Chapter 20: City Lord’s Manor and the Rising Evil

“Good morning, fellow Daoists, and my dear Rongrong. You all look well!”

Once everyone had finished the knife-cut noodles, which Hua Yan had re-seasoned to finally make them palatable, Qu Linglong entered with a smile, a large box strapped to her back. Lin Qianqian followed closely behind her.

“Good morning, Senior Sister, Daoist Hua, and little Rongrong.” Lin Qianqian greeted them with a graceful nod.

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

“Good morning, Auntie Qu and Auntie Lin!”

Sweet and adorable, Hua Xiangrong earned a sparkle in Lin Qianqian’s eyes and the reward of her head being gently ruffled.

“Both of you, I won’t beat around the bush any longer. Today, we should first visit the Fulong City Lord’s Manor to thoroughly investigate the intelligence on evil cultivators within the Great Chu territory. How does that sound?”

As Qu Linglong spoke, her gaze directly fell upon Yun Xueshang and Hua Yan.

Originally, they should have paid their respects to the City Lord’s Manor upon their arrival in Fulong City yesterday.

However, Yun Xueshang had gotten separated shortly after entering the city, followed by a series of events involving finding and recognizing her daughter, which had delayed them until today.

“That works.” Yun Xueshang responded coolly.

“Just follow your plan.” Hua Yan also nodded.

“Then, without further ado, shall we depart now?”

“Mm.”

Hua Yan first agreed, then turned to look at the pink-haired girl beside her. The little one was currently munching on a bag of dried fruit given by Lin Qianqian, her eyes curving into happy crescents as she ate with immense delight.

“Girl, Yun Xueshang and I are going out to gather information on eliminating evil. You should cultivate diligently in the courtyard today.”

“Remember, no more running around randomly.”

She reiterated her warning.

“Mm! Got it!”

The girl still nodded obediently, but then she extended her hand.

“Then… Mother, I want to buy some toys. Can I?”

“What kind of toys?”

Hua Yan was a little confused.

“The toys from Auntie Qu! She has so many—little birds that chirp, fireworks that can be set off, and even mechanical puppies… Just buy some for Rongrong, please? Pretty please?”

Hua Xiangrong tugged gently on her sleeve, her upturned face filled with anticipation.

Hua Yan turned to Qu Linglong, whose wooden box immediately emitted a few ‘clack’ sounds as several mechanical arms extended, laden with all sorts of novel gadgets.

[Qu Linglong: Sales Mode.jpg]

“Alright, fine… But you must promise me you’ll practice diligently and not run around again.”

Hua Yan rubbed her forehead, reiterating her instructions once more.

Watching the pink-haired girl nod rapidly, she finally felt relieved and said to Qu Linglong:

“Daoist Qu, for all of these…”

“These are all hot-selling items from our Heavenly Secrets Pavilion! Little cultivators just starting out love to play with them!

The original price is 1,500 low-grade spirit stones, but for little Rongrong, I’ll give you a 20% discount. Daoist Hua, that’ll be just 1,200!”

Qu Linglong replied swiftly and smoothly.

“Alright, it’s not too expensive anyway.”

Hua Yan’s straightforward payment made Qu Linglong’s eyes light up, and her heart swelled with joy. ‘Ah, I knew Daoist Hua wasn’t someone short on spirit stones!’

After waving goodbye to everyone, Hua Xiangrong skipped back to the small courtyard, clutching a large pile of newly acquired toys.

“Host, aren’t you going out to cause trouble today?”

099’s voice resonated in her mind.

“Oh, my two moms are already together, so why would I go out and cause trouble? Couldn’t you just broadcast their interactions to me? Besides, acting like a good child is very important, otherwise, how can I openly buy toys in the future?”

Hua Xiangrong replied while fiddling with a large, fragmented mechanical puppet that required assembly.

“Wow! 099, look, the toys in the cultivation world are amazing! Auntie Qu said this mechanical puppet can transform and even fly once assembled! This is so much cooler than those Cry Babies or Tamagotchis from my previous life!”

“Ah, yes, yes, yes. As long as you’re happy, Host…”

***

The group exited the small courtyard, traversing Fulong City’s long streets, which were gradually bustling with morning activity.

The cries of vendors, the clatter of carriages, and the smoky aroma of breakfast stalls intertwined into a clamorous market scene.

