Chapter 168: Seeing Cui Yurong Again

Her voice was extremely faint, yet in Ruan Xing's mind, it was like clouds parting to reveal the moon, bringing a person to mind.

It had been so long that she couldn't even recall the name, and could only search for it within her long and complex memories.

Cui Yurong.

A complex expression flashed through Ruan Xing's eyes.

A Golden Core Cultivator beside the Study Master, who seemed to be the main contributor to capturing Cui Yurong this time, proposed at this moment: "Study Master, continuing like this is not a solution. I caught her at the mass grave outside Huaining City. Since she must have been a Huaining native before falling into a Ghost Cultivator, why not call over some disciples who joined the Inner Sect in recent years to see if they recognize her?"

Another Cultivator said: "That is also a way. The most recent batch of disciples joined three years ago, and by now they are all roughly at the Foundation Establishment stage. Since they happen to be here, let's call them over to take a look together."

The old man with the whisk had a calm expression and spoke softly, "Sun Xian, you go. This group of people was brought out of the Xumi Realm by you, so there shouldn't be any omissions. Bring the Outer Sect stragglers who came with them at the time as well."

"Yes."

From a dark corner, a somewhat familiar figure emerged.

Ruan Xing could not help but clench her hand inside her sleeve into a fist.

This was the National Preceptor who had crushed her like an ant back then.

At this moment, he was bowing his head respectfully and humbly, listening to the old man with the whisk's instructions, and hurried out of the dungeon.

Before long, he brought in several dozen people, Inner Sect Disciples in front and Outer Sect Disciples behind, all with uneasy expressions on their faces.

This dungeon instantly felt much more crowded, though no one dared to approach the area beside the Study Master or the center of the circle where the canopy was.

"Are they all here?" the old man with the whisk asked.

Sun Xian nodded, "Except for a few mortal servants in the Outer Sect without Spirit Bones who left the mountain, the rest are all here."

The Six Suns Study did not forbid mortals without Spirit Bones from leaving the Sect. In any case, with the restrictions of the Xumi Realm upon them and being unable to cultivate themselves, a person would likely not live long staying in the world of Cultivation alone, and leaving them behind was of no use to the Sect, merely wasting food and space.

Although they needed these people now, they did not force everyone to be gathered; after all, it had been three years, and perhaps those who chose to leave the mountain had already run off to who knows where, or were already dead.

"Hmm, then have them all come over to identify her." The old man with the whisk waved his hand, removing the canopy covering the black-clad woman.

By the light of the Long-lasting Lamp, they peered through the messy hair to identify that pale, white face.

Cai Wen stood at the edge of the first row with his head lowered and eyes submissive. According to the timeline of the last simulation, he should be meeting with Ruan Xing in the town right now, but since Ruan Xing did not contact him this time, he was also completely confused and didn't understand the situation.

However, since the Study Master and the Elder asked for this woman to be identified, Cai Wen also did his best to observe her carefully.

It seemed there was some familiarity in the brows and eyes... but he couldn't quite recognize her. Cai Wen began to ponder: had he ever seen such a young woman in the Xumi Realm? Ever since Nannan went missing, he had barely stepped out of his house. After returning to the Capital with Nannan, he had only entered the palace twice and rarely went out. Where could he have seen this person?

"I remember!" an Inner Sect servant suddenly clapped his hands and shouted, "This person... this person is the daughter of a merchant in Huaining City. She once inquired about donating silver at the master's mansion. It seems her surname is Cui!"

"Good, reward him!" the old man with the whisk said.

Sun Xian immediately took ten Low-grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and gave them to the Inner Sect servant. A look of wild joy appeared on the man's face, but he racked his brains and could not recall any further information.

Thus, a bright idea struck him, "Our master might know."

Cai Wen's heart sank, and everyone looked over following the servant's gaze.

This servant... was originally brought by him to take care of Cai Jiao, but after Cai Jiao left the mountain, he had dismissed all the servants.

No matter how turbulent his inner thoughts were, Cai Wen looked at the woman's appearance again carefully and shook his head, saying: "Forgive me, Elder, I truly do not remember this person. When I first obtained the quota for the National Teacher Palace to practice the Dao, countless people came to me to donate silver. Since I have no impression of her, I likely did not accept her silver."

