The Villain Marked the Protagonist's Fiancée (Through the Book) - Chapter 27

Though they stood several meters apart, Fang Zhiluo heard him clearly.

She stumbled back a step, warm liquid trickling down her jaw and splashing onto the back of her pale hand, like a pebble dropping into water, sending ripples through her heart.

The dense malice surrounding her gradually dissipated, her bloodshot eyes regaining clarity. She numbly raised a hand to clutch her faintly aching chest.

Had she truly killed that Demon Cultivator who had always put her first, who had even offered to share his Spirit Treasures with her?

Revenge, humiliation, manipulation, making Azure Cloud Sect disciples pay with their lives, tarnishing Master’s reputation—my Master will never forgive Azure Cloud Sect. These words echoed in her ears, lingering stubbornly.

Anger swiftly smothered the faint hesitation and guilt in her heart, replacing them with resolve.

She was right. The centuries-long friendship between Azure Cloud Sect and Heavenly Evolution Sect could not be destroyed by her actions.

Nor could her Master’s most cherished reputation be tarnished because of her.

Xie Yunfan, who had been sent flying, struggled to prop himself up with trembling hands. His voice, barely a whisper, rasped, “Go… go down there… Find him… Alive or dead… I need to see… his body.”

Fang Zhiluo turned to Xie Yunfan, whose face was deathly pale, and asked coldly, “Your injuries are severe. Are you sure you want me to go down and find her first?”

Xie Yunfan nodded without hesitation, his voice strained as he urged, “Bring her… her corpse… up.”

His Dantian was riddled with cracks, and without potent spiritual medicine, it would likely never recover.

Old Qiu had been right: Yun Xiao’s luck rivaled his own. She had even stolen a vast treasure trove from the Black Heaven Giant Python right under his nose. Even if her Inner Space didn’t contain Spirit Herbs capable of repairing his Dantian, retrieving what was rightfully his would be a start.

He wouldn’t rest until Yun Xiao was torn to shreds.

The seven-inch mark was a Flood Dragon’s weak point. Yun Xiao had been struck twice in that vulnerable spot, one strike infused with his own sword qi. Even if she clung to life by a thread, she would die in agony.

He wasn’t worried Fang Zhiluo might spare her. The moment she attacked Yun Xiao, Fang Zhiluo had become her enemy.

Fang Zhiluo knew better than anyone how rapidly Yun Xiao’s Cultivation was advancing. If she didn’t want to create a formidable foe for herself or the Azure Cloud Sect, she wouldn’t leave this threat unchecked.

Moreover, her Master had just replied to her message, saying he was already on his way.

With her Master present, she could at least be assured of her safety.

Fang Zhiluo said nothing more, turned, and leaped off the Broken Cliff.

The deeper she descended, the thicker the miasma became, reducing visibility to a mere two meters.

She had been descending for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, yet she still hadn’t reached the bottom.

After another few dozen meters, the miasma grew so dense that she could see nothing at all. The miasma seeping into her body with each breath caused a slight stagnation in the flow of her Spiritual Power.

Fang Zhiluo continued her descent for another few dozen meters, still without reaching the bottom.

Even unharmed, she couldn’t endure the miasma’s intensity for long. How could Yun Xiao, already gravely wounded, possibly survive?

Even if Yun Xiao were still alive, she would inevitably succumb to the miasma.

This should have been good news, yet Fang Zhiluo couldn’t find any joy in it. Her heart felt heavy, pressing down on her chest and making it difficult to breathe.

Stumbling back to the surface in a daze, she saw Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign channeling Spiritual Energy into Xie Yunfan nearby. Fang Zhiluo immediately straightened her posture and stood quietly in place, acting as a guardian for the two.

Four hours later, Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign finally stopped channeling Spiritual Energy into Xie Yunfan and demanded sharply, “Where is the one who injured my disciple?”

Fang Zhiluo dared not conceal the truth. “She has fallen into the Broken Cliff,” she said. “I went down to search, but the depths are unfathomable and shrouded in miasma. I was unable to find her.”

Yunhua suddenly unleashed the full force of his Refining Void Stage pressure upon Fang Zhiluo. “Unable to find her, or unwilling to find her?”

Fang Zhiluo struggled to remain standing under the crushing weight. “Unable to find her,” she gasped.

