After the new decree was implemented by Qionghua Hall, the allocated shares for certain cultivators were cut, and the distribution of extra cultivation resources was halted. As expected, many cultivators were displeased. These people had long benefited from exploiting connections, treating their extra shares as their rightful due. Now that things had changed, they began gathering to pressure Qionghua Hall to revert to the old system.
Although Wei Hongyun had anticipated resistance, he still found the cultivators surrounding Qionghua Hall a headache. They had disrupted daily operations for days. Most of the protestors were from the inner sect or from cultivation clans—people with backgrounds not unlike his own. So they stirred up trouble without hesitation, emboldened by their status and connections.
The elders refused to personally intervene in something as petty as resource disputes, and the City Lord's Lady—Madam Shui—couldn't easily ask high-ranking cultivators to suppress them. Among the younger generation, only a few stood by Qionghua Hall; most sided with the protestors.
Wei Hongyun saw that business registrations had dropped drastically, and the work backlog grew worse. If this continued, Kunwu City's already fragile finances would collapse by next month. Kunwu was a young city with little savings—what it earned, it spent.
He remembered his junior sister Tang Yue's promise: if he ever needed help, he could come to her. As the City Lord's legitimate daughter, her status surpassed most of the protestors. She'd also grown sharper in her actions lately. Maybe she really could help—or at the very least, she might get the City Lord involved.
Wei Hongyun naturally assumed that as her father, the City Lord would support his daughter. What he didn't know was that in Tang Wenhua's heart, the "real daughter" had always been someone else.
Tang Yue was cultivating in her courtyard when her transmission jade suddenly lit up. Seeing it was from Wei Hongyun, she immediately guessed it was about the protests.
She had overheard some servant disciples discussing it. Most of them found it amusing—after all, it wasn't them losing benefits, but those high-and-mighty cultivators now fighting over money.
After checking the message, she confirmed that Wei Hongyun hoped she could step in. Now at Qi Refinement Stage 3, Tang Yue's divine sense was steady enough to activate basic arrays. She made her way to Madam Shui's private vault.
Madam Shui had unlocked the first level of her personal treasure vault for Tang Yue to pick from freely. There were even some Heaven-grade artifacts, most of which required only spiritual stones—not cultivation—to activate, in case her daughter ever got attacked while Madam Shui wasn't around.
She wasn't worried about Tang Yue misusing them. Her daughter now practiced diligently, apprenticed herself to masters, and focused on cultivation far more than the spoiled heirs running around Kunwu City causing trouble.
The incident at the academy had been provoked first—it wasn't Tang Yue's fault. Better others get injured than her daughter.
Tang Yue browsed through various magical and spiritual tools but didn't find a suitable one—until a green jade array disk caught her eye in a corner storage cabinet. The disk glowed faintly and radiated a spiritual aura. It was inscribed with the rare Xuantian Crystal.
Probing the accompanying bamboo slip with her divine sense, she learned it was a powerful Heaven-grade array: the Eternal Descent Soul-Snaring Array—which could be powered by top-grade spirit crystals. Conveniently, several were stored beside it.
Tang Yue was speechless at Shui Yingrou's overprotective parenting—this kind of dangerous treasure just sitting there for her to use. Good thing her past self had been poor. Even after transmigrating into a rich girl's life, she had no urge to waste resources.
She reasoned that while the array consumed a lot, the resources saved by enforcing the new decree would outweigh the cost. Gritting her teeth, she took it with her to Qionghua Hall.
As expected, the place was packed. Inner disciples of noble families stood at the front, onlookers and ordinary folk surrounded them. Tang Yue squeezed her way through.
Stepping up beside the Qionghua Hall officials trying to maintain order, she shouted, "What are you all doing? Robbing Kunwu City's spiritual tax?"
The crowd was stunned by her words. Recognizing her as the City Lord's daughter and Madam Shui's child, some grew irritated but didn't dare act out.
A male disciple stepped forward. "Junior Sister Tang, you're young and don't understand. We're simply asking for fairness. We've contributed much to Kunwu City. Cutting our pay is unjust. We hope you'll tell your mother to cancel the decree and issue an apology today."
Tang Yue took a deep breath. Stay calm. Dealing with shameless people takes patience. "Oh? Then, Senior Brother, what exactly have you contributed to Kunwu City?"
The disciple looked offended. "We disciples of Zixiao Hall fight demons and protect the realm, killing countless beasts. How can you deny our contributions?"
Tang Yue smiled coldly. "And have you not received payment for each mission? If there was ever an issue with compensation, name the case, and we'll send the culprit to Taiping Hall for investigation."
