Director Wu pinched his throbbing forehead, trying to reason with Yu Anle.
“This isn’t so simple. Just because she says she can blend in with those tribesmen for a few days before making a move doesn’t mean she really can.
“She might be discovered the next second.
“She’s alone, and by then there won’t even be anyone to save her.”
Yu Anle showed a look of agreement at Wu’s words, nodding sincerely as she said, “Hmm, but I can’t get in touch with Yun Xian.
“Telling me this won’t help.”
Director Wu’s mouth twitched.
He had to admit, Yu Anle’s words were indeed sincere and made sense.
But seeing her still unaware of the seriousness of the situation made his headache worse.
“I’ll contact Tiantong, and reach out to Professor Li!” Wu snapped, turning around in anger.
Who just dumps two students on him and then walks away without a care?
Yu Anle watched Wu leave, not revealing that she already had contact information for Li Tianying.
She was under the Special Administration Headquarters, so any complaint would pass through layers of bureaucracy. Even if they managed to reach Li Tianying, it would take days.
By then, the matter would probably be over.
Her innocent, calm expression faded as she faced Director Wu, replaced by a trace of worry.
Whether it was because Wu’s team had been busy all day but failed to catch Li Yunxian, or from what she’d heard earlier at Tiantong Academy—that in the Xuanwen Secret Realm, Li Yunxian had disguised herself as “Ginkgo” and lingered among Golden Core practitioners for days—Yu Anle believed that Li Yunxian could keep herself safe facing a Golden Core alone.
Outside Qin City were four Golden Core experts.
Yu Anle stared at Li Tianying’s contact info on her phone for a long time before recalling the message Li Yunxian had sent her:
“Anle, there’s no such thing as a thousand days of thievery without a thousand days of guarding against thieves.”
“I have to make them feel pain, fear, know that I will retaliate relentlessly, and that the price they pay for touching those around me is unbearable. Only then will this stop.”
“This kind of thing must be done by me.”
“Having anyone else do it for me is meaningless.”
“If someone else acts today, tomorrow they might be unavailable. That deterrence becomes a joke.”
Yun Xian facing four Golden Core experts—was that really okay?
Yu Anle sighed deeply and ultimately set a special alert on the message from Li Yunxian, turning all her phone notifications to maximum volume.
Meanwhile, the Li Yunxian everyone worried about was actually living comfortably outside the city.
She held two ropes in her left hand, the other ends tied to two frowning hunters.
The one at mid Foundation Establishment had tried to escape during a gap but was undoubtedly caught by Li Yunxian again.
So the two of them ended up tied together like this.
“Fairy, I lost all my stuff. You only need one guide, don’t you? Why do you need two?” the mid Foundation Establishment fellow whined.
The other, a late Qi Refinement practitioner, spat at him, “I’m the Qi Refinement expert here. How would you know where the Golden Core Ancestor is? You just want to spoil Fairy’s plans.”
“Fairy, Qing Song knows Xia Gu Lao Zu; he even offered tributes to the Old Ancestor.”
The two hunters shamelessly showed their true colors before Li Yunxian—when disaster strikes, everyone fends for themselves.
But their mutual bickering produced a useful piece of information.
Li Yunxian’s eyes fixed meaningfully on the mid Foundation Establishment named Qing Song.
Qing Song immediately broke out in sweat and hurriedly explained, “I just happened to pass by carelessly, and my clothes offended the Old Ancestor’s eye—just like today. I handed over all my things to the Old Ancestor as an apology.”
“In other words, I got robbed.”
“But when you’re out, your identity is what you make of it.”
“Having this experience, Qing Song naturally didn’t hesitate to claim a prestigious connection for himself. Hearing him talk so convincingly, others would hesitate to attack him.
“The Old Ancestor saw my good attitude and just gave me a few pointers.”
“As for those pointers, they were basically: ‘Hand over all your stuff,’ ‘Fine,’ and ‘Get lost.’”
“Qing Song doesn’t know why Li Yunxian is after the Golden Core, so he doesn’t dare to make it seem like he’s too familiar. He’s worried if he boasts, he might get his head chopped off next.”
Li Yunxian gave a simple “hmm,” ignoring their petty scheming, and asked coldly, “This Xia Gu Lao Zu—is he human or demon?”
The question made Qing Song and his companion stare in surprise at Li Yunxian, as if she’d asked something strange.
Li Yunxian looked at them coldly and waved her hand.
Smack!
She gave them a slap that hit both their faces.
These evil cultivators—she couldn’t decide whether they were bold or foolish. At a time when they were completely at her mercy, they still dared to test whether she was easy to talk to.
***
After slapping them until blood trickled from their mouths, Li Yunxian frowned and complained with obvious displeasure.
“Passing through Qin City is really unlucky.”
“Is there something going on in your Yuehai? The Special Administration Headquarters managed to round us all up?”
“If this isn’t cleared up, I won’t dare enter the city again.”
Li Yunxian’s words were somewhat disjointed, sounding like offhand remarks.
