Chapter 39:Baishi Town
Chapter 32
The air in White Stone Town crackled with tension as the scar-faced cultivator’s threat hung over the gathered townsfolk. His筑基后期 aura pulsed, intimidating the crowd, while his lackeys—three Foundation Building Initial Stage cultivators—flanked him, their eyes scanning for defiance. The shattered stone table in the town head’s courtyard smoked faintly, a stark warning. Townsfolk whispered in fear, clutching their children, their meager livelihoods at stake. Cheng Mo stood at the crowd’s edge, her heart pounding, her “refining qi late stage” facade barely holding. Trouble found me. Of course it did.
Expose myself or let the town suffer? Her mind raced, torn between her survival instinct and the guilt creeping in. These people took me in, gave me a place to hide. She glanced at the town head, his weathered face pale but defiant, pleading with the scar-faced leader. “Lord Cultivator, our harvest was poor—please, give us time!” The scar-faced man laughed, his voice booming. “Time? Pay up, or we’ll take your people to the mines!”
Cheng Mo’s fingers twitched, her suppressed Golden Core cultivation itching to break free. One move, and I’m exposed. These guys are just bullies, but who’s behind them? Her game knowledge was patchy, but she recalled whispers of rogue cultivator gangs extorting remote towns for spirit stones and resources. If I fight, I’ll draw attention—maybe even from Canglan. But the thought of innocent townsfolk—people who’d shared their meager meals with her—being enslaved twisted her gut.
Back at Canglan Sword Sect, Jinghong Peak simmered with unrest. Qing Wan’s tryout platform victories had cemented her reputation, but her cold silence and unstable aura worried the disciples. In the council hall, Liu Qingxu pressed her advantage, presenting a tainted jade slip to Elder Yun. “Elder Luyue’s absence proves her guilt—her disciple’s recklessness is a symptom of her neglect.” Elder Yun’s eyes narrowed. “Qing Wan will be summoned tomorrow. If she falters, Luyue’s position is forfeit.” Liu Qingxu’s smile was venomous, her plan to dismantle Shu Yue’s legacy unfolding.
Qing Wan, secluded in her courtyard, gripped her sword, her Silent Annihilation Sword Intent flickering as she meditated. She left me. She didn’t care enough to stay. The jade pendant and Ten Thousand Year Stalactite Milk remained untouched, symbols of a debt she refused to accept. Chu Yi’s worried visits did little to soften her resolve. I’ll face the council and prove I’m more than her shadow. But Shu Yue’s desperate voice—“You’re everything to me”—haunted her, sowing seeds of doubt she couldn’t shake.
In a guest courtyard, Wan Qing sat before her zither, her fingers tracing its strings without playing. Her contact’s message had arrived: Shu Yue’s trail led toward the Qingyun Mountains, but no further. You can’t hide forever, Elder. Her kiss had been a gamble, one that pushed Shu Yue to flee, but it had also deepened her fascination. I’ll find you—and I’ll understand your heart. She dispatched another message, hiring a rogue cultivator tracker to scour the mountains.
In White Stone Town, the standoff escalated. The scar-faced cultivator grabbed the town head’s collar, snarling, “No tribute? Then we start with you!” A child wailed, and the crowd surged forward, only to be repelled by the lackeys’ auras. Cheng Mo’s heart clenched. I can’t just watch. She stepped forward, her voice low but steady, masking her true strength. “Lord Cultivator, perhaps we can negotiate. The town has herbs—rare ones. I know where to find them.”
The scar-faced man turned, his eyes narrowing as he scanned her “refining qi late stage” aura. “A washed-up cultivator? Speak, then. What herbs?” Cheng Mo’s mind raced, pulling from Shu Yue’s herbal knowledge. “Moonshade Ginseng, deep in the hills. Valuable for pill refining. Let me guide you—it’ll cover the tribute.” Buy time, keep them away from the town.
The scar-faced man hesitated, then grinned. “Fine. You and two of my men, now. If you’re lying, you’re the first to the mines.” Cheng Mo nodded, her heart pounding. Stay calm. Don’t slip. She led two of the lackeys toward the hills, her concealed Golden Core aura ready to flare if needed. I’ll get them lost, then slip away.
As they trekked, one lackey muttered, “Boss said some big sect’s sniffing around these parts—looking for a runaway elder. Good reward if we find her.” Cheng Mo’s blood ran cold. Canglan? Wan Qing? Or someone else? She kept her face neutral, guiding them deeper into the dense forest, her mind racing for an escape.
Back at Canglan, Chu Yi stood before Qing Wan’s courtyard, his voice urgent. “Sunny Sister, the council’s summon is serious—they’re questioning Master’s absence. You need to be ready.” Qing Wan’s eyes flashed, her sword intent surging. “Let them question. I’ll show them Jinghong Peak’s strength.” But her heart wavered, Shu Yue’s gifts burning in her mind. Why did you run?
In the Qingyun Mountains, a rogue cultivator tracker paused, sensing a faint spiritual trace. A concealed aura… clever. He smirked, sending a message to Wan Qing. Found a lead. White Stone Town.
Cheng Mo, unaware of the closing net, navigated the forest, her “guide” act thinning as the lackeys grew suspicious. The plot she’d fled was catching up, and White Stone Town’s fragile peace was abou
t to shatter.