Chapter 48
[Holy crap!]
A girl’s startled voice rang out, sharp and unmistakable.
Elder Shi Hua, who had been watching the little monkey lap up honey milk while preparing to coax more information from it, suddenly lifted her head. She recognized the voice—it belonged to that girl.
But when her gaze landed on Lou Yuqing, the latter’s lips were tightly sealed, her expression perfectly composed.
A flicker of confusion crossed Shi Hua’s eyes.
…Did she imagine it?
Those with sharper instincts, however, had already gone still, ears pricked.
Wei Houming, observing from the side, noticed the subtle shift in Shi Hua’s expression. For some reason, a faint sense of satisfaction rose in his chest.
See?
Even someone as steady as her couldn’t remain unmoved in the face of something this… unprecedented.
At that moment, Lou Yuqing was skimming through Ruan Qingzhu’s “post.” When she reached the final lines, her thoughts froze—then detonated.
[The one who injured Ruan Qingzhu is a spirit beast trader. He wants to buy the little monkey from her.]
A spirit beast trader?!
Shock rippled outward.
Everyone’s eyes widened.
They had all assumed it was some personal grudge—an enemy seeking revenge, leaving Ruan Qingzhu injured. But this… this was a business deal gone wrong?
The absurdity of it left them momentarily speechless.
Shi Hua steadied herself, but the impact of that revelation struck deep.
Questions surged up uncontrollably.
How did she know?
Who was that trader?
Why target the little monkey?
A storm of inquiries pressed against her throat—but before a single word could escape—a crushing force descended.
It came without warning, silent and absolute, pressing down on her body as if it would grind her into dust. Cold sweat beaded instantly across her skin.
The pressure… was even greater than what she had once felt from Uncle-Master Zixiao.
Shi Hua’s thoughts snapped shut.
The moment she withdrew them—the invisible weight vanished, as though it had never existed.
She drew in a slow breath, then looked at Lou Yuqing again.
Her gaze grew complicated.
At first, she had only taken a liking to this girl at the Spirit Beast Garden. A pleasant impression—nothing more.
Who would have thought… this girl carried something like this?
Shi Hua swept her gaze across the room.
Every pair of eyes—openly or not—was fixed on Lou Yuqing.
Clearly… they had all heard.
Realizing this, Shi Hua forced herself to calm down.
Then, she waited.
[Ruan Qingzhu refused the man’s request.]
A collective breath loosened in the room.
Si Nidie and the others felt relief wash through them.
They hadn’t misjudged her.
After everything she’d shared with the little monkey… how could she bear to sell it?
And more than that—the monkey was a descendant of the sect’s guardian spirit beast. Trading it away would be nothing short of trampling the sect’s dignity.
Thankfully… she hadn’t agreed.
If she could refuse even without knowing its true identity, then now—there was even less chance she would waver.
But Lou Yuqing’s tone shifted.
[However… the situation is not optimistic.]
[Soon after Ruan Qingzhu refused, the man brought her mortal parents over—under the pretense of care. In truth, he had abducted them, using them to force her into submission.]
Si Nidie’s heart dropped.
That was filthy.
Cultivators all began as mortals. No one simply appeared out of thin air—they all had parents, roots, ties.
If those parents were cultivators, they might protect themselves.
But Ruan Qingzhu’s parents… clearly were not.
There was an unspoken rule in the cultivation world—mortals should not be involved.
But rules meant nothing to the unscrupulous. To people like that, anything that brought profit was fair game.
Ruan Qingzhu had run straight into one of them.
Si Nidie’s chest tightened.
If it were her… if her parents were dragged into this, their lives hanging by a thread—could she still hold her ground?
There was no answer.
She could only feel a quiet, bitter relief that her own parents were cultivators—capable, protected, not so easily cornered.
[Ruan Qingzhu… wavered.]
[Her reason for cultivating was simple. First, to give her parents a better life. Second, to step into the world of immortals.]