Cai Wen's teacher stood behind the old man with the whisk and gave a faint laugh, "Is that so? Your servant remembers, but you don't?"

Cai Wen could only lower his head, feeling miserable inside.

He really didn't remember! In order to gain the Sect's trust and access more affairs and information, he had been working hard. How could he possibly hide anything, except for matters concerning Ruan Xing and Nannan?

He only worried that this matter would affect his teacher's mood and prevent him from helping with affairs.

However, he was soon liberated.

Because under a heavy reward, another Inner Sect servant offered a bit of information, "If we are talking about merchants, there is indeed a family surnamed Cui among the few Imperial Merchants in the Xumi Realm."

With just this one sentence, he also received the Elder's reward and was instantly overjoyed.

Cai Wen also let go of his tense heart and breathed a sigh of relief.

His teacher, however, looked at him with some dissatisfaction and said nothing more.

The old man with the whisk said: "This information is enough. Sun Xian, you and..."

He looked at the circle of people standing around and continued: "You and Chen Donghao go into the Xumi Realm to investigate this woman's background clearly, especially who she has had close contact with in recent years. This might be the breakthrough to finding the person spying on the National Teacher Palace."

The Cultivator who had led Ruan Xing and the other into the dungeon immediately bowed with Sun Xian and said: "Disciples obey the order."

With a rustle, the group left the dungeon. Ruan Xing lagged half a step behind, thinking to herself whether she could find an opportunity to avoid others and chat with Cui Yurong; perhaps there were things she could make use of...

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother!" The Confucian-robed Cultivator beside her nudged her shoulder, bringing her back to her senses, "Aren't we supposed to report to the Study Master? The Study Master has already left."

Oh, right.

She had completely forgotten about that.

She hurriedly quickened her pace, wanting to catch up with the Study Master who had already exited the dungeon.

"Junior Brother Li, Junior Brother Li..."

A voice like a soul-calling chant came from behind. Ruan Xing stopped and looked at the Confucian-robed Cultivator beside her, "Are they calling you?"

Because the two of them had walked a step too slowly, only the Cultivator guarding Cui Yurong and the two of them remained in the dungeon.

The Confucian-robed Cultivator looked bewildered, "Senior Brother, are you still in the mood to joke around? My surname isn't Li. Anyway, the Study Master has already left. Senior Brother Cheng might have something to find you for. Why don't you talk to Senior Brother Cheng first, and I'll wait for you above."

Ruan Xing felt completely numb.

So, the one surnamed Li was her!?

Had Chen Donghao called her Jin Fu just now to show intimacy by dropping the surname?

Damn it! Cold sweat was almost pouring down her.

Fortunately, neither of them had any suspicions about her abnormal behavior. Cheng Zijue was the one who had captured Cui Yurong in the Xumi Realm this morning, and he looked somewhat unsettled at this moment.

Ruan Xing told the Confucian-robed Cultivator to wait for her outside the dungeon, turned back, and said to Cheng Zijue: "I am in a rush to report to the Study Master. What do you need me for?"

This person's cultivation level was the same as the identity she was currently using, and she wasn't sure whether to call him Senior Brother or Junior Brother, so she simply skipped the address.

In any case, seeing his distracted appearance, he likely wouldn't notice.

Cheng Zijue sighed, "I'm just feeling panicked inside and wanted to discuss it with you."

It seems Li Jinfu is quite popular in the Six Suns Study; he hasn't even been inside the mountain gate for half a day, and two of his good friends have already appeared.

It's a good thing I didn't choose a Confucian-robed Cultivator when picking a disguise, otherwise I would have missed out on so much information along the way.

Ruan Xing put on an expression of listening intently, "Tell me what the difficulty is, and I'll help you think of a way."

"Actually... just now when the Master of the Study was interrogating that Ghost Cultivator, I suddenly remembered something, but there were too many people around then, so I didn't dare to speak." Cheng Zijue's wrinkled face twisted together, and two tufts of white hair hung down, "The night before last, I accidentally revealed a Magic Art in front of a mortal in the Xumi Realm. I originally intended to kill him to prevent rumors from spreading within the Xumi Realm, but I didn't expect him to have such prosperous official luck, and his Spirit Bone aptitude looked quite good, so I didn't take action."

