Chapter 51
Seeing they were about to leave with the black-cloaked cultivator, Yuan Chenxing stepped forward in a hurry, unable to hold back.
“Senior—my natal spirit beast was stolen. The compass shows it’s somewhere in this courtyard.”
At first, he had assumed it was on the man himself. But the moment he entered, the compass stopped reacting. When he tried to probe with his divine sense, the formation repelled it outright, sealing everything inside.
With his strength limited, there was nothing he could do but ask for help.
Ruan Qingzhu glanced at him, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes. The anger she’d been holding onto eased, just a little.
So that was why he had barged in earlier—he’d been chasing his own spirit beast.
They were both victims.
The one who deserved punishment… was someone else entirely.
Her gaze shifted, landing on the black-cloaked cultivator with open disgust. She could already guess what he was—a black-hearted dealer, trafficking stolen spirit beasts, flipping them for profit, or worse, pocketing spirit stones without paying a single cost.
The little monkey hadn’t been his first target. But it would be his last.
There was no way he was escaping this.
Shi Hua’s eyes slid over, settling on the man’s face. Her voice was calm, but it cut like ice.
“Did you hear that? If you keep playing dead, I’ll make sure you actually die.”
The black-cloaked cultivator trembled. His eyes snapped open at once. He scrambled upright, bowed deeply, and spoke in a subdued, obedient tone.
“I wouldn’t dare disobey Senior. I’ll return his spirit beast immediately.”
Lou Yuqing folded her arms, watching as he began forming hand seals, his fingers stiff with fear. The movements were slow, strained—nothing like the confident manipulator he had been earlier.
He pointed to the ground.
At once, pale light surged upward.
A dozen white rays burst forth, spreading across the courtyard until it was nearly swallowed whole.
Within that light, shadows flickered—countless shapes shifting, overlapping—the outlines of different spirit beasts.
Yuan Chenxing’s eyes locked onto one of them.
His breath hitched.
The instant the light faded, he rushed forward, closing the distance in a blink and pulling the figure into his arms.
“Zhizhi!”
His voice broke.
“You’ve gotten thinner… it’s my fault. I was too late. I let you fall into the hands of people like this…”
He held it tighter, as if afraid it might vanish again.
“I swear—I’ll protect you from now on. I won’t let you get hurt again.”
Lou Yuqing stared.
In his arms, a black vine swayed gently—dark, twisted, shaped almost like a claw.
She blinked.
…Was that really a spirit beast?
Before she could sort it out, Shi Hua’s voice rang out, faintly surprised—almost pleased.
“Silver Moon Azure Wolf?”
A wolf?
Lou Yuqing looked again. From top to bottom.
Still a vine.
Ruan Qingzhu looked just as lost. She rarely concerned herself with anything beyond cultivation. Even with her own little monkey, her knowledge of spirit beasts was… limited, to say the least.
Shi Hua smiled faintly.
“The Silver Moon Wolf excels in illusion techniques. It’s only natural you can’t see through it.” She paused, then added lightly, “That illusion doesn’t work on me. What you’re seeing now—this ink vine—is simply its transformed state.”
With a flick of her finger, a thread of azure spiritual energy shot out, striking the vine.
In the next instant—the illusion shattered.
The black vine dissolved like mist, revealing a small wolf in its place, its fur a soft sky-blue. A silver crescent marked its forehead, gleaming faintly. Its eyes were sharp, intelligent—carrying a hint of cunning—and its stance was steady, poised.
Even standing still, it radiated something extraordinary.
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
Ruan Qingzhu’s last traces of anger faded completely. Someone who raised a spirit beast like this… couldn’t be all that bad. Besides, Yuan Chenxing hadn’t meant any harm—and he had apologized.
Unaware that his spirit beast had just salvaged his image entirely, Yuan Chenxing approached Shi Hua with the little wolf in his arms and bowed deeply.
“Thank you for your help, Senior.”
His voice was steady now, the earlier choking emotion gone.
Shi Hua studied him for a moment, then said thoughtfully, “I didn’t expect you to have contracted a spirit beast from this lineage.
Fortunately, it relied on illusion. Otherwise, with its value, it would’ve been sold off long ago.
Finding it again would’ve been like searching for a needle in the sea. ”
Yuan Chenxing let out a quiet breath of relief.
Zhizhi had always liked taking on that vine form. With such a high-level illusion technique, unless the dealer’s spiritual sense far surpassed his own, there was no way he would’ve seen through it.
Off to the side, the black-cloaked cultivator’s face had turned an ugly shade of green.
So there had been a treasure hidden among his stock this entire time.
The Silver Moon Azure Wolf might not fetch as much as the Spirit Ape—but it was still worth a fortune.
