A Banquet and Guarding What's Hers

At the same time, outside a dilapidated thatched hut in Shantytown.

Old Wang hunched over, his cheeks sallow and sunken. He watched Granny Zhang and the others enter the residence with a baleful stare, then spat viciously.

"Damn it! They're holding a Spirit-Opening Banquet without inviting this Daoist Master! They never treated me as one of their own. They deserve to die!"

Old Wang's eye sockets were dark, his hair was graying, and his words tumbled out without logic. The stench of dead fish clung to him.

He was in terrible shape. In little more than a month, he seemed to have aged over ten years, and his mind had begun to fail him.

Whenever he drew near Xiao Cui, a nameless rage flared up that he could not control. After lashing out, his ears would ring, his vision would swim, and his thoughts would turn murky.

At his worst, he had nearly lost all sense of time and reason.

Only when Xiao Cui began making frequent trips to the Treasure Pavilion a few days ago, reducing how often they crossed paths, did he finally catch his breath and regain some clarity.

"This is outrageous. That damned girl dared to poison this Daoist Master!"

Old Wang muttered. He had wanted to kill Xiao Cui days ago.

But for some reason, Yun Mo of the Treasure Pavilion had gone mad. She would rather fall out with him than stop protecting the girl.

He could not afford to offend the Treasure Pavilion and had slunk away, only to happen upon Yun Mo entering Ling Wudao's residence today.

"Yun Mo and Ling Wudao know each other. No wonder. Yun Mo is a steward of the mighty Treasure Pavilion, yet she insists on protecting a servant who doesn't even have a bond of servitude."

"No wonder that damned girl could afford such a vicious poison. She'd never have the guts on her own. It was that wretch Ling Wudao who wanted me dead!"

Old Wang's eyes turned bloodshot. His withered fingers clenched so tightly they trembled.

Now it seemed Ling Wudao had seen through his attempt to poison the Spirit Bamboo Brew long ago. Drinking it had merely been a case of turning the trick against him. Ling Wudao had probably never been poisoned at all.

Old Wang had intended to wait for Ling Wudao's True Essence to run dry and for him to die in weakness. Instead, he had waited for his own death sentence.

"The Treasure Pavilion is too powerful. I can't take them on alone..."

Old Wang seethed, unwilling to swallow this bitter pill in silence. His will to survive was strong.

His methods were crude. He could not even locate the deadly poison inside his own body, much less contend with the Treasure Pavilion. Only by seeking help from the power behind him did he stand a chance of surviving.

"The Treasure Pavilion may be powerful, but the Clear River Sect is no easy target either!"

Old Wang snorted and put on a bamboo hat, pulling it low to conceal his face. Then he slipped into the shadows and staggered toward the Inner Ring.

Yun Mo was so flustered she could barely speak.

"Steward Yun Mo, I don't believe you were on my guest list?"

Luo Fanchen stood at the front entrance, greeting his guests with a smile. His gaze was calm, and a faint smile rested on his lips.

But Yun Mo felt pressure crashing over her. Her mind went blank, and panic gripped her. Her red lips moved as she tried to speak, but not a single word came out. Her usual composure had flown beyond the ninth heaven.

She stood frozen, her pale hands trembling inside her sleeves like chaff in a sieve.

It was over. If she had annoyed Lord Ling, she could bid her career at the Treasure Pavilion farewell.

At the critical moment, Xiao Cui boldly gave Yun Mo's palm a gentle squeeze. Yun Mo snapped out of it and hurriedly spoke in a trembling voice.

"I... heard that my lord was hosting a banquet for your neighbors. I thought there must be a happy occasion, so I brought a small gift to pay my respects. I had no intention of intruding."

"Neighbors? Steward Yun Mo, do you live next door to me?"

Luo Fanchen's expression remained as still as a lake as he kept up the pressure. In their previous meetings, he had behaved far too gently for a disciple of the Dao Sect.

"I..."

Yun Mo's thoughts were a tangled mess. The wrath of someone from an Orthodox Profound School weighed on her like a mountain.

The head of her clan, her great-grandfather, had once been a disciple of the Incense Burning Sect. His reputation was formidable, and he demanded perfection from the younger generation, rarely smiling. He was nothing short of a nightmare to the grandchildren of her generation.

Of course, her great-grandfather had only been an outer disciple, and he had yet to reach Core Formation. She herself was merely an inconspicuous member of a lesser branch of the Lineage.

Because of her great-grandfather, she both revered and feared disciples of the Dao Sect and Profound Sects—let alone someone from an Orthodox Profound School.

If Lord Ling returned to his sect, a single word from him could wipe out three generations of her kin.

The crushing pressure finally forced Yun Mo's professional composure to the surface. She made herself calm down and said shakily,

"If it's a neighbor you want... I think that thatched hut behind my lord's residence is quite nice. I intend to buy it. Would my lord permit it?"

