“Disciple respectfully heeds Master’s teachings.”
Su Wan’er cupped her hands and bowed respectfully.
“Let’s go.”
Lai Li’an folded the crumpled map and tucked it into his robe, then stepped out of the alley.
“Let’s go see those people.”
Sunset Slope was located in the western outskirts of Yunze Market. Several spirit fields were scattered along the gentle slope, and the irrigation ditches flowing between them carried water with a faint spiritual light—clearly tended with care.
“This should be the place.”
Lai Li’an glanced at the map in his hand, then at the wooden cabin not far away, confirming the location.
‘This map is way too rough. Qian Fu, can’t even draw his own spirit fields properly?’
Lai Li’an refolded the map and turned his gaze toward the wooden cabin.
The System Panel silently appeared.
[Target 1: Hong Wu, Foundation Establishment Peak, Medium-grade Fire Spirit Root]
[Target 2: Zhao Si, Late Foundation Building Stage, Low-grade Earth Spirit Root]
[Target 3: Sun Liu, Late Foundation Building Stage, Low-grade Metal Spirit Root]
[Target 4: Li Ba, Late Foundation Building Stage, Low-grade Water Spirit Root]
Lai Li’an’s brow twitched slightly. Foundation Establishment Peak and three Late Foundation Building Stage cultivators—Qian Fu’s information was accurate.
He tilted his head slightly, peering through the half-open window of the cabin to see inside.
Four cultivators were sitting around a square table with several plates of spirit fruits on it. The leader, a man around thirty years old, wore a cyan-white robe and had a jade pendant of decent quality hanging at his waist.
Lai Li’an almost thought this was a proper disciple of some sect based on the outfit.
The other three were also dressed well, all in deep cyan Daoist robes. Though the material wasn’t as good as Hong Wu’s cyan-white robe, it was still beyond what ordinary rogue cultivators could afford. They must have robbed plenty to look this decent.
Lai Li’an withdrew his gaze and looked down at his own gray robe. Then he glanced at Su Wan’er. The dress the girl wore was a gift from the shopkeeper’s wife in Qingshi Town—mortal fabric, already fading after several washes.
‘Cultivators really care about appearances. Even bandits dress like upright gentlemen.’
‘As the saying goes, clothes make the man. I’m a transmigrator, and I’m dressed worse than a few land-grabbing bandits.’
‘Once this job is done, the first thing is to buy good outfits for myself and Wan’er. I’m a master now—I can’t keep wandering around in tattered robes.’
“Wan’er.”
Su Wan’er immediately leaned closer.
“Disciple is here.”
“Inside are four people. The leader is Foundation Establishment Peak, the other three are Late Foundation Building Stage.”
Lai Li’an’s voice was very low.
“You handle the three Late Foundation Building Stage cultivators. Can you do it?”
Su Wan’er nodded without hesitation. After cultivating the Taichu Five Elements Dao Canon, her spiritual power quality had improved by more than one level.
‘Facing three opponents one realm lower—I have confidence. Besides, Master is right here. If I really can’t handle it, he’ll step in.’
“Disciple understands.”
“Let’s go.”
The two stood up from behind the ridge where they had been hiding and walked toward the wooden cabin. Su Wan’er kept her right hand on her sword hilt, her steps steady.
The cabin door wasn’t closed. The moment Su Wan’er stepped over the threshold, the four cultivators at the square table turned their heads simultaneously. Four pairs of eyes landed on Su Wan’er, then shifted past her shoulder to Lai Li’an behind her.
Hong Wu reacted first. He stood up and cupped his hands.
“Two Fellow Daoists, this is the Hundred Herbs Hall’s medicine field. May I ask what business you have here?”
‘Hundred Herbs Hall—clearly the name of some faction. Even their name sounds nice. What a sin.’
Lai Li’an was about to speak, but Su Wan’er beside him couldn’t hold back.
“Su Wan’er acts on Heaven’s behalf today—I’ll take your lives!”
