Boss Shen's words didn't earn a shred of belief from Liu Haotian. In the mortal realm, who could possibly repair a storage pouch from the cultivation world? But Yu Qingcheng still offered a grateful expression and said sincerely,
"Many thanks to Boss Shen for your generous care toward us siblings. There's no rush for the other pouch. Once it's repaired, just hand it back to us. Actually, I do know how to mend it a little, but my craftsmanship is lacking. I doubt my brother would accept it."
Boss Shen was clearly pleased by Yu Qingcheng gratitude. His wrinkled face bloomed like a chrysanthemum in full cheer. Confident they wouldn't cause any more trouble, he chuckled and said,
"Get yourselves ready. In three days, we'll be paying a visit to the county magistrate's residence."
"Yes."
This time, Yu Qingcheng agreed swiftly. She was eager to get him out the door so she could finally take her pills in peace.
Boss Shen, having achieved his goal, didn't linger. He turned and left at once. With two walking money trees now in his grasp, he needed to carefully plan how to maximize the profit.
Once he was gone, Yu Qingcheng didn't rush to open the storage pouch. She waited until the moon had climbed high overhead. Only then did she retrieve spirit stones, pills, and a concealment formation disk from her own storage pouch.
By the time she finished setting things up, sweat was already beading on her brow, and her face had gone pale. She had exhausted all the spiritual energy she'd accumulated over the past few days, leaving her meridians feeling hollow once again.
Liu Haotian moved quickly, supporting Yu Qingcheng into a seated posture on the meditation mat. He then sat across from her, activating the concealment array to completely hide their presence. Only after ensuring their safety did he take out a healing pill, pressing one into Yu Qingcheng's hand and swallowing one himself. Gripping spirit stones tightly, the two began repairing their damaged meridians.
It took five full days to finish the healing process. Meanwhile, Boss Shen had nearly exploded with frustration. The sudden disappearance of the two cultivators left him livid. He punished the servants guarding the door and even turned the entire loft upside down, but still found no trace of them. By then, he was certain—he had been played.
He suspected the problem lay with the pouch. Before he'd handed it over, the two had obediently remained within the loft, seemingly terrified of being discovered. Yet, just a day after receiving the pouch, they vanished. It was too much of a coincidence not to be suspicious.
The madam of Qixia Pavilion quietly offered her thoughts.
"Boss, do you think those two might be some kind of mountain spirits or demons? I mean, how else could anyone look so stunning? I've worked this trade for years, and I've never seen such ethereal beauty in all of Jinshan County."
Boss Shen was momentarily chilled by the idea, beginning to realize he may have misjudged things badly. Frowning, he muttered,
"Should we find someone skilled to take a look?"
"I heard the Guānzhǔ of Qianshan Temple is quite capable. Why not invite him over?"
The madam immediately suggested.
"Alright. I'll go make arrangements."
With that, he ordered his men to bring a lavish gift to Qianshan Temple and request the Guānzhǔ's presence. Privately, though, he didn't let up either. He sent more people to search for Yu Qingcheng and Liu Haotian in secret.
Soon after, rumors began to spread from Qixia Pavilion. Some said the boss had lost two beautiful women he'd just acquired and suspected they'd been abducted by monsters, which was why he invited the Guānzhǔ to help.
Others claimed Boss Shen was reaping karmic retribution for forcing good women into prostitution, that he'd killed someone and was now being haunted by vengeful ghosts, and that his two money trees were the first victims. Whispers of several different versions filled the streets.
But all the rumors agreed on one point: Qixia Pavilion had lost two peerless beauties.
When Yun Xi and Xia You arrived in Jinshan County, they heard exactly this sort of gossip.
Xia You's eyes gleamed as she said,
"Wei Dao... Yun Xi, could it be the two from Baihua Pavilion?"
Yun Xi nodded.
"Very likely. We'll visit Qixia Pavilion tonight and take a look. Maybe we'll find something."
"Alright."
Then she called out,
"Find us an inn close to Qixia Pavilion."
"Yes."
Their strategist answered crisply. Along the way, the bandits had behaved like meek little chicks, utterly obedient. They were now convinced the two women were celestial beings.
None of the bandits had seen them eat or drink once during the journey. In their minds, only immortals could live on wind and dew. The more they believed this, the more careful they became.
In reality, the two had simply been relying on fasting pills. Mundane food was too filled with impurities and unhelpful for cultivation. They could eat it, sure, but it would be a hassle to expel the toxins once back in the cultivation realm.
After the two women settled into the Jinshan Inn, the bandits didn't dare wander off. They huddled together in the lower-tier rooms, chewing on dry, hard biscuits.
Meanwhile, the Guānzhǔ of Qianshan Temple had been escorted down from the mountain. He declared that he wasn't here for the gold, but to help capture wicked demons.
Yet when he saw the pouch embroidered with orchid grass, his expression changed. It was unmistakably a cultivation-world item. He tried to open it, but failed. Rising to his feet, he said gravely,
"Boss Shen, I'm afraid I can't help with this matter. You're on your own."
Boss Shen's heart tightened with unease and he rushed to block the Guānzhǔ's way.
"Guānzhǔ, what do you mean by this? You're just going to walk away?"
The Guānzhǔ, clearly intent on washing his hands of the matter, responded sternly,
"Boss Shen, you've offended someone you should never have crossed. I'll have my disciple return the pouch to you, but don't bother looking for those two anymore. As long as you hold onto this, they'll come find you sooner or later."
With that, he swept aside the blocking attendants and departed Qixia Pavilion at top speed.
Now Boss Shen finally understood the severity of the situation.
Elsewhere, just as Liu Haotian was meditating to heal his injuries, his eyes suddenly snapped open. Someone had just tried to erase the spiritual imprint he'd left on the storage pouch. A glint of murderous intent flickered in his gaze. It had been a long time since someone dared to provoke him like this.
When the Guānzhǔ left, Boss Shen followed him out. There was a crowd of onlookers gathered nearby, and from a nearby inn just a street away, Yun Xi watched the entire scene unfold.
Xia You frowned.
"That pouch must belong to Liu Daoyou. How did it end up in a mortal's hands?"
"They must've been gravely wounded. Otherwise, no one could have taken it from them. Fortunately, the spiritual imprint is still intact. That Boss Shen should know where they are."
"Then let's ask him ourselves."
"Let's go."
The moment the words left her lips, both figures vanished from the room.
When Boss Shen returned, he found two unfamiliar women in the guest hall. One of them held the orchid-embroidered pouch in her hand. He gasped aloud.
"Who are you? Why have you barged into my residence?"
Xia You spoke lazily.
"Isn't this Qixia Pavilion? Since it's a business open to the public, how can you call it trespassing?"
Yun Xi got straight to the point.
"Have you seen the owner of this pouch?"
Boss Shen slowly backed away, trying to call for help.
Xia You flicked her sleeve, and with a bang, the door slammed shut. Her expression was growing impatient.
"Just answer what you're asked. Don't test our patience."
Terrified, Boss Shen dropped to his knees with a thud.
"Please, esteemed masters, don't be angry. I didn't harm them, truly. I treated them well, gave them food and shelter, and even helped conceal their identities. Who knew they'd vanish the moment they recovered from their injuries?"
"Where did they disappear?"
Yun Xi's voice was flat.
"In Yang Yu Pavilion."
"Take us there."
"Yes, right this way."
Boss Shen scrambled to his feet, gingerly opened the door, and practically crawled the whole way to Yang Yu Pavilion.
Yun Xi and Xia You followed without resistance, finally arriving at the secluded quarters where the two cultivators had once been kept.