Translator: CinderTL
Ye Bing glanced at Jiang Chao, who was tightly bound by the tentacles of Corpse Qi and writhing in agony. She raised her hand and tossed the jade slip in her hand toward Song Wen.
In her eyes, Song Wen, with only Early Stage Divine Transformation cultivation, posed no threat to her.
Song Wen caught the jade slip and, after a brief examination, found the information inside to be remarkably comprehensive. Ye Bing's earlier claim of "detailed and exhaustive information" was no exaggeration.
With the information in hand, Song Wen unhesitatingly threw Jiang Chao's divine soul and the Soul Bottle toward Ye Bing.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, this Soul Bottle conceals the fluctuations of a divine soul's soul power. Jiang Chao's divine soul has been imprisoned within for thirteen years, and even the Jiang Family has been unable to track it down. I believe it should be useful to you, so I'll give it to you as well." Considering her opponent's strength, Song Wen deliberately made a show of goodwill.
Ye Bing activated the Soul Bottle's Restriction, drawing Jiang Chao's divine soul back inside.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. Also, the reason you inquired about Jiang Yushan's information has nothing to do with me, and his fate is of no concern to me. However, I ask that you keep my role in gathering this information confidential. I don't want to be drawn into the feud between you and the Jiang Family."
Song Wen replied, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Ye. I have an even greater interest in keeping this matter secret than you do."
Song Wen didn't show any doubt about Ye Bing's words.
She nodded, her figure suddenly blurred, and she swiftly vanished into the distance.
Song Wen watched her go until she was completely out of sight before turning away.
With a flash, Song Wen appeared on a bustling, prosperous street. Looking at the mortals hurrying past, a sense of detachment washed over him.
In that moment, he finally understood why cultivators, especially High-tier Cultivators or scions of cultivation clans, often looked down on mortal lives.
Having spent long periods or even their entire lives without interacting with mortals, they inevitably developed a sense of superiority or innate nobility.
Suddenly, a grimy little hand reached out before Song Wen.
"Young master, please have mercy and give me something to eat," a skinny beggar boy pleaded, his eyes filled with desperation.
His hand was held high, right in front of Song Wen's face, blocking most of his vision.
But as he spoke, his other hand stealthily reached for the cloth pouch hanging from Song Wen's waist.
It was a Spirit Beast Pouch.
Song Wen's face darkened, and he vanished in an instant.
The beggar boy was so terrified he collapsed on the spot, screaming in terror.
"Ghost... a ghost!"
A thousand miles outside Hundred Abundance City, in a damp mountain cave, Song Wen didn't rush to leave.
The puppet he had just traded with Ye Bing was merely a cosmic transformation body puppet.
Instead of directly meeting Song Wen, the puppet employed the same trick as before: Song Wen remotely absorbed it into a Storage Ring, which the Shadow King Gu then carried westward.
The Shadow King Gu twisted and turned, burrowing through mountains and diving into rivers, flying tens of thousands of miles before finally reuniting with Song Wen atop a mountain peak.
Song Wen retrieved the Storage Ring and recalled the Shadow King Gu, then headed toward Shangchu City.
Back at his rented Cultivation Cave, Song Wen took out the jade slip Ye Bing had given him and examined it closely.
The jade slip contained an extremely detailed record of Jiang Yushan's past. Song Wen even suspected that the information wasn't solely collected by Ye Bing but likely came from the Ye Family's intelligence network. Otherwise, it wouldn't include details from Jiang Yushan's childhood.
After reading the entire jade slip, Song Wen's assessment of Jiang Yushan was:
Ruthless and cruel, with a volatile temper, he treated human lives as worthless, often torturing and killing rogue cultivators for no reason.
Moreover, Jiang Yushan was vain, loved to show off, and enjoyed hearing flattering words.
Most importantly, Jiang Yushan was obsessed with women. Most of his misdeeds stemmed from his lust.
Despite his many vices, Jiang Yushan wasn't entirely without merit.