The girl’s voice was clear and sharp. As the words fell, her long sword had already left its sheath, the spiritual light on the blade flaring up.
Lai Li’an cursed inwardly.
‘Damn it! That’s my line! How could the disciple steal the self-introduction? I haven’t spoken yet as the master! But it’s too late.’
Su Wan’er’s figure moved like a blue streak of light, the tip of her sword aimed directly at Zhao Si, who was closest. Zhao Si hurriedly raised his hand to deflect, but the residual force of the sword energy still carved a shallow bloody gash across his arm.
Sun Liu and Li Ba reacted at the same time, flanking Su Wan’er from left and right.
Su Wan’er faced three opponents alone, her sword light weaving like cloth. Each thrust carried the momentum of the next, the second strike’s power already stored in her wrist before the first was spent. Like spring rain, her attacks densely covered all the moves of the two cultivators.
Zhao Si retreated to the corner, clutching his injured arm, his face full of shock.
‘We’re both Late Foundation Building Stage, but this female cultivator’s sword is too fast.’
Su Wan’er had suppressed all three Late Foundation Building Stage cultivators on her own, but winning quickly was no easy task.
Hong Wu stood behind the square table, not attacking yet, calmly waiting for an opportunity. Then he extended his right hand from his sleeve, a fist-sized flame already coalesced in his palm.
Lai Li’an noticed Hong Wu’s movement and knew he couldn’t wait any longer. If Hong Wu struck first, it would be too late.
He reached into his robe, touched the Immortal-Slaying Delusion-Breaking Talisman, and silently pulled it out.
Instantly, a wisp of sword energy leaked out. Just that simple thread of aura instantly solidified the air in the entire cabin.
The four cultivators’ eyes all fell on the talisman in Lai Li’an’s hand. The sword intent emanating from that talisman made it hard for them to even breathe.
‘What realm’s power is this…?’
“Nobody move.”
Lai Li’an’s voice wasn’t loud, but in the deathly still cabin, every word was crystal clear. He held his left hand behind his back, his face unreadable.
Su Wan’er’s sword was still raised midair, but her entire body had frozen. She was closest to Master and felt the sword intent most clearly.
‘What level of treasure is Master’s talisman?’
Lai Li’an’s gaze slowly swept over the three cultivators opposite him. Everyone his eyes passed over involuntarily lowered their heads.
“Venerable Self has no enmity with you all. Coming here today is merely at someone’s request. The four of you have cultivated to this point, walking many bitter paths. Foundation Establishment is not easy. If you fall here, it would surely waste your respective fortunes.”
Hong Wu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The four exchanged glances, seeing fear in each other’s eyes.
“Venerable Self does not enjoy killing indiscriminately.”
Lai Li’an’s tone was flat.
“As long as you cooperate properly, Venerable Self will naturally spare your lives.”
Silence spread through the cabin for a few breaths, then a voice broke it.
“Senior Brother Hong, run!”
Zhao Si’s entire face was twisted with fear, but his voice was surprisingly loud.
“We’ll hold him off! You run! You must report today’s matter to the Elder!”
Before Lai Li’an could react, Hong Wu was already moving. At some point, he had stepped onto a flying sword and shot westward as a streak of light.
“Wan’er! Chase him!”
Lai Li’an was panicked.
‘Report to the Elder? Hundred Herbs Hall really is a faction, and one with Elders at that.’
‘If Hong Wu really brings the Elder here, it’s over.’
Su Wan’er reacted even faster than him. Before Master’s words had even finished, her sword had already flown from her hand, and her entire body turned into a sword light chasing after Hong Wu, vanishing into the twilight in the blink of an eye.
The cabin fell quiet again, leaving the remaining three standing where they were. Zhao Si’s shout had drained all his courage; now he stood there dazed, as if hollowed out.
All three of them were trembling. Lai Li’an noted every detail.
‘Their will to fight is completely shattered. When Hong Wu was here, they had a backbone. Now they’re like stray dogs.’
