Phantom Shadow Demon Trace

Bai Qiuran walked into the courtyard and shut the door behind him, completely blocking the line of sight of the female cultivator outside. He greeted the beauty who had instantly broken her composure and was staring at him in shock, "Long time no see, Su Xiangxue. I knew you'd be here."

Su Xiangxue sat there for a long time, then suddenly clapped her hands. "Oh, it's been a long time indeed."

"What are you so worked up for? I'm not going to chop you down."

Su Xiangxue's face fell instantly, and most of the seductive aura about her vanished. "You said the same thing when you killed my Master."

Bai Qiuran sighed. "Sect Master Su, that's not fair. Our friendship, forged through fighting side-by-side during the war between the righteous and the demonic, is hardly the same as my relationship with that old hag of a Master of yours who tried to harvest my essence. You're so tense; it really breaks my heart."

"Hmph." Su Xiangxue pinched her ink-black hair. "Don't act like you don't know. Anyone who didn't know better would think you actually respected your Master."

"I'm just stating the facts. Back then, my Master and I simply had irreconcilable differences. I never intended to kill her, but she went too far, eventually trying to turn me into a tool for her to harvest Yang energy, which is why I rebelled."

"And when I was leading the Righteous Path Alliance to hunt her down, wasn't it you who leaked her whereabouts to me?"

Su Xiangxue remained vigilant. "Whatever. Just tell me, what are you here for?"

Bai Qiuran walked over to sit opposite Su Xiangxue and downed the cup of tea she had just poured. "I'm here to catch up on old times."

Su Xiangxue poured herself a cup, sipped it, and said gloomily, "As the ancestor of the Azure Nether Sword Sect, don't you have access to the Azure Nether Sword Sect's intelligence network? Why would you need to ask me?"

"Our Azure Nether Sword Sect's intelligence network isn't as good as your Hehuan Sect's. When it comes to where men are most honest, aside from when they're drunk, it's when they're drowning in the lap of luxury. At those times, they'll spill everything."

Su Xiangxue retorted, "Our Hehuan Sect is just a small sect with some cheap tricks; what kind of intelligence network could we possibly have?"

Bai Qiuran chuckled. "So, does your intelligence network have anything fun lately? Anything from the Cultivation World?"

Su Xiangxue thought for a moment. "There have been quite a few interesting things happening in the Cangzhou Cultivation World lately, but none of them are really suitable for a Qi Refining Stage rookie to get involved in... wait, no, there is actually one thing, but it involves the mortal imperial family. Do you want to hear it?"

"Oh? Is it that fun?" Bai Qiuran asked.

"Recently, there's been a new trend in Dingguo called something like an 'Idol'."

"Idol?"

"It's said to be a foreign term. Essentially, it's a group of young, pretty girls singing and dancing. It's attracted quite a few men in Dingguo to chase after them."

Bai Qiuran had a sudden realization. "So, they're just singers and dancers who don't sell their bodies?"

"Pretty much, but they perform as a group."

"Ugh, another royal family? These people are always causing so much trouble."

Su Xiangxue continued, "Anyway, the Crown Prince of Dingguo also liked this sort of thing, but three days ago, he was murdered while watching a performance by one of the groups currently popular in Dingguo. The Emperor of Dingguo was furious and offered a hefty reward to capture the killer."

Bai Qiuran asked, "Was the perpetrator a mortal martial artist, or someone from the Cultivation World?"

"Dingguo values martial strength above all else. The Emperor of Dingguo is also the strongest martial artist in the land; his strength is such that he can go toe-to-toe with a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator even with only Qi Refining Stage cultivation. Do you really think the Crown Prince could have been killed silently at a performance by a mere mortal martial artist?"

Bai Qiuran thought for a moment. "So, there's something fishy behind this?"

"Exactly."

"What about his disciple? What's her background?"

"Oh... she's barely a girl, I suppose?"

"What? You took on a disciple?" Su Xiangxue looked surprised. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl."

Su Xiangxue asked, "What is her cultivation level?"

"Qi Refining Stage."

Su Xiangxue's expression turned sour. "What's wrong with the Qi Refining Stage?"

"I've fought through everything at the Qi Refining Stage."

Su Xiangxue stared at him for a long time. After seeing the innocent look on Bai Qiuran's face, she suddenly sighed. "I'm truly surprised, Bai Qiuran. I never thought you'd be the type to rob the cradle."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've been a fool. Why am I even getting angry at you? It's just stupid." The current Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect took several deep breaths, then lifted the teapot to pour tea for herself and Bai Qiuran again. At this moment, Su Xiangxue felt that her ability to cultivate inner peace might have already surpassed the giants of the righteous sects.

"Anyway, what are you actually here for?"

"I recently took on a disciple, and I'm out here to let her gain some experience."

Su Xiangxue looked at the empty cup in front of Bai Qiuran, picked up the teapot to refill it, and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Whatever you want to do, come at me! Don't you dare lay a finger on anyone in my sect!"

Bai Qiuran gave a thumbs up and stood up. "Don't worry, I'm not here to clean up the streets this time."

"I suspect the Ghost World wants to take your life simply because the system of the Book of Life and Death has a glitch. Otherwise, how could there be a guy who's still jumping around after his lifespan has run out?"

Bai Qiuran thought about it. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Forget it. If you want to leave, then leave." Su Xiangxue sighed, sitting in her seat with no intention of getting up to see him off.

"I've been staying in this Hehuan Sect, and I keep thinking about that old hag, your Master. It makes me feel uneasy, so I'm heading out. Take care of yourself."

"Wait, don't you want to stay a little longer?" Su Xiangxue offered.

"No, no."

"Remember to close the door for me on your way out."

A phantom drifted in from outside the courtyard, transforming into a charming woman in black. She knelt on one knee and asked Su Xiangxue, "Do you have any orders, Sect Master?"

"Go and investigate."

"Understood."

Bai Qiuran stood up and said, "Thanks for the information. I'm going to take my disciple to have some fun... to go take a look."

Bai Qiuran walked out the door and closed the courtyard gate behind him.