[When she entered Wendao Sect, the sect provided her parents with enough silver to secure their future. With her worries gone, she devoted herself fully to the Dao.]
[But she never imagined… that when she saw them again, it would be like this.]
As Lou Yuqing’s thoughts unfolded—a scene played out in tandem.
Ruan Qingzhu stood facing a cultivator cloaked in black.
Behind him, two elderly figures trembled violently, tears streaming down their faces.
Her fists clenched tight. Veins stood out along the backs of her hands, stark and unforgiving.
The fury was unmistakable.
And yet—after a long moment—her hands loosened.
Powerless.
Everyone understood why.
She was too weak.
She couldn’t win.
Even knowing that… watching it happen still ignited something fierce in their chests. Anger burned in varying degrees across their faces.
A disciple of Wendao Sect—threatened like this, on their own territory?
Shi Hua’s brows drew together. Her thoughts moved quickly.
This cloaked cultivator… how did he know?
How did he learn the little monkey was a Spirit Ape?
If it were just an ordinary spirit beast, no one would go to such lengths—descending into the mortal world, kidnapping parents, forcing a deal.
He knew.
Which meant—someone inside the sect had told him.
A traitor.
Shi Hua’s gaze turned cold.
Ling Yunxiao reached the same conclusion almost instantly.
A few scattered clues, paired with Ruan Qingzhu’s behavior—it was enough.
[Strange… why didn’t Ruan Qingzhu report this to the sect?]
[If she had spoken up earlier and received protection, that person wouldn’t have been able to do anything.]
Lou Yuqing suddenly froze.
Then—her thoughts exploded.
[Wait—there’s a traitor in the sect! He leaked her information. The cloaked man used it to threaten her, scaring her so badly she no longer trusts the sect… she’s afraid she’ll be silenced.]
A chill ran through the room.
Anyone would be terrified in that situation.
Even in a safer world, people panicked when their private information was exposed—let alone here, where lives could be taken without consequence.
Ling Yunxiao: As expected.
The others exchanged tense glances.
Damn it—who was the traitor?
Lou Yuqing didn’t leave them waiting.
[The traitor is a manager surnamed Chen from the Spirit Beast Garden. He once saw the little monkey use its abilities and grew suspicious. After investigating, he confirmed it was a Spirit Ape.]
[Spirit Apes are rare and powerful, rarely tamed by humans. A weak cub appearing here meant… enormous profit.]
[He hesitated briefly—thinking of the sect’s guardian beasts—but greed won.]
[He contacted a black market spirit beast trader and agreed to an eighty-twenty split after the deal.]
[Get lost! Why don’t you go sell your own two hundred pounds of fat instead?! Trying to skin a tiger for profit—have you lost your mind?! Aren’t you afraid you’ll be the one sold off?!]
Lou Yuqing cursed viciously.
Then—she paused.
[…Wait. This Manager Chen… he found a black market dealer that easily?]
Her eyes narrowed.
[Could it be…?]
The group exchanged looks.
A bad premonition rose.
[Of course it is!]
[This wasn’t Chen’s first time.]
[Not long after he arrived at the Spirit Beast Garden, he had already set his sights on the sect’s spirit beasts.]
[Once, two cranes fought until they were nearly dead. After treatment, they survived…]
[But the next day, one deteriorated and died. No one suspected anything.]
[In truth, Chen had secretly suppressed its life force. After it recovered, he sold it on the black market—making a fortune.]
Shi Hua’s expression darkened completely.
Rage surged.
“Outrageous! A scum like this dared to appear in my Spirit Beast Garden—selling the sect’s spirit beasts?! If I don’t skin him alive, I’ll change my name!”
The room fell into oppressive silence.
Even breathing felt heavier.
Wei Houming, standing at the center of that pressure: “…”
[That incident passed unnoticed. Emboldened, Chen began engineering fights between spirit beasts—starting small, then moving to rarer ones.]
[Years of dealings built his connections. Now, after this final deal, he plans to retire—set for life.]
Retire?
Not a chance.
