"Clan Master Dong, that girl is really crafty. If by chance you have sightings of her in your territory, please help me capture her." said Feng Lu in a pleading tone.
Oh, how badly he wanted to follow and chase Qiaolian to execute his revenge!
But, he was, after all, the sect leader and the father of Feng Mo. His unexpected visitors would definitely look down on him if he disregard his son's situation.
The Master of the Dong Clan gave him a slight nod before his group left the place. Since Feng Lu did not ask them to catch lady Zhou, they don't need to chase her too. The lady had not the enmity of his Dong Clan at all.
"Perhaps, Feng Lu's son cheated the lady?"
"That might be the case. Otherwise, why would she target his vital organ!?"
"No, the most concerning issue here is that... Lady Zhou is actually a forged practitioner!"
"If Feng Lu's heir is not lucky, his bloodline for the next generation will stop! It's really convenient to have several heirs!"
The Dong Clan people speculated after they left the Feng Sect. But, their master did not speak his opinion. He was more focused on the scene when Qiaolian circulate her inner core power.
"Master Dong, is there a problem?" One of his companions asked after noticing how the man had suddenly become quiet.
"Mmmn... The aura of Lady Zhou's inner core... have you noticed an abnormality?" he finally spoke.
All members immediately turned serious. They were too concerned about Feng Mo's disaster that they just ignored Qiaolian.
But now that their master had mentioned it, there was indeed some sort of familiarity on her aura!
"Hah! As I recalled the scene earlier... that inner core of Lady Zhou... when the aura covered her body, it was of the purest black!" another member answered.
After hearing this response, they turned silent too! Every Dong Clan member could only look at one another with a meaningful gaze. What does it mean to have an inner force with the purest black aura?
"Could it be that Lady Zhou's primal yin is conserved in her inner core? That's not right! She practices dual cultivation!"
Primal Yin!
The Dong Clan Master sighed and looked troubled too. The scene when Qiaolian circulated her inner force was still too vivid in his mind. In fact, he was secretly looking for a cultivator with primal yin for his son's cultivation advancement. He had been searching from one sect to another. Yet, there was no suitable candidate that he had found yet.
So, when the lady slammed her body to open the window for her escape, he was completely stunned. And her action showed the purest dark aura on her body. It confirmed that her inner force really contained a primal yin.
"Primal Yin is the primary essence of the cultivator's inner core. However, those who practice dual cultivation would naturally lose their primal yin and swap it to their first cultivation partner for advancement. It's hard to speculate. Perhaps, we can ask her if there is an opportunity?" the clan master finally expressed.
"Yes, master! She seemed to have run that area. Let's go over there. We might still be able to catch up with Lady Zhou?"
The clan master shook his head in disapproval. "Don't bother. If what Feng Lu said was true that she is a forged practitioner... We don't know how dangerous she is. Let's just focus on hunting beasts right now."
.
.
~
Back in the present time...
Scarlet Islands Territory
Huan Xue had just finished enhancing all the scarlet vines formations in his region.
Every border of the islands had a crimson flower with sharp blade-like petals stationed at the sea floor to trap and drown intruders.
The elder watched his works on the side with a small smile on his lips.
"These formations... the old ones are still useful. Why did you re-adjust it?"
Huan Xue scratched the back of his head, somehow contemplating whether he should tell about the incident. "Ahh..."
"Are you worried about this territory when start your journey?" the elder probed further when he sensed his reluctance.
"I would not dare, Master Xia! You have comprehended the cultivation of time and space... It will be an insult to your ability if I worry about this territory when you are here!" Huan Xue immediately responded. This elder is something that he would never underestimate!
"Hmmph! Huan Xue, you have learned to flatter me. Hehehe, it's good that you have enhanced this formation. What I worry about is that those crimson flowers might grow their own consciousness. So, it's better if you put a restrictive spell on them."
Because the formation was infused with nature, the energy within it could potentially awaken a consciousness.
Huan Xue also understood the elder's concern. He immediately raised his hands towards the sea and his green eyes illuminated brightly.
"Done! If those formations will awaken their consciousness, I can still control them."
"Good! Then, should I prepare a boat for your trip? The distance of our territory is quite far to the nearest port. And if you ride a boat, you won't catch unnecessary attention. You can pretend to be a normal sea traveler or a local fisherman."
"Master Xia, there is no need. I have arranged everything already. I'll go on with my plans and will send you a message if something notable happens on my trip."
~
After an hour, Huan Xue appeared in the sea port of the Boundless Shoreline. Just as the elder advised him, he wore an ordinary outfit similar to the clothing of the fishermen in the area. His figure is tall but he still managed to blend with the locals. His green eyes were full of curiosity as he walked from one fish stall to another.
When he stepped into the exit gate of the port, a guard stopped him to register.
At one glance, the guard looked ordinary. But, Huan Xue could sense that the man owned a martial elixir field.
'Fortunately, my elixir field expanded. No one can detect its presence if I suppressed my inner force,' he secretly thought.
"Young man, we are assigned to keep a record of every sea traveler here in the South region. Please register your name and your clan." The guard handed him a thick paper bound with a tiny white thread.
"Why do we need to register names? The last time we came to this port to trade our products, no one asked us to record our name!" A middle-aged man behind Huan Xue spoke in an irritated tone.
"Ahh... Mister... Sorry for the trouble. But, this is necessary. Those who won't agree had a choice not to enter our place."
Huan Xue held the pen in his hand and bend his body forward. But, before he could write his name, he noticed another stack of paper. "Sir, may I ask what are those for?"
"Ohh.. these papers are records of official requests from different sects. Just a few minutes ago, a Feng Sect servant came here to increase the payment for whoever can complete their request. They are willing to pay five million silver or ten thousand gold for anyone who can capture Lady Zhou Qiaolian!"
The people around who overheard the guard were quick to gather to see the paper. They loudly expressed their interest to complete the request. On the other hand, Huan Xue casually wrote his name in the other book and did not join the commotion.
Just as he was about to leave, the guard called his registered name loudly.
"Mr. Xue! You have a good physique. May I ask why you are not interested to capture Lady Zhou Qiaolian?"
This question was too personal. However, it was another request from the Feng Sect. Whoever refused to complete the task must give a decent explanation!
"My family does not need money. We can make money if we sell fish. And I am a sea traveler. All I want to do is check a good scenery to enjoy. I don't stay in one place."
"Ohh... Alright." The guard was easily convinced as his response sounded so ignorant. "Enjoy your stay, Mr. Xue!"
He then wrote on the paper the reason of Huan Xue's refusal: Simple minded sea traveler.
Huan Xue curled his lips and then immediately exited the port.