Qu Linglong and Lin Qianqian walked ahead, occasionally chatting and laughing, while Hua Yan and Yun Xueshang lagged behind, a silent awkwardness lingering between them.

Fortunately, the awkwardness did not last too long. Both the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion’s compound and the City Lord’s Manor were located in the city center.

In less than a quarter of an hour, a rather imposing mansion appeared before them.

Blue stone steps, vermilion lacquered gates, and two majestic stone lions stood solemnly at the entrance, while the five golden characters “Fulong City Lord’s Manor” on the plaque above shone brilliantly.

Upon seeing the group, the gate guards quickly recognized them as cultivators sent by the righteous path to eliminate evil.

Without much questioning, they went inside to report. Before long, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, with a round face and short beard, hurried out to greet them, accompanied by two scribes holding documents.

“Esteemed Immortal Maidens, I apologize for not coming out sooner! I am Zhang Lide, and I greet you all!”

He bowed with a wide smile, his gaze sweeping over everyone. After a slight hesitation, it settled on the radiant Hua Yan beside Yun Xueshang.

“I presume you are Daoist Qu from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and Daoists Yun and Lin from the Carefree Sword Sect! But I wonder who this is…”

“City Lord Zhang, you are too kind.” Qu Linglong returned the bow with a smile, introducing her on their behalf. “This is Daoist Hua Yan’er, an old acquaintance of Daoist Yun. She has also specifically come to discuss the matter of eliminating evil with us.”

“Oh! I see! A pleasure, a pleasure!” City Lord Zhang nodded repeatedly, his smile becoming even more courteous. “Please, esteemed ones, come in quickly! Tea will be served in the hall!”

Everyone followed him into the main hall. The hall’s furnishings were simple yet elegant, with several landscape paintings and calligraphies adorning the walls.

Several sandalwood chairs were arranged in the center, and the tables were stacked with official documents and scrolls, exuding an atmosphere of practicality and efficiency.

After the maidservant served fragrant tea and withdrew, City Lord Zhang took his seat at the head of the table, rubbed his hands, and directly stated:

“Esteemed Immortal Maidens have traveled a long way, presumably concerning the… rampant evil cultivators?”

Qu Linglong set down her teacup, her expression turning serious.

“Precisely. We are here by our sect’s command to investigate the evil entities lurking within the Great Chu territory. Fulong City is a crucial hub in the Northern Border, with a complex flow of cultivators.

I presume the City Lord has some grasp of the unusual activities in this area and its surroundings?”

“Regarding the evil cultivators… indeed there is news.”

City Lord Zhang lifted his gaze, his expression growing a few shades more solemn.

“Approximately half a year ago, reports of disappearances began to surface intermittently in several remote villages within our borders.

Initially, these were dismissed as ordinary banditry or mountain spirits at work. However, three months ago, a manor on the outskirts of Linjiang City saw over a hundred people vanish overnight.

The scene was left with only… some dried, dark red traces, neither blood nor anything else, emanating an ominous, evil aura.”

The atmosphere in the hall subtly grew heavier.

“The authorities dispatched cultivators to investigate, and they discovered a hidden cave in the mountain forest behind the manor.

It was permeated with malevolent energy and bore remnants of sinister formations,” he paused.

“In the month that followed, similar incidents occurred in two more villages and towns to the south, carried out with identical methods. Although the imperial court increased patrols, the evil cultivators’ whereabouts remain elusive, and their leader has yet to be apprehended.”

“Understood, then.”

Qu Linglong’s brows furrowed deeply, her expression grave.

It was well known that ever since Immortal Si Heng established the rules of the cultivation world, evil cultivators who practiced killing for cultivation and plundering essence, blood, and souls had long vanished.

Most of these malevolent cultivation methods had also been lost.

Even if a few minor villains secretly delved into them, they would swiftly be eradicated by the combined might of the cultivation world.

Thus, the current “evil eradication” campaigns were mostly focused on pursuing desperate individuals who harmed fellow disciples, murdered for treasures, or became local tyrants causing chaos.

However, the recent string of gruesome and bizarre cases of entire families and villages being wiped out clearly indicated the work of evil cultivators—and certainly not ordinary wanted criminals.

The various righteous sects had dispatched their disciples down the mountains precisely to thoroughly uproot this burgeoning threat of evil cultivators.