Yuan Ling's Confession

"There, there, see, I'm fine now, don't cry." Though she had no idea what had happened, Du Xiner still spoke softly, comforting the Pure Heart Saintess.

But Du Xiner's words cut into the Pure Heart Saintess's heart like a knife, causing her unbearable pain. She forced herself to pull herself together and introduced, "This is the current Human Emperor, Jiang Li."

Du Xiner lightly covered her mouth: "So this is the one Senior Sister often mentioned..."

She recalled something, winked at the Pure Heart Saintess, and flashed a mischievous grin. The Pure Heart Saintess pursed her lips and smiled, though the smile was strained.

"Human Emperor, Human Emperor, I've heard your martial prowess is unmatched, the best in the Nine Provinces, that you can ascend to the heavens and dive into the earth, capable of anything, on par with immortals—is that true?" Du Xiner asked curiously.

"I once thought myself omnipotent too, but now I realize I can neither achieve Ascension to Immortality nor reverse life and death. I am merely a mortal."

The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward. Jiang Li helped the Pure Heart Saintess to her feet and spoke, "The Red Dust Pure Land is planning to rotate its stationed personnel recently, sending every Golden Core Cultivator down to the towns for a few years of experience. This time, I wanted to ask for your suggestions and thoughts."

Du Xiner's eyes lit up—this meant she could return to the sect. But then they dimmed. Now that she had no hope of further progress, going back would only waste resources. It was better to stay here.

"I... I'll just stay here."

"Mm. Dutiful and unwavering, diligent with no great desires, still cultivating hard after coming down the mountain. I'll report this truthfully to Qingyu Daoist."

"Hey, how can you do that?" Du Xiner panicked, glaring at Jiang Li with puffed cheeks. "And why would the Human Emperor be handling our sect's affairs anyway?"

If the Sect Leader found out she had this attitude, he would surely commend her and have a talented Senior Sister replace her—that would just waste the Senior Sisters' time.

"Your sect's management isn't up to par. I'm just offering Qingyu Daoist some advice." Seeing Du Xiner about to speak again, Jiang Li smoothly changed the subject and asked casually, "Enough of that. We didn't see Yuan Ling in Upper River Town. Where did she go?"

"Hmm—I'm not sure. Recently, Senior Sister Yuan Ling has been leaving Upper River Town often, gone for months at a time. But she comes back for the autumn harvest. Mm, that should be in the next few days."

Since they couldn't find Yuan Ling anyway, the two decided to stay in Lower River Town and keep Du Xiner company.

Jiang Li took out a Remote Communication Talisman and called Zhang Konghu: "Konghu, go to the Southern Border and find the Gu Tribe. Investigate what cultivation level is needed to refine a Corpse Gu that can make the dead move freely and keep them unaware of their own death."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Konghu grabbed his bowl and rushed off to the Southern Border, ignoring the Meng Jiang Emperor and Wei Emperor's protests to "finish eating before you go."

A few days passed quickly. Du Xiner felt incredibly happy. With Pure Heart Senior Sister and Human Emperor Jiang keeping her company, teaching her cultivation, explaining cultivation knowledge, and sharing tales and anecdotes from the Nine Provinces.

She even told Human Emperor Jiang about her stagnant cultivation. He just patted her head and said it was normal—cultivation couldn't be rushed, it would improve slowly over time, and he had gone through the same phase himself.

But Du Xiner didn't see the dimness in Jiang Li's eyes.

How could a dead body's cultivation ever advance? "Junior Sister Xiner, we still need to check on the other towns. It's time for us to leave."

The Pure Heart Saintess used her Divine Sense to detect that Yuan Ling had finally returned. A rare glint of murderous intent flashed in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, unnoticed by Du Xiner.

With perfect tacit understanding, the Pure Heart Saintess and Jiang Li flew to Upper River Town and pinned the drunken Yuan Ling to the ground.

