Chapter 313

Tao Ji frowned, looking at Chun Qin with clear displeasure.

Chun Qin ignored him and continued leaning against Xuanmiao.

Xuanmiao glanced at her indifferently; Chun Qin's body stiffened, then she forced a nervous laugh, sat upright, and cooed, "Master Xuanmiao never visits without reason—what is it you wish to ask?"

Xuanmiao: "What new rumors have been circulating in the Jianghu lately?"

"You ask too broadly," Chun Qin said. "The Jianghu is vast—new rumors arise every day. What exactly are you looking for?"

The waiter brought wine and dishes, lifted the wine pot to pour for Xuanmiao, but Xuanmiao seized his wrist.

The waiter looked up at Chun Qin, then lowered his eyes, released the pot, and stepped back.

Xuanmiao picked up the pot, poured Chun Qin a cup, then poured herself one—but did not drink. "You know what I'm asking about."

Chun Qin glanced at the cup pushed before her, then suddenly smiled. "Are you asking about the lightning strike in Yushan County, Jiangxi, some time ago?"

Xuanmiao said nothing.

Chun Qin knew she'd guessed right; she slumped against Xuanmiao and murmured, "I've heard rumors—some say Master Wang of Mount Sanqing has advanced further, reaching the Grand Master realm; others say it's you, Master Xuanmiao, breaking through your limits, leaving the mortal world behind and formally entering the Dao…"

Chun Qin rested against Xuanmiao's shoulder, eyes fixed on her face. Seeing no change in expression, she suddenly smiled. "Some even say it was your junior sister, the new prodigy of Mount Sanqing, Pan Tiancai—she surpassed you, leaving the mortal world first."

Xuanmiao turned her wine cup. "Pan Tiancai?"

"Yes. That's what everyone in the Jianghu is saying."

Xuanmiao asked: "What does your Qianxi Lodge know?"

Chun Qin glanced at the silver ingot on the table, then lightly tapped Xuanmiao's arm and whispered, "Master, news about Mount Sanqing's young prodigy isn't worth just one silver ingot."

Tao Ji couldn't help speaking: "Do we need to buy news about our junior sister from you? We only want to know what the Jianghu is saying about her—and what kind of rumors your Qianxi Lodge sells."

Chun Qin lowered her eyes, her pupils flickered, then she smiled. "Last month, something strange happened in Anren County, Raozhou: the miserly, exploitative Old Man Huang suddenly became generous—he voluntarily lowered next year's rent for his tenants, cut this year's grain storage by more than half, and set up two porridge stalls in town. The porridge was so thin you could see your face in it—but he did do good."

"Stranger still: few tenants thanked Old Man Huang. Instead, they quietly erected a long-life tablet for a female Daoist named Pan Sanzhu."

Xuanmiao: …

Tao Ji: …

Without thinking, this person had to be Pan Yun.

Chun Qin's gaze shifted; Xuanmiao remained as coldly expressionless as ever, while Tao Ji's face was blank, lost in thought.

She wasn't disappointed. She leaned closer against Xuanmiao, smiling. "Coincidentally, not long after, another Pan Sanzhu appeared in Quanzhou—a heroic figure who rid the region of bandits, beloved by the locals."

"This Third Bamboo Daoist was accompanied by two junior disciples: your Mount Sanqing's young prodigy Pan Yun, and two Miaozhi disciples named Seeing Miao Zhen and Seeing Miao He."

"We at Qianxi Lodge have confirmed this. But we're uncertain: is the Pan Sanzhu from Anren County—the one with white temples, said to be nearly a hundred years old—the same person as the one in Quanzhou?"

Xuanmiao lifted her eyelids and asked, expressionless: "What do you think?"

"I think?" Chun Qin draped her hand over Xuanmiao's shoulder, rested her chin on it, and whispered into her ear, "I think she is."

Xuanmiao stared at her steadily.

Chun Qin held her gaze for a long moment, then deliberately looked away, tilting her head and cooing, "Of course, if Master says she isn't, then she isn't."

Tao Ji looked at Xuanmiao. He knew that whether buying or intercepting rumors, money had to be spent.

But the problem was—they had very little money now.

Perhaps they should go to Quanzhou first and earn those five thousand taels from Old Man Liu.

Xuanmiao lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, then looked up. "How much would your Qianxi Lodge pay for verified information?"

Tao Ji's eyes widened; Chun Qin nearly slipped into Xuanmiao's lap from surprise.

Xuanmiao steadied her shoulder and pushed her upright, frowning. "Sit straight. If you lean on me like a boneless rag again, I won't mind pulling your bones out."

Chun Qin sat upright, twisting her handkerchief, then said: "If Master's information is verified, Qianxi Lodge will pay one thousand taels."

Xuanmiao's lips curled slightly. "Didn't know my junior sister was so valuable."

Chun Qin smiled. "If she were just a Mount Sanqing disciple, the news would be worth ten taels or less. But a prodigy praised by Master Wang, a prodigy you forcibly dragged back to the mountain from Kaifeng—worth a hundred taels. And if she's the youngest ever to enter the Dao? A thousand taels is fair. If Master offers more than mere confirmation—if you reveal details—then even more can be negotiated."

Xuanmiao turned her cup. "Like what?"