Yunhua stared at her for a long moment before withdrawing his pressure. “Take good care of my disciple,” he warned. “Otherwise…” With that, he leaped off the cliff.

Before losing consciousness, his disciple had told him that the beast possessed a top-grade spirit herb capable of repairing a damaged Dantian.

This disciple was one of Yunhua’s most prized pupils, and he would not allow him to be ruined by a Demon Cultivator.

After three-quarters of an hour, Yunhua returned empty-handed, his face grim as he carried Xie Yunfan away.

Fearing Yunhua’s wrath might fall upon the Azure Cloud Sect, Fang Zhiluo didn’t linger. She boarded her Flying Spirit Tool and hurried back to the sect.

Unbeknownst to them, Yun Xiao, whom they were desperately searching for, was being dragged into a hidden Cave Abode by the White Dragon in her true form, who was using every ounce of her strength to pull her inside.

Around them, there was no harmful miasma. As far as the eye could see, lush vegetation thrived, and the Spiritual Energy in the air was even denser than in the Ancient Secret Realm.

Demonic Beasts drawn by the scent of bl00d approached, only to be driven back by the White Dragon’s overwhelming aura.

Staring at the still-bleeding wound, the White Dragon paced anxiously in circles.

Suddenly, she remembered something. She returned to Yun Xiao’s side and exhaled dragon breath into Yun Xiao’s mouth.

When Yun Xiao remained unconscious, the White Dragon forced out her last drop of essence bl00d and channeled Spiritual Energy into Yun Xiao’s mouth. Exhausted, she collapsed weakly beside Yun Xiao.

The dense Spiritual Energy allowed Yun Xiao’s barely alive body to function on its own, and the drop of White Dragon essence bl00d was frantically absorbed.

It was only because the White Dragon was still young that Yun Xiao survived. Had the dragon’s essence bl00d been at its full potency, she would likely have exploded from within.

The bloody hole near her vital point slowly healed, and Yun Xiao finally stirred from her coma.

Gazing at the completely unfamiliar cave, Yun Xiao’s peach-blossom eyes were filled with confusion.

Where am I? Did A’Luo save me?

No, A’Luo has repeatedly tried to kill me. She wouldn’t save me.

Yun Xiao glanced at the White Dragon beside her and the dried bloodstains on the ground, and the answer became clear.

She retrieved Spirit Spring from her Inner Space and poured it into the White Dragon’s mouth, then fed it several top-grade spirit herbs before carefully coiling the dragon into a mosquito coil shape and placing it on the Prayer Cushion.

The White Dragon possessed an extraordinary constitution. Even if it consumed a dozen top-grade spirit herbs, its Spiritual Energy wouldn’t become unstable.

Unfortunately, top-grade spirit herbs were scarce, so she had to use them sparingly.

Casting a Seventh-Grade Defensive Formation to guard against sudden attacks from nearby Demonic Beasts, Yun Xiao settled into a cross-legged meditation posture.

It took her five days to barely expel the miasma from her body, but she couldn’t eliminate the sword qi Xie Yunfan had implanted within her.

Suddenly, Purple Frost’s haughty, childlike voice echoed in her mind: “Hmph, you’re struggling with mere sword qi? How weak!”

“Looks like this sword wants to become a ‘sh1t-stirring sword’ now.”

“You… you villain!” Purple Frost reluctantly devoured the sword qi, adding as a final remark, “What a waste. This sword qi isn’t even fully formed yet.”

Yun Xiao’s fists clenched. If this sword qi, still incomplete, was already rampaging through her body, hindering her recovery and slowing her Spiritual Energy absorption, what would happen when it reached its full potential?

With the sword qi finally purged, the feeling of absolute certainty returned.

Yun Xiao tilted her head back and gulped down a large mouthful of Spirit Spring, then tossed several Spring Return Pills into her mouth. Once her internal injuries had mostly healed, she retrieved the Formation Plate and emerged from the Cave Abode.

She cautiously extended her Divine Sense, immediately retracting it upon detecting a powerful Demonic Beast aura.

The land was carpeted with Spirit Herbs, the Spiritual Energy was dense, and formidable Demonic Beasts roamed freely—a situation strikingly similar to the Ancient Secret Realm.

Could the area beneath the Broken Cliff be a Secret Realm?

Harboring this question, she continued to cultivate while exploring the surroundings.

