Chapter 30: News from All Sides
Ti passed quietly, and the ten-day dicine King Gathering finally ca to an end.
Luoxia Valley was once again tightly sealed off by the cultivators of the three families. Aside from their respective elders, idle outsiders could no longer set foot within.
The clamor and struggle within the valley transford into fresh topics of conversation in Luoyang City, fernting and spreading alongside the return of all kinds of people.
Two days later.
After seeing off a patron, the sky outside had already begun to pale with the faint light of dawn.
Lin Xiaowan closed the door, shutting out the lingering, ambiguous atmosphere that still filled the room.
She did not rest imdiately. Instead, she sat cross-legged on the bed, her mind sinking into her Qi Sea as she silently circulated the Profound Essence Scripture, refining what she had gained from Dual Cultivation that night.
Who knew how much ti had passed—perhaps it was the quietest hour before dawn.
At her brow, the Three-Petal Mark that had long remained dormant suddenly trembled slightly. Then, the second petal slowly lit up, spreading a faint yet warm crimson glow.
The glow quickly receded, sinking beneath her skin, leaving only a slightly clearer outline than before.
Lin Xiaowan slowly opened her eyes, her fingertips brushing her brow as a trace of anticipation flickered in her gaze.
The awakening of this second petal felt far more profound than the first. She wondered what kind of effect the next bloom would bring.
Morning arrived, the sky fully bright.
Leshan and Leshui, as usual, entered quietly carrying a bronze basin of warm water, clean cloths, green salt, and a few light refreshnts.
Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was already up and combing her long hair before the mirror, the two greeted her as usual, set everything down properly, and prepared to withdraw with lowered heads.
“No need to hurry today. Stay a while.”
Lin Xiaowan’s voice ca from before the mirror, carrying a faint hoarseness unique to early morning.
The sisters paused, lifting their eyes in surprise.
Lin Xiaowan had already turned around and walked to the table by the window, sitting down. She pointed to the stool opposite her. “These past days, aside from going out once with Young Master Qin, I’ve been cooped up in this room. It’s been a while since I’ve properly talked with you. Since there’s nothing pressing today, shall we chat?”
Her tone was calm—not an order, but more like an ordinary suggestion.
Leshan’s eyes imdiately lit up, and Leshui slightly raised her always-lowered gaze. Both of them revealed undisguised delight.
Though they were maids in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, such a place of pleasure was itself a hub of information and rumors. Every day, they heard and saw countless strange tales, long having held back a bellyful of things to say.
But their mistress had a cold temperant and rarely engaged in idle talk beyond necessary instructions, so they had never dared to speak freely.
Now that she had taken the initiative, how could they refuse?
“Miss is finally willing to listen to us chatter!” Leshan, lively as ever, quickly sat by the stool, her lips curling upward uncontrollably. “You don’t know—these past few days have been incredibly lively outside!”
Leshui also sat down gently, placing her hands obediently on her knees as she added softly, “The dicine King Gathering just ended… there are so many new happenings…”
The two of them chattered like skylarks released from a cage.
They spoke of how, after the illusion formation in Luoxia Valley was broken, the three families had “struck it rich,” digging up rare spiritual herbs hundreds of years old. They also ntioned how, with large quantities of dicinal materials brought back, the prices of common herbs on the market had loosened significantly—even the kitchen staff had been talking about it when sending them on errands…
Lin Xiaowan picked up the teapot and slowly poured three cups of tea—one for herself, two pushed toward the sisters.
She did not interrupt, rely listening quietly, eating her breakfast. Occasionally, when Leshan spoke excitedly, she would softly respond with an “Mm,” or when Leshui added sothing in a low voice, she would give an encouraging look.
As she listened, she keenly noticed that the breathing of the two guards outside the corridor had beco lighter and more focused than usual. Occasionally, there was even the faint friction of fabric against the door—clearly, the “folk rumors” inside were just as interesting to them.
Lin Xiaowan’s gaze shifted slightly. Setting down her teacup, she raised her voice a little. “The two of you outside—if you’re interested, you may as well co in and listen together. Standing all the ti must be tiring.”
There was a mont of silence outside, followed by a hesitant reply. “Miss, this… would be improper. We—”
Leshan, sharp-eared, imdiately called out, “Miss has already spoken! She’s letting you in—what, you dare not listen to her orders?”
Lin Xiaowan gave a slight nod, her voice clear. “It’s fine. Co in. I also have sothing to trouble you with later.”
The door was gently pushed open.
Two guards dressed in black fitted outfits, their faces covered by half-masks, entered with upright posture and steady auras.
Inside the fragrance-filled won’s chamber, they were visibly sowhat restrained, standing stiffly to the side.
“No need for formalities. Sit and talk.” Lin Xiaowan gestured to the empty stools nearby, her tone casual. “Since coming to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, I’ve never seen your true appearances. Today isn’t a critical guard shift—relax a little.”
The two guards exchanged glances.
The one on the right moved first. He chuckled lightly, his voice muffled through the mask. “Many thanks for Miss’s consideration.”
He raised his hand and deftly untied the straps behind his head, removing the face-covering soft armor.
A rather handso face was revealed.
He appeared to be about twenty-three or twenty-four, with healthy wheat-colored skin and a high-bridged nose.
Most eye-catching was his neat brown short hair, the temples trimd cleanly, a few strands casually falling over his forehead, adding a touch of unrestrained charm to his upright features.
He stretched his neck slightly, clearly uncomfortable from wearing the mask for long periods.
The guard on the left said in a low voice, “Long You, do not be lax.”
But the brown-haired guard called Long You had already seated himself casually, even adjusting his posture to stretch out comfortably.
