"Of course it has nothing to do with you, Young Master Li."
The steward smiled, his tone laced with meaning. "The yin-gathering vixen physique is a once-in-a-millennium rarity. Even we at Sevenstar Tower have never found one. How could he find it so easily?"
Li Lanxiu looked at him, uninterested in replying.
The steward returned to the main topic. "In recent days, people have gone missing from towns and cities large and small. The cultists are searching for someone with the yin-gathering vixen physique."
Li Lanxiu asked, "Is there any chance the missing are still alive?"
The steward froze at the question, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "The Red Sect kills without blinking. If they don’t have the yin-gathering vixen physique, they at least get a quick death. But if they do…their leader is a cruel rapist. Being forced to dual cultivate with him is a fate worse than death."
Li Lanxiu closed his eyes and did the math. Four people had gone missing in Dreamsaint City alone over the past few days. Across the Nine Provinces, the numbers would form a mountain of blood debt. He opened his eyes and said calmly, "Tell me about this yin-gathering vixen physique."
The steward had been waiting for that question. He cleared his throat and began to show off in a serious tone. "Young Master Li, do you understand how dual cultivation works?"
Li Lanxiu nodded lightly, signaling him to continue.
"Dual cultivation is the act of blending spiritual energy with another person to enhance cultivation. While it has benefits, it’s usually not a major factor—more of a supplemental method. But the yin-gathering vixen physique is entirely different."
The steward narrowed his eyes, envy in his voice. "That physique is extremely rare between heaven and earth. Legend says those born with it possess perfectly balanced yin and yang and pure spiritual energy. Dual cultivation with them doesn’t just refine the body and soul—it drastically boosts one’s cultivation in a short time, benefiting both parties immensely."
He paused to see Li Lanxiu’s reaction, but his gaze remained indifferent. The steward went on. "One session of dual cultivation equals ten years of bitter training. The Red Sect’s leader doesn’t have long to live. If he finds someone with that physique, not only can it prolong his life, but it could also elevate his cultivation even further."
Li Lanxiu nodded and said, "No wonder."
The steward cleared his throat and lowered his voice, speaking with an air of mystery. "This yin-gathering vixen physique benefits the bearer even more. Through dual cultivation, they can absorb the other's spiritual body to break through their own innate limits. But…an innocent person with a treasure becomes a target. From what little we at Sevenstar Tower have heard…"
He broke off abruptly, sighed with regret and shook his head in silence.
Li Lanxiu could guess the ending. In the cultivation world, everyone wanted such a Dao companion. What good end could await someone desired by all?
After a moment, the steward composed himself and asked with a cheerful smile, "Young Master Li, have you considered? Will you make this deal with us?"
Li Lanxiu raised his hand. His pale, jade-like fingers tapped the dark red edge of his mask with a pensive look.
The steward gazed at him and said softly, "Please be assured, Young Master Li. We know everyone around you—Chu Yue from your sect, Jing Mei-xianzi of Jademaiden Sect, Jiang Zhuo of Streamcloud Sect, Han Qian of Loftcloud Sect…"
"As long as they’re related to you, we won’t sell the Red Sect’s information to them."
Li Lanxiu chuckled lightly. He sat upright and looked at the steward. "How much does Red Sect intelligence sell for?"
The steward didn’t hide it. He held up several fingers. "We sell it only once. That’s why it costs this much."
It came out to about one thousand top-grade spirit stones—an outrageous price. Li Lanxiu inclined his chin slightly. "Is it worth it?"
To make him remove his mask, they were willing to forgo such a massive profit. Was it really worth it?
The steward gave a sorrowful smile. He studied Li Lanxiu’s features, his gaze searching. "Young Master Li may not know this, but our Sevenstar Tower’s beauty ranking is one of our biggest spirit stone earners."
“Don’t think those spirit stones come easily,” the steward said, rising to his feet. As he slowly circled Li Lanxiu, he sized him up and continued, “Our beauty ranking is updated once a year. The judges come from major sects and all corners of the cultivation world. The standards are extremely strict—considering not just appearance, but also bearing, speech, cultivation, and virtue…”
“The process is rigorous—preliminary selection, candidate listing, final evaluation—each step based on collective opinion and carefully vetted criteria before the rankings are finalized.”
“We have a dedicated division in our tower. Their daily task is gathering information on beauties—portrait scrolls, recording stones, cultivation records, notable deeds—all of it cross-verified through multiple channels to ensure accuracy.”
The more he spoke, the faster his words came. Standing before Li Lanxiu, eyes glowing with excitement, he declared, “Our rankings have never had an error. Every recognized beauty in the cultivation world is on our list. For years, we’ve earned wide acclaim. But—”
“Young Master Li! Do you know how many people have begun questioning the credibility of our list because of you? Do you realize how insulting that is to us?”
