Green Parasol City

"Junior Fang, even though Lin Yu is the only Mystic Sword Sect disciple left, we must not let our guard down."

Pu Ren'an looked with displeasure at Liu Ye, who was trying to drag Fang Huai out the door to experience the "bustling atmosphere."

Yesterday at the critical moment, Fang Huai and Cheng Zhaozhao had stepped forward, while Liu Ye had shrunk back, playing dead to avoid trouble.

Coupled with Cheng Rui's threats, Pu Ren'an felt extreme disgust toward Liu Ye.

In contrast, Fang Huai had left a decent impression on him, worth winning over.

"Senior Pu is absolutely right!"

Cheng Zhaozhao followed up sharply: "If Senior Liu wants to go out and wander, he should go alone. Maybe he wants to buy some gifts for someone special."

Liu Ye caught their sarcasm and stood there awkwardly, at a loss.

Seeing the standoff, Fang Huai knew he had to break the ice himself:

"My female slave has a fondness for mortal jewelry. Before I left, she asked me to buy some. It just so happens Senior Liu knows about these things, so we agreed to go together."

"A female slave from the Mystic Sword Sect?" Cheng Zhaozhao asked.

"Exactly!" Fang Huai replied frankly.

Cheng Zhaozhao's mind raced. This Fang Huai was a man of wealth.

A Mystic Sword Sect female slave—that was a rare commodity.

Most of them were strikingly beautiful and carried many Mystic Sword Sect techniques, making them expensive.

Fang Huai must have a solid family foundation to afford keeping a female slave at the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

Thinking of her own meager cultivation resources, she probed: "Senior Fang cares so much for his female slave; he must cherish a Dao partner even more, right?"

"Ashamed to say," Fang Huai said, "I'm nearing thirty and still alone."

This suited Cheng Zhaozhao perfectly. She immediately looked him up and down.

Though only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, he was steady in crisis, quick and sharp in response, and seemed upright and reliable.

She thought of her years drifting in the sect, lacking cultivation resources, her progress stalled.

If she could become his Dao partner, she'd gain a dependable support and use his wealth to improve her cultivation plight.

Her voice turned soft and sweet: "When I was among mortals, I was a proper lady from a good family, and I also like mortal jewelry. I can accompany Senior to pick some in the city."

With one sentence, she revealed her clean and respectable background while naturally extending an invitation, the balance perfectly struck.

Confident that her looks would surely move Fang Huai.

Fang Huai coughed lightly but refused: "Thank you for the kind offer, Junior Sister. I have a prior agreement with Junior Liu, so I won't trouble you."

After the two left the Spirit Dew Mansion, Liu Ye wanted to head straight to the Vegetation Sha's location, but Fang Huai stopped him and said in a low voice:

"Not so fast. Cheng Zhaozhao is following behind. Let's lead her on a walk first."

So they strolled along the street stalls, browsing one by one.

Cheng Zhaozhao covered her face with a black robe and stuck on a Concealment Talisman, thinking she couldn't be spotted by the two.

But her foolishly obvious tailing could never escape Fang Huai's eyes.

A black robe covering her face, following right behind someone—even an idiot would notice her!

Good thing she wasn't sent as a spy on the battlefield; within half an hour, she'd be cut down by the Mystic Sword Sect's swords.

Cheng Zhaozhao's brow furrowed tightly.

She had followed them all this way, and the two had done nothing but shop.

Were they just close friends with no other secrets?

Fang Huai's spiritual sense kept locked onto Cheng Zhaozhao. Seeing she wouldn't leave, he decided to genuinely experience the bustling atmosphere of Green Parasol City.

The sugar-painting stall owner held a copper ladle, swiftly sketching on a slate, drawing cheers from the children.

The wonton stall's iron pot billowed with white steam, people holding coarse bowls, blowing and slurping.

White cloth with blue patterns hung at the fabric shop's entrance, the owner's wife sitting on a bamboo chair, smiling and waving at the two.

The common folk of Green Parasol City lived in abundance, far better than under the Corpse Sha Sect's rule.

Liu Ye had no mind to enjoy the liveliness: "Junior Fang, these mortals clearly know the Mystic Sword Sect lost the battle. Why do they still seem so calm?"

Fang Huai said: "They've been sheltered by the Mystic Sword Sect for too long. They always think the sect has their backs, that the Corpse Sha Sect won't dare act rashly, so there's no need to flee."

He sighed lightly: "Born into comfort, long unaware of danger, not knowing death is near—truly pitiable."

Speaking of death being near, he thought of the label on himself.

Even now, it still refreshed frequently, and he had no idea how to break it.

"Demon cultivator, a demon cultivator from the Corpse Sha Sect!"

The two were chatting idly when a sharp cry exploded from the crowd.

Fang Huai followed the sound and saw a man pointing at him and Liu Ye, shouting: "I saw the two of them yesterday—they're demon cultivators from the Corpse Sha Sect!"

"Didn't Immortal Lin say he drove the demon cultivators away? Why are they still here?"

"They disguised themselves as mortals and snuck into the city—what beasts!"

"There's more of us, what's there to fear? Let's go together and kill these two demon lords!"

"..."

A single stone stirred a thousand ripples. The shouts grew louder, and Fang Huai and Liu Ye's faces grew darker.

Liu Ye twisted his wrist, cyan-black poison gas coiling around his fingertips, ready to strike.

Fang Huai quickly stopped him: "Elder Liu, don't act rashly."

"These lowly mortals dare to throw their weight around in front of us?"

Liu Ye believed in the strong preying on the weak, with power commanding respect. Now, provoked by a crowd of mortals with no cultivation at all, rage surged straight to his head.

"Don't kill anyone, or Lin Yu will never forgive you!" Fang Huai urged again.

Before the words faded, a dull thud rang out—a fist-sized stone slammed hard into Liu Ye's shoulder.

Seeing the two men not fighting back, the mortals grew bolder.

"Kill these two demon lords!"

Someone shouted again, and then stones, rotten vegetable leaves, and mud rained down on the two like a storm.

"Elder Fang, say no more! Even if I don't kill them, I'll cripple these clueless wretches!"

Liu Ye's eyes burned red as he barked: "Poison Mist Technique!"

The cyan-black poison gas spread out. The mortals inhaled it, their internal organs damaged, and they collapsed to the ground wailing in pain.

"The demon cultivators are killing people! Go find Immortal Lin!"

Seeing this, the surrounding mortals' faces twisted with terror, and they scattered screaming.

In Fang Huai's perception, Cheng Zhaozhao slipped away quietly after Liu Ye made his move, likely to report to Pu Ren'an.

Fang Huai snapped: "Elder Liu, how could you be so reckless? Do you know what consequences your actions will bring?"

Liu Ye shrugged carelessly: "It's just letting a few mortals suffer Poison Sha possession—it's not like I killed them. Lin Yu can't say anything!"

"The mortals only dared to stay in the city because they thought we wouldn't kill!"

Fang Huai's fingertips whitened as he clenched them: "Now that their lives are at stake, do you think they'll just wait obediently?"

He continued: "Once these people flee clean away, get ready to face Elder Pu's wrath!"

Liu Ye broke out in a cold sweat: "Then what do we do now?"

Fang Huai frowned: "Elder Cheng has already left, probably to tattle to Elder Pu.

We'll use this time to quickly locate the Vegetation Sha's position, then return to Spirit Dew Mansion to confess our sins."

The two activated Light Body Technique and moved swiftly, guided by the Sha-Seeking Rat.