Category: A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

Chapter 94: Master Wumu’s Scheme, If You Can’t Beat Them, Run 

The battle had been raging for a while.

The destructive power of Core Formation cultivators at full strength was enough to destroy half of Ghost Demon Pass, and that was only because of the restrictions placed throughout the city.

However, due to the Zither Witch’s presence, the Core Formation cultivators present were subtly holding back.

Even so, half of the Youxiang Restaurant had already collapsed, but not a single ripple of the battle reached the pavilion in the center.

The Zither Witch played on, her eyes closed, her fingers gently plucking the strings, not even looking up.

Luo Xue glanced at the Zither Witch with some apprehension. She knew that just now, the Zither Witch had protected her.

But why she intervened, and why she protected her, were unknown.

Luo Xue didn’t want to get involved with these famous figures any further. Just a single encounter with Master Wumu had caused so much trouble.

If she encountered a few more, she might even run into that terrifying and bloodthirsty Holy Maiden of the Temple.

The three-way battle had intensified, and with the Youxiang Restaurant as the epicenter, the shockwaves had already flattened the surrounding buildings.

As far as the eye could see, there were only ruins.

“Let’s find a chance to escape.”

Luo Xue whispered. She could sense that the battle had reached a point where Elder Wu and Elder Li of the Tianhai Gang could no longer maintain the power of their small worlds, and the omnipresent pressure had disappeared.

In other words, no one was paying attention to them anymore.

The Sha sisters had already fainted. Although their cultivation was similar to Luo Xue’s, their mental fortitude was far inferior.

Fainting was a form of protection in this situation.

“Oh,” Nangong Mengxiang was still confused. “So… what exactly happened?”

“Maybe these factions had some grudges against each other.”

Luo Xue nodded seriously. That was the only possibility.

It had nothing to do with her anyway.

So said the culprit.

“Little Martial Aunt, are you done with what you came here to do?” Nangong Mengxiang asked again.

Luo Xue hesitated. Although she didn’t quite understand how the current situation had come about… at least, she had learned what she needed to know.

It just added more questions.

“…I’m done.”

Luo Xue’s eyes flickered, and she said softly.

Forget it, it had nothing to do with her.

The most urgent matter was to quickly pass through Ghost Demon Pass, cross the Nether Spirit forbidden area, and reach the nameless swamp.

Also, she should have accumulated quite a few survival points during this time. With one event after another, Luo Xue hadn’t had the time to check.

“Okay,” Nangong Mengxiang nodded, carrying the Sha sisters on her back. “It’s fine, let’s leave this place first.”

Luo Xue glanced at the Zither Witch again, but she still didn’t pay them any attention.

“Let’s go.”

Luo Xue took Nangong Mengxiang’s arm.

She was quite petite, and Nangong Mengxiang could easily carry her with one arm.

Nangong Mengxiang leaned down slightly and used her physical strength to escape, just like when she had fled from Wu Hai’s pursuit.

Because she didn’t use any spiritual power, her “escape technique” was difficult to track.

Only after they were far away did the Zither Witch finally stop playing, the music abruptly ceasing.

Instantly, the spiritual power of the three factions fighting in the ruins of the Youxiang Restaurant was suppressed by some force.

The two prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City, who had been overexerting themselves to maintain their secret techniques, vomited blood, their bodies swaying, their auras weak.

The three Core Formation cultivators of the Medicine Gang were all injured, and Wu Hai and Li Zhanglao of the Tianhai Gang were no better off, both suffering soul injuries.

The battle was instantly quelled, but none of the three factions dared to complain. They all looked at the Zither Witch, who was sitting on the pavilion with her eyes closed.

The Zither Witch didn’t speak immediately. She meticulously packed her zither, carefully loosening and removing the strings, then placing the body and the strings separately into the zither case.

While she was packing, no one dared to make a sound.

Finally, the Zither Witch picked up the zither case, turned around, and left, leaving only a faint sentence behind.

“Go back.”

Go back… what did that mean?

Did it mean that they should stop fighting?

The Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang were already enraged, not to mention that the two high-ranking prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City were now within their grasp.

Putting aside the conspiracy and the mastermind behind it, these two prodigies from the Demon Abyss were valuable assets to the Immortal Domain cultivators.

Bringing them back to the sect would definitely earn them a generous reward.

“We finally caught the source of the conspiracy…”

Wu Hai was unwilling to give up, his gaze towards Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan dark.

Should he take a gamble?

The Zither Witch had already left, and she hadn’t said anything about letting the Demonic Ghost City prodigies go. She hadn’t even intervened during the fight.

It seemed… there was no connection between them.

If so, this was an opportunity.

A chance to return to the Iron Sea Sect.

If not for the mistake he made in the sect, with Wu Hai’s talent, he wouldn’t have been exiled to Ghost Demon Pass, becoming an elder of the Tianhai Gang.

The same went for Yu Haoqiang, the Gang Leader of the Tianhai Gang, and even the elders of the Medicine Gang. They were all exiled here because of their past mistakes.

“Returning to the sect, my cultivation, which has been stuck at the mid-stage of Core Formation for many years, can finally advance further, and I might even… have the chance to reach Nascent Soul!”

Wu Hai gritted his teeth. This opportunity was right before him. If he missed it, there wouldn’t be another.

He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, preparing to attack the weakened Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan.

Just then, another hand was placed on Wu Hai’s scabbard, slightly pressing it down.

“Didn’t you hear her? She told us to go back.”

Wu Hai looked up in shock and saw Yu Haoqiang’s cold and serious expression.

Yu Haoqiang rarely showed such an expression. Whenever it appeared, it meant that he was truly angry.

“…Yes, Gang Leader.”

Wu Hai lowered his head and sheathed his sword.

Yu Haoqiang glanced at the Demonic Ghost City prodigies, then at the enraged Medicine Gang members, and said faintly,

“Don’t overthink things. With your weak strength, even ten more Core Formation elders wouldn’t be enough for me to handle alone.”

“Yu Haoqiang, you…”

Rao Weiyi shouted in a low voice, his voice filled with anger, but his heart was pounding.

The Tianhai Gang’s combat power was indeed very strong. Wu Hai alone was enough to suppress the other two Core Formation elders besides him, and he was even a match for Rao Weiyi himself.

Wu Hai was only at the mid-stage of Core Formation, while he was already at the late stage!

The Everspring Pavilion’s techniques were indeed not suited for combat…

If a conflict arose here, Rao Weiyi wasn’t confident that he could defeat the Tianhai Gang.

“By the way, the thief who robbed our alchemy shop, is she that girl in the pink dress who just appeared in the private room?”

Yu Haoqiang crossed his arms and asked indifferently.

But for some reason, Wu Hai felt a hint of inexplicable emotion in the Gang Leader’s words.

“Yes… where did she go?”

Wu Hai looked around, but Nangong Mengxiang was already gone.

His heart instantly panicked, and he quickly lowered his head, preparing to apologize to Yu Haoqiang.

But then he heard Yu Haoqiang say,

“Then forget it.”

“Forget it?” Wu Hai was stunned. “Gang Leader, what… do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said, forget it, let it go, let bygones be bygones, no further investigation,” Yu Haoqiang glanced at Wu Hai. “Is that clear enough?”

“Yes, yes… but this subordinate still doesn’t understand…”

“If you understood everything, you would be the Gang Leader, wouldn’t you?”

“…This subordinate knows his mistake.”

Yu Haoqiang turned to the manager of the Youxiang Restaurant, who had come out to settle the situation, and said loudly,

“The bill for today’s drinks will be split between the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang.”

“Of course, Gang Leader, of course.”

The manager said with a smile, his expression like a mask.

Finally, Yu Haoqiang turned his gaze to Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan, who were looking at him warily, a strange smile appearing on his lips.

“As for you two… for the Zither Witch’s sake, let’s pretend today’s incident never happened. How about it?”

Although the Zither Witch hadn’t directly intervened, the words she left behind were implicitly protecting Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan.

This was normal. Regardless of the relationship between the Temple of the Nether Spirit and the Demonic Ghost City, they both belonged to the four domains of the Demon Abyss.

The Zither Witch, as a protector, wasn’t influenced by the stances of the various lineages within the Temple of the Nether Spirit. She was only responsible to the Holy Son, the Holy Maiden, and the Holy Master.

From this perspective, she naturally didn’t want the prodigies of the Demon Abyss to fall into the hands of the Immortal Domain.

Yu Haoqiang was also willing to give the Zither Witch face and temporarily let these two prodigies of the Evil Ghost lineage go.

Sima Ye’s expression was one of stunned disbelief, suddenly at a loss.

“Or do you two… want me to personally escort you back?”

Yu Haoqiang’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, only adding to the chilling aura around him.

Hearing this, Sima Ye could only suppress his doubts, endure his injuries, pull up the almost unconscious Shangguan Lengyan, and flee.

It seemed that they could no longer stay in Ghost Demon Pass…

Despair welled up in Sima Ye’s heart.

“Is this Master Wumu’s scheme… nowhere to escape…”

After slightly tidying up the mess, Yu Haoqiang returned to his usual lazy demeanor.

He cracked his neck, turned, and walked towards the Tianhai Gang’s headquarters, saying casually,

“Wu Hai, Li Heli, the rest is up to you and the Medicine Gang to clean up.”

“…As you command, Gang Leader.”

…

“This is far enough, Nangong. Put me down.” Luo Xue said.

Nangong Mengxiang’s movement technique was truly astonishing. Just relying on the explosive power of her physical body, her speed was already comparable to ordinary Foundation Establishment escape techniques.

This was an escape method that didn’t use any spiritual power, making it difficult to track, and the physical strength of a body cultivator was endless, making it almost costless to use.

There was just one drawback.

Motion sickness…

Luo Xue suppressed the urge to vomit, taking a while to recover.

The Sha sisters on Nangong Mengxiang’s back were even worse off. After this “escape technique,” they were rolling their eyes.

It seemed their consciousness had entered a dreamlike state, and Sha Keke was even muttering about things that didn’t exist…

If they continued for a bit longer, the Sha sisters would be joining their deceased parents in the underworld.

“Little Martial Aunt, your body is really weak. Why don’t you learn the Introduction to Body Tempering with me?” Nangong Mengxiang gently patted Luo Xue’s back. “I even have Master’s handwritten copy.”

“No, thanks. I have a feeling that the reason you’re so brainless is because you practiced this thing…”

Luo Xue exhaled and briefly checked herself internally. There didn’t seem to be any major problems.

She hadn’t sustained many injuries in the previous fight, but Nangong Mengxiang had taken two soul-targeting attacks.

But seeing her lively appearance now, it was hard to say how effective those attacks were.

“I wonder how Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke are doing…”

Luo Xue found a secluded corner and helped the Sha sisters lean against the wall, but they were still unconscious.

They didn’t seem to have any external injuries, so they were probably affected by the previous battle’s impact on their souls, or perhaps just from the motion sickness…

“Little Martial Aunt, do you want them to wake up?” Nangong Mengxiang saw that Luo Xue seemed lost in thought and asked, “I have some folk remedies for unconsciousness, do you want to try them?”

“Folk remedies?”

Luo Xue paused.

“Yes, yes,” Nangong Mengxiang took out a waterskin from somewhere. “Just splash water on their faces. I’ve always done this to wake up people I’ve knocked out. It’s very effective.”

“…What a simple and effective folk remedy.”

Luo Xue almost couldn’t hold back her laughter, but she still stopped Nangong Mengxiang. Doing that seemed a bit disrespectful.

They weren’t in a hurry, and they still had to avoid being pursued by the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang.

If the sisters were fine, they would wake up soon.

Luo Xue’s judgment was correct. The Sha sisters weren’t injured; they had just fainted from fright during the previous battle.

Coupled with Nangong Mengxiang’s rough escape method, they had remained unconscious until now.

While waiting for the Sha sisters to wake up, Luo Xue took a moment to check the panel.

Quite a few things had happened since she arrived at Ghost Demon Pass, and she hadn’t had the time to sort out her survival points.

[Escaped a Core Formation Sword Cultivator’s Pursuit +50]

This should be from the encounter with Elder Wu at the alchemy shop. Perhaps because Nangong Mengxiang did most of the work, the survival points awarded were fewer.

[Escaped a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Pursuit +40]

She had been cornered by the two prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City, but thankfully, the Zither Witch intervened at the critical moment, and Nangong Mengxiang arrived.

But it could also be seen that as Luo Xue’s cultivation increased, the threat from Foundation Establishment cultivators decreased, and the survival points awarded were also fewer.

[Escaped a Three-Way Melee +20]

…This wasn’t very difficult. The other parties weren’t really paying attention to Luo Xue and the others.

As long as she found the right opportunity and wasn’t noticed, she could escape.

[Current Survival Points: 350]
[Poison Resistance: 100]
[Strength: 100]
[Cultivation Aptitude: Barely There]
[Divine Ability Aptitude: Almost None]

She still needed 650 points to upgrade her cultivation aptitude to the next level, so it was better to allocate the survival points to her divine ability aptitude first.

And also…

Luo Xue looked at her basic attributes, opened the detailed panel, and found the attribute she needed.

[Soul: 0]

These recent near-death experiences had made Luo Xue realize that she had almost no means of resisting direct soul attacks.

If she cultivated the Peerless Summit Sect’s techniques to a high level, her powerful sword intent could also sever such attacks.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time now.

Luo Xue could only… add points.

[Soul: 0 => 100]

Chapter 93: A Three-Way Melee, One Side Fishing

Meanwhile, Sima Ye couldn’t care less. He was on the verge of madness.

If he didn’t drag the Zither Witch into this, his and Shangguan Lengyan’s lives would be in danger.

Seeing that the purple phoenix Luo Xue had summoned to counter him had dissipated, Sima Ye lunged forward, using a ghost possession technique to unleash a sword-based divine ability.

The sword attack aimed straight for Luo Xue.

Luo Xue was startled, but quickly calmed down.

She glanced at the unconscious Nangong Mengxiang and whispered apologetically,

“Sorry, Nangong…”

Luo Xue lifted Nangong Mengxiang’s body above her head.

Clang!

The sword beam struck and shattered.

The broken tip of the sword fell to the ground, leaving only a broken blade in Sima Ye’s stunned hand.

Nangong Mengxiang was a peak Foundation Establishment body cultivator.

With Sima Ye’s half-baked sword technique and weakened strength after using the technique, how could he possibly injure Nangong Mengxiang’s body?

After blocking this attack, Luo Xue didn’t waste any words. She held Nangong Mengxiang in one arm, grabbed the Sha sisters with the other, and charged towards the door of the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.

Taking advantage of Sima Ye’s momentary daze, escaping was the best course of action.

Once Nangong Mengxiang woke up, they would have enough strength to either escape or fight back.

But Sima Ye wouldn’t give up so easily. Luo Xue’s unexpected move had blocked his attack, but it didn’t mean he would give up struggling.

“Blood Soul!”

This time, Sima Ye used his innate technique, sacrificing a few drops of his blood essence to activate the sword cultivator ghost possessing him.

Instantly, Sima Ye’s body flickered with a sinister blood-red light, and a sharp sword beam flashed again, carrying a few streaks of shocking crimson.

“Stop, Sima…”

Just then, Shangguan Lengyan suddenly called out, her voice filled with anxiety. She seemed to have sensed something.

However, the sword attack had already been unleashed and couldn’t be stopped.

But… Luo Xue, who was fleeing with her back to Sima Ye, had no chance to dodge this sword.

A sinister smile slowly appeared on Sima Ye’s lips.

But in the next instant, the smile vanished.

Nangong Mengxiang suddenly opened her eyes. At the moment of mortal danger, her instincts as a body cultivator awakened.

There was no light in her eyes, but her movements were precise and decisive.

Facing the deadly sword beam, Nangong Mengxiang raised one hand to shield Luo Xue, and with the other, she grabbed the terrified Sha sisters, who were frozen in fear.

Finally, with almost impossible speed and at an impossible angle, she dodged the attack with everyone in tow.

The sword beam struck, but only hit the door of the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.

…And the Core Formation elder behind the door.

The Youxiang Restaurant was quite large, and the path around the four private rooms was rather complicated, as Wu Hai had to constantly pay attention to the Zither Witch’s movements.

Just as Sima Ye had anticipated, if the Zither Witch intervened again, regardless of her purpose, Wu Hai could only temporarily abandon the pursuit.

Facing a renowned Nascent Soul old monster, caution was only natural.

