"It's not impossible." Xie Ziyin looked at Wen Shuangbai. "Do you want to investigate this?"
Wen Shuangbai nodded. "Yes."
To be honest, she wasn’t particularly close to Di Yanran. Their interactions had been limited to their time in Tianjia Village.
Back then, Wen Shuangbai could sense the goodwill Di Yanran extended toward her.
If Di Yanran hadn’t been from the Di family, if it hadn’t been during the competition, Wen Shuangbai felt they might have become friends.
A girl she had genuinely admired—her body now occupied by someone else, her true soul vanishing without a trace. And yet, it seemed no one had noticed or cared.
The thought alone made Wen Shuangbai uneasy.
Still, she didn’t plan to involve everyone in the investigation.
After all, with the final battle looming, the six of them needed to focus on their cultivation.
"I’ve already asked Junior Sister Yu to have a few people from Caiyuan Tower keep an eye on the Di family," Wen Shuangbai said. "If any of you hear rumors during your training, just let me know."
The other five agreed one by one.
---
The next afternoon, Shen Hefeng went out as usual to set up his fortune-telling stall.
Before leaving, he remembered Wen Shuangbai’s request from the night before and decided to divine an auspicious direction for the matter.
The reading pointed toward Baihua Street in Dizhou City—good in that it favored Wen Shuangbai’s cause, bad in that he might suffer a bloody mishap due to his loose tongue!
"That Wen Erbai really is my jinx," Shen Hefeng muttered before swaggering off in that direction.
Baihua Street was lined with rouge shops, clothing stores, pastry shops, and the like, so it was mostly frequented by women in groups.
The eccentric Taoist wandered through the crowd, peering here and there, until his eyes narrowed on a young girl stepping out of a clothing store. "Miss, a moment!"
She looked young but troubled, her delicate face clouded with worry.
Shen Hefeng grinned. "Judging by your complexion, you seem burdened by troubles. Would you like this humble one to divine your fortune?"
The girl stared at him in surprise and quickly shook her head. "N-no, thank you."
The Taoist beamed. "No need to rush! I sense a deep connection between us—let me divine for you!"
The girl: "…?"
Shen Hefeng’s fortune-telling operated on a principle of whimsy and coercion.
In other words, he delighted in telling fortunes for those who didn’t want them.
He swiftly cast a hexagram and, upon seeing the result, inwardly raised an eyebrow. But his expression remained mysterious as he said, "You seek a missing loved one, do you not?"
The girl gasped. "H-how did you—"
"Junior Sister Yu, come here!" Suddenly, several older women hurried out of the clothing store.
One of them immediately drew her sword and slashed at Shen Hefeng without a word.
Shen Hefeng flicked his tortoise-shell amulet, and a barrier of intricate runes materialized, effortlessly blocking the strike. He studied the woman’s face and chuckled. "Such a fierce young lady! So much killing intent at your age—careful, or the vengeful dead may come calling!"
"Shut your mouth, you charlatan!" the sharp-featured woman snarled, shouting for the crowd. "Everyone, listen! This man is a disciple of Qingling Mountain—the ones who sabotaged Dizhou in the Xuantian Tournament, leaving our young master severely injured! As people of Dizhou, don’t be fooled by his lies!"
The moment those words left her mouth, the onlookers erupted in outrage.
"So it’s one of those Qingling Mountain snakes! Get out of Dizhou!"
"Scram! Dizhou has no welcome for your kind!"
In no time, rouge boxes, pastries, and curses rained down on Shen Hefeng.
Eyeing the growing mob, Shen Hefeng spat on the ground and bolted, cursing under his breath.
He fled into the alleys, weaving through the labyrinthine paths until he found a secluded spot. After waiting long enough to confirm no one was following, he was about to leave when—
At the alley’s bend, a man in white robes approached with unhurried grace.
His features were exquisitely refined, but his expression was cold, his demeanor aloof. It was none other than Xie Ziyin.
What was this poison master doing here, skulking around instead of tending to his man-eating flowers in Endless House?
And why did it feel like he was up to no good?
Shen Hefeng ducked back into hiding, watching Xie Ziyin’s every move.
He saw Xie Ziyin stop at a small courtyard gate and knock.
Soon, the door opened, revealing a plain but pleasant-faced woman who smiled and stepped aside.
Xie Ziyin nodded and followed her inside before the door shut behind them.
---
Back at Endless House, Shen Hefeng sought out Wen Shuangbai and first relayed the incident with Junior Sister Yu.
"Junior Sister Yu?" Wen Shuangbai had just finished reviewing Di Yanran’s connections.
As Di Qi’s cousin, Di Yanran had been orphaned young and raised by the Di family head, Di Xiuyuan.
So despite her noble status, she had no true confidants within the Di family.
Within her sect, however, she had three close friends.
Yet—whether by coincidence or design—all three had coincidentally gone into seclusion.
As for this "Junior Sister Yu," Wen Shuangbai hadn’t heard of her before.
