Liu Haotian reacted quickly. His brows lifted sharply as he said, "Wei Daoyou, are you saying this was intentionally orchestrated by evil cultivators, to spread their techniques?"
Yun Xi nodded. "That's one of my guesses. Mortals cannot step onto the Dao, so their lifespans are limited. Their desires for power, for rising above their station, and for immortality, all of these can lure them into cultivating evil techniques.
As cultivators, we know that once someone starts practicing an evil cultivation method, they are forced to kill constantly. The souls of those who die unjustly fill the air with resentment.
When that resentment builds up enough, it becomes nourishment for the evil cultivator. Perhaps that is the very reason these techniques are being sown among mortals."
Yu Qingcheng narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. She had clearly underestimated the matter earlier.
Xia You pondered Yun Xi's words carefully, then spoke. "To test whether Yun Xi's theory is true, all we need to do is pay close attention while returning to the cultivation world. We're bound to uncover some clues."
Yu Qingcheng nodded. "Yes, and Little Sister Yun Xi's spiritual pet will be quite helpful."
Liu Haotian had yet to meet Dian Dian, so he looked over at Yun Xi with curiosity.
Without any fuss, Yun Xi reached into her robes and pulled out Dian Dian, allowing the three of them to meet the little creature properly.
"This is my spiritual beast, a Xunzong Mouse. Its name is Wei Diandian. You can just call it Dian Dian."
Dian Dian stood up on its hind legs, brought its front paws together in greeting, and its black bean-like eyes darted around the group. After a moment, it had memorized everyone's faces.
Yu Qingcheng chuckled. "Yun Xi, you're raising your spiritual beast more like a pet. Why don't you keep it in a beast pouch?"
Yun Xi patted Dian Dian's little head and said, "I never planned to use Dian Dian to boost my combat power. I raised it because it was cute. It keeps me entertained.
I never expected it to be so gifted at tracking. It was thanks to Dian Dian's sharp nose that we figured out the bandit leader was an evil cultivator."
Liu Haotian nodded in agreement. "This is Wei Daoyou's fortunate encounter. Dian Dian may not be strong, but it has its own strengths. That's a kind of support as well."
Yun Xi also nodded. Contracting with Dian Dian had been completely unintentional, a happy accident.
After Dian Dian greeted everyone, it nestled back into Yun Xi's robes. The four of them then began to discuss their next move.
Yu Qingcheng hadn't forgotten the matter with Boss Shen and was eager to settle accounts. Yun Xi smiled and said, "Boss Shen has fallen ill from fright. Try not to be too hard on him."
"If he weren't a mortal, I would've killed him already. He actually tried to sell off my Senior Brother Liu. He must have a death wish," Yu Qingcheng said, her willow-like brows arching in anger.
Yun Xi explained, "It was the county magistrate who wanted to buy you both. He was trying to prepare for the upcoming visit from the inspector, who is a court official from the capital and quite the lecher. He doesn't care about gender either. To keep his position, the magistrate was desperate."
"Bribing a superior. Looks like that magistrate isn't much better than the criminals," Yu Qingcheng said without much concern.
"This Magistrate Zhou is actually quite interesting," Yun Xi said thoughtfully. "You could say he's not a good official, but to eliminate the bandits, he planted a spy in their ranks. When we handed him the entire gang, he acted decisively, sentencing the guilty and confiscating their stolen goods. Everything went into the county treasury, and he didn't pocket a thing.
To deal with the inspector, he was even willing to pay out of his own pocket for a few beauties. That shows he can adapt when needed."
Yu Qingcheng also found him more interesting after hearing that. He seemed to be a flexible sort of official.
Liu Haotian picked up on something from Yun Xi's tone and asked, "Wei Daoyou, are you thinking of helping this Magistrate Zhou?"
Yun Xi's dimples appeared as she smiled. "Overall, Magistrate Zhou is a competent county official. He's able to maintain peace in his jurisdiction. And since we've already become involved in this matter, we might as well follow through. Besides, I'm quite curious about what kind of person this inspector is."
Yu Qingcheng caught the glint in Yun Xi's eye and smiled knowingly. "Very well. Since we'll be tracking down signs of evil cultivators along the way, spending another day or two here won't hurt. Let's go pay this Magistrate Zhou a visit."
All four of them were decisive by nature. With their decision made, they headed to the magistrate's residence that very night.
Yun Xi didn't want to trouble more people than necessary, so she had the undercover strategist act as their go-between.
Hao Chunde, the man playing the strategist, nearly screamed when the four of them suddenly appeared. He swallowed it down with effort and quickly led them to see Magistrate Zhou.
Magistrate Zhou had still been worrying about where to find beauties, when suddenly four stunning individuals appeared before him. He was momentarily dazed, only snapping out of it when Hao Chunde spoke up.
"My lord, these are the immortals I mentioned before, the ones who helped take down the bandits."
Magistrate Zhou stood up at once and bowed deeply. "Thank you all for your righteous intervention. Only thanks to you was Jinshan County able to rid itself of this malignant tumor. Please accept my gratitude."
After receiving his bow, the four of them took their seats.
Yun Xi went straight to the point and brought up the issue of the inspector. This left Magistrate Zhou feeling awkward.
"It's really not proper to trouble the immortals with such mundane matters…"
Liu Haotian spoke calmly. "No need to worry. We're already somewhat entangled in this affair. Consider this a way to resolve that karma. You just need to arrange our lodging. When the inspector arrives, introduce us to him. We will handle the rest."
"Yes. I will personally make the arrangements for your stay," Magistrate Zhou said quickly.
He went to find his wife and explained the situation briefly. Then he vacated the rear courtyard for the four cultivators.
It was Lady Yu's first time seeing immortals. She greeted them with respect and caution. Still, the four of them were so striking in appearance that she couldn't help but glance at them a few extra times.
After moving into the magistrate's residence, Yun Xi and the others went into seclusion to cultivate and did not leave the courtyard. Four days later, Hao Chunde arrived with a message. The inspector had arrived in Jinshan County.
Magistrate Zhou, accompanied by officials from his office, went out to greet the inspector and escorted Di Kangnian and his entourage to a three-courtyard estate arranged by one of the local wealthy families.
Di Kangnian made quite the show of himself. He didn't even meet with Magistrate Zhou that day. Instead, he arrived in a carriage and entered the estate with two concubines draped around him, never showing his face to the public.
Magistrate Zhou cursed inwardly but maintained a respectful attitude. Early the next morning, he personally sent four soft sedan chairs to Di Kangnian's residence.
Di Kangnian was enjoying breakfast with his concubines when his subordinates delivered the news. His interest was piqued. He waved away his sulking concubines, changed into a deep purple robe, and stepped out.
When he saw the four sedan chairs waiting in the courtyard, he nodded in satisfaction and gestured for his men to bring the guests out.
Yu Qingcheng was the first to step down. She wore a fiery red robe that only enhanced her already seductive beauty. The moment her phoenix eyes swept across the courtyard, everyone present was spellbound. Even Di Kangnian's breathing grew faster.
Yun Xi stepped out second, dressed in a soft pink robe that perfectly matched her delicate, charming face.
Xia You followed, dressed in icy blue, her cold and distant expression exuding a quiet allure.
Liu Haotian was the last to emerge. Standing nearly two meters tall, he wore a sky-blue robe that accentuated his elegant aura. His sword-like brows and peach blossom eyes made people lose themselves in fantasy. Di Kangnian's eyes were practically glowing with desire.