A year later, Yun Xiao had completely overturned her initial hypothesis. This place wasn’t a Secret Realm, but a Small World.

Within this Small World, there were no Human Cultivators, only Demon Cultivators and Demonic Beasts.

She had also stumbled upon the Cave Abode of a deceased Golden Immortal Demon Cultivator. Though she narrowly escaped with her life, she obtained a sword technique and a portable Medicine Garden.

The Medicine Garden was vast, containing numerous Spirit Herbs she had never seen before. This was a massive windfall.

Azure Cloud Sect, Back Mountain Cliff of Contemplation.

In a Cave Abode nestled in a windy ravine, Fang Zhiluo sat cross-legged, his face drained of color.

The spiritual power here was scarcely better than in the Mortal Realm. The howling gale sliced through her like countless blades, painful but not lethal.

Upon returning to the sect, she reported Xie Yunfan’s near-death experience to the Sect Leader. To save face for the Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign, the Sect Leader punished her by sending her to Repentance Cliff for reflection.

Over a year had passed, yet she still hadn’t received orders to leave.

Hmm… The desire within her stirred again, two faint blushes blooming on her bloodless cheeks.

She frantically retrieved a Pheromone Suppression Pill and swallowed it, feeling the craving gradually subside. She exhaled a long, turbid breath.

A sidelong glance at the porcelain bottle containing the pills made her pause. If not for Yun Xiao, she would still be suffering through the Flood Season’s torment.

Her lowered lashes trembled slightly as she bit down on her lower lip. The lingering doubt coiled deep within her heart finally surfaced: Had she made a mistake?

No, she hadn’t.

As Xie Yunfan had said, their engagement was common knowledge throughout the Heavenly Origin Realm. Yun Xiao, who wasn’t a recluse living in the mountains, couldn’t possibly be unaware of it.

Perhaps Yun Xiao had never seen her before and didn’t recognize her. But after she revealed her name, Yun Xiao should have remembered that she was Xie Yunfan’s fiancée.

Knowing she was the fiancée of his enemy, why would he help her at every turn, even confessing his affection for her?

How absurd! How could anyone not find this suspicious?

The Yun Xiao she remembered wasn’t one to repay evil with kindness; on the contrary, he was someone who always sought revenge.

Moreover, Yun Xiao knew she bore the responsibility of protecting the Azure Cloud Sect. Yet, when faced with personal grudges, he disregarded the lives of the sect’s disciples.

A Tenth-Rank Black Heaven Giant Python, using only half its strength, could have annihilated the Azure Cloud Sect disciples escorting Xie Yunfan.

She didn’t know why the python ultimately spared them, but what if their gamble had failed?

That would have cost nine lives.

“Martial Uncle, the Sect Leader has ordered that you may leave Repentance Cliff.”

Fang Zhiluo’s eyes flickered slightly. Xie Yunfan’s injuries had healed?

Returning to her Cave Abode, she was about to wash up and tidy herself when her Master, Yu Hui, confronted her.

“I’ve warned you repeatedly not to do anything that would tarnish my reputation or endanger the Sect. Why did you still interfere?”

Fang Zhiluo hurriedly turned around, bowed respectfully, and replied, “This disciple acknowledges her error. Please punish me, Master.”

“Those old fools criticize our sect at every turn, blaming our lax discipline for straining relations between the two sects. They completely ignore the contributions you and I have made to the sect. In the end, they still resent my declining cultivation and incurable illness, claiming I’ve wasted the sect’s resources for years.” Yu Hui slammed her hand on the nearby table, her eyes burning with anger and cold fury.

Fang Zhiluo knelt on both knees, her voice heavy with guilt. “Please punish me, Master.”

She had acted without permission by leaving the sect, brought trouble upon the sect, and caused her master to be reprimanded by the other Peak Lords. She dared not offer any defense.

“Stubborn and unyielding. Very well, I’ll grant your wish.” Yu Hui drew the Discipline Whip and lashed it across Fang Zhiluo’s back, again and again.

After only five strikes, bl00d seeped through Fang Zhiluo’s robes, her face as pale as paper.

Yu Hui continued until she had struck thirty times. She finally stopped, showing no concern for the bl00d-soaked back before her. Her voice brooked no argument as she declared, “This must never happen again.”

Fang Zhiluo weakly replied, “Yes.”

Only after Yu Hui had walked far away did she dare let her body collapse.

