Staying Overnight

Shang Family's young mistress twitched her eyes, closed the book, and greeted them, her voice icy: "Thank you for bringing Little Green back. I'm Shang Yuan."

The parrot, seeing Shang Yuan as if she were its savior, flapped its wings, trying to escape Lu Yang. Lu Yang released it, letting the parrot fly around the room.

"You need to be more careful next time. Luckily, this parrot was just flying in circles around Taiping Township. Otherwise, if it had flown somewhere else, it really would have been lost for good," Lu Yang reminded with a smile.

Shang Yuan looked at their refined attire and knew at a glance that they were young heroes who had been wandering the pugilistic world for a long time, upholding justice.

Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye's attire was recommended by the Dao Seeking Sect's Task Hall. Dressed like this, they could impersonate the kind of young heroes who had been wandering the pugilistic world for a long time, upholding justice.

Shang Yuan's attitude was somewhat distant, whether due to her personality or something else: "Little Green is back, so you two can leave now."

Tao Yaoye frowned slightly, disliking the young mistress's attitude.

Lu Yang pretended not to hear her dismissal and said with a grin, "Let's chat for a bit. The Shang Family is quite welcoming to us. They might even have us stay overnight."

Shang Yuan sneered repeatedly: "The Shang Family welcoming you doesn't mean I welcome you. You should leave quickly, and it would be best if you left Taiping Township."

"Taiping Township doesn't have any Yao-Demons, so why should we leave? You also haven't left the Shang Family in a long time. Don't you want to hear us talk about the outside world?" Lu Yang said.

Shang Yuan was stunned, not expecting Lu Yang to say that, and her tone softened a little: "Where are you two from? I haven't left home in nearly a month. Can you tell me about your experiences in the pugilistic world?"

"We are from the Dao Seeking Sect, one of the Five Great Immortal Sects. We are both at the Foundation Establishment Realm. We came to Taiping Township this time because we heard that a Yao Bird is disturbing people..."

Lu Yang spoke unhurriedly. His voice was gentle, making him a good storyteller.

When Shang Yuan heard that they were both at the Foundation Establishment Realm, a hint of joy flashed in her eyes.

The three chatted for a while, and Shang Yuan was attracted to the life of cultivators who could travel through earth and escape from it as described by Lu Yang. She also wanted to go out and explore, to see this vast world.

"I want to cultivate immortality, but my dad doesn't agree. He says cultivating immortality is too dangerous. If he hadn't been lucky in exploring an ancient tomb, he would have died in it long ago."

"I've asked him about the experience several times, but he's unwilling to tell me," Shang Yuan said indignantly. She liked listening to strange and unusual stories, but her own father clearly had personal experience and was unwilling to tell her.

Lu Yang sighed inwardly. It seemed that the Shang Family's head was also a person with a story.

"What is the Shang Family Head's cultivation level?"

Shang Yuan seemed to think of her father's smug face and rolled her eyes: "According to his own boasting, he used to be at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, but later he encountered a great disaster and barely survived. His cultivation plummeted. He's either at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining or the Fifth Level of Qi Refining."

Tao Yaoye said, "That's still good. There aren't many cultivators in Taiping Township. The strongest Township Chief is only at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining. Being at the Fourth or Fifth Level of Qi Refining is enough to live well, not to mention that the Shang Family Head still has some foundation."

Shang Yuan sighed, "But I don't want to be limited to Quhe County. I want to travel the pugilistic world and see this magnificent and bizarre world. You and I are about the same age, but you are already a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, while I haven't even started Qi Refining."

Tao Yaoye was about to say something when Steward Zhang knocked on the door: "Miss, it's time for dinner. And you two young heroes, the master specifically instructed that it's getting late, so please have dinner and stay for the night before leaving."

"The master, madam, and Township Chief Huang are already waiting for everyone."

"Alright, we'll be right there," Lu Yang replied.

Tao Yaoye wanted to refuse, but Lu Yang stopped her: "See, I told you the Shang Family was enthusiastic and would have us stay overnight. They're being so kind, why not accept it?"