Li Lanxiu couldn’t help but chuckle softly, tilting his head to glance at him.
The steward coughed and gave an apologetic bow. “Forgive the offense. Our beauty list is one of the tower’s top priorities. If it were just Jiang Jiusi, it would’ve caused only some debate. But recently, our disciples collected footage from a recording stone…”
Li Lanxiu’s smile faded. He lifted a brow. “From when I was in the Cangming Realm?”
Aside from that one incident in the wedding robes, he couldn’t think of anything worth recording and selling to Sevenstar Tower.
The steward nodded, his gaze again sweeping over the mask. “You wore a veil in the footage. Some of our judges said you must be included on the list. Others said absolutely not. The dispute turned heated and shook the foundation of our ranking system. So we must ask you to remove the mask.”
Li Lanxiu no longer hesitated. He nodded calmly. “I’ll make this deal. But I’ll only remove the mask after the matter is done.”
“What matter, if I may ask?” The steward looked delighted, curious. “Is it to root out the Red Sect’s spies in Dreamsend City?”
A quiet laugh slipped from Li Lanxiu’s lips. If he told the steward his plan was to deal Red Sect a harsh blow—make them pay in blood—there was no way the steward would agree to this trade.
The Red Sect was all but untouchable in the Nine Provinces. With countless followers and hidden movements, they had run rampant for centuries without ever suffering a loss. Who would dare step on the Red Sect’s head and humiliate them?
Naturally, the steward couldn’t imagine Li Lanxiu had such ambition. He produced a finely carved jade slip, infused it with information, and placed it lightly on the table. Then, from his storage ring, he took several spirit stones and formed a simple contract array.
“Young Master Li, here is the contract jade slip. Please look it over. If there are no objections, we may begin the signing process.”
Li Lanxiu touched the jade slip with his finger and sent his spiritual sense into it, scanning through the contract’s contents. As the steward had said, he only needed to remove his mask after the matter was done.
He carelessly infused a thread of spiritual energy into the jade slip. The snowy-white jade glowed, and the spirit stones around it flickered and shifted.
The contract was sealed.
The steward, satisfied, put the jade slip away and sat down again. He spoke solemnly. “Young Master Li, according to our information, the Red Sect has four guardians—East, South, West and North. One is skilled in formations, one in music, another in the sword…”
“The four guardians appear only occasionally, so there are records of them. The North Dipper Guardian is called Canyue…”
Li Lanxiu listened carefully and committed the names to memory. Even after the steward finished recounting the four guardians, he still hadn’t mentioned the Red Sect’s sect master.
The steward met his narrowed eyes and spoke with concern. “As far as our tower knows, no one has ever seen the Red Sect’s master. No one knows what he looks like. He’s said to be around three or four hundred years old. Within the sect, they call him the Buddha Son. That’s all.”
“We deduced he doesn’t have long to live based on the Red Sect’s recent actions.”
Li Lanxiu turned his head and silently stared at him.
The steward, unnerved under his gaze, hurried to offer up the latest exclusive intel. “This should interest you, Young Master Li. We suspect there are Red Sect spies in Dreamsaint City’s White Pagoda Temple.”
“Explain clearly.” Li Lanxiu lifted his chin.
The steward explained carefully. “The four missing people in Dreamsaint City had only one thing in common. All of them had visited White Pagoda Temple within the last six months. So we suspect there’s a Red Sect informant within the temple.”
Li Lanxiu grudgingly nodded and asked coolly, “Anything else?”
The steward gave a helpless laugh and spread his hands. “That’s all.”
Li Lanxiu hadn’t gotten the information he wanted most. The only useful lead was the one about White Pagoda Temple. He rose and left the Sevenstar Tower’s courtyard, turning over in his mind whether he ought to pay the temple a visit.
The City Lord’s manor was lush with grass and trees, the canopy thick overhead. Birds chirped endlessly in the branches. As Li Lanxiu returned to the manor, a lark dropped from the treetop above.
It was a small cloud lark common in Conundrum Sect, snow-white with a tuft of pale blue feathers on its chest. With a soft thud, it landed precisely beside his boot, eyes closed and completely still.
He gave it a glance, stepped over it and kept walking. But before he could get far, the cloud lark gave a weak, threadlike chirp behind him. “Chee-chee… chee-chee-chee…”
It sounded pitiful, like it was calling for help.
Chu Yue had been waiting in the pavilion for his return. Sensing his presence, he flashed into view in front of him. “You’re back, Young Master.”
