The corner of Miss Shang's eye twitched. Closing her book, she stood to receive them, her voice icy. "Thank you for bringing Xiaolü back. I am Shang Yuan."
Seeing Shang Yuan, the parrot acted as if it had spotted its savior, flapping its wings frantically to escape Lu Yang. Lu Yang loosened his grip and let it fly freely about the room.
"You should be more careful next time," Lu Yang warned with a smile. "Fortunately, the parrot only circled Taiping Township. If it had flown somewhere else, you truly never would have found it."
Shang Yuan looked at their crisp, practical attire. One glance was enough to tell they were young chivalrous wanderers who spent their days roaming the martial world and upholding justice.
Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye wore outfits recommended by the Dao Seeking Sect's Mission Hall. Dressing like this allowed them to pose as young wanderers who spent years drifting across the martial realm and doing righteous deeds.
Shang Yuan maintained a distant demeanor, whether due to her temperament or something else. "Xiaolü is back now. The two of you may leave."
Tao Yaoye's delicate brows furrowed slightly, displeased by the young lady's attitude.
Lu Yang acted as though he had not heard the dismissal and said with a broad grin, "Come on, let's chat a bit! The Shang family is quite welcoming toward us. They might even invite us to stay the night."
Shang Yuan sneered repeatedly. "The Shang family welcoming you does not mean I welcome you. You should leave at once—preferably leave Taiping Township entirely."
"There are no demons or ghosts in Taiping Township, so why leave? You haven't left the Shang estate in quite a while yourself, have you? Don't you want to hear us talk about the world outside?" Lu Yang said.
Shang Yuan froze, not expecting Lu Yang to say that. Her tone softened somewhat. "Where are you two from? I haven't left home in nearly a month. Could you tell me about what you've seen out in the world?"
"We hail from the Dao Seeking Sect, one of the Five Great Immortal Sects, and we are both at the Foundation Establishment stage. We came to Taiping Township because we heard a demon bird was disturbing the locals..."
Lu Yang began to recount their travels in an unhurried manner. His voice was gentle, making him an excellent storyteller.
When Shang Yuan heard that they were at the Foundation Establishment stage, a flicker of delight flashed deep in her eyes.
The three of them chatted for a while. Shang Yuan was captivated by the life of cultivators roaming freely across heaven and earth as Lu Yang described it, and she longed to venture out herself to see this vast world.
"I want to cultivate immortality, but my father won't allow it. He says cultivating is far too dangerous, and that if he hadn't had good luck while exploring an ancient tomb, he would have died there long ago."
"I've asked him several times about what happened, but he refuses to tell me," Shang Yuan said indignantly. She loved hearing bizarre and wondrous tales; her father had lived through one firsthand, yet refused to share it with her.
Lu Yang felt a stir of emotion. It seemed Master Shang was also a man with quite a past.
"What is Master Shang's cultivation?"
Shang Yuan rolled her eyes, as if recalling her father's smug expression. "According to his own boasting, he used to be at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. Later, he met with a great disaster and barely survived, but his cultivation plummeted. Now he's only at the fourth or fifth layer of Qi Refinement."
Tao Yaoye remarked, "That isn't bad at all. There aren't many cultivators in Taiping Township; even the strongest, Township Head Huang, is only at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. Being at the fourth or fifth layer allows for a very comfortable life, not to mention that Master Shang still possesses some family foundation."
Shang Yuan sighed. "Still, I don't want to be confined to Quhe Commandery. I want to travel the martial realm and witness this magnificent, wondrous world. You and I are around the same age, yet you are already at the Foundation Establishment stage, while I haven't even begun Qi Refinement."
Just as Tao Yaoye was about to offer some comforting words, Steward Zhang knocked on the door. "Young Lady, it is time for dinner. And to the two young heroes, the master specifically instructed me to mention that it is getting late, and he invites you both to stay the night after dining before setting off."
"The master, the madam, and Township Head Huang are already waiting for everyone."
"Understood! We'll be right there," Lu Yang answered.
Tao Yaoye originally wanted to decline, but Lu Yang cut in. "See? I told you earlier the Shang family was hospitable and would invite us to stay the night. It's an act of goodwill, so why not accept?"
