[Major Chapter] Advanced Tool

After receiving Black Stone's invitation, Wine Fox Immortal had initially refused.

Just thinking of that woman, Liu Xuanye, made her want to die of pain.

It hurt worse than menstrual cramps.

Her menstrual cramps were a lingering effect of being injured by Liu Xuanye's restrictive sword intent.

She hated menstrual cramps, but strangely, she didn't hate Liu Xuanye.

That was what hurt the most.

The most lucrative assignment she had ever received was investigating Liu Xuanye.

But she had tried every method she could think of, and her divine sense still couldn't get anywhere near that woman.

She had even been injured several times as a result. The worst injury had directly damaged her Immortal Platform, and she still hadn't recovered.

Her feelings for Liu Xuanye went beyond those for a mortal enemy, beyond those for a close friend, and even beyond those for a mission. There was rivalry, longing, and a refusal to give up on an unfinished assignment.

Her mission wasn't over yet.

She knew she would be reunited with Liu Xuanye someday, but for now, she wasn't ready to face her.

She didn't want to become Liu Xuanye's enemy.

Then, one day, Black Stone told her that Liu Xuanye would take a mortal as her Dao companion, to prove her innocence and develop an immortal city.

Black Stone had called in favors to get her posted to Bamboo Spring Sect as its Sect Resident Envoy, hoping she would secretly investigate Liu Xuanye's mortal Dao companion.

She had assumed they were only Dao companions in name.

But Black Stone, who was always sly as an old fox, had taken the matter exceptionally seriously. That made her realize that perhaps this was more than a mere formality.

Last night.

After meeting Lu Ya, she had been astonished to discover—

The young man looked mortal, yet his elegance outshone even an immortal.

He was skilled at cooking, knew how to make fine grain wine, and could even make bamboo slips to protect Immortal Commoners from Liu Xuanye's harm. He could even counter her Wine Sound Illusion Array.

In full view of everyone, he had kissed Liu Xuanye without being harmed, and had even gone straight to the bridal chamber with her.

Just thinking that Liu Xuanye had been defiled by a filthy man... made her Immortal Platform ache with unbearable pain.

Though she could vaguely sense that the man was hiding his strength, she still wanted to beat him up!

First, to vent her anger; second, she wanted to take the opportunity to probe Lu Ya's true strength.

After getting drunk last night, she hadn't gone to rest.

Instead, she had rushed straight to Bamboo Spring Sect, ready to give Lu Ya a show of force.

The battle she had envisioned went like this—

Under her relentless pressure, Lu Ya would gradually reveal his strength, bring out his treasures, unveil his hidden tricks, and fight her for three hundred rounds. In the end, due to his inferior cultivation, he would narrowly lose to her.

She had her script all written.

But the battle she'd imagined never happened.

There wasn't even a fight!

She had barely finished shouting when a terrifying force suddenly seized her. Before she could gather her strength to fight back, she had already landed in Ning Zhongzi's bedroom, tumbling onto her bed beside that man.

She heard a casual voice beside her say:

"Hello, I'm Lu Ya. The organization has an important mission for you."

"..."

Who am I?

Where am I?

What was I supposed to do again?

Wine Fox Immortal jolted upright, sat cross-legged on the bed, and straightened her posture.

Facing Lu Ya, she stared straight at the man before her with her fox eyes.

She was a dignified three-star Immortal Sect Master, and she hadn't even made a move before she'd been dragged into bed?

The more she thought about it, the more horrified Wine Fox Immortal became. She felt Black Stone had set her up.

You're good-looking. I'll let that slide.

You're good at cooking. I'll let that slide too.

You make good wine. I can even tolerate that.

But how could a mortal like you be this strong?

Did Black Stone stay away because he wanted me to make a fool of myself for him?

Wine Fox Immortal suddenly sneered.

Did he think she was just anybody?

As a spy among spies among spies, she had suddenly grown quite interested in Lu Ya—almost as interested as she was in Liu Xuanye.

"Where am I?"

Having instantly recovered from the awkwardness, Wine Fox Immortal acted as though nothing had happened and spoke in a drunken slur:

"Brother, the wine you brewed was good. I ended up drinking it all night."

After speaking, she pretended to retch and threw up right onto Ning Zhongzi's bed. Then, after throwing up, she even turned around and blamed Ning Zhongzi, giving herself the perfect excuse.

