Once the Soul-Binding Rope was released, the half-human, half-bone corpse could finally be moved. The enforcement hall disciples, looking at the increasingly gathering crowd and the tearful shop assistants and innkeeper, couldn’t care about the overwhelming stench anymore and swarmed forward, forming hand seals to carry the body back to the enforcement hall.

Just as Xue Yu, Chao Nian, and the others were about to follow, they saw the Yun Ji Restaurant’s innkeeper, who had nearly fainted from the stench, suddenly take two deep breaths and rush forward to grab Su You’s sleeve.

With a bitter expression, not daring to offend Xue Yu, who had just “displayed divine might,” he repeatedly said: “Young immortals, could you bestow one or two talismans to ward off disasters and evil? Otherwise, after what happened today, I fear no one will dare come to our restaurant again.”

Seeing Su You look down at him, the innkeeper immediately perked up, saying repeatedly: “Immortals, rest assured, our restaurant won’t take this favor for free. Whatever the talismans are worth, we’ll pay double.”

After speaking, he hurriedly instructed his assistant to fetch money from the inner room.

Su You quietly withdrew his sleeve from the innkeeper’s grasp and looked toward Chao Nian.

Chao Nian had encountered such situations many times. He stepped forward with a smile, skillfully producing several talismans from his sleeve: “We won’t take your money. Just hang the talismans on the restaurant’s signboard. We’ve cleaned everything here thoroughly—don’t be afraid.”

The innkeeper was almost moved to tears with gratitude.

“Speaking of which,” the innkeeper pointed to where the corpse had been lying, furtively lowering his voice: “We know this person.”

Xue Yu and Su You both looked over. Upon hearing this, Chao Nian immediately produced two more talismans after the three he had already given and handed them to the innkeeper, asking about everyone’s concern: “What was this person’s identity?”

“Heh.” Having received several more talismans, the innkeeper felt more at ease and immediately stopped hiding anything. He licked his dry, cracked lips and said: “This person was called Liu Quan. He had three brothers in his family, ranked second, so everyone called him Liu Er. He was forty-one or forty-two this year and worked as a coachman for the Xie family in the south of the city.”

“Despite his age, he never married or had children. Whatever money he saved throughout the year was either spent drinking here at our place or in the flower districts and willow lanes behind us.”

Chao Nian asked again: “With no wife or concubines, did he have any mortal enemies around him?”

The innkeeper shook his head, curling his lip: “If you ask about that, I don’t know much. You know, our restaurant serves wealthy clientele, so we usually pay attention to the families in the south of the city. As for a coachman, if it weren’t for our assistant…”

He paused here, then raised his voice, waving to the shop assistant: “Right, our assistant knows Liu Er well—they’re from the same village.”

Xue Yu’s gaze shifted to the hurrying shop assistant.

The assistant was young, about eighteen or nineteen, with a sweat towel draped over his shoulder. In the April weather, due to the earlier panic, his forehead was covered with fine, dense sweat. Seeing such a grand scene, he instinctively wiped his face roughly with his sleeve before saying: “Yes—Liu Er and I are from the same village. According to village seniority, I should even call him uncle.”

Chao Nian repeated his earlier questions.

“Liu Er was famous in the village for his glib tongue and unreliable nature. My mother often warned me not to learn bad habits from such people, so I didn’t have much interaction with him. Though he wasn’t likable, I’ve never heard of any mortal enemies. He usually served at the Xie family, couldn’t curry favor with the real masters there, and had no contact with outside nobles. With no wife or children, he only had a few drinking buddies who regularly visited Frost Moon Tower together.”

At this point, the shop assistant also shook his head.

The innkeeper, thinking they were outsiders who wouldn’t understand, thoughtfully explained: “Oh, Frost Moon Tower is Suzhou’s famous pleasure house. Many of the girls there are quite renowned. Just a few days ago, one of their courtesans was taken by a prince from the court and brought into his mansion.”

“A prince from the court?” Xue Yu’s slender eyebrows knitted together as she asked: “Which prince? Why would he be in Suzhou?”

“It’s the current emperor’s brother, his brother—Prince Zhao.” The innkeeper looked around cautiously, speaking carefully: “He came suddenly at the beginning of the year. As for why he came, that’s not something small people like us can inquire about. But Prince Zhao built a mansion in the south of the city, so it looks like he plans to stay long-term.”

The shop assistant continued: “Liu Er didn’t have major flaws, except for one thing—he was lustful and couldn’t walk away when he saw beautiful women. My mother said he’d eventually fall because of women.”

“If the immortals want to investigate, you might ask among the Xie family servants. I remember he got along well with one of the Xie family’s cooks, who often came here to drink tea when free.”

