The flying boat adjusted its direction slightly, slowly descending toward the territory of Wuyin City.
Qin Shuying stood at the prow, hands behind her back, her robes flapping loudly in the wind.
Two hours later, the flying boat began to slow down.
Shen Mo snapped out of his daze and saw a small town below, not large but very lively. The boat stopped at a platform in the town. In the center of the stone platform was carved a complex array pattern, faint light flowing.
“A teleportation array?” Shen Mo was stunned. He had heard of such things—said to be able to send a person a thousand li away instantly.
But there were only a few in the entire East Continent, each costing a staggering amount.
Qin Shuying leaped off the flying boat and stood at the edge of the array pattern. From her sleeve she took a Spirit Stone and embedded it into the array eye.
As soon as the Spirit Stone fell in, the entire array pattern lit up. Light rose from the ground like a pillar, enveloping the three of them.
Shen Mo felt his vision blur, his feet go light, and his whole body seemed lifted by something, then gently set down.
When his vision cleared, they were standing on another stone platform, surrounded by completely unfamiliar mountains.
“Where is this?” Shen Mo’s voice was tight.
“The east foot of Jinyun Mountain.”
Qin Shuying stepped out of the array pattern and looked up.
The sky was still early.
She walked straight toward the Jinyun City gate.
The city walls were high, built from locally produced gold-striped stone.
On the city walls, the patrol guards were visibly several times more numerous than usual, their armor heavy, their gazes sharp as they scanned every person entering the city.
A temporary checkpoint was set up at the city gate, where several City Lord’s Mansion guards of no weak aura were inspecting arrivals.
On the notice board, the several wanted posters depicting the faces of the missing young men were starkly visible, the ink still fresh, with onlookers whispering in discussion.
Qin Shuying handed over two jade tokens already prepared, with identity information engraved on them.
She then split off from the other two.
When it was Shen Mo’s turn, the guard captain took the jade token, input a little spiritual power to verify, and nodded. “Miss, could you please lift your veil?”
Before Shen Mo could respond, the silver-haired girl, Han Yi, spoke calmly: “My sister is physically weak, caught a cold. She also has a mild rash on her face, not good for wind. Please be understanding.” As she spoke, a trace of faint, medicine-smelling cold air escaped from beneath Shen Mo’s veil.
The guard captain frowned slightly, looked at Shen Mo’s slender and delicate figure, and sensed the weak, cold-averse aura of a sick person. “In that case, I won’t press you, miss.”
The guard captain returned the jade token and asked routinely, “Do you two have a fixed place to stay in the city? The city has been unsafe at night recently, especially for young female cultivators. Please be careful and try not to go out alone.”
“Thank you for the reminder. We’ll be careful.” Shen Mo received the jade token, nodded slightly, and stepped into the city.
Once inside the city, the streets had fewer pedestrians than usual, and most were walking quickly.
Patrol teams crisscrossed, their gazes wary.
Many shops closed early, and those still open were sparsely visited.
Qin Shuying led the way, taking Shen Mo through several relatively quiet alleys to an unassuming but array-covered pure inn called “Yunlai Inn” in the city.
This was one of the Heavenly Sword Peak’s hidden outposts in this city.
The innkeeper was a taciturn old woman who, upon seeing Qin Shuying, only bowed slightly before guiding the two to the innermost room on the third floor, which was equipped with soundproofing arrays.
The room was simply and elegantly furnished.
Once the door was closed and the array activated, isolating the outside world, Shen Mo practically collapsed into a chair, his back soaked with cold sweat.
He raised his hand to remove his veil to breathe, but Qin Shuying stopped him.
“Not yet.” Qin Shuying walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, observed for a moment, then turned back and said, “This Jinyun City is indeed unusual. When we entered the city, I sensed not just one but several deeply concealed dark auras, somewhat similar to the path of Corpse Puppets or certain evil arts, but not exactly the same—more mixed.”
Shen Mo’s heart tightened. “Is it… is it related to those missing people?”
“Most likely,” Qin Shuying’s icy eyes flashed coldly.
“Even the City Lord’s male favorite disappeared. This matter is probably not that simple. For the other party to move with such secrecy and take someone away from the heavily guarded City Lord’s Mansion without a sound, either their strength is extremely high, or… they have an inside agent in the mansion, or both.”
