"Ahhhh, this feels good!"
Zhu Yike stretched lazily on the inn's second-floor corridor, feeling the vitality return to his body after last night's exertions. He looked fresh, like a rich young master with red lips and a pale complexion. Yawning, he pushed open the door to the room next door.
Inside, three unfamiliar women were huddled together on a single bed. They looked drastically different from when they first met: ordinary in appearance, their figures altered. Zhu Yike barely recognized them as Aunt Xiang, Dongdong, and Ah Yao.
With a glance, he shrugged it off. The transformation was to be expected in their line of work, and he had long stopped trying to keep track of every face.
"Time to set off," Zhu Yike said as he sat at the tea table, watching the three women, now freshened up, prepare for the day. He didn't care whether they had managed to sleep through the night or not. After all, he hadn't slept. He'd spent the entire night standing guard, watching over their rooms, and luckily, he hadn't noticed anything suspicious.
Dongdong, who had grown more amiable after a night of recuperation, broke the silence. "The entire street is looking for someone named Zhu Yike. Brother Li, do you know anything about this?"
Her tone was warm, her demeanor pleasant. After all, if this "Brother Li" had any improper intentions, he would've acted long before now. Even Ah Yao, who had been keeping a watchful eye on him, hadn't detected any untoward behavior.
Zhu Yike sighed inwardly. Of course, he had heard the news. It wasn't exactly subtle, and he had caught wind of it when the inn waiter delivered breakfast. He smiled wryly.
"I know," he said casually, taking a sip of tea. "I also know that they're looking for a prostitute and three women."
Ah Yao's face twisted with confusion. "Brother Li… didn't you say you left no traces behind?"
Her words reminded him of how meticulously he had covered his tracks at Lin Shan. The caution he exercised had been almost obsessive. Yet here they were, barely a night later, and the Holy Divine Palace had already circulated a bounty identifying him as Zhu Yike, not Li.
Zhu Yike grumbled inwardly. He had done everything right—so he thought—yet his cover had been blown so quickly. He refused to admit his identity to these three women, though. He would rather die than concede that he was, in fact, Zhu Yike.
"A bunch of useless foreign spies," he muttered. "They may not know my real identity, but they've certainly nailed the part about the 'three women'."
He sighed and looked toward Aunt Xiang. "So, where to next?"
Dongdong and Ah Yao exchanged amused glances but said nothing, content to let the charade continue. Aunt Xiang, on the other hand, was growing more anxious. She tugged at her braids.
"I'm not safe anywhere," she murmured. "Not until this ban on martial arts is lifted."
Zhu Yike leaned back, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I can't do anything about that. I've tried everything I know, but the ban's mysteries are beyond me."
He had indeed attempted to lift Aunt Xiang's martial arts restriction. His spells barely touched the surface of the magic, dissipating into nothing. It was frustratingly impenetrable, no matter how skilled he was in stealing or manipulating other forms of power.
Aunt Xiang, however, wasn't expecting him to succeed. She had someone else in mind—someone far more powerful.
"There's only one other person who might be able to lift the ban," she said, her voice quiet yet firm.
Zhu Yike leaned forward, intrigued. "Oh? Who?"
"Kui Leihan."
Those three words hit the room like a boulder, silencing everyone. Kui Leihan, the leader of the Ten High Nobles, was a name that carried immense weight in the martial world. Even Zhu Yike, who had dared to challenge powerful figures in his time, couldn't help but feel dwarfed by the thought of Kui Leihan.
For a moment, Zhu Yike was stunned. How could someone like him—a small fry in the grand scheme of things—ever reach such a legendary figure? Even the enigmatic Bazhun'an seemed more accessible compared to the distant, untouchable Kui Leihan.
But then again… Aunt Xiang was also one of the Ten High Nobles. Perhaps there was some old connection between them?
His mind raced, grappling with the enormity of the task. How could they, mere fugitives, persuade someone like Kui Leihan to intervene?
Before he could voice his concerns, Aunt Xiang broke the silence. "I know where Kui Leihan is."
Zhu Yike raised a brow, surprised. "You know?"
Aunt Xiang nodded slowly. "Yes, I do."
After a moment's hesitation, Zhu Yike shooed Dongdong and Ah Yao out of the room, waving them toward his quarters. The two women, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, left without complaint.
Once they were alone, Zhu Yike turned to Aunt Xiang, his tone more serious now. "Qingyuan Mountain, Changde Town?"
Aunt Xiang's eyes widened slightly. "You know?"
Zhu Yike rubbed the back of his neck, smiling wryly. "The mission I received had three possible final destinations: Changde Town, the City of the Dead Bodhisattva, and Half-Moon Bay."
It seemed fate had drawn them all to the same place.
As the two sat in silence, contemplating their next steps, the weight of what lay ahead pressed down on them. If Kui Leihan was truly their only hope, then their journey had only just begun—and it would be fraught with danger at every turn.
