Having recently received a signal from the direct bloodline, confirming the identity of the Eldest Young Lady, she is currently rushing toward Qinghe County's capital city.
Spiritual Roots: Metal and Fire Dual Spiritual Roots (High-grade)
Cultivation Methods: 《True Insights of the Talisman Dao》 (Earth-grade High-rank), 《Golden Flame Heaven-Burning Art》 (Earth-grade Mid-rank)
Personality: Speaks in a soft, slow voice with a constant smile. Extremely protective of the Shen family's younger generation, but meticulous to a fault when it comes to the Dao of talismans—even a single misplaced stroke means discarding the draft and starting over.
Specialties: Capable of refining Earth-grade talismans, with a minuscule probability of reaching Heaven-grade; excels in ancient talisman restoration and rune analysis; carries over thirty thousand completed talismans of various grades, ranging from Yellow-grade to Earth-grade.
Note: This character possesses complete sentience and emotions. Cannot be resurrected after death. Host, please treat her well.
Shen Qingci looked at the portrait on the Gold Card.
The woman wore a plain-colored long robe, her hair casually held up with a wooden hairpin. She held a half-finished talisman between her fingers, her eyes curved in a gentle smile.
A High-rank Talisman Master at the mid stage of Soul Transformation could not only reliably draw Earth-grade talismans, but also possessed a slim chance of breaking through to Heaven-grade. Furthermore, she carried over thirty thousand completed talismans of all grades, from Yellow-grade to Earth-grade.
With this kind of wealth, she could easily establish a new sect in any province or county of the Southern Region.
Adding Shen Nanxing's artifact-refining skills and Shen Tinglan's array cultivation, the Shen family's top-tier combat power in Qinghe County now formed a perfect iron triangle.
With top-tier figures presiding over the three paths of artifact refining, arrays, and talismans, they had whatever they needed—be it magical artifacts, grand arrays, or talismans.
With a lineup like this, how would the Great Yan Dynasty dare to refuse???
Just having these three sit at the negotiating table would force the other side to re-evaluate what the true foundation of a hidden clan looked like.
She closed the panel, activated the Gold Card on the spot, and immediately sent a transmission to Shen Tinglan:
“Aunt, I have already informed Father and the elders. In addition, a mid-stage Soul Transformation Talisman Master is currently heading toward Qinghe County, expected to arrive in three days.”
“Once she arrives, she will join the negotiations. With the Shen family's layout in Qinghe County combined with her supply of talismans, our bargaining chips will only increase.”
Shen Tinglan replied swiftly: “Very well. I will personally go to the ferry terminal to receive her in three days.”
The last three draws were all white cards. Shen Qingci glanced at them and tossed them aside. She stood up, deactivated the room's restriction, retrieved the 《Southern Region Geographic Gazette》 she had brought from the sect from her storage ring, and flipped to the page on Blood Thorn Ridge.
The book's description was brief: Blood Thorn Ridge was located eight thousand miles southwest of Qinghe County. The terrain was low-lying and blanketed in toxic miasma year-round.
The ridge was overgrown with blood-thorn vines. The backward-curving thorns at the tips of the vines were highly toxic; any cultivator below the Golden Core stage who touched them would lose a layer of skin.
Furthermore, the terrain was intricate and complex, and the miasma could block divine sense. Evil cultivators often entrenched themselves there, specifically targeting rogue cultivators roaming the Southern Region.
Shen Qingci closed the book.
The current plot had already diverged from the original novel along several paths: she would be going along, the Shadow Division secret guards would be protecting them from the shadows, Shadow One had just broken through to the early stage of Soul Transformation, and both her aunt and clan uncle were in Qinghe County, ready to reinforce them at any moment...
With a peak Nascent Soul matching up against an early-stage Soul Transformation, there was a gap of an entire major realm. The odds of victory were high enough.
Even if that old evil cultivator monster had some ultimate life-saving trump card, in the worst-case scenario, as long as a message was sent, her aunt at the early stage of Void Refining would arrive in an instant. A distance of eight thousand miles was but the blink of an eye to a Void Refining cultivator.
She put the book back into her storage ring, extinguished the light, and lay down.
There had been too many trivial matters today, keeping her brain in a state of excitement. Only by sleeping could she calm down and sort out her thoughts.
At least, she could still be close to her senior sister in her dreams.
...
The next day during the Si hour, Shen Qingci changed into a new set of robes.
With a navy-blue base, the waistband was embedded with two lightweight talisman stones. This ensured her robes wouldn't trip her up when running, and made it easy to lift her legs to kick during a fight.
