Yin Luan and Su Paopao received a grand reception from the Fire Valley Kingdom’s royal family—the kind where they insisted on a lavish feast, a heartfelt chat, and a warm embrace before letting anyone leave.
This left Little Paopao overjoyed.
She had actually cured the princess for real? That was a massive achievement! Royals might lack anything else, but never money. She needed to squeeze out as much as possible to take back home. Next time, she wouldn’t venture out again until she reached the Innate Realm—no more swindling and scheming.
The celebratory banquet took place in the imperial palace. The Fire Valley Kingdom’s emperor, a robust and imposing man still in the prime of life, came personally to express his thanks.
“Demon Subduing Division,” he boomed with laughter, “every bit as formidable as the rumors claim!”
“To be precise, I’m not with the Demon Subduing Division,” Yin Luan replied. She had no intention of dragging that organization into this sort of “trouble.” “I merely received their recommendation.”
“Doesn’t that mean your skills impressed even them?” the Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor chuckled. “What do you say? Care to take a position here? Minister of National Defense? Vanguard General? Or should I establish a Ghost Subduing Division just for you?”
“Er, no need. I’m not the type to stay put…”
He carried himself without any airs, which was typical for a small kingdom’s ruler.
Unlike the Great Zhou Kingdom, with its vast numbers of people and experts measured by the pound, a single Innate Realm expert here was a national treasure, worthy of the red-carpet treatment. For a rare talent like the Little Snake Demon, they were practically desperate to recruit her—visiting her hut thrice wouldn’t be out of the question.
After some light conversation, Princess Huo Ling arrived at the banquet. Having regained some vitality under the care of the imperial physicians, she politely bowed to the two women and offered them a toast.
The first words she heard upon waking had been, “Marry me with your body,” nearly sending her tumbling back into unconsciousness from sheer fright. But after the maids’ explanations, she learned that the alluring, seductive woman before her was actually a great benefactor.
A malicious ghost had invaded her body. Without its timely discovery and swift exorcism, she might have perished without anyone understanding why.
“Speaking of which,” Yin Luan said as she crammed a drumstick into her mouth, mumbling through a full bite, “how did something like this happen in the imperial palace? I checked the surroundings—there’s no yin energy buildup at all. The odds of wild ghosts possessing someone should be practically nonexistent.”
The palace brimmed with yang energy. Perhaps due to its proximity to volcanoes, the entire Fire Valley Kingdom had stronger yang energy than most places, making it an inhospitable haunt for ghosts.
For a ghost to possess a person, it needed the right timing, location, and opportunity—and it had to have evolved into a “malicious ghost.”
“I find the whole thing highly suspicious as well,” the Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor said with a frown. “On closer reflection, Ling’er rarely comes into contact with evil spirits or the like, and she hasn’t made many enemies. An accidental possession seems unlikely… This was probably deliberate. Ling’er, does anything come to mind for you?”
“Silently manipulating a malicious ghost is no small feat—not just anyone can pull that off,” Princess Huo Ling mused, her head bowed in thought. “Among the people I’ve met recently… Father, don’t you think that ‘Mystic Master’ seems suspicious?”
“Mystic Master?!”
The Little Snake Demon was so startled that she forgot to chew her drumstick. She swallowed it bone and all in one gulp, then shot to her feet, eyes bulging as she stared.
“Does Miss Yin know him?”
The princess asked in surprise.
“Is the Mystic Master you’re referring to a fairly young man who carries a weapon like a fly whisk and has that refined, scholarly air about him?”
The Little Snake Demon pressed for confirmation.
“That sounds right…”
Princess Huo Ling nodded.
“This guy stirred up chaos in the Great Zhou Kingdom’s East County a little over a month ago and harmed quite a few people,” the Little Snake Demon explained. “The Demon Subduing Division dispatched an entire team but still couldn’t catch him.”
After slipping away from Zou Lian and the others, there had been no word of Mystic Master. So he had fled the Great Zhou Kingdom long ago and turned up here.
What a coincidence—running into him in the midst of his mischief once again!
“An entire Demon Subduing Division team,” the Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor said, his face registering surprise. “No wonder I always felt a vague unease around him…”
“What did he want with you?”
Yin Luan asked.
As a wanted fugitive of the Demon Subduing Division, and as someone without official standing or a proper title—but with strong ties to the organization and the heart of a passionate Great Zhou Kingdom citizen—the Little Snake Demon felt duty-bound to gather intelligence.
When she reached Luo City, she might even trade this info for some rewards…
The Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced at his daughter. She looked toward the Little Snake Demon, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
“If Ling’er deems you trustworthy, then that’s good enough,” the Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor said. “He wanted to borrow an Innate Treasure from the palace—the Fire Soul Pearl.”