"Who knew that not only was that mortal not afraid of me, he even wanted me to take him to practice Cultivation. I was feeling troubled because my mission had no leads at the time, and I couldn't kill him, so I could only fob him off by saying that one cannot practice Cultivation until the affairs of the mortal world are finished. He even asked me very seriously if cutting off family ties would be enough to finish the affairs of the mortal world."

"Two days later, I found this Ghost Cultivator who had just undergone Evil Corruption at a mass grave; she was six months pregnant before she died..."

Ruan Xing understood immediately; Cui Yurong had not listened to her advice and had still walked down the old path.

She sighed imperceptibly, "So you think this woman is the wife of the mortal you encountered?"

"I have such a guess, but I dare not be certain," Cheng Zijue said with a worried face. "If that is truly the case, the birth of this Ghost Cultivator is, by some twist of fate, inextricably linked to me. And she has already attained strength comparable to a Golden Core less than two days after her Evil Corruption; how could the Master of the Study spare me?"

"Junior Brother Li, help me calculate this. Can this matter be handled without reporting it to the Master of the Study? If I do report it, how can I minimize the punishment? You were the most skilled at this when you were in the Xumi Realm; how would I, a scholar who writes books in the Cabinet, know these things?"

Ruan Xing thought for a moment and said with some difficulty, "This... not reporting it is definitely not an option. Once Sun Xian and the others return from their investigation, this matter of yours will certainly not be hidden. But as for how to punish you, isn't that just a matter of a single word from the Master of the Study? I actually think you might as well perform meritorious service to atone for your crime."

"How to perform meritorious service? The Master of the Study ordered me to guard this Ghost Cultivator, and I can't get out," Cheng Zijue sighed.

Ruan Xing said in a low voice, "You can start with this Ghost Cultivator. Didn't she stay silent even after being tortured by the Heavenly Fire for a long time? Since she is a tough nut to crack, then you should try a softer approach. She must have suffered a lot before she underwent Evil Corruption; try playing the role of a kind old man and coax her as if she were your granddaughter."

"This... I spent a great deal of effort catching her and bringing her back; it's too late for coaxing now, isn't it? Having beaten her like this, how could she not harbor resentment toward me in her heart?" Cheng Zijue hesitated.

"In that case," Ruan Xing said reluctantly, "How about I do it?"

Cheng Zijue still couldn't quite believe it, "Will it work?"

Ruan Xing spread her hands, "Give it a try. It's just a few words; if it doesn't work, you won't lose anything. If it succeeds, won't you have atoned for your crime with merit?"

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Junior Brother. If it succeeds, I owe you a favor." Cheng Zijue patted her shoulder and said with emotion, "Then I'll go up and avoid her for now, so she doesn't feel even deeper resentment when she sees me."

Having said that, Cheng Zijue went up as well.

Ruan Xing sighed and turned back to the prison cell.

Although the sky screen had been withdrawn, Cui Yurong was still lying there as if dead, motionless, just as she had been when she first arrived; her posture hadn't changed in the slightest.

Ruan Xing walked over, squatted down, and shook the Binding God Rope made of Meteorite Iron on her body, which made a clattering sound.

The sound attracted Cui Yurong's attention, and her eyeballs slowly rotated.

This Six Suns Study really hit the mark by accident; Cui Yurong underwent Evil Corruption on her own, and her ghost body could leave her corpse to act at any time, though it would consume more Yin Qi.

But once this chain capable of binding the Divine Soul was put on, her soul could not leave at will.

"To make a long story short, Cui Yurong, do you want revenge?" Ruan Xing asked in a low voice.

Cui Yurong's wriggling lips stopped, and she looked at Ruan Xing silently without speaking.

It seems communication is still possible; Ruan Xing was truly worried that she would lose her mind, influenced by her obsession and resentment.

After thinking for a moment, Ruan Xing quietly wiped her face and transformed only her appearance for Cui Yurong to see.