Shi Hua rose abruptly. “Houming. With me.”
Her voice was cold as steel. “I’ve found a corrupt worm in my Spirit Beast Garden. We’re going to arrest him.”
Wei Houming bowed. “Yes, Elder.”
[Wait… that description sounds exactly like Manager Chen. Did his crimes get exposed early?]
Lou Yuqing looked up, baffled.
Shi Hua pressed her lips together.
In her anger, she had spoken too quickly.
Just as she was considering how to explain—Lou Yuqing’s thoughts drifted again.
[Forget it. Not a big deal. Reality never matches gossip perfectly—I’m used to it.]
[This works out anyway. No need to rescue Ruan Qingzhu’s parents myself. Follow Chen, take down the traders, and solve everything at the root.]
Shi Hua: …That makes sense.
Without another word, she led the group toward the Spirit Beast Garden.
Killing intent hung in the air like a storm about to break.
—
Meanwhile—
Manager Chen lounged in a reclined chair, basking in the sun, a light breeze brushing past him.
His hands rested comfortably atop his protruding belly.
Pure satisfaction.
Then—his eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.
A bad omen.
He jolted upright—so abruptly he nearly toppled over.
Years of indulgence had made him sluggish, heavy.
After a moment, he scoffed.
What could possibly go wrong?
Once the Spirit Ape was sold, he’d leave Wendao Sect behind and live freely.
His eyes gleamed with greed.
At first, discovering the monkey had startled him—he thought a guardian beast had produced offspring.
But after careful observation, he confirmed it had no backing.
No ancestors.
No protection.
A windfall.
Free spirit stones.
Ruan Qingzhu had kept such a treasure for years… and never realized its worth. In the end—it fell right into his hands.
Everything after that came naturally.
He found a black market trader.
Eighty-twenty split.
What could the trader do?
This opportunity existed because of him.
If it were anyone else—he wouldn’t have given up a single coin.
To be safe, they had arranged a meeting with Ruan Qingzhu—to discuss the sale of the spirit ape face-to-face.
But that woman… stubborn to the bone. She insisted on bringing up her parents before she would even consider yielding.
Thinking of all the effort he had invested, Steward Chen let out a cold, humorless smile.
Once the spirit ape was in his hands—Ruan Qingzhu and her parents could die.
After all, only the dead kept secrets.
Just as he was basking in that bright, carefully constructed future—
Boom!
The courtyard gate exploded inward.
Wood shattered. Splinters flew like shrapnel, some embedding straight into his flesh.
Pain flared.
Steward Chen glanced down at the blood seeping through his clothes—and fury erupted. “Who did that? Get in here!”
“Who do you think you’re ordering around?”
A voice cut through the dust.
Familiar.
Cold.
His pupils shrank violently.
At the doorway stood a woman in green.
Steward Chen’s face drained of color in an instant. “E-Elder Shi… Elder Shi Hua! I—I didn’t mean to shout at you, I thought it was—”
“Shut up.”
Her voice was flat. Final.
He clamped his mouth shut immediately, barely daring to breathe.
Then came the sentence that shattered everything: “Someone reported you for reselling the sect’s spirit beasts. The Enforcement Hall has already confirmed it. And recently—you even set your sights on the offspring of the guardian spirit beasts.”
Her gaze turned icy. “You’ve got quite the courage.”
Steward Chen’s legs nearly gave out. His face went ashen, like mourning white.
Exposed.
At the very last moment—he’d been exposed.
“Take him.”
At her command, Enforcement Hall disciples surged forward, seizing him before he could even react. His body stiffened, all strength draining away.
Shi Hua stood there, her aura pressing down like a mountain.
“Confess,” she said calmly. “Name your accomplices.”
“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!” Steward Chen blurted out immediately, voice trembling.
Resistance was meaningless.
He understood that much.
Finding out who betrayed him no longer mattered—what mattered was surviving what came next.
Shi Hua had already traced the trail to the spirit beast dealers.
