“My storage pouch.”
“My sword is gone too!”
“My spirit stones—that’s what I’d saved for years.”
“I lost dozens of bottles of pills.”
…
When Shangguan Yu and the others woke up, they immediately began calculating their losses. Each person reported a figure larger than the last, with more items than the one before.
As Shu Xin listened to them list their losses, she swept her divine sense over her own storage ring and couldn’t help curling her lips.
These people really knew how to brag. They had inflated their losses by dozens of times, at the very least.
Sigh. She wondered how many of their accounts she would be “forced” to settle.
But compared to these worldly possessions, it was the loss of their family jade tokens that truly drove the scions of the aristocratic clans to despair.
“This is bad. If we lose our jade tokens, we’ll be confined for at least three years after returning to our families.”
“Jade tokens are extremely expensive to make. More importantly, they require an elder of profound cultivation to record our aura on them. Getting those elders to act isn’t easy.”
“What are we going to do?”
The only thing that comforted them was that every one of them had lost their jade token—and they had heard that nearly all the other aristocratic family teams had lost theirs as well.
Strictly speaking, they had lost the tokens while carrying out the tasks assigned by their families, so their offenses could be judged less severely.
Even so, their spirits were still extremely low.
After Shu Xin had used their family jade tokens to activate the restrictions in an attempt to find a loophole, and failed, she had chopped all the tokens to pieces with the two swords “Wait” and “Hold,” just in case they still contained some kind of tracking spell.
That action only made the aristocratic clans even more nervous.
A jade token was proof of an aristocratic clan member’s identity, and was far more important than an identity card. It was said that some members who lacked aptitude or had not contributed enough to their families would never receive one of these tokens symbolizing their status in their entire lives. Without a jade token, even the clan leader’s own child would have no special privileges in many situations.
Thus, losing so many jade tokens at once naturally made the aristocratic families worry that someone was trying to uncover their secrets through them and threaten the foundations of their clans.
[I can sense that the formation here is beginning to tighten,] the Sword Spirit said in a timely manner.
“That’s normal. Most of those aristocratic heirs have never studied professional accounting. They’re bound to pin everything on me. Once I’m carrying too much blame, the Everlasting Dao Sect definitely won’t let things continue unchecked.”
At this, Shu Xin smiled as well. “Sometimes, I find it quite fascinating. When I used to read cultivation novels, I thought these sects were places like schools. Now that I think about it, they’re more like large multinational corporations. Each cultivation clan is a different subsidiary, belonging to a different member of the board of directors. At the same time, though, they possess the authority of kings. It’s really interesting.”
[You’re talking about things the Sword Spirit can’t understand again.]
“Our civilizations are different. It’s normal that you can’t understand.” Shu Xin shrugged, her expression turning serious. “What happened earlier was only an appetizer. The real crisis is about to begin. I’ll have to rely on you from here on out. Don’t let me down.”
[Don’t worry. For the time being, I don’t want to change masters either.]
It had waited a full thousand years just to find Shu Xin.
If Shu Xin died, how long would it have to wait for the next one?
The aristocratic clans of the Everlasting Dao Sect began to take action.
When they were in a state of confusion and disorder, the clans tripped one another up, and their behavior was no better than that of children in kindergarten.
But when they had no choice but to submit to a stronger force and unite as one, their power became immense.
So immense that even someone as naturally optimistic as Shu Xin began to feel some mental pressure.
The change came about imperceptibly.
Although Shu Xin continued to travel with Shangguan Yu and the others, she could clearly sense that the people in the group were gradually becoming more distant toward her.
“Junior Sister Li, you still haven’t found your elders?”
“Junior Sister Li, I’m willing to believe you, but our family has sent word that, because we lost our family jade tokens, every one of us must return home for another inspection.”
“I’m afraid we’ll have to part ways here.”
