Evil cultivators were already like rats scurrying across the street—reviled and hunted wherever they went. Now, with every cultivator across the Weiyu Realm on high alert, they had no choice but to abandon their previous plans of kidnapping and retreat into hiding once more.
But orders from above couldn't be ignored. So, they turned their sights toward the mortal realm. There, they quietly searched for mortals with rare, special physiques, smuggling them into the Weiling Realm.
By raising these people from childhood as furnace vessels, they ensured both loyalty and utility. These mortals would not only serve obediently but would also sacrifice their lives when called upon. Though the process was slow, it kept them off the radar of cultivators in the Weiyu Realm. After weighing the pros and cons, the evil cultivators decided this path was the most viable.
All this, of course, happened after the destruction of Xiafei Valley. At that time, Yun Xi and her companions had already been transported to the mortal realm, unaware of these developments. Yet fate had other plans. Through a twist of destiny, they stumbled upon this secret operation—an outcome seemingly set in motion by the flap of Yun Xi's butterfly wings, stirring up yet another storm.
Back in the present, Yun Xi's deductions were confirmed by Liu Haotian and Yu Qingcheng. With their suspicions aligned, it was time to act.
Yun Xi gently touched the Flying Mist Butterfly ornament pinned in her hair.
"Fei Xia, it's your time to shine. Keep a close eye on the courtesans with unique physiques. Track where they're being taken. If anything happens, send word to me immediately."
With a soft flutter of her wings, Fei Xia vanished from sight, slipping into the shadows to begin her task.
Xia You couldn't hold back her frustration. "These evil cultivators are truly insidious. There's no scheme too vile for them. Now they're even targeting mortals. Before it was their twisted cultivation methods—now they're trafficking people like livestock. Disgusting."
Liu Haotian remained far calmer. He said, "Evil cultivators also chase the Dao. They crave immortality, yearning to live as long as the heavens themselves. But they refuse to put in the work. They want shortcuts. And yet, how many shortcuts truly lead anywhere?
To this day, how many evil cultivators have successfully passed the heavenly tribulation and ascended? None that I've heard of. What I have heard, over and over, is how they're reduced to ash by heavenly lightning.
Remember when Wei Daoyou charged into Golden Core just to destroy that corpse-refining site? You saw it with your own eyes. Not only did it summon the Nine Heavens Mystic Thunder, but it even triggered the rarer, deadlier Three-Nine Tribulation. Normally, Golden Core tribulation consists of eighteen strikes—two sets of nine. But Wei Daoyou endured twenty-seven. That's Heaven's blatant rejection of evil cultivators."
Yun Xi sighed. It was a painful memory. She, too, had believed surviving eighteen strikes would be the end. But she was forced to endure nine more. Fortunately, Dian Dian helped channel spiritual energy into her, and the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff absorbed part of the force. Most importantly, she had a thunder spiritual root. Without any one of those advantages, she would have died.
That was also why Liu Haotian had prepared to forcefully break into Golden Core—so that if Yun Xi failed her tribulation, he could take her place and hold the line.
Yun Xi gently stroked Dian Dian nestled in her arms. She couldn't help but marvel. They truly were master and spirit beast. Even Dian Dian's second-rank tribulation had packed the power of a fourth rank one. It nearly sent him to the afterlife.
Once they confirmed that evil cultivators were present in Jinyun City, the group grew cautious. They didn't leave their courtyard for the next two days, relying solely on Fei Xia's surveillance to track the progress of the courtesan contest.
Two days later, the contest concluded without a hitch. Twenty courtesans were selected and would soon be transported to the capital.
The group suspected the evil cultivators would make their move during this journey. Yu Qingcheng confirmed that all twenty chosen courtesans possessed unique physiques, which further supported their theory.
Yun Xi thought for a moment, then said, "If we tail the convoy, we might alert the evil cultivators. It'd be better to infiltrate the group directly."
Liu Haotian responded, "The convoy is made up of mortals. Our disguises could fool them, but not the evil cultivators lurking in the shadows."
Yun Xi nodded. "Then I'll pose as one of the chosen courtesans. I have a treasure that can hide my appearance and suppress my cultivation aura. I can pass as a mortal."
As she spoke, the others watched her spiritual energy completely recede. In the blink of an eye, her aura fell from early-stage Golden Core to that of an ordinary mortal.
Yu Qingcheng praised her without hesitation. "Wei Zhēnrén, that's an impressive trick. Now we just need to pick a replacement."
"I already have someone in mind," Yun Xi said. "There's a courtesan who seemed extremely reluctant to go to the capital. She looked like she knew something and wanted no part of it."
"Then we'd better move quickly."
"Agreed."
That night, Yun Xi and Liu Haotian quietly entered the room of the courtesan Min Yue and successfully completed the substitution.
Yun Xi changed into Min Yue's clothing. Then she touched the eye of her rabbit-shaped earring. In the next moment, her appearance morphed into the stunning face of Min Yue.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, a young maidservant woke Yun Xi. After breakfast, she was escorted to a lavish carriage, where five of the other selected courtesans were already seated.
The women chatted softly among themselves, excited about the journey ahead. Yun Xi, however, stayed silent in her corner. Since the original Min Yue had always been a bit of a loner, her behavior didn't stand out.
Once the carriage was filled with eight courtesans, three wagons set off from Jinyun City.
For three days, the convoy traveled without issue. They moved by day, rested in inns at night, and nothing unusual occurred.
On the fourth night, each courtesan was served a sweet soup prepared just for them. After drinking it, they all fell unconscious. Yun Xi, anticipating this, feigned unconsciousness as well.
Sure enough, half a cup of tea later, the convoy leader returned with a bag of gold coins. Without delay, he stuffed the courtesans into a black wagon and fled with them under cover of night.
Yun Xi sensed the carriage traveling for another full day. Borrowing Fei Xia's vision, she saw they were heading toward the border between the cultivation realm and the mortal realm. Clearly, their captors intended to smuggle them back into the cultivation realm.
Dian Dian, curled up motionless in Yun Xi's arms, had already identified the new handlers by their stench—evil cultivators. That smell was impossible to ignore.
Now that Yun Xi was certain, she sent Fei Xia to alert Liu Haotian's group. Their goal: cross the boundary first and lie in wait. If the ones receiving the courtesans were also evil cultivators, they could act accordingly. If not, then their memory jade would come in handy.
After receiving Yun Xi's message, Liu Haotian's team bypassed the evil cultivators' convoy and hurried to the border between realms.
The place was called Yunwu Mountain[1]. As the name implied, it was perpetually wrapped in fog. Travelers entering the mist would find themselves turned around, always returning to the starting point. Some even disappeared without a trace.
The stories were many, but only cultivators knew the truth: it was a barrier set by a powerful cultivator to keep the mortal realm safe from interference.
Liu Haotian and the others wrapped themselves in spiritual energy and passed through the barrier with ease. As they crossed, all three felt an immediate clarity of mind. The sensation of being enveloped in spiritual qi was a welcome relief.
Xia You asked, "Daoyou, should we find reinforcements?"
Liu Haotian frowned. "First, we need to see who the handoff in the cultivation realm is going to. Can we handle them? If not, we must follow discreetly. We can't afford to alert them.
Also, Wei Daoyou is still inside that carriage. Her cultivation is high, yes, but her real-world experience is limited. If something unexpected happens, I'm not sure she'll be able to cope."
[1] Yunwu Mountain reminds me of Miaozhu... I kinda miss her T_T