The wind started to whistle, and the paper caught in the cracks of the ground made a strange flapping sound. The man with the umbrella turned his head to look, and the paper flew out, right in front of the man, flipping for his appreciation.
It was a third-grade immobilization talisman, and from the torn formula on the talisman paper, it was clear that it had already been used.
After looking at it, the talisman paper flew back on its own, wedging itself again into the crack in the stone.
The man with the umbrella continued to walk, occasionally stopping to examine his surroundings, passing by corpse after corpse and weapons, until finally, he stopped in front of Qi Ziru.
The talismans and dark cloth bag that the corpse was clutching flew out of its hand, spun in front of the man for a moment, and then the opening of the bag suddenly loosened. One by one, enlarged skeletons flew out from inside, dancing in the sky over the open field. After repeatedly joining together, they formed a bone dragon tens of zhang long.
The bone dragon seemed to come to life, shaking its head and wagging its tail in the air. Its fierce snake head lunged towards the man with the umbrella on the ground, stopping near him, allowing for observation.
The man looked puzzled, and after a while, the bone dragon started to move again, diving headfirst back into the diminutive dark cloth bag, shrinking rapidly until it completely disappeared into the bag.
The man reached for the bag, but as his fingertips were about to touch it, he paused, his gaze flickering slightly. He withdrew his hand, abandoning the idea of taking it.
Then, he saw the bag's opening tighten, and the bag, along with the talismans, automatically wedged themselves back into Qi Ziru's hand.
And then, as if by magic, the man with the umbrella disappeared from sight and reappeared at the entrance of a mine in the valley.
Standing at the entrance, he could see that the mine had collapsed, eliminating the need to enter further. He raised his hand in a grabbing motion toward the entrance, and ripples spread into the void, reaching into the crevices of the collapsed rocks inside.
After a moment, he folded his sleeve and withdrew his hand. No longer lingering at this place, he soared upwards like a shadow, vanishing into the distant sky, leaving only the clear brilliance of the moon…
The Land of Exile is spread out across twelve cities, with Zhixu City being the closest to East Nine Plain.
The twelve cities each have a different style. Under the night sky, Zhixu City is not big and even appears a bit crude but fits the atmosphere of the Land of Exile well. The only exception is a palace in the center of the city, with its ornately carved beams and painted rafters, standing out imposingly.
The city walls are manned with armored soldiers bearing spears and halberds, and the two words "Zhixu" on the city gate are stern and majestic.
In the dead of night, the city gates are still left open, and under the moonlight, people still come and go both inside and outside the city – some empty-handed, others laden with heavy goods. Most people come here to exchange "merits" they've accumulated, while others come for necessary survival resources.
There is only one shop in the city – or, to be accurate, there is only one shop in all twelve cities of the Land of Exile where trade is permitted – named Bowan Building.
Apart from the area designated for Bowan Building's operations, other areas of the city are off-limits to the public. Thus, the comings and goings of those entering the city are mostly confined to the Bowan Building area, except for those who have accumulated enough "merits" to leave the Land of Exile, who get the opportunity to enter other areas.
For outsiders wishing to enter the Land of Exile, they must also pass through these cities, where the requirements to enter are very strict.
At this moment, in a private area of the city, in one of the side rooms, there is a temporary visitor.
The room is brightly lit by glowing pearls, furnished simply yet elegantly. The guest is a woman of considerable grace, her lofty and refined demeanor seemingly inherent, clothed in brocade with jingling ornaments, slowly pacing back and forth in the small space, deep in thought.
The woman is here for a prison visit, to see her brother and son.
Her brother and son are none other than Qi Ziru and Shen Youkun; her name is Qi Yueru.
Under normal circumstances, prison visits aren't allowed, but there always are those who can obtain special permission.
Even when coming for a prison visit, outsiders are not permitted to roam freely or contact others at will. They can only wait for the prisoners to be brought to them.
The footsteps approaching rapidly from outside caused her to pause and listen closely. Soon, a knock sounded.
Qi Yueru immediately responded, "Please come in."
The door opened and in came a man with a brocaded belt, his features marked with gravity. He scrutinized the woman before looking back towards the door cautiously.
The pattern on his belt had significant meaning, representing his rank within the Heavenly Court hierarchy.
Qi Yueru greeted him with a smile and a bow, "City Lord, have my son and his father sent for me?"
Coming here for a prison visit, you couldn't just leave the city to seek them out. The restricted areas were strictly off-limits, and you were not permitted to have arbitrary contact with others, only waiting until the convicts were brought by.
The man was City Lord Ba Yingshan, and he lowered his voice, speaking in an interrogative tone, "Tell me honestly, what exactly does the Qi family intend to do in the Land of Exile?"
Qi Yueru chuckled and shook her head, "That's quite a question you're asking, don't you think?"
Ba Yingshan took a deep breath, his expression showing a struggle to contain his anger, then he changed his tactic, "Did you cause some trouble in East Nine Plain?"
Qi Yueru responded with a faint smile, "You're not a three-year-old child, you should know not to ask what shouldn't be asked. Knowing too much is not good for you."
City Lord Ba was clearly getting anxious, and he suddenly grabbed her wrist and jerked it up, forcefully lowering his voice as he growled, "You just need to tell me whether you're causing trouble in East Nine Plain. Otherwise, once something happens later, you won't be able to escape either!"
Qi Yueru, who almost wanted to shake off the pain, stiffened as she caught the implication and urgently said, "What happened?"