…
“Of course I understand.” Shu Xin kept up the act to the very end. “Actually, I’ve been worried lately too. It’s been so long. They should have found me by now, but there’s still been no word from them. I’m afraid they may have… may have…”
Shu Xin dabbed at nonexistent tears and put on a brave face. “Senior Brothers, thank you for taking care of me all this time, but I can’t keep holding you back. If something really happened to my uncles, I can’t shamelessly return home alone. I have to find my uncles’ bodies, at the very least.”
“Junior Sister Li, your filial devotion is truly admirable.”
“Junior Sister, why don’t you try asking your family for help? Perhaps…”
“Our little family doesn’t have the standing to knock on the Shangguan family’s door.” Shu Xin’s face brightened, only to dim again a moment later. “Forget it. Being able to meet all of you has already made this the happiest period of my life. Senior Brothers, perhaps we’ll meet again someday. But now, it’s time for me to say goodbye.”
After another round of pleas for her to stay and tearful farewells, Shu Xin finally accepted a sum of traveling expenses they had pooled together and left with reluctant steps.
“Cousin, Junior Sister Li has been with us this entire time. There’s no way she could be Shu Xin. Her aptitude is excellent too. I believe our family would open its doors to her.”
“That’s right, Big Brother.”
Several young men of the Shangguan family who had fallen for Shu Xin clearly still could not accept the separation.
“Of course I know she isn’t Shu Xin. But the family would rather kill the wrong person than let the right one go. And besides, who can guarantee that she isn’t a spy planted among us?”
Shangguan Yu frowned. “The Li family has yet to send anyone to retrieve her. Either they know she’s with us, or all the Li family’s elite cultivators have already died. A talented female cultivator without the protection of a family will likely find no better path than marrying into an aristocratic clan. Think about your mothers and aunts. How did they enter the family?”
The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the more difficult it was for them to bear children. If the child was especially gifted, it would begin absorbing the mother’s spiritual energy while still in the womb. As a result, many highly talented female cultivators suffered a decline in both cultivation and aptitude after giving birth. And the more outstanding the offspring, the more spiritual energy the mother had to provide.
Yet outstanding descendants were precisely what the aristocratic clans desired most.
Thus, talented women from small sects, minor clans, and declining aristocratic families became the ideal candidates they sought.
When aristocratic clans chose wives, they did not care about beauty or age. They cared only whether the woman’s own aptitude was sufficient and whether powerful cultivators had appeared among her ancestors.
Within the family, the value of these female cultivators could even surpass that of some legitimate clan members.
But once they gave birth too many times, both their aptitude and cultivation would decline drastically.
If it was a marriage alliance between established clans, things were still manageable. The female cultivator would carefully bear only one child and receive generous compensation from both families. In fact, some female cultivators from sects, lacking the spirit stones needed to break through to the next realm, would even take the initiative to approach established clans, offering to bear a child in exchange for a substantial sum.
But situations like that only occurred among people of equal standing. For a female cultivator without sufficient protection, possessing talent without the cultivation to match was practically a disaster.
The reason the Hehuan Sect had been able to stand firm among the demonic sects was that many female cultivators, driven to the brink of survival, had no choice but to join them if they wished to preserve their cultivation. In return, they provided the Hehuan Sect with a steady stream of talent. Anyone who dared set their sights on those women had better be prepared to have their vital essence drained dry.
It was almost laughable. In a world where cultivators could soar through the heavens and burrow beneath the earth, this kind of systemic oppression was even more terrifying.
If you wanted to protect yourself, you had no choice but to become one of the people who oppressed others.
When Shu Xin had first been recruited into the Longevity Dao Sect, who knew how many established clans had set their sights on her?
Fortunately, Shu Xin had some ability. Later, her cultivation stopped advancing, and her fiancé, Situ Jian, became a core disciple of the sect. Only then did the clans gradually abandon their designs on her.
Now that Shu Xin had caused such a major incident, it was no longer merely a matter concerning the Lin Clan. It involved the sect’s reputation, and there was no longer any way to let the matter quietly die down.