But her expression didn’t ease in the slightest. If anything, it grew colder.
“Houming,” she said sharply, “inform your sect master. Conduct a full investigation of every manager in the spirit beast garden.”
Her voice dropped, laced with unmistakable killing intent. “If anything like this happens again—embezzlement, collusion, damage to the sect’s reputation—kill them. Without exception.”
Wei Houming straightened immediately. “Yes!”
Even Lou Yuqing felt a chill crawl up her spine.
…And a flicker of admiration.
Decisive. Clean. No hesitation.
Elder Shi Hua didn’t leave room for rot to fester.
—
Ping’an City.
A small town, far from the sect.
After leaving Wendao Sect, Ruan Qingzhu had come here alone. She found a secluded house tucked away from the main streets and knocked lightly on the door.
It creaked open.
The courtyard was empty.
Inside the main hall, a man in a black cloak sat leisurely, sipping tea.
He glanced up at her—and sneered. “At least you’re smart enough not to bring anyone else.”
Ruan Qingzhu closed the door behind her. Her injuries throbbed faintly beneath her robes.
She had no intention of surrendering.
But with her parents in his hands, her heart felt like it was being twisted apart.
She had thought—once she stepped onto the path of cultivation, she had severed her ties to the mortal world.
And yet—they were still dragged in.
That day, she had forced herself to stay calm, convincing herself she could stall for time… return to the sect… report everything.
She couldn’t defeat this man.
But the sect had people who could.
That fragile hope—shattered in the next breath.
“At ten,” the black-cloaked cultivator said coolly, “you were found to possess wood, fire, and earth spiritual roots. You entered Wendao Sect.”
“At thirteen, you were assigned to Qishan to farm. At fifteen, your performance stood out—you joined Qishan’s management. At seventeen… you met that monkey.”
Each word landed with precision.
Not a single mistake.
A chill crawled up Ruan Qingzhu’s spine.
He knew everything.
Every step of her life within the sect—laid bare.
What did that mean?
It meant he had investigated her thoroughly.
And someone capable of that… someone with access to such information… was inside the sect.
If she tried to report this—she might not even live long enough to speak.
Ruan Qingzhu didn’t dare gamble on hope. Not with lives at stake.
Heavy-hearted, she had returned to Qishan.
Day after day, she searched for a way out—some path that could save everyone.
But none came.
She only grew thinner.
More exhausted.
Seeing her like that, the little monkey gradually stopped running wild.
It stayed close to her instead.
Quietly.
Faithfully.
It was so bright, so lively—how could she possibly deceive it? Trick it into leaving the sect… and sell it into the hands of an unknown cultivator?
Back then, it had already awakened its abilities.
Too exceptional.
Too eye-catching.
She had guessed that was how the black-cloaked cultivator noticed it.
He had even used an intermediary to lure her to a teahouse while she was out on a task—offering a sky-high price.
If she were someone driven by profit—she might have agreed.
But she wasn’t.
Knowing full well his intentions… how could she push the little monkey into a pit of fire with her own hands?
“How is it?” the black-cloaked cultivator asked coldly.
Ruan Qingzhu lowered her gaze. “Almost.”
Bang!
The teacup slammed onto the table.
Cracks spidered across the surface.
“My patience is running thin,” he said, voice dripping with disdain. “Don’t think you can play tricks on me.”
His gaze sharpened. “Your parents are still in my hands. If you keep stalling—”
He gave a cold, humorless laugh. “We’ll see whether they live or die.”
He was a man without hesitation.
Without attachment.
People like him didn’t care about family—so naturally, he thought Ruan Qingzhu foolish for caring about hers.
Why cling to mortals when walking the path of immortality?
And yet—that didn’t stop him from using them as shackles.
Ruan Qingzhu swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat.
“I understand.”
Regret gnawed at her.
If only—
If only she had reported the little monkey when it first revealed its abilities.
If the sect had known… they could have protected it.
Protected everything.
But back then—for reasons she couldn’t even fully explain—she had chosen to hide it.