But when they finally arrived at the West Quiet Spring Pavilion, like mortals, they didn’t know that several rounds of battle had already taken place inside.

Before Wu Hai could even push open the door, a terrifying sword beam slashed towards him.

“Hmph!”

Wu Hai snorted coldly, and the sword beam, before reaching him, was shattered by his sword intent.

All sword cultivators had their own sword intent. Although Wu Hai’s sword intent wasn’t as strong as that of Peerless Summit Sect disciples of the same level, it was more than enough to deal with a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator who didn’t specialize in swordsmanship.

Wu Hai looked inside the Quiet Spring Pavilion, his expression changing slightly.

The first thing he saw was the robber the Tianhai Gang had been chasing. Beside her stood three girls with weak cultivation, standing at the door, slightly to the side, as if welcoming guests.

Further inside, a delicate-looking young man with a sinister expression stood facing the door, the broken sword in his hand slightly corroded by blood.

It seemed that the sword beam just now was from him.

And beside the young man stood a cold woman, their auras similar.

Both were prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City.

“I didn’t expect… to be discovered by you…”

Sima Ye said sinisterly, a vicious smile on his face.

And a hint of helplessness.

He hadn’t expected that after hiding in Ghost Demon Pass for so long, he would still be exposed because of a Peerless Summit Sect disciple, attracting the attention of the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang.

And the reason he and Shangguan Lengyan had sought out Luo Xue was because of Master Wumu.

Could all of this be… Master Wumu’s plan?

“Hmm? Why did he say ‘discovered’? Wait…”

Hearing this, Wu Hai paused slightly, then his expression darkened.

Perhaps, “discovered” referred to the robbery of the alchemy shop.

It seemed that this matter involved the Demonic Ghost City. It was very likely that these two prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City were the masterminds behind it.

They deliberately used the alchemy shop incident to instigate the conflict between the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang.

Even using it as a fuse to recreate the conflict from hundreds of years ago and reshape the power structure of Ghost Demon Pass.

But what benefit would this bring to the Demonic Ghost City?

…The only ones who would benefit were the Ghost Demon Gang, and the Temple of the Nether Spirit behind them.

This was a premeditated, thorough conspiracy!

Wu Hai was glad that the one who carried out this conspiracy, the thief who robbed the alchemy shop, was a bit of an idiot.

Otherwise, when this conspiracy unfolded, both the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang would suffer.

In an instant, Wu Hai understood the stakes.

At this moment… capturing the thief who robbed the alchemy shop wasn’t as important as exposing the Demonic Ghost City, who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

“You brats from the Demonic Ghost City… surrender!”

Wu Hai immediately raised his sword and attacked Sima Ye, ignoring the gradually awakening Nangong Mengxiang and Luo Xue.

Elder Li, although not quite understanding the situation, immediately used a divine ability, targeting Sima Ye as well, since Elder Wu had given the order.

The power of the small worlds created by the two Core Formation elders suppressed Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan. Facing Core Formation cultivators, they had already lost the chance to escape and could only fight.

Against Core Formation cultivators with the power of a small world, most Foundation Establishment cultivators were just lambs to the slaughter.

However, Sima Ye was unwilling to accept defeat at the hands of Master Wumu’s scheme.

Core Formation, so what?

Just two Core Formation cultivators who relied on years of accumulated cultivation… How could they compare to the noble bloodline of the Evil Ghost lineage!

“You want to capture me… Impossible!”

He couldn’t fall here!

The grand plan of the Peerless Summit Sect, the collusion behind the Temple of the Nether Spirit… he hadn’t relayed this information back to his clan yet, how could he die here!

Sima Ye bit his tongue, knelt on the ground, and roared,

“Unworthy descendant Ye, I beseech the Old Ancestor to possess me!”

Dozens of drops of blood essence, accumulated over many years, were released at this moment, forming a blood-red seal in mid-air.

Then, a terrifying ghostly aura erupted, and a weary-looking old man with closed eyes faintly appeared within it.

The old man slowly opened his eyes, turning the surroundings into a ghostly domain.

Shangguan Lengyan also acted decisively, sacrificing all her blood essence and summoning the sacred artifact of the Shangguan clan, the true Mystic Dark Eyes, which descended upon her own eyes.

All descendants of the Shangguan bloodline possessed inherited Mystic Dark Eyes, but these were just fragments of the true Mystic Dark Eyes, crude imitations.

But in times of crisis, by sacrificing their blood essence, they could use these fragments to reflect the true Mystic Dark Eyes, gaining power far beyond their own.

These were the life-risking trump cards of Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan. Even if they survived this battle, their cultivation wouldn’t advance for at least the next ten years.

Moreover, for them, who were preparing to break through to Core Formation, this was a devastating blow, and they might even miss the once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to obtain a Heaven-grade pill from the Heavenly Cluster Sword Tomb.

“This is the secret technique of the Evil Ghost lineage! You are actually descendants of the Sima and Shangguan clans…”

Wu Hai recognized the origins of these two secret techniques at a glance and was terrified.

The Evil Ghost lineage specialized in capturing and manipulating souls. Although they possessed physical bodies, they were mostly eroded by ghostly energy, existing in a half-human, half-ghost state.

More like ghost cultivators with special existences.

Therefore, the methods used by the Evil Ghost lineage were unpredictable and specifically targeted the soul, making them one of the enemies that Immortal Domain cultivators least wanted to encounter.

Moreover, these two could even use secret techniques. Their ghostly bloodline was extremely pure, suggesting their high status within their clans.

The terror of the Evil Ghost lineage’s secret techniques was such that even Wu Hai and Li Zhanglao, both at Core Formation, were wary.

If they were careless, even their Core Formation cultivation wouldn’t be able to withstand the soul-damaging effects.

Prodigies were still prodigies. If they were just two early Core Formation cultivators, they might even die under this secret technique.

Unfortunately, Wu Hai and Li Zhanglao had both been at the Core Formation Realm for hundreds of years, their cultivation already reaching the mid-stage. They were far beyond what Foundation Establishment cultivators could compete with.

“Avoid the brunt of the attack!”

This thought flashed through Wu Hai’s mind, and his sword moved.

Although the secret techniques were powerful, their consumption was also extremely high.

As long as they could endure for a while, capturing these two Evil Ghost lineage prodigies would be a certainty.

Time was on their side; there was no need to risk directly confronting the secret techniques.

Thus, Wu Hai immediately slashed his sword at the nearby wall, trying to create some distance between himself and Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan before making his next move.

Actually, there was an easier way to create distance, which was to just leave through the door…

But the problem was that the Zither Witch was outside, and Wu Hai absolutely didn’t dare to provoke her.

Destroying the Youxiang Restaurant was a small matter, he could just pay for the damages, but provoking the Zither Witch… ahem, he couldn’t afford to do that.

Because Luo Xue and the others were standing on the left side, and Wu Hai thought they were accomplices of the Evil Ghost lineage prodigies, to avoid being attacked from both sides, he led the Tianhai Gang elders to the right.

The secret techniques unleashed by Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan with all their might were already aimed at Wu Hai, and exhausted as they were, they couldn’t fully control the techniques or change their targets, so they could only follow.

The ensuing fierce battle almost demolished the entire West Quiet Spring Pavilion. Fortunately, the restrictions within the Youxiang Restaurant were strong enough to prevent it from collapsing, but they were also nearing their limit.

The collision between the Demonic Ghost City’s secret techniques and the power of Core Formation directly pierced through the restrictions on the walls.

The walls between the West Quiet Spring Pavilion and the North Bright Willow Pavilion crumbled, scattering formation runes everywhere. These were the formations used to reinforce the walls and block techniques within the Youxiang Restaurant.

And then…

Three figures suddenly appeared on the other side of the wall.

Rao Weiyi, the Gang Leader of the Medicine Gang, and the other two Core Formation elders.

They looked at the scene before them in shock, Rao Weiyi even trembling slightly.

It wasn’t fear, but rage, extreme rage.

Because the Tianhai Gang had taken the initiative to attack, directly entering the West Quiet Spring Pavilion, Rao Weiyi had thought that two Core Formation elders against a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator shouldn’t be a problem.

If the Medicine Gang intervened now, it might cause more misunderstandings.

Rao Weiyi was a relatively peaceful person, disliking conflict, seeking only a place to live.

His cultivation had already reached the late stage of Core Formation, nearing the peak.

As long as he continued to cultivate steadily, he might have the chance to reach Nascent Soul in a thousand years and return to his sect.

Therefore, Rao Weiyi had intended to compromise in this negotiation. When the two elders of the Tianhai Gang attacked, he only followed to observe the situation.

To avoid being mistaken for waiting in ambush, Rao Weiyi even took the two elders to the adjacent North Bright Willow Pavilion, waiting for the matter to be resolved.

But now…

They had actually broken through the wall, intending to kill all the Core Formation cultivators of the Medicine Gang within the Youxiang Restaurant!

“I originally thought that the conflict between the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang was just a dispute between Immortal Domain sects.” Rao Weiyi’s face darkened. “I didn’t expect you to collude with the Demonic Ghost City and try to annihilate the Medicine Gang!”

Wu Hai’s eyes widened, and he was about to explain.

But the Demonic Ghost City’s secret technique struck again, aiming for his back.

And also, towards the Medicine Gang.

“This is unbearable! To repeatedly toy with our Medicine Gang…”

Rao Weiyi waved his sleeve, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

“Then I won’t hold back anymore. Wu Hai, die!”

“Die!”

The Medicine Gang elders roared.

“I’ll be damned…”

Wu Hai almost spat out blood, but attacked from both sides, he and Elder Li of the Tianhai Gang could only struggle to defend.

At the same time, Nangong Mengxiang slowly woke up from her dizziness and was startled when she opened her eyes.

“Whoa, Little Martial Aunt, what happened here?”

Several groups were fighting fiercely, and the Youxiang Restaurant had been mostly demolished, only the area where the Zither Witch was located remained untouched.

“It’s nothing…”

Luo Xue said with a strange expression.

Since Sima Ye’s sudden attack, she hadn’t been able to understand what was going on.

The Zither Witch’s inexplicable intervention, Sima Ye’s single-minded attempt to kill her, the sudden appearance of Elder Wu of the Tianhai Gang, the unfamiliar old men hiding behind the wall…

When Elder Wu appeared, Luo Xue had felt a sense of despair.

But after Elder Wu and Sima Ye exchanged a few words, they started fighting each other as if they had a tacit understanding, ignoring the others.

Then, after the unfamiliar old men appeared, the several sides started attacking each other inexplicably, the scene turning chaotic.

However, for Luo Xue, this was a good thing.

Chapter 92: Severing Three Souls and Seven Spirits

Inside the Youxiang Restaurant.

A woman in white, her eyes closed, played a melodious tune on the zither in the pavilion erected in the center of the restaurant.

However, a starkly contrasting scene unfolded less than twenty meters away, in one of the four private rooms on the third floor.

The four private rooms were located in the four cardinal directions. The Tianhai Gang and Medicine Gang’s meeting was in the East Tranquil Pavilion, while Nangong Mengxiang sensed Little Martial Aunt’s faint aura in the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.

After rushing out of the East Tranquil Pavilion, she ignored the Core Formation cultivators shouting behind her and flew across the pavilion below, landing in front of the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.

Wu Hai and Li Zhanglao, another Core Formation cultivator of the Tianhai Gang, followed closely behind. Seeing that Nangong Mengxiang had already crossed the pavilion on the first floor and reached the West Quiet Spring Pavilion, Li Zhanglao began to circulate his spiritual power, preparing a divine ability.

“Wait!”

Seeing this, Wu Hai broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stopped Li Zhanglao.

He fearfully glanced at the Zither Witch, who looked like a celestial maiden on the pavilion below. Seeing that she was still quietly playing the zither, he breathed a sigh of relief.

They couldn’t afford to provoke this Nascent Soul old monster…

As the Holy Maiden’s protector, the Zither Witch’s strength was unfathomable. It was rumored that only a handful of Nascent Soul cultivators could match her.

However, for some reason, the Zither Witch rarely intervened, even during the Immortal-Demon War.

But once she decided to act…

She wouldn’t leave any survivors within ten miles.

She was the Zither Witch, not as gentle as her appearance suggested.

Being stopped by Wu Hai, Li Zhanglao looked puzzled.

But he still followed Wu Hai’s instructions, withdrawing his divine ability and preparing to fly over like Nangong Mengxiang had done.

Seeing this, Wu Hai broke out in another cold sweat, quickly grabbing Li Zhanglao, who had already taken a step, and said in a slightly panicked voice,

“Go around through the corridor! Quickly! Don’t use any divine abilities outside!”

Flying over the head of a terrifying demonic cultivator who could be the strongest Nascent Soul expert, Wu Hai didn’t have the courage.

Nangong Mengxiang had committed such a transgression out of ignorance, but Wu Hai knew the Zither Witch’s power very well. He was afraid of provoking her and being annihilated with a single note. No one would dare to speak up for him.

Yes, the Zither Witch rarely intervened.

But if anyone dared to offend her, they would surely die without a burial place, and no one would dare to complain. Even the forces behind them would have to offer generous gifts and apologize.

“Let’s go, let’s go…”

Thus, the two Core Formation elders, tiptoeing through the corridor, not even daring to use their spiritual power, hurried towards the West Quiet Spring Pavilion like mortals.

The Medicine Gang, seeing this, although puzzled, followed cautiously behind the two from the Tianhai Gang, not acting rashly.

Rao Weiyi, the only one who knew the inside story, looked at Wu Hai with a hint of pity. This Elder Wu, who had been so arrogant earlier, was now fearfully chasing after Nangong Mengxiang, constantly glancing at the Zither Witch playing on the pavilion.

Chaos unfolded upstairs, while the melodious zither music continued below. Only these people remained in the Youxiang Restaurant; the other guests had been sent away.

And the manager of the Youxiang Restaurant stood respectfully behind the Zither Witch, his head slightly lowered.

He knew that the Youxiang Restaurant might soon be destroyed by a great battle, but he didn’t say anything.

Because the “manager” was just a proxy. The true owner of the Youxiang Restaurant was the Holy Maiden.

Not the former Holy Maiden, but the current one.

Every Holy Maiden.

…

Inside the West Quiet Spring Pavilion.

The condensed ghostly hand descended fiercely. Luo Xue and the Sha sisters, having broken free from the Mystic Dark Eyes’ control, barely dodged Sima Ye’s attack.

But it wasn’t over yet. Sima Ye’s ghostly hand condensed again, and Shangguan Lengyan, also recovering from the zither music’s influence, activated her Mystic Dark Eyes once more.

Just then, a loud bang echoed through the Youxiang Restaurant, the entire room trembling slightly.

Sima Ye’s chair slipped, almost making him fall to the ground. The sudden change dispelled his ghostly hand.

Shangguan Lengyan steadied herself against a nearby pillar, frowning slightly, her Mystic Dark Eyes looking towards the door.

The next moment, her pupils constricted, and a look of shock appeared on her usually indifferent face.

“Troublesome times…”

Sima Ye gritted his teeth. If he hadn’t wanted to capture the souls of Luo Xue and the Sha sisters for cultivation, he would have already killed them with a single palm strike, without needing to use his ghostly hand.

But now, he encountered one unexpected event after another, first the inexplicable intervention of the Zither Witch, and now this sudden tremor.

He was getting annoyed.

“Forget it, I originally wanted to leave your souls wandering the world, but now… you can just die!”

A sharp glint flashed through Sima Ye’s eyes, and a sinister killing intent emanated from him.

His next attack would annihilate these weaklings who hadn’t even reached Spirit Condensation.

“Wait!”

Shangguan Lengyan suddenly called out, her voice trembling slightly.

“The Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang… why are they suddenly coming for us?”

In her vision, countless Core Formation auras were approaching the West Quiet Spring Pavilion. The weakest among them were at the peak of Foundation Establishment and were already standing at the door.

Although most of these Core Formation cultivators were mediocre, having reached this realm after years of arduous cultivation, they were still Core Formation cultivators.

It was rare for a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to defeat a Core Formation cultivator, and almost impossible to defeat two Core Formation cultivators working together. And now, there were five Core Formation cultivators outside.

Facing this group… even escaping would be difficult.

Had these two Immortal Domain sects discovered their presence?

No, Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan had always concealed themselves very well.

If not for the Zither Witch’s intervention, they wouldn’t have revealed any flaws.

But this wasn’t enough for the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang to immediately put aside their differences and join forces against them.