Of course, "safety" was always a relative term.
Zhu Yike knew better than to fully relax. Hallmaster Dao had seen through his identity—it was impossible he hadn't already taken precautions. Perhaps, right now, Dao Qiongcang was blocking the very path they were planning to take.
Zhu Yike remained silent. He had control over the situation, the person they needed was safely in his hands, and when the moment came, he'd make his own decisions. If he had to change Li Fugui's destination, so be it. Flexibility was key in staying alive.
Aunt Xiang, deep in thought, shook her head.
"I can't go to the City of the Dead Bodhisattva," she said. "That place is my base. If they've let me out, there's no way they'd let me back in without setting traps. I'm certain it's heavily guarded by now."
"And Half-Moon Bay?" Zhu Yike asked, furrowing his brow.
Aunt Xiang continued, her voice tinged with unease. "Half-Moon Bay is in the Southern Region. To get there from here, we'd need to pass through the inter-region teleportation portal. And you know that's controlled by the Divine Secret... our identities could easily be exposed."
"So that leaves Qingyuan Mountain?" Zhu Yike concluded.
Aunt Xiang paused before slowly shaking her head. Her eyes were serious, and her tone shifted with sudden gravity.
"I can't go there either," she murmured. "When you mentioned it earlier, I thought it was a good idea, but now… If we thought of it so easily, surely Dao Qiongcang would've thought of it too. He's likely already set up traps, anticipating our arrival."
Zhu Yike's expression grew complicated. He had felt so confident after successfully rescuing Aunt Xiang—surely, in a vast region like this, finding a random cave to hide in would guarantee his safety. But now, with all this analysis, it suddenly felt like there was no safe place left.
Could Dao Qiongcang be that omniscient? Would he somehow open the door right now and pinpoint their exact location while they were still deliberating on where to go?
Zhu Yike shivered involuntarily. A gust of cold wind seemed to pass behind him, and he instinctively turned to glance at the door. Thankfully, it remained shut.
"So, what now?" he asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Are you saying we just stay here and hide?"
Aunt Xiang sighed and shook her head. "No… staying here is as good as waiting for death."
The room fell into a tense silence.
"I refuse to believe this!" Zhu Yike suddenly stood up, clenching his fists.
"Refuse to believe what?" Aunt Xiang asked, a little startled.
"I refuse to believe that that old show-off Taoist can actually track me down!" Zhu Yike hurriedly rummaged through his pockets.
Aunt Xiang began to feel uneasy and stood up. "Wait, don't do anything rash. We can't just storm out—"
Her voice trailed off abruptly, remembering that just moments ago she had basically said staying put would lead to certain death.
Zhu Yike wasn't the type to sit still. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to charge outside with the three women for a leisurely stroll either. Instead, he quickly pulled out a handful of… cooked peanuts?
"This…" Aunt Xiang blinked in confusion.
"Want some?" Zhu Yike casually offered her a few peanuts.
Aunt Xiang was dumbfounded. Here she was expecting him to make some grand escape plan, yet he was offering snacks! She had mentally prepared for him to break down the door and rush headlong into one of Dao Qiongcang's deadly traps, but peanuts?!
Was everyone from the First Pavilion in the Sky this strange?
Zhu Yike popped a few peanuts into his mouth and chewed happily, leaving only four in his palm. "Actually, these are quite tasty."
Then, something unexpected happened. The four peanuts in his hand began to glow with starlight, and in a blink, they transformed into three women and one man—each one a perfect replica of Zhu Yike and three nondescript maidservants!
"Officer~" one of the women called out coquettishly.
"Good morning, officer~" chirped another, her voice sticky with charm.
Aunt Xiang's skin crawled as the women flirted and giggled like they were in the presence of the Divine themselves. It was uncanny.
"Hehehe, ladies," the replica of Zhu Yike said with an exaggerated grin, rubbing his hands together in a sleazy manner. "I didn't get any sleep last night, I'm absolutely exhausted!"
Aunt Xiang stared in shock. If she hadn't seen the transformation with her own eyes, she'd have sworn these were real people. Was this another trick from the Southern Region?
Zhu Yike noticed her expression and chuckled. "It's an old technique—'Casting Beans into Soldiers'. Let's see if Dao Qiongcang can track me now!"
With a wave of his hand, the four replicas vanished into thin air.
"Where did they go?" Aunt Xiang asked, still in disbelief.
"The City of the Dead Bodhisattva," Zhu Yike replied, dusting off his hands. "If everything goes as planned."
"But... the teleportation array—" Aunt Xiang began.
"They didn't use the array," Zhu Yike interjected, smirking. "They're taking a different route—disguised and hidden well."
Aunt Xiang remained quiet, impressed despite herself. Zhu Yike, for all his quirks, had thought through every detail.
As the tension in the room eased, the two settled into a quiet wait. Zhu Yike pulled out yet another handful of peanuts from his seemingly endless pockets, and Aunt Xiang could only watch in amusement as they shared a peaceful snack.
