Southern Region, Tianyang City
The clamor of street vendors echoed along the streets as a constant stream of people passed by. A young man, dressed in fine robes and adorned with a hairpin, sat in a teahouse, sipping his tea.
He exuded the air of a noble son, attracting the attention of many diners with his scholarly aura.
"Look over there, who could that be? Such a handsome young nobleman."
A woman gestured to her friend, casting curious glances in his direction, her eyes sparkling with interest.
Following the hints provided by his sister, Reiming found the task commission at the Mission Hall.
However, the description on it was peculiar, mentioning that Tianyang City had seen dozens of deaths over the past two months, suspected to be related to the cultivation world.
This had left the people of the city in a state of panic, with some reporting the matter to the authorities. However, for reasons unknown, the investigation was dropped, and soon, various rumors began to circulate.
Some said it was the work of demonic cultivators using these lives as sacrifices, while others speculated about vendettas, among other things. The truth of the matter remained elusive.
"Did you hear? This morning, someone found Widow Zhang's body in a grove outside the city gates!"
A burly man whispered to his companions, his face filled with fear as if he had witnessed the scene himself.
At this news, the expressions of the onlookers changed, with some women turning pale.
"Which Widow Zhang?" someone asked.
"The one who sells dumplings!" the burly man replied after taking a sip of tea to calm himself down.
Reiming remained silent, furrowing his brow slightly as he listened intently to their conversation.
A man sighed, "Alas, who knows what sins that Widow Zhang committed. Her husband died under mysterious circumstances some time ago, leaving her and her child destitute."
"Who would have thought she would meet such a fate now? It's truly tragic for the child."
The bystanders sighed in sympathy for Widow Zhang's plight.
"It seems misfortune always finds those already in distress," someone added.
"Indeed! Isn't this already the umpteenth death case?"
"I wonder why the authorities didn't pursue the investigation further?"
"I heard from a reliable source that this matter has been reported to the cultivation sects. I believe someone will come to handle it soon!"
"But... do cultivators really care about the lives of ordinary people like us?" someone questioned skeptically.
With this remark, the group fell silent, each wearing a different expression, and the conversation came to an end.
In the eyes of the world, ordinary people and cultivators were two different entities, with a vast gap between them. Cultivators were often seen as superior, and powerful cultivators could change the fates of countless individuals with a single thought. To them, ordinary people were nothing more than ants, and no one cared about their lives.
"Perhaps the major sects will send someone to deal with it?" someone broke the silence after a while.
With that, the topic was dropped, and everyone tacitly agreed not to discuss the matter further, focusing instead on eating and drinking.
Reiming took a sip of tea, pondering the conversation he had just heard in the teahouse. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.
If the local authorities had not pursued the matter further, could it be that they had encountered significant resistance? Perhaps it was necessary to investigate outside the city first and then contact the officials later.
Or maybe he should start by asking the innkeeper if he knew anything.
With that in mind, Reiming called out loudly, "Waiter, bring some dishes."
Soon, the waiter approached with a servile smile. "Hey there, sir, what dishes would you like? We have Kung Pao Chicken, Braised Pork..."
Reiming waved his hand to interrupt him. "Just bring a few side dishes and a pot of good tea."
"Sure thing, sir. If you don't need anything else, I'll get going." The waiter jotted down the order in his notebook, yelling out to the kitchen, and was about to leave.
"Wait, I want to ask you about something that the diners were talking about earlier."
The waiter turned back to size up Reiming's attire. "You must be a visitor, sir? Tianyang City has been quite restless these past two months, with dozens of deaths."
"I want to know if anything significant happened two months ago?"
The waiter appeared pensive for a moment before speaking. "Now that you mention it, there was quite a stir about something back then. If you're interested, I can tell you about it."
Reiming nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Two months ago, the young master of the Chen family mistreated a woman. It was said that after he violated her, he handed her over to his subordinates, and then..."
Here, the waiter's tone paused, his expression growing somewhat guarded.
Without changing his expression, Reiming took out a spirit stone and placed it on the table. Seeing this, the waiter's face lit up with joy before quickly assuming a sly grin.
Glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention, he discreetly pocketed the stone before leaning in to whisper to Reiming.
"Sir, what I'm about to tell you, please don't spread it around. It's said that after the woman was violated by the young master's men, her body was found the next day in a small grove outside the city. When her parents found out, they were overwhelmed with grief, and her mother went insane on the spot."
"Since then, every night, eerie cries could be heard from outside the city, sending shivers down everyone's spine! And then, for the next two months, there were frequent deaths in the city. Some say it's the vengeful spirit of the deceased woman coming back for revenge, it's all very sinister!"
At this point, the waiter's face turned a few shades paler. He swallowed hard before continuing, "Furthermore, the reason the authorities didn't continue investigating is rumored to be because of the Chen family's powerful background. They're a family of cultivators, and it's said that the head of the Chen family is a master in the Soul Realm."
A chill passed through Reiming's eyes. As expected, the reason the authorities didn't investigate further was because they feared the influence of the Chen family. He felt both angry and sympathetic towards the family's plight.
He had reached the pinnacle of the Spiritual Sea Realm, just one step away from breaking through to the Soul Realm. Perhaps he would achieve that breakthrough in the next few days.
The Spiritual Sea Realm involved opening the Sea of Qi in the Dantian while preparing for the next step of shaping the Soul.
However, Reiming didn't have a Sea of Qi in his body; the chaotic green lotus at his Dantian served as a substitute.
In the Tianyuan Continent, the cultivation realms were: Mortal Shedding, Initial Profound, Spiritual Sea, Soul, Spirit Hiding, Void Tunneling, Heavy Sky, Saint, Great Saint, and True Immortal.
Only by breaking free from the constraints of heaven and earth could one possibly touch the path to immortality. There were ancient records suggesting that the Tianyuan Continent was originally called the Tianyuan Realm, a brilliant world where geniuses abounded.
True Immortals were quite common, and there may have been realms beyond True Immortality. However, during the ancient times, there was an epochal war for reasons unknown.
Currently, True Immortals were only a legend, and only by reaching that realm could one truly become an immortal, achieving a meaningful leap in life.
In an era before the emergence of True Immortals, Saints were the strongest force on the continent.
Any sect or power with experts in the realm of Great Saint was extremely rare.
The reason why the Vermilion Bird Sacred Land was considered one of the top powers in the Southern Region was because there was a Saint within the Sacred Land.
"How powerful is the Chen family in Tianyang City?" Reiming inquired.
The waiter sighed deeply before continuing, "Ah, the Chen family is like a local tyrant in Tianyang City. Hardly anyone dares to provoke them. The head of the Chen family dotes on his son, and the young master of the Chen family is notorious for being arrogant and domineering."
"So even though such a thing happened, no one dares to say anything. They're afraid of getting into trouble with the Chen family. We common folks at the bottom can only endure even if we suffer."