"Foolish guy! Despite having mid-Golden Core stage cultivation, his mind is as dumb as a donkey," Xiao Chen laughed, shaking his head helplessly. He then said, "I hope Dongfang Xue has safely returned to Dongfang City, so I can rest assured."
"Xiao Chen, let's go. This is just the beginning of your journey in the cultivation world. But you've only just left Tianzhou, and unexpectedly, the first thing you did was a good deed," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted with a laugh.
Xiao Chen replied happily, "Haha, you're right. There's still a long way to go before I reach the cultivation world. I should find a place to train, but I need to get far away from here. If Fang Yunchong brings people to chase me, it will be troublesome."
"Whoosh!"
As he said this, Xiao Chen lightly tapped a tree branch, his figure transformed into a black streak shooting into the sky, flying quickly into the distance, soaring freely in the void.
A few days later, Xiao Chen arrived in a town called Baihua Town. As the name suggests, the town is surrounded by various exotic flowers and grasses, hence the name Baihua Town.
Xiao Chen had been flying for several days, far away from Dongfang City, and felt assured that Fang's people would not catch up, so he relaxed.
Xiao Chen found an inn, ordered several roasted chickens, and ate and drank to his fill. Just as he was about to leave, he overheard the conversation of the people at the next table.
"Have you heard? Another girl was ravaged by the flower-picker last night," a burly man at the next table said, looking regretful.
"I heard too. The flower-picker is ruthless, ravaging the girl and injuring her!"
"This month it's already the 13th one. If this continues, our Baihua Town will become Flower-Picker Town."
"The disciples sent by Xinglan Sect to investigate have no leads. It's been a month, and they still don't know what the flower-picker looks like."
"Flower-picker?" Xiao Chen muttered, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, his eyes flashing with fierce killing intent.
"Xiao Chen, are you planning to catch the flower-picker? What about your training?" The Ancient White Tiger asked, seeing Xiao Chen's expression.
Xiao Chen smiled faintly, "Since I heard about it, I can't ignore it. I'll put training aside for now. Cultivation can't be rushed. I despise those despicable scoundrels who use vile means, and the most contemptible are flower-pickers, worse than animals!"
Saying this, Xiao Chen looked at the busy waiter and called out, "Waiter, come here for a moment."
"Haha, what can I do for you, young man?" The waiter asked politely, coming over quickly.
Xiao Chen asked with a smile, "Waiter, I just heard them talking about a flower-picker. What's that all about? Can you tell me?"
"Flower-picker? You don't know? You must be new to Baihua Town, right?" The waiter asked in surprise.
Xiao Chen nodded, and the waiter continued, "It started a month ago. Initially, Old Zhang's daughter was ravaged by the flower-picker. At first, we didn't believe it, but later, the daughters of the Li family and the Zhao family were also ravaged one after another, alarming the whole town. We even asked Xinglan Sect for help. The sect master sent disciples to investigate, but after a month, more and more young girls were ravaged. Sometimes two or three girls were ravaged in one night, and there's still no clue. Now the girls in Baihua Town don't dare to go out, and even staying home is dangerous."
"Xinglan Sect? There's a sect nearby?" Xiao Chen asked in surprise.
The waiter nodded, "Of course. They are powerful, with over a hundred disciples. It's said that the sect master is a Nascent Soul stage expert, very formidable. Unfortunately, even the Xinglan Sect disciples couldn't find any clues about the flower-picker or what he looks like."
"This flower-picker is so capable? In a month, there's no clue at all. What are the Xinglan Sect disciples doing? Could it be that the flower-picker is a disciple of the Xinglan Sect? Otherwise, how could there be no clue at all?" Xiao Chen asked, puzzled. He found it strange that the Xinglan Sect disciples couldn't find a single clue in a month.
"Shh! Young man, don't be so loud. If the Xinglan Sect disciples hear you, you're dead!" The waiter quickly made a shushing gesture, nearly stumbling in fright at Xiao Chen's words.
The waiter glanced around cautiously and then leaned close to Xiao Chen, whispering, "We all have our suspicions, but without evidence, no one dares to speak out. You're the first one to say it out loud."
"Oh? So, you all suspect the Xinglan Sect disciples?" Xiao Chen asked in surprise, not expecting to hit the mark with his casual remark.
"Yes, think about it. The cultivators in Baihua Town are all at the Heartbeat or Fasting stage, with very few at the Fasting stage. To commit crimes for a month without being caught, who else could it be besides the Xinglan Sect disciples? But don't spread this around, or I'll be in big trouble. Our town's cultivators are also secretly investigating, but they can't find anything. This only shows that the flower-picker's cultivation is very high. But Old Zhang's daughter said that the flower-picker wore a jade pendant, and naturally, the Xinglan Sect disciples have jade pendants," the waiter whispered, looking helpless.
