My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 469: Chapter 213: No Life

CRACK!

The fishing rod in his hand suddenly shattered.

Qin Fang paid it no mind. He shot to his feet, his gaze locked on the distant Painted Boat.

...It was Qinghe!

It was definitely Qinghe!

’I couldn’t be mistaken!’

...The same Qinghe who had set out for Lanyang City with his former Master, his former Master’s wife, and his senior brothers five years ago, only to vanish along with them!

The same Qinghe who would run over with stars in her eyes after he finished his training, obediently handing him a towel!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin Fang moved, about to leap onto the Painted Boat!

...But in the next instant, he froze.

’No.’

’Something’s wrong!’

’If Qinghe is here, then where are my former Master and the others?’

’Five years ago, when I was in the spotlight during the Martial Arts Examination, where were they?’

’Two years ago, when I asked the sect to search for any trace of them, where were they?’

’Why would she suddenly appear now, out of the blue?’

’And why is Qinghe on a Painted Boat? Judging by her clothes, is she a Maid?’

’...Where have they been for the past five years?’

Question after question flooded his mind, forcing Qin Fang to suppress the urge to leap onto the boat immediately!

’And Qinghe’s expression... it’s not right!’

’Her movements seem normal, but her eyes are dull and numb... Is there a reason for this?’

Qin Fang’s mind raced, considering countless possibilities in an instant.

Among them, the most critical was...

...The Three Religions!

’The Three Religions are stirring up trouble in Canglan Prefecture. If my former Master and the others’ disappearance... or rather, if the Qinghe before me now is connected to one of the Three Religions... then jumping aboard rashly would just alert the enemy.’

Qin Fang’s mind spun wildly. Without any hesitation, he took out his Token and channeled a strand of Divine Thought into it.

”Master, I’ve found one of the old acquaintances who came to Lanyang City with my former master, but then disappeared. Her condition doesn’t seem right. I suspect the Three Religions might be behind this.”

Qin Fang acted decisively, reporting the matter to his Master almost instantly.

...He had no time for foolish thoughts like, ’My Master is too busy. This is just a small matter, and I’m not even sure of the details, so I shouldn’t bother him...’

This could very well involve intelligence on the Three Religions!

Even if it was just the faintest of clues, he would contact his Master without hesitation!

...If he were more familiar with the Sect Leader, he would have already contacted him by now!

’So what if I’m wrong?’

’The worst that could happen is my Master and the others waste a trip.’

’It’s not that far, anyway.’

’Just think of it as giving the elders a chance to stretch their legs!’

...But if he was right...

...then he might be able to follow the trail and find one of the Three Religions...

...or even track down all three.

He might even uncover the Three Religions’ plot in Canglan Prefecture ahead of time!

...Was there even a question of which was more important?

Forcibly suppressing his impatience, Qin Fang sat back down. He pulled the bamboo hat lower on his head, but his eyes remained sharp, fixed on the Painted Boat as it drifted by...

A sign hung on the Painted Boat, bearing the name ’Mist Rain Tower’.

Qin Fang knew of Mist Rain Tower. It was a well-connected song and dance hall in the Outer City of Lanyang City.

...Qinghe had appeared on a Painted Boat belonging to Mist Rain Tower. So... did that mean Mist Rain Tower might be involved too?

His mind spun frantically.

His gaze was locked on the Painted Boat.

The Painted Boat was lavishly decorated, hung with ”Mist Rain Tower” lanterns. It was slowly cruising along a relatively fixed route in the water, not too far from the shore, seemingly for tourists to enjoy the scenery.

Qinghe, dressed in a simple Maid’s uniform, was with several other Maids. They were either serving tea and water or leaning against the railings.

...Their postures seemed normal.

But Qin Fang keenly observed that there was almost no eye contact between these Maids!

Though their movements were fluid, they lacked any Vitality...

...as if they were exquisite string puppets.

Their eyes, in particular, were completely hollow!

When they occasionally shifted their gaze, it was without focus, devoid of any emotional ripple...

Just as anxiety was consuming Qin Fang, the Token at his waist grew slightly warm. A voice then sounded in his ear: ”Where?”

It was his Master!

He glanced at his waist and saw the Token was faintly glowing...

’...Is he controlling the War Gang Avatar?’

Qin Fang hurriedly used a Divine Thought Transmission: ”Master, it’s the Painted Boat from Mist Rain Tower. My old acquaintance is one of the Maids on it... If you look at the Maids, they seem ordinary, but their postures are actually stiff, and their eyes are hollow... Is there something wrong with them?”

His Master’s War Gang Avatar flickered a few times. A moment later, his Master’s voice came from within it: ”There is indeed a problem. This strongly resembles the methods of the Path of Non-Birth... We’ve finally found some traces!”

The Path of Non-Birth!

’It really is one of the Three Religions?’

Qin Fang’s pupils contracted. He clenched his fists and sent a Divine Thought Transmission: ”My old acquaintance... she’s not in any serious danger, is she?”

But his Master fell silent.

A stiffness gradually crept over Qin Fang’s entire body.

After a long while, his Master finally sighed. ”The Path of Non-Birth preaches ’All spirits return to the void, non-birth is eternity’... I’m afraid your old acquaintance has already been refined into a ’Living Puppet’... Her Divine Soul is likely empty, with at most a sliver of her True Spirit preserved... Injuries to the Divine Soul are extremely difficult to heal, and there are almost no known cases of a Living Puppet surviving... The most I, your master, can do is help her regain consciousness for a short while later, so you can catch up... But beyond that... I am powerless.”

Qin Fang felt as if he had been struck by lightning!

He stared blankly at the Painted Boat, at the Maid who, on the surface, still appeared vibrant and alive...

But her eyes were hollow and numb.

Qin Fang felt an immense wave of grief and fury erupt within his chest like a volcano!

Qinghe...

The girl whose eyes once held a spark, whose smile was so pure, who would obediently hand him a towel and call him ”Brother Qin”...