The young male cultivator, upon hearing this, became enraged. He floated up from behind the elder and declared, "How dare you! Show some respect. When an elder asks you a question, you answer it. Why so much nonsense?"
As he spoke, he raised his hand, seemingly preparing to attack. However, the elder suddenly grabbed his hand. The young male cultivator turned his head, saw the elder shake his head at him, and then lowered his head, retreating behind the elder.
The elder’s cultivation was not low, but he could also see at a glance that the people opposite them were likely not easy to deal with.
The elder glanced at Mo Qi and said, "My name is Liu Xun, an elder of the Divine Turtle Sect. These are disciples of the Divine Turtle Sect, one named Yang Hong, and the other Liu Sha."
Mo Qi immediately put on a look of reverence. "So you are from the Divine Turtle Sect! A renowned righteous sect. We are all rogue cultivators. My name is Mo Qi. That rogue cultivator brother is Wu Siqi, that rogue cultivator sister is Xue Nu, that rogue cultivator sister is Lu Xiaoyue, and that rogue cultivator sister is Shi Siyao."
Mo Qi knew very well that his group was on a mission and absolutely could not reveal their identities, especially to people from the Divine Turtle Sect.
"I am not a rogue cultivator. I am from the Divine Sword Sect of the Nine Divine Realms," Shi Siyao corrected.
This is truly unmanageable, Mo Qi thought with a headache. Why was he sent on a mission with such a clueless person? Lu Xiaoyue and the others were also secretly furious at her answer.
A glint of cunning flashed in Liu Xun's eyes as he turned his gaze to Shi Siyao. "Young lady, you are a straightforward person. Then, are you perhaps representing the Northern Territory on this mission?"
As soon as Shi Siyao was praised for being straightforward, she became even more so. Under the intense gazes of the other four, she still straightforwardly replied, "Yes, I am." She then added, with great surprise, "How did you know? How are you so clever?"
Mo Qi and the others wished they could kill Shi Siyao. If it weren't for her obviously carefree demeanor, the four of them would have almost believed that Shi Siyao was a spy sent by the Divine Turtle Sect.
Liu Xun immediately adopted a very respectful demeanor and cupped his hands towards the five of them. "Five esteemed cultivators grace us with your presence. We failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive us." Yang Hong and Liu Sha also bowed to the five. Yang Hong's arrogance and anger had vanished without a trace, replaced by a face full of respect.
The group was unaccustomed to such a situation and was momentarily stunned.
Mo Qi secretly lamented, "Now that she has revealed our identities, how can we carry out the mission?"
No matter what, he had to distance himself from Shi Siyao, this source of trouble, as soon as possible.
Mo Qi waved his hand. "No need for such formality. It makes us feel quite uncomfortable." They weren't genuinely submitting, so why bother with insincere courtesies?
Liu Xun's eyes showed a flicker of hope. "This old man dares to invite the esteemed cultivators to the Divine Turtle Sect as guests, so that we may fulfill our duties as hosts and compensate for our failure to welcome you properly."
Liu Xun knew well that even now, it would be incredibly easy to extract the details of their mission from that foolish girl. However, to brazenly ask about their confidential mission would be telling the other four that the Divine Turtle Sect was uneasy. Therefore, he wanted to invite the five to the Divine Turtle Sect first, and then find a way to approach the foolish girl alone...
Mo Qi waved his hand. "Ah, when the time is right, we will visit the Divine Turtle Sect, but not now. For now, we simply wish to explore. We have seen so many sights along the way that are different from the Nine Divine Realms. They have a unique charm and are truly captivating. Our desire to sightsee is not yet satisfied, and we wish to continue enjoying the scenery."
Suddenly, he changed the subject. "How about this? If you think highly of us, then Daoist Yang Hong and Daoist Liu Sha can serve as our guides, leading us to some renowned places for a tour. As for Senior Liu, we wouldn't dare trouble you. You are welcome to attend to your own affairs. We will visit you once we have finished our sightseeing."
He thought that if they left now, their opponents would surely send people to follow them secretly. It would be better to keep the enemy's eyes on them. At least, he would be in the open, and the enemy would also be in the open.