She walked in front of Shen Mo. “Staying here is of no benefit. Rest a bit, then enter the pavilion. I’ll go scout first. You come in two hours. If you need anything, tell the innkeeper.”
Shen Mo quickly nodded. Right now, he only wanted to hide in a room with an array and go nowhere.
Qin Shuying saw through his thoughts and said calmly, “Don’t relax completely. Even though this inn is a Heavenly Sword Peak outpost, it may not be absolutely safe. After I leave, stay alert. If anything unusual happens, crush this Child Talisman.” She handed Shen Mo a small ice-blue jade talisman, faintly connected to the Mother Talisman for messaging that she had given him earlier.
After giving her instructions, Qin Shuying said no more, turned, and left the room. Her footsteps quickly faded away.
In front of Han Yi, Shen Mo completely relaxed.
He slowly removed his veil and walked to the only bronze mirror in the room.
In the mirror was reflected a pale, haggard girl’s face, her makeup already faded, her eyes frightened, her lips colorless.
He fetched cold water and washed away the cosmetics bit by bit, revealing his originally handsome but exhausted features.
He changed out of the cumbersome dress into men’s casual clothes, and only then felt he could breathe easier.
However, the unease that hung over Jinyun City remained, like cold spider silk, coiling around his heart, impossible to shake off.
Time passed slowly in waiting.
At noon, the innkeeper old woman silently delivered simple food.
Shen Mo ate without tasting.
In the afternoon, he tried to meditate, but his mind was restless.
Occasionally, the orderly footsteps of patrol soldiers or distant commotions and shouts from outside the window made his heart leap.
Two or three hours passed.
Time to change and depart.
When he reached the main prosperous district of Jinyun City, the oppressive atmosphere vanished completely.
The city was like spring all year round, with lush flowers and trees. The streets were even livelier than Luoxia City.
The proportion of female cultivators among the passersby was extremely high, with perfumed clothes and tinkling ornaments.
The air was perpetually filled with the rich fragrance of rouge, powder, and spiritual flowers and exotic herbs.
The Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion occupied a corner of the city with the richest spiritual qi.
Pavilions and towers were nestled among rare flowers and strange trees.
Clear springs gurgled, the environment was excellent, and privacy was top-notch—each courtyard had its own protective array.
At the gate, hundreds of female cultivators had already gathered, their robes fragrant, their ornaments tinkling.
Some acted dignified and composed, some chatted and laughed, some craned their necks in anticipation.
There were also many low-level cultivators or mortal servants, carrying Shadow Recording Stones, holding incense burners and fruit platters, weaving through the crowd to secure spots for their masters or gather information. It was a lively scene.
The Flower Queen Competition, held once a decade, was not only a grand event to select the top beauty but also an important social occasion for female cultivators from nearby immortal cities to display their wealth, taste, connections, and even find a suitable partner.
The contestants came from all backgrounds: there were young men carefully cultivated by famous families, handsome disciples attached to major sects, those with outstanding looks from small sects or among Loose Cultivators, and even some rare goods secretly gathered and specially trained by certain forces for other purposes.
The spectators were even more mixed: from peak elders and noble daughters of great families, to ordinary female cultivators, idle people who pretended to like culture, and even those with ulterior motives and hidden agendas—all mingled together.
Shen Mo—or rather, Shen Yuebai, as he was now—after paying a substantial entry fee of Spirit Stones and presenting the counterfeit identity jade token of a “side branch young lady” from a mid-level immortal clan that Qin Shuying had prepared in advance, finally stepped inside.
Inside the pavilion, carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and upturned corners. Hundreds of palace lanterns illuminated the night sky as bright as day.
The sound of silk and bamboo instruments and song lingered endlessly, mixed with the scent of makeup, wine, and a decadent atmosphere that relaxed the mind.
On the corridors and balconies, perfumed figures in luxurious robes moved back and forth—some in groups chatting and laughing, some leaning alone on railings watching a performance.
Occasionally, young men with beautiful faces and varied figures, dressed in soft, luxurious clothes, wove through the crowd, smiling and being attentive, refilling wine and serving dishes.
This place seemed like an independent, inverted paradise of pleasure, magnifying the prosperity and rules of the female-dominated world to the extreme!
The moment Shen Mo stepped through the gate, the originally noisy hall fell briefly silent, and there was even the sound of a wine glass dropping and shattering.
The woman closest to him stood frozen in place, the wine from her cup spilling down her arm and onto the floor.
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