...
At the dinner table, Master Shang sat upright in the seat of honor, chatting animatedly with Township Head Huang. Everyone ate heartily; although the meal could not compare to the food at the Dao Seeking Sect, it was still fairly delicious.
Steward Zhang and the maidservants stood respectfully to the side, attending to their needs.
After a pleasant meal, Township Head Huang returned home. Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye stayed the night in the east wing rooms, separated by only a single wall.
Tao Yaoye was not particularly keen on sleeping here. She was very particular about beds; aside from the bed in her immortal cave at the Dao Seeking Sect, where she could fall asleep the moment she lay down, she always took a long time to fall asleep in other places.
She knew this was not a good habit. Braving the wind and sleeping outdoors was commonplace for cultivators. She had tried to break it, but had not yet succeeded.
"Senior Brother Lu can fall asleep anywhere, though."
Tao Yaoye muttered to herself. For some reason, she let out a soft chuckle, followed by a yawn.
"I'm actually falling asleep early today. Looks like I'll get a good night's rest..."
Suddenly, Tao Yaoye snapped to attention. "No! Someone poisoned me!"
She spun around to grab the Thousand Illusions Umbrella and raise a barrier, only to find that the circulation of spiritual energy in her body was sluggish and difficult to mobilize.
A jolt of shock ran through her. Someone had poisoned her without making a sound—who could it be?
This poison was specifically designed for cultivators. Since the other party dared to strike knowing full well she was a cultivator, they were bound to be one as well.
There were only a few people in the Shang household, and aside from Master Shang, she had not sensed that anyone else was a cultivator.
Was it Master Shang?
Or was there a cultivator whose cultivation was higher than hers, preventing her from detecting them?
What about Senior Brother Lu?
A flurry of questions rushed through Tao Yaoye's mind in an instant. Before she could ponder them further, light footsteps approached from outside.
The door swung open, and Steward Zhang stepped inside with measured strides, a cruel, excited smile on his face.
"It's you!" Tao Yaoye's eyes widened. She had not expected it to be Steward Zhang, and her heart instantly sank.
The fact that she had failed to see he was a cultivator meant his cultivation was higher than hers.
In his hand, Steward Zhang held a flaying knife. Even from five paces away, Tao Yaoye could sense a dense, suffocating resentment emanating from it. Heaven only knew how many people had perished beneath that blade for its grievance to reach such heights.
Moonlight fell upon the blade, gleaming bright and dazzling.
Steward Zhang licked his lips as he watched Tao Yaoye struggling in vain, looking at her like a vicious beast that had already fallen into a snare.
"What magnificent skin. In all my life, I've never seen skin so fair, with such exquisite contours."
"I know you're from the Dao Seeking Sect, and killing you will be a massive headache. The sect's power blots out the sky, so how could a nobody like me dare provoke them?"
As Steward Zhang spoke, saliva drooled from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away as he continued, "But your skin is truly far too beautiful. I couldn't resist taking the risk. And since you voluntarily stayed for dinner at the Shang estate, I would have been an utter fool not to seize such a perfect opportunity to poison you."
The poison was in the dinner!
Seeing Tao Yaoye still struggling, Steward Zhang offered considerate advice. "Don't bother struggling. Even if you weren't poisoned, you wouldn't be my match. You have merely stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage, whereas I am at late Foundation Establishment."
Even as he said this, Steward Zhang did not lower his guard. A Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Dao Seeking Sect could never be treated like an ordinary one!
He only spoke this way to break her will to resist.
The more a victim fought back, the tighter the flesh clung to the skin, making flaying far more difficult—this was wisdom born of experience.
"Relax. It's just a momentary sting, and you won't be scared anymore."
Steward Zhang licked the flaying knife and moved closer to Tao Yaoye.
All of a sudden, Tao Yaoye sprang to her feet. The spiritual energy throughout her body flowed entirely unhindered. Gripping the Thousand Illusions Umbrella, she slammed it violently into Steward Zhang's face.
Steward Zhang, convinced of his victory, was caught completely off guard.
"How are you not poisoned?!"
Chapter 21