“My surname is…”
Hua Yan was about to give her name, but the words suddenly caught in her throat.
‘Wait! I’m traveling as a woman now. I can’t just give my real name! If word of this gets out, how will I face anyone once I’m back to being a man?!’
“Cough… My surname is Rong.” She coughed twice, deciding to borrow the name of her cheap daughter once again.
Since she hadn’t thought of a full name yet, she only gave the surname. “You can just call me Senior Rong.”
In any case, she was only there to gather information. Whether she gave her full name or not didn’t really matter.
“Certainly, Senior Rong,” the female cultivator named A-Xian responded smoothly.
‘Hmm? When did the valley ever have a senior surnamed Rong? But since she knows the secret code of the Heavenly Clothing Pavilion, her identity must be genuine…’
‘Wait…’
A-Xian’s gaze inadvertently fell upon the fiery red hair of the stunning woman before her.
‘I recall that only those of the Valley Master’s lineage have red hair, right? But the Valley Master and his wife are currently traveling, and they only have a single Young Master. The Old Valley Master has lived in the valley for a long time, and the age doesn’t match up. Could it be — could this Senior Rong actually be the Valley Master’s illegitimate daughter?! Is she the Young Master’s half-sister?!’
A stormy wave of shock surged through A-Xian’s heart.
“I just arrived in Fulong City and want to look into some information.”
Hua Yan had no idea that her casual alias had caused the other woman to imagine so many things.
She simply picked up her teacup, took a shallow sip, and got straight to the point.
“What kind of information would Senior Rong like to inquire about?”
A-Xian answered quickly; this request was within her expectations.
The Heavenly Clothing Pavilion was an information organization established by the Hundred Flowers Valley within the last few hundred years.
Although its scale was nowhere near that of the Xingluo Temple, which spanned the entire continent, most cultivators from the valley chose their own intelligence network for the sake of safety and convenience.
“Do you have any news regarding Yun Xuechang of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect? Where is she now?”
Upon hearing that name, A-Xian silently tucked away the compass dharma treasure she had just pulled out to check for information.
“Of course we do.” A-Xian smiled slightly and explained, “Senior Rong might not be aware, but not long ago, the various sects of the Righteous Path joined forces with neutral sects like the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and the Hehuan Sect. They sent their disciples down the mountains together to deal with the recent surge of Evil Cultivators. As the Chief Disciple of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect, Yun Xuechang is naturally among them.”
“Oh?”
Hua Yan felt a surge of joy in her heart.
‘This means I can catch Yun Xuechang while she’s alone and beat her into submission before taking her back to the valley? That way, I’ll complete the task Grandmother gave me and get revenge for that arrow back then. It’s killing two birds with one stone!’
The Righteous Path usually moved in teams when hunting evil, but that didn’t matter.
As long as the people on Yun Xuechang’s team weren’t too strong, she was confident she could handle them!
“Such a thing is happening? Then do you know of Yun Xuechang’s specific whereabouts?” Hua Yan followed up hurriedly.
“Regarding that, we only have a general idea.” A-Xian cupped her hands slightly and continued, “According to the latest intelligence, the Sword Sect’s Chief Disciple should be heading toward Fulong City. She will likely arrive within the next few days.”
‘Oh? What a coincidence.’
Hua Yan arched an eyebrow, her joy growing even more.
“And who else is on her team?”
“In response to Senior, Yun Xuechang is teamed up with Qu Linglong of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and her junior sister, Lin Qianqian.”
Hua Yan’s expression soured instantly.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me! That woman Yun Xuechang is already difficult enough to handle, and now there are two more experts in her group! Qu Linglong is a Cardinal of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and the top talent of the younger generation! As for Lin Qianqian, isn’t she the second-ranked disciple of the Xiaoyao Sword Sect, right behind Yun Xuechang?! How did the Righteous Path organize these teams? Why put these three together?! How am I supposed to capture her now?!’
“Um… Senior Rong, did I say something wrong?” A-Xian asked cautiously, seeing the sudden change in Hua Yan’s expression.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.”
Hua Yan suppressed the frustration in her heart, waved her hand, and asked instead, “Tell me more about the current situation with these Evil Cultivators. What is the state of the Great Chu empire right now?”
“Yes, Senior.”
“…”
……
“How unlucky.”
As the sun set, the red-haired girl in the red dress walked back toward the inn carrying a bundle of items, grumbling all the way.
Her bright, beautiful face was full of irritation.
She had thought that bringing Yun Xuechang back to the valley would be an easy task, but she hadn’t expected it to be this troublesome.
Hua Yan knitted her lovely willow-leaf brows, thinking to herself:
‘Qu Linglong of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and that Lin Qianqian — logically speaking, they should be leading their own teams given their strength. Just how many Evil Cultivators have flooded into Great Chu to make them team up with Yun Xuechang?!’
‘The Zhao Family really is a group of good-for-nothings. They can’t even defend their own territory!’
Ignoring the admiring or surprised glances from those around her, she marched up the stairs with loud thuds.
‘Now, I really need to think this through. How am I going to sneak up on Yun Xuechang and find a chance to pack her up and take her back? Plus, I have a little tagalong with me, and Yun Xuechang has seen what I look like as a woman. Does that mean I need to find a way to change both my appearance and the girl’s?’
‘Right, I especially need to coordinate the story with that brat. I can’t let her mouth run wild the moment she sees her mother and ruin my grand plans.’
Her mood lightened slightly as she climbed the stairs.
Fortunately, she had bought some clothes and jewelry on the way back. The little girl should like them; they would be perfect for coaxing her.
‘I wonder how her spell practice went today? I hope she was well-behaved…’
The girl had mostly learned the methods for Water Condensation and Fire Making. What should she teach her next?
At the thought of the pink-haired girl rushing over in surprise and softly thanking her, a faint smile unconsciously played across Hua Yan’s lips.
“Kid, I’m back.”
“Wow! Mother, you’re finally back!”
She was indeed greeted by her daughter’s delighted cry. However, inside the superior guest room, there was more than just Hua Xiangrong.
Standing by the carved window frame alongside Hua Xiangrong were three other women.
One had a baby face, flowing black hair, and a petite stature that was only half a head taller than Hua Xiangrong. Despite her size, she carried a massive wooden box on her back that was completely disproportionate to her body.
The second woman had long green hair styled in a side braid. She looked gentle and dignified, holding a plate of pastries in her hand, clearly having been coaxing the child just moments ago.
And the last one…
She wore a plain white dress, her white hair flowing down like frost. A simple, ancient sword stood beside her. She sat firmly in a chair, holding the pink-haired girl securely in her lap. Her exquisite face was expressionless, but her red willow-leaf eyes, like a cold pool reflecting snow, were fixed steadily and coldly upon Hua Yan.
She possessed the elegance of an orchid and was as cold as frost, looking as though she were a celestial being who did not consume the food of common mortals — just as she had when Hua Yan first saw her years ago.
“Mother! You’re finally back!”
Nestled in Yun Xuechang’s embrace, Hua Xiangrong beamed a brilliant smile at the stunned Hua Yan.
“Mama and the others have been waiting here for you for a long time!”
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