Unlike the Tang Province, the Storm Province did not have any cultivators positioned near the border. That was because their side of the border was already naturally protected by the environment.

Flight, the primary method of transportation for cultivators, was useless here. That was because the first three hundred kilometers into the Storm Province was ravaged with extremely dangerous storms. Lightning would constantly fall and the bolts were strong enough to kill all those below Virtue Seeking.

Traveling by ground was difficult as well, as the landscape itself was merely a barren wasteland. The few sources of food and water were guarded by powerful spirit beasts, and rogue cultivators roamed about looking for travelers to prey upon.

Unfortunately, despite the risks, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa had no choice but to travel by foot.

"That was a close one. If that bolt of lightning didn't descend on those three Virtue Seeking cultivators in the middle of their technique, we would've died!" Yu Zhuwa said.

"Mmm. It didn't kill them, but they were injured enough that we had time to take their bags of holding and escape."

Within hours of entering the Storm Province, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa had already run into a band of rogue cultivators. These cultivators were all early Virtue Seeking and were much stronger than them.

Seeing no way of winning in a direct fight, Yin Hui took the battle to the sky. The battle changed into a contest of survival in which he ultimately won. He didn't even bother to finish off his injured enemies and simply left with their bags of holding.

After an entire day of traveling, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa set up camp in an empty cave they found.

Using the medicine found in the bags of holding, Yin Hui took out the black leopard and began to tend to it's injuries. He removed each dagger one by one and mended it's wounds with great care. Yin Hui spared no effort in trying to make the treatment as painless as possible. If it wasn't for the black leopard, he might have not even survived Coiling Pass. He lamented the loss of the other leopards, but knew that there was nothing he could do about it now.

Once every wound was patched up, Yin Hui took out a few medicinal pills and fed them to the leopard. At this point, he only had ten pills left and had to be very careful with their usage.

Yu Zhuwa came over at sat beside Yin Hui.

"I still can't get over the fact that sister Su Jia would actually betray us last minute like that!" Yu Zhuwa bitterly said.

Yin Hui shook his head.

"I didn't feel any fluctuation in the Dao Oath when we were attacked. So it's safe to assume the change in the formation was not caused by her."

"Then who was it?" Yu Zhuwa had not manifested his spiritual sense yet, so he was not aware of what happened between Su Jia and the overseer.

"Her grandfather." Yin Hui said quietly.

"Grandfather?! Su Jia got help from her grandfather?"

"Su Jia was hiding things from us as well. Turns out her grandfather is an elder of the Yan Clan and she is one of their top geniuses."

Yu Zhuwa could not keep still after hearing this.

"Yan Clan?! The main enemy of the Tang?! No way!"

Yin Hui nodded slightly. He was sweating a bit from just recalling the events back at the outpost. What he didn't tell Yu Zhuwa was that when he was spectating the fight, he felt like Su Jia's grandfather was watching him as well. Under her grandfather's gaze, Yin Hui felt completely transparent. While he was sure he did not know about him being an escaped slave from the Tang Clan, he definitely noticed that he had a fiend body.

"Su Jia's grandfather is powerful. That overseer was a Vice Taming cultivator and he was defeated with a single move."

Yu Zhuwa's expression sank.

"Do you think we will ever get to go home then...?"

Putting his hand on Yu Zhuwa's shoulder, Yin Hui let out a faint smile.

"Don't worry, now that we are here, we are going to focus on getting stronger. We will get so powerful that no one in the Tang Province will be able to stop us. When that happens, we can return home without worries."

"Yeah... Let's get out of this place as soon as possible and get to the Striking Thunder Sect..." Yu Zhuwa sobbed slightly.

------------------------------

Back in the capital of the Tang Province, Tang Jiao was in a very pitiful state. He was dressed in rags, his face was swollen from what seemed like many beatings, and all his hair was gone.

Currently on all fours, he was carrying a haughty-looking, but beautiful girl on his back. She stared down at Tang Jiao's figure with her black phoenix like eyes in disgust.