He picked up a cup of tea offered by Leshan, took a sip, and raised a brow at his companion. “Long Zuo, this is Miss’s order. You being so tense—that’s what’s improper.”
Long Zuo fell silent for a mont, seemingly finding the reasoning sound. Finally, he raised his hand and slowly removed his own mask.
He revealed a similarly young and striking face, about the sa age as Long You, but with a completely different temperant.
His complexion was fairer, his features deeper-set, thin lips pressed into a straight line. His jet-black short hair was combed ticulously, almost without a single stray strand, emphasizing his strict and solemn deanor.
Even his movent in removing the mask was precise. He placed the soft armor neatly on his lap before sitting upright.
“Wow…” Leshan let out a soft exclamation, and even Leshui widened her eyes.
Lowering her voice, Leshan covered her mouth with a smile. “So the two guard brothers are this handso! You always wear masks—we never got to see your real faces. Thanks to Miss today, we’ve truly opened our eyes.”
Long You winked at her with a bright smile, while Long Zuo frowned slightly, clearly unaccustod to being scrutinized like this.
“When Honggu selected people, there were no fewer than a hundred martial artists,” Long You said. “In the end, only about a dozen were kept. Our martial skills aren’t the best—being chosen probably has sothing to do with these faces.”
“So Honggu specifically picks good-looking ones,” Leshan muttered softly.
“Appearance is also a kind of ability.” Long You smiled calmly. “Among the applicants, there were those stronger than us, but the ones standing here in the end are still us.”
Lin Xiaowan listened quietly, her gaze passing over their handso features.
She recalled stories she had read before, as well as her own observations these days—those born with better looks always seed to receive a bit more tolerance, a bit more convenience. Even when struggling in desperate situations, they were more likely to have soone extend a helping hand.
The world’s favoritism toward beauty had always been direct and undisguised.
The topic soon returned.
Long You leaned on one hand, relaxed, and picked up where Leshan left off. “The dicine King Gathering is over, but things outside haven’t settled down. Especially in the north of the city—these past few days, undercurrents have been surging, ten tis more chaotic than before. The three families tasted benefits in Luoxia Valley this ti; their attention will probably fully turn to that piece of fat in the north.”
Long Zuo nodded, adding steadily, “The three families have long coveted the north. Now that they have resources from Luoxia Valley, their confidence is even greater. Redrawing spheres of influence and absorbing scattered forces is inevitable. This chaos will likely last for quite so ti. The small gangs and lone cultivators entrenched in the north will either be absorbed… or eliminated.”
Hearing that the situation in the north would grow more chaotic, Lin Xiaowan’s fingers paused slightly on her teacup, a faint glint flashing deep within her eyes.
Chaos often ant more opportunities—and fewer rules.
Especially now that she had mastered the technique Unrecognized Upon eting. The life-and-death trials in Luoxia Valley had greatly boosted her confidence.
Perhaps… this was the perfect opportunity to act amidst the chaos, secretly harvesting the Primordial Yang of cultivators from the three families or those rootless rogue cultivators, accelerating her own cultivation?
“No wonder,” Leshan said in realization. “I was wondering why there were so many unfamiliar guests in the building these past two days, all kinds of temperants and appearances. Turns out many ca from the north?”
Leshui analyzed softly, “The Qin Family controls our Drunken Immortal Pavilion. A place like this—of pleasure and wealth—is naturally a perfect hub for information exchange and relationship-building. It’s very beneficial for drawing in people from the north.”
Long You took another sip of tea, then suddenly recalled sothing, his expression turning slightly serious. “There’s another matter. That Lin Chan’er of the Lin Family officially announced yesterday that she has advanced to the fifth layer of Qi Refinent.”
Long Zuo added, his tone still calm but carrying weight, “Not just her. Lin Li of the Lin Family, Li Sui of the Li Family, and our Qin Family’s Young Master Qin Qian are also said to be preparing to break through the fourth layer of Qi Refinent and beco Martial Grandmasters.”
“Martial Grandmaster…” Long You set down his teacup and sighed, a trace of yearning flashing across his face. “Even if ordinary martial artists train through the harshest winters and sumrs, enduring over a decade of hardship, before a true Martial Grandmaster—even using so wicked thods—they probably couldn’t withstand a single finger. The path of mortal martial arts and true cultivation… is ultimately worlds apart.”
He shook his head, dispersing the emotion.
They continued chatting about various street rumors and amusing anecdotes, the atmosphere in the room unusually relaxed.
Seeing that the ti was about right, Lin Xiaowan took out a jade seal from her sleeve, placing it gently on the table and pushing it toward Long Zuo and Long You.
“There’s sothing I need to trouble you with.” Her gaze swept over the intricate carvings on the seal. “This is the deed token to a small village outside the city, gifted to by Young Master Li. I know nothing about the village. I’d like you two to go and take a look—check its size, population, farmland, inco and expenses, and report back to in detail.”
Long Zuo picked up the seal and examined the inscription carefully. After a brief thought, he replied, “The location of this estate requires about a full day’s travel for a round trip. We will set out as soon as possible and bring back the information promptly.”
Lin Xiaowan waved her hand lightly, her tone gentle. “No need to rush. Though it’s a task, there’s no need to travel overnight. Just investigate properly and return safely. The village isn’t going anywhere.”
Long Zuo paused slightly, exchanging a glance with Long You before both responded in unison, “Understood.”
Leshan and Leshui began tidying up the tea set and table, while Long Zuo and Long You put their masks back on, returning to their usual silent guard deanor. After bowing, they quietly withdrew.
Before they left, Lin Xiaowan instructed Leshan and Leshui to find Honggu—she had sothing she wished to discuss with her.
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