As the day of Xie Xuechen’s recovery drew near, Mu Xuanling felt increasingly agitated, sensing a storm brewing on the horizon.
Another urgent report arrived in the morning, stating that an unusual fluctuation of demonic energy had suddenly appeared in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, though it quickly vanished. Upon receiving this news, the various sect leaders immediately gathered in the Hall of Righteousness to hold a council.
Mu Xuanling, knowing that Nan Xuyue was renowned for his strategic mind, decided to seek his thoughts on the impending conflict.
“The Ten Thousand Immortals Formation missed its sixty-year cycle for reinforcement. Its power is at its weakest now,” Nan Xuyue explained calmly. “The demon race will undoubtedly seize this opportunity to invade the human realm. If they wait until the human cultivators have fully assembled and Sect Leader Xie has completely recovered his strength, their chances of victory will be extremely slim. Therefore, they are bound to act within the next few days.”
“Given the tight defenses of Yongxue City and the presence of multiple Fashen realm masters, if you were Sang Qi, what strategy would you devise to disrupt the Immortal Alliance’s plans?” Mu Xuanling inquired.
Nan Xuyue chuckled, “That, I cannot guess. After all, the methods of demons and monsters are unpredictable and beyond human comprehension.”
Mu Xuanling nodded in agreement.
“During our investigations these past few days, have you identified any spies?” Mu Xuanling asked further.
“Hmm…” Nan Xuyue shook his fan, smiling, “I haven’t spotted any.”
Mu Xuanling glared at him.
Nan Xuyue smiled and said, “However, I think… there might be more than one spy.”
Mu Xuanling was taken aback.
As Mu Xuanling pondered the implications of Nan Xuyue’s words, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.
“Nan Xuyue, Miss Ling!” Fu Lansheng approached them excitedly. “So this is where you’ve been! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
Wherever Fu Lansheng went, the air seemed to be filled with a sweet fragrance. This man, known as the world’s wealthiest, had changed people’s perception of the stench of copper and silver.
“If Young Palace Master Fu is looking for us, it can’t be for anything important,” Nan Xuyue teased.
Fu Lansheng gave him a sideways glance and slouched onto a bench, half his body leaning on Nan Xuyue. “Master Nan, you make it sound like I never have any serious business.”
Nan Xuyue smiled, “Young Palace Master Fu’s serious matters often seem frivolous to others.”
“Alas, the world and I are at odds…” Fu Lansheng shook his head and sighed, then added, “Should I say you understand me, or that you don’t?”
“I’d rather not understand you so well, to keep my mind clean,” Nan Xuyue said earnestly.
Fu Lansheng cupped his hands towards Nan Xuyue, his face full of admiration, “Of all the people who insult me, you do it most eloquently. Teach me your ways of insulting, so next time I argue with my father, he won’t silence me.”
Nan Xuyue heaved a long sigh, “Brother Fu, why must you torment a cripple?”
“I’m not tormenting you, and don’t call me Brother Fu. I prefer people to call me Big Brother.”
“Pfft!” Mu Xuanling couldn’t help but laugh.
Fu Lansheng turned to look at Mu Xuanling, his face full of appreciation, “Miss Ling, your laughter is beautiful. I feel like I can smell the spring of Yongxue City.”
Nan Xuyue tapped Fu Lansheng’s head with his fan, saying, “Curb your habit of flirting everywhere.”
Mu Xuanling couldn’t help but suspect that Fu Lansheng, with his reputation as a playboy and his unrestrained nature, seemed like the type who might have deceived Xiu Xiu…
But Nan Xuyue and Fu Lansheng appeared to be quite familiar. If Fu Lansheng were indeed Fu Cangri, surely he wouldn’t keep it from Xiu Xiu.
“The appreciation of beauty is universal, and I simply don’t hesitate to express it,” Fu Lansheng defended seriously. “Don’t you think Miss Ling is beautiful?”
“Sigh…” Nan Xuyue let out a heavy sigh, “So, Young Palace Master Fu, what ‘serious matter’ brought you searching for us for so long?”
Nan Xuyue emphasized the words “serious matter,” forcing Fu Lansheng to get to the point, otherwise this man could chat all day.
Fu Lansheng slapped his forehead, “Oh right, I almost forgot. It’s all because Miss Ling is too beautiful!”
Mu Xuanling: “…”
Nan Xuyue: “…”
“I’ve compiled a list of all 3,000 inner and outer disciples of Bixiao Palace. After excluding female cultivators and children under ten, there are 2,000 left. This record includes names and ages. There’s no one named Fu Cangri. But A Bao can take it back to check. I don’t know how old his father is or what he looks like. If there’s a portrait, it would be easier to find him.”
As Fu Lansheng spoke, he took out a thick register from his spatial ring, startling both Mu Xuanling and Nan Xuyue.
