The Faceless Woman

Hearing Ran Qingmo's description, Xu Yuan could not help but frown slightly, glancing around at the canyon abyss that had already plunged completely into darkness. A woman? Building an estate in a place crawling with insects? Judging from their experiences over the past half month, this narrow gorge was perilous, but it depended on who was walking through it. Cultivators at the Grandmaster realm or higher faced no mortal danger here. Yet it was bound to be an utter nuisance. The brain structure of these demonic insects seemed somewhat different from ordinary demonic beasts. In the outside world, even the lowest rank of demonic beast knew to seek advantage and avoid harm. These demon bugs, however, possessed no intellect whatsoever; the moment they laid eyes on a living creature, their sole instinct was to stuff it into their bellies. Living in this narrow canyon, even someone as mighty as a Saint would have to spend effort dealing with incoming tides of attacking insects every single day if their residence was marked by the insects' specialized pheromones. It was impossible to live here in quiet seclusion. A strange feeling spread through Xu Yuan's heart. Frowning, he asked in a low voice, "Was there anything unusual about that woman?" "I don't know," Ran Qingmo answered crisply. "I don't usually use my intent-soul to probe people." "......" His train of thought derailed, Xu Yuan looked at the expressionless Big Ice Block and smiled helplessly. Right, he had nearly forgotten about that. Compared to a sly rogue like him who liked to probe others with spiritual vision at will, the Big Ice Block was an uncompromising member of the lawful camp. Barring any enmity, she would never pry into another person without reason, even if facing the lowest-ranking cultivator. That meant there was probably no further information to be had. After a moment's thought, Xu Yuan asked in a quiet voice, "Then how do you think that woman would react if we went to visit her together?" Ordinary hermits preferred peace and quiet. Entertaining a guest upon a chance meeting was a charming gesture, but returning to intrude upon her with others after having declined her invitation seemed somewhat impolite. Still, this was the only discovery his treasure-hunting maiden had made in half a month. He had to find a way to check it out. Ran Qingmo's beautiful eyes flickered. "You want to go see her?" Xu Yuan told the truth, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness. "We've been here for over half a month. I'd like to see if there are any clues." Ran Qingmo thought seriously for a moment and replied, "It should... be fine. That big sister seemed very hospitable. I saw other guests in the estate, too." Saying this, Ran Qingmo paused, then suggested tentatively, "How about I go over and ask that big sister right now?" *** By noon the following day, an unseasonal rain began falling over the Great Desert, dense sheets of water descending from the gorge's narrow rim into the canyon abyss. Strictly speaking, Thousand Thorns Gorge was not a death zone throughout its entirety—at least, not across most of its expanse—because it spanned an enormous area, somewhat resembling the Great Rift Valley across East Africa from Xu Yuan's previous life. Though most of it consisted of parched yellow earth, there was no lack of valley rivers and oases, and certain flat expanses even supported peculiar, dense forests. In those regions with hospitable environments, there even existed tiny sovereign states older than Great Yan. The problem was that this particular narrow section clearly did not belong to those parts. This stretch was an outright forbidden death zone. Boundless yellow sands and countless demonic insects of every variety had turned this place into a valley of death. Never mind humans, even decent mammals had been driven to extinction by those giant bugs. Yet now, Looking down from high ground through the dim light of the overcast, rainy day, Xu Yuan spotted a human settlement not far off. It was a village built around an estate that spanned several dozen mu. The village was not large, and there were few inhabitants. Sweeping his gaze across it, he could see roughly twenty village men braving the drizzle to plant some peculiarly shaped native crops in the yellow soil along the village outskirts. This left Xu Yuan's mind in a daze. *Wait.* *This village is the estate Ran Qingmo was talking about?* On second thought, what the Big Ice Block had said was not wrong. That was how estates were structured within Great Yan: centered around a wealthy landlord's family compound, surrounded by dozens of farming households whose labor sustained it. Such places were called earth fortresses, or estates. Still, for such an estate to appear in an insect-infested valley far from any civilization—had something gone wrong here? *Playing Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, are we?* He wondered if there was a female ghost in that manor. Oh wait, yin ghosts in Great Yan had no intelligence; if there were one, it could only be a demoness. Tossing these thoughts from his mind with a faint chuckle, Xu Yuan returned to the matter at hand. He reckoned the woman was likely a hermit. After all, with Ran Qingmo's blessed karmic fortune, stumbling upon a reclusive expert was nothing out of the ordinary. Sheltering this group of farming peasants might simply be some personal quirk of hers. With a faint trace of unease, Xu Yuan let out a soft breath of turbid air and circulated his cultivation art, springing forward in a sudden leap. In a few bounds alongside the two women, they landed at the gate of the central manor compound without disturbing a single household. Compared to the towering, imposing gates of prominent households within Great Yan, the residence