Unhappy

Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue came down the mountain and walked a little farther before quickly reaching Fengxian Town.

The two of them stayed at an inn.

Qi Xianqing: “Fengxian Town has a lot of good food. Once I come out of seclusion, we can take a walk through the market.”

Yan Jue blinked, then smiled. “Okay!”

Actually, Yan Jue had wanted to tell Qi Xianqing that she didn’t need to force herself to take her sightseeing. After all, Qi Xianqing had been so badly injured a few days ago.

Yan Jue had to admit that Qi Xianqing really was a very responsible Senior Sister.

When she took junior disciples out on missions, it wasn’t just about completing the task; she also doubled as a guide for touring scenic places.

Qi Xianqing must be tired too.

Yan Jue didn’t want her to be that tired.

Qi Xianqing looked at her and nodded.

Qi Xianqing still needed to go into seclusion to stabilize the spiritual power in her body, and Yan Jue estimated that it would probably take at least two days.

Yan Jue also couldn’t disturb her.

So she sat in the room and opened The Lesser Yin Ice Soul Art, cultivating on her own.

She had already nearly finished studying the foundation of it.

There was also the section on Divine Sense expansion.

Once every cultivator reached the Light Illumination realm, they would open up Divine Sense.

Divine Sense was, in essence, the ability to perceive.

For example, someone with powerful Divine Sense could still sense the presence of surrounding living beings even if they could not see them.

Yan Jue closed her eyes and thought carefully.

This mainly worked by sensing “qi.”

Wherever there were people, there would be qi.

In crowded places, qi would be thick and dense.

In sparsely populated places, qi would be as thin as wisps of cloud.

Yan Jue sat cross-legged on the bed and carefully absorbed the text.

She took a deep breath, exhaled, and opened her eyes again.

She could actually see faint wisps of smoke swirling outside the inn.

Yan Jue got out of bed and looked out, seeing a peddler slowly pass beneath the building with a donkey cart.

“…"

Expanding Divine Sense was far easier than other abilities! Yan Jue was overjoyed, because Divine Sense expansion could be said to come naturally; once a cultivator reached a certain level, Divine Sense would emerge on its own. All she needed was to read a little more and gain some understanding.

Yan Jue climbed back onto the bed and closed her eyes, continuing to expand her “Divine Sense.”

-

After Yan Jue finished expanding her Divine Sense, she saw that it was still early, so she went downstairs alone for a walk.

If this world had a Myriad Demons Pavilion in every place, then there should also be one in Fengxian Town.

Yan Jue planned to go to the Myriad Demons Pavilion again.

After all, with escape imminent, she needed to prepare some things.

Yan Jue stepped out of the inn, and just as she was about to leave, the corner of her eye caught a notice posted at the entrance.

Official notice:

In recent days, Fengxian Town has repeatedly been plagued by evil spirits.

The courtesan Jiang Mengwan of the Chunxiu Tower has gone missing; the eldest madam of the Xu family in the north of the city has gone missing; Madam of the Song family has also gone missing as of a few days ago. The disappearances of women have continued!

The South Tower has already arrived in Fengxian Town to handle this matter. Please do not go out at night, and there is no need to panic.

Yan Jue froze.

Then she suddenly heard a sigh from behind her. “The missing ones are all Fengxian Town’s great beauties…”

Yan Jue turned around and saw a man stroking his beard and clicking his tongue repeatedly.

Yan Jue: “Sorry, but could I ask what you meant just now by… great beauties?”

The man said in surprise, “You don’t know? Among Fengxian Town’s great beauties, first would be our Chunxiu Tower’s Jiang courtesan; second would be the eldest madam of the Xu family in the north of the city. The Song family has always produced beauties too, especially their madam; she’s truly like a celestial maiden descended to earth.”

“But a month ago, these beauties started disappearing one after another. Just how much of a lustful fiend must the culprit be?”

Yan Jue paused. “This notice says South Tower cultivators have already arrived in Fengxian Town. Has the matter been resolved yet?”

The man shook his head. “No.”

“I heard South Tower sent a master, but for some reason, although that master has patrolled at night for several days, he hasn’t seen the culprit even once.”

“I also heard this culprit… moves extremely fast and keeps his whereabouts hidden. He’s not easy to catch.”

“And… the only time he struck was against this Fengxian Town great beauty.”

It seemed that many places were not peaceful these days…

Yan Jue only glanced at it before turning and leaving; after all, this wasn’t something she could manage.

Just as Yan Jue was about to go, she suddenly saw a fat figure step into the inn.