“What’s so special about this treasure?”
“It has the effect of nourishing the soul,” he explained. “It was discovered by our ancestor a hundred years ago in a volcano. It’s especially effective for weak souls and can keep someone alive in a critical moment. It’s one of the most important Innate Treasures in the palace.”
“A soul-type Innate Treasure!” Su Paopao, who had been standing beside the Little Snake Demon pretending to be invisible and silent until now, couldn’t help exclaiming. “That thing’s worth at least fifteen secret manuals! Where is it? Can I take a look? I promise I won’t steal it!”
“You won’t borrow it?”
Miss Yin pushed back the heads of her little companions crowding in, then asked.
“Of course not,” the Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor shook his head. “The Fire Soul Pearl has been refined by generations of emperors and is tightly bound to the royal family’s bloodline. Its status goes far beyond that of a mere Innate Treasure. Even if offered an equivalent treasure, we wouldn’t trade it, let alone lend it out.”
“Seeing our firm stance,” Princess Huo Ling continued, “the Mystic Master didn’t get angry. He just said ‘What a pity’ and that ‘we’ve chosen the wrong side.’ Then he left. After that, I gradually fell ill.”
They came to borrow the treasure, didn’t get it, flew into a rage out of humiliation, and secretly harmed her… This didn’t seem like the Mystic Master’s style.
With his strength, why not just seize the princess and force the royal family to hand it over? Was he worried about the Fire Valley Kingdom Royal Family’s hidden trump cards? Hidden experts? Or some other reason, like needing to conserve his strength?
Also, what did he want the Fire Soul Pearl for? The Demon Subduing Division hadn’t even injured him—he didn’t need it to hang on to life.
“This matter deserves attention,” the Fire Valley Kingdom Emperor said. “I’ll send people to investigate and strengthen our defenses… That aside, Miss Yin, you’ve come all this way to the Fire Valley Kingdom—what brings you here? Is there anything we can help you with?”
“Yes, yes there is,” Miss Yin slapped her forehead, reminding herself of the main business. “I’m here for that Spirit Jade Auction. I hear you have spots available. Can you bring one along?”
“What’s the problem with that?” the other man laughed. “However, the folks auctioning the Spirit Jades have a massive background. Just look, young lady—don’t get any crooked ideas.”
“All my ideas are perfectly upright,” Miss Yin patted her chest in assurance. “But what kind of background is it that makes everyone so wary?”
“From the Barbaric Wastes, that’s who.”
“The Bar…baric Wastes?”
The new term left the Little Snake Demon puzzled once more.
“You don’t know?” Su Paopao looked at her in confusion. “The area we’re in right now is the eastern edge of the Barbaric Wastes, mainly comprising the Great Zhou Kingdom and some surrounding regions. It’s actually pretty underdeveloped, and news doesn’t flow freely here.”
Miss Yin truly hadn’t known.
Du Xuan and Zou Lian rarely spoke of anything beyond the Great Zhou Kingdom. For most people, that vast nation was enough to occupy a lifetime—no need to know about the rest.
Disciples from sects like Su Paopao, on the other hand, picked up some knowledge in search of greater opportunities.
Seeing her confusion, the others patiently took turns filling her in on the relevant details.
The land they stood upon was a continent called the Ancient God, with a history so ancient it was impossible to trace.
Most of the continent remained in its undeveloped, primal state, known as the Barbaric Wastes. It was said to be filled with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, but also teeming with countless dangers.
Scattered around the Barbaric Wastes were regions where humans lived and thrived, like the Great Zhou Kingdom and others.
Only a handful of extraordinarily powerful beings could cross the Barbaric Wastes to travel from one region to another.
The stretch of Barbaric Wastes blocking the Great Zhou Kingdom from other areas was particularly vast, making this place something of an “isolated island” with little interaction with outside forces.
That was why everyone was so wary of this “mysterious person” carrying Spirit Jades. Anyone who could traverse it with treasures in tow was no ordinary figure.
“I see…”
After hearing the explanation, the Little Snake Demon finally had a moment of clarity.
Without that, she’d assumed the world consisted solely of the Great Zhou Kingdom… Not that it made sense for the world to be so small.
Did that mean she herself might be an outsider snake?
How had she ended up in the Great Zhou Kingdom, then?
“It still feels like a big mess,” Little Snake simply cast these thoughts aside for now. “Let’s first see what surprises this real ‘outsider’ has brought.”
~~~
With the Fire Valley Kingdom Royal Family’s support, attending the auction went smoothly.
Princess Huo Ling took full charge on the royal side, bringing along the Little Snake Demon and Su Paopao to the auction venue as scheduled.