Shu Xin changed her appearance once again, taking care to avoid people as much as possible this time.
After making several rounds of inquiries, Shu Xin finally confirmed that the Longevity Dao Sect was truly taking this seriously.
They had perhaps realized that someone was taking advantage of the chaos, and in order to prevent matters from spiraling further out of control, they had begun recalling the disciples patrolling outside. Each one was examined individually, completely eliminating the possibility that Shu Xin might be hiding among them.
In addition, they had stationed new elders at the weak points of the formations, while pretending that no one was there, waiting for Shu Xin to take the bait.
The scale of the operation was even greater than Shu Xin had expected.
“How many crimes have those people pinned on me?” Shu Xin could not help but sigh. “With this kind of response, you’d think I had killed three Mahayana cultivators instead of three useless Cave-Heaven Adepts. Could it be because they discovered your existence?”
【If they had discovered me, the one coming here now would be an Earth Immortal.】
“Fine, fine. I know you’re amazing.” Shu Xin had only been making an offhand remark. “Then there’s only one possibility: someone powerful has already passed judgment on my case. Hmm… The old man from the Lin Clan whom Situ Jian chose probably couldn’t cause this kind of commotion. And even if I had skimmed some of the sect’s profits, that shouldn’t have warranted such a massive response. Hmm. That leaves only one possibility. I’ve been made an excuse to purge the sect.”
Eliminate every impossibility, and whatever remained had to be the truth.
【The Longevity Dao Sect intends to move against the established clans?】
“To a sect, the clans are just fields of crops waiting to be harvested. Why wouldn’t they reap them? Afterward, they could win the loyalty of ordinary disciples, sweep up all the wealth those clans have accumulated, and promote newcomers they favor. Then they could announce to the outside world that they had eliminated a clan’s power for the sake of an ordinary disciple. How perfectly would that fit the public’s image of a righteous sect?”
Shu Xin smiled. “I’m an excellent excuse. When the time comes, they’ll pin all kinds of crimes on me. They might even force me to admit that I became what I am because the clans persecuted me. Then, after executing me, they can use the opportunity to purge those clans, claiming they want to prevent another tragedy like mine from ever happening again.”
Shu Xin had seen this kind of tactic many times before.
No matter how useful a subordinate was, they still had to be kept in line from time to time.
【They’re gradually tightening the formations.】 The Sword Spirit sounded somewhat anxious. 【At this rate, you’ll be discovered sooner or later.】
Shu Xin could neither escape nor fight her way out. Now she had even been dragged into the struggle between the sect and the clans. Was she not completely doomed?
Perhaps it should simply take Shu Xin and kill its way out.
“Don’t rush. There’s always a way.” One of Shu Xin’s strengths was that the more urgent a situation became, the calmer she grew.
The sky was not going to fall.
“Let’s observe for now.”
Shu Xin quietly followed a disciple from a minor clan back to a small mountain peak.
She was almost discovered.
Whenever a disciple returned to their family’s mountain, the clan would use a bloodline spell to trace their origins. Only after confirming a reaction would they acknowledge the disciple’s identity.
This method did have the occasional unexpected benefit. For instance, they might suddenly discover that one of their outstanding disciples had actually been possessed by a powerful expert—or transformed into a puppet by a demonic cultivator.
Shu Xin was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
“Who’s there?”
Just as Shu Xin was watching with interest, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her and threw a punch without the slightest hesitation.
Shu Xin did not block it. She took the blow head-on, then immediately turned and fled.
Damn it! Why was an old ancestor from the Immaculate Realm pretending to be an ordinary person and wandering around a mountain peak?
Had bullying cultivators weaker than oneself by crossing realms become fashionable these days?
By the time Shu Xin had vanished into the distance, a large group of cultivators had dropped to their knees in unison.
“Heavenly Lord, who was that little thief you just drove away?”
