Exposing Oneself to Danger

In the evening, Lin Zhiyue compiled the information and thoughts she had gathered into a message talisman and sent it to Ye Qingwu.

The spiritual light flew out of the window and vanished into the night. She sat by the window waiting for a moment, but when she did not receive an immediate reply, she got up and went to the kitchen to boil a pot of water.

The other three were still sitting in the courtyard, not yet dispersed. Liu Fengyao was slumped over the table, idly spinning her teacup.

About half an hour later, a green spiritual light seeped through the crack of the window, landing on the table and unfolding into a brief reply. Ye Qingwu's handwriting was neat and sharp: “I have reviewed the map. The method you proposed is too risky; do not use it unless absolutely necessary. Continue investigating and await my orders.”

Lin Zhiyue finished reading the letter and folded it up without a word. She walked out of the room, and the others could tell what was written just by looking at her expression. Cen Xi'er put down her thin booklet and asked, “What did the elder say?”

Lin Zhiyue shook her head, folding the letter and slipping it into her sleeve. “She won't let us. She said it's too risky and told us to continue investigating and wait for orders.”

The courtyard fell silent for a moment. Liu Fengyao set down her teacup and muttered, “We've already been investigating for so many days. If we keep this up, they'll have moved on by the New Year.”

Lin Zhiyue leaned back in her chair and remained silent.

Over the past few days, they had tried to tail that group. They recognized the lookouts at the entrance of Qibao Pavilion, but those people had regular shifts and organized concealment. After being shaken off once during a tailing attempt, she hadn't tried a second time.

They had also considered capturing one alive, but even Cen Xi'er couldn't discern the depth of their cultivation—they were either above the late-stage Golden Core Stage or possessed concealment artifacts.

The group didn't dare to gamble. If their strike failed and alerted the others, the four of them might not be able to handle the consequences.

These people were just like modern human traffickers, extremely vigilant; at the slightest sign of trouble, they would likely flee immediately.

Who knew how long they would have to wait if they kept waiting, while the missing children and cultivators could turn up in new locations every day.

She knew in her heart that the most direct method was to have someone voluntarily expose themselves to be taken by the enemy, using the opportunity to locate their lair.

As long as the person inside could transmit their location, those on the outside could sweep them up in one net. This method carried risks, but it was indeed the fastest path at present.

“I'll go,” Jiang Yuezhan's voice came over.

He was sitting near the door and hadn't spoken much since entering. Now, he looked up at Lin Zhiyue, his tone as flat as if he were discussing a mundane matter. “I am at late-stage Foundation Establishment, the lowest cultivation among us, so they won't suspect me. They specifically target low-grade cultivators, and I fit the criteria.”

Lin Zhiyue immediately shook her head. “I'll go. I—”

“Senior Sister,” Jiang Yuezhan interrupted her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, his tone completely flat. “You are at mid-stage Golden Core. They won't take that risk.”

Lin Zhiyue was left speechless by his words.

And it was indeed the truth. The people in the shadows had never made a move, perhaps because they had sized up the group's cultivation and didn't dare act rashly—or perhaps, the one they had been targeting from the very beginning was Jiang Yuezhan.

She indeed had many life-saving measures—Mist-shrouded Steps from Mist-shrouded Verdure, Jinyao Fairy's koi-fish constitution, Drifting Green Gauze Everywhere from Flowing Green Satin, Sifang Courtyard, and the Soul Jade Plaque. If she truly encountered danger, she had at least four or five ways to escape.

But Jiang Yuezhan was right. A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator indeed didn't look like a target worth risking capture for in the eyes of demonic cultivators. Those they currently targeted were all at the Foundation Establishment Stage or even the Qi Refining Stage—easy prey.

She opened her mouth to say something more, but looking into Jiang Yuezhan's quiet eyes, she realized she truly couldn't find a reason to convince him otherwise.

He was indeed the most suitable candidate for this plan—the lowest cultivation, the youngest, with no traits that would make anyone suspect a trap.

She fell silent for a moment, her fingers hanging at her side tightening slightly around her sleeve before releasing.

She swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue and nodded, no longer trying to persuade him.

Cen Xi'er looked at Lin Zhiyue, then at Jiang Yuezhan. She closed her thin booklet, tucked it back into her sleeve, and said nothing.

The group sat in silence for a while as the shadows of the lanterns outside flickered against the paper window.

Jiang Yuezhan said he would go, and she had agreed. But she didn't plan on doing nothing and just waiting. If something truly went wrong, she had to make sure the backup plan was completely foolproof before letting him step into the trap.

Elder Qingwu arrived the following night.

Lin Zhiyue was sitting by the window flipping through the map when she heard extremely light footsteps outside the courtyard gate. Looking up, she saw a light green figure walking in from the night.

Ye Qingwu was not wearing her official sect elder attire, having changed into a dark green casual robe.

She entered the room without exchanging pleasantries. Her gaze first swept over the few people in the room before resting on Jiang Yuezhan.

Lin Zhiyue briefly recounted the plan they had discussed the previous night.

After listening, Qingwu fell silent for a moment. When she spoke, her tone was a bit heavier than usual, carrying a clear note of refusal: “This plan is too risky. There are too many uncertain factors. We don't know how many people they have, what traps they've set, or if there are restrictions inside that isolate sound transmission—we know none of this. I do not agree.”

Jiang Yuezhan sat near the door and did not argue.

He waited for Ye Qingwu to finish, his voice steady when he spoke: “Elder, we have already stayed in the city for many days. All clues point to that area in the west. We have done everything we can. If we drag this out any longer, another person could go missing every day.”

Ye Qingwu's brow furrowed slightly.

“Another child went missing yesterday,” Jiang Yuezhan added, his voice still flat. “Supposedly, it happened when they got up in the middle of the night, taking less than half a quarter of an hour from start to finish.”

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Ye Qingwu stood by the table, her gaze falling on the map spread across it. Only after a long while did she speak, her voice slightly lower than before, carrying a flattened trace of exhaustion: “I consulted ancient texts. Draining essence and blood, gouging out spiritual roots, shattering meridians... abducting children with spiritual roots. These methods align with the Nine-Turn Spirit-Sustaining Array recorded in banned books. If it truly is that array, it's not certain whether the opponent is a pure demonic cultivator or a rogue cultivator who has mastered heretical arts.” She paused here, raising her hand to rub her temples. “You have a point. Dragging this out is indeed not a solution.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ye Qingwu lowered her hand and glanced at Jiang Yuezhan, no longer uttering any words of refusal.

Her silence was already a form of permission.

Lin Zhiyue took out a Wandering Dragon Pendant from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and slid it toward Jiang Yuezhan. The jade pendant was entirely bluish-green, its surface carved with winding dragon patterns, gleaming with a warm luster under the lamplight.

“This jade pendant can hold living things, and I have placed my spirit beast, Honghong, inside. If anything goes wrong, she will bring you out—she has the ability to conceal herself. If those people don't discover the pendant, just keep it hidden on you; I will be able to sense its location.”

Jiang Yuezhan took the jade pendant, looking down at the bluish-green ring carved with dragon patterns, and then hung it at the most concealed spot on his waist.

Meeting Lin Zhiyue's gaze, he nodded and said, “Understood.”

Ye Qingwu watched him tie the pendant from the side, asking no questions about its origin. She waited until Jiang Yuezhan looked up before speaking, her tone returning to its usual steady composure: “Be extremely careful tomorrow. We will follow from afar, keeping a distance that won't be detected. If you are taken, do not force yourself if anything happens inside; prioritize keeping yourself safe first.”

Jiang Yuezhan gave a sound of acknowledgment.

Having finished speaking, Ye Qingwu did not linger. She turned and walked out the door, her figure vanishing into the night.

Jiang Yuezhan stood up, saying in his usual tone, “I'm going back to prepare,” and then turned to head back to his room.

Only Lin Zhiyue was left in the room. She stood by the table, looking down at the blank area on the map. It was a long while before she finally blew out the oil lamp.