She remembered the first time her master had whipped her. She had thought that if she fell, he would soften his heart.

She was wrong. Her master showed no mercy, increasing the original thirty lashes to fifty.

From that day on, no matter how much pain she endured, she never allowed herself to fall again.

Upon learning that Fang Zhiluo had emerged from Repentance Cliff, Chu Hui rushed over without stopping, only to find Fang Zhiluo lying on the ground, covered in bl00d.

Fortunately, the protective barrier outside Fang Zhiluo’s Cave Abode didn’t block Chu Hui. She moved Fang Zhiluo to the bed, applied medicine, and used magic to replace her torn Magic Robe.

Still worried, she summoned a disciple from Pill Peak to examine Fang Zhiluo.

That day, after completing her master’s assigned tasks, Chu Hui went to Fang Zhiluo’s Cave Abode.

Seeing Fang Zhiluo sitting up in bed, her eyes lit up with joy. “Martial Aunt Fang, you’re finally awake! You’ve been unconscious for four days now, including today.”

“Grandmaster Yu Hui is truly unreasonable. Knowing you had just come out of Repentance Cliff, she still punished you so severely. If I hadn’t happened to come looking for you, who knows how many days you would have lain on the ground?”

Fang Zhiluo quickly interjected, “Don’t speak carelessly. I committed a wrong and deserved the punishment.”

After coughing twice, she added, “Thank you for taking care of me these past few days.”

Chu Hui’s face remained stiff as she feigned annoyance. “Martial Aunt Fang, you’ve saved my life countless times, yet you never mentioned it. Now that I’ve merely done what any junior should, you’re thanking me? Aren’t you putting me on the spot?”

“It was my fault,” Fang Zhiluo said, noticing the tears welling in Chu Hui’s eyes and quickly changing the subject. “Has anything happened at the Sect in the past year or so?”

Chu Hui walked over to the table and sat down, her lips pursed. “What a nest of vipers! That Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign actually came to Azure Cloud Sect demanding compensation as if it were his due.”

Fang Zhiluo’s face was a mask of astonishment. The Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign was renowned for his immortal demeanor and noble bearing—this behavior was utterly at odds with his reputation.

“Right? Even my Master was stunned,” Chu Hui said, turning to glare at Fang Zhiluo. “Martial Aunt Fang, is Senior Yun really dead?”

“Senior Yun was such a good person. Even if she was that Jade Flood Dragon who injured Xie, Xie was the one who provoked her first,” Chu Hui declared indignantly, refusing to believe Senior Yun was gone or that Martial Aunt Fang was complicit in her death.

The thought brought the question she had been suppressing to her lips: “Martial Aunt Fang, why? Why did you treat Senior Yun that way?”

Fang Zhiluo turned away, his hand clenching into a fist beneath the blanket. “I have made my decision on this matter. If there’s nothing else, you may leave now.”

Hearing this, Chu Hui swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and rose to leave.

“She deliberately released the Black Heaven Giant Python to pursue you.”

Chu Hui froze, turning back in disbelief. “Could there be some misunderstanding? How could Senior Yun—”

“She confessed it herself.”

Chu Hui didn’t remember how she left. The person she had most admired had actually sent the Black Heaven Giant Python after them?

Their group, aside from the injured Xie Yunfan, contained only one Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivator. Even if they fought with their lives on the line, they stood no chance against the Black Heaven Giant Python.

Bai Mofeng approached Law Peak and spotted Chu Hui from afar. He hurried over, noticing her dazed expression. “Has Martial Aunt Fang’s condition worsened?” he asked anxiously.

Chu Hui shook her head slowly.

“What happened?”

Chu Hui lowered her head, remaining silent for a long moment. “Senior Yun deliberately released the Black Heaven Giant Python,” she finally said hesitantly. “She wanted to use it to kill the Xie man.”

Bai Mofeng’s face showed only a fleeting flicker of surprise before returning to its usual calm. Frustrated, Chu Hui snapped, “Senior Brother, why are you so calm? We trusted Senior Yun so much, and yet she—”

Bai Mofeng interrupted Chu Hui before she could finish her sentence. “Junior Sister, if it weren’t for Senior Yun, we’d all be dead.”

“But Senior Yun was clearly always there.”