"Like the true identity and origins of this Pan Daoist. Like her cultivation method—and… her weaknesses."

Xuanmiao: "How much is her weakness worth?"

Chun Qin: "If she truly is the one behind the lightning strike in Yushan County, her weakness is worth this."

Chun Qin held up one finger.

Xuanmiao stared at her finger. "Ten thousand taels?"

Chun Qin's finger trembled slightly, but she nodded. "Yes. If it's true, it's worth that much."

Xuanmiao raised her cup toward her, lips curling. "Deal."

Tao Ji opened his mouth wide, then quickly closed it. He wanted to speak, hesitated, but stayed silent, listening quietly to Xuanmiao.

Chun Qin invited Xuanmiao upstairs.

As soon as the door shut, the eyes on the first and second floors withdrew their half-noticeable glances. After scanning the room and exchanging glances, they quickly looked away. As soon as the door closed, Xuanmiao said: "Your business today will be excellent."

Chun Qin smiled. "That's thanks to Master."

Xuanmiao: "As long as you pay promptly."

Two others were in the room—one to ask questions, one to record.

Chun Qin glanced at them; they immediately gestured for Xuanmiao and Tao Ji to sit. "You two, the lightning strike in Yushan County…"

Xuanmiao: "It was indeed my junior sister, Pan Yun, undergoing Tribulation Crossing. She has now reached the First Marquis Realm and formally entered the Dao."

Both the questioner and the recorder's eyes lit up; Chun Qin's face glowed with excitement.

Rumors had long circulated in the Jianghu, but no verified details had emerged. Qianxi Lodge had spent heavily to find survivors of that night—but their spies had barely begun asking when the witnesses fled like dogs were chasing them, refusing to speak a word.

Survivors: … After barely surviving, they finally relaxed—then heard Xuanmiao's name. Who the hell would stay?

Xuanmiao had once sworn she would hunt them to the ends of the earth.

!. Read

Although they've all been safe recently and no one has come after them, who knows what the future holds?

That Master Xuanmiao's tracking arts are quite formidable.

That Master Xuanmiao is famously one to hold grudges. Back then, when he said he'd take revenge, even if a year had passed and his own serious injuries had yet to heal, he would still go and take it.

The jianghu has a long memory of his grudge-holding.

They're afraid…

They wish they could erase every trace of that night, and would never tell anyone they were involved. So how could Qianxi Lou's spies possibly pick up any information?

At least for now they haven't let their guard down, so although the jianghu has been full of speculation about that night, few have hit the mark.

Now, the person involved has finally come forward to spill the beans in person.

The recorder scribbled it all down.

The questioner was about to open his mouth to ask when Master Xuanmiao suddenly said, "Do you want to know the specifics of that night? Who took part, who died, who walked away alive."

The Qianxi Lou men's eyes lit up, and they hurriedly said, "We would be glad to hear the details."

Master Xuanmiao: "One thousand taels."

The Qianxi Lou men exchanged a glance, then looked at Chunqin. Chunqin leaned to one side, dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, seemingly unwilling to take part in their decision.

The two Qianxi Lou men laughed and said, "That price… five hundred taels."

Master Xuanmiao looked at them coolly. "Didn't Chunqin tell you I don't bargain?"

The Qianxi Lou men stiffened, then finally nodded. "Fine, one thousand taels."

Master Xuanmiao then turned to Tao Ji and said, "You tell it."

Tao Ji, with a solemn face, recounted the events of that night without any embellishment.

Chunqin listened until she was nearly dozing off, then asked Master Xuanmiao, "Just thinking about it, one knows that night was heart-stopping. How does he manage to make something so interesting sound so utterly dry?"

Master Xuanmiao's expression was cold. "What he said was all true. How you work it up into something interesting is your own business."

Chunqin: "Doesn't the Master find it boring being around someone like this?"

Master Xuanmiao ignored her.

The recorder finished recording the events of that night, then pulled the topic back to Pan Yun and asked, "Pan Yun's background and origins?"

Tao Ji looked at Master Xuanmiao.

Master Xuanmiao's expression was cold. "I only sell her weaknesses."

"But this…" The questioner looked at Chunqin.

Chunqin, twisting her handkerchief, said, "Master, this won't do. Surely you can't withhold even her cultivation art?"

Master Xuanmiao: "What she cultivates is the Kunyuan Art."

Chunqin straightened up. "And the weakness is?"

Master Xuanmiao raised her eyes and said, "She's afraid of heights."

"What?" Chunqin was a little stunned.

Master Xuanmiao: "Her weakness is that she's afraid of heights."

Chunqin: "…Isn't it said that her lightness skill is outstanding?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Who says someone with outstanding lightness skill can't be afraid of heights?"

Chunqin: "But… she's already entered the Dao. I heard the experts of the First Marquis can ride objects and fly—techniques far above lightness skill. If she's afraid of heights…"

"So that is her weakness." Master Xuanmiao looked at her. "Am I wrong?"

Not wrong, exactly, but Chunqin felt she'd been swindled.

If Pan Yun is afraid of heights, surely she can't hide it, can she?

She is the First Marquis. After going to the Long Hushan Academy, she'll certainly have to learn object-riding flight. Such a thing simply can't be hidden—as long as Qianxi Lou bribes a few students to observe carefully, they'll be able to spot it…

(End of chapter)