A man in a cyan-blue robe walked in and sat down brazenly at a dining table in the main hall.

He was bulky, his face pitted and lumpy, his flesh piled up in heavy folds, and even his eyes were narrowed to slits.

The waiter hurried over and flattered him obsequiously. “Sir, what would you like to eat?”

“This is an immortal master from the South Tower,” the man beside her whispered to Yan Jue.

Yan Jue twitched her lips. Although it was improper to think this way, this person looked...

If he went out onto the streets to exorcise monsters, the monsters would probably be scared off before he even did anything.

…

Because she had already been here many times before, Yan Jue was now very familiar with the place and quickly locked onto the location of the Myriad Demons Pavilion.

In Fengxian Town, the Myriad Demons Pavilion was located in a forest outside town.

In this world, the demon race had been suppressed by humans for a very long time; aside from the five honored demons, the range of activity for all other demons had gradually shrunk into deep mountains and old forests.

In this forest, there was actually a huge pit, perhaps blasted out by some immense spiritual force.

Demonic energy filled the pit, and all sorts of monsters had set up small stalls along the rim.

Among the countless stalls, Yan Jue found the round and plump Pheasant Spirit again.

As expected of a family that made its living selling medicine, they really could be seen everywhere.

“Cold Smoke Grass… and Yin Condensing Grass.” The Pheasant Spirit stroked her chin and said thoughtfully, “These medicinal ingredients aren’t cheap. Does the lady want to sell them, or refine pills?”

Yan Jue: “I want to turn these two medicinal ingredients into something that can help a spiritual root undergo ice-based mutation.”

Back then, by the Cold Pool, she had asked Qi Xianqing about it.

Qi Xianqing had told her that the Profound Ice Flower could promote the mutation of her water-and-earth dual spiritual roots into an ice spiritual root.

In other words, in order to change a spiritual root, one needed the help of specific heavenly treasures and earthly wonders.

Later, Yan Jue had also looked through related books and found that it wasn’t just the Profound Ice Flower; other immortal herbs could also help with spiritual-root mutation.

For example, the extremely cold Cold Smoke Grass.

And spiritual-root mutation was a very complicated process, which meant it could very likely fail.

Yin Condensing Grass could just happen to increase the success rate of the mutation process.

The Pheasant Spirit: “Then I’ll take one stalk of Yin Condensing Grass and one stalk of Cold Smoke Grass from you, and refine them into a Nine-Turn Mutation Pill. That should work. The total is eight mid-grade Spirit Stones.”

That was already an expensive price. Yan Jue’s Qiankun bag only contained eight mid-grade Spirit Stones in total.

But she knew it would definitely be more expensive elsewhere, so she happily took out the eight mid-grade Spirit Stones.

The Pheasant Spirit carefully put the Yin Condensing Grass and Cold Smoke Grass into a mortar and pounded them vigorously for a while, then opened the drawer beneath the stall and took out several ordinary medicinal ingredients.

The spirit beast, tail lifted, stared expressionlessly at the Pheasant Spirit’s movements.

The Pheasant Spirit handed the crushed medicinal ingredients to it, muttering under her breath.

Yan Jue looked at her and couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.

Then the Pheasant Spirit took out a ball of deep-red flame from beneath the cabinet. Yan Jue could faintly feel the spiritual fluctuations coming off the flame; it was probably not ordinary fire.

The flame swayed violently in the air.

The spirit beast opened its mouth and swallowed the flame together with everything else into its belly.

Yan Jue frowned. “The process for refining this kind of pill seems pretty complicated.”

The Pheasant Spirit: “Of course. Not only is the process complicated, it also requires exceptional skill from the alchemist. If someone else did it, they’d very likely fail. If such precious heavenly treasures and earthly wonders were wasted, wouldn’t that be a sin?”

Yan Jue listened with growing unease. “Very true.”

The Pheasant Spirit: “Don’t be nervous. Our Pheasant Spirit family’s pill-refining skills are very high, so there’s usually not much chance of failure.”

About the time it took to burn an incense stick, the spirit beast finished meditating cross-legged, and its entire body looked as if it had been drained dry as it spat out a pale-blue pill.

The pill gave off a trace of cold air, and a layer of frost seemed to have condensed across its surface.

Yan Jue: “Thank you.”

With this pill, once she returned to the inn, she could try mutating her spiritual root.

If she had an ice spiritual root, then cultivating ice-based spells and divine abilities in the future would become much easier.