"I didn't say stop moving did I?! Keep going! All the way to the main gate! Lord Clan Head said we could do whatever we want to you to appease our frustrations, but why did you come to me so late?!" She dug her heel into an open wound on Tang Jiao's neck and twisted it.

Tang Jiao bit his lip to divert the pain and started to crawl.

As the two of them slowly moved throughout the capital, they attracted the attention of both the younger and older generations of the Tang Clan.

"Isn't that the eldest son of the clan head? Tang Jiao?" A member of the younger generation asked.

"I heard one of his lackey's was killed by a mortal slave. How embarrassing, a cultivator being taken out by a mortal?" Another adolescent said.

"Haha! I know right? I heard the slave beat him and his younger brother shortly afterwards and escaped! The younger brother was beaten so badly that he was even hospitalized! No wonder Lord Clan Head is so bitter nowadays. In addition to the upcoming war against the Yan, he has to deal with his pathetic sons!"

"Still, young master Tang Li may be pathetic, but at least he has a decent character. On the other hand, this Tang Jiao is as rotten as feces. Despite barely being considered a genius, he acts arrogantly and bullies the younger generation with his royal status."

"Lord Clan Head has decreed that Tang Jiao owes every single member of the younger generation a single request. It seems that karma has finally come full circle for him. As usual, lady Tang Mei is as ruthless as ever."

"Tang Jiao bullied me once during a drunken stupor. He stole my treasures and injured me greatly. After he sobered up, I confronted him about it and he merely laughed and beat me again. I can't wait to settle the score with him!"

The two clan members were intentionally speaking in a voice that was quiet, yet loud enough for Tang Jiao to hear. Veins bulged out of his face in anger.

[Yin Hui... I'll make you pay! When I get my hands on you, Hell will be but a mercy!]

"Just you wait! Once I have fulfilled all these ridiculous requests, I will come for every single one of you!" He snarled at the gossiping clan members.

"You still have enough strength to bark?! Settle down!" Tang Mei released her oppressive might, immediately subduing Tang Jiao.

"It seems I was being too soft on you. I'm still angry, and hearing you speak is making my mood even worse."

Unsatisfied with the amount of pain Tang Jiao was experiencing, Tang Mei decided to push things even further. Manifesting a pair of chains made of her own qi, she wrapped them around his neck tightly. After, she added a flame spell that would constantly burn him whenever she felt like it.

"Aaagh!" Tang Jiao screamed in pain as his throat was seared. He tried to force the chains off of him, but no matter how hard he pulled they would not budge.

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Unlike Tang Jiao, Tang Mei was one of the Tang Clan's true chosen. Despite being three years younger than him, her ethereal spirit had already reached the complete body stage. With such a massive gap in their cultivations and stripped of his royal protection, he was at Tang Mei's mercy.

"You had quite a few treasures stored up in that palace of yours that I had my eye on! I was going to have you give them to me, but they've already been taken away! Who did you fear more that would make you fulfill their request before mine?!" She demanded while pulling hard on Tang Jiao's leash.

Tang Jiao tried to respond, but all that came out were choking sounds.

"Tang... Zhi... lei..." Tang Jiao knees gave out after saying the name.

"Tang Zhilei..." Upon hearing the name, Tang Mei's expression went dark. She loosened her hold on Tang Jiao's leash, allowing him to breathe again.

"Get up! You're making my hair touch the ground!" As Tang Jiao struggled to get back into his original position, Tang Mei swung her gorgeous long black hair around, slapping him in the face in the process.

Pondering for a moment, her face became stern and she tugged on Tang Jiao's leash once more.

"We are going to Zhilei's palace! After our business is concluded I'll let you go!"

Cold sweat began to form on Tang Jiao's forehead.

"We are going to Tang Zhilei's residence...?" Earlier, Tang Jiao's face was painted with pain and anger. Now, all that could be seen was fear.