before them resembled the compound of a wealthy rural landlord. Three steps led to the entrance, with no guards on watch. Two lifelike stone lions guarded the door, which was made of sandalwood and bore no studs, only a pair of bronze knockers. The only detail that caught Xu Yuan's attention was the plaque hanging high above the gate: it was completely blank, bearing not a single character. The pattering rain fell from the upturned eaves like broken strings of pearls. After standing still for a moment, Xu Yuan stepped up the stairs, took the knocker, and tapped lightly three times. Before long, the heavy sandalwood door swung slowly inward with a creak. A burly man came into view. He had bronze skin, angular features, and wore a long robe styled after a household servant's. Upon seeing the three strangers outside, the man froze for an instant before realizing something. "Sir, you must be the distinguished guests Madame mentioned? Madame has already instructed me. Please follow me." With that, he stepped aside, gesturing with his hand for the three to enter, then turned and walked into the courtyard. Murmuring, "Thank you," Xu Yuan followed behind him, casting a brief, sweeping glance over the burly man. No cultivation, calloused hands, likely from hard labor. He seemed to be a farmer. Yet strangely, the circular insignia patches on the chest and back of the man's servant robe were blank, just like the plaque outside the gate. *Does this reclusive figure refuse to reveal her surname?* As this was his first visit, Xu Yuan kept the question to himself. The residence was built in the four-courtyard layout standard for wealthy families. Passing through two central courtyards and walking a dozen paces along a corridor beside a waterside pavilion, the main reception hall came into Xu Yuan's view. At that moment, a gentle, refined woman's voice drifted out from within: "I am indisposed and could not welcome you at the gate. I hope you will not take offense, sir." Hearing this, Xu Yuan immediately looked toward the sound. The light on this overcast day was very dim. Inside the main hall, illuminated only by the faint light filtering through the open doorway, a woman stood in the middle of the room. She possessed a shapely figure with voluptuous, alluring curves, yet she wore only a simple hemp robe. Her face was shrouded in the interior gloom, obscuring her features, but judging by her posture and voice alone, one could deduce she was exceptionally fair. And it was this very sight that caused Xu Yuan's footsteps to pause involuntarily. He was no longer the sewer-dweller of the Prime Minister's Manor from the past; with his Body Integration realm cultivation, he could see clearly without any light, yet right now, he could not make out the woman's face at all. After a brief hesitation, Xu Yuan refrained from using his spiritual vision to probe her. Since she had concealed herself this way, she evidently did not wish to reveal her true appearance. Still, to be this cautious—did she carry a problematic identity, fearing leaked information would invite pursuit? After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan continued walking forward, laughing heartily. "It is already our good fortune that Madame does not mind our intrusion." As he walked, Xu Yuan sent an intent-soul transmission to the two women beside him: *This woman's identity seems somewhat questionable. Watch what you say in a moment, and don't cross her.* "......" Hearing this, Bai Muxi and Ran Qingmo both shot Xu Yuan a slightly puzzled look, but they quietly kept his warning in mind. Accompanied by the drizzle pattering outside the corridor, the three soon stepped slowly into the main hall. The burly man who had led the way had already withdrawn the moment the woman appeared. The woman invited the three to take their seats. With a light wave of her hand, she lit the oil lamps hanging on the walls, and warm yellow firelight instantly dispelled all the gloom inside the room. Yet Xu Yuan still could not clearly see her face. He did notice, however, that the belly beneath her hemp robe was slightly swollen; she appeared to be pregnant. After seating her guests, the woman went personally to the side room of the main hall to fetch some tea, setting it upon the square table. "Coarse rural tea, though it possesses a charm of its own. Please have a taste, sir." The woman seemed to have realized that although Xu Yuan had the lowest cultivation of the three, he was clearly the one leading them. Host and guests sat down. The courtyard was remarkably tranquil, and with the chilly drizzle falling outside, it felt as though they had entered the water towns of Jiangnan. "Thank you for personally pouring the tea, Madame." Offering a polite reply, Xu Yuan raised the teacup and took a light sip, his eyes widening slightly. "Bitter, but followed by a sweet aftertaste. Is this spike tea? No, it should be a variety of refined buckwheat." The woman whose face remained shrouded in darkness let out a gentle chuckle. "Are you an adept of the tea arts, sir?" "I've simply drunk a lot of it, so I can usually recognize a few varieties." Xu Yuan shook his head, sitting upright in his chair, and asked in a quiet voice, "Was this refined buckwheat tea grown in the dry fields outside?" "In this canyon abyss, such crops are all that can be grown." "Is that so? You truly possess a benevolent heart, Madame." "What do you mean?" The faceless woman did not catch his drift. "The dry fields are entirely planted with fine tea, and no merchants pass through here. The grain consumed by the farmers outside the manor could only have been purchased and brought in by you personally, Madame." "......" The faceless woman fell silent for a short while, then shook her head gently, her voice soft and low. "Not entirely." "Oh?