Chapter 49: The Wind And Moon Cross The Rivers And Seas (Part 11)
In that instant, Yang Haozhi had countless thoughts running through his mind. For instance, he couldn’t understand why Bai Chunsheng was so bored—if he was going to fleece someone, did it have to be him every time?
But rather than overthinking, Yang Haozhi acted more directly.
He was just about to repeat history—fall to his knees with a resounding *thud*—when a force held his knees in place, keeping him standing.
Bai Chunsheng’s voice, tinged with amusement, reached his ears: “You have half a month to join the Ten Thousand Demon Sect. Oh, and don’t mention my name.”
Yang Haozhi was still puzzled by Bai Chunsheng’s words when Yan Yi, holding Bai Chunsheng, brushed past him. The entire exchange had taken less than half the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
Standing there, Yang Haozhi scratched his head. The lingering fear hadn’t entirely faded, and now confusion filled his already not-so-big brain.
Though Yan Yi hadn’t asked, Bai Chunsheng still took the time to explain: “I took a tuft of his wool when he wasn’t paying attention. With a secret technique, I’ll be able to track him and contact him when needed. Right now, the entire Middle Realm is in chaos, and the Ten Thousand Demon Sect will surely scrutinize any unfamiliar cultivators trying to join. Whether that sheep demon can even get in is still uncertain. Once he’s truly inside, we can question him further.”
“Besides,” Bai Chunsheng added smugly, “once he enters the Ten Thousand Demon Sect, it won’t take long for him to realize that you and I are being hunted. If he decides to trade information about us to that woman, Shen Yuying, in exchange for news, we’d be in trouble. This way, with only us being able to contact him, it’s the perfect solution.”
Yan Yi saw that Bai Chunsheng was in a good mood and nodded, following his lead. “So, what should we do next? Are we heading to the Southern Region?”
Bai Chunsheng: “No rush.”
His bright, beady black eyes darted around with liveliness. “Let’s first find out what’s been going on in the Middle Realm these past few days. Daoist Changping’s death was far too strange.”
Tianqing Sect had once been a major powerhouse in the cultivation world, yet it had crumbled just like that. It was truly a pity.
The teleportation array they had used was located in a remote corner of the Middle Realm, and Bai Chunsheng hadn’t even bothered to remember its name. As they stepped out of the hall, they found themselves facing a bustling street. Perhaps due to its proximity to the teleportation array, the street was crowded with people coming and going. Shops lined both sides of the road, selling magical artifacts, talismans, and other items useful for cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage.
Yan Yi led Bai Chunsheng north of the city, where they found a tavern. After ordering some food, they instinctively pricked up their ears, eavesdropping on the conversations around them.
Behind them sat a group of four—two women and two men—wearing the outer disciple robes of the Taixu Sect. Their cultivation levels fluctuated around the Golden Core stage, suggesting they had only recently broken through and had come down the mountain for training.
Once their food arrived, the group behind them began chatting. Though they used a small-scale formation to shield their conversation, to Bai Chunsheng, it was practically useless.
He lay on the table, listening intently for a while and soon discovered that these four were also planning to head to the Southern Region. A few days ago, Le You Mountain had suddenly collapsed, revealing a hidden secret realm that had never been discovered before. Upon investigation, the Taixu Sect found that it was actually a Daoist inheritance. The exact level of the inheritance was still unknown, but it appeared to be extraordinary.
The four speculated in awe, wondering if it could be an inheritance from the Nascent Soul stage.
For them, even if it was just a Nascent Soul inheritance, the journey would still be worthwhile.
Though the secret realm was within Taixu Sect’s territory, it had been discovered by rogue cultivators from the Southern Region.
The Southern Region’s rogue cultivators had already stirred up trouble once. Given the current instability of the world, Taixu Sect didn’t want to take unnecessary risks, so they reluctantly allowed a few Southern Region cultivators to enter the secret realm for exploration.
Taixu Sect had also designated the exploration slots as one of the rewards for their outer sect competition. Since these four hadn’t ranked in the top fifty, they were hoping to secure a slot from the rogue cultivators instead.
For young cultivators just stepping into the wider world, these scraps of information might seem like incredible opportunities. But for Bai Chunsheng and Yan Yi, they weren’t particularly impressive.
After finishing their meal, they booked a room upstairs. The female cultivator handling the registration noticed the duck in Yan Yi’s arms and thoughtfully provided them with a woven grass nest for it.
This left Bai Chunsheng feeling a little frustrated.
Still, now that they had returned to the vast cultivation world, they could finally resume training properly.
Bai Chunsheng contentedly claimed the only large bed in the room for himself. Dangling his smooth little legs, he lay on his stomach, flipping through the Immortal Spirit Register.
Back in the Mortal Realm, he had already studied the rankings on the Heaven’s Pride Board.
Even though he and Yan Yi had kept a low profile these past few days, discussions about them hadn’t stopped. Rumors about Bai Chunsheng’s supposed connection to the Yan family were spreading like wildfire. Of course, he knew the truth—Yan Yi really was Yan Jingqiu.
It was a strange thing to think about.
The news of Yan Jingqiu’s mysterious death had originally come from the Yan family itself. Why had he died? How had he fallen? No one could say for sure. This seemingly baseless rumor had swept through the entire cultivation world within just a few days, and no one had even questioned it.
If Bai Chunsheng hadn’t met an amnesiac Yan Jingqiu, he might have believed it too. He might have even burned some incense for him now and then.
It was only now that Bai Chunsheng realized something—no one had ever actually seen Yan Jingqiu’s corpse. The idea that a Sword Sovereign had perished so suddenly had been accepted by the entire world without question. If someone wasn’t deliberately pushing this narrative behind the scenes, Bai Chunsheng would never believe it.
He lifted his gaze and glanced at Yan Yi, who was sitting by the table, flipping through a brand-new storybook with great interest. On the bottom left corner of the cover, a clear line of text read: *He will never know that I am the one who loves him most.*
Ever since their trip to Fuyu Mountain, Bai Chunsheng had realized that Yan Yi seemed to enjoy these kinds of dramatic stories.
Maybe Yan Jingqiu had liked them too, but had repressed his interests for the sake of his image. Now that he had amnesia, he no longer cared about appearances and had fully embraced his tastes.
Bai Chunsheng’s eye twitched involuntarily. Unfortunately, he couldn’t bring himself to ask about it.
To spare himself the sight, he turned his back on Yan Yi and focused on his Immortal Spirit Register.
As he flipped through the pages, a message from over ten days ago caught his attention.
*”Fairy Suchen’s engagement has been called off. The reason is unknown.”*
Bai Chunsheng immediately burst into laughter. “Ha! I knew it. Who would marry that crazy woman? What bad luck.”
“I wonder who the poor guy was,” he muttered to himself.
He flipped to the next page, which contained a new update:
*”The remaining members of Tianqing Sect have fled to the Southern Region and were taken in by the Chen family. They are now in a standoff with the Song family.”*
*”Tianqing Sect is gathering its disciples, intending to rebuild in the Southern Region.”*
The Chen family happened to be one of Bai Chunsheng’s planned destinations, as the entrance to the Wutong Tree Sea lay within their territory.
Although the sect members were labeled as remnants, the fact that they planned to establish a new sect meant they must have had significant numbers. If Tianqing Sect managed to set up a base under the Chen family’s protection, these desperate fugitives would likely pour every resource they had into securing their place.
If they reinforced their territory with restrictive formations, how were he and Yan Yi supposed to sneak in?
Bai Chunsheng fell into deep thought.
Author’s Note: So much gossip. Quack.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