He was naturally intelligent and possessed excellent cultivation talent. He was also cautious, never recklessly putting himself in danger or venturing into unfamiliar, perilous territories. Furthermore, whenever he left the Jiang Family's territory, he always traveled with bodyguards, even during intimate moments.
The jade slip also detailed potential life-saving measures Jiang Yushan might possess.
He owned a Supreme-Grade defensive magical artifact called the Nine Imperial Bell, capable of withstanding attacks from Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.
The Jiang Family had a life-substitution art, and Ye Bing suspected Jiang Yushan had also cultivated this secret art, likely possessing at least one or two Substitute Puppets for protection.
Jiang Yushan's two bodyguards carried Thick Earth Talismans from the Chi Family. These fifth-tier Talismans were powerful enough to withstand a full-force strike from a low-grade spirit treasure. In times of crisis, they could use these Talismans to protect Jiang Yushan.
Elegant Music Pavilion.
The most renowned brothel in Shangchu City.
A man radiating an aura of sinister energy, his face deathly pale, stepped through the pavilion's grand entrance.
Inside the main hall, every seat was filled. Guests chatted boisterously or whispered intimately with the beauties in their arms.
On the stage, the music thundered, a symphony of silk and bamboo, zithers, and lutes. A troupe of dancers moved with ethereal grace, their ribbons swirling like colorful clouds.
Every person in the Elegant Music Pavilion, male or female, wore expressions of blissful intoxication.
It was a scene of earthly paradise, where one could forget all worries and sorrows simply by entering.
"Young Master, is this your first time at the Elegant Music Pavilion?" a madam with sharp, discerning eyes greeted the sinister-looking man.
Though only at the Golden Core Stage, the madam showed no sign of nervousness in front of Song Wen, who had revealed his Early Stage Nascent Soul cultivation. This suggested that Nascent Soul cultivators and even those of higher cultivation levels frequented the establishment.
The sinister man was, of course, Song Wen in disguise. He glanced at the madam, nodded indifferently without answering, and continued forward.
"Young Master, are you here for music and dance tonight, or would you prefer a lady's company?" the madam asked with a fawning smile.
"Both, naturally," Song Wen replied, gesturing toward the multi-tiered pavilion above the main hall. "Do you have private rooms upstairs with a view of the hall?"
The madam nodded eagerly. "Of course. However, the private rooms upstairs are the ladies' personal boudoirs. Which lady's chamber would you like to visit? Since this is your first time here, and you don't know any of our girls, perhaps I could recommend one for you?"
"I've heard the Elegant Music Pavilion has three beauties: Xia Qing, Qiu Yue, and Dong Xue. Bring all three of them to me," Song Wen said, a hint of arrogance and recklessness flashing across his pale face.
The madam hesitated. "Young Master, both Xia Qing and Qiu Yue are currently occupied with patrons."
"Then take me to Dong Xue's room," Song Wen said.
The madam's smile returned instantly. She gestured toward the staircase on the side of the hall.
"Young Master, this way, please. I'll lead you to Dong Xue's room."
With that, the two ascended to the third floor and entered an elegant private room.
The room was quite spacious, divided into inner and outer chambers. The outer chamber resembled a living room, furnished with exquisite taste. The inner chamber was a young woman's boudoir, separated from the outer chamber by a hanging curtain.
On one side of the outer chamber stood a low couch with a low table. Seated on the couch, one could look through the window and have a clear view of the grand hall below.
The madam raised her voice and called out to the inner chamber, where the curtain was slightly ajar.
"Miss Dong Xue, we have a distinguished guest!"
"Aunt Qing, please wait a moment. Xue'er will just apply a touch of makeup and be right out," a soft, feminine voice replied from within.
"Then hurry, dear. Don't keep our guest waiting," the madam called back.
Next, she guided Song Wen to sit on the low couch, poured him a drink, and asked, "May I inquire your name, Young Master?"
Song Wen drained his cup in one gulp.
"Yang Yu."
(End of the Chapter)
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