Li Lanxiu gave a quiet “Yes” and patted his shoulder in passing. As he walked, he said, “Come with me to White Pagoda Temple tomorrow.”
“All right.” Chu Yue glanced at the cloud lark groaning on the ground, then turned and asked, “Shall we bring Ming Changsheng?”
Without hesitation Li Lanxiu said, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. You’ll both come with me.”
Ming Changsheng, with his dual yin-yang nature, was highly sensitive to spirits. If there was anything unclean in White Pagoda Temple, he might be able to detect it.
Chu Yue took out a handkerchief, bent down and picked up the dying cloud lark. In a few quick steps, he leapt in front of Li Lanxiu, turned and faced him, walking backward with casual flair. “I was just about to suggest so myself. Ming-ge’s background is pitiful. It’s only after meeting you that he’s had someone to rely on. You should look after him more.”
Li Lanxiu gave him a once-over and chuckled. “Oh? You’ve come around?”
Chu Yue paused for a step, then smiled with clear, untroubled eyes. “I have. I’ll help you look after Ming-ge.”
Li Lanxiu gave no comment either way. As long as his people didn’t fight, he didn’t care how they got along. He glanced at the handkerchief in Chu Yue’s hand.
Chu Yue unfolded the handkerchief to reveal the little cloud lark in his palm. He spoke softly. “It looked pitiful, so I picked it up.” The lark opened its eyes, cast a dark glance at Li Lanxiu, then slowly closed them again and lay motionless in Chu Yue’s hand.
That look struck Li Lanxiu as oddly familiar. He gave a slight nod, showing little interest.
“Don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll take good care of it.” Chu Yue cupped the bird gently, only to feel it struggle with surprising strength, as if it were firmly resisting his care.
After Li Lanxiu returned to his room, Chu Yue opened his palm outside the door. The previously dying cloud lark suddenly opened its eyes and pecked him without warning.
Chu Yue gave it a cold look and pointed at its beak. He asked in a low voice, “Are you trying to fight me for the young master’s favor too?”
Naturally, the lark didn’t answer. Its wings suddenly quivered and a freezing chill surged up, as if he were holding a block of solid ice.
Chu Yue frowned and released his grip. The lark eagerly shot from his palm, flying straight toward Li Lanxiu’s room.
He watched it go, then looked down at his unharmed hand. The chill just now felt like an illusion.
But it wasn’t an illusion.
That night, the City Lord’s manor lay under heavy darkness. Red lanterns hung beneath the eaves, casting their glow. All was silent.
Guards at the front of the manor gripped their longswords, scanning the surroundings warily. Since the Red Sect incident, Dreamsaint City had imposed a curfew. No citizens were allowed to walk outside at night.
Anyone caught outside would be killed on sight.
A figure in blue-green, like ink washed across silk, approached from the end of the street. The man, tall and straight, wore a green robe and a jet-black veiled hat. In the dead of night, he held a vivid red parasol and walked unhurriedly to the front gate.
The line of guards acted as if they hadn’t seen him.
Gu Zhengxing stepped onto the City Lord’s front steps, advancing one step at a time until he reached the door. Then he suddenly turned and asked, “Was a spirit-communing formation ever laid here?”
The guard stared at him blankly and answered sluggishly. “Yes, the city lord invited a xianzhang to set up a spirit-communing formation here.”
“A xianzhang?” Gu Zhengxing had been searching for a lost soul. The disturbance from the formation had caught his attention, so he’d come to investigate.
The guard, under his control, answered everything without reservation. “The xianzhang is a disciple of Conundrum Sect. His surname is Li. He’s the city lord’s honored guest.”
Gu Zhengxing did know someone surnamed Li from Conundrum Sect. He drew a blood-red coral bead from his robe and turned it slowly between his fingers. “Young Master Li?”
“That’s what everyone calls him.” The guard nodded and went on. “Young Master Li has a powerful background. He’s the son of the lord of Violetstage Peak in Conundrum Sect.”
So it was a different Young Master Li.
Not the one Gu Zhengxing wanted to see—but meeting this one tonight wasn’t bad either…
Gu Zhengxing pocketed the coral bead and spoke softly. “Would you be so kind as to lead the way? I’d like to meet him.”
The guard pushed open the gates of the City Lord’s manor and led him inside. The others acted like they didn’t see a thing. He asked, “It’s late and the dew is heavy. I’m afraid Young Master Li has already gone to bed. What do you want with him?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Gu Zhengxing snapped his fingers. A ghostly blue flame rose from his fingertips. He said coolly, “I’m here to send him on his way.”
Thanks U for the ch. :Q
ReplyDelete