Liu Xun pondered for a moment and immediately agreed. He turned and instructed Yang Hong and Liu Sha, repeatedly emphasizing that they must serve as guides without leaving their side, doing their utmost to serve them enthusiastically, ensuring the esteemed cultivators had a thoroughly enjoyable and happy experience, making them feel at home.
Yang Hong and Liu Sha received the instructions as if they were a military order. Their expressions were solemn, and their attitudes were sincere. They vowed to do their best as guides for the esteemed cultivators, ensuring they felt at home and reluctant to leave.
Then, Liu Xun floated away.
The first thing Mo Qi thought of was to separate Shi Siyao from himself. He blinked his eyes and said to Lu Xiaoyue, "Xiaoyue, didn't you say you had an urgent mission from your Divine Sword Sect?"
Lu Xiaoyue didn't react immediately, thinking the other person was teasing her. She gave him a contemptuous glare and then turned her face away. "What urgent mission?"
Mo Qi was immediately deflated. He had thought that among the group, besides himself, there would be at least one more clever person. But now, it seemed clever people were hard to find. They were all dead weight.
Shi Siyao stated with absolute certainty, "No, there is absolutely no urgent mission."
Lu Xiaoyue glanced at Shi Siyao and suddenly realized. Mo Qi wanted to get rid of her and Shi Siyao. But she hadn't followed his train of thought just now.
Who could she blame for that? He was winking and making faces, looking so shifty. Who knew what he was thinking?
Lu Xiaoyue made excuses for herself, not doubting her own exceptional intelligence.
"Then perhaps I misremembered. Never mind, let's go. Let's head towards Duoshe Cliff. I heard the scenery there is particularly good," Mo Qi said dejectedly, with a look of resignation.
"Yes," Liu Sha, who had been silent, spoke up. "The scenery there is indeed quite good. We can take you."
Mo Qi made a gesture for them to lead the way. "Thank you, Miss, for leading the way."
With tacit understanding, Liu Sha led the way, while Yang Hong walked at the very back, sandwiching the five of them in the middle. The group headed towards Duoshe Cliff.
As they walked, Mo Qi found a topic to chat about. "Miss Liu Sha, we encountered an old man earlier. He had no memory, didn't even know his own name, and forgot what he said the moment he said it. Do you know him? Or do you know his origins?"
Liu Sha immediately stopped and turned back, looking at Mo Qi with surprise. "You saw him? Where did you see him?" Yang Hong also hurried over, looking at Mo Qi with anxiety.
Seeing their reaction, Mo Qi assumed they knew him and immediately said, "At the place where we just met."
"Did he say... alas!" Yang Hong started to say. He wanted to ask where he was going, but he suddenly realized that even if he had said where he was going, it would be useless information, as he might not be able to get there. How could a person who constantly lost his memory ensure he would reach his original destination smoothly? So, he sighed.
Sometimes, a passing encounter is an eternal separation.
After a while, Mo Qi asked, "So, you really know him? Who exactly is he?"
Liu Sha sighed softly and said, "Actually, we came out this time to find him. His name is Hong Cheng."
"Hong Cheng?" The five of them exclaimed in unison.
Mo Qi also instantly understood why he had suddenly disappeared. With such poor memory, he couldn't even remember what happened a moment ago. Could he still remember his duty to guard the gate of the Southern Continent?
Mo Qi had felt from the beginning that he wasn't just forgetful. His amnesia was likely caused by others.
Shi Siyao's eyes suddenly lit up as she looked at Mo Qi. "Didn't you just lead him in the direction of the Nine Divine Realms? Then let's chase him in the direction of the Nine Divine Realms!"
Mo Qi's eyes darted around. This was a good way to shake her off. He then slapped his forehead as if realizing something. "Yes! How did I not think of that? Alright, let's do that. You and Lu Xiaoyue go chase him. We'll continue sightseeing."
Shi Siyao smiled. "Okay, then we bid farewell. What do you mean by continuing to sightsee? Isn't it just that you want to carry out another mission? Do you think I'm stupid?"
After glancing at Lu Xiaoyue, she turned and soared into the sky.
Lu Xiaoyue glared at Mo Qi and then also flew away. She understood Mo Qi's desire to get rid of Shi Siyao, but why did he have to involve her? Chasing like this, it would be a miracle if they caught him. If they could catch him, would Mo Qi still be so calm? Even if that old man kept muttering about going to the Nine Divine Realms and not to forget the destination, would he remember the way to the Nine Divine Realms? If he asked for directions, he would probably forget where he was going again.