“Didn’t the Black Heaven Giant Python ultimately spare us?” Bai Mofeng turned to gaze into the distance, his voice calm. “From Senior Yun’s perspective, her choices were justified. She simply overestimated our reaction speed and underestimated the depths of Junior Martial Ancestor Xie’s depravity.”

“She not only stopped the Tenth-Rank Azure Bull Beast earlier, but she also helped us find so many High-Grade Spirit Herbs. The Black Heaven Giant Python was also Tenth-Rank, and with Martial Aunt Fang’s assistance, it shouldn’t have—”

Bai Mofeng cut her off sharply. “Junior Sister, don’t forget the cultivation restrictions within the Ancient Secret Realm. Without undergoing the Lightning Tribulation, one cannot be considered a true Divine Transformation Cultivator.”

He shifted his tone. “Tenth-Tier Demonic Beasts aren’t all equal in strength. Junior Martial Ancestor Xie’s injuries prove that. Remember, Senior Yun is merely an acquaintance. If not for her connection to Martial Aunt Fang, I would have already succumbed to the Ink Serpent’s poison.”

His final words struck Chu Hui like a thunderbolt.

He’s right. They were just acquaintances. She couldn’t expect Senior Yun to prioritize them above all else simply because she had helped them repeatedly.

Shame flushed her ears and face, and the resentment in her heart dissipated completely.

The thought of Yun Xiao’s death tightened her heart again. She murmured to herself, “Something’s not right. If you can understand this, how could Martial Aunt Fang not?”

“Martial Aunt Fang was too harsh on Senior Yun,” Bai Mofeng replied. From the moment she decided to bring Junior Martial Ancestor Xie along, she must have known the Black Heaven Giant Python would pursue them. While this was partly out of necessity, wasn’t it also because of the confidence Senior Yun had given her?

Bai Mofeng kept these last two sentences to himself. Martial Aunt Fang needed to realize these things on her own. He hoped she wouldn’t regret her actions.

Time flowed swiftly within the Small World. Yun Xiao, free from cultivation bottlenecks, advanced steadily in her cultivation.

As a Small World, it naturally possessed a Heavenly Dao. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to cultivate so diligently, lest she face death under the Lightning Tribulation upon leaving.

She once took out the hourglass she had brought from the Heavenly Origin Realm, only to confirm her suspicions: time flowed differently here. She had no way of knowing how many years had passed in the Heavenly Origin Realm. All she knew was that her cultivation had reached the late Tribulation Transcendence stage, and she was even on the verge of breaking through to the peak.

The White Dragon had grown several times larger, sprouted a pair of small horns, and could now speak human language. She named him Cangwu.

Dragons also existed within the Small World, but their bloodlines were far less pure than Cangwu’s. As a result, Cangwu was revered as an honored guest by the demon cultivators here.

Yun Xiao had once asked the Demon Cultivator Clan Leader how to leave this place, but he shook his head, explaining that the teleportation array to the outside world was broken. To escape, she would either need to repair the array or cultivate to Tribulation Transcendence, allowing her to tear through the Barrier.

“Elder Sister, do you really want to return to the Heavenly Origin Realm? What’s so good about that place? They all want to kill you,” Cangwu asked, tilting his head in his transformed form as a little girl, genuinely puzzled.

Yun Xiao reached out and ruffled Cangwu’s hair, countering with a question: “If someone hit you, wouldn’t you want to hit them back even harder? Besides, my enemies are there. Only by slaying him with my sword can I settle this karmic debt.”

“Is karma really that important?”

Yun Xiao stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her posture as straight as a pine tree, radiating a quiet yet formidable aura. Her alluring features remained unchanged as her crimson lips parted slightly. “I didn’t think so at first, but the further I cultivate, the more I feel the weight of karma. Unless I settle this debt, I can’t ascend to the Upper Realm.”

Cangwu stood up. “Then I’ll go with you.”

Yun Xiao smiled and agreed. If not for Cangwu, she might have truly reunited with her original body’s mother.

After so many years apart, Yun Xiao wondered if Xie Yunfan had ascended and whether they had married.

They must have married, she thought. After all, their engagement had been arranged by the Sect Leaders of both their sects.

She pressed a hand to her chest. Time truly was a great healer. What had once been a source of bitter resentment and pain had now faded into indifference.

Leaving a generous supply of Medicinal Pills for the Clan Leader, Yun Xiao led Cangwu to the weakest point in the Barrier.