“I don’t know.” The cultivator who had thrown the punch shook his head. “That person’s concealment technique is unusual. If I hadn’t possessed a talisman treasure bestowed by the sect master, I wouldn’t have been able to detect their presence. Raise your guard. It seems someone from another sect may have slipped in during this period of chaos.”
“Yes.”
After everyone had dispersed, the cultivator finally had time to inspect his talisman treasure.
He discovered that the priceless treasure had somehow been severed down the middle, split into two pieces.
…That strange cultivator’s cultivation was certainly lower than his own. Yet the other party had turned and fled without the slightest hesitation, which meant they had instantly judged his cultivation level and decisively chosen to retreat.
When had the Longevity Dao Sect produced a junior with such keen judgment and decisiveness?
Those clan disciples might be capable of playing political games, but someone with this level of combat awareness was one in ten thousand.
And what kind of divine weapon did the other party possess to cut his talisman treasure in half without making a sound?
Perhaps he should return to the sect and investigate properly.
Shu Xin was in so much pain that she bared her teeth. After finally hiding in a cave, she swallowed two pills and slowly began healing her injuries. Meanwhile, she had already cursed that damn cultivator’s ancestors for eighteen generations.
The Sword Spirit was speechless as well. It had to divert part of its power to monitor the changes in the formations and another part to conceal Shu Xin’s aura. It had not expected someone to exploit the gap after all.
【That cultivator must have had some special talisman capable of concealing his cultivation. I failed to detect it. I’ve been asleep for a thousand years, so I have no idea what new things you humans have come up with.】
Still, the Sword Spirit had not suffered a loss. It had directly destroyed the thing.
There was no reason to be fooled by the same trick twice.
“It’s fine. I’m not blaming you. You’re not omniscient.” Shu Xin took a deep breath. “But now we really do need to find a way out. A special talisman like that definitely isn’t low-grade. I’ll have to find a way to investigate it later.”
【For now, think of a way out. See that? A Grotto-Heaven True Person has already brought Dao-Infant disciples to search the area.】 The Sword Spirit felt that the only option left was for Shu Xin to temporarily repair her body with the profound light at her fingertips, after which the Sword Spirit could unleash that world-shattering sword strike, completely destroy the formation, and flee with Shu Xin.
“Have you seen a woman? Any appearance will do. She was most likely traveling alone.”
“She may have disguised herself as a man, but she should have two swords with her.”
“Anyone you haven’t seen before—a stranger—can have their appearance carved onto a jade slip.”
“What? You saw someone behaving suspiciously in the cave ahead?”
The Grotto-Heaven True Person had brought a treasure capable of locating people, along with a group of juniors, and had already divided the surrounding area into sections.
Whoever found Shu Xin first would have the chance to make an impression before the truly important figures. Perhaps this would be the most valuable day of Shu Xin’s life—even if it ended with her death.
Once these cultivators became serious, finding a stranger was actually not difficult at all.
The cave where Shu Xin was hiding was not particularly well concealed. Sooner or later, traces of her presence would be discovered.
“Master, look.”
“There are remnants of spiritual energy here.”
“She probably just left.”
The disciples searched every corner of the cave, but for the moment, they still found no trace of Shu Xin.
However, the fact that they had found this place proved that she was somewhere nearby.
Finding her was only a matter of time.
【Why don’t you just restore me already…】 the Sword Spirit muttered, having already lost all confidence in Shu Xin’s next move.
At this rate, she would be discovered by tomorrow at the latest.
There was no safe place left for her to hide.
Just then, Shu Xin suddenly turned around.
“Sword Spirit, conceal my aura. I’m going back to the prison in the lake.”
【What? Have you lost your mind?】 The Sword Spirit nearly thought Shu Xin had given up entirely.
“I haven’t lost my mind.” Shu Xin smiled. “Sometimes, the only way to survive is to put yourself in a desperate situation first. They’re all searching for me right now, so they’ll never imagine that I would return to the prison in the lake.”
What harm could there be in going back one more time?
There was nothing shameful about hiding for a while.
