Nearby lay Loquat Village, home to an unaffiliated immortal of the unorthodox path named Yellow Swollen Daoist. He had committed many evil deeds in years past and had only curbed his behavior after repeated warnings from fellow cultivators. He lived secluded in the village year-round, occasionally doing good deeds in the surrounding villages and towns, a man both righteous and wicked.
Shi Feiyang calculated that if Yuan Hua came to the Mao Gong Altar to retrieve the treasure, he would inevitably encounter this man, unless he waited several decades or caught him on one of his occasional trips away. Who had so much time and patience to wait? Better to use the means currently at hand and pluck a tooth from the tiger's jaws.
That night, Yellow Swollen Daoist was away from Loquat Village because a female immortal of the unorthodox path, renowned throughout the world, had come to visit. Her name was Lady Tianyao. Her fame came from her extraordinarily formidable bedchamber arts; many Sword Immortals from righteous and evil sects alike had fallen beneath her skirts, sinking so deep they could not pull themselves free.
A few days earlier, the fine loquats in the mountains had ripened. Their fragrance filled every slope and valley, drifting high into the sky. Passing overhead, Lady Tianyao caught their scent and could not help craving a taste, so she descended to eat some. Remembering that Yellow Swollen Daoist lived here, she knew that although his complexion was sallow and his whole body looked swollen, making him hideous and frightening at first glance, his magical power was profound. If she could harvest his primordial yang true qi, her own strength would surely soar. Thus, she went into the village to pay him a visit.
Yellow Swollen Daoist also lusted after women, but with