Chapter 82: Run

"Who else could it be? The Qi family."

"Heh, there's no cure for blindness here; could they be planning to borrow dragon blood from the Dragon Clan?" Thus: Xuantang Xingjun mused.

"But he didn't know that just that glance had been keenly caught by True Lord Qi."

"Fortunately Jiang Yu had obtained the travel token, left the spot and blended into the crowd, otherwise she would have been caught red-handed."

"Following Thus: Xuantang Xingjun's directions, she took a roundabout route to another entrance of the market, only to discover that this spot was elevated, perfectly situated on a spiritual site amid the mountain range."

"But Jiang Yu hadn't expected that, upon reaching the mountaintop's continuous pavilion area, she would see Qi Haohao and company entering the small building next to Thus: Xuantang Xingjun's."

"\"Such a coincidence? \" Despite the two buildings being several li apart, Jiang Yu's steps hesitated involuntarily."

"Thus: Xuantang Xingjun's attention was wholly on his former residence: \"What does this mean? \""

"\"They must have somehow learned that you have a private residence here. \" Jiang Yu never believed in coincidences."

"She then asked: \"Did you store any essential items in the building before? \""

"\"No, \" Thus: Xuantang Xingjun replied, and just as he finished speaking, he saw Jiang Yu turn and hurry down the mountain."

"\"Hey, what are you doing? Running off over a mere suspicion? \""

"\"I think staying at the market inn is fine. \" But Jiang Yu had already decided to descend the mountain, take a teleportation array to some sea island, and avoid the Qi family as much as possible."

"But she was still too late; Qi Haohao's Eighth Uncle flashed out from the pavilion and stood before her, saying, \"Little Daoist friend, do you also live nearby? \""

"\"I have greeted the True Person; I am a junior here to deliver something. \""

"\"But after searching high and low, it seems I've gotten the location wrong. \" Jiang Yu hurriedly made up an excuse."

"Eighth Uncle Qi obviously didn't believe her, saying, \"Oh, I am Haohao's uncle; I'd like to come up and have a chat with her. \""

"\"Today probably won't work; I need to deliver the item before the you hour. \""

"\"Tell me the address, and I'll help you find it. \""

"\"Area Eight, Building Nine. \" Jiang Yu could only grit her teeth and give the numbers."

"\"You've taken a wrong turn; this is Area Nine, Building Eight. Go down this road to the mountain base, turn right and walk ten li to reach Area Eight. \" Eighth Uncle Qi gave her earnest directions."

"As Jiang Yu bowed in thanks and prepared to leave, another person walked toward her from the opposite direction; she suppressed her surprise and immediately stepped to the side of the road to let them pass."

"All she heard was Eighth Uncle Qi bowing to the newcomer and saying, \"Greetings, Senior Xian. \""

"\"Hmm, is your Fourth Uncle around? \""

"\"Yes, I'll go report it. \""

"\"What's there to report? Fellow Daoist Xian, how do you have time to come here? Please come in quickly, and Fellow Daoist Lu, don't stay hidden in the clouds—let's have tea together. \" True Lord Qi arrived instantly from the manor via the Shrink to an Inch technique."

"As his words fell, a purple-robed cultivator descended from a cloud in midair, saying, \"You all seem quite idle, traveling far to come sightsee at my Moyan Sect. \""

"\"It's not that my little granddaughter is poisoned with a strange toxin and needs to borrow an antidote from the West Sea Dragon King. \""

"\"Come, come, please, fellow Daoists. \" True Lord Qi, putting on a warm-host demeanor, ushered the two Nascent Soul cultivators away."

"Eighth Uncle Qi glanced back at the breathless Jiang Yu, then quickened his pace to follow."

"Only after the auras of those people had faded did Jiang Yu dare to activate the Seven Stars Step, sprinting down the mountain in one breath and then continuing straight to the junction of Area Eight."

"Thus: Xuantang Xingjun smirked: \"You really intend to go up there, huh. \""

"\"If we're going to put on a show, we must go all out; a Golden Core cultivator's divine sense can track down to the mountain's base. \""

"\"But from this side up to the summit, the layered restrictions on the pavilions will block his probing. \""

"\"Today is strange; we rarely see even one Nascent Soul cultivator in ordinary times, yet three have appeared at once. \" Jiang Yu took several deep breaths and slowly walked toward the summit of Area Eight."

"Sigh, although she had been in the East Continent for nearly two years, her understanding of this place remained superficial."

"Not to mention which famous Nascent Soul cultivators the Myriad Immortal Sect has; she hadn't even asked how many God Transformation cultivators they possessed."

