact with the flames.
Lin Yanxi and w.a.n.g Haoqiang pounced simultaneously on Gong Xifan.
Gong Xifan had antic.i.p.ated their sabotage and was prepared. He immediately held up his Hundred Eyes Spiritual Mirror and deflected their attacks. Still, he pretended to surprised and furious as he yelled, “What’s the meaning of this?”
“We are sorry, Great Master Gong. We were entrusted with a mission. Please follow us back to the Bloodthirsty Sect!” Lin Yanxi put on a fake smile. A surge of hazy white light burst out from her Mystical Handkerchief and wrapped itself around Gong Xifan’s Hundred Eyes Spiritual Mirror.
As the two battled, w.a.n.g Haoqiang tossed ten Fire Pellets at Gong Xifan.
Lin Yanxi and w.a.n.g Haoqiang had been discussing for a long time how they were going to attack Gong Xifan. As a result, they were able to work together very well now.
Sounds of explosion filled the place, and a large hole appeared in the surrounding blood fog.
Gong Xifan seemed overwhelmed by their attacks. His hands were already full while dealing with Lin Yanxi and w.a.n.g Haoqiang. His ‘Secret Spiritual Tool’ had already fallen from his hands to the ground.
Gong Xifan did not have time to pick it up. He turned around and fled.
He did not see the emaciated figure approaching him from behind in total silence through the reddish fog.
Just like the Gate of Birth, the Gate of Death is also one of the ‘Eight Docked Gates’ mentioned in the Qimen Dunjia. In the story, it is used to refer to a hazardous location.