Speaking of Su Paopao, the girl had caused no small amount of trouble during her few days in the Imperial Palace.
She had sworn up and down, “A disciple of a renowned orthodox sect would never stoop to petty thievery,” yet the moment no one was looking, she sneaked into all sorts of restricted areas, desperately hunting for that precious Fire Soul Pearl.
The Fire Valley Kingdom might be a small nation, but its defenses were no joke. Snagging a little thief who hadn’t even reached the Innate Realm was child’s play for them.
Out of deference to the esteemed guest Miss Yin, the palace guards never roughed her up after each capture. They always escorted her back with the utmost courtesy.
But after one too many incidents, the Little Snake Demon was starting to lose face…
“Can’t you stop chasing shortcuts all the time?” Yin Luan lectured her earnestly. “Why not rely on your own hard work and diligent cultivation to climb to the peak of life?”
“I am relying on my own hard work!”
After a few days together, Su Paopao had gotten a read on her senior’s temperament. She now dared to push back openly.
“Work hard to earn money, trade it for resources, cultivate until you’re a powerhouse… How do you become a powerhouse without the cash?”
“There are plenty of honest ways to make money, like…”
“Like?”
“Like,” the Little Snake Demon pondered seriously, “finding a sugar mommy! Get someone rich to bankroll you—easy street. Why sneak around like a crook?”
“Senior, enough with the jokes—playtime’s playtime, but don’t mess with integrity!” Su Paopao puffed out her cheeks in indignation. “We cultivators can’t live off handouts. We’ve got hands and feet; we can’t sell our dignity! Become some appendage to another and forget about the path to immortality?”
“But…”
“As female cultivators, it’s even more true! Sell your body and looks once, and it’ll happen endlessly. You’ll lose all control, reduced to a plaything—tragic! Stay strong, love yourself. Guard your principles even if it means starving to death!”
“Oh…”
The Little Snake Demon suddenly felt too embarrassed to share her own backstory…
Who knew this little girl had such backbone… Sure, her morals were a bit skewed—sneaking and scheming weren’t exactly virtues.
The palace carriage delivered Princess Huo Ling and the pair of them right into the auction house.
No sooner had they stepped inside than Yin Luan picked up at least three Innate Expert auras, each one thick and profound—not the work of amateurs.
It was just one item up for bid, but the powers in attendance filled the hall to capacity.
At the appointed hour, the lights dimmed. The Red Skirt Woman overseeing the auction took the stage and addressed the crowd.
“Esteemed guests, thank you for your patience! The Fire Valley Auction House invited you all here—no need to belabor the purpose.”
“That’s right, it’s Spirit Jade! Identical in quality to the previous batch!”
“You may all know what Spirit Jade is, but indulge me for a moment… Spirit Jades come in many types: those that only store information, those that store info and channel power, and those with unique effects.”
“This batch falls into the second category—exceedingly rare High-Grade Spirit Jade. A little refining, and they can become Innate Treasures!”
Eyes gleamed with fervor below the stage. Plenty were hooked on this “High-Grade Spirit Jade.”
Who ever had too many Innate Treasures? Couldn’t use them yourself? Pass them to your heirs!
“The Spirit Jade’s owner accepts only ‘spiritual items’ in trade. Spiritual items are those infused with heaven-and-earth essence, like thousand-year-old Ginseng or snow lotuses. The Spirit Jade is split into ten lots—bids per lot!”
The red-robed woman clapped, and attendants promptly wheeled in a wooden case about an inch long.
They opened it to reveal blood-red jade stones radiating brilliant light. A profound energy rippled outward—even non-Innate Realm folk felt a faint warmth on their skin.
This was the sort of treasure screaming “priceless” to anyone with eyes!
Little Snake stared, mesmerized.
She “smelled” an intoxicating fragrance wafting from the lot!
“Drool, Senior—your drool’s leaking…”
Su Paopao nudged the Little Snake Demon, whispering urgently.
“How odd,” Yin Luan muttered, wiping her mouth. “Stones aren’t food—why do they smell so ‘fragrant’ to me?”
She slipped a hand into her bosom, touching her jade pendant.
Nothing.
Anyone who wasn’t blind could tell: her Spirit Jade was a different breed from the ones onstage.
Hold on!
A possibility struck Yin Luan.
Maybe the scent wasn’t the Spirit Jade itself… but its owner?
A “fragrance” like that? The Spirit Jade Master had to be someone extraordinary!
“Everyone, place your bids,” the red-robed woman said, pointing at the Spirit Jade on the stage. “If you want to take this treasure home, offer a price that will satisfy its owner!”
“Once again, a reminder: we only accept trades in ‘spirit objects.’ Nothing else—even Innate Treasures—will do!”
