The old woman cleared her throat, feigning a casual air as she spoke. "Young Lady Mu, is your husband a local?"
Mu Ran nodded. "Yes, he is."
"Was his ancestral home in this very alleyway?"
Mu Ran nodded again. "Indeed."
The old woman’s expression shifted slightly. "Then have you ever heard the rumors about this place?"
Mu Ran shook her head. "No."
"They say that over two hundred years ago, a massacre occurred here," the old woman said. "Everyone living in this alley died. Since then, rumors of hauntings have persisted, and it remained empty for a long time. No one dared to move in."
Mu Ran looked up. "Then why do you live here?"
The old woman choked on her words. After a long pause, she forced a smile. "It’s only because when we were young, my old man didn't have any money. We had no choice but to move here. I followed him through thick and thin; there was nothing else for it but to stay by his side. Later, my old man passed away, and now that I’m older, I don't have the strength to move even if I wanted to."
"Oh," Mu Ran replied. With a sharp crack, she forcefully wrenched off a broken leg from a chair. "Perhaps my husband’s ancestors were also struggling financially, which is why they had to move in here."
The old woman continued pointedly, "I also heard that two hundred years ago, this alley was strewn with corpses and the houses were in ruins. Then, a hundred years ago, for some inexplicable reason, it was as if an immortal had arrived. The place was restored to its original state."
Mu Ran remarked, "Perhaps the immortal was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see such tragedy, so they used magic to restore it. What a truly good person."
The old woman felt a tightness in her chest, nearly unable to catch her breath.
How could Mu Ran be so incredibly dim-witted?
Did she not feel that there was anything suspicious about the people living in this alley?
Every time the old woman threw out a lead, Mu Ran responded, but her answers never hit the mark. It was truly like playing a lute to a cow!
Mu Ran spent some time repairing the chair. Had the old woman not kept pestering her with conversation, she would have finished much sooner. Just then, something flew through the sky and landed on Mu Ran’s head.
She reached up and plucked it off. It was a paper crane folded from red paper.
Mu Ran’s expression shifted subtly. She packed up her tools and began to head out. "Old Madam, the repairs are finished. I’ll be going now."
The old woman still wanted to fish for more information. "Wait—"
"No need to be polite! Don't worry about keeping me for dinner, I'll just eat at home!"
Mu Ran ran out quickly, leaving the old woman with a flushed, frustrated face.
Who wanted to keep her for dinner!
Mu Ran ran all the way out of the alley. Under a willow tree across the street, she saw a familiar figure.
Inside the Changqing Gate, people bustled about. The number of disciples was comparable to that of a medium-sized sect.
"The rules of our Changqing Gate are simple: we share both blessings and hardships. We rise and fall together. Once you become a disciple of Changqing Gate, we are family. If there are benefits, the sect won't forget you; if you have difficulties, the sect will surely do its utmost to help you."
the senior disciple leading the way patted the shoulder of the new recruit behind him. "You made the right choice joining the Changqing Gate. This place will surely give you the warmth of a home. Right, my memory isn't what it used to be—what did you say your name was again?"
The newly enrolled disciple replied, "My surname is Mu, and my given name is Bai."
"Oh, right, Little Bai, isn't it? You’re young and your constitution is good. There’s definitely hope that the Sect Leader will choose you to be his personal disciple."
The senior disciple looked at the young man, his mind buzzing with private thoughts.
The young man’s features were ordinary, his face completely unremarkable—the kind that would disappear in a crowd. However, he was tall and long-limbed, and though he wore the same black robes as the others, his excellent build made him appear as upright as a pine tree, carrying an innate air of cool, refined elegance.
The sect had rules: if someone lacked the proper constitution for cultivation but possessed extraordinary looks, they were to be enticed into signing their names on a Longevity Borrowing Slip.
If someone possessed an excellent constitution, they were to be brought before the Sect Leader personally. If the Sect Leader was satisfied, the person who made the introduction would receive a top-grade elixir that could extend their life by fifty years.
As they passed a courtyard, the sound of objects being smashed echoed from within, followed by a woman’s furious shouting, calling someone a "useless waste."
Mu Bai glanced in that direction.
The senior disciple explained, "That is our Sect Leader’s daughter. She has a terrible temper. If you run into her, make sure to stay far away."
Mu Bai replied, "Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother."
The senior disciple lowered his voice and smiled. "Junior Brother, if you are favored by the Sect Leader and find success in the future, don't forget your Senior Brother here."
Mu Bai nodded. "Of course not."
Occasionally, disciples wearing black demon masks, draped in black robes and hoods, passed by. Mu Bai asked, "Why is their attire different from the other disciples?"
The senior disciple answered, "Those are the personal disciples chosen by the Sect Leader. Because the techniques they cultivate are too profound and mysterious, they cannot be exposed to light before they reach mastery, lest they be burned by the sun. That’s why they have to be covered from head to toe."
Mu Bai asked, "To this day, how many disciples have mastered the divine technique?"
The senior disciple froze. He had never actually considered that question. Realizing the point, he frowned. "It seems... not a single one yet."
Mu Bai showed no suspicion, merely saying, "Perhaps the technique is so profound that no disciple has been able to complete their training yet."
"Yes, you’re right." The senior disciple stopped dwelling on the issue. He felt more and more that this calm and composed Junior Brother would have a great future. After hesitating for a moment, he pulled out several slips of paper.
The senior disciple whispered, "Junior Brother, I’m the one who brought you into the sect. If there’s something good, I certainly won't mistreat you. This is a treasure of our sect called the Boundless Merit Slip. As long as you can get someone to willingly sign their name on it, the benefits are endless. A quiet tip for you: don't bother with those who have cultivation or powerful backgrounds. Ordinary people are our best targets."
Mu Bai asked, "What do you mean by ordinary people?"
"Those who are good-looking and young but have no background," the senior disciple whispered. "You wouldn't believe it, but a young couple arrived in the city recently. Many disciples are itching to make a move. I’ve been busy and haven't gone to see them myself, but I heard the man is handsome and the woman is beautiful. The woman is even more valuable than the man; she’s a real prize, a total delicacy."
Mu Bai looked at the senior disciple with a faint, unreadable gaze. He took the red slips and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother."
"Hey, now that you’ve joined the sect, you’re my brother. No need for such formalities between us." The senior disciple smiled. "Let’s go. We shouldn't keep the Master waiting. I’ll take you to see him."
Mu Bai nodded.
Looking at Mu Bai’s extraordinary bearing, the senior disciple felt increasingly lucky. Fortunately, he had been guarding the gate today and managed to snatch this new recruit before the other disciples could. Bringing him before the Sect Leader would surely bring no shortage of rewards!