"Where is the Xinglan Sect located?" Xiao Chen asked.
"South of Baihua Town, a few hours' journey away, built on the mountain peak," the waiter replied. Worried about Xiao Chen's safety, he added, "Young man, I advise you not to go. There's no evidence proving it's the Xinglan Sect disciples. If it is, do you think they'll let you off?"
"I'm just asking casually. I don't need to go to the Xinglan Sect. The flower-picker will definitely show up again," Xiao Chen said with a faint smile, tossing a high-grade spirit stone to the waiter before leaving the inn.
"Xiao Chen, how do you plan to investigate? There are no clues right now," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.
Xiao Chen frowned and speculated, "The waiter just said that the town's cultivators and the Xinglan Sect disciples are investigating, yet the flower-picker still dares to commit crimes. This shows the flower-picker's high cultivation. There's also another possibility: unless the flower-picker can use escape techniques like me, things will be tricky."
"Xiao Chen, just like the waiter said, if it really is the Xinglan Sect disciples, will you still punish them severely? If you do, and word gets out, the sect's reputation will be greatly damaged. The powerful Xinglan Sect won't let you off," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.
"There's no certainty yet. A jade pendant doesn't prove anything. The waiter said the town is several hours' journey from the Xinglan Sect, so it might not be their disciples. But with no clues, it seems I'll have to monitor tonight," Xiao Chen said. Without evidence, he couldn't rashly accuse the Xinglan Sect. If it spread, it would bring unnecessary trouble.
At night, the streets of Baihua Town were lit with all kinds of lanterns, creating a fiery red scene, yet the streets were deserted. The fiery red Baihua Town became a beautiful night scene.
Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on the highest building in Baihua Town, seemingly cultivating, but actually using his divine sense to monitor the surroundings. Unfortunately, he gained nothing after a whole night.
Several nights passed quietly, with no sign of the flower-picker, and no news of any girls being ravaged.
"Strange, why hasn't the flower-picker shown up for five nights?" Xiao Chen wondered, having gained nothing after five nights.
"Xiao Chen, it seems there will be no results tonight either. You should go back to cultivating," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.
"Let's go," Xiao Chen said, shaking his head helplessly. But just as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of a black shadow flashing by.
"Wait! Someone's here!" Xiao Chen whispered urgently, his gaze sweeping towards the direction of the shadow.
The Ancient White Tiger quickly transmitted, "Xiao Chen, chase him! Follow him and strike when he tries to commit a crime."
Xiao Chen swiftly flew after the shadow, trying to make no noise. In the dark night sky, it was hard to notice someone flying if not looked at carefully.
"So, it's someone in the Golden Core stage. No wonder no one could find any clues. After committing the crime, he flies into the sky. Baihua Town doesn't have anyone in the Golden Core stage, unless it's a Xinglan Sect disciple," Xiao Chen whispered, cautiously following the black shadow.
"Xiao Chen, that guy is wearing night clothes, so it's hard to tell who he is," the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.
A few minutes later, Xiao Chen cautiously followed the black-clothed man to a courtyard. Xiao Chen immediately went underground to observe. The black-clothed man sneakily checked the courtyard before quietly heading to the backyard, showing familiarity with the layout as if it were his own backyard.
"This guy is familiar with this place, clearly premeditated," Xiao Chen thought, following the black-clothed man underground to a room.
"Xiao Chen, this is a girl's room. This guy is definitely the flower-picker!" the Ancient White Tiger transmitted.
Inside the room, a young woman in her early twenties was sleeping soundly, completely unaware that someone had sneaked into her room.
"Hehe!" The black-clad man chuckled evilly, his eyes gleaming with malice. He swiftly covered the sleeping woman's mouth with one hand and started tearing her clothes with the other. The woman woke up with a start, struggling in panic but unable to make any sound, her heart filled with extreme fear.
"Flower thief! Where are you running to!" At this moment, Xiao Chen swiftly emerged from the ground, thrusting his divine sword towards the black-clad man's back.
"What?" The black-clad man was shocked, sensing the imminent danger. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, but it was too late—his shoulder was pierced.
The black-clad man turned his head, startled once more, and exclaimed, "It's you!" Then he broke through the window and fled.
"Miss, are you alright?" Xiao Chen asked with concern, but the woman was too terrified to respond.
"Xiao Chen! Quickly, pursue him! Don't let him escape!" the Ancient White Tiger transmitted urgently.
Xiao Chen didn't hesitate, knowing that catching the flower thief was crucial. He immediately broke through the window and gave chase. The Ancient White Tiger transmitted again, "Xiao Chen, he's flying towards the Xinglan Sect!"
"So it really is someone from the Xinglan Sect! Hmph!" Xiao Chen snorted coldly, channeling his true essence, his speed instantly increasing as he transformed into a streak of white light, disappearing in a flash.