A trace of the Demonic Ghost City’s aura would at most arouse their suspicion.

But now… they were coming in full force, aggressively.

“What!”

Sima Ye’s face paled as he realized the gravity of the situation.

The reason they had been so careful to conceal their identities wasn’t just because they were demonic cultivators, but also because they were the most famous prodigies of the Evil Ghost lineage of the Demonic Ghost City.

And Ghost Demon Pass was at the border between You Province and the Nether Spirit forbidden area.

The Temple of the Nether Spirit and the Demonic Ghost City weren’t exactly neighbors…

Once discovered, in this lawless land, countless people would be willing to risk capturing them.

In fact, even if Luo Xue’s identity wasn’t discovered, she and the Sha sisters, disguised as the man in the bamboo hat, wouldn’t be able to leave this room.

“…Should we escape immediately?”

Sima Ye forced himself to calm down.

But could they escape…

No, they couldn’t escape immediately.

They had to create a diversion…

Right, there was still the Zither Witch! She was still in the Youxiang Restaurant!

She had just saved that Peerless Summit Sect disciple, which meant that this Immortal Domain cultivator, who wasn’t even at the Spirit Condensation Realm, had a special significance to the Zither Witch, at least she didn’t want her to die.

Sima Ye steeled his resolve. No matter what, he had to face the combined forces of the Core Formation elders of the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang. It was better to drag the Zither Witch into this mess to have a chance of survival.

Thinking of this, Sima Ye’s ghostly hand slowly condensed again, targeting Luo Xue.

This time, it wasn’t to capture her soul, but to destroy it. This was a killing blow.

In a flash, the West Quiet Spring Pavilion was breached.

A tall, pink figure rushed in, throwing herself in front of Luo Xue.

“Little Martial Aunt—”

Luo Xue slowly opened her eyes.

She saw Nangong Mengxiang’s anxious face, and a familiar feeling washed over her.

Oh right, she seemed to have experienced this before…

Many times, many people, had treated her like this.

…How did it come to this?

Luo Xue lowered her eyelids slightly.

“Nan… gong…”

The deadly hand of ghostly energy descended, striking the pink figure directly.

A surge of ghostly power erupted, carrying the force of soul-rending, sweeping through everything around them.

Sima Ye had put all his strength into this strike, intending to completely annihilate Luo Xue’s soul.

Only in this way could he force the Zither Witch to intervene.

Sima Ye was confident that even if he went this far, the Zither Witch wouldn’t attack him.

Because his identity was important. If he died at the hands of the Zither Witch, it would cause a lot of trouble for the Temple of the Nether Spirit.

But now… this attack was blocked.

“Damn it…”

Sima Ye’s face darkened. Why did a woman suddenly appear and block his attack for the Peerless Summit Sect disciple?

His soul-destroying technique could only be used once in a short period, completely destroying a person’s soul.

With Sima Ye’s current cultivation, even a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, if they took this attack directly, would face the risk of soul annihilation.

He could tell at a glance that this strange woman who suddenly appeared was also only at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

This strike had probably already taken her life.

Nangong Mengxiang closed her eyes, leaning lightly against Luo Xue’s shoulder, her soft body embracing Luo Xue, still in a protective posture.

“Mengxiang…”

Luo Xue opened her mouth slightly, her body trembling.

She could feel the terrifying aura of that ghostly hand.

This kind of soul-targeting attack was the specialty of the Demonic Ghost City.

It could be dodged, but not directly blocked.

Unless it was a soul cultivator or someone at the Core Formation Realm or above, the souls of ordinary cultivators were very fragile.

Once hit by a soul-targeting technique, their lives would be in danger.

Nangong Mengxiang, was she dead…

Did she die for her…

“You’re so silly, Nangong,” Luo Xue whispered. She looked up, gazing at Sima Ye indifferently. “You could have just let me die…”

“After all, it’s just waking up from a dream.”

But was this a dream?

Could it really be a dream?

Was it… really just a dream…

If it really was a dream, did the deaths of people in the dream… not matter?

These questions and thoughts, which had appeared in Luo Xue’s mind more than once, were now especially strong.

Even after being saved by Nangong Mengxiang, Sima Ye still wouldn’t give up.

The elders of the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang would arrive soon. If he couldn’t force the Zither Witch to intervene again, he and Shangguan Lengyan wouldn’t be able to escape.

“Heh… to think that I, the young master of the Sima clan of the Evil Ghost lineage, would be forced to such a state by an Innate Realm Immortal Domain cultivator, how embarrassing…”

Sima Ye muttered coldly, and an evil spirit slowly emerged behind him, reaching out to grab Luo Xue.

“This… is not a dream.” Luo Xue closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were filled with a purplish-red light. “Nangong can’t die, I can’t die.”

“No one can die here!”

At this moment, the zither music abruptly stopped.

A pair of white eyes looked towards the loft in shock.

A purple phoenix cried out softly, blocking the evil spirit’s hand.

“How… is this possible…”

Sima Ye’s eyes widened. Although he had exhausted his strength using the soul-destroying technique, how could a mere Innate Realm child withstand a casual strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

At the same time, Shangguan Lengyan also understood Sima Ye’s intention.

Her Mystic Dark Eyes lit up again, twisting her soul power to attack Luo Xue.

Her pupil technique was a ghostly eye, able to discreetly pry into information and condense her gaze to pierce through souls.

It was slightly inferior to Sima Ye’s soul-destroying technique, but still incredibly powerful. Few within the Foundation Establishment Realm dared to withstand it directly.

However, it wasn’t that no one could withstand it.

“Ugh… I’m a little dizzy…”

As everyone watched in shock, Nangong Mengxiang slowly opened her eyes, rubbing her temples, and muttered,

“Who hit me on the head… I feel so dizzy…”

She struggled to stand up, just as another soul-piercing gaze from the Mystic Dark Eyes struck her soul directly.

With a thud, Nangong Mengxiang, who had just managed to stand up, fell back into Luo Xue’s arms.

“Nangong isn’t dead?”

Luo Xue witnessed this scene, and amidst her shock, the shadow of the purple phoenix dissipated.

She checked Nangong Mengxiang’s breathing. She was fine, just unconscious.

She had taken two soul-targeting attacks, and they were at the peak of Foundation Establishment, yet she had only fainted?

The soul wasn’t a body cultivator’s strength, it might even be their weakness…

“This woman… why is she still alive?”

Shangguan Lengyan was dumbfounded. She used her pupil technique to observe Nangong Mengxiang’s soul.

This one glance made her speechless.

“Among her three souls and seven spirits, she’s missing one soul and three spirits… the Life Soul, and the spirits of Sorrow, Fear, and Malice. How is she even alive?”

What was even more terrifying was that, despite missing parts of her soul, why were soul-targeting techniques not very effective against her?

A possibility suddenly occurred to Shangguan Lengyan, but she quickly dismissed it.

But thinking about it carefully, besides that possibility, there seemed to be no other reasonable explanation.

“The Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture, severing three souls and seven spirits, achieving the path of physical sanctification.”

“How could anyone cultivate such a crazy technique… How could anyone dare to cultivate it…”

“And how could anyone… succeed…”

Chapter 91: From Afar to Right Under Your Nose 

Within the Youxiang Restaurant, in another of the four private rooms.

“Let’s stop here, Medicine Gang,” Rao Weiyi said in a deep voice. “We are both under the major sects of the Immortal Domain, and both belong to the two major sects of You Province. We shouldn’t fight amongst ourselves.”

“Moreover, Ghost Demon Pass hasn’t completely fallen under the control of the Immortal Domain yet. Our fight will only weaken us both, letting the Ghost Demon Gang and the Temple of the Nether Spirit watch and benefit.”

The Core Formation elders sitting beside Rao Weiyi had unfriendly expressions, looking at the Tianhai Gang with disdain.

The elders of the Medicine Gang always looked down on these rough and unrefined individuals, who had cultivated for thousands of years but lacked any refinement.

Although the cultivators of the Tianhai Gang were slightly stronger in battle, they didn’t understand management or business at all, only knowing how to dominate through force.

The territory controlled by the Tianhai Gang was extremely chaotic, with even their own disciples participating in the disorder. There was no order at all.

Because of this, the Tianhai Gang’s businesses were pathetically bleak. Compared to the Medicine Gang, their output was less than one-tenth.

The Tianhai Gang only guaranteed that transactions within their shops followed the rules, but they took no responsibility for what happened outside. Countless innocent cultivators had been robbed after leaving their shops.

Although the two gangs were currently equal in power, in another hundred years, the Medicine Gang, with the abundant resources gained through proper management, would surely produce more Core Formation cultivators or recruit more powerful retainers, greatly increasing their strength.

As long as the price was right, even buying off Nascent Soul old monsters wasn’t impossible.

“Heh, Gang Leader Rao, our gang has never mentioned starting a conflict,” Wu Hai said with a sneer, his arms crossed. “As long as you hand over the culprit who destroyed one of our alchemy shops a few days ago, the Tianhai Gang will immediately back down.”

The Medicine Gang looked down on the Tianhai Gang, and the Tianhai Gang felt the same way.

These Medicine Gang cultivators only had their cultivation because of resources and pills. Their combat experience was lacking, and in a one-on-one fight, they were just paper tigers with inflated realms.

Even the powerful retainers they recruited with generous rewards were only there for the money and wouldn’t risk their lives for the Medicine Gang.

Once they encountered a truly dangerous battle, these retainers would be the first to flee.

Wu Hai didn’t know what tricks the Medicine Gang was playing. He only knew that he had personally witnessed the thief robbing the alchemy shop, escaping into the Medicine Gang’s territory, and using a top-grade pill that only the Medicine Gang could provide.

A single top-grade pill could buy several alchemy shops. Why would she risk robbing one?

There was only one possibility: it was related to the Medicine Gang.

Rao Weiyi’s expression darkened.

“Elder Wu, I’ve said it many times. The Medicine Gang hasn’t found this thief, and this thief is definitely not one of ours.”

He turned slightly and looked at the only person leisurely eating at the table, a large man beside Wu Hai, and said coldly,

“Gang Leader Yu, the Tianhai Gang invited our Medicine Gang for a discussion, but is this your attitude? Where is your sincerity?”

Yu Haoqiang picked up a piece of expertly cooked beast meat, swallowed it in one gulp, took a sip of wine, and then said while chewing,

“Wu Hai invited you, talk to him.”

After a pause, Yu Haoqiang continued,

“If you want to fight, I’ll fight you.”

Then he continued eating, having already devoured most of the dishes on the table. No one else dared to touch their chopsticks.

At such a tense moment, only Yu Haoqiang remained calm.

“Is it that you don’t have her, can’t find her, or… don’t want to hand her over?” Wu Hai’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Gang Leader Rao, you should be well aware that rumors have been spreading recently, saying that our Tianhai Gang is weak, unable to even protect our own alchemy shop.”

“If we can’t capture this thief, skin her alive, and devour her flesh and bones, it will be difficult to appease the anger of our Tianhai Gang disciples…”

Rao Weiyi’s cloudy eyes sharpened, and he said in a low voice,

“Elder Wu, are you saying… that you intend to send people into our territory to search?”

“If the Medicine Gang is incompetent, the Tianhai Gang will naturally offer assistance.” Wu Hai said faintly.

“Insolent!”

One of the Core Formation elders of the Medicine Gang immediately stood up and shouted angrily, “The Tianhai Gang’s intentions are obvious! If we allow you to send cultivators into our territory, the Medicine Gang will be gone by tomorrow!”

Rao Weiyi’s face also darkened. This scene was too familiar.

They had used this tactic hundreds of years ago.

Now… were they going to use it against them?

No, he absolutely couldn’t agree.

“If the Medicine Gang is truly so weak, being under the protection of the Tianhai Gang wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Wu Hai didn’t back down. He glanced at Yu Haoqiang and, seeing his unchanged expression, sneered even more.

The reason Wu Hai had asked the Gang Leader to come personally was to adopt a more aggressive stance towards the Medicine Gang.

“Is this the Tianhai Gang’s attitude towards negotiation, so arrogant and overbearing?”

Rao Weiyi looked directly at Yu Haoqiang, who was still eating, his cloudy eyes flashing, a rare hint of anger on his face.

“Don’t look at me, look at Wu Hai.” Yu Haoqiang said without looking up. “I’ve entrusted this matter to him. He can do as he sees fit.”

“Either hand over the thief,” Wu Hai continued, his tone aggressive, “or let the Tianhai Gang in, and we’ll find the thief ourselves and bring her to justice.”

Hearing this, the elders of the Medicine Gang immediately stood up, glaring at Wu Hai.

The Tianhai Gang didn’t back down either, standing up to confront them.

In an instant, only Wu Hai, Rao Weiyi, and Yu Haoqiang, who was still eating, remained seated.

The atmosphere instantly froze, a hidden killing intent permeating the air, gradually becoming suffocating.

If anyone made a move at this moment, it would inevitably lead to a battle between Core Formation cultivators, and the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang would have no choice but to go to war.

Just then, two crisp sounds were heard.

Yu Haoqiang had put down his chopsticks. He leaned back in his chair and said lazily,

“I’ve finished eating. Why aren’t you done talking yet?”

Rao Weiyi frowned slightly, just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed.

At the same time, Wu Hai and Yu Haoqiang’s expressions also changed slightly.

The three of them, with the highest cultivation and the sharpest senses, immediately noticed a faint, extremely pure ghostly aura permeating the surroundings.

This was the unique aura of the Demonic Ghost City.

Soon, all the Core Formation cultivators present sensed the ghostly aura, faintly sensing the violence contained within.

Was someone fighting?

Right here in the Youxiang Restaurant, it seemed to be with a cultivator from the Demonic Ghost City…

What was going on?

Not to mention why the fight was so coincidentally happening in the Youxiang Restaurant, how could there be a cultivator from the Demonic Ghost City, which was so far from Ghost Demon Pass, here?

The borderlands were vast, and there were quite a few passes similar to Ghost Demon Pass, at least a dozen or so. Ghost Demon Pass and the Demonic Ghost City had always been unrelated.

Just as everyone was puzzled, they heard the sound of a zither.

When the melodious music reached the room, Rao Weiyi and Wu Hai’s expressions instantly turned to shock, and even Yu Haoqiang’s face showed a rare hint of seriousness.

“The Zither Witch… has actually intervened?”

Although it was only for a moment, the Zither Witch had indeed made a move.

Judging from the surrounding aura, she had only blocked an attack for someone, not actively attacking.

But even so, she had still intervened.

The Zither Witch’s presence in the Youxiang Restaurant had significant implications. Even if the entire restaurant was destroyed, she would remain unfazed. So why would she deliberately protect an unknown cultivator?

The relationship between the Temple of the Nether Spirit and the Demonic Ghost City… shouldn’t be that good, right?

Rao Weiyi and Yu Haoqiang exchanged glances, both seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes.

Find that Demonic Ghost City cultivator, immediately!

No matter why they were in Ghost Demon Pass, as long as it involved the Zither Witch, they had to be captured!

Anyone who could make the Zither Witch intervene couldn’t be simple.

Moreover, they were Demon Abyss cultivators. The two gangs were backed by Immortal Domain sects, so naturally, they wouldn’t hesitate to act.

Although they had their disputes, when facing the Demon Abyss, the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang would temporarily put aside their differences and work together to deal with the situation.

But before the two gangs’ elders could locate the source of the aura, they suddenly heard a series of strange cries from outside the window.

Everyone instinctively looked over and saw a tall woman in a girly pink dress diving towards the Youxiang Restaurant.

…What was going on?

As everyone watched in astonishment, this strangely dressed woman crashed through the Youxiang Restaurant’s barrier with her momentum.

Since the restaurant’s barrier was mainly designed to intercept techniques and abilities, after the barrier was broken, the woman’s momentum didn’t decrease at all.

She crashed through the window and into the banquet room where the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang were gathered, overturning the entire table.

The food on the table had already been swept clean, so thankfully there was no waste.

The elders of the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang stared blankly at the woman. She got up, patted her clothes, looked around with a puzzled expression, and scratched the back of her head.

“Eh, that’s not right, I seem to have come to the wrong place…”

Nangong Mengxiang had initially rushed over following Little Martial Aunt’s aura, but because the aura disappeared for a while, she had deviated slightly from her course and crashed into the next room.

“Sorry, sorry, wrong place…”

Nangong Mengxiang apologized, seemingly unaware of the growing anger around her, and was about to leave.