She knew Old Wang belonged to the Clear River Sect and had most likely been placed there as a gesture of goodwill toward Lord Ling.

With this move, she hoped to soothe Lord Ling's displeasure while testing whether the Treasure Pavilion could take the Clear River Sect's place. Of course, Old Wang, the hut's owner, would likely have to vacate it with his life.

"Since you're a neighbor, please come in."

Luo Fanchen smiled and stepped aside, ushering them into the main hall.

If the Treasure Pavilion could get rid of Old Wang for him while shielding him from retaliation by the Clear River Sect, so much the better.

In the future, they could also help keep an eye on Mo Xue when he went out. As long as he did not openly reveal his Yi Wood True Essence in front of the Treasure Pavilion's master, there was almost no risk of exposure.

Yun Mo was a Treasure Pavilion steward for good reason. She was quick-witted, if a little timid.

Just who is this Ling Wudao?

Granny Zhang had kept her head down and pretended not to notice anything from beginning to end.

Yun Mo, a Treasure Pavilion steward at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, had acted like a quail before Ling Wudao.

Ling Wudao was only at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining, wasn't he? He was much as Granny Zhang had expected: a scion of a powerful household. But her earlier guess that he had lost a struggle within it was no longer certain. The Treasure Pavilion was clearly backing him with all its might.

Whatever the truth, Ling Wudao was not someone she could afford to provoke lightly.

The Glazed Glass Lamps flickered, filling the hall with light. Everyone took their seats in order. Delight showed on Yun Mo's pretty face, along with deep gratitude toward Xiao Cui.

If the girl had not roused her in time, she would surely have offended Lord Ling today.

Now she had not only dispelled his displeasure but also gained some of his trust. The Treasure Pavilion had all but secured the right to support Lord Ling.

What a clever girl. If I return to the Pavilion safely today, I'll buy her freedom.

Yun Mo made the silent promise. She glanced at the reserved Xiao Cui, and a little more appreciation entered her eyes.

Once everyone was seated, two graceful figures, one tall and one short, came slowly from the Kitchen Pavilion. The shorter one was petite and delicate, with almond eyes, sword-like brows, and a soft, fair oval face. There was a dashing spirit beneath her sweet, guileless air.

It was Mo Xue, whom they had met once before.

The other woman was tall and carried herself with easy poise. Her finely shaped face was elegant, and her skin was smooth and lustrous as pale jade. Beneath willow-leaf brows, her dewdrop eyes shone with a fragile clarity. Her unpainted red lips were lightly pursed, and the single beauty mark at their corner lent her more than enough allure.

If Mo Xue was a charming girl-next-door, the other woman possessed peerless bearing and the grace of an immortal.

As the two approached, even the candlelight seemed to dim. Standing before the taller woman, Yun Mo felt a touch of shame at her own appearance.

Wait... a Spirit Puppet?

Yun Mo murmured silently, rather surprised.

She was well traveled, after all, and immediately noticed something amiss. Though the tall woman moved much like an ordinary person, there were still unnatural traces.

Soul Power leaked from her with every movement. Clearly, a Spirit Body had possessed a Puppet.

The Puppet looked impressive but was of little practical use. Judging by its aura, it was only First-Rank Low-Grade. It relied entirely on the Soul Body to seem so lifelike.

That Soul Body had to belong to a cultivator, and it had been preserved remarkably well. At the very least, all Three Souls were intact, and quite possibly all Seven Spirits too.

At the Fourth Level of Qi Refining, he preserved a Soul Body this completely. The methods of the Profound Sects truly are extraordinary.

Yun Mo was full of admiration. Even the Pavilion Master would struggle to perform complete Soul Binding without meticulous preparations and the aid of a Magic Treasure.

Did Lord Ling have anything in his residence besides that unidentified low-grade magic implement serving as the core of the Spirit-Gathering Formation?

"Mo Xue, Qiu Yun, greet our honored guests."

Luo Fanchen gave a slight nod. Mo Xue and Qiu Yun exchanged a glance, then bowed respectfully. Finally, both women fixed their gazes on Yun Mo.

"I regard Mo Xue and Qiu Yun as my own. Granny Zhang, Fairy Yunmo, I hope you'll both look after them in the future."

As soon as Luo Fanchen finished speaking, a chill ran down his back. He turned to look but found nothing amiss.

Mo Xue and Qiu Yun looked aggrieved, as though they strongly objected to the words "as my own." They soon shifted their attention back to Yun Mo, though, staring at her with meaningful interest until she felt as if needles were pricking her back.

The fine hairs on Yun Mo's forearms rose. A chill crept down her spine, leaving her puzzled.

Why did it suddenly get so cold?