"I’ll ask Santtu to look into it." When it came to gathering information, Lu Jiayao was the expert—he knew people from every corner of the land.
"Was there something else?" Wen Shuangbai was swamped—cultivating the Yaoling Heart Method, investigating Di Yanran’s case, and studying the materials Elder Cao had sent about the final battle for the Sacred Tower.
"Wen Erbai, about you and Xie Ziyin…" Shen Hefeng sighed like a world-weary elder, patting her shoulder with grave solemnity. "For what it’s worth, I’m on your side."
Wen Shuangbai frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting now?"
"You—! Ugh, fine, take my kindness for malice!" Shen Hefeng fumed but still told her about Xie Ziyin’s secret rendezvous. "Just… keep an eye out."
Wen Shuangbai listened, then replied with a bland "Oh." After Shen Hefeng left, she returned to the materials on the final battle.
But no matter how hard she tried, her eyes kept drifting back to the same page.
For some reason, she couldn’t focus.
This unfamiliar restlessness—what was wrong with her?
Wen Shuangbai sat in a daze for a long moment before finally shaking her head and slapping her cheeks to refocus. There was work to be done.
When in good condition, Wen Shuangbai didn’t sleep—she could stay fully charged for twelve hours a day. But tonight, she felt a little tired and decided to get some proper rest.
However, not long after she turned off the lights, Xie Ziyin returned.
The man stood outside her door and knocked lightly. "Asleep?"
A sleeping person wouldn’t answer.
Wen Shuangbai lay quietly, refusing to make a sound.
Unfortunately, the four-hundred-coin puppet lying at her feet perked up at Xie Ziyin’s voice, eagerly scrambling to greet him!
This useless, foolish thing!
Wen Shuangbai stretched out a foot and pinned the puppet down, ignoring its struggles.
With a whimper, the puppet gave up.
The rustling sounds reached Xie Ziyin outside. "Since you’re awake, I’m coming in," he said, already reaching for the door.
After all, locks only kept out honest men. For a cultivator, opening one was child’s play.
Wen Shuangbai: "??"
She laughed in exasperation. "Did I say you could enter?"
"Fine, I won’t." Xie Ziyin was nothing if not adaptable. "I brought you some food. Should I have Four Hundred fetch it?"
At this, the puppet revived, sitting up on the bed and staring at Wen Shuangbai expectantly.
Its new wooden hands were sturdy and functional—perfect for carrying heavy loads!
Wen Shuangbai shot it a glance. Was it really so grateful just because Xie Ziyin had once stitched it a pigskin body?
She refused. "Thanks, but no. Keep it for yourself."
"It’s your favorite," Xie Ziyin persisted. "I’ll leave it outside. You can take it in the morning—"
Wen Shuangbai’s patience wore thin.
What was his game? Meeting some woman during the day, then bringing her food at night?
She threw off the covers, strode to the door, and yanked it open.
Winter was approaching, and the air had turned cold.
Moonlight spilled through the half-open corridor window, casting a silver glow over Xie Ziyin.
Contrary to her expectations, the man looked weary, holding a large bag of food with a tired expression.
Seeing her, his eyes brightened, and he offered the treats. "Here."
"From Hundred Flowers Street?" When Xie Ziyin nodded, she teased, "That area’s full of women. Did you sneak off to meet someone?"
Xie Ziyin paused, his tone meaningful. "I did see a married woman, but it wasn’t a secret rendezvous—just important business."
Wen Shuangbai blinked.
A married woman? Important business?
She recalled that, in the original story, Xie Ziyin later had dealings with demons.
"You’re involved with demons?" she frowned. "Be careful you don’t get yourself trapped."
"I haven’t contacted them." Since transmigrating, the original plot had changed—the side effects of the Nine Infants Demonic Art had even been cured by Star Moon Valley’s astral stones.
Wen Shuangbai: "Then what ‘important business’ could you possibly have?"
Xie Ziyin drew out his reply, smirking. Under her curious gaze, he tilted his head. "What if I don’t tell you?"
Wen Shuangbai took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Of course."
With that, she shut the door.
Seeing that the food had at least been delivered, Xie Ziyin exhaled in relief.
He turned away—not to his own room, but to find Shen Hefeng.
And so, while Wen Shuangbai slept peacefully, the two men fought fiercely.
Shen Hefeng touched the blood at his lips, realizing: So this was the "blood calamity" he’d foreseen!
Glaring, he demanded, "How did you find out?"
Xie Ziyin rubbed his temples and tossed him a fake beard—the very one he’d spotted in the corner of the woman’s courtyard.
Wasn’t this the same disguise the fraud of a Taoist used?
Good thing he’d been vigilant, or things could’ve gone badly.
Shen Hefeng wailed, "No wonder I couldn’t find it!"
"So why did you visit that woman?" Shen Hefeng pocketed the beard, calling after Xie Ziyin as he walked away.
Without turning, Xie Ziyin replied, "I didn’t even tell Shuangbai. Why would I tell you?"
Shen Hefeng: "…………"