A fortune he had completely missed.
The thought alone made his chest tighten.
If he’d discovered it earlier—sold it, taken the spirit stones, and vanished—he would never have set his sights on the Wendao Sect’s Spirit Ape.
And he certainly wouldn’t be lying here now.
The more he thought about it, the worse it got.
He hated Ruan Qingzhu.
He hated Yuan Chenxing.
But most of all—he hated Steward Chen.
That useless idiot had been told to keep watch—and instead had dragged the Enforcement Hall straight to his door.
“Pfft—!”
He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, his body going limp.
A few people glanced over, startled at first—but seeing he wasn’t about to die, they quickly lost interest.
For someone like him, even coughing up blood wasn’t worth sympathy.
Around them, the courtyard filled with noise.
“Awoo—!”
“Woo—!”
“Buzz—!”
All manner of cries overlapped, chaotic and restless.
Lou Yuqing rubbed her ear, lips twitching. “Elder Shi Hua… what about all these spirit beasts?”
Shi Hua considered for a moment before replying, “Judging by the timing, Houming’s enforcement team should be arriving soon. We’ll have them interrogate each beast, determine its origin, then hand them over to the City Lord of Ping’an City. He can return them to their rightful owners.”
As for whether the city lord would cooperate—
A faint smile touched her lips.
He’d cooperate.
Or he’d learn why he should.
If this were only the Wendao Sect’s matter, they could handle it themselves. But with so many spirit beasts involved, so many owners—it wasn’t something the sect should shoulder alone.
Lou Yuqing nodded.
Before long, streaks of light cut across the sky. Figures descended one after another—enforcement disciples in uniform landing neatly within the courtyard.
Wei Houming stepped forward, surprise flickering across his face.
“Elder, Xiao Lou—what brings you here?”
He’d spotted the Nine Heavens Azure Phoenix from afar and guessed Shi Hua was present. Seeing Lou Yuqing alongside her, though—that was unexpected.
Shi Hua gave a slight nod.
Lou Yuqing, on the other hand, lit up.
“Captain Wei! You’re finally here!”
She quickly recounted everything, from Ruan Qingzhu’s disappearance to their arrival here, finishing with a pointed gesture at the black-cloaked cultivator.
“Captain Wei, please get him to talk. Elder Shi Hua said once we have the results, we’ll hand the case over to the city lord—this area falls under Ping’an City’s jurisdiction.”
Wei Houming smiled. “No problem.”
He turned sharply, his expression shifting in an instant.
“You all—secure the spirit beasts. Then sweep the surroundings. If anyone’s lurking, drive them out.”
“Yes!”
The disciples moved at once, efficient and orderly.
Wei Houming gave a small, satisfied nod before dragging the black-cloaked cultivator into the hall. The door shut behind them.
Interrogation began.
Lou Yuqing tilted her head, ears twitching slightly.
Nothing.
Not a sound leaked out.
She sighed.
Of course—Captain Wei had set up a soundproofing barrier.
Honestly, she would’ve liked to see it for herself… but every time she asked, he refused, citing her status as an “observer” rather than an enforcement disciple.
What she didn’t know was that this was only half the truth.
The real reason?
Wei Houming had no intention of letting her witness that kind of scene—violent, bloody, the sort that lingered in nightmares.
“Xiaozhu…”
A soft call broke the moment.
“Father… Mother…”
Ruan Qingzhu’s composure finally cracked. Tears streamed down her face as she rushed forward and pulled them into a tight embrace, sobbing openly.
After a long while, she lifted her head, eyes red and swollen.
“I’m taking you home,” she said hoarsely. “It’s my fault… I wasn’t filial. I brought this disaster upon you.”
Her parents shook their heads immediately.
“What are you saying? We’ve struggled all our lives,” her father said gently. “If not for you, we’d still be working the fields. You just need to take care of yourself now. This world… we can’t help you with it.”
There was no blame in their voices.
Only worry.
Ruan Qingzhu’s tears fell even harder.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” she said, forcing a smile through the tears. “The sect treats me well. If anything happens, they’ll protect me.”
Her gaze softened as she looked at them. “You’re the ones who’ve aged so much… I’ll find a physician to examine you first. Then I’ll send you home.”
The cultivation world… was no place for mortals to stay.
Better for them to return to the ordinary world—safe, distant from all of this.
In the fading light, the three figures gradually walked away together, their silhouettes growing smaller.
Yuan Chenxing watched them go, then turned as well.
He had no intention of lingering.
The Wendao Sect was waiting—and if he moved quickly, he might even arrive before nightfall.
Shi Hua gave a slight nod. “Go.”