"Ning Zhongzi, what kind of medicine did you give me? I can't muster any strength at all now."

Ning Zhongzi shook her head calmly.

"It was only an ordinary hangover cure. Immortal Envoy, you need to get some rest."

"What, are you kicking me out?"

Wine Fox Immortal suddenly changed her expression, putting on a look of feigned suspicion over her pretty, round face.

"Let me guess... A handsome man and a beautiful woman alone in a room in broad daylight..."

At that, she abruptly flew into a rage, perfectly diverting attention from the embarrassment of having just been beaten down.

"Well, Lu Ya, you not only slept with my little Xuanye, you actually dared to betray her?"

Lu Ya sat with his arms crossed, completely unruffled, looking at her with the indulgent gaze one might give a fool.

Ning Zhongzi, however, immediately blushed and hurried to change the subject.

"Let me introduce her. This is the East Floating Immortal Court's senior executive I mentioned to Senior Brother earlier, the newly appointed Sect Resident Envoy of Bamboo Spring Sect, Wine Fox Immortal."

Only then did Lu Ya cast a glance at Wine Fox Immortal.

She was petite, with a delicate, round face that would have been cute, but her features and bearing were bold and uninhibited.

Her skin was fair, her figure especially voluptuous, and her style even more daring. She wore an orange fox robe with its sleeves and front cut away. Her open neckline looked like a snowcapped mountain capped in white, enough to make anyone blush and their heart race.

Half human, half fox, a three-star Immortal Sect Master, with a wine gourd hanging at her waist. Her face was flushed and she reeked of alcohol, yet her natural scent was light and pleasant. For all her brash attire, she was still a woman.

Lu Ya wasn't Pu Songling; he had no interest in foxes.

All he saw was a high-end tool.

Uncrossing his arms, Lu Ya put on a respectfully deferential air.

"Greetings, Immortal Envoy."

"Hmph."

Wine Fox Immortal lifted her round face and snorted, then copied Lu Ya's earlier pose, crossing her arms over her chest and striking a haughty little curve.

Lu Ya didn't want to waste his precious Salted Fish time, so he got straight to the point:

"Our city-building plan needs a garrison. Considering your cultivation and connections, Immortal Envoy, the organization has decided to put you in charge of this force."

"You really think I was drunk?"

Wine Fox Immortal's expression cooled slightly as she abruptly retorted.

"Whether a Sect Resident Envoy or a City Resident Envoy, their role is to supervise and guide immortals and mortals like you. If I personally took charge of a team, what would become of the Immortal Court's dignity?"

Ning Zhongzi thought that Wine Fox Immortal might be unreliable, but she was still an Immortal Sect Master. As Lu Ya had said, she had impressive connections and could command respect. Perhaps she was a good candidate.

So she said:

"We can offer you a generous salary."

"People who offer me a salary usually die before they get the chance to pay me."

Wine Fox Immortal looked haughty and gave a faint, cold smile.

"Never mind that your Bamboo Spring Sect is so poor you couldn't afford the feathers on a bird. Even if your sect master were filthy rich, do you think I'm short on money?"

Lu Ya nodded and glanced at her snowy peaks.

"That outfit that saves on fabric is proof you're short on money."

Having been struck right on the mark, Wine Fox Immortal hurriedly rearranged her neckline, trying to make the fabric look a little more plentiful.

As an Immortal Sect Master-level spy, she earned a decent salary, but most of it went toward buying wine.

She had even sold her Immortal Court uniform to a rogue immortal...

The reasons she had refused Lu Ya's offer were, first, that she didn't believe Azure Phoenix City would develop; second, as an informant with a secret mission, she didn't want to be bogged down by trivial matters or kept away from the two people she was investigating.

She had to keep a close eye on Liu Xuanye and Lu Ya at all times.

Especially Lu Ya!

"Nothing you say will change my mind. I may not be wearing my Immortal Court uniform, but I'll never forget that I'm an Immortal Court executive. As a senior executive of the East Floating Immortal Court, I won't lower myself to lead a city guard."

Ning Zhongzi asked softly:

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Wine Fox Immortal closed her eyes slightly, speaking with righteous conviction.

"I'll stand firmly on the Immortal Court's side, representing it as I supervise and guide your city-building plan, ensuring Azure Phoenix City stays on a safe, healthy path."

