Encountering the Demonic Cultivator Again
The most urgent task is to find a place to stay.
Jingxu found out the best inn in the city. When they checked in, Yuzhu was a little worried that if they overspent, Yingtian Sect might reimburse their travel expenses.
The main source of income for disciples of the Yingtian Sect is to go out and do missions. She has never taken on any missions since she transmigrated, and has saved up some money by relying on the fixed salary of teaching disciples.
Before the original owner transmigrated here, the spirit stones were either used to nourish the sword or to purchase talismans and spiritual artifacts. Last time, Yu Zhu was thrown away carelessly, resulting in the loss of a lot of them, which still pains her to think about.
Jingxu was talking to the innkeeper, "I've heard that the most famous room in Youmenglou, Nongyusheng, is comparable to a fairyland. Would we be fortunate enough to stay there?"
Yu Zhu was surprised. Jing Xu actually wanted to stay in a celebrity suite. The sect definitely wouldn't report it now. She remembered this wasn't a vacation.
The shopkeeper looked apologetic. "I'm so sorry, sir. I've already been booked for the rest of my life."
Yu Zhu breathed a sigh of relief, then heard Jing Xu say regretfully, "Then please arrange four superior rooms for us."
Why is it still so difficult? Is the gap between rich and poor in the cultivation world really that big? Yu Zhu was speechless for a moment.
Yu Zhu's expression changed too obviously, and a smile flashed across Jing Xu's eyes as he comforted her, "Don't worry, Senior Sister, if the sect doesn't report it, I will go out."
Yu Zhu: "..."
Alright, there's a young master among them.
So the four of them checked into Youmenglou, the best inn on Fangcaozhou Island.
After a short rest, the four of them gathered in the lobby, ordered a table of dishes, and prepared to hear what news the inn might have.
"Young Master Shao is back. Why didn't you spend more time outside today?" the shopkeeper's solicitous voice rang out.
"I'm tired," the man replied in a slightly indifferent voice.
Many people in the lobby looked in the direction of the two, and Yu Zhu and the others followed suit—it was the man from the flower shop, whose robes were still loose and baggy, and whose dark hair was half-tied up, looking rather unserious.
The man unconsciously raised his eyes, saw Yu Zhu and the others, a smile bloomed on his lips, and walked in, saying, "Didn't this young master say he lost money? How come..." He looked at the magnificent Youmeng Tower, then at the delicacies filled with spiritual energy, the meaning in his words was self-evident.
Jing Xu remained expressionless. "Thanks to you, young master, we've found the money again."
"That's good. I thought the young lady didn't like the flowers I picked." The man tilted his head slightly, raised his sleeve to touch the corner of his eye, as if wiping away tears.
This outburst even caused Zhou Nan, who usually had an icy expression, to lose control of his emotions.
"Huh? No, no, I like it quite a bit, haha." Yu Zhu said awkwardly when she was suddenly called out.
"If you still want flowers, you can come find me at Yusheng Lane." After saying that, he gave Yuzhu a flirtatious wink and went upstairs gracefully.
The shopkeeper followed behind him, saying, "I've already sent people to prepare warm water and specially cooked food for you, young master, so you can rest well..."
He kept calling her "Young Master," which made Yu Zhu's teeth ache.
Zhou Nan frowned. "So he's the one who booked Nong Yusheng."
"So effeminate." Ning Wu said with a look of disgust.
Yu Zhu: "Alright, eat up. After we finish, let's split up and check Fangcaozhou for anything suspicious."
"I thought that guy was pretty suspicious." Ning Wu really didn't like him.
"Then you should investigate him thoroughly later," Yu Zhu encouraged. She was also quite curious about this person. Wasn't he a flower seller? Why was he staying at the inn and being fawned over by the innkeeper?
Yu Zhu planned to find a spirit artifact shop to repair her spirit energy bag. Jing Xu said that his family ran a spirit artifact business and he knew a little about it, so he might be able to help her take a look.
So the four of them split into two teams to gather information.
“Young lady, the opening seal on your spirit energy pouch has been damaged. Forcing it open might damage the contents. However, I can manage to open it, but the pouch will be unusable afterward,” said the weapon refiner from the Spirit Weapon Pavilion.
Yu Zhu looked into Jing Xu's eyes. Was he telling the truth? Or was he just trying to trick her into buying a new one here?
"This level of restriction should be repairable, right? Do you have any other weapon refiners?" Yu Zhu raised her chin and pointed at Jing Xu. "We have experts here, don't try to fool us."
