Satisfied with the portable mountain entrance, Su Wen made his way toward the town gates. A long line of people was waiting to enter, and he joined the queue, soon running into the gate guard, Brother Zhang.
"Brother Zhang," Su Wen greeted politely, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Why are there so many people entering the town today?"
Brother Zhang smiled and shook his head. "Looks like Brother Su hasn't been out for a while. It's because of that girl from Moon City, Du Yue. The young master Lu Tang, son of the Moon City Lord, has raised the bounty. 500 mid-grade spirit stones for capturing her alive, 200 if she's dead, and 50 just for information."
Su Wen nodded calmly, his expression unchanged.
Brother Zhang, however, looked tired and solemn. "Since then, a lot of rogue cultivators have been coming in and out of the town. It's made our work much harder."
He lowered his voice and continued, "There are also rumours going around. They say that girl threw herself at Young Master Lu Tang, shamelessly trying to climb into wealth and power. When he exposed her true nature and rejected her, she flew into a frenzy. She attempted to assassinate Young Master Lu Tang, slaughtered four innocent guards in public, and even turned on her own father when he tried to restrain her... injuring him in the process."
A strange look flickered across Su Wen's face when he heard this, but he merely nodded. He didn't care what others thought or how viciously they slandered his wife. If anything, it only strengthened his resolve… before leaving, he would make sure to thoroughly clean up some scum from Moon City.
Brother Zhang continued, lowering his voice, "You might not know this, Young Master Su, but last month, Young Master Lu Tang broke through to the Peak Stage of Foundation Establishment. His cultivation speed is unprecedented. Some say he had been deliberately concealing his true cultivation and lying low, while others claim he encountered a great fortuitous opportunity. Just a few months ago, he was known to be a trash, only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment."
He paused, then added with a hint of awe, "Now, people are calling him an Immortal Seed. They say his talent is no less than that of geniuses from the Central Continent."
After a brief moment, Brother Zhang continued, "Also, Du Yue's father, Du Yufeng, is currently in town. According to him, she fled in this direction using an escape sword treasure. He's hosting a banquet today at the Green Pavilion, inviting cultivators from all around to help search for her… while publicly spreading news of her so-called 'crimes'."
Su Wen didn't ask any further questions, mindful of the long queue forming behind him. He thanked Brother Zhang, then calmly took out two stamina pills and placed them into his hands with practiced ease before turning to leave.
Brother Zhang bowed repeatedly in gratitude, but didn't notice the dark, cold glint that flashed through Su Wen's eyes… eyes that seemed to be quietly waiting for the right moment to destroy everything.
'A banquet where everyone will be gathered…' Su Wen thought, the corner of his lips lifting into a rare, twisted smile.
'Since he's preparing a feast, why don't I arrange one for him instead…'
Since the man was putting in such great effort to hunt down his wife, Su Wen figured he might as well save him some trouble.
'I really didn't expect I'd be using these so soon…' he thought, checking the contents of his storage ring. 'Having such a cute, naive wife really does bring plenty of headaches.'
From within, he pulled out several grey, powdery pills… creepy, formless things that looked more like ash than medicine, yet exuded an ominous, unsettling aura.
"There's still plenty of time before the banquet," Su Wen muttered quietly as his gaze drifted toward the direction of the Green Pavilion. "But if I'm going to move, I'll do it cleanly. No traces."
He slipped into a narrow, shadowed alley.
A few minutes later, someone else emerged.
The elegant young cultivator named Su Wen was gone. In his place stood a rogue cultivator with a rough, hardened presence. He wore tattered black robes that flapped loosely around him, adding to his menacing aura. A long, jagged scar ran across his cheek, his skin darkened to a weathered brown as if scorched by years under the sun. His eyes had turned deeper and colder, lacking any trace of refinement. A faint beard shadow clung to his jaw, while a heavy axe rested across his back, its worn handle stained with old blood and use.
His posture was relaxed yet predatory, the kind that screamed danger without needing to speak.
Even those who knew Su Wen well would never recognize him now.
'I didn't think I'd be using these disguises so soon', he thought. 'I made them for selling pills or recipes at the Treasure Tower or other shops… so no one would recognize me. Never imagined I'd actually need them. Last time was definitely a lesson.'
As he approached the Green Pavilion, a massive crowd had gathered outside. Hovering about ten meters above the ground was a man with sword scars etched across his face and a short black beard.
"Fellow Daoists, thank you for coming all the way here to help search for my ungrateful daughter," the man cried, pounding his chest dramatically.
"I am ashamed to have raised a daughter who would bring shame and trouble upon her own family!"
The scarred man was Du Yufeng. Those scars were from his fight with Du Yue… she hadn't killed him last time, not because she couldn't… but because she chose not to.
'Looks like they're really serious about spreading propaganda and salvaging their reputation', Su Wen thought.
'They had no idea she was that strong when they tried to besiege her… the loss of four peak-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, Du Yufeng badly injured… and then a Heavenly Tribulation on top of that?'
'Do they think people are blind? No wonder the truth spread like wildfire. Now they're just doing damage control. Fire against fire… spread enough lies, create a second version of the story, and half the people will believe it.'
'The Eastern Continent is under the Great Eastern Sect, which is located at Great Eastern City near the Heaven's Pass between the Eastern and Central Continents. The Town Lord of Moon City must've been reprimanded by them. No wonder they're so desperate to rebuild their reputation.'