Arrival

A hundred li away. Cold wind swept through the treetops, where several figures blurred faintly in the depths of the mist-shrouded woods. Three women clad in the robes of Yaoyue Sect elders stood several zhang apart from one another. A faint rosy light flowed and intertwined between them, subtly forming an array. Seated at the very center was another woman. Dressed in a red palace gown, with a delicate golden crown atop her head, the beautiful mature woman kept her eyes closed. Waves of sonic ripples continually pulsed outward with her as the epicenter, washing over the surrounding ghost trees and mountain forest. Beneath the inaudible sound waves came the rustle of hushed conversation among the women. "This is already the third month. Even with our Yaoyue Sect's methods of scouting via the Dao of Sound, searching for someone in this Zhujian Valley is still like looking for a needle in the sea. What on earth is the sect master thinking?" "Elder Qi, this is a heaven-sent opportunity for us to get involved with the Meishen cherry tree. Surely you know what kind of divine object the Meishen cherry tree is?" "Hmph, of course I know about the Meishen cherry tree, but both the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion and Taiqing Dao Palace are watching it like hawks. Even if we help them find it, how many scraps of the leftovers could we possibly get?" "I actually think Elder Qi has a point. This time, our Yaoyue Sect split into four routes, mobilizing nearly every elder at or above the Origin Realm. If this drags on for half a year or a whole year, the wasted time will be an enormous loss for our sect." "Sigh, the sect master must have her own considerations. Still, if she had come in person, with her cultivation, this operation would surely proceed much more smoothly." "Over the years, no one has kept Zhujian Valley in check, and the yin ghosts of the Saint level inside likely number more than a handful. Losing a few of us elders won't shake the sect's foundation, but if anything happened to the sect master, it would be a catastrophe for our Yaoyue Sect." As those words fell, the clearing lapsed into a brief silence. After a long while, Elder Qi's voice sounded faintly once more: "What do you think will become of the ghost mist in Zhujian Valley in the future? If the ghost mist at the valley floor expands again like it did a century ago..." No one answered. The ghost mist of Zhujian Valley was a blade suspended over the Yaoyue Sect's head. Across several hundred li, a single expansion of the ghost mist would likely reach the very foot of the Yaoyue Sect's mountain gates. "The ten-thousand-year mark approaches. The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion will not sit idly by; if this ghost mist evolves into a great catastrophe, it will bring them no benefit." Amidst the silence, a calm, nonchalant male voice drifted over from the side. The women turned to look. A middle-aged man in robes of dark patterns and green sleeves was leaning lazily against a ghost tree, his arms crossed over his chest as he held a sword. Meeting the gazes of the Yaoyue Sect elders, the man glanced at the beautiful mature woman in red and a golden crown seated at the array's core, a trace of tenderness surfacing in his starry eyes. "Even if they don't, I, Tang, will lend a hand. After all, the Yaoyue Sect is the sect where Qing'er has spent her whole life. There is no need to worry." "..." Hearing this, the worry in the eyes of the female Yaoyue elders lessened to varying degrees. The sword-bearing man before them was neither a member of the Yaoyue Sect nor from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion or Taiqing Dao Palace, but a rogue cultivator wandering the world. Tang Ruofu, the world-renowned Sword Madman of their generation. Over ten years ago, he had already broken through to the Transcendent Realm. Today, his cultivation was unfathomably deep, and it was said he was already on the verge of reaching the Saint realm. That he had accompanied them on this journey was not out of self-interest, but because of his deep bond with their Seventh Elder, Xia Qing. A single letter was all it had taken for him to travel from afar to lend his aid. If they could maintain such ties, once the ghost mist expanded, as long as he attained Sainthood, he might truly become a pillar of support sheltering their Yaoyue Sect. After his words, everyone present fell silent. Seconds and minutes slipped by. After an unknown span, the beautiful mature woman in red seated in the center suddenly opened her almond eyes. With this subtle motion, the Yaoyue elders all turned their eyes upon her. Tang Ruofu was the first to step forward, shedding his lazy demeanor and extending a hand toward the seated woman. "Qing'er, how is it?" Seeing the middle-aged man's face, a gentle warmth flashed through the woman's eyes. Taking his hand, she rose lightly from the ground, parting her vermilion lips to speak in a voice soft as water: "Sisters, I found them." "..." Hearing this unexpected, affirmative answer, the crowd fell silent for an instant before expressions of delight and excitement broke out. Three months of fruitless searching had pushed them nearly to the point of giving up, yet now they had truly found traces of those two's activity within this vast Zhujian Valley. Elder Qi's voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Youngest Sister, are you speaking the truth?" Xia Qing looked back with a gentle smile. "Third Sister, how could Qing'er deceive you regarding such matters?" Saying so, she raised a slender finger, pointing toward the white mist to the west. "Three hundred li in that direction, beneath a waterfall, there are traces of human activity." Elder Qi's hand tightened slightly beneath her sleeve. Looking up at the white mist above, she murmured, "In that case, without delay, I shall go notify the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion at once..." "Third Sister, wait." Xia Qing called out, stopping Elder Qi just as she was about to take to the air, and said softly, "This matter... could perhaps be discussed among us first." "..." Hearing Xia Qing's words, none of the remaining Yaoyue elders were fools; almost