Gathering her Spiritual Power, she forcefully tore open a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Cangwu didn’t hesitate, diving headfirst into the opening.

Yun Xiao followed closely behind.

As their figures vanished through the Barrier, a Demon Cultivator named Mo Yu asked anxiously, “Clan Leader, if they bring outsiders back, how should we respond?”

The Clan Leader shook his head with a smile. “The Demon God once said that this realm drifts unpredictably, and only those with destiny may enter.”

“Then we must be even more vigilant! They’ve already breached the Barrier.”

“Not so. Their entry is both their destiny and ours. A thousand years ago, the High Priest prophesied that within the next millennium, individuals blessed with profound fortune would visit our realm. We must treat them with utmost respect and avoid creating any enmity.”

“Clan Leader, I don’t understand.”

“Yun Xiao’s Pill Refinement techniques differ from those of this realm. After discussing them with her, Pill Refiners have gained significant insights. Moreover, the Medicinal Pills she crafts possess exceptionally pure Spiritual Power and are entirely free of Pill Toxin. Those who have consumed them all praise their efficacy. As for whether they can return, that depends entirely on whether her karmic ties to this place have been severed.”

The moment the two women crossed the Barrier, they were greeted by pitch darkness.

Cangwu exhaled a ball of fire the size of a basin, which gradually shrank until it became a red sesame seed and vanished before their eyes.

He turned to Yun Xiao, pouting, “Elder Sister, this place is so vast. How long will it take us to find our way out?”

Hearing a faint rustling sound, Yun Xiao gestured for Cangwu to be quiet.

When the noise subsided, she suggested, “This place is too eerie. Come onto my wrist, and I’ll take you out.”

In the blink of an eye, a white bracelet appeared on her wrist.

Unlike the thin, dull band from when he first hatched, this one was thick and gleaming.

Releasing a subtle pressure, Yun Xiao held up the oil lamp for illumination and activated the Instantaneous Shift Technique, teleporting forward.

With her current cultivation level, Yun Xiao could use the Instantaneous Shift Technique to travel 50,000 kilometers in a single use, but she could only cast it three times a day.

Five days later, she finally glimpsed a faint light in the distance.

After gulping down some Spirit Spring, she charged toward the source of the light in one breath.

But all she saw was desert.

Cangwu raised his head and transmitted telepathically, “Elder Sister, could you have gone the wrong way?”

Yun Xiao froze, then stubbornly retorted, “If we cross this desert, we’ll definitely find people.”

The boundless sea slapped Yun Xiao hard with reality, rekindling her suspicion that the Clan Leader, that cunning old cultivator, had known all along but kept silent.

Calculating the time, she realized she’d been using Instantaneous Shift to travel for a month, covering 50,000 kilometers a day—a total of 1.5 million kilometers.

What kind of Broken Cliff is 1.5 million kilometers deep?!

After another round of mental cursing, Yun Xiao casually grabbed a Sea Glider to use as a boat.

When the mood struck, she’d transform into her true form and swim in the sea. When frustration boiled over, she’d mercilessly punish any oblivious sea beast that dared to bump into her.

Just as she was about to beat the Sea Glider senseless, she spotted a ship.

Pulling a bottle of Top-Grade Spring Return Pills from her Storage Pouch, Yun Xiao tossed it to the Sea Glider and instantly shifted toward the approaching vessel.

This time, she succeeded, reaching the shore after only two Instantaneous Shifts.

Casting a Dust Cleansing Spell on herself, Yun Xiao strolled leisurely into the city and headed straight for its most bustling Flower Pavilion.

Unlike the Flower Pavilions she’d seen in dramas, this establishment offered only music and drinks.

With a grand wave of her hand, Yun Xiao summoned the Courtesan Leader and requested a private chamber.

The melodious zither music failed to capture her attention. Instead, the heated argument erupting in the main hall piqued her interest.

She raised her hand, silencing the zither music and allowing the hall’s conversation to drift into her chamber.

“I’m not making this up! Five hundred years ago, the Heavenly Evolution Sect’s Xie Yunfan was widely known as a hypocrite!”

“Who knows if someone was just jealous and fabricated those rumors to slander him?”