Ning Zhongzi tried to tempt her with fine wine:

"We have free immortal brew. As long as you agree to lead the city guard, you can drink as much as you like."

Wine Fox Immortal raised an eyebrow. Her firm resolve wavered a little, but she gritted her teeth and held on.

"Preposterous! Are you trying to bribe an Immortal Court official?"

Lu Ya narrowed his eyes slightly. The woman had more backbone than he'd expected, so he came up with a plan.

"I heard from Senior Sister that you and the sect master were classmates for many years. Because of the sect master's constitution, your Immortal Platform was badly injured and still hasn't recovered. Is that true?"

Wine Fox Immortal immediately grew wary.

"What does that have to do with you?"

Lu Ya took out a Green Bamboo Slip and tossed it to her.

"This is a Protective Bamboo Slip I made. Carry it with you and it can effectively suppress the harm caused by the sect master's restrictions. It might even help with your old injury."

"Is that true?"

Wine Fox Immortal looked doubtful, but remembering what had happened last night, she decided to try it.

She picked up the slip and, without a care in the world, tucked it into her empty, coarse-cloth robe.

She channeled a little strength into it.

A moment later.

She felt cool from head to toe, her meridians flowing freely and her pent-up discomfort fading away. Sweat beaded on her brow, and warmth slowly spread through her lower abdomen. Even the vortex left by her injured qi sea seemed to be settling down.

Even the menstrual cramps that had plagued her for so long were cured.

She stared at Lu Ya in shock.

Could this guy treat gynecological problems too?

If she had a higher-grade bamboo slip for protection, wouldn't the old injury to her Immortal Platform heal completely?

And if she took the slip to see Liu Xuanye, wouldn't she be able to study her secrets more closely, more deeply?

Brilliant!

This man was far too interesting.

In the thousands of years since she'd come to the Colored Cloud Immortal Domain, she had found only one other person interesting: Liu Xuanye.

Now Liu Xuanye and Lu Ya were both at Bamboo Spring Sect, and they were Dao companions to each other.

And she had conveniently been assigned to Bamboo Spring Sect as its Sect Resident Envoy.

It seemed that her mission, sealed away for several thousand years and promising astonishing rewards, was finally about to make progress.

Thinking this, Wine Fox Immortal was thrilled inside, but her face remained impassive.

"Do you have a higher-grade bamboo slip?"

"Of course."

"Let me see it."

Lu Ya smiled without replying, simply watching her in silence.

Helpless, Wine Fox Immortal could only agree to what Lu Ya had asked of her.

"As Bamboo Spring Sect's Sect Resident Envoy and Azure Phoenix City's City Resident Envoy, I ought to contribute to the city's development. In exchange for the bamboo slips, I can serve as your city guard leader."

Lu Ya smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Immortal Envoy."

Ning Zhongzi breathed a sigh of relief and admired Lu Ya even more.

She hadn't expected that the bamboo slip could heal injuries too.

Wine Fox Immortal asked casually:

"To build a city guard, you'll need at least a few Immortal Monarchs with a decent talent for fighting. Besides two little tigers with mediocre talent, who else does Bamboo Spring Sect have?"

Lu Ya smiled.

"With you leading the team, Immortal Envoy, it's only natural for you to find the recruits. You could call on your subordinates in the Immortal Court, the rogue immortals in the Beast Nest Forest, or your junior brothers and sisters in the White Lotus Sect."

Wine Fox Immortal's thick brows twitched slightly. She held back her anger and asked only:

"And you? What will you do?"

"Supervise and guide your work."

"Pfft—"

Wine Fox Immortal felt she had been tricked, but for the sake of her recovery and little Xuanye, she could only put up with it for now.

"When will you give me the higher-grade bamboo slip?"

"That depends on how well you perform."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Of course."

"By toying with me, you're toying with the Immortal Court. No matter how strong you are, you'll still face heavenly punishment."

After saying this, Wine Fox Immortal slapped her backside, got out of bed, and strode proudly toward the door.

Her petite, unrestrained figure stopped by the doorway. She turned her head and added—

"But if you toy with Liu Xuanye, you'll suffer a disaster even more terrifying than heavenly punishment."

After Wine Fox Immortal left, Lu Ya was suddenly overcome by sleepiness. To get some rest sooner, he suppressed the urge to yawn and said seriously to Ning Zhongzi:

"Let me go over Azure Phoenix City one more time."