Mu Xuanling was stunned for a moment before recovering, “This is too much trouble…”
“It’s no trouble,” Fu Lansheng grinned, revealing neat, white teeth. “I just gave an order, others did the work.”
He’s unexpectedly honest…
Mu Xuanling began to understand why Fu Lansheng could charm so many people. With his background, looks, and demeanor, not only would women like him, but even men would find it hard not to consider him a brother.
Take Nan Xuyue, for instance. Getting Nan Xuyue to insult someone was as difficult as getting Xie Xuechen to praise someone. Yet Nan Xuyue would openly mock Fu Lansheng, showing how successful Fu Lansheng was at socializing.
Mu Xuanling put the register into her spatial ring, bowed to Fu Lansheng, and smiled, “On behalf of A Bao, I thank the Young Palace Master.”
“No need for formalities. I’ve said before, Nan Xuyue’s cousin is my cousin,” Fu Lansheng said with a smile. “You still haven’t called me Big Brother.”
This person is so persistent…
Mu Xuanling pretended not to hear and hid behind Nan Xuyue for help.
Nan Xuyue naturally had to step up.
“Brother Fu, it’s almost noon. If there’s nothing else, shall we go to the dining hall?” Nan Xuyue smiled.
“Sure, I heard they hunted a roe deer today. Although Yongxue City is poor, its spiritual energy is abundant, making the meat of beasts here exquisite,” Fu Lansheng chatted enthusiastically along the way, from the delicacies of Yongxue City to the treasures of Lingjuan Island, from the jade of Bixiao Palace to the spiritual herbs of Jinghua Valley. His knowledge was another kind of erudition; he was probably the cultivator who knew best how to enjoy life.
Mu Xuanling asked curiously, “Young Palace Master Fu, you travel the world enjoying all its pleasures, yet your cultivation hasn’t fallen behind at all. It’s truly admirable.”
Fu Lansheng paused, rubbing his nose a bit embarrassedly, “Well, it’s a long story… It’s not that long. Bixiao Palace has a unique cultivation technique called the Autumn Water Technique. When autumn waters arrive, they fill all rivers. The Autumn Water Technique is a method that benefits others at one’s own expense. Those who practice it can hardly form a Golden Core, but they can infuse their spiritual power into another’s spirit apertures, helping them quickly form a Golden Core.”
“How can there be such a strange technique…” Mu Xuanling said diplomatically. This technique wasn’t just strange, it was downright vicious, completely sacrificing oneself for others’ benefit. No normal person would want to practice such an unorthodox technique.
Fu Lansheng said, “You must be thinking, only someone with a broken brain would practice such a self-harming technique.”
Mu Xuanling laughed awkwardly.
“You’re not wrong in thinking that. This technique was created by an evil cultivator. He captured low-level cultivators, forced them to practice this technique, and then forcibly absorbed their spiritual power to enhance his cultivation. Those whose spiritual power was absorbed would have their spirit apertures destroyed. This evil cultivator was later eliminated by Bixiao Palace, and the technique was confiscated. However, an ancestor later improved this technique, allowing practitioners to transfer their cultivation at will. Even if all cultivation is dispersed, the spirit apertures won’t be destroyed, and one can even start cultivating other techniques anew.”
Mu Xuanling listened attentively but still didn’t quite understand. “Although it won’t kill you, there doesn’t seem to be any benefit. Why would anyone practice the Autumn Water Technique?”
Fu Lansheng shrugged, “For money.”
“What?” Mu Xuanling was stunned.
Nan Xuyue smiled and explained, “That’s why I said, ordinary people can hardly understand the thoughts of the world’s wealthiest man. Bixiao Palace has a group of cultivators who practice the Autumn Water Technique. When they achieve proficiency, they transfer their cultivation to the Young Palace Master, in exchange for a fortune that they couldn’t use up in a lifetime.”
Mu Xuanling stared at Nan Xuyue in disbelief, feeling as if he was telling a joke. “Not only do I not understand the thoughts of the world’s wealthiest man, I also don’t understand the thinking of those cultivators.”
Nan Xuyue said, “Here in Yongxue City, everywhere you look you see Fashen realm masters, with Golden Core cultivators being the lowest. Even a cripple like me was once a prodigy with ten spirit apertures. However, among the vast populace, less than one in a million can cultivate. Among cultivators, how many can form a Golden Core in their lifetime? Practicing the Autumn Water Technique merely makes it difficult to form a Golden Core, but in exchange, one can obtain a fortune that ensures three generations of their family will never want food or clothing. For ordinary people, this is enough.”
Mu Xuanling fell silent, pondering for a moment before acknowledging the truth in Nan Xuyue’s words. The aspiration to benefit the world was a lofty ideal reserved for a few powerful individuals. For ordinary people, being able to care for themselves and provide for their families was already satisfying enough.