“Stop!” Wu Hai shouted, his face filled with rage. “Who are you? Why did you deliberately disrupt the negotiations between the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang?”

Wu Hai didn’t recognize Nangong Mengxiang. It was simple: Nangong Mengxiang had been wearing a nightwalker suit and a mask back then, which didn’t match her current girly pink dress at all…

And this dress also concealed Nangong Mengxiang’s impressive figure. Wu Hai didn’t connect her with the previous robber.

“Ah, it wasn’t intentional, just a mistake.”

Nangong Mengxiang’s expression was a bit troubled. “Sorry, old man, I’ll come back and apologize later. I have to go save someone now. Wait, where did Little Martial Aunt’s aura go…”

After saying that, Nangong Mengxiang walked directly towards the door. She vaguely remembered that Little Martial Aunt’s last aura was nearby, not too far.

Seeing that this strange woman was ignoring him, Wu Hai was enraged. He drew his sword and casually slashed at her, not using his full strength.

In his mind, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn’t possibly withstand a sword strike from a Core Formation cultivator.

Such an exception appearing once was already astonishing enough, it couldn’t happen twice in such a short time.

But when the sword beam struck, it was absorbed by the incongruous pink dress.

The strange woman just groaned, unharmed.

“This is… a protective magical treasure!”

Wu Hai’s eyes widened.

As the future Peak Master of Falling Flower Peak, how could the dresses in Senior Sister’s collection be ordinary items…

In fact, each one was made of materials close to that of a second-grade magical treasure, just without any special effects.

After all, they were meant to be worn as clothes, not as protective spiritual artifacts.

Moreover, with Nangong Mengxiang’s physique, even without a magical treasure, this sword strike would at most cause her minor injuries.

“Eh, it doesn’t hurt much…”

Nangong Mengxiang also realized that this dress seemed to have a protective effect. Looking back, she recognized Wu Hai.

“Ah, you’re that Elder Wu!”

“What?” Wu Hai frowned slightly, this tone seemed familiar. “Are you…”

A memory flashed through his mind, a similar back.

“Catch her, she’s the thief!” Wu Hai immediately shouted, charging forward with his sword. “Elders of the Tianhai Gang, listen to my command, capture this woman!”

Nangong Mengxiang didn’t care what Wu Hai was saying. She was in a hurry to save someone.

If he was unhappy and wanted to attack her, so be it. She wasn’t injured anyway.

So after being struck by the sword, Nangong Mengxiang immediately turned and left, heading in the direction where Little Martial Aunt’s last aura had appeared.

But in everyone’s eyes, Nangong Mengxiang was fleeing because she was guilty.

Wu Hai wanted to strike again and kill Nangong Mengxiang directly, but recalling the Zither Witch’s intervention earlier, he hesitated and could only sheathe his sword and give chase.

Since the Zither Witch had already intervened once, who could guarantee that she wouldn’t do it again?

Who could guarantee that her next intervention wouldn’t take someone’s head?

It was better… not to provoke her and capture this thief as quietly as possible.

The Tianhai Gang elders didn’t hesitate and immediately followed Wu Hai.

Yu Haoqiang seemed detached, still sitting in his seat, lost in thought.

This series of events also caught the Medicine Gang off guard. After a moment of contemplation, Rao Weiyi said in a low voice,

“Everyone, follow me to investigate.”

With that, he hurriedly left.

Before leaving, Rao Weiyi glanced at Yu Haoqiang again.

What was this Tianhai Gang Leader thinking…

Soon, after the Medicine Gang also left, Yu Haoqiang finally chuckled softly.

“The Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture, interesting, it’s actually the Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture…”

He looked up slightly, silent for a moment, then sighed deeply.

“After all these years… Fengyin, you still haven’t let go of your obsession?”

Chapter 90: Luo Xue’s Grand Plan!

Just as Luo Xue could easily discern that Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan weren’t from the Immortal Domain, nor were they disciples of the Temple of the Nether Spirit, Sima Ye could also identify Luo Xue’s origins.

It might be difficult to discern the origins of rogue cultivators, and even among the Nine Great Sects, there were some that concealed their auras, but the Peerless Summit Sect wasn’t one of them.

The renowned sword intent of the Peerless Summit Sect existed within the techniques of all four peaks, and Falling Flower Peak was no exception.

As long as they didn’t deliberately conceal their aura, the sharp sword intent they emanated was impossible to ignore.

Luo Xue also cultivated the Falling Flower Scripture. Although she wasn’t skilled in sword-based divine abilities, the proud sword intent within the aura of her technique slightly pricked Sima Ye’s senses.

In the Immortal-Demon War, the Peerless Summit Sect had slain the most Demon Abyss cultivators.

A thousand years ago, almost the entire sect participated in the war, their disciples drawing their swords and carving a bloody path through the Demon Abyss, earning a fearsome reputation that made many Demon Abyss disciples tremble.

Moreover, these sword fanatics each had a self-destruct technique, and when driven to desperation, they could take down cultivators several times stronger than themselves, greatly shocking the four domains of the Demon Abyss, even terrifying the other eight sects of the Immortal Domain.

This situation continued until a few hundred years ago, when the rebellion exposed their decline, and the Peerless Summit Sect gradually fell from grace.

Of course, the rebellion wasn’t the main cause of the Peerless Summit Sect’s decline, but the breaking point.

If he had seen a Peerless Summit Sect disciple appear in Ghost Demon Pass a few hundred years ago, Sima Ye would have immediately turned and fled, even if that disciple was only at the Innate Realm.

Everyone knew that those sword fanatics always traveled in groups. The appearance of one disciple meant that at least ten, or even more, had arrived. Provoking them would only bring trouble.

But now…

The Peerless Summit Sect had completely declined, falling from a super-first-rate sect to a first-rate sect, and recently, they had even been suppressed by their old rival, the Temple of the Nether Spirit, showing signs of falling into the second-rate.

It was said that several other sects in Qing Province were already making moves, wanting to replace the Peerless Summit Sect. It was a matter of life and death for them.

“What is the Peerless Summit Sect doing in Ghost Demon Pass?” Sima Ye asked curiously, relaxed. “You Province and Qing Province are not close, could it be…”

Sima Ye thought of the recent events, how the Temple of the Nether Spirit had humiliated the Peerless Summit Sect.

Could it be because of this…

No, that was unlikely.

The current Peerless Summit Sect couldn’t even protect itself, how could it have the energy to retaliate against the Temple of the Nether Spirit?

Moreover, for a retaliatory action, they wouldn’t send a mere early Innate Realm disciple…

Sima Ye was relaxed, but Luo Xue wasn’t.

She was facing two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Demon Abyss, and they were from the most unpredictable and sinister Demonic Ghost City of the four domains.

It was rumored that the cultivators of the Demonic Ghost City were all undead souls, commonly known as ghost cultivators.

Luo Xue didn’t know much about the Demonic Ghost City, only that all their techniques revolved around ghosts.

For example, controlling ghosts, merging with ghosts, using ghosts to enhance themselves, or even being reincarnated ghosts themselves.

The ghostly hand that Sima Ye had just extended from behind him, Luo Xue could vaguely sense that if she was caught by it, she would probably die instantly.

As for Shangguan Lengyan, one of her eyes must have merged with some kind of ghost to gain such an eerie pupil technique.

“I’m probably in trouble…”

Luo Xue thought to herself.

She had thought that whether she encountered Immortal Domain cultivators or disciples of the Temple of the Nether Spirit, she would be able to escape.

Especially against the Temple of the Nether Spirit’s disciples, the Yin energy had almost no effect on Luo Xue. Unless she encountered a Core Formation cultivator, she could hold on until Nangong Mengxiang arrived.

Now, she was in a truly dangerous situation.

Luo Xue calmed down slightly and said with a faint smile,

“What the Peerless Summit Sect wants to do… perhaps, you also have some guesses?”

Luo Xue didn’t know what the Peerless Summit Sect was planning. She was just putting on an act, letting them guess for themselves.

Hearing this, Sima Ye’s expression froze, and his face gradually turned serious.

“No, it shouldn’t be just simple retaliation. If the Peerless Summit Sect wanted to do that, they wouldn’t be so petty.”

The so-called retaliation would be sending a few teams of cultivators to the borderlands to hunt down disciples of the Temple of the Nether Spirit.

It couldn’t be infiltrating the Temple of the Nether Spirit to act as spies and bring it down from within, could it?

That was impossible…

So, it was more likely… laying the groundwork in advance.

Yes, they must be placing pieces for the inevitable Immortal-Demon War.

Thinking of this, it wasn’t difficult to understand why an Innate Realm disciple would come to Ghost Demon Pass in disguise.

Only disciples of this level could enter Ghost Demon Pass without being noticed by the various factions.

By the time the war started, these hidden disciples would have grown stronger, becoming a surprise force striking deep into the Demon Abyss.

How terrifying, the Peerless Summit Sect was truly terrifying…

To think they would start planning from the weak Innate Realm disciples!

Based on the Peerless Summit Sect’s usual style, there were probably already many Foundation Establishment and even Core Formation cultivators within Ghost Demon Pass who were actually pawns placed by the Peerless Summit Sect long ago…

After figuring this out, Sima Ye felt a chill down his spine.

What’s more, he thought even deeper.

The world thought that the Peerless Summit Sect had declined, based on their weakness during the rebellion hundreds of years ago.

But what if, the Peerless Summit Sect did it on purpose?

What if this rebellion was a deliberate act, a show put on for the nine provinces and four domains?

And, recently, the Temple of the Nether Spirit had directly humiliated the Peerless Summit Sect at their doorstep, yet the younger generation of the Peerless Summit Sect couldn’t hold their own.

It was very likely because the younger generation disciples of the Peerless Summit Sect weren’t even in the sect, but were deployed throughout the provinces!

When the Immortal-Demon War began, the nine provinces and four domains would be filled with the terrifying swords of the Peerless Summit Sect!

“Peerless Summit Sect,” Sima Ye murmured, “As expected of the Peerless Summit Sect… What a grand plan!”

Hundreds of years of planning… the Peerless Summit Sect’s ambitions were vast!

Luo Xue blinked.

A grand plan?

What plan?

What was this Sima guy imagining?

…Forget it, it didn’t matter.

“I’m impressed. I didn’t expect Brother Sima to see through the… profound meaning within such a short time.”

Luo Xue followed Sima Ye’s words, trying to come up with some profound and ambiguous words.

“But you have to understand, what happened today… it’s best if no one else knows.”

“Hehe…”

Sima Ye just smiled without saying a word, his expression turning cold.

Not letting anyone know?

Such an important secret, how could he not report it to the Demonic Ghost City?

As for this meeting…

As long as this girl died without anyone knowing, no one else would find out.

Just a mere Innate Realm cultivator.

At this moment, Sima Ye had murderous intent, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Luo Xue, who had danced on the edge of life and death several times, instantly sensed Sima Ye’s killing intent, and her heart tightened.

Did she say something wrong just now?

Why did Sima Ye’s expression suddenly change, and why did he suddenly have murderous intent?

If Sima Ye wanted to kill her… she was afraid she wouldn’t have the chance to fight back like she did against Daoist Ziyang. Killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the Post-Heaven Realm wasn’t something she could do every time.

Luo Xue naturally couldn’t figure out what was going on in Sima Ye’s mind, because even Shangguan Lengyan, who was closest to him, couldn’t understand it.

Shangguan Lengyan could tell at a glance that Sima Ye had murderous intent towards Luo Xue. She frowned slightly and transmitted her voice to stop him.

If a Peerless Summit Sect disciple died here, they would likely be implicated. Even if the Peerless Summit Sect had declined, the reputation of those sword fanatics was still intimidating.

While Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan were secretly discussing through voice transmission, Luo Xue immediately calmed herself down and sent a message to Nangong Mengxiang, who was waiting outside, to barge into the Youxiang Restaurant.

Her forehead was slightly sweaty, but her expression remained calm and composed.

She was afraid that if she showed even a hint of weakness, Sima Ye would immediately attack.

At the same time, she made all the necessary preparations and transmitted her voice to the Sha sisters, telling them to find a chance to escape.

“I didn’t expect to encounter an opponent of this level…”

Luo Xue could only sigh inwardly. This time, she had miscalculated.

Who would have thought that the ones who wanted to capture her were actually prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City?

They had never met before, and Luo Xue had only heard of the Demonic Ghost City. Yet, they were targeting her just because of a not-yet-bald bald donkey…

These Demon Abyss ghosts were truly unreasonable!

Only a few moments had passed since Luo Xue finished her ambiguous words, but to her, it felt like years.

The figure of the man in the bamboo hat beside her had already started to dissipate. The Sha sisters, learning about the current situation from Luo Xue’s voice transmission, were so scared that their legs went weak, and their merged state was about to collapse.

Within just a few breaths, Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan had communicated their thoughts.

Shangguan Lengyan’s expression returned to its usual indifference, while Sima Ye’s face was filled with a smile, but this smile carried a heavy killing intent.

“Oh… I haven’t asked for your name yet,” Sima Ye’s tone was light and cheerful, “but it doesn’t matter, I can get the answer from your soul.”

As his voice fell, the ghostly hand behind him reappeared, but this time, it was reaching for Luo Xue.

Danger!

“Run!”

Luo Xue shouted.

The figure of the man in the bamboo hat immediately dispersed, turning into two petite figures.

In an instant, these two figures rushed towards the door.

But at that moment, Shangguan Lengyan’s Mystic Dark Eyes lit up slightly, scarlet filling her eyeballs.

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke’s figures froze, just a step away from the door.

Since he had already decided to silence them, how could Sima Ye not consider the man in the bamboo hat?

When the Sha sisters appeared, all his previous questions about the man in the bamboo hat were answered. Shangguan Lengyan completely saw through their background and couldn’t help but find it a bit ridiculous.

“I thought they had some profound divine ability, but it turned out to be such a useless talent…”

“Their souls are still worth collecting.” Sima Ye said faintly.

It’s too late…

Luo Xue knew that it was already too late.

Even if Nangong Mengxiang received her message and came to rescue her, it would still take some time.

Although it would only take ten breaths for her to break through the Youxiang Restaurant and stop these two prodigies of the Evil Ghost lineage, at this moment, ten breaths felt like an eternity.

The ghostly hand gradually descended, and Luo Xue struggled.

A purplish-red light flickered in her eyes, and a faint phoenix cry echoed.

Facing a life-or-death crisis, Luo Xue’s cultivation technique involuntarily switched to the more powerful Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, desperately seeking a way out.

“…Hmm?”

In this brief moment, Sima Ye felt that the girl before him seemed to have undergone some inexplicable change, a change that felt strangely familiar.

As if he had encountered it somewhere before…

But before he could think further, the ghostly hand had already descended.

On the other side, Shangguan Lengyan’s Mystic Dark Eyes were also gradually separating the Sha sisters’ souls from their bodies.

The souls of those with special talents, what kind of ghosts could they create…

Just then, a soft zither melody suddenly rang out, echoing around them.

The descending ghostly hand was forcibly lifted, and the separated souls returned to their bodies.

Someone had intervened, saving Luo Xue and the Sha sisters.

“Zither Witch!”

Sima Ye was shocked, his expression filled with disbelief.

He naturally knew that the zither player downstairs was the Zither Witch, because she had never concealed her identity. Even the well-informed Sha sisters could recognize her.

But he never expected the Zither Witch to intervene and save them.

Weren’t they disciples of the Peerless Summit Sect?

Shouldn’t the Temple of the Nether Spirit and the Peerless Summit Sect be mortal enemies?

Why did the Zither Witch intervene…

Could it be that he had missed something?

Or…

Was the Peerless Summit Sect’s thousand-year plan actually a collaboration with the Temple of the Nether Spirit?

Sima Ye’s mind was in turmoil, and a hint of fear arose within him.

Could it be that the Zither Witch already knew that he had learned such an important secret and, just like what he was trying to do now, was planning to… silence him?

How terrifying, it was truly terrifying…

He hadn’t expected such a complicated relationship between the sects of the Immortal Domain and the Demon Abyss.

Sima Ye was filled with despair.

But the zither music didn’t last long. After the ghostly hand disappeared and the Mystic Dark Eyes dimmed, the Zither Witch’s music stopped.

It seemed that the Zither Witch’s intervention was only to temporarily protect Luo Xue.

Sima Ye stood there, his expression dark.

No, there was still a chance, he could still kill this Peerless Summit Sect disciple.

No matter what, he had to ensure that the information he carried wouldn’t be leaked before he returned to the Demonic Ghost City, even the slightest risk of leakage was worth it!