“Fine, let’s forget about five hundred years ago. What about the recent Dreamcloud Mountain Relic Estate incident? We, the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, discovered it first, so we deserve a share. But he led the Heavenly Evolution Sect disciples, used his superior cultivation to push us aside, and claimed everything for himself!”

“In the Heavenly Origin Realm, the strong rule. Who told you to have weaker cultivation?”

“I can’t beat Xie Yunfan, but I’m not afraid of you, you little punk.”

The shopkeeper hurried forward, smiling conciliatorily. “Gentlemen, harmony brings wealth. How about we cover your expenses at the Flower Pavilion today?”

“I’m no fool or barbarian. This is for the wine.”

“Who are you calling a barbarian? I’ll kill you!”

As the two men left, Yun Xiao awkwardly withdrew her gaze. Five hundred years had already passed.

The Courtesan Leader glided over, her voice like a nightingale’s. “The Immortal is interested in Immortal Xie Jie.”

No longer the Yun Xiao of five centuries ago, she had learned to conceal her emotions. She regarded the woman before her with a half-smile. “Rumor has it that the merfolk’s songs are heavenly. Would I have the honor of hearing a melody today?”

The Courtesan Leader possessed a captivating allure. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her tearful expression was even more pitiful than a delicate white flower.

Yun Xiao suppressed her smile and rose. “Fine, if you don’t want to sing, don’t. Anyone would think I was forcing you.” With that, she strode away.

She wanted to visit the Dreamcloud Mountain Relic Estate mentioned by the rogue cultivator, not for any particular reason, but purely to annoy Xie Yunfan.

The moment she fell off the Broken Cliff five hundred years ago, she knew her attack wouldn’t kill Xie Yunfan, but it would shatter his Dantian.

With the Cloud Splendor Sword Sovereign and his ever-present grandfather by his side, Xie Yunfan’s Dantian would undoubtedly be restored—it was only a matter of time.

In the Heavenly Origin Realm, Tribulation Transcendence cultivators were known as Tribulation Immortals.

The Courtesan Leader had just referred to Xie Yunfan as a Tribulation Immortal, confirming that he had reached the Tribulation Transcendence stage. The question remained: was he a recent initiate, or had he reached the same level as her?

When Yun Xiao didn’t take the bait, the Courtesan Leader lost interest. She immediately stopped crying, crossed her arms, and said, “Take me away from here, and I’ll sing for you every day.”

Cangwu, who had been coiled around Yun Xiao’s arm, transformed into human form and looked up at the Courtesan Leader. “Sing first. If you sing well, I’ll take you away.”

The Courtesan Leader’s eyes sparkled like stars. “Would the little immortal please set up a barrier?”

With a wave of her hand, Cangwu erected a barrier.

Surprised but true to her word, the Courtesan Leader returned to the zither. The music flowed like mountain streams, accompanied by a voice that was both plaintive and captivating. Even Yun Xiao, a layman in music, found it deeply moving, let alone Cangwu, the White Dragon who loved to listen to songs.

At Cangwu’s urging, Yun Xiao summoned the shopkeeper. “How many Spirit Stones to redeem her?”

The shopkeeper wore a troubled expression. “She’s our Flower Pavilion’s Courtesan Leader. If she leaves, what will become of our establishment?”

Yun Xiao raised a hand to interrupt. “You have more than one Courtesan Leader here.”

The shopkeeper glared at the Courtesan Leader before flashing a fawning smile and holding up five fingers. “Five thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.”

Yun Xiao rose to leave immediately.

She wasn’t short on Spirit Stones, but she refused to be ripped off.

“Three thousand,” the shopkeeper quickly explained. “Immortal, you may not know, but she drinks over a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones worth of wine here daily. Here’s the ledger for your review.”

Yun Xiao took the ledger and scanned it. Good heavens! The debt totaled two thousand eight hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones.

So this was a wine-loving mermaid.

Fine, Cangwu liked her.

After paying the Spirit Stones and retrieving the contract, Yun Xiao, wearing the White Dragon on her wrist and carrying the mermaid over her shoulder, instantly shifted to the Dreamcloud Mountain Relic Estate.

The four major sects had gathered here, with no sign of other sects. No wonder the rogue cultivator had been so indignant.

“Who are you?”

Yun Xiao made no attempt to conceal her presence and remained unfazed by being discovered. She turned toward the voice and replied, “I’ve seen you before, outside the Ancient Secret Realm five hundred years ago.”