Hours passed before Zhu Yike suddenly grunted, nearly spitting his tea all over Aunt Xiang, who narrowly dodged the spray.
"Failed?" Aunt Xiang asked, noticing his darkening expression.
"Yes..." Zhu Yike sighed. "They were doing so well, changing disguises, using high-speed movement techniques... but still."
A heavy silence settled over them once more. It seemed even casting beans into soldiers wasn't enough to fool the ever-watchful eye of Dao Qiongcang.
The Dangxia Pass was their only route to the City of the Dead Bodhisattva. They had avoided the teleportation portal, which placed them about halfway there. However, at a precarious cliff, the four-bean combination came across a group of thirteen white-robed individuals, solemnly holding a massive spirit mirror, standing as if they had been expecting intruders.
"Restricted area ahead. Please stop," one of the white-clad figures said firmly. None of them moved.
The spiritual mirror, standing tall, revealed the true forms of the four before them—four peanuts. Their disguises shattered instantly.
The outcome was inevitable.
The thirteen white-robed figures, momentarily stunned, surged forward with ruthless efficiency, decimating the peanuts without leaving even a single intact fragment behind.
Zhu Yike, back in the hidden room, grimaced as he recounted the story. "They had a mirror. No matter how well I disguised them, the Mirror of Self showed their true forms. It's useless…"
Aunt Xiang nodded solemnly. "The Mirror of Self is a prized creation of the Daoist Sect. It reveals the true nature of anything reflected in it. Powerful and precise."
"Are there many of these mirrors?" Zhu Yike asked, frustration evident in his voice.
"Not many," Aunt Xiang responded, "but Dao Qiongcang can mass-produce them now. With his resources, he could place one at every critical pass."
Zhu Yike's frustration boiled over. "Damn Dao Qiongcang!" He cursed, before checking himself. His teacup clattered against the table, shattering a small Spirit Fragment nearby.
"I cut off the connection in time," Zhu Yike muttered, calming slightly. "The four beans self-destructed as soon as they reverted. The white-robed people won't trace it back to me… I left no traces." Despite his confidence, doubt lingered in his voice.
Aunt Xiang remained silent for a long moment before speaking. "We can't stay here any longer."
Zhu Yike stood up swiftly, his mind made up. "I'm done gambling. Dao Qiongcang's Divine Secret technique is stronger than my Golden Gate Stealing Technique. I don't even know how he saw through my perfect plan."
Aunt Xiang also rose, her eyes falling on Zhu Yike, who was growing more agitated.
Zhu Yike glanced toward the adjacent room, where others were hiding. He ran a finger across his throat, speaking softly. "My suggestion? Kill them."
Aunt Xiang shook her head but didn't speak further. The bond between them ran too deep to simply sever it with cold pragmatism. They had shared decades of sisterhood, far too close to be so easily forsaken.
"If it were safer to kill them, I would've given you poison back at Yougui Pavilion instead of a spatial ring," Aunt Xiang whispered, her voice carrying the weight of history.
Zhu Yike let out a heavy sigh. "Keeping them around feels like being stabbed in the back," he said bitterly.
"You can always let them go," Aunt Xiang replied calmly. "I've already told you, Dao Qiongcang only needs one of them. Once he finds her, he can appear in front of you anytime."
Zhu Yike shuddered. Something about the whole Divine Sorcerer situation made his skin crawl. "Why are you so sure about this?" he finally asked.
"I'm not," Aunt Xiang answered without hesitation. "If I had those answers, I'd be the fortune teller."
Silence filled the room again. Zhu Yike's gaze darkened, deep in thought. "Are you sure there are no traitors among them?" he asked after a while.
Aunt Xiang gave a knowing look, her voice distant. "Just as you thought your plan was flawless and Dao Qiongcang still found a crack… I don't know. There could be."
Zhu Yike sneered. "And yet, you're still willing to drag them along!"
"If it goes wrong, at least tie it up and make use of it," Aunt Xiang said calmly.
"Heh, too kind. I'd like to see you tie them up," Zhu Yike muttered, shaking his head.
Without wasting another moment, Zhu Yike pulled two teacups from the adjacent room. A brief exchange of energies later, the two women materialized in front of them, bowing respectfully.
"Aunt Xiang," they greeted softly.
Aunt Xiang acknowledged them with a nod as they turned to Zhu Yike. "Where are we going?" they asked, their voices tinged with uncertainty.
Zhu Yike looked at them and hesitated for a moment. "We're heading somewhere safer," he replied vaguely. He turned to Aunt Xiang for silent confirmation.
"Safer?" Aunt Xiang's eyes sharpened, questioning the vagueness of his response.
Zhu Yike hesitated again before finally speaking with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Li… Yes, the person inside suggested that if you're ever in doubt, you can go there. There's a chance you might meet someone."
The three women spoke in unison, their curiosity piqued. "Who is it?"