In less than half an hour, Wen Shuangbai and her five companions had completely taken control of the Hidden Moon Tower.
In the grand hall on the first floor, a group of people lay unconscious on the ground, while another group—thanks to their quick-witted decision to surrender—remained conscious, squatting with their hands on their heads.
Yin Xuan herded Brother Qiang and his lackeys back into the tower like chickens before returning outside to keep watch.
Inside, Wen Shuangbai retrieved the storage pouch she had temporarily "purchased" for fifty thousand spirit stones, inspecting it carefully for any damage before tucking it away safely.
She looked at the crowd before her with a warm smile and asked amiably, "Would anyone like to introduce us to your—" She glanced up at the gilded plaque above, inscribed with three bold characters, "—Hidden Moon Tower?"
Among the thieves, eyes darted back and forth as they exchanged glances, each scheming in their own way.
It seemed their tower master was about to meet his end—should they curry favor with these newcomers? A good first impression might be wise.
But loyalty was a virtue, wasn’t it? Switching sides too quickly might make them seem untrustworthy. Should they feign resistance or play the martyr?
While they hesitated, Brother Qiang, ever the opportunist, sprang forward with an air of righteousness. "This humble one volunteers! I shall provide the introduction!"
Wen Shuangbai: "?"
Unless she was mistaken, this goat-bearded man—hauled back by her senior brother—was the very thief who had stolen her storage pouch!
His former colleagues stared in disbelief: "???"
Hold on—hadn’t this guy just hours ago sworn loyalty to the tower master, vowing to "brave fire and sword" for the Hidden Moon Tower?!
Wen Shuangbai mentally marked Brother Qiang with a big red X, deeming him unfit for employment, though her expression remained pleasant. "Go ahead," she said with a half-smile.
And so, the thieves listened as Zhang Daqiang, Hidden Moon Tower’s fastest surrenderer and "top thief," spilled every last detail about their organization.
As Wen Shuangbai had guessed, the Hidden Moon Tower was a supreme spatial artifact, capable of blending seamlessly into its surroundings and teleporting its occupants within a certain range—truly living up to its name.
The seven-story tower housed 138 people. Aside from their daily pilfering expeditions, the thieves lived, ate, and slept within its walls.
According to Zhang Daqiang, their tower master subjected them to a militarized regime enforced by parasitic gu worms. They were rarely allowed outside except to "generate income."
Most of the thieves were at the Spirit Initiation Realm, while the six most talented (Zhang Daqiang proudly claimed to be the best among them, drawing furious glares and near-violent protests from the other five—quickly quelled by Li Zhuohua’s glare) had reached the Enlightened Aperture Realm. The three elders were at the Void Piercing Realm, while the tower master, Yin Xing, stood at the peak—an early-stage Tribulation Crossing cultivator.
Wen Shuangbai listened, then asked, "Where did the Hidden Moon Tower come from?"
Zhang Daqiang’s goat beard twitched as he sneered at the unconscious Yin Xing. "Esteemed Immortal Wen, this old fool was, like you, an artifact refiner!"
Wen Shuangbai raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yin Xing was an orphan, raised on the streets as a petty thief. By chance, a wandering master took him in as a disciple. That master was obsessed with refining artifacts—inspired by your sect’s legendary Endless Pavilion, he sought to create something similar. Thus, the Hidden Moon Tower was born."
"The master poured his life into forging the tower. On the day of its completion, his lifespan ended. With his dying breath, he entrusted the tower to his disciple, hoping it would be used for good." Zhang Daqiang stroked his beard, eyeing his former master like garbage. "And well… you see how that turned out."
"So," Wen Shuangbai smiled, "the Hidden Moon Tower wasn’t stolen. It truly belongs to your tower master?"
"Correct," Zhang Daqiang emphasized, "my former tower master."
"Good." Wen Shuangbai was a model citizen with high moral standards.
She had been conflicted—if the tower had been stolen, taking it would feel wrong. But now? Her conscience was clear.
Yin Xing still hadn’t woken up. Li Zhuohua had dragged him down from the seventh floor.
Wen Shuangbai turned to the man beside her, who was reviewing legal texts. "Xie Ziyin, wake our dear Tower Master Yin. It’s impolite to keep guests waiting."
Xie Ziyin glanced at her, sighed, and fed Yin Xing a pill.
Soon, the former tower master stirred.