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, staring at her pitch-black face. "......" The faceless woman offered no answer to the question. Seeing this, Xu Yuan bypassed the topic directly and said with a smile, "Regardless, it was still you who saved them, Madame." "They were refugees fleeing calamity who washed up here. I simply could not stand by and watch them die. Over time, it became what you see now." The faceless woman's voice carried a quiet, melancholic air, and she seemed to smile faintly. "Besides, living in quiet seclusion for too long gets lonely in the end." With that, the faceless woman swept her gaze across the three and murmured, "I have yet to ask how I should address you, sir." Xu Yuan paused for an instant, then smiled. "Zhou Junqing. These two are Ying'er and Changxi." Hearing this, the faceless woman spoke with an amused tone, half-joking, "Your two lovely companions are truly breathtaking beauties, sir." "......" Before Xu Yuan could react to the comment, a flash of vigilance crossed the eyes of both Bai Muxi and Ran Qingmo. Both of them were wearing veils, yet she had been able to discern their true appearances without alerting them. The faceless woman seemed to notice their reaction as well and hastened to apologize. "Pardon me, I did not mean to offend. The path I cultivate is somewhat unique; things meant to conceal one's face are largely useless against me." "......" Xu Yuan remained silent. *Was she hinting at him on purpose?* No, impossible. Even the Sword Saint in his family lacked such means. If any pregnant recluse he bumped into could see right through him, Xu Yuan would sooner believe he could choke to death on water. Xu Yuan broke the silence, patting the two women beside him. "Think nothing of it, Madame. If convenient, may we ask how we should address you?" The faceless woman was silent for a moment before speaking softly: "You may call me Wan, sir." "Wan?" "Yes, simply the single character Wan." "......" A strange name. Yet Xu Yuan was already accustomed to such oddities. After all, back in his family's Black Prison, there was also a yandere old woman named Qing. Following the introductions, the oil flame hanging on the wall inside the hall flickered gently, and the room fell silent for a time. Xu Yuan was hesitating—hesitating over whether to ask for clues. Though he firmly believed in the Big Ice Block's blessed karmic fortune, fortune always had two sides. For Ran Qingmo, this might be a blessing, but for him, it could turn into a disaster. To Xu Yuan, this young married woman named Wan exuded an air of mystery from head to toe. A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Should they just slip away? After a moment of silence, his mind was made up. Yet Wan spoke before he could, her voice very soft: "Sir, you came to this place in search of a certain item, didn't you?" The words Xu Yuan had been about to speak caught in his throat. Hesitating for an instant, he asked, "Madame Wan, how did you know?" Wan tilted her head, seemingly glancing out at the curtain of rain outside. "Over these past few days, I often saw Miss Ying'er speeding past outside. If there is anything you wish to ask, sir, I can answer as I see fit." "......" "......" After some conversation, and at Madame Wan's invitation, Xu Yuan ultimately decided to impose upon her hospitality for a short while and stay there. Because Madame Wan had said that the little dragon girl had previously appeared nearby, and if she spotted her again, she would inform him. According to the plot in *Cangyuan*, without player intervention, she would eventually find her younger brother's remains in Dragon Burial Valley. The timing of this event was randomized in *Cangyuan*. Judging by current intelligence, that little dragon girl had likely already grasped some information. By staying here, he could try to rely on the Big Ice Block's fortune and see if they could intercept it first. *** The days slipped by one after another. The treasure-hunting maiden went out early and returned late every day, heading out with her ink sword before dawn had broken and returning deep into the night to cultivate in her room. In stark contrast to Ran Qingmo's diligence, Xu Yuan and Bai Muxi lived lives of utter leisure. Xiao Bai holed up in her room all day, secretly advancing her cultivation. Xu Yuan strolled inside and outside the manor, basking in the sun, sipping tea, and reading books. Madame Wan's face remained perpetually shrouded in darkness. This tranquil life removed from the world made Xu Yuan almost reluctant to bother with the massive mess of troubles inside and outside Great Yan. According to Madame Wan, another guest resided permanently within the manor, but Xu Yuan had never crossed paths with them. In addition, the residence possessed a sizable library filled with many bizarre records that described the local customs and legends of the Great Desert, possessing the delightful flavor of strange tales and chronicles. For instance, Legend had it that an Insect Saint once roamed the Great Desert, worshiped and revered by many local tribes. For instance, This Insect Saint had been bitten half to death by the Great Desert Linlang. And for instance, This Insect Saint had once fathered a child with a human woman... The strange chronicles were written quite well, replete with vivid detail. Another brand-new day arrived. As Ran Qingmo set out, Xu Yuan pushed open his door, intending to head to the study to hunt for treasures and begin another relaxed, comfortable day. Yet the moment he stepped outside, his body stiffened instinctively. In the guest courtyard, he saw a woman. Her face was lovely as peach blossoms, her allure innate and effortless, and her loose plain robes did nothing to conceal the soft, voluptuous curve of her chest.