Chapter 56

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 56: Title

Xia Shi fumbled for comfort, managing only a stiff, "Cease weeping."

Yet her unexpectedly tender tone gradually stilled the heaving shoulders. A passing girl offered a handkerchief with sympathetic eyes.

Accepting the cloth with a nod, Xia Shi hesitated before tilting Suiyin’s chin upward. With methodical strokes, she blotted tear tracks from the flushed face, oblivious to how her touch made the younger woman’s skin bloom with heat.

When the last moisture vanished from red-rimmed eyes, Xia Shi murmured, "Enough tears. I stand alive before you."

Suiyin’s arms still looped around that narrow waist – so slender her hands nearly met behind Xia Shi’s back. Through fading hiccups, she noted with concern: You’re too thin.

"No more crying?"

A small nod. "Mhm."

Xia Shi disentangled herself, retreating into customary aloofness. "We should go. A Li’s group must have news."

The sudden distance stung. Fresh tears spilled as Suiyin blinked.

Xia Shi: "…"

Eventually she extended a hand, leading her companion to Li Xun’s indicated inn. A servant directed them to Lu Ciyou’s room.

The two reached the door and saw Yan Li standing outside with tightly pressed lips. Even through her mask, her overflowing resentment was palpable.

Xia Shi released Suiyin’s hand and gently tapped the back of her hand.

Understanding, Suiyin approached and asked, "Why aren’t you inside?"

"Since Li Xun’s entertaining Young Master Lu, why should I be there?"

Xia Shi raised an eyebrow slightly. This junior usually maintained the composed demeanor expected of a senior sister under the sect leader’s teachings. Why raise her voice like this now? Was she trying to make sure those inside heard?

Clearly fuming.

Suiyin blinked in surprise. "Are you angry?"

Yan Li gave her a strange look before stiffening her neck. "No."

Suiyin pursed her lips. No?

This obviously furious "no"?

"We can’t stand here forever." Xia Shi urged them forward.

They descended to the cultivator-filled hall and claimed an empty table.

The waiter approached, glancing between the trio before focusing on Suiyin. "What would you like, Fairy Lord? Our dishes are made from spiritual ingredients with pure energy and excellent flavors."

The other two—one expressionless, one masked—showed no interest in speaking. The waiter decided not to push, having dealt with many irritable cultivators lately.

"Really?" Suiyin sounded doubtful.

The waiter enthusiastically praised each dish until his mouth went dry.

Finally—

"A pot of green tea." Suiyin smiled.

The waiter forced a smile through clenched teeth and left.

"The food sounded decent," Xia Shi whispered. "You love good meals and haven’t eaten properly for days…"

She remembered.

Suiyin’s lips curved upward. "Alright."

When the scowling waiter returned with a teapot, Suiyin boldly ordered a full table of signature dishes.

Xia Shi: "……" She shouldn’t have mentioned it.

Waiter: "!!!" An angel!

Suiyin ate heartily while her companions barely touched their food, listening to nearby conversations.

"Who knew Jiang Feng would dare kick over Sect Master Jiang Liu’s chair before all those elders and disciples? Just installed his own seat!"

"But Sect Master Jiang Liu is a transformation stage cultivator! How could Jiang Feng overthrow him?"

A cultivator from the next table interrupted: "My third aunt’s nephew’s grandson fled Canghai inner sect last week—gone mad. His parents woke to find him holding a knife by their bed! Nearly scared them to death."

Nearby, someone grew impatient and snapped, "Get to the point!"

The speaker retorted, "This is the point!"

"Jiang Feng colluded with the Thirteen Ghost Domains to infiltrate Canghai! They used our disciples to create puppets! Sect Master Jiang Liu fell victim to Jiang Feng’s schemes after his qi deviation!"

These claims matched Jiang Xinian’s account. Xia Shi glanced sideways at the speaker – a person slightly smaller than average men, with plain features but proper bearing. Their facial expressions remained still while delivering passionate accusations, creating odd dissonance.

This must be a woman in disguise.

Xia Shi lowered her gaze. The moment she looked away, the woman’s eyes shifted toward them, staring intently for prolonged moments.

From her position, only Xia Shi’s profile and Yan Li’s masked face were visible.

Finding nothing noteworthy, the woman gradually withdrew her attention and resumed casual chatter with nearby patrons, though few believed her claims.

When the crowd stopped responding, the woman pretended to finish eating. She bid farewell and left with her cloth-wrapped blade.

Xia Shi’s gaze paused on the weapon. Though wrapped in cloth strips, the blade appeared unusually thick.

The woman entered a second-floor room neighboring where Li Xun hosted Lu Ciyou.

As Xia Shi turned back, she found immaculate fish meat in her empty bowl – every tiny bone removed.

Suiyin’s starlit eyes sparkled when Xia Shi looked up. "I tasted everything. This fish is the best – tender flesh. Try it."

Fingers twitched on Xia Shi’s lap. She picked up long-unused chopsticks, placing snow-white flesh in her mouth.