"However, after all this going up and down the mountain repeatedly, she had no mood left to inquire further."

"She found an inn to first practice a few cycles of breath before anything else."

"When she finished her cultivation and wanted to draw some talismans, it was already midnight; just as she laid out her brush and ink, she heard Thus: Xuantang Xingjun say, \"Not only the Qi family, but there are also four Nascent Soul cultivators secretly trying to break into my residence. \""

"Jiang Yu spread out the blank talisman paper and asked, \"Have they broken in yet? \""

"Thus: Xuantang Xingjun was full of confidence: \"Naturally not; the spell array I set up is not something they can easily break……\""

"\"Wait a moment—there actually is one who can get in. \""

"\"When did you leave a strand of divine sense over there today? \" Jiang Yu was somewhat uncertain."

"\"In my current condition, how could I possibly spare a strand of divine sense to leave behind. \""

"\"This is it. \" Thus: Xuantang Xingjun flashed out from within his spirit sword and placed a hexagonal formation plate on her table."

"At that moment, the formation plate showed five red dots flashing brightly; four of them were on the periphery, while one was rapidly approaching the center of the plate."

"Furthermore, after Thus: Xuantang Xingjun made the hand seal, several red dots flickered with tiny phantoms, and the opponent's face flashed by in an instant."

"\"Monitoring the formation plate? \""

"\"Yes. It's strange—the one who entered didn't break the array by force; he solved the array eyes step by step and walked in. \""

"\"Could it be that the person surnamed Xian is your junior clansman? \""

"\"He also appeared at the old site of the Yunwu Sect back then, and even deliberately split open a mountain cave. \" Jiang Yu thought she wouldn't be able to draw talismans for the time being, so she washed her hands, sliced some seedless fruit, and set out pastries and tea."

"She had originally intended to call Ao Ze over for a snack, but when her divine sense entered the Dragon Pearl's space, she saw him lying beside Jiang Tu, snoring loudly."

"\"That shouldn't be happening! \""

"Jiang Yu shouted for Thus: Xuantang Xingjun to join her in entering the Dragon Pearl to check."

"\"He's fine; he probably drank too much of my calming tea. \" Thus: Xuantang Xingjun pointed to a nearby tea table and added, \"Those with the surname Xian aren't necessarily all my juniors either. \""

"Seeing that Ao Ze's breathing was normal, Jiang Yu stopped worrying further and said, \"We'll set out tomorrow. \""

"Thus: Xuantang Xingjun then pointed to the Dragon Stele and said, \"Look at the dark clouds entwining the moon; a major storm is coming soon. \""

"\"The wind of the West Sea carries the baleful, yin-infused gale; if drawn in, it sweeps one into the Yin-Yang realm, making escape exceedingly difficult. \""

"Jiang Yu stared at him for a long while, then slowly said, \"West Sea—does there truly exist a teleportation array leading to the Tianyuan Continent? \""

"Indeed there is." Thus: Xuantang Xingjun's face remained unchanged, "Look at those ships at the ports; they're not just shuttling supplies between the islands."

Among them is a batch sent in the name of the Dao-Mo-Fo Tri-Faction Joint Trading House, by three Yuanhou cultivators, to the Scattered Cultivator Alliance on Tianyuan Continent.

Jiang Yu felt a stir in her heart: "The two sides have always been in contact?"

But only cultivators of Nascent Soul rank or higher are aware of the Teleportation Array.

"Exactly, and each use of the Teleportation Array costs a hundred top‑grade spirit stones.

They travel only once a year, a single round trip."

"In that case, how do I get there? There must be guards on that side; would they let a Foundation Establishment practitioner use it?"

"Don't go back and have me silenced." Jiang Yu glanced at her storage bag; she had teleported here and already spent twenty‑five spirit stones just on the ticket.

She still has six hundred thousand, but most are mid‑grade or low‑grade spirit stones.

Thus: Xuantang Xingjun chuckled, "You think there are guards all year round? Usually the array itself provides the defense.

The Joint Trading House only sends people in March each year, and they return within the same month."

"Smuggling?"

"Yes."

"Top‑grade spirit stones aren't enough." In fact Jiang Tu does have some, but Thus: Xuantang Xingjun doesn't know, and Jiang Yu wants to see what the old man is really up to.

Thus: Xuantang Xingjun twirled his mustache and laughed, "I have some, but I need to fetch them from an island."

Jiang Yu was skeptical: "It won't be a spirit‑stone mine that I have to start digging, will it?"