"First, hire some chefs and brewers at high wages to run the taverns. I'll be responsible for teaching them their craft."

"Second, you'll personally organize farming and animal husbandry, and produce Immortal Fertilizer. I'll give you the formula later."

"Third, have that fox find people to build a city guard. I'll keep an eye on her so she doesn't cause trouble."

Seeing how clearly Lu Ya laid things out and how quick his mind was, nothing like the way a health-conscious person would think, Ning Zhongzi found him even more unfathomable. She said with heartfelt admiration:

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Lu Ya spread his hands.

"Can I sleep now, senior sister?"

Ning Zhongzi's willow brows twitched slightly. For some reason, she vaguely felt that she might have been toyed with too.

A quarter of an hour later.

By a pool in Hot Spring Valley, on the western side of the mountaintop.

Wine Fox Immortal tossed her coarse robe onto a stone platform and slipped naked into the pool.

A light mist drifted over the water, carrying the fragrance of herbs and flowers. Bathed in the gentle green glow, the place looked like a fairyland.

The water only came up to her waist. It was warm, smooth, and clear, with a refreshing coolness like melting snow, and a faint scent of sulfur. The pebbles on the bottom were clearly visible, and aquatic plants grew in clusters. Even brightly colored warm-water fish swam back and forth, circling her snowy skin and nibbling gently, making her body ripple with pleasure.

She felt a little envious of Lu Ya.

She pierced a small hole in one end of the bamboo slip Lu Ya had given her, threaded a thin cord through it, and hung it against her chest.

The protective power within the slip seeped into her snowy skin and continually mingled with the pool's pure medicinal potency, slowly healing the old wound Liu Xuanye had left in her Immortal Platform.

Thinking of what had happened back then, Wine Fox Immortal was awash in memories. She couldn't help asking:

"How many years has it been since we last met?"

Liu Xuanye was as graceful as a snow-covered bamboo, her complexion rosy as she sat cross-legged in another pool.

She was far from Wine Fox Immortal, separated by dense mist. Neither could see the other.

After spending the night cultivating together with Lu Ya, she had gained much insight and was a little tired.

Now her eyes were slightly closed, her peerless face hazy in the clear mist.

Wine Fox Immortal was extremely beautiful, but beside Liu Xuanye's face, as if painted by the hand of a celestial god, she seemed to lose her luster.

"More than a thousand years."

She remembered only the general outline of what had happened back then.

But Wine Fox Immortal had never forgotten.

"Do you remember how you weren't so aloof back at the academy? You used to love to smile. So many Immortal Venerables and handsome young men pursued you. I never thought that after becoming an Immortal Master, you'd grow so cold and distant. It breaks my heart."

"I remember your wound."

"Who would've thought that the wound you left me would ultimately be healed by your man? Life really does go round and round, with surprises at every turn."

Wine Fox Immortal lay floating quietly on the water, her voice tinged with emotion.

"I thought you'd stay single your whole life. I never expected you to find a partner before me—and a young man three thousand years your junior, no less... Do you really understand him?"

Liu Xuanye was silent for a moment. Only after a long while did she speak, her voice like the moon suspended in the sky.

"There's no need to understand him. If he meant to harm me, he wouldn't have saved me. Since he did, half my life belongs to him. If he wants to harm me, I have no objections."

"He's strong, and young. Even on the Immortal Court Continent, he'd be an unparalleled prodigy. Yet a man like that is willing to stay in such a remote place. Could he really like you?"

"I don't know."

Wine Fox Immortal felt as if her snowy skin were turning green. She sighed wistfully.

"You've changed. You've grown fond of men."

"..."

After a moment's thought, she added:

"But if I liked men too, I'd probably be drawn to him as well. Besides being strong, he can roast meat, brew wine, build a city, and even cured the menstrual cramps that plagued me for years..."

"..."

"I'm curious. Did you two really consummate your marriage last night?"

"Of course."

"I just can't believe it. Let me check."

With Lu Ya's bamboo slip protecting her, Wine Fox Immortal spoke with much more confidence.

With a sweet smile, a sharp stream of divine sense slowly drifted toward Liu Xuanye.

In an instant, the Green Bamboo Slip hanging against her snowy cleavage snapped.

A terrifying sword intent, carrying the sorrow of the Primordial Era, pierced into her Immortal Platform.

"Pfft—"