During the golden bead’s explosion, Yin Xing had sensed danger and used the three elders as shields, escaping serious injury.
Now, face-to-face with multiple Tribulation Crossing cultivators, his expression darkened.
His first thought: These Qingling Mountain disciples must be here for the stolen goods. But that storage pouch had contained nothing except the golden bead—no spirit stones, no valuables. As if it had been a trap set specifically for his Hidden Moon Tower!
They did this on purpose!
Fuming, Yin Xing forced a smile, bowing despite the pain in his spirit bones. "My apologies, this old—"
"Shut up. ‘Old’ is my title."
Shen Hefeng, busy "interviewing" the unconscious thieves with Lu Jiayao, was judging them by their faces. Those he approved of were moved to the right—given a probationary chance to prove themselves in Wen Shuangbai’s Rainbow Fate Tower. The rejects were tossed left, to be disposed of later.
Face-reading drained his cultivation—he could feel his hair thinning. Irritated, he snapped, "Old fool, don’t you dare call yourself ‘old.’ Pick another word."
Yin Xing clenched his teeth. "...It was Yin’s oversight to ‘acquire’ your storage pouch. Name your price, and I shall compensate you!"
"Great." Wen Shuangbai was delighted. She hadn’t expected Yin Xing to be so cooperative, saving her the trouble of lengthy negotiations. "Alright then, Master Yin, here’s the deal. We don’t want much, and we won’t even ask for compensation in money. Just hand over—" She twirled the Fire Feather Whip in her hand, gesturing around with a sweet smile, "—this entire Hidden Moon Tower and all the people in it. How does that sound?"
Yin Xing’s smile froze on his face: "……"
Not much? Not much?!
How could this little brat dare to say such a thing with a straight face?
His entire fortune was tied up in Hidden Moon Tower. These damned thieves weren’t planning to leave him a single copper!
"Young friends," Yin Xing pleaded, "it’s not that I refuse, but this tower was left to me by my late master. If I were to give it away today, how could I ever face him in the afterlife…?"
"Just destroy your face, then," Xie Ziyin suggested.
Yin Xing: "……"
Wen Shuangbai was growing impatient. She exchanged a glance with her senior sister.
In an instant, Li Zhuohua closed the distance, pressing the Flowing Rainbow Sword against Yin Xing’s throat without another word.
Standing beside her, Wen Shuangbai asked in a tone of friendly negotiation, "Master Yin, do we have a deal or not?"
Feeling the icy killing intent radiating from the blade, Yin Xing knew he couldn’t protect Hidden Moon Tower tonight.
His smile vanished, replaced by a dark expression as he dropped the act. "Fine, I’ll relinquish ownership. But how do I know you’ll let me leave afterward?"
Li Zhuohua scoffed. "What, you don’t trust us? We disciples of Qingling Mountain always keep our word. If we say we’ll let you go, we will!"
Wen Shuangbai nodded. "Exactly."
Yin Xing nearly choked on his fury. Trust them? He’d sooner trust that damned turncoat Zhang Daqiang! "You’re pushing me too far! If you keep this up, I’d rather die than hand over the tower—you won’t get anything!"
His late master had designed Hidden Moon Tower with a special safeguard—unless the owner willingly transferred control, any forced takeover would strip the tower of its spatial and cloaking abilities, reducing it to an ordinary building.
If not for that, Wen Shuangbai wouldn’t have bothered waking Yin Xing in the first place.
She had already inspected the tower briefly. The master who crafted it was indeed a genius—she couldn’t crack the safeguard without investing significant time and effort.
"Then what do you suggest?" Wen Shuangbai asked.
Yin Xing: "Let me leave first. Within a hundred-mile radius, I can still control the tower. Three days after my departure, I’ll willingly transfer ownership."
The group stared at him as if he were an idiot.
Lu Jiayao clicked his tongue. "Even I wouldn’t believe that!"
Shen Hefeng smirked. "Truly a mastermind."
Lu Jiayao: "…Shen, I know you’re mocking me!"
Wen Shuangbai studied the old man for a long moment before shrugging. "Fine."
Before Yin Xing could celebrate—
"Even if the tower becomes ordinary, we can still use it," she mused aloud. "No real loss."
With a smile, she waved a hand. "Senior Sister, send him to the afterlife to apologize to his master."
