Hua Lei quietly reminded Jian Dan and shot a look at Hua Man, who immediately understood and stepped back.
Jian Dan only swept her divine sense across the first candidate before dismissing him. Hua Lei also released his divine sense, glanced at the Qi Refinement loose cultivator in the outer hall, pulled out a jade slip, and made a mark.
"If we don't find Du Yanran's possessed body this time, then there's no need to keep chasing this matter."
Jian Dan chuckled as she spoke.
Hua Lei's heart skipped a beat. Was that dissatisfaction with the Hua family's ability?
Even Hua Man grew uneasy. Mo Yue Zūnshàng had only ever asked this one thing of the Hua family, and they still hadn't managed to succeed. Worse, it was only because of her reminder that they'd found a lead at all.
Noticing the two men's shifting expressions, Jian Dan lightly raised her fan and stopped them from speaking."I'm not displeased with the Hua family. The reward I offered already covered your century-long pursuit of Du Yanran. The fact that she used death escape to flee is also your credit. So, after this time, the Hua family will have fulfilled our agreement."
"Zūnshàng is generous, but the Hua family can't be so shameless. We'll definitely give you an answer. Besides, this is the task the Patriarch entrusted to me."
Hua Lei's words made it clear. He was just carrying out orders, not acting on his own.
"It's fine. I'll send a message to your Patriarch myself."
Jian Dan waved it off, unconcerned. Even if the Hua family stopped investigating, the Heavenly Sword Sect and Heavenly Demon Palace were still helping her. She'd sought out the Hua family mainly to sever Du Yanran's connections, making sure they didn't become her support.
Hua Lei and Hua Man exchanged a glance. Seeing Mo Yue Zūnshàng truly didn't care, they decided to leave further discussion for after they returned.
"How's the Hua Patriarch doing lately? He should've entered Void Refinement by now, right?"
Jian Dan idly played with her fan as she asked.
"Thank you for your concern, Zūnshàng. The Patriarch's cultivation has been rising quickly. He just broke through to Void Refinement not long ago."
"Oh? Then Hua Qian must've broken through as well."
"Yes, my aunt also broke through."
As the three chatted casually, five Qi Refinement disciples arrived one after another to pick up their orders. After leaving happily, each returned to their sect.
Once the last one left, Jian Dan rose to her feet. "None of these five. Let's move on."
"Yes!"
This time Hua Man led the way. They visited several second-rate sects over two and a half days, checking every sect where the thirteen suspects resided. But Du Yunfei was nowhere to be found.
Hua Man immediately ordered Liu Sheng to investigate. The news came back quickly: Du Yunfei had gone into the mountains with a team to harvest spirit herbs.
Hearing this, Jian Dan curved her lips into a smile. That made it even more certain. Du Yanran was still sharp, sensing danger and deliberately avoiding them.
And indeed, when Tu Ya had just drawn qi into her body, Du Yanran burst out of the Soul-Absorbing Stone and rushed straight into the girl's sea of consciousness.
Tu Ya's sea of consciousness had only just opened and was tiny. Du Yanran immediately spotted the peanut-sized Primordial Soul drifting inside, oblivious to her intrusion.
Her own Primordial Soul was as large as an egg. Seeing no defense, she lunged forward and devoured the soul in a few gulps. Satisfied, she digested the girl's memories and then fused herself into the body.
After stretching her limbs and cleaning away the filth from drawing in qi, she returned to the little hut assigned to her. She searched through Tu Ya's belongings, pocketed the Soul-Absorbing Stone hanging at her chest, then carefully sealed part of her Primordial Soul.
Her soul had reached Divine Transformation before separating, but Tu Ya had only just entered qi. After swallowing Tu Ya's soul, Du Yanran's power grew even stronger, and the fragile body couldn't handle it. Bones creaked under the pressure.
So she acted decisively, sealed away part of her Primordial Soul, and settled down in the Flowing Flame Sect to cultivate. Having lived three lives already, she adapted quickly and blended in. But three days ago, unease began gnawing at her.
The source was unclear, but it only grew worse with time, making it impossible to calm down and train.
Now at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, Du Yunfei trusted her instincts. She quickly pulled a few sectmates along, took a mission, and left for the Flowing Flame Mountains to gather spirit herbs, thinking she'd outsmarted Jian Dan.
But she didn't realize Jian Dan had left a blue mark of light on her Primordial Soul. No matter how much she sealed, Jian Dan could spot her at a glance.
"Hua Xiaoyou, plant the flower seal on this Du Yunfei."
"Yes, Zūnshàng!"
Hearing Mo Yue Zūnshàng's casual words, both Hua Lei and Hua Man instantly lit up. They'd found the right one.
At Hua Lei's signal, Hua Man headed into the Flowing Flame Mountains. He spotted Du Yunfei easily on the outskirts. Just as she looked around warily, he planted his unique willow-leaf mark into her hair.
The moment the flower seal settled, Du Yunfei's heart raced wildly. Thinking it was an ambush, she immediately hid and spread out her divine sense. Despite being only at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, her divine sense had already reached late Foundation Establishment.
That alone made Hua Man frown. A girl with divine sense far surpassing her cultivation, yet no trace of possession… The odds of possession had just risen by half.
Glancing at her tense figure below, Hua Man turned and disappeared back into the perimeter.
The instant he left, the suffocating sense of being watched also vanished. Du Yunfei exhaled in relief but still didn't let her guard down. Only after watching for a while longer did she return to her task.
"Zūnshàng, the flower seal's planted. Any further orders?"
"Our goal's accomplished. We return to the Heavenly Demon Palace."
Jian Dan tore the void open. This time, she let Hua Lei and Hua Man step in first while she followed behind.
Right before entering, her gaze flicked toward a certain spot above the Flowing Flame Mountains. She curved her lips in amusement before stepping through, closing the rift behind her.
Only after that did the Mahayana Zhēnzūn of the Flowing Flame Sect appear. He looked at the sky, now restored to normal, with a deep frown. Whoever that intruder was, she'd noticed him hiding. He'd seen it clearly in the way she looked right at his space before leaving.
Liu Hou Zhēnzūn brushed a hand over the crimson flame-patterns on his robe and swept his divine sense through the mountains. All he found were disciples and loose cultivators training. The beasts, sensing his Mahayana presence, had all obediently hidden.
Still frowning, he left once he was sure Jian Dan wouldn't return. Back at the sect, he ordered disciples to track that group's trail. But nothing turned up, and the matter fizzled out.
Meanwhile, Jian Dan brought the two Hua men back to Moyan Peak right on time, three days later.
Everything in the cave residence was just as before. Chunyu and Xia He greeted her cheerfully, welcomed their Zūnshàng home, and after taking care of the two guests, left them under the peach blossom tree.
"Zūnshàng, the flower seal's in place. This time she won't escape, unless her cultivation somehow surpasses Hua Man's."
Hua Lei's confidence rang in his voice.
"You saw it too. She's only at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, but her divine sense has already reached late Foundation Establishment."