The disciple faltered. He always received enhanced rewards and bonuses, far more than regular cultivators. What bothered him was losing these special benefits. "Zixiao disciples are not the same as ordinary ones. Why should our pay be equal?"
His words drew murmurs of discontent from the crowd. Though Zixiao's superiority was widely accepted, saying it aloud offended many.
Tang Yue's tone turned serious. "That's the real injustice. You're not stronger, your missions aren't harder—so why should you get more?"
The Zixiao disciple flushed. "You insult me!"
"I'm just speaking truthfully," Tang Yue said earnestly. "Hard words benefit the listener. Ignoring good advice hinders your cultivation."
Wei Hongyun hurried out of the hall to support her, worried she'd be bullied. She nodded at him—everything was under control.
Another chubby cultivator stepped in. "Junior Sister, you must know Zixiao's head and the City Lord are close. Their extra benefits are deserved."
Tang Yue's eyes gleamed. "Exactly! Because of that special bond, Zixiao disciples should stand with the City, not above it. Equality reflects justice—and with our financial crisis, Zixiao should lead by example. Otherwise, aren't you throwing your Sect Head under the bus?"
The troublemakers, unable to counter her logic, changed tactics. "If Qionghua Hall won't cancel the decree, we'll have to move our clans out of Kunwu City. The founding City Lord invited us here—this is how you treat us?"
They made it sound like Qionghua Hall was trying to wipe them out.
Wei Hongyun snapped, "Qionghua Hall has spoiled you for years, and now Kunwu's broke. We must tighten spending. If you can't support that, you're free to leave. Tell your elders."
This angered a few. "So you're turning your backs on the families who supported your master's marriage into Kunwu City? You want to drive out those who've rooted here for generations?"
Tang Yue's fury flared, but she first stopped Wei Hongyun from responding.
She stepped forward. "You all know Kunwu survives on my mother's dowry. Yet you refuse to cut your benefits. Are you determined to feed off a woman's private fortune?"
That stung many. The truth wasn't easy to hear.
But one green-robed cultivator countered, "Junior Sister, your mother is the City Lord's wife. It's her duty to support Kunwu. You should be helping her, not stopping us from receiving our due!"
Tang Yue laughed. "So you admit it—you're determined to rob a woman's personal property to feed yourselves?"
Chaos erupted. How could she speak so directly?
Tang Yue ignored the outrage. She stepped forward, pulled out the array disk, and activated it.
A misty gray fog rose from the ground, surrounding only the troublemakers—no more, no less.
She had practiced divine sense control through reading and writing with her Insight Mirror. Operating a semi-automated array like this was well within her ability.
The spectators quickly scattered, not wanting to get caught. Only a few strong cultivators lingered to observe.
The Qionghua Hall staff were stunned. Was the City Lord's daughter really helping… or causing more trouble?
Wei Hongyun rushed forward. "Junior Sister, what array is this? They won't be harmed, right?"
Tang Yue, finally at ease, answered, "Don't worry. This is the Eternal Descent Soul-Snaring Array."
Wei Hongyun's face paled. He recognized it. "They won't survive it!"
Tang Yue said nothing more. She sat down and entered meditation, eyes closed. Though it didn't harm the controller's soul, it required full concentration.
Wei Hongyun realized she had linked her soul to the array to manage it precisely. That was dangerous. One mistake, and she could be hurt—or worse.
He immediately sent a message to Madam Shui, panicking. He'd never imagined his little junior sister would go this far.
Tang Yue felt safe with Wei Hongyun watching over her. She poured most of her divine sense into the array, keeping only a sliver outside as a precaution.
Inside the illusion, her divine sense hovered high above. Dozens of cultivators were trapped inside floating silver mirrors, motionless.
She spotted the green-robed man and peeked into his illusion. He was now a servant in a mundane noble house, cleaning broken porcelain, his hand bleeding.
Then she checked the Zixiao disciple who'd argued with her. His illusion was more indulgent—drunk on a pleasure boat, surrounded by women. She exited the illusion before the scene got explicit.
This was the array's true purpose: stripping away cultivation and ego, making the trapped souls live out mundane lifetimes full of suffering and desire. It was created by celestial masters and modeled after heavenly tribulations. Compared to real reincarnation trials, the array was less harmful but still very intense.
If a cultivator got lost in desire or despair, unable to awaken, their soul would eventually dissolve, leaving only an empty shell.
These pampered heirs were unprepared for such torment. If their elders didn't come soon, their souls and future potential would suffer.
In short: Tang Yue had taken hundreds of noble scions hostage—with her own life as leverage. No wonder Wei Hongyun panicked. He had never expected his once-fragile junior sister to go this far.