After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Chapter 122 has a clear objective.

Saying this is tantamount to admitting that he, the manor lord, is not as vigilant as the spiritual plant cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining.

Lu Qingchen wisely refrained from pressing the matter and simply nodded.

Meanwhile, atop a low mountain several miles from Qingmu Village, five cultivators stood on the edge of a rock under the cover of night.

The leader was a scarred man with a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivation. An old scar on his left cheek stretched from the corner of his eye to his chin, gleaming menacingly white in the moonlight.

Standing beside him was a man with an anxious expression. Behind them were two other men who were checking the magical artifacts and talismans they carried with them. Their movements were swift and efficient, indicating that they were no strangers to this kind of operation.

Han Shuang stood at the very edge of the group of five.

She had changed back into a light blue robe, replacing the coarse cloth garment she was wearing. A storage bag was now tied around her waist, and her long hair was tied up with a silver hairpin.

The gentle and humble expression on her face had vanished, replaced by a cold composure, making her a completely different person from when she was at the manor.

The impatient man glanced at the sky and said in a low voice, "It's almost time. The effects of the Dream-Scented Incense should have dissipated. If we go now, there shouldn't be any problems."

The scarred man nodded, took out five pale green talismans from his storage bag, and distributed them to everyone.

"Apply the poison-filtering talismans. Although most of the Dream-Scented Incense has dissipated, there are still remnants in the air. We must not be careless."

Han Shuang took the talisman and stuck it to her chest.

The talisman transformed into a pale green halo, enveloping her mouth and nose like a thin veil. After flickering a few times, it disappeared beneath her skin, leaving no trace.

The other four also activated the poison-filtering talisman, and the pale green halo on their faces flickered before disappearing.

The scarred man withdrew his hand and said coldly, "Remember, the target is that spirit plant grower named Lu Qingchen at the end of the village. Capture him alive. As for the rest of you—"

He paused, his tone devoid of any warmth: "Kill, but don't cause any trouble. Be swift and decisive, and don't leave any clues pointing to us."

The impatient man licked his lips, revealing a cruel smile: "A mere Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator, is it really necessary to go to such lengths? I can handle it alone."

Whether he is an ordinary spiritual plant grower or not is not for you to decide.

The scarred man turned to Han Shuang, "Han Shuang, you know the layout of Zhuangwei best, you lead the way."

Han Shuang was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What happens after you succeed? What happens to the others on the estate?"

"No need to make a fuss," the scarred man said calmly. "Our task is simply to take this person away."

The five men stopped talking, waved their sleeves, and simultaneously swooped down from the low hill, silently heading towards Qingmu Village under the cover of night.

They moved very lightly, and even their breathing was deliberately suppressed.

Han Shuang led the way. She had been in the village for half a month and knew every path and corner inside and out.

She walked steadily, her steps light and quick, leading the four through several secluded paths known only to the tenant farmers, heading straight for the end of the village.

Soon, the five of them arrived at the front of Lu Qingchen's house at the end of the village.

The scarred man made a gesture, and the four of them simultaneously lowered their bodies.

The impatient man kicked open the door, and the two rushed in at the same time, with Han Shuang following closely behind.

The house was empty.

The agitated man paused, then turned to look at Han Shuang: "Where is she?"

Han Shuang did not answer, her gaze quickly sweeping over the oil lamp on the table in the room, which was still lit, with a newly replaced wick and more than half of the oil left.

The bed was in disarray, and the blankets were pulled back, indicating that someone had left in a hurry.

The scarred man reached out and touched the bed; it was warm to the touch.

"They just left." He withdrew his hand, his face darkening.

The agitated man scanned the empty room incredulously again: "Impossible! This Dream-Scented Incense can bewitch even a Foundation Establishment cultivator for half an hour, how could a mere Qi Refining Level 2 kid still be able to move?"

"Now is not the time to talk about these things."

The scarred man interrupted him coldly, looking at Han Shuang, "Search him. Even if he wasn't drugged, he couldn't possibly have gone far."

The five people split up to search Zhuangwei.

Han Shuang pushed open Sun Han's door and saw that he was sleeping soundly with even breathing. Confirming that he was not her target, she withdrew.

The others searched the woodshed and thatched hut thoroughly, and even lifted up the haystacks by the spirit field, but found nothing.

The scarred man stood in front of Lu Qingchen's house, his gaze sweeping over the spiritual field before settling on an area shrouded in a pale blue light.

"The Spirit Protection Field," he said slowly, "could he be inside?"

Han Shuang followed his gaze and frowned slightly: "That's possible. Only he can activate this formation. If he is really hiding inside, there is indeed no trace of him from the outside."

The scarred man was silent for a moment, about to speak, when the agitated man suddenly strode over, his face looking rather grim: "I just went to check on Zhao Demao's house—he wasn't there."

The five of them fell silent for a moment.

Han Shuang spoke first: "Zhao Demao is missing, and Lu Qingchen is missing too—this means that someone was not knocked out by Chen Mengxiang and even managed to wake Zhao Demao up."

The scarred man's face darkened.

Zhao Demao is a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, with his cultivation reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment.

Once he recovers, even though they outnumber him, they might not be able to take him down easily.

But then he thought again, even if Zhao Demao woke up, a Qi Refining cultivator who had just been cured of the drug would definitely be much weaker.

Moreover, the fact that he hasn't shown himself directly indicates that he's not confident of defeating them head-on—otherwise, why would he hide?

"Continue the search."

The scarred man said coldly, "We must find the person before Zhao Demao recovers. Let's go check the Spirit Protection Field first. If we can't find him anywhere else, we'll have to break the formation and search this last area."

Zhao Demao and Lu Qingchen had already noticed the commotion when this group of people broke into Qingmu Manor.

Under the cover of night, the two hid in the shadows of the woodshed near the manor owner's residence, holding their breath and making no sound.

Zhao Demao sensed for a moment and breathed a slight sigh of relief: "They are all Qi Refining stage cultivators, there are no Foundation Establishment cultivators."

After a moment's thought, he added, "The strongest one is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the others are no pushovers either."

But when he saw these people heading straight for the end of the village under Han Shuang's leadership, his brows immediately furrowed.

His gaze lingered on Han Shuang for a long time. The female cultivator who had spent half a month recuperating from her injuries at the manor, helping to pull weeds and organize medicinal herbs, and who spoke softly and gently, was now calmly and efficiently leading the way, knowing every path in the manor like the back of her hand.

"They went straight to Zhuangwei—they're coming for you."

Zhao Demao turned to look at Lu Qingchen with a strange expression. "Who have you offended outside?"

Lu Qingchen shook his head: "This disciple has always stayed in the sect and the manor, and has hardly ever left the sect. How could I have had the opportunity to offend anyone?"