She couldn't be blamed for being cautious. No matter how much she calculated, she still feared any slip-ups—especially with the wretched male lead's bizarre constitution, which brought misfortune to anyone who got close to him.
Ultimately, her life was what mattered most. Only by staying alive would there be room for maneuver.
Pushing open her room door, she found Shen Shun already waiting under the corridor.
Holding a red sandalwood tray with both hands, three items were neatly arranged upon it: two pieces of Earth-grade Low-rank green jade marrow, a box of the Fang family's established brand of spirit-gathering talisman ink inside a spirit-sealing box, and a shortsword.
Shen Qingci picked up the shortsword.
The blade was only one foot and two inches long, slightly longer than a dagger but narrower than a typical shortsword. A soul-locking array was carved onto the spine of the blade, with two diversion runes embedded at the array's core.
This was precisely the modification her senior sister had suggested that day.
She channeled her spiritual energy into it. The blade trembled with a low hum, and the phantoms of three layers of shields flashed across the edge.
This was an Earth-grade Low-rank protective shortsword, capable of withstanding a full-force blow from an early-stage Soul Transformation cultivator.
“My clan uncle is certainly efficient.” Shen Qingci put the items back into her storage ring. “Uncle Shun, thank my clan uncle for me. Also, let him know that my senior sister still has her sect mission, so we will set off today.”
“Leaving today?”
Shen Shun was taken aback. “Eldest Young Lady, why not rest for a few more days? This subordinate can drive the Wind-Treading Steeds to escort you and Fairy Chi, which would make the journey safer and more comfortable.”
“No need. We must keep a low profile on this trip. I also happen to want to verify a few things through this mission, so a grand display would only get in the way.”
Hearing this, Shen Shun did not persuade her further.
“This subordinate understands.” He bowed, then stepped half a pace closer, transmitting his voice: “Fairy Chi is currently practicing her swordplay in the courtyard. I have already dismissed all the maidservants from the inner courtyard. The restriction around the eastern wing has also been set to one-way, so no one can peer in from the outside.”
Shen Qingci raised her eyebrows. As expected, everyone who could climb to the position of a manager was incredibly sharp. Before she had even given the word, Shen Shun had already arranged everything perfectly.
Such people were truly convenient to work with.
She raised her hand and patted Shen Shun's shoulder. “I can rest easy with Uncle Shun handling things.”
Shen Shun's back instantly straightened. Though his expression remained calm, he retreated with a swift and light-footed step.
Shen Qingci passed through the moon gate. Before she even reached the courtyard of the eastern wing, she first heard the sharp sound of a blade tearing through the air.
In the span of a single breath, at least a dozen strikes were executed. The overlapping gusts of sword wind actually sounded like a long, unbroken, clear hum.
She leaned against the stone pillar of the moon gate, in no hurry to enter.
Her senior sister had changed into a form-fitting outfit today, her long hair bound high in a ponytail. She lacked her usual cold detachment, replaced instead by the sharp edge of a swordswoman.
She was practicing the basic sword forms of Wanjian Peak—pointing, stabbing, deflecting, chopping, lifting... Her movements were so swift they left only afterimages.
The Frostchill sword hummed incessantly in her hand, its cry clear and bright. It seemed like an entirely different sword compared to its fawning behavior when it had rubbed against her shoulder the day before yesterday.
Shen Qingci silently labeled Frostchill in her mind: “Double-standard sword.”
Tsk. In Senior Sister's hands, it's a divine weapon of slaughter, but in mine, it turns into a lazy cat rubbing all over me.
I wonder who it learned that from!
Chi Yuan reined in her sword stance. She twirled the Frostchill sword in her palm before sheathing it with crisp efficiency.
She turned around, her gaze passing through the lingering fragments of ice crystals in the courtyard, landing squarely on the moon gate.
“A'Ci.”
Shen Qingci straightened up from the stone pillar and slowly walked into the courtyard. “Senior Sister, why didn't you rest a bit longer? Has the aftereffect of the Jade Dew Brew worn off?”
“It has.”
Chi Yuan hung the Frostchill sword at her waist. After a moment's hesitation, she guessed, “Are we setting off today? Why not spend a few more days catching up with your elders?”
“Mr. Nan and Ancestor Tinglan haven't seen you in years. They must have a lot to say.”
Shen Qingci walked up to her, tilted her head up, and said with absolute sincerity, “Qingci missed Senior Sister.”
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