instantly, they grasped her meaning. Discuss it further... Discuss what? Naturally, keep it quiet and take the tree seed for themselves. Currently, the number of Transcendent Realm experts who had entered this colossal expanse of ghost mist in Zhujian Valley already exceeded ten, and Origin Realm experts were beyond count. With such numbers of powerhouses, snatching the Charm God tree seed from those two Origin Realm cultivators would not be difficult; what was difficult was discovering their trail within this vast ghost mist. And now that they had found their trail, the rest was simple. Their group numbered five: One Transcendent, three in the Origin Realm, and even the protection of an expert who was likely a Semi-Saint. With such combat power, no matter how monstrous those two Origin Realm youths were, there was no way they could put up any resistance. Thinking to this point, Elder Qi did not immediately agree, but softly analyzed: "Youngest Sister, with those two's methods, they should have been able to sense our scouting just now. If we rush over now, I fear the place will already be deserted. "To track them through this ghost mist, only the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion likely possesses the means." A smile lingered in Xia Qing's eyes. Glancing sideways at Tang Ruofu beside her, she squeezed his hand and said softly: "That is precisely why I invited Ruofu." Tang Ruofu spoke up in explanation: "I once mastered an ancient artifact. So long as there is a lingering scent, I can follow the trail to track them down." Elder Qi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, though some concern remained: "Mr. Tang's methods are indeed extraordinary, but how will we explain this to the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion? Our Yaoyue Sect cannot withstand the joint pressure of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion and the Taiqing Dao Palace." Upon Xia Qing's breathtaking, poised face, a faint smile surfaced. "Third Sister, there is a high likelihood that this ghost mist blocks that Pavilion Master's Heaven-Deriving art. Otherwise, they would not have mobilized such vast forces to search for them." A flicker of greed surfaced in Elder Qi's narrow eyes, and she chuckled softly: "It seems those two will be hiding in Zhujian Valley for the rest of their lives..." "Naturally." The smile on Xia Qing's face remained as gentle as water as she murmured: "Even in the worst-case scenario where things are exposed and the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion finds out, as long as the Charm God tree seed is in our hands, we can still use it to demand an even higher price from them." With those words spoken, the five in the woods vanished from the spot, turning into afterimages that sped westward... In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a hundred li had passed. A cascading waterfall rushed into a tranquil pool. An upturned-eaved pavilion stood alone amidst the mountain woods, while before the waterside pavilion, a field of flowers danced in the wind. Seeing such a refined, otherworldly retreat, the other four besides Xia Qing were all slightly taken aback. A smile curled at the corner of Elder Qi's lips: "It seems those two scoundrels truly know how to enjoy themselves. In just a few months, they actually cultivated such an idyllic paradise in a dead zone like this. "Youngest Sister, shall we go in and take a look? This pavilion does not appear to have any defensive arrays set up." Xia Qing stared at the swallow-tailed, upturned-eaved pavilion for several breaths upon hearing this, then shook her head: "No rush." "Better let me check first." With his eyelids half-drooping, Tang Ruofu chuckled softly, twirling his scabbard into a flourish. "Ladies, please step back a bit." Xia Qing surveyed their surroundings, warning the man in a low voice: "Ruofu, beware of any traps those two might have laid." Tang Ruofu shook his head with an indifferent smile. "I know. Rest assured." With that, his lazy eyes instantly turned razor-sharp. He brought the famed sword before his face, one hand gripping the sheath and the other gripping the hilt. Closing his eyes in silence for an instant, he suddenly drew it upward. *Hum—* The blade's cold gleam unsheathed half an inch. A gale abruptly erupted outward centered on him, sweeping the ghost mist within several hundred zhang completely clean in an instant. *Clang.* The sword slid back into its scabbard. Casually spinning the blade in his hand, Tang Ruofu glanced sideways with a smile. "Rest assured, those two have already left." Saying so, he slung the sword over his shoulder and strolled toward the pavilion on the opposite shore. "The aura inside that pavilion is quite heavy, saving us the trouble." Xia Qing hesitated slightly at the sight. Looking back at the three female elders of her sect, she said softly: "Third Sister, Ruofu and I will go over and investigate together. Your cultivation is a bit lower, so just stay here and cover us." With that, she leaped forward to catch up to Tang Ruofu, and the two walked across the lake one after the other. Arriving before the pavilion doors, Tang Ruofu did not push them open immediately. Instead, he looked around at the scenery, turning back to the woman beside him with a smile: "Qing'er, if there's ever a chance, how about we find a place like this to live in seclusion?" Xia Qing rolled her eyes at him, retorting tartly: "With that temperament of yours, could you even bear the loneliness in such a tranquil place?" "Uh..." Choked by her words, Tang Ruofu cleared his throat with a light cough: "Ahem. If accompanied by you, naturally I could." "Heh..." Xia Qing smiled gently, then let out a faint sigh. "Most likely not in this lifetime. Your temperament isn't suited for it, and the Yaoyue Sect cannot do without me. Maintaining the status quo is actually quite nice as it is." Tang Ruofu's gaze grew slightly complex as he murmured: "The days are long; there will always be a chance. But for now, let me find those two little bastards for you first." Saying so, he retrieved an exotic treasure shaped like a waterskin, pushed open the pavilion doors with a sweep of his hand, and strode inside.