Yan Jue asked again, “How much can White Ancient Crystal and Soul-Nourishing Wood sell for?”

Although both were extremely rare heavenly treasures and earthly wonders that she might well need when advancing to the fifth or sixth realm in the future, that was still far too distant for Yan Jue.

She was very short on money right now.

Soul-Nourishing Wood was a kind of icy wood only demonic cultivators could use; it could enhance the cultivation of ghosts and spirits, and Yan Jue felt she couldn’t use that sort of thing at all.

Still, Yan Jue kept a bit of a backup for herself.

For example, she kept the ice spirit fruit that she still didn’t know what was useful for but that exuded a chill of its own.

The Pheasant Spirit estimated the price. “Soul-Nourishing Wood and White Ancient Crystal together can sell for five thousand high-grade Spirit Stones.”

Yan Jue’s eyes lit up.

Now she was rich again.

She handed the cloth bundle containing the Soul-Nourishing Wood and White Ancient Crystal to the Pheasant Spirit, who then paid her the corresponding Spirit Stones.

Yan Jue put all five thousand high-grade Spirit Stones, each faintly glowing with gold light, into her Qiankun bag.

Then Yan Jue wandered through the Myriad Demons Pavilion for a long time and came to a pig spirit’s stall.

In front of the pig spirit’s stall stood a small sign: special sale and refinement of rare magical artifacts.

Yan Jue stared at the stall owner’s fat round head and fell silent.

If she remembered correctly, the pig spirit who had sold her Northern Sea black iron before had also been the same kind.

Yan Jue asked tentatively, “Have you been to the Myriad Demons Pavilion in Qingye Town? Back then I bought a piece of iron from your stall.”

The pig spirit opened his eyes, paused, then immediately laughed. “That was my elder brother. Our pig spirit family is in charge of magical artifact refinement!”

So family ties in the demon world were really strong.

The shopkeepers in the Myriad Demons Pavilion basically all ran businesses as family units.

For example, the pig spirits were in charge of selling and refining magical treasures… the Pheasant Spirit family specialized in pill refinement… and that badger spirit she’d seen last time in the Myriad Demons Pavilion in Nanxing Town sold miscellaneous goods.

Yan Jue: “I gathered some spider silk outside. It feels pretty sticky, so I wanted to have it appraised.”

Then she took out the spider silk she had looted from Suyang Immortal Mansion from her Qiankun bag. It was a thick coil, smooth and soft, and it shimmered with a crystalline luster under the dim candlelight.

Yan Jue took everything out of her Qiankun bag at once; the scene was quite spectacular.

The pig spirit stroked the highly adhesive spider silk and murmured, “Ten-Thousand-Soul spider silk…”

Yan Jue: “Huh?”

The pig spirit looked up. “Ah, this is thread formed by the Ten-Thousand-Soul Ghost Spider. As for how to refine it specifically, that depends on what you want it for.”

“For example, if you use these spider threads as a Soul-Binding Rope, you can use their stickiness to capture some wild creatures.”

“But if you integrate them into a magical artifact, then when you use the artifact, it will carry that stickiness and become very convenient for grabbing people.”

Yan Jue imagined her Northern Sea black iron coated all over with those gooey things and shook her head. “Then please make it into a Soul-Binding Rope for me, Boss.”

The pig spirit hesitated. “Lady, because I’ll need to find some additional materials besides the spider silk you provided in order to fuse it into a Soul-Binding Rope, the price will be a little higher.”

Yan Jue asked, “How much?”

The pig spirit: “Ten mid-grade Spirit Stones in total.”

Ten mid-grade Spirit Stones would have been an outrageous price to Yan Jue just a few days ago, but now she could be said to have money to burn, and she was still very generous with her spending.

Yan Jue took out a high-grade Spirit Stone blazing with golden light and handed it to the pig spirit.

The pig spirit gave her change and then walked over to the side with a smile to refine the magical artifact.

Yan Jue continued wandering outside the Myriad Demons Pavilion, and by the way purchased some travel supplies, including a tent and pots, bowls, and other things she would need in the wilderness.

When she returned to the pig spirit’s stall, the Soul-Binding Rope had already been made.

It was a white rope; at its tip, complex inscriptions were engraved, while the body of the rope shimmered brightly, and when touched it had a faintly sticky feel.

The pig spirit came out from behind the stall. “Come, let me have you try it.”

Yan Jue lifted her brows in surprise. “Try it? Just… like that?”

The pig spirit: “Just try seeing whether you can bind me up.”