But everyone present understood her meaning.
She was from another province and had been frightened out of Qin City by the local situation, fleeing in panic.
But she probably had business elsewhere and couldn’t stay long, so she was now looking for the local Golden Core tribesmen to find a solution.
Qing Song and his companion relaxed slightly.
In this case, it looked like the other side really just wanted them to be guides. If things went smoothly, their lives would be spared.
Neither suspected Li Yunxian was a hunter.
Her practiced manner and natural selfish speech clearly showed she was thoroughly wicked to the bone.
She must be one of their own!
Li Yunxian’s loaded words were not meant for these two but for several Qi Refinement practitioners in the distance who were using magic to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Those few clearly specialized in reconnaissance magic, evidently scouts maintained by powerful figures.
Even if they weren’t the ones Qing Song called Xia Gu Lao Zu, they were likely under the command of the other three Golden Core experts.
It seemed that the unrest in Qin City was just becoming known outside the city, and those Golden Core were eager to meet this insider who knew more.
As for whether to guide them or not—
Li Yunxian certainly wouldn’t trust a path laid out by evil cultivators.
Or rather, making a fuss with these two was a kind of guiding, wasn’t it?
These two hunters didn’t realize Li Yunxian’s cunning.
Feeling somewhat safe, Qing Song responded obsequiously to her question.
“Xia Gu Lao Zu is a demon. His true form is said to be a sword box and he wields excellent swordsmanship. He’s the strongest in Qin City…”
Qing Song rambled on, while Li Yunxian barely listened.
The words of evil cultivators were full of holes.
Li Yunxian figured that, aside from the fact that this Golden Core called Xia Gu was demonic—that much was obvious upon meeting him—none of it was trustworthy.
She focused instead on the subtle shifts among the Qi Refinement practitioners moving around the edge of her divine sense.
After about ten minutes, Li Yunxian stopped in her tracks.
She looked up ahead.
About a hundred meters away appeared a ghostly figure resembling a black box.
Good.
Even Qing Song’s claim that Xia Gu Lao Zu was a demon was false.
This was a hunter.
Likely one who specialized in crafting magical tools.
After studying magical tool creation with Li Tianying, Li Yunxian could easily tell.
But to those unfamiliar, seeing this black box would make them think it was the opponent’s true form and that they were a demon.
“Old Ancestor,” Li Yunxian bowed slightly, adopting a completely different submissive tone than she used with Qing Song, softly calling to Xia Gu.
Qing Song’s eyes lit up with hope when Xia Gu appeared, but before he could say anything, his face suddenly turned blue and purple.
The late Qi Refinement practitioner also struggled desperately in the void.
Yet it was useless.
Bang bang.
They exploded into bloody mist on the spot.
“Two disrespectful fellows,” Xia Gu said coldly.
Hearing this, Li Yunxian bowed her head even lower.
She knew it didn’t matter that Qing Song had spilled Xia Gu’s information recklessly, or that they hadn’t greeted Xia Gu immediately.
Their deaths were simply a show of force by Xia Gu to intimidate her.
And Li Yunxian needed to act intimidated.
Whether she truly was or not was irrelevant to both her and Xia Gu.
All he wanted was this display of propriety.
Xia Gu was very satisfied.
“What is your name?” Xia Gu asked coolly.
Li Yunxian answered respectfully, “Ginkgo, from Kuicheng in Yihua Province.
“By order of Xun Yue Lao Zu, I am here in Jin City to retrieve several blood bones.”
Li Yunxian smoothly created a Kuicheng background for herself.
On one hand, Kuicheng was far from here, so they wouldn’t know much about it.
On the other, she was familiar with many people there and had overheard plenty of information about Kuicheng and even Xun Yue Lao Zu, who was a real person.
This ensured that even if the other side knew a bit, no mistakes would arise.
“Jin City? Blood bones?” Xia Gu was about to say something else but stopped in surprise.
“That broken place? Didn’t it run out of blood bones long ago?”
Li Yunxian smiled. “They’re not in shops anymore, but those in Jin City who got wind of the news bought blood bones early on.
“People there definitely have some.”
Xia Gu’s ghostly form flickered as if suddenly enlightened.
Li Yunxian faintly sensed a bit of excitement from him.
She remained calm.
Her words weren’t meant to broaden the tribesmen’s thinking but were simply stating facts.
Earlier, Chen Director and Sister Zhao had sent messages telling her not to return to Jin City for the time being.
The Special Administration Headquarters had arranged people there and set up the Heavenly Net, preparing to trap a bunch of tribesmen, so Li Yunxian was told to stay away to avoid trouble.
Li Yunxian casually used this information as well.
Mixing these true facts, Xia Gu believed Li Yunxian at least a little.
Among the tribes, that was already high trust.
But Xia Gu didn’t pry further.
He looked at Li Yunxian and said calmly, “Come with me. Tell me what happened in Qin City first.”
Li Yunxian lowered her head obediently. “Yes, Old Ancestor.
“Hmm, I successfully infiltrated a Golden Core lair.”