The ghostly hand condensed again, but the zither music didn’t return.

However…

Ten breaths had passed.

A divine weapon… descended from the heavens!

“Aaargh…”

A series of excited roars came from somewhere unknown, followed by a loud bang.

The crowd gathered outside the Youxiang Restaurant looked up and saw a figure falling from the sky, crashing through the wall of the Youxiang Restaurant.

Chapter 89: The Holy Maiden’s Protector

“Sima… Shangguan…”

Luo Xue frowned slightly upon hearing these two surnames.

Whether in her past or present life, she had never encountered cultivators with these surnames, or even cultivators with double surnames.

Why were they suddenly looking for her…

The man in the bamboo hat, played by the Sha sisters, nodded slightly and led Luo Xue inside.

After they entered the restaurant, the curious gazes outside dispersed—after all, compared to this strange duo, the outcome of the conflict between the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang was more interesting.

Upon entering the restaurant, Luo Xue was immediately stunned by the surroundings.

Clear and pleasant music seemed to drift through the antique-styled building. Even though Luo Xue didn’t know much about music, she could tell that the person playing the zither wasn’t ordinary.

Every pluck of the strings seemed to tug at the listener’s heartstrings.

A faint, lingering fragrance filled the air, complementing the melodious music, creating a calming and refreshing effect.

The Youxiang Restaurant must have used some kind of spatial divine ability. The space inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside.

Waitresses, similar in appearance to the one who had led them in, moved about in an orderly fashion, bowing slightly whenever they passed each other.

There was no main hall in the restaurant, only private rooms arranged around the perimeter, each with a tight barrier to prevent information leakage.

As they walked further in, the zither music became clearer, and Luo Xue finally saw the musician.

A cold and elegant woman in white sat in the open space in the center of the private rooms. She had her eyes closed, her fingers deftly plucking the strings, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

“It’s actually the ‘Zither Witch’! Now I believe the rumors that the Youxiang Restaurant is backed by the former Holy Maiden of the Temple of the Nether Spirit…”

Sha Yiyi’s voice transmission rang in Luo Xue’s ear, filled with unconcealed surprise.

“How so?”

Luo Xue never missed a chance for gossip.

Especially since it concerned the Holy Maiden of the Temple of the Nether Spirit… even if it was the former Holy Maiden.

Luo Xue had heard too many rumors about the Temple of the Nether Spirit and the Holy Maiden on her way from the Peerless Summit Sect.

The more she heard, the more uneasy she felt…

If Xiao Yao had survived the Mount Fengyin conspiracy, she hoped she hadn’t encountered that terrifying Holy Maiden.

“It’s said that the ‘Zither Witch’ was the former Holy Maiden’s protector. The current Holy Maiden was discovered and reported to the Temple of the Nether Spirit by her.” Even through voice transmission, Sha Yiyi subconsciously lowered her voice. “If I wasn’t so well-informed, I wouldn’t have recognized this grand madam…”

“She’s a Nascent Soul expert… not many people have seen her!”

You still dare to gossip about a Nascent Soul expert through voice transmission?

Luo Xue was instantly nervous and quickly focused her attention on the Zither Witch.

Fortunately, the Zither Witch didn’t seem to notice their whispers, still calmly plucking the strings, the melodious music gently soothing everyone’s hearts.

It was hard to associate such a woman with the title “witch.” If she wasn’t here, she would probably be mistaken for a celestial maiden from some Immortal Domain sect.

Luo Xue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking about it carefully, perhaps she simply didn’t care about a few insignificant people who hadn’t even reached Spirit Condensation.

“This way, please.”

The waitress raised her hand and led Luo Xue and the Sha sisters upstairs.

The man in the bamboo hat walked towards the stairs silently, but his voice transmission chattered excitedly.

“Wow, the client is so rich? They can even afford the upper floor!”

“We could barely afford the first floor even if we sold the inn…”

“Just the deposit for a private room on the upper floor is enough to buy our inn, not to mention the ridiculously expensive food inside!”

Sha Keke gritted her teeth and said,

“I told you Big Sis wasn’t reliable, we should have asked for more… and she even lowered the price herself!”

“How could I know they were so rich…” Sha Yiyi said aggrievedly.

“Stop it, stop it,” Luo Xue’s head was spinning. “Let’s go up and see who it is first!”

In this situation, she could only adapt as things unfolded.

As the waitress led Luo Xue and the others away, the Zither Witch, who had been playing the zither on the platform, stopped.

She turned her head towards Luo Xue’s direction and opened her eyes slightly.

They were colorless eyes, pure white, without even pupils.

“A disciple of the Peerless Summit Sect…” The Zither Witch frowned. “But why is her aura so similar to the one the Holy Maiden gave me?”

She slowly opened her palm, revealing a withered, gray strand of hair.

It emanated the aura of death, its owner long gone.

The Zither Witch had initially thought that the Holy Maiden was just clinging to an impossible obsession and delusion, but she never expected to encounter a little girl with an almost identical aura today.

“The Holy Maiden instructed me that no matter what, I must inform her as soon as I have any news.” The Zither Witch hesitated. “But now, the Heavenly Cluster Sword Tomb is about to open, and the Temple of the Nether Spirit cannot lose to the other three forbidden areas this time.”

“At such a critical moment, if the Holy Maiden is distracted…”

The Holy Master would be furious.

After all, although the Zither Witch was the protector of every Holy Maiden of the Temple, she ultimately belonged to the Temple of the Nether Spirit.

The actions of the protector were for the sake of the Temple, not just the Holy Maiden.

“Forget it, I’ll give her the information and let the Holy Maiden decide for herself.”

The Zither Witch put away the white hair, closed her eyes again, and continued playing the zither.

As for forcibly taking Luo Xue away…

In Ghost Demon Pass, countless eyes were watching the Youxiang Restaurant, watching her.

Who said there were only Nascent Soul old monsters from the three major gangs in Ghost Demon Pass?

This was the border between the Immortal Domain and the Demon Abyss. The eyes and ears of the major sects had never disappeared, their networks intertwined everywhere.

The reason the Zither Witch was here was also to deter the Nascent Soul old monsters from other sects who were hiding here.

…Everyone knew that the Immortal-Demon War would eventually reignite, and no one wanted to be caught off guard and at a disadvantage.

At this crucial moment, any action could trigger a chain reaction.

Just like the conflict between the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang, any action by the Zither Witch could become the spark that ignited the war.

At least for now, she hadn’t received any orders from the Holy Master.

…

The waitress led Luo Xue and the Sha sisters to the door of the private room, then bowed and left.

Sha Yiyi couldn’t help but gulp. She recognized this room as one of the four most luxurious private rooms in the Youxiang Restaurant.

Even with money, it was difficult to book them. One had to have status.

This was it. The other party definitely knew that Miss Luo Xue wasn’t an ordinary cauldron slave. This was a deliberate attempt to use a low price to lure a scapegoat…

Sha Yiyi could only be thankful that she had already revealed her identity to Luo Xue. If they were discovered to have tricked her, they would definitely be in trouble.

But why would such a powerful figure want Miss Luo Xue?

Sha Yiyi reached out her hand, but hesitated.

“Come in directly, the door isn’t locked.”

A lazy, gentle voice came from inside, seemingly carrying a hint of amusement.

Sha Yiyi’s hand trembled, but having come this far, she could only push open the door.

Inside, a man and a woman sat facing each other across a small table.

A small pot of wine simmered on the table, emitting an alluring fragrance.

Luo Xue’s nose twitched slightly, finding the scent somewhat familiar.

However, her gaze fell on the unfamiliar man and woman, a hint of confusion flashing through her mind.

She had never seen them before…

And their auras were also unfamiliar. Although they carried a hint of demonic intent, they weren’t disciples of the Temple of the Nether Spirit.

Because Luo Xue didn’t sense any Yin energy from them. This was the most distinctive characteristic of the Temple of the Nether Spirit, like the sword intent of the Peerless Summit Sect, recognizable at a glance.

“Heh, just as Shangguan Lengyan said, the Shadow Gang does have some skills.” Sima Ye looked at the man in the bamboo hat, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Even her Mystic Dark Eyes couldn’t see through your disguise… Ghost Demon Pass is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.”

Shangguan Lengyan’s Mystic Dark Eyes could even see through the restrictions of the Youxiang Restaurant, but they couldn’t pierce the disguise of the man in the bamboo hat.

She vaguely sensed that the man’s life form was somewhat different. His aura seemed to be around the Spirit Condensation Realm, but it was erratic, perhaps just a facade.

But this asking price…

It could only be considered a quirk.

Of course, Shangguan Lengyan didn’t expect that the true identity of the man in the bamboo hat was a pair of twin sisters, possessing a talent that allowed them to merge.

She hadn’t considered this possibility, which was why she couldn’t see through it, not because the Sha sisters’ talent was particularly powerful.

“We… have brought the person.” The man in the bamboo hat still spoke in a sharp voice, extending his hand slightly. “Where’s the rest of the payment?”

Sha Keke suppressed the urge to ask for a exorbitant price, and Sha Yiyi, her heart bleeding, said,

“O-, one Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pill…”

Heavens, why only one Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pill!

This couple could afford such a high-class private room, they must be very rich!

Even ten Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pills, they could definitely afford it, right?

Sima Ye looked deeply at the man in the bamboo hat, making the Sha sisters’ scalps tingle, before smiling again.

“Master of the Shadow Gang, you jest. I, Shangguan, also have some status. How can I offer just one Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pill?”

He waved his hand, and Shangguan Lengyan took out a small pouch and tossed it to the man in the bamboo hat.

“There are three Mystic-rank Qi Condensation Pills here. We just hope the Shadow Gang won’t reveal this matter.” Sima Ye said gently. “I can tell you that my identity is Sima Ye, a prodigy of the Evil Ghost lineage of the Demonic Ghost City.”

“The reason the reward for the commission was only five Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pills was because we were worried about alerting those we shouldn’t provoke in Ghost Demon Pass.”

“But I didn’t expect Brother Shadow Gang to be so understanding, even lowering the price on your own initiative. I, Shangguan, admire you. These three Mystic-rank Qi Condensation Pills are a token of our friendship.”

Three Mystic-rank Qi Condensation Pills…

Sha Keke’s breathing became labored. She had never even seen a Mystic-rank Qi Condensation Pill before.

Their usual expenses were all in basic Qi Condensation Pills. Yellow-rank pills were already considered a fortune.

Sha Yiyi, as the older sister, was calmer. She silently took the pouch and put it away.

“You’re too kind.”

She said faintly, suppressing her excitement.

Sima Ye just smiled and slowly turned his gaze to Luo Xue.

At the same time, Shangguan Lengyan used her Mystic Dark Eyes, trying to find any tricks Master Wumu might have left on Luo Xue.

Master Wumu’s combat power wasn’t top-tier among prodigies, but his actions were always unpredictable.

The disciples of the Evil Ghost lineage had suffered many losses at his hands, including Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan, which was why they were so cautious.

This check wasn’t in vain. Shangguan Lengyan immediately saw through Luo Xue’s half-baked Thousand Faces Cultivation Art.

As her pupils focused, the weak cauldron slave disappeared, replaced by a white-haired girl whose tattered clothes couldn’t conceal her extraordinary aura.

“What!”

Sima Ye’s expression froze, and Shangguan Lengyan immediately drew her dagger, both of them pointing at the man in the bamboo hat.

Their first reaction was that the man in the bamboo hat had randomly found a girl to disguise as the bounty target.

On the other side, Luo Xue, now revealed, was also dumbfounded. She patted her clothes, sighing inwardly,

“As expected, the incomplete Thousand Faces Cultivation Art is useless…”

If it were Li Guijiao, even Miss Shangguan’s pupil technique wouldn’t be able to see through her disguise.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t recognize Li Guijiao’s true form without careful examination.

Luo Xue had only learned the basics, and her disguise was easily broken.

The Sha sisters, pointed at by two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, almost separated from their merged state and stumbled back a few steps.

A sharp glint flashed through Sima Ye’s eyes, and a ghostly hand slowly extended from behind him, reaching towards the Sha sisters.

Seeing this, Luo Xue could only step forward. After all, the Sha sisters were now working for her, and she would need them to gather information later.

“Calm down, you two, I am indeed the person you’re looking for.” Luo Xue sighed.

“Hmm?”

Sima Ye’s ghostly hand retracted, and he looked at Luo Xue intently.

He then turned his gaze to the man in the bamboo hat and saw that the man seemed to show a hint of respect towards the white-haired girl.

This definitely wasn’t an act.

“Do you know who we’re looking for?” Sima Ye sneered.

“I don’t know, but I know that the person you’re looking for is me.” Luo Xue said. “The portrait you gave him was of me in disguise.”

Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan were silent for a moment, then Shangguan Lengyan asked,

“Have you met Master Wumu?”

“How did you know?” Luo Xue blurted out, then suddenly realized, “It’s about the incident at the city gate? Could it be that you captured me because of Master Wumu?”

Sima Ye hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“…Indeed.”

“But I only met him once,” Luo Xue couldn’t help but laugh. “If you want to seek revenge on him, just go find him directly. What does it have to do with me?”

“Master Wumu’s actions and schemes are unpredictable. Even a casual encounter could be a part of his plan.” Sima Ye looked at Luo Xue, a faint smile appearing on his lips. “And my judgment was indeed correct. He wasn’t just being kind and helping someone randomly.”

“You see, we thought she was just an ordinary cauldron slave, but she’s actually… an Immortal Domain prodigy.”

Chapter 88: Luo Xue, the Bargain

After learning that the twin sisters had this side business, Luo Xue had an idea.

Her energy was limited, and she couldn’t do everything herself.

Tasks like gathering information, Luo Xue had never done before. It was better to leave it to professionals.

…Although they weren’t necessarily very professional, they were definitely more professional than Luo Xue.

Sha Yiyi, after a moment of hesitation, seemed to realize something, and her eyes gradually brightened.

“You mean…”

“Yes, I’ll take care of the matter you’re worried about.”

Luo Xue searched through her storage ring and took out a small bottle of Immortal’s Kowtow, which her convenient mother had given her.

“You should recognize this. Sell it, it should be enough.”

Sha Yiyi took the jade bottle from Luo Xue with a puzzled expression, opened it, sniffed the air, and her eyes widened in shock.

“How did you get this? And so much…”

Immortal’s Kowtow was a treasure of the Everspring Pavilion, the sap of an extremely rare immortal herb.

This immortal herb resembled a cactus, maturing once every thousand years. After producing seeds, it would quickly wither.

Most of its sap would be used as nutrients for the seeds, and the small amount remaining in the withered plant was highly poisonous, hence the name “Immortal’s Kowtow.”

It was harvested once every thousand years, and each plant yielded only about half a jade bottle’s worth.

Sha Yiyi held two plants’ worth in her hand. Its value was enough to support ten of her, no, perhaps even more!

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke looked at Luo Xue as if she were a walking treasure vault.

“Ahem, the Peerless Summit Sect…”

Luo Xue touched her nose. She didn’t know if this was considered a lot. Her convenient mother had robbed an entire gourd of it.

“A transaction between the Everspring Pavilion and the Peerless Summit Sect?” Sha Yiyi immediately understood, but she was still a bit puzzled. “No wonder. But what does the Peerless Summit Sect want with this poison? Without the Everspring Pavilion’s techniques, they can’t refine this poison into medicine…”

“Can’t poison… be used to poison people?” Luo Xue asked curiously.

Sha Yiyi almost looked at her like she was an idiot, but remembering that Luo Xue was her future benefactor, she suppressed the urge and patiently explained,

“No one would use Immortal’s Kowtow as poison. As a poison, it’s only ranked ninth among the ten most potent poisons, nothing special.”

“But as medicine, it’s an extremely rare and precious top-grade ingredient, one of the most important raw materials for several pills used to break through from Core Formation to Nascent Soul.”

“It’s both poison and medicine…” Luo Xue pondered for a moment, then said, “Is this bottle of Immortal’s Kowtow enough for you to work only for me?”

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke exchanged glances, then said with wry smiles, “Miss Luo Xue, you jest. From now on, we sisters will serve only you.”

Luo Xue nodded. This was the answer she wanted.

“Coincidentally, the once-every-few-years auction in Ghost Demon Pass is in a few days. This time, it’s the Tianhai Gang’s turn to host it. We can put the Immortal’s Kowtow up for auction.”