Lai Li’an didn’t want to kill them. If he killed these three, Hundred Herbs Hall would probably hunt them to the ends of the earth.
“Venerable Self said he does not enjoy killing indiscriminately.”
His eyes swept across the three faces one by one, his tone even colder than before.
“But Venerable Self’s patience also has limits.”
Zhao Si’s lips trembled.
“There are ropes over there.”
Lai Li’an jerked his chin toward the corner.
The three looked in the direction he indicated at the coils of hemp rope, then looked at each other. No one moved.
Lai Li’an didn’t rush them. He simply raised the talisman in his hand a little higher.
Sun Liu moved first. He put down his weapon, walked to the corner, bent down, and picked up a coil of hemp rope. His movements were slow, each step deliberate, as if afraid Lai Li’an might misinterpret any sudden motion.
He picked up the rope and looked at Zhao Si. Zhao Si gritted his teeth and extended his hands. Sun Liu crouched down, wrapped the rope tightly around Zhao Si’s wrists loop by loop, and finally tied a dead knot…
A moment later, all three were tied up securely and sitting in the corner of the cabin.
Lai Li’an glanced at the tightly bound pile of people and nodded in satisfaction.
‘This Sun Liu is a practical man. He tied himself the tightest, his wrists white from the pressure.’
“Very good.”
He left those two words, turned, and walked out of the cabin.
The sun had fully sunk behind the mountain ridge. Only a dark purple twilight remained over Sunset Slope.
The medicinal herbs in the spirit fields glowed faintly in the twilight. Lai Li’an stood on the ridge, gazing in the direction Su Wan’er had disappeared, his brow slightly furrowed.
‘Almost a full incense stick’s time has passed, and Wan’er still hasn’t returned.’
He began to feel uneasy. Logically, Su Wan’er had the advantage. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a sword light streaked in from the west and landed on the ridge.
Su Wan’er leaped off the sword, looking somewhat disheveled. Her face was full of guilt.
Seeing Lai Li’an, she walked over and lowered her head.
“Master, Disciple is incompetent. That man… got away.”
“What happened?”
“I chased him for about ten li and caught up to within ten steps of him. I was about to strike with my sword to force him to stop, when he suddenly threw a handful of talismans from his robe and activated them all at once. Disciple had to use her sword to block them. By the time I broke through the talismans’ obstruction, he had already escaped far away.”
She finished speaking and deflated completely.
‘The first time Master lets me pursue an enemy alone, and I let him escape. I’ve caused Master trouble again.’
Lai Li’an was silent.
‘Hong Wu escaped—he’ll definitely go for reinforcements. The “Elder” he mentioned is at least at Golden Core stage.’
‘If more than one Elder comes, the talisman I have might not be enough. We have to leave here before the reinforcements arrive.’
Lai Li’an’s gaze swept over the several mu of spirit fields. The medicinal herbs there were of excellent quality. If he harvested them all and sold them, it would be worth at least a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.
‘Occupying the spirit fields isn’t practical. Hundred Herbs Hall’s reinforcements could arrive any moment. Wan’er and I can’t defend these few mu alone.’
“Wan’er.”
Su Wan’er immediately looked up.
“Disciple is here!”
“Harvest all the spirit herbs in these fields.”
“Disciple understands!”
Su Wan’er drew her long sword and leaped into the spirit field. She didn’t know how to harvest properly, but cutting everything down would definitely work.
Wherever her blade passed, clumps of herbs were severed at the roots. The sword light wove back and forth through the field, neatly harvesting patch after patch of herbs, then storing them in her storage pouch.
Lai Li’an stood on the ridge watching her busy figure, a smile unconsciously curling at the corner of his mouth.
By the time the last bundle of herbs was harvested, the sky was completely dark.
“Master, everything is harvested.”
Su Wan’er leaped out of the spirit field, sheathed her sword, and handed the storage pouch to Lai Li’an.
Lai Li’an weighed the pouch in his hand, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“Let’s go.”