Lou Yuqing watched as Yuan Chenxing leapt lightly onto the Silver Moon Wolf’s back. A flash of azure light cut through the air, and in the next instant, both man and beast were gone—swift as the wind, leaving not even a trace behind.
Her gaze lingered on the empty space they had occupied.
Then the system panel flickered.
[This Silver Moon Wolf looks clever, but it can be foolish too. Who would’ve thought it got caught by spirit beast dealers because of its gluttony?]
[It sneaked into a spirit beast shop in the middle of the night, ate and drank its fill, then curled up in a corner and fell asleep. When the dealers came to steal beasts, they casually used it as a rope and carried it off without even noticing.]
[When it woke up, it was completely bewildered.]
[Hahahaha!!!]
Lou Yuqing nearly lost it.
She kept a perfectly straight face on the outside—but inside, she was already laughing herself breathless.
Shi Hua: “...”
Wei Houming: “...”
The enforcement disciples: “...”
A strange silence spread through the courtyard.
Then someone couldn’t hold it in anymore—a stifled laugh slipped out.
Wei Houming remained composed, but the faintest hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. He glanced at the black-cloaked cultivator, a realization dawning.
No wonder the man had held out for so long under interrogation, insisting he knew nothing.
Wei Houming had even begun to doubt his own methods—wondering if age had dulled his edge, if it was time to step aside.
Turns out… the man genuinely hadn’t known.
If the spirit beast dealer ever learned the full story, he’d probably regret it so deeply he’d cough up blood again.
The black-cloaked cultivator, hearing the laughter, could only think:
…How rude.
Meanwhile, a line of text slowly scrolled across the gossip system:
By the time dusk approached, Wei Houming had finished the interrogation.
The spirit beast dealer’s confession—and the rescued beasts—were handed over to the City Lord’s office of Ping’an City. As for the man himself, he was escorted back to the Wendao Sect and thrown into its prison.
To Lou Yuqing, that felt like a perfect ending.
The only regret? Missing the finals of the selection competition.
If she wanted to see another match like that… she’d have to wait three months, until the Seven Sects Joint Competition.
Shi Hua, however, had no such sense of closure.
The moment she returned to the sect, she went straight to contact the little monkey’s mother—Lingzhu Zhenren.
She had questions.
A lot of them.
Most importantly—
Why had she abandoned her child in the sect?
Without Yuqing, they would have remained completely in the dark. If Ruan Qingzhu and the spirit beast dealer had died in the Thunderfire Pearl’s explosion, Steward Chen—still undiscovered—would have seized the opportunity to deal with the little monkey.
The outcome would have been… unpredictable.
Shi Hua’s expression turned cold as she pulled out a communication stone from her storage.
It could transmit messages across vast distances—but only three times before becoming useless.
She sent her message:
—Lingzhu, where are you? Have you forgotten you have a child?
Then she waited.
One day.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
—
Shi Hua pushed open the door to the back room of the medical hall and strode inside, dropping unceremoniously in front of the chessboard.
“Senior Brother,” she called, voice sharp, “play a game with me.”
Next door, the Medical Sage—who had been refining pills—paused, then smiled helplessly. Setting everything aside, he walked over and took a seat opposite her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently. “Who managed to anger you this much? Let your senior brother give you some advice—calm down, or you’ll get wrinkles.”
Shi Hua instinctively touched her face.
Then she shot him a glare. “Don’t curse me. If I ever get wrinkles, it’ll definitely be because of you.”
“Alright, alright, my mistake.” He laughed, raising his hands in surrender. “Junior Sister will always be young and beautiful. Now—what happened?”
Shi Hua exhaled, the irritation still lingering. “It’s about Lingzhu.”
“Lingzhu?” The Medical Sage looked surprised. “She’s back?”
Shi Hua gave him a flat look. “She didn’t come back. Her child did.”
The Medical Sage blinked. “…What?”
She explained everything, from beginning to end.
Understanding dawned on his face, followed by a thoughtful frown. “The Spirit Ape clan rarely produces offspring. If Lingzhu has a child, she wouldn’t abandon it without reason… unless something happened to her.”
Shi Hua nodded. “I thought the same. I checked the lighthouse—her soul lamp is still lit.”
So Lingzhu was alive.
The Medical Sage frowned deeper. “Strange. Until she replies, make sure the child stays safe.”
“I know.” Shi Hua waved it off. “The little monkey is close to Ruan Qingzhu. I’ll leave it with her. If anything happens, it’ll come straight to me.”
The Medical Sage gave a small, reassuring smile. “You’ve done everything you can. No need to worry yourself sick. Perhaps she’s trapped in some secret realm and can’t receive messages.”
“…I hope so.”