"Who are you! How dare you touch me in the Red Dust Pure Land... Oh, it's Senior Sister Pure Heart."

At first, Yuan Ling was fierce with drunken bravado, but once she realized it was the Pure Heart Saintess, she immediately calmed down.

The Pure Heart Saintess said nothing. She dragged Yuan Ling to an empty room and threw her into a corner. The entire process was brutally rough, completely disregarding her usual dignified and graceful image as a Saintess.

As a disciple of the Red Dust Pure Land, Yuan Ling was naturally striking in appearance. Being from the Gu Tribe, even after leaving her clan, she still loved adorning herself with silver earrings and headpieces, and dressed rather revealingly, easily stirring men's interest.

The Pure Heart Saintess's rough handling left her in pain, her silver ornaments disheveled, and her already exposed clothing torn in places. But she didn't dare utter a single word.

Yuan Ling had never seen the Pure Heart Saintess so furious.

Jiang Li silently followed behind, letting the Pure Heart Saintess vent. At such a moment, Jiang Li was angry, but the Pure Heart Saintess was even angrier than he was.

Two entire towns of the Red Dust Pure Land had been turned into dead zones. She considered this her failure! A grave failure!

"Speak. Where did you go, and why were you gone for months?"

"There's nothing here—just a bunch of mortals who know how to farm. I went to the Meng Jiang Dynasty for some fun." Yuan Ling answered honestly, then quickly defended herself, "But I always come back for the autumn harvest. See, every year I deliver the Spirit Grain on time and according to plan, never late."

The Pure Heart Saintess felt a fire burning in her chest, wanting to erupt but unable to.

Yes. Precisely because the Spirit Grain had never caused any issues, no one had come to inspect.

It would have been better if the Spirit Grain had gone wrong—then the problems in these two towns would have been discovered!

"Then why is there not a single living person in all of Upper River Town and Lower River Town!" The Pure Heart Saintess gritted her teeth and asked, though her tone was less of a question and more of a scolding.

Yuan Ling froze at the question, sweat beading on her forehead. She had thought Senior Sister Pure Heart was only angry about her dereliction of duty, and that the matter of using the Corpse Gu would blow over.

"S-Senior Sister, what are you talking about..."

"Answer me!" The Pure Heart Saintess's shout was so loud it made Yuan Ling's heart skip a beat.

Steeling herself, Yuan Ling stammered out an explanation: "I... I didn't want to either. Going to the Meng Jiang Dynasty for fun costs Spirit Stones, so I took a little from the funds meant to buy Spirit Grain—just a little... But those stubborn commoners complained I was paying too little and refused to work. I got angry in the moment and killed a few of the ringleaders..."

"Then some started shouting about reporting to the sect. My mind went blank, and I... I killed them all. To keep the sect from finding out, I used Corpse Gu to control their Dantians, making them still able to grow Spirit Grain. Senior Sister, look—letting them farm the grain means we don't have to pay Spirit Stones anymore. Isn't that great?"

What Yuan Ling didn't mention was that after using the corpses to nurture the Corpse Gu, the sect still sent Spirit Stones for her to buy Spirit Grain. She, of course, didn't give the grain to a bunch of dead people—she spent it all on pleasure in the Meng Jiang Dynasty.

"And Lower River Town! Du Xiner is your Junior Sister—how could you bring yourself to do it!"

Yuan Ling spoke with a sobbing tone: "I had no choice. Lower River Town is too close. I was afraid Junior Sister Du Xiner would notice something, so I killed her too, and then everyone in Lower River Town along with her."

Yuan Ling wept: "Senior Sister, please be magnanimous and forgive me this once. I didn't mean to do it!"

The Pure Heart Saintess said coldly, "Do you realize you're already dead?"

In the eyes of the Pure Heart Saintess and Jiang Li, Yuan Ling was also a corpse controlled by a Corpse Gu—only she herself was completely unaware.