William Harper couldn't help but glance at Grace Bennett. He knew that Grace Bennett was carrying the storage pouch of the Azure-robed Daoist, though he had no idea how large the space inside might be.

According to what Grace Bennett had said, storage pouches, talisman papers, and flying swords were standard equipment for cultivators.

Grace Bennett drew the treasured sword from William Harper's waist and, one by one, cut all the reins of the three carriages.

“What does this mean?” Charles Harper asked in surprise.

Grace Bennett replied, “We are heading to Taiyuan Sect and may not return for several years. Even if we do, we won’t need the carriages anymore. Let them go, lest they be eaten by the monsters in the mountains.”

Monsters!

At these words, the faces of the two young ladies from the Fang household turned pale, and the other four young men and youths were equally unsettled.

Grace Bennett raised her hand and tossed the sword. The treasured blade flew through the air, covering a distance of thirty feet, and landed precisely in the scabbard at William Harper's waist. This display left the others wide-eyed in amazement.

William Harper narrowed his eyes slightly, his right hand trembling a bit. He thought to himself that this strength and speed were anything but simple, making him even more curious about Grace Bennett's current cultivation level.

Chapter 9 Competing with a Cultivator Clan

The mountain forest was tranquil, shrouded in thick mist. Shafts of sunlight filtered down through the gaps in the leaves above, forming visible slanting beams.

Grace Bennett walked at the front, with William Harper and Charles Harper bringing up the rear. The group of nine traveled on foot, having already been walking for nearly two days.

The mountain paths were difficult to traverse, with many muddy patches. From time to time, they spotted snakes, insects, rats, and spiders, making the Fang family disciples extremely nervous and causing them to tread with great caution.

“To think that such a remote mountain could hide a sect of cultivators.”

Charles Harper remarked softly. The Great Qi Empire was vast, with countless uninhabited mountain ranges like this one, teeming with wild beasts and bandits. Even someone like him, trained in martial arts, rarely set foot in such places.

William Harper could sense the abundant spiritual energy in this area. The further they went, the denser the aura became, which made him look forward to reaching Taiyuan Sect even more.

At that moment—

A sound of weeping came from ahead, sometimes like a woman, sometimes like a child. The eerie cries gave William Harper and the others goosebumps, but seeing that Grace Bennett did not stop, they continued to follow.

William Harper turned to look back. Behind him, the thick fog was impenetrable; nothing could be seen beyond seven steps.

He had just started to feel as if something was following him, a sensation that only arose after the crying began up ahead.

He did not panic, but kept moving forward calmly.

Soon, the mist ahead thinned, and the ground leveled out. The group saw a woman sitting beneath an old tree, dressed in coarse clothes, her face dirty and hair disheveled—clearly a peasant woman from the mountains. She held a child in her arms and was sobbing quietly.

“Should we go ask her what happened?”

The youngest, Olivia Harper, asked. She was a year younger than William Harper, frail, carrying two bundles on her back, and drenched in sweat.

Another girl, Emily Harper, tugged at her and shook her head.

Everyone’s gaze fell on Grace Bennett. Along the way, Grace Bennett had become their pillar of support—after all, Grace Bennett had taught them the method of drawing in spiritual energy, and even the strongest among them, William Harper, deferred to her.

Grace Bennett did not stop, but walked straight toward the woman.

The woman heard them coming, looked up at her, her face streaked with tears and eyes red from crying. As if seeing a lifeline, she reached out to Grace Bennett and wailed, “Miss, please save my child, he was bitten by a venomous snake…”

Hearing this, some of the Fang family disciples wanted to step forward to help, but then saw a dagger slip from Grace Bennett’s right sleeve and fall smoothly into her hand.

The woman also saw the dagger, her face turning pale. Just as she was about to speak, Grace Bennett suddenly hurled the dagger straight at her head.

Bang!

The woman suddenly turned into a puff of white mist. The dagger passed through the mist and embedded itself in the tree trunk.

As the mist dispersed and the clothes fell to the ground, two weasels—one large, one small—leapt up and landed on a distant branch. The Fang family members stared in shock. Had the woman just now been a weasel in disguise?

Grace Bennett remained expressionless, her gaze cold as she stared at the two weasels in the tree.

“Impressive skills. You must be at least at the fifth level of Qi Nurturing. Little girl, if you wish to join Taiyuan Sect, why not go to Taiyuan City?” The weasel spoke, its voice exactly like the woman’s from before.

Grace Bennett replied, “Taiyuan City is too far. It’s more convenient to visit Taiyuan Sect directly. We have come sincerely to cultivate. I hope senior will not toy with us any further.”

The weasel chuckled and, in a human-like gesture, waved its paw, signaling them to continue on their way.

Grace Bennett glanced back at the group, then led the way forward. As they passed under the tree where the two weasels sat, everyone was tense, afraid the creatures might suddenly leap down and attack.

After they had walked a while, Grace Bennett finally explained, “Those were two spirit beasts just now. The forests around Taiyuan Sect are home to many such creatures—some wild, some raised by the sect’s disciples. The spirit beasts at the edges are tasked with scaring off any mortals who stray in, thus spreading tales of monsters and ghosts to keep ordinary people away.”

A Fang family youth couldn’t help but ask, “Do they only scare people off?”

“They might eat you, too. Although Taiyuan Sect is considered righteous, in the world of cultivation, the line between good and evil is often gray. You must all be cautious in the future.” Grace Bennett said with a smile, though to the others, her smile seemed rather sinister.

With that, Grace Bennett continued to lead the way.