Shi Hua placed a piece on the board.
A few moves later, she lost.
She stared at the board for a moment—then sighed, sweeping the pieces into disorder.
“This is the third time you’ve sighed since coming in,” the Medical Sage said, shaking his head. “If you’re not in the mood, there’s no point playing. Even winning like this is dull.”
Their games were usually evenly matched—sharp, engaging. This one-sided defeat? Tedious.
Shi Hua idly toyed with a black stone, saying nothing.
“I’ve been working on beauty-enhancing pills lately,” he added casually. “Why don’t you take a look later? Once they’re done, I’ll give you a bottle.”
Shi Hua looked up sharply. “…Really?”
“Of course.”
Just then, a teasing voice drifted in from outside.
“Beauty-enhancing pills? Third Brother, that’s not fair.”
Sect Leader Qingxuzi strode in, smiling broadly. Behind him, Zeng Xuangan followed, nodding with amusement.
“You won’t give something that good to me or Junior Brother Zeng,” Qingxuzi continued, “but you offer it to Junior Sister Shi—the one who needs it least?”
The Medical Sage rubbed his nose. “If you want some, just take it. Whether it works… I can’t guarantee.”
After all, the two of them had aged from shortened lifespans.
Shi Hua let out a light snort, brushing the topic aside. “Senior Brother Sect Leader seems in a good mood. Has my niece Song Li recovered?”
As expected, Qingxuzi immediately shifted focus.
“She has,” he said with a smile. “Thanks to Third Brother and Junior Sister Hongyan. I’ve brought a gift in thanks.”
He extended a brocade box.
“Oh?” The Medical Sage opened it—and his eyes widened. “Yi Jing Pill?”
The pill rested quietly within, exuding a rich medicinal fragrance.
One of its key herbs was nearly extinct. Finished pills were rarely seen—usually only found by chance in secret realms.
He had searched for years.
Qingxuzi chuckled. “I heard it appeared at an auction house. Fortunately, I managed to secure it.”
“…Then I won’t refuse.” The Medical Sage closed the box carefully and stored it away. “Thank you, Sect Leader.”
Zeng Xuangan added with a grin, “He’s been searching for it long before you left the sect. Finally found it a year ago.”
The Medical Sage looked at Qingxuzi in surprise.
Qingxuzi waved it off. “It’s nothing.”
Zeng Xuangan: Good deeds should be known.
Warmth settled quietly in the Medical Sage’s chest.
They chatted for a while longer.
Just as Qingxuzi and Zeng Xuangan were about to leave, Shi Hua suddenly spoke.
“By the way—the Three Yin Demons and the Heavenly Puppet Master. Have you gotten anything from them?”
Qingxuzi’s expression darkened slightly.
“They confessed to trivial matters,” he said. “Then someone triggered a remote spell. The restriction in their bodies activated… and they self-destructed. Every lead was cut off.”
After a pause, he continued, voice heavier. “After Li’er woke up, she saw their portraits. Said they weren’t the ones who hunted her and her mother. Which means—someone else was behind it. Someone hiding in the shadows.”
They had thought they’d caught the real culprit.
Instead… the mastermind had abandoned two Nascent Soul cultivators without hesitation.
Cold. Ruthless.
“That’s how demonic sects operate,” the Medical Sage said quietly. “No sentiment. Only profit. A force capable of controlling two Nascent Soul cultivators… must be one of the major western sects.”
Qingxuzi nodded. “We’ll start with what we have. Trace their affiliations. Follow the clues west.”
He exhaled slowly. “I’ve heard of the Three Yin Demons. He slaughtered an entire city to refine demonic fire. Tens of thousands dead.”
A shadow passed through the room.
“What a sin,” the Medical Sage murmured.
Qingxuzi’s voice hardened. “That city sat at the junction of three sects. Chaos everywhere. They delayed too long—gave him time to escape.”
Zeng Xuangan stepped in gently. “At least he died here. The Wendao Sect has given the dead some justice.”
Qingxuzi said nothing.
After a moment, Shi Hua asked, “And the Heavenly Puppet Master?”
“No clear background,” Qingxuzi replied. “Likely from a remote region. Skilled in puppetry. Junior Brother Meng is investigating.”
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Shi Hua opened her mouth to lighten it—then suddenly paused.
The communication stone in her hand flickered.
She looked down.
A message appeared:
“Hahaha, how could I forget that little rascal? I’ve just been busy lately—please take care of him a while longer.”
“A while longer?”
Shi Hua: “…”
That phrasing felt… off.
She looked up slowly.
“Does Lingzhu think,” she said flatly, “that we already knew about the little monkey all these years?”
Everyone: “…” Impossible.