Jing Xu chimed in, "If it were my family's weapon refiner, they could definitely fix it."
The weapon refiner was surprised. Judging from their attire, they didn't seem to be locals. He had originally intended to rip them off, but he never expected to run into a fellow weapon refiner.
The weapon refiner smiled apologetically, "Let me take another look." He picked up the spirit energy bag and pretended to look at it for a while. "I'm so sorry, my eyesight is failing me. I misread a rune. I can fix it, I can fix it. Miss, just come back in half an hour to pick it up."
Yu Zhu snorted coldly, pulled out her sword, and slammed it on the counter. "Then you'd better fix it properly."
After saying that, Yuzhu was about to leave.
Jing Xu pointed to a box of crystal-clear blue beads on the shelf and asked the weapon refiner, "What is this?"
"This is a material for refining weapons, the Cloud Ice Pearl, which naturally possesses a chilling aura."
"I'll take this box of beads. Please hold it for me and I'll come back to pick it up later."
After leaving the Spirit Artifact Pavilion, Yu Zhu asked, "Are you going to use the Cloud Ice Pearl to refine the Mirage Array? Ordinary pearls will do too."
"No, the Cloud Ice Pearl is for Senior Sister. She used up quite a few array beads last time, so this can be a good replacement. The Cloud Ice Pearl has its own cold properties, so it might enhance Senior Sister's array." Jing Xu said in a low voice as they walked.
"A gift for me?" Yu Zhu was surprised and was about to refuse when Jing Xu spoke up again.
"Senior sister, please don't feel burdened. My cultivation level is low, so it's difficult for me to help you. I am also grateful for your guidance many times. The Cloud Ice Pearl is a gift of thanks."
That's all I have to say. It would be impolite for Yuzhu not to accept it now. Don't worry, she will guide him even more diligently in the future.
The two wandered around, experiencing the local customs and culture of Fangcaozhou, but didn't hear much of any valuable news.
If there were trending topics in the city, the hottest topic on Fangcaozhou right now would be the marriage alliance between the Jia family and the Baili clan.
So, Yuzhu and Jingxu decided to go to the Jia family mansion.
A line of about fifty or sixty people had formed at the side gate of the Jia mansion. They were there to congratulate the newlyweds and receive spirit stones and Qingling flowers.
Yu Zhu taught a lesson on the distribution of power in the cultivation world, and had a fairly good understanding of Fangcaozhou. It belonged to the Yinshan Mountain faction, which advocated seclusion and quiet cultivation and rarely interfered in worldly affairs. Therefore, the towns within the Yinshan Mountain range had a very high degree of autonomy, and even the Yinshan Mountain strongholds had never been established.
The most powerful family in Fangcaozhou today is the Jia family, which has produced several powerful cultivators and has cultivated a variety of spiritual flowers that are beneficial to cultivation.
The two learned that the Jia family was marrying their current young master, Jia Wenji, but they still didn't know who the woman Baili was going to marry into the family was.
It couldn't possibly be Bailifu, Yuzhu thought to herself.
She and Jingxu lined up at the end of the queue, ahead of a woman wearing orchids in her hair.
Yu Zhu tried to get closer to her, saying, "Sister, your orchid is really beautiful."
The woman adjusted the orchid in her hair, then turned and gave the two of them a wary look. "You two are from outside, aren't you?"
"Is it that obvious?" Yu Zhu blinked. That weapon refiner must have realized they were outsiders trying to rip them off.
“Of course,” the woman said proudly. “No one in Fangcaozhou dresses so plainly.”
Plain? Yu Zhu looked at her own skirt, then at the woman's skirt. Indeed, her clothes were simply made of cut and sewn fabric, without any patterns, and apart from the sash that held down the skirt, there were no other ornaments.
The woman not only had a complete headdress, but her skirt was also embroidered with wild orchids in full bloom using various colored silk threads, and her cuffs, collar, and belt were all decorated with floral patterns.
Yu Zhu praised, "Sister's clothes are indeed beautiful. I'll go and get one for myself later." Then, changing the subject, she added, "Aren't we in a hurry to see the excitement? Which young lady from the Baili family is going to marry into the family? Could it be...?"
The woman clearly knew who Yuzhu was referring to. "How could that be? I heard she's someone's cousin, what's her name again? I've forgotten."
"The Jia family is so happy and has spent such a large sum of money, it must be a good match, right?" Yu Zhu asked tentatively.
The woman sighed, "It's a good match for the Jia family, but it's not necessarily good for Miss Baili."
"Hmm?" The Yuzhu alarm bell rang loudly.