“How many people need to practice the Autumn Water Technique for this?” Mu Xuanling asked Fu Lansheng.
Fu Lansheng thought for a moment and said, “Probably over a thousand, but only one or two hundred truly excel at it.”
Mu Xuanling fell silent again.
“That must cost a fortune…”
Nan Xuyue chuckled lightly and teased, “Do you know how wealthy Bixiao Palace is?”
For cultivators, poverty was the norm. Because as soon as they had money, they would certainly exchange it for higher-level techniques, rare celestial and earthly treasures, or divine weapons. Cultivators above the Golden Core realm rarely calculated the value of items in terms of money, more often engaging in barter, each taking what they needed.
“If the world’s wealth were a stone, Bixiao Palace would possess eight-tenths of it,” Nan Xuyue sighed. “People say, Bixiao Palace’s wealth is eight-tenths of the world’s.”
This meant that no matter how much he spent, it couldn’t outpace the rate at which he earned money.
Mu Xuanling looked at Fu Lansheng carefully and marveled, “It seems Young Palace Master Fu has become even more handsome.”
Indeed, he was worthy of being someone who could casually gift a pile of Heaven-grade treasures upon first meeting. It was her narrow-mindedness and small-mindedness that had failed to imagine how differently the wealthy cultivated. When he said Yongxue City was poor, he spoke with great confidence…
Fu Lansheng laughed heartily and casually said, “Wealth is the least significant of all my virtues.”
Mu Xuanling: “Everything you say is right!”
Mu Xuanling thought that Fu Lansheng should introduce himself like this: “My surname is Fu, the ‘Fu’ that means ‘wealthiest in the world’.”
As the three were chatting and laughing, Mu Xuanling suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation of spiritual power. She abruptly stopped, her expression grave as she looked towards the southeast. Fu Lansheng noticed the anomaly almost simultaneously with Mu Xuanling. His smile vanished, and he immediately dashed towards the source of the disturbance, with Mu Xuanling close behind.
The two were evenly matched in true strength and speed, arriving at the source of the spiritual fluctuation almost simultaneously.
“It’s a formation disturbance,” Fu Lansheng furrowed his brow, his usually carefree face showing a rare serious expression. “Who would dare to activate a formation privately within Yongxue City?”
“The residence of the Five Elders of the Immortal Alliance is in that direction,” Mu Xuanling said.
The earlier fluctuation had vanished in an instant, leaving no trace behind.
Suddenly, Mu Xuanling’s eyes lit up. She tapped her spatial ring and released A Bao. The little A Bao immediately leaped onto Mu Xuanling’s shoulder, its round ears perking up.
“A Bao, can you sense the treasure aura that just appeared here?”
A Bao sniffed hard with its nose and focused its black, round eyes, nodding solemnly, “The treasure aura dissipates quickly once it leaves its source, but it went in that direction!”
“Good A Bao!” Mu Xuanling patted its little head, and she and Fu Lansheng rushed off in the direction A Bao had indicated.
The two figures immediately vanished from their spot, flitting between courtyards like swift shadows, quickly catching up to two suspicious figures.
“You two, stop right there!” Fu Lansheng shouted.
The two figures paused but instead of stopping, they ran even faster.
Fu Lansheng casually pulled out a magical artifact and threw it. Mu Xuanling looked closely—it was the golden, shimmering Heaven-grade Binding God Lock. It was said that even Yuan Ying realm cultivators couldn’t break free from it, and it could trap Fashen realm masters for three breaths. Most people would only use it in life-or-death situations, but he tossed it as casually as throwing a stone.
But money truly makes all things possible. As soon as the Binding God Lock was thrown, it immediately caught one of the figures. However, the other was faster and took advantage of their companion’s capture to slip away from view. Mu Xuanling, thinking she had A Bao to track, continued the pursuit, leaving Fu Lansheng to deal with the captured one.
With A Bao’s guidance, Mu Xuanling quickly caught up to the figure ahead. Seeing the distance closing, she wasted no time in unleashing the Judgment Demon Vine. The vine extended to two zhang in length, lunging at the person like a purple snake. The person seemed to be wary of this purple vine, skillfully avoiding its attack, but this allowed Mu Xuanling to close in.
Mu Xuanling’s ten fingers transformed into bone blades, her movements as swift as lightning, her body technique ghostly. The person was entangled by Mu Xuanling, unable to break free for a moment. But Mu Xuanling was also barely holding on. It was high noon, and her hood had fallen off during the chase. Now, grappling with the opponent accelerated the dissipation of her demonic energy. Each wisp of escaping demonic energy felt like a thread violently tearing at her flesh, bones, and meridians, subjecting her to excruciating pain.