"Gladly!" The Flowing Rainbow Sword bit into Yin Xing’s neck, drawing blood. He shuddered in terror and immediately cried, "I’ll do it! I’ll transfer it now! I trust you! I trust you!"
"Pathetic," Li Zhuohua muttered, sheathing her sword. "This old coward isn’t even fun to threaten."
Yin Xing’s legs gave out as he collapsed to the floor, pale with fear. His eyes briefly flickered toward a few figures in the crowd before he lowered his head, masking the venom in his gaze.
So what if they take the tower? As long as I’m alive, I’ll get it back. I watched my master build Hidden Moon Tower—did they really think they could steal it so easily? Just wait. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
After Yin Xing "willingly" surrendered control, Wen Shuangbai and Xie Ziyin huddled in a corner, whispering.
She frowned at the contract he’d drafted. "I thought we agreed the old fool would ‘gift’ it as compensation. Why are we paying anything?"
"The ‘voluntary gift’ clause in Xuantian Law is too ambiguous—it could cause trouble later," Xie Ziyin explained, his dark eyes sharp with focus. "Better to spend a little and avoid future disputes."
Wen Shuangbai groaned. "I hate spending money."
Xie Ziyin tapped her head lightly with the thick Xuantian Law codex. "Madam, you’re exhibiting textbook miser symptoms."
She swatted the book away. "Don’t hit my head! What if you make me stupid? You paying for that?"
He pretended to consider it. "I could."
Wen Shuangbai narrowed her eyes. "?"
Seizing the chance, he patted her head again. "But only after I’ve made you stupid—"
"Get lost!" She kicked his shin and stormed off, slamming the contract in front of Yin Xing. "Lucky for you, we’re law-abiding disciples. We’re not taking your tower as compensation—we’re buying it. Read this carefully, then sign."
Bewildered, Yin Xing scanned the document, his sparse eyebrows knitting together.
The contract stated that Wen Shuangbai, Xie Ziyin, Yin Xuan, Li Zhuohua, Shen Hefeng, and Lu Jiayao were purchasing Hidden Moon Tower and its hundred-plus disciples for the grand total of—
One spirit stone.
Yin Xing stared at those words until his vision darkened. The sheer audacity made him pass out on the spot.
Xie Ziyin, ever the stickler for procedure, promptly jabbed him awake. "Hurry up and sign," he said impatiently.
Eager to escape and begin his revenge, Yin Xing scrawled his name.
"Where’s the inkpad?" he asked weakly.
Li Zhuohua rolled her eyes. "Who needs ink?" She grabbed his hand, slashed his thumb, and squeezed until blood welled up.
Wen Shuangbai beamed. "There you go—fresh ink."
"……" Yin Xing pressed his bloody thumbprint to the page and stood. "I’ve given you everything. Now let me leave."
"Wait, we still have to pay you." Wen Shuangbai rummaged in her storage ring.
Yin Xing didn’t want that damned spirit stone.
They could’ve just robbed him outright—why bother pretending to be generous with a single stone?
Did they expect him to thank them for their "kindness"?!!
Beside them, Xie Ziyin glanced at Wen Shuangbai before pulling out a pre-prepared spirit stone and tucking it into Yin Xing’s hair, patting his shoulder. "Use it sparingly in prison."
"Prison?!" Yin Xing seized on his wording, eyes widening.
"Is there a problem?" Xie Ziyin’s pat on his shoulder instantly sealed all of Yin Xing’s spiritual meridians, rendering him immobile.
Yin Xing’s face turned ashen. "You—you all—you promised to let me go!"
Lu Jiayao kindly reminded him, "We did promise to let you leave Hidden Moon Pavilion..."
Wen Shuangbai tucked away the building’s deed and the employees' contracts, smiling sweetly. "But that doesn’t mean we can’t send you to prison."
Yin Xuan returned just then and, hearing the exchange, gently reassured Yin Xing, "Don’t worry, meals are provided in prison."
"AAAAAHHHHH—I’LL KILL YOU ALL!!!" Yin Xing nearly lost his mind, struggling desperately against Xie Ziyin’s sealing spell—until Li Zhuohua knocked him out cold with the hilt of her sword.
She rubbed her ears. "So noisy."
"Who named him Yin Xing, anyway?" Shen Hefeng squatted nearby, muttering over a tortoise shell in a mystical tone. "It’s an unlucky name."