Having at least learned some useful information, Xue Yu nodded to the innkeeper and assistant. With a light step, she had already landed on another building’s roof, heading straight for the enforcement hall in a few bounds. Su You followed closely behind, his form like smoke, like a graceful spring breeze brushing past.

In the enforcement hall, the atmosphere was particularly heavy. Twenty to thirty disciples in enforcement uniforms were forced to circle the room housing the corpse due to that unbearable stench, yet even so, several with poor composure had tears streaming from their eyes.

As Xue Yu stepped through the door, she happened to hear a young disciple covering his nose tightly, saying to someone beside him: “What did Senior Brother Zhou and the others bring back? This smell—I really can’t stand it. I’d rather go back to the sect to sweep fallen leaves.”

Her expression unchanged, she walked straight toward the small room where Liu Er’s body was kept. Su You quickly followed her, and at one moment, the latter paused in his steps, softly reminding: “Miss, the smell has gotten stronger.”

Xue Yu was surprised by his acute senses and nodded: “I withdrew part of the power covering the corpse. Otherwise, that half-body would either turn to pus or be frozen into ice shards.”

“Not many people can use Soul-Binding Ropes. This kind of evil art requires not only specific operational methods but also vast power for support.” As Xue Yu spoke, her expression remained unchanged: “We might be facing a troublesome opponent this time.”

It was just a casual remark from her.

Su You’s slender fingers, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, moved as if burned.

He wasn’t a naive child who knew nothing upon first entering the path. He knew that cultivation couldn’t be rushed, that current stability was beneficial for future rapid progress. Yet in recent days, he had repeatedly felt an unprecedented urgency.

There was still plenty of time left for him.

But he just felt that if he were a bit stronger, just a bit stronger, in situations like today, she wouldn’t need to act personally. Anyone daring to show provocative hostility before her would first have to get past him.

Then, even for four-and-a-half-star missions, he could assist her in completing them quickly, rather than being limited to silently doing small tasks like marking maps as he was now.

If he couldn’t help at all, then why had she saved him and taught him so attentively without any return?

Walking into the room housing Liu Er’s corpse, only three or four disciples stood inside, all looking deeply troubled. Xue Yu didn’t even lift her eyes, carefully observing Liu Er’s expression.

In reality, the corpse had been ravaged beyond recognition by the Soul-Binding Rope. After being covered with frost, multiple bruises appeared on the face, making it impossible to discern his expression at death.

Behind them, Jiu Feng slowly entered, having obviously cast a breath-holding technique, so she breathed normally without being affected at all.

She glanced at Liu Er’s half-skeletal body, her gaze falling on Xue Yu. Without speaking, she walked back and forth with her hands behind her back, looking here and there in the empty room with an air of serious investigation.

After some time together, Xue Yu already knew her temperament—she had no interest in matters of life and death. A Liu Er wasn’t worth her making a special trip here. So when she made her third turn, pacing back and forth, Xue Yu coldly spoke: “If you have something to say, say it.”

“I do have two questions to ask.” Jiu Feng cleared her throat as if she’d been waiting for her to speak, raising her head: “I won’t ask you questions for free. Here’s the thing—you want to investigate this mortal’s murder case, right? I have a spiritual treasure that can sense the places the deceased visited before death.”

“Answer a few questions for me, and I’ll give you the spiritual treasure.”

“Not needed.” Xue Yu didn’t even lift her eyes, speaking concisely: “I’ve investigated enough.”

“Then how about this?” Jiu Feng pointed to Su You standing beside her: “Your companion here—” She swallowed the words “demon ghost” and vaguely said: “He’s different from humans and needs to go through a growth period. The spiritual items from your Sacred Land aren’t suitable for him. I have a Demon Wu Fruit—left over from when I went through my growth period years ago. Only the five great families of the Demon Capital have this thing. It’s worth a fortune and impossible to find outside. Answer my questions, and I’ll give you the fruit.”

Things used by Jiu Feng certainly wouldn’t be inferior.

This time, Xue Yu didn’t refuse quickly. She took the handkerchief Chao Nian handed her and methodically wiped each finger clean. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the young man beside her speak, each word light and slow: “I don’t want it.”

“You don’t want it.” Jiu Feng rolled her eyes, saying irritably, “If you don’t want it, the growth period pain alone could kill you.”

“Speak.” Xue Yu finally lifted her eyes, looking at Jiu Feng and asking directly: “What do you want to know?”

“In our previous duel, did you use your full strength?” Asking about something she cared about, Jiu Feng’s casual demeanor immediately became serious. She looked at Xue Yu: “Tell the truth.”

“Did you use your full strength?” Xue Yu suddenly asked back.

Beings like them, when traveling outside, often hold back. Unless it was a life-and-death situation, what difference was there between always fighting with full strength and being a fool?