The fish melted on her tongue tip, releasing perfect flavors that transformed into spiritual energy. Warmth seeped through meridians, bringing comforting satisfaction.

"Well? How is it?" Suiyin leaned forward, eyes unblinking.

Xia Shi set down her utensils. Just as shadows threatened to dim those bright eyes, she finally murmured, "Excellent."

Not just acceptable. Not merely passable. Excellent.

Instantly, Suiyin’s eyes reignited like polished obsidian gems – treasures one longed to preserve.

Xia Shi had recently discovered this amusement: through careful timing, she could observe fascinating shifts in Suiyin’s gaze.

So engrossed were they both that Yan Li sitting nearby went forgotten.

Half an incense time later, Lu Ciyou emerged with Li Xun, both wearing pleased expressions from their discussion.

Spotting the trio downstairs, Lu Ciyou waved enthusiastically. "A Li!"

Li Xun’s cheeks flushed pink. "Young master," she said softly, "This humble one is deeply moved by your affectionate address."

Realization struck. Lu Ciyou explained, "Senior Sister Li Xun, my A Li is down there." She pointed at their table.

Mortification drained Li Xun’s face. Her feet seemed rooted as she stammered, "I… suddenly feel unwell. Please excuse me."

"Take care," Lu Ciyou replied.

The door slammed loudly behind Li Xun’s fleeing figure.

As Lu Ciyou descended, Suiyin was laughing uncontrollably, nearly collapsing onto Xia Shi in her mirth.

"What’s so amusing?" The young lady arched her brow, seating herself beside Yan Li and possessively leaning against her. "There’s only one A Li for me."

She then glared at the lavish feast spread across the table. "You’ve been feasting while I worked hard extracting information upstairs."

A piece of fish suddenly appeared at her lips. A cool voice above her remarked, "This tastes good."

Lu Ciyou obediently opened her mouth with an "ah," accepting the morsel. A waiting hand caught dripping sauce beneath her chin, preventing stains on her robes.

Xia Shi and Suiyin wordlessly witnessed this feeding spectacle – the young lady never once lifted her own utensils throughout the meal.

Only after being thoroughly pampered did they secure two rooms from the innkeeper, positioned directly across from Li Xun’s quarters in Qingyun City.

"Why only two rooms?" Suiyin’s inquiry earned her an exasperated eye-roll from the young lady.

Some people simply couldn’t grasp obvious opportunities.

The four convened to share gathered intelligence.

Since Jiang Feng’s ascension as Leader, Si Hai City had lain dormant for fifteen days – no entries, no exits. A city of the dead.

None knew what transpired within those walls.

"Li Xun mentioned a Great Ascension stage spiritual power surge in Si Hai City." Lu Ciyou tallied the Nine Realms’ supreme cultivators: "Feng Yi of Taiyi Sect, Fu Qing from Sanqing Realm, Jade Condensation Perfectionist of Kunlun Peak…"

"Any others?"

The count remained stubbornly at three. Fu Qing had secluded herself for decades. The Kunlun recluse never emerged. Feng Yi avoided Canghai after past humiliations, taking circuitous routes when travel proved unavoidable.

Who else remained?

"There is." Yan Li’s voice deepened. "The Endless Sea’s Ghost Lord."

"Endless Sea?" Suiyin frowned, recalling Aunt Yan’s Nine Realms map lacking such markings. "What’s that?"

Lu Ciyou stared incredulously before drawling, "What backwater spawned you?"

She snorted derisively. "The Thirteen Ghost Domains border the Sixteen Peaks of Dark Domain, severed from our Nine Realms. Divided into Outer and Inner Six Domains, with the Endless Sea at their black heart."

"And the Ghost Lord…?"

"What else? Their vile chieftain." Disgust curled the young lady’s lip. "A criminal parading as nobility – how dare that filth claim lordship!"

Suiyin absorbed this with a thoughtful "Oh."

"If the Ghost Lord truly walks Canghai…" Yan Li’s tone darkened.

Great Ascension practitioners stood one step from godhood. Against such power, they’d be but insignificant raindrops – utterly inconsequential.

Lu Ciyou’s defiance wilted. However grudgingly, she acknowledged this immutable truth.

"What treasure lurks in Canghai to lure that ancient evil from hiding?"

Xia Shi’s mind flickered to a dangerous possibility – but the implications dwarfed comprehension. Besides, it was merely rumors…

"Who’s there?!"

Suiyin’s sudden shout pierced the air as Wugui Sword leapt from its sheath, shattering the window in its flight.

Steel clashed against steel beyond.

In an instant, Xia Shi swiftly followed the Long Sword and seized the person outside the window, yanking them inside.

The seamless coordination between the two left the others momentarily stunned, even catching the window intruder off guard.

Once dragged in, the intruder gripped her twin blades, warily eyeing the group.

This was clearly the same person who’d disguised herself as a man downstairs.

Xia Shi observed the twin blades, confirming her earlier suspicion—the deceptively thick weapon was actually two narrow blades fused together.

She inclined her head slightly. “Golden Token Lord. I’ve long heard of you.”