Yan Jue raised her hand and suddenly threw the Soul-Binding Rope at him, at the same time infusing it with Divine Sense to control it. The pig spirit was quickly tied up into a twisted knot.

Then Yan Jue saw the pig spirit struggling wildly in a bizarre posture, but the rope actually began seeping dense spider silk; the more he struggled, the more spider silk it secreted.

Yan Jue: “…”

By the end, the pig’s body had been completely covered in spider silk, leaving only a long pig snout and a pair of big ears sticking out.

The demons passing by all cast stunned looks their way.

Yan Jue hurriedly took the rope back. “Are you all right, elder?”

The pig spirit: “I’m fine, I’m fine. After all, today is your first time refining an artifact here. Come again next time, all right?”

Yan Jue: “Thank you.”

-

Inside the inn.

Qi Xianqing sat cross-legged on the bed, circulating the Five Dragons Sect’s Six Yin True Fire over Lightning Art around her body. She felt the spiritual power in her body gradually calming down.

Qi Xianqing opened her eyes and exhaled.

She was wearing only a plain white inner robe, and then she slipped on her shoes and sat down at the desk. Propping her chin with one hand, she held a pen in the other, took a sheet of paper from the desk, and wrote something on it.

Before coming down the mountain, Qi Xianqing had already done her homework and learned about Fengxian Town’s customs and habits.

Qi Xianqing knew that the best things to eat in Fengxian Town were milk cakes and grape wine.

To the north of Fengxian Town, there was also a commercial street; it was said that once night fell, the place became exceptionally lively.

Qi Xianqing had looked forward to it for a long time.

Over the years, Qi Xianqing had often gone down the mountain to train and had been to many places.

Before going to each place, she would do her homework.

Mainly to learn whether that place had any special customs or food.

She had seen a great deal and eaten a great deal too.

For some reason, just thinking that this time she could bring Yan Jue, that little monkey, out shopping made the whole matter start to feel very different.

A hint of amusement flashed through Qi Xianqing’s eyes.

In another hour, she would first take the little monkey to the night market, and tomorrow they’d go eat milk cakes and grape wine…

The talisman in her arms suddenly trembled.

Qi Xianqing took it out and heard an old man’s voice coming from within: “Xianqing, has the mission been resolved?”

Qi Xianqing was slightly stunned. “Sect Master Uncle.”

A few days ago, when Qi Xianqing had asked Yun Zhenzi, Yun Zhenzi had said that the Five Dragons Sect’s Sect Master, Mu Zhong Daoist, was in seclusion.

Qi Xianqing hadn’t expected her uncle-master to come out of seclusion so quickly.

Qi Xianqing: “It’s already been resolved.”

The man: “Are you in Fengxian Town now?”

Qi Xianqing: “Yes.”

“For this mission, I originally thought you would let Chu Fu follow you, but I didn’t expect you to choose an obscure outer sect disciple instead… That really surprised me.” The old voice then sounded again. “How did you choose?”

Qi Xianqing: “I picked her from the outer sect disciple class.”

That was also why Qi Xianqing, though she could have directly named Yan Jue and taken her along, had gone through so many twists and turns to stage a class-stage duel instead.

Because as the Five Dragons Sect’s chief disciple, too many people cared about her.

If she had recklessly named Yan Jue and told her to follow her, some people would ask questions.

And it would also bring trouble to Yan Jue.

Mu Zhong Daoist: “I originally thought that even if you were going to choose an outer sect disciple from Watercloud Sect, you would choose Chu Fu.”

Qi Xianqing stared quietly at the token, her face showing no extra expression.

Mu Zhong Daoist: “That child has already broken through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment recently; he’s considered a prodigy of his generation, and next year he’ll enter the inner sect. He ought to have more opportunities for training.”

“Chu Fu and your spiritual roots are a perfect match; he’s a very good dual-cultivation candidate. And do you know that Chu Fu has a very deep connection with the Chu family of old?”

“When his father sent him to Five Dragons Mountain, he instructed me to take care of him…”

“But now, it seems that the child has encountered some difficulty in cultivation and is very dispirited. Since I happened to come out of seclusion, I assigned him the case of the nighttime disappearances of women in Fengxian Town.”

“He should already have received the token and headed down the mountain. He’ll probably be in Fengxian Town tonight.”

“You, then, just properly act as the Senior Sister, take care of him, and bring him along on more missions. Consider it doing your uncle-master a favor.”

Qi Xianqing turned off the talisman and sat on the bed in silence.

The plan she had originally arranged had suddenly been ruined.

She was a little unhappy.