Cui Yurong's expression changed instantly, a flash of being moved crossed her eyes, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Benefactor..."

"Shh." Ruan Xing held her index finger to her lips, "Tell me what happened."

Cui Yurong's face was full of remorse, and she choked with sobs, "Miss Ruan, it's not that I didn't listen to your words, but my father felt that there was no one in the imperial court to support us, so he wanted to support one of his own people to become an official. He made me marry a scholar, and then used the wealth of the Cui family to hire famous teachers for him and bribe his superiors. After he passed the imperial examination with high honors, he secured a real position for him and even made him enter the Prime Minister's good graces to become his protégé. I thought the Cui family would have a backer from then on, but I didn't expect that in less than a year, he would reveal his true colors..."

"The Emperor ordered him to manage the Office of Transmission, which had many hidden problems, so he used the Cui family to fill that hole. It made my father so angry that he fell ill and passed away within a few days. I was pregnant and knelt down to beg him, but he used the lives of my younger siblings as a threat... The Emperor was satisfied that he had handled the loose ends of the Office of Transmission cleanly and promoted him. He was afraid that I would go out and talk nonsense, affecting his reputation, so he kept me confined at home to let me nurture the fetus and give birth to the child first."

"But not long after, he suddenly came to my room with a Sword, cut open my stomach, and crushed the already-formed fetus. I begged him to kill me, saying it didn't matter, as long as he let my younger siblings go, but he told me that to leave no future trouble, a great fire had started at the old Cui residence, and my younger siblings had all died miserably in it..."

Her dried-up eyes could not shed tears, but her expression was like crying and laughing at the same time.

"Only then did I know that he had always hated me. He hated that the Cui family treated him as a tool to be manipulated and planned at will; he hated that I relied on the kindness of promotion to make him act humble. But back then, when my father took a fancy to him, he took the initiative to propose marriage, saying he fell in love with me at first sight. Clearly, he was also willing... No one forced him..."

Ruan Xing listened patiently until the end, but without any intention of comforting her, she asked, "And then?"

Cui Yurong's emotions returned to calm, and she said, "When I died, I suddenly remembered the book you told me to memorize, so I kept reciting it in my heart. I don't know how, but after being thrown into the mass grave, I was suddenly able to move. At that time, I was full of hatred and wanted to go back to take revenge for my family, but I met that expert just now on the way back to the city. I couldn't beat him, so I was caught and brought here."

"Do you want revenge?"

Cui Yurong said excitedly, "Of course I do! I wish I could tear his skin and remove his bones, eat his flesh and drink his blood! I wish I could kill everyone who has harmed my family, and I won't even spare the Emperor!"

Her dark blue eyes were full of venom, and the Yin Qi on her body began to run wild uncontrollably, but it was all bound by the Binding God Rope.

With Cui Yurong as a cautionary tale, Ruan Xing finally understood that the bug-like characteristic of Yin Souls is not omnipotent; it only has miraculous effects on low-level Cultivators, but it is powerless when facing high-level Cultivators with means.

It's a good thing she hadn't considered using a Puppet to deal with a Spirit Severing Daoist for the time being.

She said to Cui Yurong in a low voice, "Then you must obediently listen to me, and I will let you go back to take revenge."

"I believe in you, Benefactor. Yurong has no way to repay your kindness. After I take revenge, I will be a beast of burden for you, at your beck and call!"

"Good." Ruan Xing nodded slightly, "First, I need to know, how much of the content in that book have you mastered?"

Cui Yurong thought for a moment and said, "At that time, I only thought of revenge in the mass grave, and those miraculous and strange Magic Arts automatically appeared in my mind. They are all destructive and lethal Magic Arts. The first is the Nether Ghost Fire; it is because I mastered this that the Heavenly Fire from just now only caused me pain, without damaging my foundation. There is also Corpse Poison, Bone-attached Yin Qi, Soul Devouring..."

After listening, Ruan Xing already had a rough idea in her mind.

She knew that once the Nether Ghost Fire touched a soul, it could not be extinguished. The only drawback was that Cui Yurong's Yin Qi was only enough for her to infect a few people's souls.

(End of this chapter)