At the dining table, the Shang Family Head sat upright in the main seat, chatting animatedly with Township Chief Huang. The others were also eating heartily. Although it couldn't compare to the food at the Dao Seeking Sect, it was still quite delicious.

Steward Zhang and the maids stood respectfully to the side, serving them.

The meal was enjoyable. Township Chief Huang went home, and Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye stayed overnight, staying in the east wing, with only a wall separating them.

Tao Yaoye didn't really want to sleep here. She was very particular about beds. Except for the bed in her Dao Seeking Sect cave abode, which she could fall asleep on as soon as she laid down, she would take a long time to fall asleep in other places.

Tao Yaoye knew this wasn't a good habit. Cultivators often had to endure wind and dew. She was trying to change, but hadn't succeeded yet.

"Senior Brother Lu can fall asleep anywhere."

Tao Yaoye muttered to herself, not knowing why, and chuckled softly before yawning.

"I'm going to bed early today. It looks like I can get a good night's sleep..."

Tao Yaoye suddenly reacted: "That's not right! Someone poisoned me!"

She turned around and was about to pick up the Thousand Illusions Parasol to create a barrier, but found that the spiritual power within her body was operating sluggishly and difficult to mobilize.

She was shocked. Someone had poisoned her silently. Who was it?

This was a poison targeting cultivators. The other party knew she was a cultivator and still dared to act, so they must also be a cultivator.

There were only a few people in the Shang Family. Apart from the Shang Family Head, she hadn't detected anyone else who was a cultivator.

Was it the Shang Family Head?

Or was there a cultivator with a higher cultivation level than her that she couldn't detect?

What about Senior Brother Lu?

A series of questions instantly ran through Tao Yaoye's mind. Before she could think about it, light footsteps came from outside the room.

The door opened, and Steward Zhang strode in, a look of excitement and cruelty on his face.

"It's you!" Tao Yaoye widened her eyes, not expecting it to be Steward Zhang, and her heart sank.

Not being able to see that Steward Zhang was a cultivator meant that Steward Zhang's cultivation level was even higher than hers.

Steward Zhang held a Skinning Knife in his hand. Even from five steps away, Tao Yaoye could feel the strong resentment emanating from it. She didn't know how many people had died on this knife, its resentment soaring to the sky.

Moonlight shone on the blade, bright and dazzling, a sheet of white.

Steward Zhang licked his lips, looking at the struggling Tao Yaoye as if she were a ferocious prey that had fallen into a trap.

"What wonderful skin, I've never seen skin so snow-white and with such beautiful lines in my entire life."

"I know you're from the Dao Seeking Sect, killing you would be troublesome. The Dao Seeking Sect's power is all-encompassing, how could a small figure like me dare to provoke the Dao Seeking Sect?"

Steward Zhang said, saliva flowing from the corners of its mouth, wiping it away as it continued, "But your skin is just too beautiful, making me unable to resist taking the risk. And you voluntarily stayed at the Shang Family to eat, if I didn't seize such a good opportunity to poison you, I'd be too foolish."

There was poison in the dinner!

Seeing Tao Yaoye was still struggling, Steward Zhang considerately advised, "Don't struggle, even if you weren't poisoned, you're no match for me. You've only just stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm, while I'm at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage."

Even though it said that, Steward Zhang didn't lower its guard. A Dao Seeking Sect's Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator must not be treated like an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator!

Steward Zhang said this only to prevent Tao Yaoye from resisting.

The more she resisted, the tighter the skin and flesh would connect, making it harder to skin her; this was based on experience.

"Relax, it'll only hurt for a moment, and soon you won't be scared anymore."

Steward Zhang licked the Skinning Knife and approached Tao Yaoye.

Suddenly, Tao Yaoye abruptly stood up, her entire body's spiritual power flowing unhindered, and gripping the Thousand Illusions Parasol, she slammed it hard into Steward Zhang's face.

Steward Zhang, confident of victory, was caught completely off guard.

"How could you not be poisoned?!"