Chapter 17: Going Down the Mountain

Su Chen returned to his residence, his complexion a bit gloomy.

Although the problem was resolved, thinking of Ma Zhicheng's different attitude toward the same issue still made him feel rather uneasy.

Su Chen forced down the negative emotions in his heart and resumed cultivation; his time was extremely precious, and he bore heavy pressure.

Time flew, and two months passed quickly; Su Chen's life consisted of nothing but eating, sleeping, and endless cultivation.

That day, Yun Xiaoxiao woke him from cultivation, and Su Chen finally realized that today was the time for him to go down the mountain to fulfill his sect's mission.

Since it was his first mission, Ma Zhicheng had Yun Xiaoxiao accompany Su Chen and guide him through the procedure.

Ma Zhicheng had prepared in advance, but seeing that Su Chen had already Condense Qi to the fourth layer, he still found it hard to believe.

What he didn't know was that Su Chen's Azure Steel Thirteen Transformations had reached Condense Qi to the fourth layer, and his Heaven-Piercing Sword Technique had already been cultivated to Condense Qi to the third layer, having already formed the first sword aura, with the second sword aura nearly coalescing.

On the way down the mountain, Su Chen stared pensively at the storage bag in his hand; it was the only storage bag of the Luoxian Sect.

Su Chen knew the bag was meant for carrying mundane foodstuffs and gold and silver; otherwise, a celestial burdened with a large burlap sack would indeed tarnish a celestial's image.

Yun Xiaoxiao was somewhat excited, chattering intermittently in Su Chen's ear as they walked, while Su Chen listened quietly, occasionally echoing a few words.

The Luoxian Sect seemed like a sect, but it was more like a Taoist temple; near Luoxian Shan there were three or four similar temples.

Every year, some high officials, aristocrats, and wealthy gentry ascend Luoxian Shan to pray for blessings.

Su Chen's task was also very simple: each month he would set aside some time to travel to various mortal cities, investigate the homes of those officials, aristocrats, and wealthy gentry, and offer them modest assistance.

Of course, they would not interfere in mortal affairs, only resolve some strange and difficult matters for them.

As for those officials, aristocrats, and wealthy gentry, Ma Zhicheng would also screen them; those who committed evil would not receive any help.

Naturally, their primary mission was to go down the mountain to procure foodstuffs.

A dozen days later, Xuan Gu City, the Jia family.

Jia Hong, the elderly master of the Jia family, was a renowned figure in Xuan Gu City; his textile business accounted for half of the city's market.

At this moment, the great figure respectfully followed the two, and Jia Hong showed not the slightest sign of impatience, but rather a rather honored demeanor.

The pair consisted of a handsome, refined young man and a lively, beautiful young woman—Su Chen and Yun Xiaoxiao.

Under Jia Hong's guidance, Su Chen and Yun Xiaoxiao entered the Jia residence and took their seats in the main hall.

Before arriving, Yun Xiaoxiao had already warned Su Chen not to be overly courteous to these mortals, lest it damage their image and cause the mortals to doubt them.

Su Chen naturally understood this principle; not wanting to waste time, he spoke directly, his tone slightly detached: "You are Jia Hong, right? Do you have any trouble you can't solve lately?"

Jia Hong, hearing this, let the anxiety on his face ease considerably and respectfully replied, "To be frank, Master Immortal, I indeed have a matter to request of you."

"Recently, many young women have gone missing in Xuan Gu City, and even my daughter Jia Mei disappeared yesterday."

Upon saying this, Jia Hong paced back and forth in the hall, appearing far from the composure he showed outwardly.

"Master Immortal, the authorities have investigated this for several days, yet there has been no progress.

"Even many officials and soldiers sent to investigate have mysteriously vanished."

Su Chen listened attentively, hearing his leftmost "Master Immortal".

Another "Master Immortal" made him somewhat uncomfortable, so he furrowed his brows and said, "No need to call me Master Immortal; just call me Su Chen."

Having said that, he ignored Jia Hong's reaction and continued, "What commonalities do these missing girls share?"

Jia Hong, hearing this, immediately replied, "Immortal... Young Master Su, these missing girls range from ten to sixteen years old; if there is a common trait, it is that none of them are married."

Jia Hong seemed extremely knowledgeable about the matter, speaking without hesitation.

Su Chen, hearing him call him Young Master Su, felt his resistance lessen considerably and, no longer forcing anything, turned his head toward Yun Xiaoxiao.

Yun Xiaoxiao, seeing Su Chen staring at her, was a bit bewildered.

She blinked, then, at a loss, asked, "Junior Brother Su, what do you need me to help with?"

Without waiting for Su Chen to speak, Jia Hong already understood, a bright gleam appearing in his eyes: "If Fairy Yun herself goes, she will surely trace some clues."

At this moment, Yun Xiaoxiao finally realized that Su Chen intended to use her as bait.

…

However, within just two days, news spread in Xuan Gu City that Jia Hong of the Jia residence had found his long-lost illegitimate daughter, Jia Xiao Xiao.

Rumors in the city said Jia Xiao Xiao was fourteen and as beautiful as a flower.

The news was soon confirmed, as Jia Hong, to celebrate finding his daughter, hosted a grand banquet three days later, also hoping to find a suitable husband for his newly recovered daughter.

The news spread quickly, causing a huge stir in Xuan Gu City, since the Jia family's wealth was among the city's top.

If one could win the favor of the Jia family's miss and marry into the Jia residence, a life of endless honor and wealth would be guaranteed.

Thus, the initially limited rumor instantly swept the whole city; both high officials and common folk learned of this uplifting news.

Three days later, the Jia banquet proceeded as scheduled; the Jia residence spent a fortune, setting up hundreds of tables, leaving many secretly amazed at Jia Hong's generosity.

The Jia family's daughter also appeared at the banquet; Miss Jia's beauty left everyone awestruck, and the banquet reached its climax with Jia Xiao Xiao's entrance.

Unfortunately, in the end no one caught Miss Jia's eye, yet the banquet's atmosphere grew even more intense.

Because the crowd felt balanced, they thought it normal; if such celestial-like individuals casually favored anyone other than themselves, they would feel even more uneasy.

That night, in Yun Xiaoxiao's room.

Yun Xiaoxiao, looking at Su Chen with concern, said, "Today I haven't noticed any unusual people, yet in recent days several more girls have vanished; this is already the sixtieth."

Su Chen, showing no hurry, looked at Yun Xiaoxiao and said, "Based on Jia Hong's earlier information, the culprit is extremely cautious, striking only at night; just conceal your Qi."

Yun Xiaoxiao nodded, slipped into the quilt, and began practicing the Turtle Breath Technique, which can not only hide one's cultivation level but also induce a state of feigned sleep.

Su Chen, seeing this, gave a slight nod, left the room, and hid himself at a distance, simultaneously concealing his own cultivation.

It is a common minor spell in the cultivation world, called the Qi-concealing Technique. At comparable cultivation levels, one cannot discern it without deliberately using spiritual perception.