Mu Xuanling bit her lip, spitting a mouthful of fresh blood onto the opponent’s face, using her vital essence as a medium to cast a curse. However, the person seemed prepared, dodging most of the blood aimed at their face. They kicked Mu Xuanling in the waist, causing her intense pain. Her vision blacked out momentarily, allowing the person to break free and escape.
Mu Xuanling retracted the purple vine, her face turning pale. She hurriedly put on her hood, looking for a shady spot to avoid the sun, when she encountered another uninvited guest.
“You again!” Gao Qiumin stood coldly behind Mu Xuanling. “So it was indeed demonic energy on you. Who exactly are you?”
While Mu Xuanling was grappling with the mysterious person, A Bao had already hidden itself, so Gao Qiumin hadn’t seen it. She had only traced the familiar demonic energy to this spot, only to find Mu Xuanling, whom she despised the most.
If the first time was a coincidence or a misperception, the second time wasn’t.
Gao Qiumin firmly believed that Mu Xuanling must be hiding some unknown secret. Even if she wasn’t a demon herself, she must be concealing something related to the demon race.
Gao Qiumin brandished her Spring Birth Sword at Mu Xuanling, pointing the tip at her nose. “Hand over your spatial ring and let me search it!”
Mu Xuanling could barely control the backlash of demonic energy. She glared at Gao Qiumin with an unfriendly expression and shouted, “Get lost!”
Her hand trembled slightly as she gripped her cloak tightly. Though the sunlight was warm, it felt like torture to her, as if she were being roasted over a fire.
Seeing Mu Xuanling’s pale face and the blood at the corner of her mouth, Gao Qiumin sneered, “Sect Leader Xie isn’t here. Who are you putting on this act for?”
Mu Xuanling’s ears were filled with a buzzing sound, making it hard to hear what Gao Qiumin was saying. The violent energy in her chest was almost uncontrollable. She took a deep breath, pushed aside Gao Qiumin’s Spring Birth Sword with one hand, and walked straight ahead.
Gao Qiumin was stunned for a moment, then grew furious. She reached out to grab Mu Xuanling’s shoulder, but Mu Xuanling sank her shoulder to dodge. However, Gao Qiumin persisted, pressing forward step by step. Mu Xuanling gathered demonic energy in her palm and struck towards Gao Qiumin’s face, but stopped abruptly upon seeing her face.
Gao Qiumin, however, didn’t stop. Taking advantage of Mu Xuanling’s momentary distraction, she struck Mu Xuanling’s chest with her palm, sending her flying to the ground, her hood falling off in the process.
Gao Qiumin was somewhat surprised by Mu Xuanling’s impressive skills but didn’t sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from her. She assumed Mu Xuanling was just a mortal with some martial arts training. Dealing with mortals, she disdained using spiritual energy. Seeing Mu Xuanling fall and not get up after being struck, she sneered, “I didn’t use much force in that palm strike. Why are you putting on such an act?”
Mu Xuanling felt dizzy and could no longer hear Gao Qiumin. She vaguely saw a tall figure appear before her, bringing a hint of coolness. She hazily looked up but couldn’t make out the person’s features.
“Sect Leader Xie.” Gao Qiumin looked nervously at the suddenly appeared Xie Xuechen, hurriedly explaining, “I didn’t hit her hard just now. She fell on her own.”
Xie Xuechen said calmly, “I understand.”
Gao Qiumin was slightly taken aback—he understood?
Su Ningzhen suddenly appeared in front of Gao Qiumin and said, “Qiumin wouldn’t attack without reason. She said she sensed demonic energy from this young lady. Sect Leader Xie, what do you say?”
Xie Xuechen said, “You are both guests in Yongxue City, as is Ling’er. I won’t embarrass one person based on another’s words. If she says there isn’t any, then there isn’t.”
Su Ningzhen’s face turned cold, and she laughed coldly, “Fine. Since Sect Leader Xie says so, we have nothing more to say. Qiumin, let’s go.”
Su Ningzhen left angrily with Gao Qiumin.
“Xie… Xuechen…”
A weak voice came from behind. Xie Xuechen stood with his hands behind his back, resisting the urge to turn and look at her. The same prank, once or twice was enough, but a third time… Why did she have to hurt herself to fool others?
He had said before, that there shouldn’t be a next time, but she still hadn’t listened.
Xie Xuechen frowned slightly, ultimately leaving without looking back.
Mu Xuanling lay prone on the snow, her pupils gradually dilating. Through her blurry vision, she saw Xie Xuechen’s retreating figure. Her mind was in agony, making it difficult to think—why did he leave? Why didn’t he look at her? Why didn’t he embrace her?
An intense feeling of grievance welled up in her heart, almost overshadowing the piercing pain in her chest.
She weakly opened her mouth.
—Xie Xuechen, I’m in pain…