Lu Xiaoyue also believed that the possibility of catching Hong Cheng was slim, almost a waste of effort. However, Mo Qi had explicitly asked her to follow Shi Siyao. Did she have to stubbornly follow them? After all, that foolish girl was her fellow disciple. Alas, how could she encounter such a useless teammate?
Yang Hong, after a moment of hesitation, also decisively decided to follow. If those two were using the excuse of chasing Hong Cheng to break away from his sight, then he would be failing in his duty.
So, he hurriedly said, "I'm going to find him too," and then took off after them.
After watching Shi Siyao, Lu Xiaoyue, and Yang Hong depart, Mo Qi revealed a satisfied smile. He then looked at Liu Sha. "You said earlier that you were also looking for him. Why was your Divine Turtle Sect looking for him?"
Liu Sha replied, "The new supervisor of Duoshe Cliff, Fang Buyi, asked our Divine Turtle Sect for assistance. Our Sect Master said we should go all out and spare no effort in finding Hong Cheng."
Are they truly going all out? Mo Qi, Xue Nu, and Wu Siqi all had their doubts in their hearts, but they showed no outward reaction.
Mo Qi thought for a moment and smiled. "Now that someone is looking for him, let's continue our sightseeing. Please continue to lead the way for us."
Liu Sha agreed and continued to lead the way forward. Mo Qi, Xue Nu, and Wu Siqi followed closely behind.
Mo Qi suddenly quickened his pace, moving to walk alongside Liu Sha. He asked, "Miss Liu Sha, do you know why Hong Cheng suddenly lost his memory?" He felt that Hong Cheng had been guarding the territory well before, and then suddenly abandoned his post. It must have been sudden amnesia.
Liu Sha's eyes were filled with pity as she slowly said, "I'm not entirely sure. However, after this incident, many people in our sect have been discussing it. Some say he might have been cursed. Legend has it that in the Hongmeng South Sea, there is a demonic sect called the White Lotus Sect, skilled in various curses. They have a curse called the 'Forgetfulness Curse.' Those who are cursed forget what they said as they speak, and forget what they did as they do it."
Mo Qi felt his scalp tingle. "Looking at the old man's condition, it's very much like he's been cursed. This is too terrifying. How can such an evil curse exist?"
Liu Sha glanced at him. "They have even more cruel curses, such as the Death Curse, the Soul-Snatching Curse, the Sleep Curse..."
Mo Qi listened with a pounding heart and said, "I hope we don't encounter anyone from the White Lotus Sect."
Xue Nu and Wu Siqi behind them also listened with trepidation, praying they wouldn't meet anyone from this sect.
Liu Sha's lips curved slightly upward. "Actually, you don't need to worry too much. They won't easily cast malicious curses on people, because the more malicious the curse, the greater the backlash. For example, if the curse is to cripple the opponent, the caster will be even more crippled due to the backlash, and may even die."
Mo Qi was dumbfounded! To kill eight hundred enemies at the cost of a thousand of one's own, who would do such a losing business? It was probably only those demonic and heretical cultivators who would do such a thing.
Xue Nu and Wu Siqi also found it too outrageous, simply incomprehensible.
"Truly, the world is full of wonders," Xue Nu sighed.
"And it's not that easy for them to cast a curse successfully," Liu Sha continued. "It is said that before casting the spell, they must first poison the target. Most cultivators have a certain resistance to poisons, but with poison combined with a curse, most cultivators are unable to resist."
As they walked, the four of them indeed admired the scenery along the way. The distant sea and the nearby trees all had a unique charm. Liu Sha would occasionally point to a particular scene and explain it to them.
As they moved forward, there were more and more pedestrians on the road, but most of them were in a hurry, focused on their journey rather than sightseeing.
The four of them passed through a dense forest. Liu Sha suddenly pointed to the left. "Look, that's Dragon Horn Peak."
Everyone followed her gaze and saw a mountain peak rising from the sea level, tilting sharply into the clouds. The summit was shrouded in mist, and the lower part was lost in the vast vapor. Only the middle section of the mountain was enveloped in lush greenery, with flocks of birds occasionally circling around it.