Chapter 41 - 40: XuanShuang City

Chapter 41: Chapter 40: XuanShuang City

A/N: Apologies, I mixed the Chapter sequence for Chapter 40 and 41, sadly I can no longer edit it since WN would not allow me TvT

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After a few weeks had passed, Sui Sui and Yizhou were finally ready to return to the Wenjian Sect. During their time in seclusion, word had reached Yizhou through a communication talisman that his master had been searching for him.

Similarly, Sui Sui’s family had also begun to worry. Having been away from home for over two months without any news, his parents and elder brother had been asking about his whereabouts. Now that everything had been settled, it was time for him to return home as well.

Before leaving, they took one last look at the cave. What had once been lined with an abundance of spirit stones was now nearly bare. Only a handful remained, most of them embedded so deeply within the rock that extracting them would have taken far more effort than they were worth.

Judging by the size of the cave, Sui Sui estimated they had collected close to three million spirit stones.

To the great cultivation families, who owned spirit stone mines of their own, this amount was only equivalent to roughly a year’s worth of income.

However, for two cultivators with no powerful backing, it was an unimaginable fortune. They could now be considered local rich tyrants. Although far from the wealthiest in the cultivation world, they were undoubtedly richer than most independent cultivators.

What surprised Sui Sui the most, however, was Yizhou’s generosity. Rather than keeping everything for himself, Yizhou voluntarily gave him a share of the spirit stones, saying it was compensation for the information Sui Sui had provided.

When Sui Sui heard those words, he almost doubted his own ears.

Was this really the protagonist?

The Yizhou he knew from the novel was someone who squeezed every last bit of profit from others. He looted, extorted, and exploited every opportunity that presented itself. He only knew how to take, never to give.

Watching him willingly hand over such a large amount of spirit stones was so out of character that Sui Sui could hardly reconcile him with the ruthless protagonist he remembered.

It was a little regrettable, though. The spirit stones had barely warmed his hands before they were gone again.

This was because Sui Sui chose to feed his entire share to the Spring Spirit to help it recover.

Even so, he did not feel particularly heartbroken. Compared to a one-time fortune, restoring the Spirit Spring so it could once again produce spiritual water was a far more worthwhile investment.

Likewise, nearly all of the spirit herbs growing throughout the cave had been harvested. Only the immature ones were left behind, as picking them now would greatly reduce their medicinal value.

Given enough time, they would continue absorbing the cave’s spiritual energy and eventually mature into high-quality spirit herbs.

The underground lake received the same treatment. Although the two could not possibly empty an entire lake, they still collected as much of the spirit water as they could.

While it was not pure spirit water, it had been nourished by the cave’s rich spiritual energy for countless years, making it far more precious than ordinary water.

Whether used to cultivate spirit herbs, refine pills, or simply aid in cultivation, it remained a valuable resource that neither of them intended to leave behind.

After stripping the cave of nearly all its treasures, the two finally set off on their journey back to the Wenjian Sect.

Neither of them felt guilty about leaving the cave in such a state. It was, after all, a naturally formed spiritual land.

As long as the spirit veins beneath it remained intact, the cave would continue to gather heaven and earth spiritual Qi.

Given a few years—or perhaps a few decades—it would gradually nurture a new generation of spirit stones, spirit herbs, and other heavenly treasures, restoring the cave to its former abundance.

—

Their next destination was Xuanshuang City, the same city they had passed through upon first arriving in the Northern Frontier. It was the only city in the surrounding area, with the next nearest settlement lying several mountain ranges away.

Unlike most cities frequented by cultivators, Xuanshuang City was relatively small, and its population consisted mostly of mortals.

The reason was simple—the Northern Frontier was a barren land with few opportunities or heavenly treasures to attract cultivators. Coupled with its harsh, gloomy environment, most cultivators preferred to travel elsewhere rather than settle in such a remote place.

When Sui Sui and Yizhou arrived at Xuanshuang City once again, they immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The city had never been particularly lively to begin with, but compared to their previous visit, the atmosphere had become noticeably more oppressive.

As soon as they passed through the city gates, they found the streets unusually empty. Although the shops remained open for business, there were scarcely any customers, and the few pedestrians outside hurried along with their heads lowered, as if eager to return home as quickly as possible.

Since it was still early in the day, the two headed straight for the teleportation center, hoping to return to the Wenjian Sect as soon as possible.

However, to their surprise, they were informed that the teleportation center had been temporarily closed and would not be operating until further notice.

Although puzzled, neither of them questioned the staff and instead made their way toward the city’s other gate, intending to leave on a flying artefact.

However, once again contrary to their expectations, they learned that the gates were also under strict lockdown. People were still permitted to enter the city, but no one was allowed to leave under the direct orders of the City Lord.

Hearing this, Sui Sui and Yizhou finally realized that something was amiss.

First, the teleportation center had been shut down. Now, even the city gates had been sealed, allowing people to enter but forbidding anyone from leaving. It was obvious that something unusual had happened within Xuanshuang City.

Wanting to learn what was going on, the two approached one of the guards stationed at the gate.

"My apologies, but under the City Lord’s orders, no one is permitted to leave the city," the guard said solemnly.

"May I ask the reason?" Sui Sui asked politely.

The guard studied the two of them for a moment before asking, "You two are newcomers, aren’t you?"

Sui Sui nodded. "Yes. How could you tell?"

"Because this has been going on for almost a month now," the guard replied. "Anyone who has been living in Xuanshuang City would already know the reason."

With that, he briefly explained the situation to them.

Apparently, it had all begun over a month ago.

Without any warning, people throughout Xuanshuang City had started dying under mysterious circumstances.

Some passed away in their sleep, while others collapsed during the day or in the middle of the night. There seemed to be no pattern to the victims either. Men and women, young and old—no one was spared.

In just a little over a month, nearly fifty people had already lost their lives.

For a city as small as Xuanshuang City, fifty deaths were no trivial matter. That alone accounted for almost one-tenth of the city’s entire population.

At first, everyone believed an epidemic had broken out. The City Lord immediately invited healer cultivators from neighboring cities to examine the victims and determine the cause of death.

However, after countless examinations, they found nothing unusual. The bodies showed no signs of disease, poison, or injury. Some of the deceased had even been perfectly healthy and in the prime of their lives before their sudden deaths.

For a time, the investigation reached a dead end.

Then, just a few days ago, another incident occurred.

This time, the victim was none other than the City Lord’s fiancée. It was said that the two were originally supposed to be married this month, but because of these incidents, the wedding was on the verge of being postponed.

According to the fiancée’s account, she had been outside attending to some business when she suddenly heard the sound of a bell.

The next moment, an overwhelming sense of listlessness washed over her, followed by an inexplicable feeling of unease. Before she could react, she noticed a figure standing inside the room. The stranger immediately attacked her.

Fortunately, she managed to cry out for help in time. Her attendants rushed over after hearing her screams, forcing the attacker to flee before any fatal harm could be done.

Only then did the City Lord’s Mansion realize that these mysterious deaths might not have been caused by an epidemic after all, but by someone deliberately targeting the city’s residents.

As a result, Xuanshuang City was immediately placed under lockdown. Anyone was free to enter the city, but no one was permitted to leave until the culprit was found.

Two days ago, the City Lord also issued a commission to several powerful sects, requesting cultivators to assist with the investigation. Tomorrow, representatives from the various sects would gather at the City Lord’s Mansion to discuss how to resolve the matter.