"This corpse-nurturing ground wasn't naturally formed. It was built deliberately. Although Yun Xi's tribulation lightning destroyed it and wiped out nine still-forming corpses, I fear that once we leave, those evil cultivators will return and continue using it."
Liu Haotian finally voiced his deepest concern.
Yu Qingcheng followed up without missing a beat.
"From the current signs, it's clear the evil cultivators have already extended their hands into the mortal world. If we hadn't stumbled across this place by sheer coincidence, I suspect that in fifty years, those corpses would have fully formed. By then, it would take Golden Core level cultivators just to eliminate them."
Xia You also spoke up.
"I think this was no accident. Heaven must have guided us here. So our next step should be to gather more evidence of evil cultivators appearing in the mortal realm. That way, when we return to the cultivation world, we can report it to our sects and clans. Make them take it seriously."
Yun Xi nodded in agreement.
"Xia Daoyou is right. Words alone won't be enough. Only hard evidence will prove we're not just spreading fear for no reason."
Xia You chuckled, then pulled out three blue crystals about half the size of a palm from his storage pouch and handed one to each of them.
Yu Qingcheng's eyes lit up.
"Are these Memory Jades?"
Xia You nodded.
"Yes. These were crafted by my Xia family. They should come in handy."
This was Yun Xi's first time encountering the Memory Jade, which functioned much like a video recorder in her old world—only far more refined.
The three of them tinkered with the items for a while before fastening them to their waists. The Memory Jade could be activated with spiritual sense and would silently record whatever its user intended to capture.
Liu Haotian then made a decision. He would take some time to set up a Blazing Sun Scorching Array within the corpse-nurturing ground, drawing on the power of the sun to completely obliterate the place.
Yun Xi and the others fully agreed. Since they had already disrupted it, they might as well finish the job. No loose ends.
Following Liu Haotian's directions, the four took their positions at the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise points of the array. As one, they formed hand seals and drew the scorching noonday sunlight into the formation.
To ensure the array would remain effective long after they were gone, they buried mid-grade spirit stones at key points to keep it running. It would last at least fifty years without issue.
Once everything was complete, they finally remembered Di Kangnian—the lecher.
But by the time they returned, Di Kangnian and his group had vanished without a trace.
Xia You examined the area and said,
"Looks like they woke up and left on their own. There are messy footprints and carriage tracks all over the place."
Yu Qingcheng scoffed.
"Must have been struck awake by the tribulation lightning. Shame the lightning didn't just fry that pervert on the spot. Would've saved us the trouble."
"What goes around comes around. His time just hasn't come yet."
"So… are we going back to Jinshan County?"
"Let's return and check if that pervert has caused trouble for the county magistrate. Don't forget, we were offered up by the magistrate himself."
"Fine, fine. Mortals really are a hassle."
Yu Qingcheng muttered, and the four vanished from the spot.
Jinshan County Yamen
Ever since County Magistrate Zhou learned that Imperial Censor Di had left with four beautiful immortals, he had been unable to sit still. On one hand, he hoped the immortals would deal with the troublesome Di Kangnian. On the other, he feared the man might come back to settle scores.
So he sent people out constantly to gather information.
Around mid-morning, between 9 and 11, dark clouds blanketed the sky over the mountain forest outside Jinshan County. Thunder and lightning crashed down, roaring for almost a full quarter of an hour. The disturbance was so intense that it startled the entire county. People whispered to one another, saying it must be Heaven's wrath.
Magistrate Zhou tugged out another strand of beard in his nervousness. The storm had occurred in the exact direction Di Kangnian had gone. The moment the skies cleared, he sent his men to investigate. All he could do was sit and wait, heart pounding.
By early afternoon, between 1 and 3, he still hadn't heard back from his scouts.
Instead, Di Kangnian and his group returned—panicked and disheveled.
Di Kangnian went straight to his quarters and began packing. By late afternoon, between 3 and 5, he had left Jinshan County entirely. He didn't even bother sending a message to the magistrate. He just vanished, clearly in a hurry.
According to the men who had chased after him, even the guards traveling with Di Kangnian had been terrified. They'd fled faster than their master, as if something unspeakable was chasing them.
Magistrate Zhou stroked his beard and asked,
"Did you see anything terrifying?"
His subordinate hesitated.
"Not really… I think they were probably scared off by a beast in the forest."
Magistrate Zhou didn't quite buy that. Di Kangnian wasn't that cowardly. But his scouts had found nothing, so he simply waved the man away.
Just as Magistrate Zhou was struggling to make sense of it all, Yun Xi and her companions suddenly appeared before him.
He immediately stood up and bowed.
"Esteemed immortals, greetings. Di Kangnian has already left Jinshan County."
Yun Xi's group had noticed Di Kangnian's departure as they arrived. All they could say was, those who've done too many wicked deeds are never truly brave.
"We know. Since the trouble has been dealt with, we'll be on our way. Magistrate Zhou, we hope you'll strive to be a proper father to your people."
"Yes, I will keep the immortal's teachings close to heart."
Magistrate Zhou bowed deeply once again. By the time he raised his head, the four were gone.
As they left Jinshan County, Yu Qingcheng disappeared for a short while before catching up with the others.
Yun Xi smiled and asked,
"Big Sister Yu, where did you go?"
"Settled an old score. I feel much better now."
Yun Xi and Xia You exchanged a glance, instantly guessing that the unlucky one was most likely Boss Shen from Qixia Pavilion. After all, even Liu Haotian hadn't stopped her, which meant both of them must have suffered some sort of grievance at that place.
Their guess wasn't wrong.
Over the following year, Boss Shen was tormented by relentless nightmares. Worse, he lost the most basic function of a man. With no energy left to run Qixia Pavilion, he eventually sold it off and retired to his hometown to recover.
As for Di Kangnian and his lot, their fate was even worse.
On the road back to the capital, they were caught in the chaos of a refugee riot. All their belongings were stolen. They didn't even keep the clothes on their backs. They ended up begging their way back to the capital.
Not long after, the Di family collapsed. The officials who once supported them turned their backs.
The terrible deeds the Di family had committed over the years were finally exposed. Some even risked their lives to report them directly to the emperor. Even if it cost them everything, they were determined to drag the Di family down with them.
The downfall came so fast that the Di family had no time to respond. Only then did Di Kangnian report that the family ancestral tomb had vanished. The family patriarch suffered a heart attack on the spot and passed away.
Not long after, Di Kangnian was arrested for bribery, corruption, abusing the weak, and forcibly seizing women. In prison, he was beaten to death by other inmates.
The prison guard scribbled the words "died of illness" next to his name and that was the end of him.
Yun Xi knew nothing of this. But she understood well the terrifying backlash of stealing fate. The Di family was never going to have a good ending.
Now that she had advanced to the Golden Core stage, Yun Xi had become the leader of the group. When she extended her spiritual sense earlier, she had already imprinted the mortal realm's map into her mind. From here on, she would guide the way.
But Yun Xi wasn't in a rush. While scanning with her spiritual sense earlier, she had noticed several unusual locations. After discussing with the others, they unanimously agreed to go investigate.