“Fellow Daoists, please follow us. We will take you to your respective mountains.” The group of five young disciples, who obviously were from the Outer Sect, cupped hands and saluted respectfully, then led the way.
The person leading Meng Hao was a young woman of about twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age. Her Cultivation base was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. She was pretty, and had an intelligent air to her.
“Senior, please, follow me,” she said softly. Although Meng Hao’s skin was a bit dark, he was cultured and refined. He had the air of a scholar, which wasn’t common among Cultivators. This caused the young woman to take more than a few glances at him.
What was especially alluring was his clear eyes, deep within which seemed to glint a bit of Demonic power. For a young, impressionable girl like her, being gazed at by Meng Hao made her blush.
“Senior…” she said, lowering her head.
“Lead on,” he said with a slight smile. Seeing her reminded him of the Reliance Sect, and of Xu Qing. He looked off at the endless mountains of the Black Sieve Sect, and stubbornness glinted within his eyes.
The young girl led Meng Hao to a tall, emerald green mountain. On its top was a residence and a courtyard. Rattan vines wrapped around everything, and a limestone path wound its way around the mountain. The wind blew, causing the spiritual power to curl up and about. The entire scene would cause anyone’s spirits to rise.
Upon reaching the courtyard, Meng Hao produced a pearl head-ornament from the bag of holding he’d acquired from the man named Xu, at the secret meeting. He gave it to the young girl, then sent her off. She left, her face flushed, glancing back repeatedly at Meng Hao. Her heart seemed to be quite abuzz.
Soon, the sky began to darken. As night approached, everything was silent. The only thing that could be heard was the chirping of insects which drifted in from outside. Meng Hao sat cross-legged on the second floor of the building, meditating. Suddenly, his eyes opened.
It was at this moment that the silence outside was suddenly broken by a blood-curdling scream. It sounded like the struggles of someone in the throes of death. The silence was ripped to pieces as the screaming filled the air.