Sha Yiyi immediately formulated a plan. “The Medicine Gang will definitely be interested in this, but the Tianhai Gang has no use for it, so we don’t have to worry about the item being privately acquired.”

“There’s an auction… Forget it, I’m not going. I don’t have anything I want to buy.”

Although it seemed fun to raise prices anonymously at an auction, Luo Xue wasn’t really interested.

“Are we still going to the Youxiang Restaurant…”

Nangong Mengxiang raised her hand and asked weakly.

Sha Yiyi’s expression turned apologetic, and she was about to shake her head when Luo Xue interrupted her.

“Yes, why not?” A sharp glint flashed through Luo Xue’s eyes. “I want to see who exactly wants to capture me…”

As she spoke, Luo Xue suddenly thought of something and turned to ask,

“By the way, what’s the reward for capturing me?”

Sha Yiyi’s expression turned embarrassed, and she held up two fingers.

“Two Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pills…”

“Hmm?” Luo Xue’s eyes widened. “I’m that cheap?”

“It was originally five, but Big Sis wanted to establish our reputation for being affordable, so she lowered the price.”

Sha Keke added mercilessly.

Sha Yiyi wanted to find a hole and hide. Didn’t this little sister know how to read the room?

This was their future benefactor! Their little rich lady!

Hearing this, Luo Xue was certain that it was unlikely that they were targeting her because of her connection to the Peerless Summit Sect.

Even an outer sect disciple of the Peerless Summit Sect shouldn’t be this cheap…

Wait, why was she suddenly calculating this?

Luo Xue rubbed her temples and said,

“When we get to the Youxiang Restaurant, follow the original plan first, then make a small change…”

Luo Xue looked at the bored Nangong Mengxiang and smiled faintly.

“Give them a little… Nangong Mengxiang shock!”

Hearing this, Nangong Mengxiang blinked, a question mark appearing above her head.

What? What are you talking about? Why are you mentioning me again?

…

Amidst the bustling crowd, all were ordinary beings.

Everything returned to its essence, whether good or evil, alone in the world, silent and unspoken.

This was the way of the Silent Temple.

Master Wumu, with his eyes closed, walked among the crowd, yet no one noticed his presence.

He walked slowly, and even when it started to rain heavily, and most of the surrounding cultivators cast water-repelling spells, he continued walking, letting the rain soak his clothes.

Suddenly, a thought came to him, and Master Wumu stopped, looking up in a certain direction.

“An irreversible fate… seems to have already begun. She still hasn’t heeded my warning.”

He retracted his gaze and sighed softly.

“When the final outcome arrives,” Master Wumu whispered, “your regret will be too late.”

The disciples of the Silent Temple observed the myriad forms of the world, the changing times, never interfering with fates that didn’t belong to them.

But Master Wumu was one of the few exceptions. He remained in the world, trying to salvage something.

But he had never succeeded in changing anything.

Master Wumu looked up at a nearby building with a signboard hanging brightly above.

—”Youxiang Restaurant”

“The demons of the Demonic Ghost City want to rekindle their past karmic ties, but this shouldn’t happen.” Master Wumu shook his head. “Let this humble monk make the decision for you, take away this karmic entanglement, and sever this mistake.”

Master Wumu continued walking, but not towards the Youxiang Restaurant. He turned and walked towards a magnificent golden building beside the restaurant.

A signboard, carved from a single piece of spirit stone, hung above the entrance of this building.

—”Tianhai Auction House.”

The place where the grand auction would be held in a few days.

…

The Youxiang Restaurant could be said to be the most expensive place in Ghost Demon Pass.

A single dish could deplete the life savings of an ordinary Spirit Condensation cultivator.

Of course, the dishes at the Youxiang Restaurant weren’t ordinary dishes. They were all extremely precious heavenly treasures, and even some unknown, legendary spirit beasts, said to come from the sealed ancient demon lands.

Only the prodigies of major factions or the higher-ups of the three gangs could afford to dine at the Youxiang Restaurant.

It was rumored that the owner behind the Youxiang Restaurant was the previous Holy Maiden of the Temple of the Nether Spirit—of course, this was just a rumor and hadn’t been confirmed.

After all, after the previous Holy Maiden’s downfall, the Youxiang Restaurant continued to operate normally, unaffected.

At the appointed time, the Medicine Gang arrived at the Youxiang Restaurant, unhurried.

The Tianhai Gang had already booked a room, waiting for their arrival.

This tense banquet had attracted the attention of many smaller factions in Ghost Demon Pass. They were affiliated with the three major gangs, sharing their fortunes and misfortunes.

There had always been friction between the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang, and it had intensified recently. The incident at the alchemy shop a few days ago was essentially just a fuse.

Of course, even if the cultivators of Ghost Demon Pass wanted to watch this rare spectacle, they couldn’t enter the Youxiang Restaurant.

They could only gather outside, speculating whether the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang would come to blows.

However… there were still some who could witness the excitement firsthand.

Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan, the most famous prodigies of the Evil Ghost lineage of the Demonic Ghost City, weren’t short on money.

“What’s the situation now?” Sima Ye played with the wine cup in his hand, savoring the wine. “The Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang… heh, isn’t it just a clash between the Everspring Pavilion and the Iron Sea Sect?”

The Everspring Pavilion and the Iron Sea Sect were both immortal sects in You Province. The Iron Sea Sect was ambitious and had long wanted to replace the Everspring Pavilion among the nine major sects.

The Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang in Ghost Demon Pass, supported by these two factions, were just a microcosm of their conflict.

“They haven’t started fighting yet.”

One of Shangguan Lengyan’s eyes flickered with a sinister scarlet light, peering into the scene where the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang were negotiating.

“I know that too. If they were fighting, it wouldn’t be this quiet.”

Sima Ye shook his head.

Shangguan Lengyan hesitated for a moment.

“Hmm… They haven’t even started arguing yet. They’re still talking about the incident at the alchemy shop a few days ago.”

“A Foundation Establishment body cultivator who could escape from a Core Formation cultivator?” Sima Ye narrowed his eyes. He directly ignored the rumored accomplice. After all, how could an early Innate Realm cultivator be involved in such a matter? “Indeed, it sounds like a cultivator from the Iron Sea Sect. They’re best at taking a beating.”

“But the Tianhai Gang thinks it’s someone from the Medicine Gang, because she used a pill suspected to be the Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill, instantly recovering from serious injuries to the point where she could move.”

Shangguan Lengyan continued reporting. She wasn’t interested in this spectacle, but Sima Ye insisted on watching.

“Interesting, interesting. I thought we chose a secluded spot to have a good talk with that little sister, but we encountered such a thing.”

Sima Ye smiled faintly, took another sip of wine, and praised,

“Such fine wine, worthy of Wine Immortal’s creation! She disappeared hundreds of years ago, I didn’t expect the Youxiang Restaurant to still have some in stock.”

“It’s a pity that after this small cup, it will be difficult to find another…”

“The appointed time is almost here. If nothing unexpected happens, that so-called Shadow Gang should be bringing the person over soon.” Shangguan Lengyan retracted her gaze and said in a low voice, “Do you really think that girl knows something?”

“Just a hunch. It’s not a loss to meet her. Didn’t you reduce the reward from five Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pills to two?” Sima Ye teased. “You usually even use Heavenly Mountain spirit water to wash your face, why are you so stingy… frugal in this matter?”

“I already said I didn’t lower the price…”

Mentioning this, even Shangguan Lengyan’s usually indifferent expression couldn’t hide her speechlessness.

At the same time, outside the Youxiang Restaurant.

A tall man in a bamboo hat, his face grim, led a girl in tattered clothes, pushing through the crowd and entering the Youxiang Restaurant.

It seemed like they hadn’t spoken a word to each other, but they had actually been chatting through mental voice transmission.

“Your disguise technique is quite powerful. Even I can’t see through it, much stronger than my Thousand Faces Cultivation Art…”

“Just talent. My sister and I can temporarily merge together through telepathy and decide on the merged form—but we can’t change our appearance, so we can only use a bamboo hat to conceal ourselves.”

If the bamboo hat was lifted, one would see that this man was just a shadow with form and substance.

“Great Thousand Worlds, full of wonders.”

Luo Xue could only sigh.

Nangong Mengxiang didn’t follow them but hid nearby, keeping an eye on Luo Xue and the Sha sisters.

If anything unexpected happened, she would immediately take action and rescue them.

With Nangong Mengxiang’s condition a few days ago, even a Core Formation cultivator would have a hard time tracking her if she wanted to escape.

After confirming that her panel status wasn’t showing any dangerous events, Luo Xue followed the man in the bamboo hat with a timid expression.

“The Youxiang Restaurant is so lively today…”

Sha Yiyi said with emotion. She wasn’t used to it.

This was her first time appearing in this form in broad daylight. She had thought that because of its high prices, the Youxiang Restaurant was usually deserted, so she wouldn’t have to worry about feeling uncomfortable.

But today, there were many onlookers gathered around, and she didn’t know what was going on.

Fortunately, these onlookers didn’t dare to get too close, which made Sha Yiyi relieved.

However, this strange duo still attracted a lot of attention.

“Is the Youxiang Restaurant usually empty?” Luo Xue asked curiously.

“It’s a rip-off! Very expensive, and the food isn’t even that good,” Sha Keke said resentfully. “They just use good ingredients, it’s such a waste… I could make it much better.”

Compared to her sister’s sharp mind, Sha Keke focused on making money and cooking, or rather, she cooked to make money.

Luo Xue had tasted Sha Keke’s cooking before; it was indeed excellent.

It was a pity that most cultivators had long since stopped needing food and weren’t concerned about taste, focusing more on the effects of the heavenly treasures.

They chatted all the way until they finally reached the entrance of the Youxiang Restaurant.

Looking up, they saw a waitress approaching.

She politely nodded at Luo Xue and the Sha sisters and said,

“Mr. Sima and Miss Shangguan invite the two of you in.”

Chapter 87: You Can Only Work For Me 

Some of the questions lingering from Luo Xue’s previous life were finally answered by Nangong Mengxiang.

Daoist Ziyang’s actions were indeed imitating True Person Fengyin, but True Person Fengyin’s purpose was to find a successor for the Phoenix Venerable’s inheritance.

While Daoist Ziyang’s goal was merely to break through to Core Formation and avoid being hunted by the Immortal Domain sects.

Evil cultivators like him were often just experience points for disciples of the major sects.

Unless they broke through to Core Formation or above, they wouldn’t have a place to stand.

However, what was most important now was…

“Nangong, do you still remember where Mount Fengyin is?”

Luo Xue asked in a low voice, a hint of urgency in her expression.

While browsing through the records at the Peerless Summit Sect, Luo Xue had deliberately looked for information about her previous life.

Besides the True Phoenix Inheritance, she also searched for information about Daoist Ziyang, True Person Fengyin, and Mount Fengyin.

Unfortunately, she found nothing.

The True Phoenix Inheritance was too mysterious, with no records of similar inheritances in any books. There were only rumors that it might exist in the ancient demon lands, sealed away by heaven and earth, but it was just speculation.

Daoist Ziyang…

An evil cultivator of his level would probably just be recorded in the archives as “a certain Foundation Establishment evil cultivator.” There was no point in searching for him.

And the legends of True Person Fengyin were all from hundreds of years ago, with only a few brief mentions, nothing about her life or background.

After all, True Person Fengyin was an evil cultivator, and her main area of activity was in the Demon Abyss, not interfering with the Immortal Domain, so there were no records of her.

As for Mount Fengyin… among all the named mountains in the nine provinces and four domains, there wasn’t a single one with that name.

This was also expected. It was probably just a random name given by True Person Fengyin, and Daoist Ziyang had also changed it to Mount Ziyang…

The reason Luo Xue kept searching for these things was that she wanted to know what happened after her previous life.

Whether Xiao Yao had survived, and how many years had passed since her previous life…

With the information she currently had, Luo Xue couldn’t determine any of this.

“Of course I do. It’s in the borderlands near the Ten Thousand Demons forbidden area.” Nangong Mengxiang said, resting her chin on her hand. “I went there two hundred years ago, but Master wasn’t there.”

“Ten Thousand Demons forbidden area… I see,” Luo Xue nodded thoughtfully, then her eyes widened. “Wait, two hundred years ago? Nangong, how… old are you now?”

“Two hundred and thirty-six years old.”

Nangong Mengxiang blurted out.

“…Then why are you only at the peak of Foundation Establishment?”

Luo Xue’s brow twitched. She remembered that the Holy Maiden of the Temple of the Nether Spirit was already at the peak of Foundation Establishment in her twenties. Why was there such a big difference between Nangong Mengxiang and her?

It didn’t make sense, did it?

“That’s something only a disciple from a major sect would say. Most peak Foundation Establishment cultivators are two or three hundred years old, okay.” Nangong Mengxiang chuckled. “But because I’m a body cultivator, my cultivation progresses slower.”

“…”

Luo Xue was silent for a moment.

Thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be true.

It was mainly the atmosphere in the Peerless Summit Sect, which gave people the impression that if one didn’t reach Foundation Establishment within half a jiazi, they had no hope of immortality…

In reality, cultivators who could reach Foundation Establishment within a hundred years were a minority. Most were in their two or three hundreds.

From this perspective, Nangong Mengxiang was actually quite normal.

However…

Since Nangong Mengxiang knew the location of Mount Fengyin, should she go and investigate?

Perhaps she could find the place where she died.

Of course, what was more important was information about Xiao Yao.

Before her death in her previous life, Xiao Yao’s heartbroken expression as she watched her walk towards death was still vivid in Luo Xue’s mind.

Therefore, Luo Xue was a little worried that Xiao Yao might have done something drastic after she died.

“Do you want to go back?” Luo Xue asked, “Back to Mount Fengyin.”

Luo Xue didn’t directly tell Nangong Mengxiang about True Person Fengyin’s death. For one, it was a matter related to her previous life, and for another… some things were better left unsaid for now.

“You want to go and see? That’s right, your technique is a bit similar to Master’s.” Nangong Mengxiang scratched the back of her head. “I heard that there was an outbreak of Yin Poison tide on Mount Fengyin recently… It’s difficult to go deep without a magical treasure for protection.”

Luo Xue’s expression tensed slightly upon hearing this.

The culprit behind the Yin Poison tide was sitting right in front of her.

“It’s rumored that a supreme treasure appeared, and many people went there to search for it. I say, Master doesn’t have any supreme treasures. She’s so poor from searching for a successor that she can’t even afford pants.”

When mentioning True Person Fengyin, Nangong Mengxiang’s expression was clearly relaxed and happy.

She… really liked her master.

Luo Xue sighed inwardly. It was a pity that True Person Fengyin was already dead, and the cause of her death was unknown.

When only a wisp of her soul remained, True Person Fengyin hadn’t mentioned why she died. It seemed there was more to the story.

…Wait a minute.

Luo Xue suddenly remembered something.

True Person Fengyin seemed to have called her Junior Sister, saying that it was because she was the true inheritor of Phoenix Venerable’s lineage, and calling her Junior Sister was elevating her status.

If that was the case…

Luo Xue looked at Nangong Mengxiang, and Nangong Mengxiang was also looking at her.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

“If I said that I’m actually your Martial Aunt, would you believe me?” Luo Xue coughed lightly and said.

“Ah, are you Master’s Junior Brother… oh no, Junior Sister?” Nangong Mengxiang said in surprise, nodding repeatedly. “I believe you, I believe you! Your aura is very similar to Master’s. Then I’ll call you Little Martial Aunt from now on!”

“Martial Aunt is fine, what’s with the ‘Little’…”

Luo Xue’s eyelid twitched, recalling her title of Little Junior Sister in the Peerless Summit Sect.

“You’re younger than me, shorter than me, and your cultivation is lower than mine…”

Nangong Mengxiang counted on her fingers.

“Stop, stop, stop… hold on!” Luo Xue quickly interrupted. “Let’s stop talking about this for now. We should find a way to go to Mount Fengyin.”

She hesitated for a moment, then said,

“At that time, I’ll tell you some things… about your master.”

She would tell Nangong Mengxiang about True Person Fengyin’s death later.

“Okay, okay!”

Nangong Mengxiang was delighted.

One of the reasons she stayed in Ghost Demon Pass was to search for her master’s whereabouts.

After all, this chaotic place was where information flowed the most freely.

“As expected, I’ve encountered Little Martial Aunt!” Nangong Mengxiang thought happily. “Finding Master is just around the corner.”

