In that brief moment, Jian Dan noticed a flicker of doubt in the man's gaze. She immediately lowered her head and offered a respectful bow without saying a word.
But her appearance did not go unnoticed. Both Nine-Tails and Bai Jue turned their attention to her. What drew their gaze was the faint residual aura on Jian Dan's body—something that once belonged to Yingge.
A glimmer of light sparked in Nine-Tails' alluring violet fox eyes. It had been far too long since she encountered a cultivator with such a distinct power. Her tone shifted at once.
"Of course," she said with a charming smile, "when someone catches my eye, I might just invite them to take a stroll through the beast clan's lands."
As she spoke, she gestured elegantly in Jian Dan's direction, encompassing her, Mo Qi, Mo Su, and Mo Yi in one sweeping motion. A stream of beast energy surged forth, pulling the four of them toward her with little resistance.
Of the four, only Jian Dan had an idea why. The others were startled but maintained their composure. All of them were seasoned enough to keep calm under pressure, especially now, with so many eyes watching. After all, Mo Zhang Zhūnzhe—who stood at the head of the group—made no move to stop it.
He understood exactly what this Nine-Tails wanted. Her curiosity was likely directed at Jian Dan. During her battle with Hua Chunshan, she had unleashed phoenix fire. That alone would draw interest from someone like Senior Nine-Tails.
"Mo Qi, Mo Su, Mo Yi, and Mo Yue—paying respects to Senior Nine-Tails," the four said in unison, bowing deeply.
"Well behaved," Nine-Tails purred. "I'm in a good mood today. Let Bai Jue take you through the beast clan's territory. I'll allow you to exchange for a few cultivation resources while you're here."
"Many thanks for Senior's generosity."
Their voices rang out clean and respectful as they stood again. They gave Mo Zhang Zhūnzhe a quick glance. Mo Zhang responded with a subtle eye gesture toward Mo Qi, who nodded slightly in understanding. Then, following Nine-Tails' swaying figure, the four stepped into a shimmering barrier and vanished from the crowd's view.
"Zhūnzhe, they will be alright, won't they?" Tang Jian asked, genuine concern showing in his voice for once.
"They will. As long as they stay cautious, nothing will happen."
Tang Jian finally relaxed. If those four didn't return, their mission would have to be reassigned—and he knew there was a high chance the replacement would be him. That was the true source of his concern.
Mo Zhang Zhūnzhe saw right through Tang Jian's little scheme and said nothing more. He waved everyone off to rest and returned to his cabin.
In his hand was a jade slip sent by Mo Su, containing messages for him and the sect. This Mo Yue was proving to be quite capable. Somehow, they had managed to capture a surviving insect scout and turn it into an informant. In the entire cultivation world, that was unheard of.
It was a one-in-a-million occurrence.
This particular black-armored beetle could not survive long without a host, yet, against all odds, it had fused with its host's soul. This was the first one discovered in the last fifty years.
Normally, black-armored beetles would parasitize a cultivator's spiritual sea, allowing the host to retain their memories while slowly losing their will. The beetles would use them to complete their missions.
Once the host died, the beetle would absorb the final trace of essence from their body and flee quickly to find a new target.
After years of targeted extermination efforts, the parasite variant of the beetles had all but vanished from the cultivation world, thanks to the cooperation of all major factions.
Yu Yan Zhēnzūn of the Beast Taming Sect had personally captured a live specimen for research. His findings were even more detailed. According to him, the beetle grew by absorbing energy from its host. To reach the massive and combat-ready form seen in the Chilang Secret Realm, it would need the strength of at least ten Nascent Soul cultivators.
That was his estimation, at least. No one could know for sure until another encounter occurred. Regardless, both Dao, demon, and beast cultivators had agreed to a full extermination campaign. The threat had to be stopped before it spread again.
The beetle that Mo Yue and the others caught had apparently escaped from the bottom of the Demon Abyss. Its presence was revealed only due to a faint trace of aura from the pair it had tried to impersonate. Some would call it fate, others divine intervention. Either way, after questioning it, the information the group uncovered closely matched what many senior cultivators had speculated—possibly even exceeding it.
Palace Master Mo Lie sent a sword letter as well. This mission would likely prove far more difficult than expected. Reinforcements were already being arranged and would arrive soon. Palace Master Mo Lie also planned to notify the other demon sects, urging them to prepare thoroughly.
For now, the operation would proceed according to plan, with adjustments made to the details as needed. While they waited, Mo Zhang focused on refining his own attack strategy.
Beast Clan Territory
Nine-Tails paraded the group boldly through her clan's lands. Wherever she went, beasts cleared the way. Eventually, even she noticed the silent treatment and, with a grumble of annoyance, handed the group over to Bai Jue before wandering off to play with a newborn pup from the Howling Moon Wolf Tribe.
Bai Jue was long used to being left to clean up after her and said nothing. He led the four cultivators to the trading market known as Si. The moment they entered, the bustling atmosphere came to a sudden pause. Once the crowd recognized Bai Jue Zhūnzhǔ, everything quickly resumed.
Si was nestled between mountains and rivers in the beast clan's forest lands. The marketplace sprawled over uneven terrain, and various animal pelts were spread out like rugs. On them, all manner of goods were displayed—spiritual plants, rare ores, beast furs, and peculiar oddities of every kind.
Following Bai Jue, Jian Dan and the others strolled through the stalls, examining the merchandise with curiosity. When they spotted something useful, they would ask about the price and make trades as they pleased.
Jian Dan was in the middle of haggling over a stalk of Crimson Flame Grass when something soft tugged at her robe. With a sudden whoosh, the small, fluffy creature darted beneath her skirt and clung motionlessly to her boot.
Mo Qi chuckled and covered her mouth.
"Junior Sister, your charm really works everywhere, doesn't it?"
Before Jian Dan could reply, a group of fierce-looking beast cultivators stormed into Si, knocking over several low-level beasts' stalls as they searched for something.
Spotting Jian Dan's group, they charged over and surrounded them.
"You there! What are you doing in the beast clan's territory? Did you see our young master?"
The beast cultivator who spoke still had a pair of snow-white pointed ears, his expression intense.
Jian Dan and the others were just about to respond when Bai Jue Zhūnzhǔ stepped forward.
"I was ordered by the Nine-Tails Beast King to bring these people here to exchange resources. As for your young master, I will return him later. Go inform your clan elder that Bai Jue has said so."
The moment they recognized him, the beast cultivators changed their attitude completely. They clenched their right fists over their chests and bowed deeply before departing without another word.
"Let's continue," Bai Jue said with a casual wave. "Mo Yue, you'll be responsible for the young master for now."
Jian Dan sighed internally. She hadn't expected any of this, but since Bai Jue had spoken, she could hardly object. With a blank expression, she resumed shopping.
Further ahead, something caught her eye—a length of ancient ice silkworm thread laid neatly in an ice box. The vendor was a seductive spider-woman, who stepped forward with an eager smile when she noticed Jian Dan's interest.
"Honored guest, something catch your eye? Don't worry, everything here is of the highest quality. As long as your price is fair, I'm happy to trade."
Jian Dan reached out for the thread, but at that same moment, another delicate hand extended toward the very same box.