Jiu Feng immediately understood. Her expression became grave as she looked deeply at Xue Yu and asked again: “Among the six Sacred Land inheritors, where would you rank?”

“I don’t know. We’ve never had a proper competition.” Xue Yu looked at her with an unchanged expression: “Spirit Array Masters are at a disadvantage in competitions.”

“Come on.” Jiu Feng roughly gauged the situation in her mind and tossed the crimson fruit in her hand to Xue Yu: “That’s only true for Spirit Array Masters who are still weak in the early stages. Who would strong Spirit Array Masters fear?”

Others would be too busy avoiding them.

“Two questions, and not one proper answer.” Jiu Feng resumed her lazy demeanor, yawning until tears formed at the corners of her eyes: “I heard from that Buddhist woman from the Northern Wilderness that you could have avoided taking this mission, but you pursued it because of Yun Lai’s death. You weren’t close to her, yet you’re willing to trouble yourself for her sake. Consider this fruit my gift to you.”

In plain terms, this trip was deliberately given to her.

“This place does smell terrible.” Jiu Feng cast an admiring look at Xue Yu, speaking sincerely: “You don’t mind hardship.”

After speaking, she drifted out of the enforcement hall like smoke.

The morgue immediately contained only two people. Xue Yu’s expression unchanged, she tossed the brightly colored fruit to Su You, who silently caught it. After a long while, he moved his lips, his voice showing a hint of difficulty: “Miss, you didn’t need to answer her.”

Xue Yu pinched the position of her left wrist bone, lifting her eyes to glance at him, speaking as lightly as clouds: “She asked unimportant questions, and I didn’t answer seriously either.”

But before Jiu Feng began asking those questions, she hadn’t known what would be asked.

“As fellow inheritors, Jiu Feng isn’t so tactless.” Xue Yu pointed to the Demon Wu Fruit in his arms, round like a small ball: “She’s right. The Demon Wu Fruit is indeed the most helpful thing for the growth period. With it, you’ll suffer much less.”

“The Sang Luo Fruits I prepared for you before—leave them all for Qing Luo. Her talent and comprehension aren’t as good as yours, so her growth period will likely be difficult.”

As if unwilling to elaborate on this topic, Xue Yu quickly changed the subject: “Put that away. Come with me to the south of the city later.”

She didn’t want to say more, but Su You couldn’t help thinking more.

Never mind the lofty Sacred Land ancient immortals—even ordinary mortals, upon learning of the demon race’s most vulnerable growth period, would only scheme in every possible way, coveting the bones that shed from their bodies and the demon pearls that could sell for high prices.

Su You had once thought that if he could survive until his growth period arrived, it would probably be in some dilapidated, unknown room. At most, he’d prepare a few days’ worth of food for himself and rely purely on amazing willpower and the desperate desire to live to grit his teeth through that painful time.

He was wild grass growing from stone cracks, long accustomed to wind and rain.

Therefore, he had never imagined that when he hadn’t even begun planning for it himself, someone would remember this matter amid their busy schedule and silently prepare Sang Luo Fruits.

So he also didn’t know what that sour, almost uncontrollably jumping emotion in his heart was, or how to suppress it.

He was almost at a loss.

Su You’s hair hung by his ears, concealing his exact expression. After a long while, he slowly nodded.

Outside the enforcement hall, under the shade of an ancient tree, Jiu Feng’s cheerful expression collapsed the moment she turned around. Her flower-like radiant face hung in mid-air, and Tao Zhi instinctively cupped her chin with her hands, hearing her complain angrily for the countless time today: “I knew it—she really didn’t use her full strength.”

“She challenged me to a match and didn’t even use her full strength.” Jiufeng, her body languid and almost boneless, leaned the majority of her weight on the gentle-faced Peach Blossom Demon. As she spoke, her teeth clenched. “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to underestimate me like this.”

“It’s not underestimating you.” Tao Zhi smiled and looked at her. “Didn’t you also not use your full strength?”

“That’s not the same.” Jiufeng’s eyelids drooped as she struggled to summon energy. “She’s a Spirit Array Master, and she’s two years younger than me.”

“If we’re already at a standstill now, how will anyone defeat her in the future? She’s a fully realized Spirit Array Master!”

“I’m going back into seclusion. I am going back into seclusion.” Jiufeng’s jaw moved as she spoke, then she glanced at Tao Zhi. “Aren’t you coming back to the Demon Capital with me? The human world is so dangerous. What if I go into seclusion and, without realizing it, you get captured by those kings and nobles here?”

“And what if, just like Yunlai, some human woman steals your soul? Even if I ran to rescue you, it would be too late.”

“Thinking of that…” Tao Zhi laughed at her words, softly calling her seldom-used name. “I grew up in the human world, I like the mountains and rivers here. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going back with you.”