Luo Xue then chatted with Nangong Mengxiang about True Person Fengyin’s past and the situation around Mount Fengyin.

After listening, Luo Xue felt a chill down her spine.

If she had chosen another route and left Mount Fengyin from a different location, she would have continued deeper into the swamp.

At that time, she might even have encountered Nascent Soul level beasts or even stronger…

Then, she truly would have died without a burial place.

She could only be thankful that she had accidentally triggered the Yin Poison tide in the depths of Mount Fengyin.

Taking this opportunity, Luo Xue also asked Nangong Mengxiang about the Demon Abyss.

Ghost Demon Pass was the gateway to the Nether Spirit forbidden area. It opened once a month, and only then could one enter the Demon Abyss.

The Ghost Demon Gang controlled the pass, and it was said that they had the backing of the Temple of the Nether Spirit. Occasionally, important figures from the Temple would even come here.

It was because of this that the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang hadn’t joined forces to crush the declining Ghost Demon Gang, but instead gradually encroached on their territory.

The next opening of the pass was about half a month away, and to reach Mount Fengyin, they had to pass through the Nether Spirit forbidden area.

Taking a slight detour, they could go to the border between Qing Province and the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s territory.

—Near the Peerless Summit Sect’s sphere of influence.

“Going around in circles and having to go back again, I didn’t expect the places where I was born in these two lives to be so close.”

Luo Xue rubbed her temples, organizing the information she had obtained today.

Nangong Mengxiang, having nothing to do, organized yesterday’s loot.

Luo Xue glanced at it and thought that compared to the treasures in her storage ring, it was really nothing much.

Seeing that the downstairs seemed to have quieted down, Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke cautiously came down.

After discussing upstairs for a while, they decided to give up on this commission.

Mainly because of Luo Xue’s identity. If the matter of kidnapping a prodigy of the Peerless Summit Sect was discovered… they were afraid they wouldn’t even be able to stay in Ghost Demon Pass.

Although this was a lawless place, filled with ruthless individuals and targets of major sects’ pursuit, most of these wanted criminals possessed great strength, and ordinary people wouldn’t dare to provoke them.

Sha Yiyi was only at the mid-stage of the Innate Realm, and Sha Keke was only at the early stage.

Their strength was enough to deal with ordinary cauldron slaves, but against someone like Luo Xue… sending a few more would just be adding to the casualties.

Even if ordinary rogue cultivators were at the same realm as the prodigies of major sects, whether it was the difference in techniques or magical treasures, it was difficult for them to compete.

If they were put on the Peerless Summit Sect’s wanted list, even with the protection of the Medicine Gang through this inn, they would be hunted down and devoured, leaving no bones behind.

Luo Xue watched as the twin sisters hesitantly approached her, stood side by side before her, and bowed apologetically.

“We’re sorry… Miss Luo Xue.”

“Hmm?” Luo Xue was stunned. “What’s wrong?”

She knew that these two sisters might have some plans for her, but she didn’t expect them to confess so quickly.

“Actually… the reason we called you to the Youxiang Restaurant is because someone wants to capture you, and the transaction location is at the Youxiang Restaurant.” Sha Yiyi took a deep breath and said, “We don’t know who it is, but… we took the commission.”

“A commission? To capture me?”

Luo Xue frowned slightly.

Someone wanted to capture her? Who could it be?

The Peerless Summit Sect shouldn’t be looking for such unprofessional people…

But besides the Peerless Summit Sect, Luo Xue couldn’t think of any other possibilities.

She had just left the sect not long ago, and the only person she knew was Nangong Mengxiang.

Could it be because of yesterday’s incident at the alchemy shop?

That didn’t seem right either. Yesterday’s commotion was so big, how could it be a secret commission? It should be a public bounty.

However…

“Your cultivation… shouldn’t have reached Foundation Establishment yet, right?” Luo Xue looked at the twin sisters, a slight twitch at the corner of her lips. “How did you muster the courage… to capture me?”

Before the twin sisters could answer, Luo Xue continued,

“Oh right, you probably don’t know my true situation, because I’m just a cauldron slave…”

Although she had indeed been a cauldron slave, that was in her previous life.

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke lowered their heads slightly, their faces flushing.

Nangong Mengxiang, who was listening, was confused.

“Are you two bad guys? Why do you want to capture Little Martial Aunt?”

“Li-, Little Martial Aunt…”

Sha Yiyi’s eyes widened. Luo Xue was Nangong Mengxiang’s Little Martial Aunt?

They were just addressing each other by name earlier, why did she suddenly become Little Martial Aunt…

“We just made a mistake.” Luo Xue said. “You two don’t seem like people who like doing bad things, why did you do this?”

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke exchanged glances. Sha Yiyi hesitated for a moment, then sighed and told Luo Xue all about their troubles.

The inn’s business was too bleak, and they could barely afford the “protection fee” of the Medicine Gang.

Without the inn, they would have no place to stay in Ghost Demon Pass.

Luo Xue pondered for a moment, understanding the twin sisters’ predicament.

She thought for a while, then said,

“Besides taking on these kinds of commissions, what else can you do?”

“We can cook.” Sha Keke said seriously.

Sha Yiyi slapped her sister’s head. She understood Luo Xue’s intention and said,

“Gathering information, tracking, searching for people and objects—of course, the search range is limited to Ghost Demon Pass. We can’t go outside.”

“You’re quite versatile.” Luo Xue raised an eyebrow and picked up her cup of water.

“You flatter us, Miss Luo Xue,” Sha Yiyi shook her head, her expression bitter. “If not for some special skills, my sister and I wouldn’t have been able to survive in Ghost Demon Pass for fifty years…”

“Pfft!”

Luo Xue spat out a mouthful of water, spraying Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke.

“Fifty years?” Luo Xue’s eyes widened. “How… old are you?”

“This year… sixty-two.”

Sha Yiyi, covered in water, still answered honestly. “We were brought here by our parents when we were twelve.”

“My father was a traitor of the Everspring Pavilion, and my mother fled with him… but they’re both dead now.”

The Everspring Pavilion, one of the nine major sects alongside the Peerless Summit Sect, was known for its long-lived cultivators. Their lifespans were about two to three times that of ordinary cultivators, but their combat power was weaker compared to prodigies of the same level.

However, what they lacked in quality, they made up for in quantity.

The Everspring Pavilion had the most Nascent Soul cultivators among the nine major sects.

…But they were so weak that Luo Huaxin could enter and leave as she pleased, even stealing the Immortal’s Kowtow poison.

This also explained why the sisters, despite being over a jiazi of age, still looked like young women.

But for Luo Xue…

Sixty-two years old. In her previous, previous, previous life, her grandmother was also in her sixties…

Suppressing her shock, Luo Xue composed herself and said,

“Well, I do have some things I need your help with, but I have one condition.”

“What condition?”

Sha Yiyi’s expression was a bit tense.

Luo Xue narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You… can only work for me.”

Chapter 86: Information on Mount Fengyin

After breakfast, Luo Xue returned to her room on the second floor, saying she needed to make some preparations before going to the restaurant, leaving Nangong Mengxiang alone in the main hall downstairs.

The twin sisters exchanged glances. Sha Yiyi wanted to ask Nangong Mengxiang about Luo Xue, but she was worried about being too obvious.

After all, she was planning to capture Luo Xue, and without knowing Nangong Mengxiang’s attitude towards Luo Xue, she didn’t dare to act rashly.

Sha Keke hid behind Sha Yiyi, feeling guilty after doing something bad, not daring to look at Nangong Mengxiang.

Nangong Mengxiang sat cross-legged on a chair, meditating with her eyes closed.

Although Luo Xue’s medicine was very effective, and coupled with Nangong Mengxiang’s strong physique and recovery ability, her injuries were mostly healed, the near-fatal injuries still left some hidden damage.

Nangong Mengxiang’s current strength was at most 70% of her peak.

Of course, even at 70%, she was still strong enough to crush most peak Foundation Establishment cultivators. This was the advantage of body cultivation.

Body cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm had a significant advantage over cultivators of the same level.

After all, the massive resource consumption meant that only major sects could afford to support such bottomless pits of resources.

After a few awkward moments, the sound of a door opening came from the second floor.

“She’s coming!”

Sha Yiyi’s heart tightened.

She didn’t know what preparations Luo Xue had made, but the last glance Luo Xue had given her before leaving made her feel inexplicably uneasy.

Had her plan been discovered?

…But why didn’t Luo Xue say anything?

And… she didn’t seem like a cauldron slave at all, but rather carried the aura of a prodigy from a major sect…

As she was lost in thought, a petite figure walked down the stairs step by step.

It was an unfamiliar white-haired girl, wearing a simple, plain white dress.

“Who… are you?”

Sha Yiyi blurted out, her eyes wide.

“You don’t know who I am?”

The white-haired girl smiled, her voice familiar.

“…Luo Xue?”

Sha Yiyi was stunned, and Sha Keke, who had peeked out from behind the counter, was also stunned.

Nangong Mengxiang opened her eyes, and seeing Luo Xue, a look of confusion flashed through her eyes.

But then she twitched her nose, sniffed the air, and her face lit up with surprise.

“Eh, Luo Xue, how did you change your appearance?”

Luo Xue: “…”

Miss Nangong, please don’t waste your good looks by acting like a dog when recognizing people…

“I didn’t change my appearance. This is my true appearance.” Luo Xue said, looking at Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke, observing their reactions. “I disguised myself as a cauldron slave before to avoid trouble.”

Luo Xue did this intentionally.

She changed back to her original appearance to test these two sisters.

If they truly were spies sent by the sect, their reaction should be…

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…” Sha Yiyi was dumbfounded, screaming inwardly, “So it’s not about capturing an escaped cauldron slave, but bringing back a prodigy from a major sect!”

“A mere two… no, five… no, even a hundred Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pills wouldn’t be enough, right?”

With Nangong Mengxiang’s presence, the difficulty was several times higher.

Sha Yiyi felt very aggrieved. How could their first business deal be hell-level difficulty?

She had already given up on this commission. They could just disband the “Shadow Gang.” It was just their first deal anyway.

Moreover, when she and Sha Keke went out to take on commissions, they used a special technique to disguise themselves, so no one could track them from the man in the bamboo hat.

Otherwise, Sha Yiyi wouldn’t have dared to do this kind of business even if she had a hundred times the courage.

“Um, Luo Xue, why don’t you change back to your previous appearance…”

Sha Keke said weakly.

Sha Keke wasn’t thinking as much as her sister. She just felt that the commission stated that they were to capture a chestnut-haired slave girl, not this beautiful, white-haired girl.

Bringing this Luo Xue to the Youxiang Restaurant, they couldn’t complete the mission.

Luo Xue looked at them deeply, making Sha Yiyi also want to hide behind the counter like Sha Keke, then nodded and said softly,

“Okay.”

Although the sisters’ reactions were a bit strange, they shouldn’t be spies for the sect.

Luo Xue had only revealed her true appearance to confirm this.

It was better to keep a low profile in Ghost Demon Pass…

“No! You look so much better like this!”

Nangong Mengxiang suddenly panicked and hugged Luo Xue from behind, rubbing her cheek against Luo Xue’s hair.

“…”

Luo Xue’s expression was one of helplessness.

“But your scent seems a bit different… Wait a minute.” Nangong Mengxiang twitched her nose and sniffed Luo Xue’s hair. “This scent… is a bit familiar? I think I’ve smelled it somewhere before…”

“Hmm?” Luo Xue was taken aback. “I wash my hair with soap pods. Many people should use the same shampoo as me, right?”

“I know what soap pods are, what’s shampoo?”

Nangong Mengxiang asked curiously.

“Ahem, I mean my hair should smell very common…”

“No, I’m not talking about the smell of your hair.” Nangong Mengxiang frowned slightly. “To be more precise, it’s the smell on your body, or perhaps your aura?”

An aura similar to hers?

Luo Xue’s expression turned serious.

It could only be her past self…

But Nangong Mengxiang shouldn’t have been on Mount Fengyin, right?

If she had been, dealing with Daoist Ziyang wouldn’t have been so troublesome…

“By the way, Luo Xue, you haven’t told me what technique you cultivate.” Nangong Mengxiang asked. “The similar scent might be because of our techniques.”

Before Luo Xue could answer, Nangong Mengxiang patted her chest and introduced herself.

“Mine are the Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture and the Introduction to Body Tempering… That’s what Master said. These two techniques are very powerful!”

…Introduction to Body Tempering?

How could that be…

Body cultivators usually cultivated two techniques, one for body tempering and one ordinary foundation technique, except for extreme body cultivators.

Of course, their mastery of ordinary foundation techniques was definitely not as good as that of ordinary cultivators, but only by cultivating foundation techniques could they use divine abilities. Otherwise, they could only rely on blood energy for combat.

Nangong Mengxiang’s frankness touched Luo Xue, but she hesitated for a moment and looked at the twin sisters.

Nangong Mengxiang could be trusted for now, but the twin sisters weren’t necessarily…

Should she reveal her Peerless Summit Sect technique?

Thinking about it carefully, it didn’t seem inappropriate. Besides Master Wumu, no one had recognized her yet, which meant that the Peerless Summit Sect’s reach hadn’t extended here.

After some consideration, Luo Xue nodded and said,

“I’m from the Peerless Summit Sect, and I cultivate the… Falling Flower Scripture. Perhaps that’s why you find it familiar.”

With that, Luo Xue revealed the aura of her technique.

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke, hearing these words, were dumbfounded.

They had guessed Luo Xue’s identity, that she might be a prodigy from a major sect, but they hadn’t expected her to be from the Peerless Summit Sect.

What kind of sect was the Peerless Summit Sect? It was one of the nine major sects of the Immortal Domain, controlling an entire province!

Even though they seemed to be at a disadvantage against the Temple of the Nether Spirit, that was because the Temple was a much larger organization.

In fact, the Peerless Summit Sect was much stronger than the Everspring Pavilion, which governed You Province…

“Why would there be such a commission, and the reward is only five Yellow-rank Qi Condensation Pills… This is a scam!”

Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke wanted to cry.

Nangong Mengxiang, sensing Luo Xue’s aura, shook her head.

“No, the scent is wrong, it’s not this aura.”

She looked up at Luo Xue and asked seriously,

“What’s familiar to me is another aura. Luo Xue, you must have cultivated another technique as well.”

“…”

Luo Xue’s expression turned serious.

She could… sense that too?

Was Nangong Mengxiang’s perception that sharp?

Luo Xue rarely used the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture because she wasn’t sure what level this inherited technique was in this world.

She was also worried that revealing it would attract unwanted attention.

Seeing Luo Xue’s expression, the twin sisters knew that it was inconvenient for them to stay here any longer.

Unlike the silly Nangong Mengxiang, Luo Xue hadn’t relaxed her vigilance towards them from the beginning.

They weren’t fools, they could tell.

“We’ll… go upstairs and tidy up. You two chat, you two chat.”

Sha Yiyi said, then pulled the still-dazed Sha Keke and hurried upstairs.

Luo Xue calmed down and looked at the expectant Nangong Mengxiang.

She didn’t cast a silencing barrier—because she didn’t know how to.

“This matter… I hope you don’t spread it around.” Luo Xue took a deep breath. She also wanted to know what made Nangong Mengxiang feel familiar. “Don’t tell a third person—including your master.”

Hearing this, Nangong Mengxiang opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something.

But soon, she nodded.

“Of course.”

After receiving confirmation, Luo Xue slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, a purplish-red light flickered within them, her pupils imprinted with a mysterious aura.

Her aura turned slightly sinister, and even the tips of her hair were tinged with a faint purple.

—This was the first time Luo Xue had fully circulated the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture in this life. At this moment, she was like an ancient divine beast above the world, the pressure of her bloodline faintly emanating.

Nangong Mengxiang’s eyes brightened. Sensing Luo Xue’s aura, her expression gradually turned hazy.

She stretched out her hands, trembling slightly, and gently touched Luo Xue’s cheeks.

“Master…”

“Hmm?”

Luo Xue paused.

“I remember now, it’s Master’s aura.” Nangong Mengxiang lowered her eyelids. “I… I’ve been looking for her for a long time, for hundreds of years, but I couldn’t find her.”

“Master… wait,” Luo Xue suppressed her aura, her eyes filled with uncontainable shock. “Your master, could it be… True Person Fengyin?”

In the Mount Fengyin conspiracy, if not for True Person Fengyin’s soul intervening at the last moment, Luo Xue would have had a hard time escaping from the dying Daoist Ziyang.

