Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes, savoring the delicacies on the table, while Cui Sheng sat beside him, his face pale and miserable.
In truth, Cui Sheng had done nothing wrong. It was Xu Sanyan who had coveted the Cui Family's precious medicine and Mystical Arts. It was Xu Sanyan who had forced the issue first. If one were to tally the wrongs, Xu Sanyan was the true villain.
But the world was this way: the strong preyed on the weak. The Cui Family, being weaker than Xu Sanyan, could only be at his mercy.
Cui Sheng's desire for revenge was not wrong, but he had chosen the wrong method. He should not have placed his hopes in others; relying on others was never reliable.
Xu Sanyan set down his chopsticks, rose, and patted Cui Sheng on the shoulder. "Don't be so naive in your next life."
Cui Sheng immediately coughed up blood. His internal organs were shattered by the surging Spiritual Power. His eyes gradually lost their color, yet remained wide open, unclosed in death.
Xu Sanyan gently closed his eyelids. "When you see Old Master Cui, give him my regards..."
Cui Sheng remained silent, lying still on the table.
At that moment, the restaurant was bustling with noise and activity. No one noticed the two men.
Xu Sanyan placed a silver ingot on the table and walked out, the Blood Demon following close behind. The two figures soon vanished around the corner.
It wasn't until evening, when the restaurant had quieted down, that the waiter noticed something amiss. Checking Cui Sheng's breath, he found that he had been dead for some time...
Xu Sanyan hurried through the night, heading towards the Vast Origin Sect.
The incident with Cui Sheng was just a minor distraction, and Xu Sanyan hadn't given it much thought.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the land. The city gradually faded behind him until it vanished completely, leaving him alone in the vast, desolate expanse.
As the night deepened, a clear tinkling of bells suddenly broke the silence ahead. Xu Sanyan stopped, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. The sound felt familiar.
A playful figure emerged from the darkness, waving excitedly at Xu Sanyan. "Hi! What a coincidence! We meet again!"
It was Qin Manyang.
Xu Sanyan's eyes flickered. This woman was truly strange. His gaze then fixed on her clothes, and he mused silently, "This outfit... it looks so familiar."
It looked remarkably like the one she had given him before, which he had tied around his waist but later discarded out of concern. How could it be on her now?
Qin Manyang blushed and sniffed her sleeve shyly. "Why would you throw away such a nice outfit? Luckily, I found it, so I'm wearing it now."
She's quite the practical homemaker.
Xu Sanyan forced a smile. "So... you've been following me all this time?"
"Of course not!" Qin Manyang shook her head, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her wrinkled clothes.
"Didn't you say you were going to Desolate Sheep Mountain to seek a legacy?" Xu Sanyan asked.
"I haven't found it yet. Desolate Sheep Mountain is so vast, how long will it take me to search alone? How about...?"
Qin Manyang's round eyes curved into crescent moons, a hint of lewdness peeking through her cuteness. "Will you come with me?"
Xu Sanyan curled his lip. This woman was so mysterious, he didn't want to get involved with her. But she seemed to have taken a liking to him and kept pestering him.
Xu Sanyan didn't believe their meeting was coincidental.
"I have other matters to attend to. I'm afraid I can't accompany you," he said, cupping his hands in a gesture of farewell and walking past her.
Qin Manyang raised an eyebrow, glancing in his direction. "Are you going to the Vast Origin Sect?"
"How did you know?" Xu Sanyan stopped.
"Hmph, of course I know. Do you know who the Sect Leader of the Vast Origin Sect is?" Qin Manyang said smugly.
"Oh?"
Xu Sanyan turned. Could this woman have some connection to the Sect Leader of the Vast Origin Sect?
Was this really such a coincidence?
Qin Manyang flashed a bright smile. "The Sect Leader of the Vast Origin Sect is Daoist Guang Yang, a Soul Refining Realm cultivator!"
"So?" Xu Sanyan asked.
"So what?" Qin Manyang looked puzzled.
"What's your relationship with the Sect Leader of the Vast Origin Sect?"
"Huh? When did I say I had a relationship with him?" Qin Manyang asked, looking genuinely confused.
Xu Sanyan stared at her, "...?"
Thinking back, she never actually said she knew him!
Then why was she acting so arrogant?
What a lunatic!
"What do you want?" Xu Sanyan said, too lazy to continue arguing. If she weren't worried about losing, she would have already attacked.
Qin Manyang stuck out her tongue and playfully licked her red lips, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Um, that hairpin you got from the old nun... are you selling it?"
Xu Sanyan sneered inwardly. As expected, there was something up.
"What's your offer?" Xu Sanyan asked, though she had no intention of selling.
Qin Manyang held up three fingers. "Thirty Spirit Stones?"
Xu Sanyan turned and walked away. Qin Manyang quickly chased after her. "Forty! Forty!"
"Not selling."
"That thing is useless in your hands. Give it to me, please! I have a use for it."
"What use?"
"Um..." Qin Manyang hesitated.
Xu Sanyan pretended to leave. Qin Manyang, unable to hold back any longer, blurted out, "That hairpin is probably... maybe... possibly a key."
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow and repeated, "A key? A key to what?"
Qin Manyang's eyes darted around, a hint of foolish cunning in her otherwise adorable expression. "If you agree to sell it to me, I'll tell you."
"Suit yourself," Xu Sanyan said dismissively, turning away and continuing her journey.
Qin Manyang hurried to catch up. "Can't we talk this through properly? Or how about you name your price?"
"Ten thousand Spirit Stones," Xu Sanyan said without turning around.
"Are you trying to rob me?" Qin Manyang gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"Even if I told you, you couldn't afford it. Stop pestering me. You'd be better off spending your time exploring Desolate Sheep Mountain. You might stumble upon some inheritance."
Qin Manyang pouted, her expression conflicted.
The two walked in tandem until dawn. Xu Sanyan turned to her. "Why are you following me?"
"I want the hairpin," Qin Manyang declared loudly.
"No."
"Hmph."
"Unless you tell me why you want it, I might consider letting you have it."
"Really?" Qin Manyang asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes."
Qin Manyang thought for a moment before speaking. "The hairpin might be a key to a certain place. According to ancient texts, the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect, besides their expertise in necromancy, was also particularly skilled in soul refinement techniques."
Qin Manyang glanced left and right conspiratorially, then lowered her voice. "Legend has it that the Demonic Sect once slaughtered an entire nation and used a secret method to create a miniature world. Flesh bodies can't enter; only souls can. It's said to be a treasure trove for cultivators to refine their souls."
"Soul refinement?" Xu Sanyan instinctively licked his lips, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
Qin Manyang nodded. "I don't know the specifics of how it works, but the ancient texts should be accurate. And that old nun might have found the entrance."
"How does one's soul leave the body?" Xu Sanyan asked.
With his current cultivation, nearing Peak Stage, he couldn't achieve astral projection.
Qin Manyang shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe once we find the entrance, we'll figure it out."
"Where did you get this ancient text?" Xu Sanyan asked, looking at her.
"From home."
Xu Sanyan's eyes flickered, his thoughts churning.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (HB) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c156. [+2]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3.6K+) Chapters, (5.1M+) Words.