City Lord Ba didn't bother to hide anything, "The Prison Inspection Envoy has arrived, saying there's been an incident in East Nine Plain where many people have died. He specified the exact location in the gully area south of East Nine Plain and ordered me to personally lead a team to the scene and supervise the investigation. Deaths from fighting in this damned place are too common and nobody cares. When did it ever draw the direct attention of the Prison Inspection Envoy? If there's something, you better clarify it with me now. It'll be too late for anyone to cover it up later."
Hearing the mentioned location of the incident, Qi Yueru's heart pounded with fear as she urgently asked, "How could the Prison Inspection Envoy pay attention to that deserted corner?"
City Lord Ba, angry but amused, said, "You're asking me? I should be the one asking you, what on earth did you do to draw the attention of the Prison Inspection Envoy? Make it clear quickly, I have to set off immediately and there's no time for delay."
Qi Yueru shook off his grip and whispered, "Mind your own business about what happened, and the same goes for you, don't ask what shouldn't be asked. I need to go to the scene of the incident now. Arrange for me to leave immediately."
City Lord Ba was shocked, "Are you crazy? What kind of place do you think this is? Outsiders are not allowed to leave the city at will; otherwise, it's a violation of the heavenly laws. If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"
Qi Yueru lost her temper, "I don't care; you must take me out. This is your territory, and I know you definitely have a way."
She had already realized that something might have gone wrong with her son and brother; otherwise, how could their covert operation have come to the knowledge of the Prison Inspection Envoy?
Thinking her son might be in trouble, her heart was hanging by a thread. And there was also her own younger brother, combined with the responsibility she bore, she couldn't help but confirm it for herself.
City Lord Ba was both anxious and irritated, truly wishing he could strangle this wretch. After glancing at the door and not daring to raise his voice, he ground his teeth and sternly reminded her, "Do you know who is in the city? Do you know who the Prison Inspection Envoy usually accompanies? That 'jail warden' is right now in the palace tower, operating right under his watchful eyes. I don't have the guts to interfere!"
Upon hearing the term "jail warden," Qi Yueru's face also turned pale, unable to conceal her shock.
The so-called "jail warden" might sound unimpressive, but it's merely a nickname; in reality, he is the highest authority of this Land of Exile.
Perhaps in the eyes of the locals like Shi Chun, the Land of Exile may not seem much, being a place of no consequence. But for Cultivators, it represents an extremely terrifying location.
If one were to change perspective, they might understand the terrifying authority of this place.
The official name of the Land of Exile is "Life Prison," contrasting with another prison called "Death Prison"—also known as Hell or the Netherworld to everyone.
Hell is universally known because it targets everyone, while Life Prison specifically targets Cultivators.
Death Prison aims at the deceased, while Life Prison targets the living.
The saying 'better dead than alive' can fittingly describe the fate of being thrown into Life Prison—it's not a fate that just anyone can mix through as easily as Shen Youkun; after all, it's a rarity.
Qi Yueru had never seen what the "jail warden" looked like, but she heard that upon being demoted here, he would always carry an umbrella, regardless of the weather. He'd open it every time he went outside.
The legend went that when someone asked why he did this, his response was: "I won't allow the heavens to look down upon me; if they want to see me, they must do so face to face!"
How could Qi Yueru contend with such a legendary figure? Yet ultimately, being burdened with heavy responsibility and aching for her son's safety, she had to push aside her fear and harden herself to say, "City Lord Ba, you have to help, even if you don't want to. This isn't just helping me; it's helping yourself too. My going there is to take care of the aftermath. If something isn't right at the scene, you'll also be implicated. Once I've taken care of everything, your job will be much simpler when you arrive later, won't it?"
"You..." Unable to contain his anger, City Lord Ba pointed at her nose, her words tantamount to admitting the situation indeed had something to do with her side.
But what could he do? In the end, he still stormed off in a huff.
Very quickly, having shed all feminine adornments, Qi Yueru, clad in a black robe and a headscarf, still managed to smoothly exit the city.
Once away from the city walls and out of the public eye, she dared to take to the skies and fly directly to her destination.
Bowan Building was, after all, very close to East Nine Plain. It didn't take her long to reach the scene of the incident. She didn't dare to approach directly but instead skulked around stealthily for reconnaissance first.
But before even finding the entrance to the mine shaft, she collapsed to the ground, covering her face and sobbing uncontrollably.
During her stealthy investigation, she first came across corpses and then recognized among them the bodies of her son and brother, both of whom had been beheaded. She couldn't accept this reality. Terrified of making any sound, she muffled her cries, a true embodiment of utter heartbreak.
Eventually, she had to face the reality and dared not linger on the scene any longer, as the time City Lord Ba had given her was short and he'd soon arrive with his men.
Once calm, she noticed the Qiankun Bag clutched in her brother's hand and immediately snatched it to examine. After looking through it, she couldn't help but burst into muffled sobs once more, finding that the objective had been secured. They had indeed been murdered after completing their mission. Why had this happened? They had already succeeded!
Despite wiping her tears, they refused to cease. With the situation unclear and not daring to recover the bodies of her loved ones, she took the Qiankun Bag and left.
A cold wind blew in her face, and she suddenly stopped, all grief vanishing. Slowly lowering her head to look at the Qiankun Bag in her hand, she realized a troubling thought—why was such a treasure still here if the people were dead? How did the Prison Inspection Envoy know something had happened here?
Thinking of this, she almost broke out in a cold sweat. The exit of the Land of Exile might very well have someone waiting to take this item away. If she dared to leave with it, she might never be able to leave again.