And she wouldn’t have been able to save Xiao Yao.

Deep down, Luo Xue had always felt a bit regretful because she could never express her gratitude to True Person Fengyin.

But now… it seemed like an opportunity had appeared.

“True Person Fengyin? Master does seem… to have such a title.” Nangong Mengxiang thought for a moment. “But she didn’t like that title very much. She only used it in front of outsiders.”

“But… is there really such a coincidence in this world?”

Amidst her shock, Luo Xue calmed down.

She wasn’t suspecting that Nangong Mengxiang was lying, she just didn’t trust Nangong Mengxiang’s brain…

“Can you tell me about your master? We still have some time before lunch.” Luo Xue glanced at the stairs. “The two little bosses of the inn are probably still busy.”

“Of course! My master is a very, very good person!”

Nangong Mengxiang was delighted and immediately pulled over a chair, starting to chat.

She talked about how she met her master, their experiences together, and their final separation.

As she listened, Luo Xue could tell that Nangong Mengxiang… might really be True Person Fengyin’s disciple, and it was the True Person Fengyin she knew.

“She was always looking for a successor to a certain inheritance, but she couldn’t find one. And you have other Senior Sisters?” Luo Xue asked.

Nangong Mengxiang nodded.

“A few, but not many. Master was always looking for girls born in the yin year, yin month, and yin day. She screened many, but none met the requirements, including me.”

Like Daoist Ziyang, True Person Fengyin was also looking for a suitable successor for the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture, for the powerful being known as “Phoenix Venerable.”

It seemed that Daoist Ziyang’s method of selecting suitable candidates came from True Person Fengyin.

Unfortunately… even True Person Fengyin, after searching for many years, couldn’t find one.

In the end, she died mysteriously, her remains even refined into the Xuanyin Gu Seed.

Nangong Mengxiang was one of the failures. However, True Person Fengyin discovered her talent for body cultivation and taught her an unnamed body tempering technique—the so-called Introduction to Body Tempering.

As for the other technique, the Supreme Forgetfulness Scripture, it was a technique that required severing one’s emotions.

Every time it was circulated, it would directly cut off all emotions, greatly reducing the perception of the physical body and delaying the effects of injuries.

Nangong Mengxiang had used it during the robbery and even relied on this technique to withstand the Core Formation cultivator’s strike.

It was a very powerful technique.

It was said that at the highest level, it wouldn’t just delay injuries but would make one almost immune to them, becoming an invincible existence in the world.

“Haha, back then, many of my Senior Sisters and I lived in the courtyard on Mount Fengyin.” Nangong Mengxiang rested her chin on her hand, a look of reminiscence in her eyes. “When there wasn’t enough space, we would even sleep together. I wonder where they are now…”

“…You lived on Mount Fengyin?” Luo Xue blinked and asked.

“Yes, but only until the Innate Realm. After reaching the Innate Realm, we would have our aptitude tested. If we didn’t pass, we had to leave.” Nangong Mengxiang said dejectedly. “But I was an exception. I stayed for a long time and saw many Senior Sisters leave.”

Luo Xue couldn’t help but twitch her lips.

Why did she feel such a strong sense of déjà vu…

Chapter 85: A Conspiracy at the Restaurant? 

In an antique-styled loft, an elder with a long beard held an invitation, his expression grave.

“Youxiang Restaurant…”

This elder was Rao Weiyi, the current leader of the Medicine Gang, and one of their three Core Formation cultivators.

Although the three major factions in Ghost Demon Pass were said to have Nascent Soul old monsters backing them, these old monsters rarely appeared.

Most of the time, they just took half of the faction’s resources and focused on cultivation, rarely intervening directly.

Even so, their presence was essential.

This situation meant that in most conflicts between the three gangs, Core Formation cultivators were the key.

The Ghost Demon Gang had five Core Formation cultivators, while the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang only had three each.

After receiving the notification, the other two Core Formation elders of the Medicine Gang had rushed over.

There were also many Foundation Establishment protectors present. Almost all the key members of the Medicine Gang were here.

…All because of Elder Wu’s provocation yesterday, which meant that the Tianhai Gang was showing signs of starting a war.

“Is the Tianhai Gang really so impatient? Several Core Formation cultivators of the Ghost Demon Gang are nearing the end of their lifespans, with only a hundred years or so left.”

Rao Weiyi frowned, stroking his long, white beard. “It would be better to wait until after dividing the Ghost Demon Gang’s territory before settling the score…”

“Heh, Gang Leader, haven’t you realized? The Tianhai Gang is afraid of us.”

Another Core Formation cultivator, Elder Li, sneered. “Our Medicine Gang has many talented alchemists and is the most prosperous of the three gangs, with abundant resources.”

“If we continue like this for another hundred years, our gang will surely produce several more Core Formation cultivators. How could they possibly compete with us then?”

“Only by taking advantage of the current situation and annexing us can they have a chance. The longer they wait, the more unfavorable the situation will be for them.”

Rao Weiyi nodded slightly, agreeing with Elder Li.

“I agree with Elder Li. Yesterday, Wu Hai chased a figure into our territory, claiming to seek an explanation. Don’t forget how we and the Tianhai Gang seized our current territory from the Ghost Demon Gang seven hundred years ago.”

Elder Wang, the last Core Formation cultivator, said in a deep voice, “This banquet at the Youxiang Restaurant is definitely not out of goodwill.”

“Such methods… heh, they even deliberately spread rumors, saying it was a petty thief who robbed the alchemy shop—what a joke. Which petty thief could escape from a Core Formation cultivator? And someone capable of doing so, how could they rob a small, unknown alchemy shop?”

Elder Li scoffed. “They’re clearly targeting our Medicine Gang!”

“Our disciples have already searched the entire area yesterday, but found no unusual traces. The Tianhai Gang’s methods… are truly flawless.” Elder Wang sighed. “With such an excuse, we have no choice but to accept this banquet invitation.”

A blatant and overt scheme!

If they could find that so-called petty thief, it would be fine. But now, the Medicine Gang could only accept the Tianhai Gang’s challenge.

“Let’s attend the banquet,” Rao Weiyi lowered his eyelids and said softly, “The Tianhai Gang has ill intentions. Have our disciples… prepare for war.”

The two Core Formation elders nodded in agreement.

The Foundation Establishment protectors who were listening mostly had worried expressions.

Most of the cultivators who joined the Medicine Gang did so to focus on cultivation. Unless absolutely necessary, they didn’t want to get involved in the conflict between the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang.

…

Beside a fiery furnace, the clang of hammering metal echoed continuously.

A muscular man, stripped to the waist, hammered a red-hot piece of iron, sparks flying.

The man had hammered countless times, but the iron remained unchanged.

However, his expression was one of unwavering focus, each strike filled with all his strength, repeating endlessly.

Beside the furnace, Wu Hai, who had failed to capture Nangong Mengxiang yesterday, knelt, his head slightly lowered.

“Wu Hai, do you know where you went wrong?”

The man’s voice boomed, his movements not stopping.

“This subordinate… knows his mistake. Please punish me, Gang Leader.”

Wu Hai said tremblingly. The rhythmic hammering beside him felt like it was striking his heart.

No one expected that Yu Haoqiang, the almost never-seen Gang Leader of the Tianhai Gang, would be forging weapons like a mortal blacksmith, day and night.

“Where did you go wrong?”

Yu Haoqiang glanced at Wu Hai and continued hammering.

“This subordinate was incompetent, allowing the petty thief who offended the Tianhai Gang to escape.”

“Heh,” Yu Haoqiang sneered, “And?”

“This subordinate… shouldn’t have let this matter involve the Medicine Gang… shouldn’t have fallen for the Medicine Gang’s scheme…”

Elder Wu, usually seen as ruthless and decisive, now looked like he was walking on thin ice.

Because he knew that although the Gang Leader was at the same Core Formation Realm as him, killing him would only take an instant.

Yu Haoqiang… was a body cultivator, and the most extreme kind, cultivating only his physical body, not any divine abilities.

His body was his divine ability.

“Wrong, completely wrong,” Yu Haoqiang put down his hammer and looked at Wu Hai, roaring, “You’re wrong for not directly charging into the Medicine Gang’s territory! Why did you hesitate?”

“Do you think the Tianhai Gang can’t handle the Medicine Gang?” He looked down at Wu Hai. “Or do you think… I’m afraid of Rao Weiyi?”

“This subordinate wouldn’t dare!”

Wu Hai lowered his head even further.

“I’m leaving the Medicine Gang alone only because it’s not worth it to take them down now. I’ll let them grow a bit more.” Yu Haoqiang continued forging. “They really think the battle between Core Formation cultivators can be measured by numbers… Heh, those three old geezers, I can handle them alone.”

“Even if I give them a hundred, or even a thousand, years, they’ll only produce more useless trash.”

Wu Hai didn’t say anything more, just kept his head lowered.

“I understand. The Youxiang Restaurant… I will go.” Yu Haoqiang said impatiently. “Honestly, we should just attack directly. Why bother with a banquet?”

“We have to consider the Old Ancestor’s thoughts.”

Wu Hai stood up, relieved.

He knew the Gang Leader’s temper very well. He always disdained such roundabout methods.

Mentioning the Nascent Soul Old Ancestor above them, Yu Haoqiang narrowed his eyes, but didn’t comment.

“By the way, at the Ghost Demon Pass auction in a few days, keep an eye on a certain magical treasure for me.” Yu Haoqiang said.

“What is it?”

Wu Hai was slightly stunned. This was the first time the Gang Leader had made such a request.

As the most extreme type of body cultivator, Yu Haoqiang didn’t use any magical treasures or weapons. His body was his strongest weapon.

Forging iron was just his cultivation method.

“It’s called the ‘Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle,’ a magical treasure of the Silent Temple.” Yu Haoqiang said. “I remember, it should have been picked up by a scavenger slave on the battlefield.”

“Do you need me to retrieve it?” Wu Hai asked.

The Ghost Demon Pass auction was their own auction. If they wanted something, they could just take it. Why did they need to keep an eye on it?

“No, no, no need to retrieve it, just let the auction proceed normally.” Yu Haoqiang narrowed his eyes slightly. “I just… want to see who ends up with it.”

…

On the first floor of the inn.

This small inn wasn’t large. Besides the counter, the main hall could only accommodate four or five tables and chairs.

And business seemed bleak. When Nangong Mengxiang and Luo Xue came downstairs, the entire hall was empty.

The inn’s door was half-closed, but through the gap, one could see that the flow of people outside wasn’t sparse, just that no one entered.

Sensing carefully, the only guest in the entire inn… seemed to be Nangong Mengxiang.

“How can business be this bad? But why are they still open?” Luo Xue observed and thought to herself, “These sisters… are a bit strange.”

The possibility of them being spies for the Peerless Summit Sect couldn’t be ruled out.

Nangong Mengxiang walked familiarly to a table and sat down, waving to Luo Xue.

“Come, come, try their signature dish. A bowl of seafood porridge in the morning is quite comforting!”

As she spoke, Nangong Mengxiang scooped some porridge into a small bowl for Luo Xue, then started drinking directly from the large pot with a ladle.

There was only one portion of breakfast, and Luo Xue wasn’t very hungry, so she sat down and took small sips.

“It’s… actually seafood.”

Luo Xue was inwardly amazed.

How long had it been since she had eaten such food?

Not to mention the post-apocalyptic world, in her previous dream life… being treated as a fast-track cauldron, she had mostly eaten scraps of heavenly treasures or pill residue.

These things could indeed enhance her cultivation, but unprocessed heavenly treasures and pill residue contained both impurities and toxicity. After eating them, she didn’t know whether her cultivation would increase faster, or if she would die faster.

And they didn’t taste good either.

As for her time in the Peerless Summit Sect, Senior Sister had treated her very well, but her cooking skills were truly lacking. It could only be considered barely edible mortal food.

Nangong Mengxiang, halfway through her meal, saw Luo Xue suddenly freeze, tears welling up in her eyes, and panicked.

“Luo Xue, what’s wrong? Is the porridge not to your liking?”

“No, no, I just… remembered some things.” Luo Xue gently wiped away her tears and sighed. “The porridge is delicious, I like it very much.”

“That’s good,” Nangong Mengxiang smiled, then scooped a large spoonful of porridge into Luo Xue’s bowl. “Here’s some more, don’t cry, hee hee.”

“I’m not crying.”

Luo Xue turned her head slightly.

“You’re still saying you’re not crying, your tears are about to fall into the porridge.”

Nangong Mengxiang patted Luo Xue’s hair, then couldn’t resist rubbing it.

She hadn’t expected Luo Xue’s hair, which looked rough, to be so soft to the touch…

This familiar gesture brought back some memories for Luo Xue, and she quickly lowered her head and started drinking the porridge.

“Don’t touch, let’s eat…”

Just then, the twin sisters came downstairs, shoulder to shoulder. The expressions of the two innkeepers looked a bit strange, as if they had something on their minds.

And they kept glancing at Luo Xue, but whenever their eyes met hers, they would quickly look away, blushing slightly.

If not for the current situation, it would look like shy girls encountering their crush.

Luo Xue observed their behavior, recalling her earlier guess, and frowned slightly.

Could they really be spies for the sect?

Wait, could sect spies be this… stupid?

Thinking about it carefully, as one of the Nine Sects of the Immortal Domain, the Peerless Summit Sect’s spies shouldn’t be this incompetent…

Right?

After nudging each other at the counter for a while, the younger sister, Sha Keke, hesitantly walked over to Nangong Mengxiang and Luo Xue’s table.

Luo Xue’s right hand dropped to her side, holding the dagger hidden against her thigh.

“Um, Nangong…”

Sha Keke bit her lip, her voice hesitant, like a girl about to confess her feelings.

“My sister and I… would like to invite you… to the Youxiang… Restaurant… for lunch… at noon…”

“What did you say?” Nangong Mengxiang looked up, her face blank. “I didn’t hear clearly, did you say lunch?”

Sha Keke nodded slightly, then continued,

“At noon… at the Youxiang Restaurant…”

She didn’t dare to look at Luo Xue.

Sha Keke was thinking about what to do if Nangong Mengxiang asked why, what to do if she refused, and why her sister insisted that she be the one to do this…

Ugh, she always lost at rock-paper-scissors.

“Lunch? Yay!” Nangong Mengxiang immediately agreed, looking delighted, and patted her pouch. “I just earned a lot of money yesterday, it’s on me!”

Earned money…

Luo Xue almost choked.

Not only had she not earned much, but she had almost lost her life.

Moreover, to save Nangong Mengxiang, Luo Xue had used a precious Nine Revolutions Soul Returning Pill.

Comparing the value, she didn’t know if she had made a profit or a loss…

However… what were these sisters up to?

Although the invitation was for Nangong Mengxiang, Luo Xue had a feeling that they were actually targeting her.

Youxiang Restaurant… could it be a base for the Peerless Summit Sect?

Just as Luo Xue was pondering, Nangong Mengxiang, as expected, invited her.

“Luo Xue, want to go to a big restaurant for lunch?”

Nangong Mengxiang patted her chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay. I’ll give you your share later! I roughly calculated, it’s worth at least two Mystic-rank Qi Condensation Pills!”

“The pill I used to save you was worth much more than that…”

Luo Xue touched her nose. She only went to the alchemy shop to exchange money because she lacked currency. Actually, she was quite wealthy.

Senior Sister’s collection was truly vast…

“Eh, really?” Nangong Mengxiang was stunned. “No wonder you recovered so quickly, and your cultivation even improved a bit…”

Improved cultivation?

Oh right, she had also fed Nangong Mengxiang her convenient mother’s immortal wine.

Nangong Mengxiang’s excitement instantly waned.

“Ah, I can’t afford it now. I have to compensate Luo Xue… I’m not going, I’m not going.”

Sha Keke, who had finally completed her mission, was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

Luo Xue smiled wryly. “It’s fine, we’ll talk about it later. I don’t lack these things—just remember to give me the Qi Condensation Pills, I don’t have much currency on hand.”

“Really?” Nangong Mengxiang blinked. “Then… lunch?”

“Of course, no problem.”

Luo Xue nodded and glanced at Sha Keke, whose expression gradually brightened, a cold glint flashing through her eyes.

She wanted to see what they were up to…

“However, before going to the restaurant, I need to make some preparations.”

Luo Xue said with a smile, her gaze fixed on Sha Yiyi at the counter.

Sha Yiyi shivered instantly, a feeling of being seen through rising from within her.