Chapter 76: Respond

“Tao Jin, what’s the matter?”

Seeing Tao Jin being so perturbed, her female colleague asked.

“Nothing, just a little tired. I will go back to rest now…”

Tao Jin quickly calmed down and forced a smile on her face.

Like usual, after washing up, Tao Jin went to bed.

Tao Jin’s roommate had fallen asleep due to the rough training she did earlier, while Tao Jin was looking at the roof with her eyes open.

Tink!

There was a very quiet noise. It sounded like a small rock knocking on the door.

Tao Jin immediately sat up. She looked at her roommate and determined that she was still asleep.

Tao Jin was certain that the man in the hat must have come to look for her.

‘Should I go outside?’

Tao Jin weighed her options carefully.

Truthfully, she didn’t want to see the man in the hat, but she also knew very well that the man had exposed himself to her on purpose, just to warn her that he was coming.

The man wanted to see her.

After thinking for a moment, Tao Jin chose to get dressed and go outside.

She was a little afraid that the man would break in and wake up her roommate.

Tao Jin gently opened the door.

The man stood in the corner of the courtyard, under the shade.

After seeing Tao Jin come out, the man gestured to her to follow him.

Tao Jin clenched her jaw and followed.

Finally, the two of them arrived at a quiet place.

“What do you want, you Magic Faction bastard?”

Tao Jin immediately asked.

She was extremely nervous inside. Her muscles tensed, she stood in a defensive manner.

“I’m a Magic Faction bastard, yet you accepted the magic technique from me?”

The man in the hat raised his head. He was wearing a black mask on his face.

The man in the hat looked smugly at Tao Jin.

“What evidence do you have?”

Tao Jin took a half step back.

When the man in the hat heard this, he jokingly said, “I really didn’t expect that a person like you could resist the temptation of a magic technique…”

Tao Jin pouted. She obviously knew what the guy meant.

“Tao Jin, I suggest that you try the Shadow Breath Blood Passage. Once you start practicing it, you will definitely be addicted to your rapid progress.”

The man’s words were tempting. “I know it was hard for you to drop from a yellow plate to a cyan plate.”

This sentence triggered Tao Jin, and she started to get annoyed.

“If you came here to persuade me to practice the magic technique, then I suggest you leave.”

Tao Jin kept herself calm. “If you can’t persuade me otherwise and wish to kill me, then do it. There is no need to talk nonsense.”

The man in the hat was not disappointed at her words.

“You probably know that we are from the Shadowblood Sect in State Hurricane,” the man said in a half threatening, half tempting manner, “Dingyun County has been controlled by us, and Qiuyun County and Kangyun County will also soon be controlled by us. When the time comes, I advise you to make a sober judgment and join the Shadowblood Sect. When Kangyun County gets taken over, you will be in an advantageous position.”

The higher ups had issued an order to be aware of any abnormal behavior, and if anyone was suspected of being involved with a Magic Faction, they had to report it as soon as possible.

Tao Jin knew what the man in the hat wanted. He wanted her to be the rat of the Shadowblood Sect in Kangyun County.

“I won’t join the Shadowblood Sect.”

Tao Jin once again expressed her intentions.

“You would rather be left behind than to become a genius again?”

The man in the hat sneered.

These words pierced Tao Jin’s heart.

But she gritted her teeth and repeated what she said, “I won’t join the Shadowblood Sect.”

The man in the hat heard this and just stared at Tao Jin.

“I didn’t expect you to be so tough.” The man smiled, but soon, his words changed, “If that is the case, I can only do this the hard way.”

“What are you going to do?”

Tao Jin felt a sense of danger.

In an instant, the man in the hat appeared in front of Tao Jin.

‘So fast!’

Tao Jin panicked.

She wanted to dodge, but it was too late.

The man in the hat took out a small bag of powder from his pockets and sprinkled it on Tao Jin.

Tao Jin didn’t see this coming, so she accidentally inhaled a large amount of powder

“What is this?”

Tao Jin quickly covered her mouth and nose.

There was a slight burning sensation between her chest and abdomen.

“Poison.”

The man responded.

Tao Jin heard this and smiled stiffly. “Even if you kill me, I won’t join the Magic Faction.”

“No, you misunderstood me.” The man explained, “This poison will not kill you. It will only completely destroy your meridians within ten days, turning you into a useless person who can no longer practice martial arts.”

Tao Jin’s pupils shrank.

‘A useless person?’

“But the poison is not permanent, as long as you practice the Shadow Breath Blood Passage, you can drive the poison out and protect yourself.”

The man in the hat seemed to be in full control. “You may still have doubts, but in a few days, you will know that I’m speaking the truth.”

“You!”

Tao Jin was furious.

For a person like her, once her meridians were destroyed and once she became an ordinary person who couldn’t practice martial arts, she might as well be dead.

“Enough talk, Miss Tao Jin.”

The man in the hat jumped and landed on the top of a wall. “I hope that when we meet next again, you will be one of us.”

The man in the hat disappeared.

Tao Jin’s eyes were full of despair.

‘Either practice the Shadow Breath Blood Passage, or my meridians get destroyed.’

‘This choice is too difficult.’

‘What should I do…’

Tao Jin was in a state of confusion. ‘Am I really going to have to join a Magic Faction?’

Instantly, Tao Jin felt a huge amount of pressure on her shoulders.

…

A few days later.

Early morning.

Maple Lane Guard Station.

Xu Ning, Tao Qingping and Song Weiyi, together with fifteen city guards, were ready to leave the city.

Yesterday, they received the task of escorting the wealthy businessmen of Qiuyun County to migrate to Kangyun County.

The camp army had sent a small team to escort them, so Xu Ning and others only needed to leave Kangyun County and meet them half-way.

“Are you all ready?”

In front of the Maple Lane Guard Station, Xu Ning was wearing light armor, with a longsword and bow, on top of a war horse.

He had already returned Wei Binglin’s horse, and this war horse was allocated to him by the higher-ups.

“Ready!”

Tao Qingping, Song Weiyi and fifteen city guards all responded.

“Let’s go!”

Xu Ning’s horse was positioned at the front, as he led the team out of the city.

Soon, everyone went outside the gates of the city.

The fortifications of Kangyun County were still being built. The people from outside the county who had fled here before were busy working to earn a living.

They were still not allowed to enter the city, and when resting at night, they were placed in temporary camps set up outside the city.

Luckily, it was early summer. If it was winter, people might have been frozen to death.

Kangyun County’s approach seemed unsympathetic, but placing these people outside the city was also a form of protection to the people in the city.

However, the treatment of these refugees was not extremely cruel. For example, children among the refugees were allowed into the city and cared for.

Xu Ning’s team galloped on their horseback.

According to the pick-up point given to them, they had to travel for at least two hours.

Ta! Ta! Ta!

The sound of horses sprinting echoed.

They crossed the mountain roads, crossed rivers…

Finally two hours later, they arrived at the pick-up point.

They were in a wild dense forest.

“It seems that the escort team hasn’t arrived yet.”

Xu Ning looked into the distance, but he could not find anyone.

This place was relatively deserted. There were no villages or houses nearby for people to live in.

“Let’s rest for a bit. Go drink some water and eat.”

Xu Ning told the subordinates behind him.

After receiving Xu Ning’s order, everyone dismounted and looked for a tree to lean on.

After riding for so long, everyone was a little tired.

Another half an hour went by.

“Where are they?”

Tao Qingping asked.

The escort should have already been here.

Xu Ning looked in the direction of the sun.

“Don’t worry, let’s wait.”

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