"Everyone in Fangcaozhou knows that the young master of the Jia family often lingers at Xianding Pavilion. If we're talking about marriage, he's really not a good match."
"Immortal Peak Pavilion? What kind of place is that?"
"The people of Xianding Pavilion are skilled in the art of lovemaking, which attracts many people to seek pleasure."
Yu Zhu then inquired about Xian Ding Pavilion from the woman. The Hao River divides Fangcao Island into two parts: the Jia Mansion is to the west, and Xian Ding Pavilion is to the east. To the southeast of Fangcao Island lies Shenrang Mountain, and Xian Ding Pavilion is closer to Baicao Village than the Jia Mansion.
Yu Zhu chatted casually with the woman, and soon it was her turn. After offering a few words of blessing, she received a spirit stone and a Qingling flower. Yu Zhu observed the Jia family members closely; their behavior seemed normal, showing the excitement of a family celebrating a happy occasion, but more so the helplessness of working-class people.
Just like Yu Zhu right now, investigating this case is not easy; it's getting more and more complicated.
It was almost time, so the two returned to the Spirit Artifact Pavilion to retrieve their items, and then went back to Youmeng Tower. Zhou Nan and the other two had already returned.
The four of them gathered in Jingxu's room.
Yu Zhu looked weary. "Why are you all back so early?" She had practically walked half of Fangcaozhou today.
Zhou Nan remained calm. "There are quite a few people in the inn who know Shao Zaihuan, the man from today. We found out about him without leaving the inn for long."
Ning Wu, however, seemed slightly excited. "Did you know? Shao Zaihuan is a demonic cultivator."
Demonic cultivator?
There are two cultivation paths in the cultivation world: spiritual cultivation and demonic cultivation. Due to the influence of the Demon God and his subordinates, demonic cultivation has gradually declined in the cultivation world and has a poor reputation. According to statistics from the Yingtian Sect, the ratio of spiritual cultivators to demonic cultivators in the cultivation world is now approximately nine to one.
Jing Xu: "Since he is staying at the inn openly and legitimately, he must have some kind of identification."
Yu Zhu nodded in agreement.
Demonic cultivators once lived a time when they were universally hated, but not everyone is suited to spiritual cultivation. Some people are born with the constitution to be demonic cultivators, and not all demonic cultivators are utterly wicked; some even harbor benevolent intentions. After several periods of chaos, the Yingtian Sect took the lead in organizing discussions on how to handle the matter, which led to the later establishment of Thousand Peaks City, the city of demonic cultivators in the cultivation world.
If a demonic cultivator wants to operate normally in the cultivation world, they either need to become a member of Thousand Peaks City or have the guarantee of a sect. In short, a demonic cultivator needs a special identity to distinguish themselves from the subordinates of the Demon God.
Zhao Guang, for example, is an unregistered demonic cultivator without an "identity card".
“Identity documents can be forged, too. What if the manager of Youmenglou doesn’t recognize them?” Ning Wu’s tone was tinged with disgust. “Besides, having an identity document doesn’t prove he’s a good person. Don’t you know how cunning and cruel demonic cultivators can be, corrupted by demonic power?”
“Moreover, this demonic cultivator arrived at Fangcaozhou a month ago, intending to spend the rest of his life there, but he is not often seen. He appears and disappears mysteriously all day long. Isn’t that suspicious?” Ning Wu continued.
Yu Zhu and Jing Xu looked at Zhou Nan. Zhou Nan said, "He's right. Everyone in the inn says so."
"So who exactly is he? He's still selling flowers today." Yu Zhu scratched her head.
Ning Wu's eyes lit up. "Perhaps he's using this to deceive others and then abduct them, just like the evil demonic cultivators of Baicao Village, only in a different way."
Ning Wu already disliked Shao Zaihuan, and after learning that he was a demonic cultivator, her dislike for him increased even more.
Yu Zhu frowned slightly. "These are all speculations. We need to provide evidence."
Jingxu spoke up promptly, telling them about their discoveries that day.
"The marriage between the Jia family and the Baili family just happened to happen to be there; it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Baicao Village matter." Changing the subject, Ning Wu's emotions calmed down a bit.
Zhou Nan also said, "I feel that Shao Zaihuan is more likely to be related to what we are investigating."
"Who knows? Sometimes seemingly unrelated things can actually hold hidden secrets," Yu Zhu said, drawing on her years of extensive reading experience.
"Tonight, I plan to go and explore the Immortal Peak Pavilion. What about you?" Yu Zhu asked.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
