Chapter 90 - The Harem Rescue Project

Within the city of Tianshu, a golden wisp descended from the heavens, finding its place within a section of the Tianshu Divine Palace. The golden-topped chandeliers swung back and forth, and the astrolabe projected a constellation from the sky onto the polished marble floor. A magnificent throne adorned with luxurious and intricately embroidered cloth sat a girl in a dark purple exquisite robe. Her face was as delicate as a fairy child. With her eyes closed, she leaned a single hand on the ornamental night pearl beside the seat, the purple ring on her thumb faintly gleaming with spiritual patterns. Mu Weiying opened her eyes to find a young woman lying across her lap. Upon seeing Mu Weiying awaken, she looked up dazedly, tilting her head while biting her finger and remarked, “Sister City Lord, why have you grown taller and thinner?” Soft fingers poked her cheeks as curious eyes examined her. “Xiaochi, stop biting your fingers.” Mu Weiying’s reproach instantly made Mu Xiaochi shrink back in fear. She retreated behind the pillar at the bottom of the steps, peeking out secretly at the person on the throne. Her dark eyes were pure and innocent; she knew nothing, only sensing instinctively that Mu Weiying was upset and hid away. Mu Xiaochi was her biological younger sister, missing two souls and two spirits since birth. Years ago, the sisters had been abducted and sold to the city of Tianshu, drifting apart for a long time. It wasn’t until Mu Weiying became the City Lord of Tianshu through her own efforts that she searched extensively and finally found her again. Mu Weiying watched Mu Xiaochi peering out from behind the column amusingly. Her serious expression eased into a slight smile. This younger sister, though a little foolish, perhaps that foolishness was itself a kind of blessing. Her reflection faintly appeared on the smooth and clean marble floor. The youthful round plumpness of her cheeks now exhibited a more defined and delicate countenance, and her previously short stature had risen notably, resembling a girl of twelve or thirteen. Mu Weiying touched her face in surprise, a murky emotion pooling in her clear eyes. For the first time, she had broken through the confines of the Heartless Path and aged a few years. She recalled in the alchemy furnace when her wisp of spirit dual-cultivated with a demonic cultivator possessing the furnace-body constitution. Could it be that it was this dual cultivation that caused her growth? Mu Weiying had trained many furnaces and searched long for the perfect constitution, yet she never found a true antidote to breakthrough the Heartless Path. Could Xieyu be... her remedy? Suddenly, she remembered how her wisp and Xiao Lanle’s body had fully merged, a rare occurrence where soul and flesh achieved such a high degree of integration. It was possible that being with Lanle enabled her breakthrough of the Heartless Path. The constellations on the astrolabe abruptly surged into a crystal-blue mist, from which an illusion slowly emerged, revealing the peerless beauty of a woman in red within the clouded mirror. Mu Weiying walked unhurriedly, stepping forward to greet the appearance of the Demon Realm’s Master. She stopped in front of the clouded mirror and asked, “Does the Domain Lord seek this City Lord for urgent matters?” Han Shengyao draped in a sheer, smooth red chiffon dress, reclined lazily on the Demon Realm throne, a few maidservants attending her, massaging her shoulders, tapping her legs, and serving her tea. The dark circles under her eyes suggested a restless night, her purple eyes looking deeply towards Mu Weiying, “My agents in your cultivation realm have detected a trace of the demon emperor’s artifact, the Chilling Cicada Zither. The demon emperor may not be secluded in the demon realm but could be hiding within the cultivation realm.” Mu Weiying’s youthful face darkened as she spoke, “The Chilling Cicada Zither is the demon emperor’s life artifact; how could it casually appear in the cultivation realm? If she is hiding, what is her purpose? Is it merely for the Demon Suppression Tower we built?” Han Shengyao leisurely swirled her wine in a jade cup, casting a sidelong glance at Mu Weiying with her phoenix eyes, her lips a faint indifferent line, “The heavenly prophecy claims once demon emperor Xuan Luoqing appears, the human realm will fall into chaos, and the six paths’ rules will dissolve. Although I doubt Xuan Luoqing possesses such earth-shattering power, lately her movements have grown more unusual, and the cultivation realm seems far from peaceful.” Mu Weiying's soft and youthful features turned stern, “A demon relic from the Penglai sect has emerged, though it does not belong to the four realms. I witnessed those demons breaking free from their seal, and within ten days, the Demon Lock Tower in the Wuji Buddhist Sect will surely fail. Demons running rampant would spell disaster for the human realm.” “You need not worry; should Tianshu City come under threat, I will certainly come to assist.” “Oh, by the way, besides informing you of this, I need you to find a person.” Han Shengyao lazily raised her brows towards a maidservant, who promptly presented a roll of painting. The painting unfurled in Han Shengyao’s hand, revealing a meticulously crafted colored ink portrait before Mu Weiying. The painting depicted a graceful and nimble woman, sitting on a dappled grassy clearing amidst a bamboo grove, seemingly practicing the zither. Although her face was indistinct, the attention to detail in her hand movements captured the error in her playing perfectly. The fabric texture and the interplay of light and shadow in her garment were intricately rendered, indicating that a great deal of care and feeling went into this artwork. “Find this woman depicted in the painting. People from the Demon Realm claim she perished in the cultivation realm. If you find her corpse or spirit, report it to me.” The woman in the painting had no discernible features; her attire was that of an ordinary demonic practitioner, and the zither she held was but a commonplace burnt-tail zither, offering no substantial clues for the search. Mu Weiying could tell at a glance that she wouldn't be able to find this person, but she agreed nonetheless, "This City Lord will remain vigilant. Rest assured, Domain Lord." Han Shengyao casually tossed the scroll into the mirror, from which a wisp of demonic energy leaked, flying to Mu Weiying’s hand and transforming into the scroll depicting the faceless woman. “I'll leave it to you then. This person is crucial to me.” Mu Weiying had just accepted the scroll when the clouded mirror dispersed into mist before vanishing entirely into the astrolabe. The crystal-blue electric light emerged from the divination symbols, solidifying once more into a star chart among the constellations. The Domain Master of the Demon Realm had departed, leaving the scroll—destined to remain futile—without purpose or value. Mu Xiaochi, hiding behind the pillar, came out as she saw the strange spectacle in the clouded mirror dissipate. She sidled up to Mu Weiying, tugging at her sleeve—a woman taller than Mu Weiying by half a head, yet appearing innocent and naive like a five or six-year-old child. “Xiaochi, do you like this painting?” Mu Weiying noticed Mu Xiaochi’s eyes fixed on the figure in the painting. She casually tossed the scroll into her sister’s arms, saying, “If you like it, keep it. After all, this person doesn’t exist.” Mu Xiaochi traced the figure in the painting and unexpectedly giggled, cradling it to her chest. Leaning against the pillar, she drifted off to sleep without realizing it. Mu Weiying approached Mu Xiaochi and signaled to a nearby servant. The servant understood immediately, swiftly lifting Mu Xiaochi and carrying her back to her chamber. The ancient bell of the Penglai Immortal Sect continued its ceaseless toll, the heavy sound of clashing stone echoing throughout the mountain valleys. Lin Qianshuang stood steadily in midair despite the howling demon winds, observing the surroundings with Xiao Lanle on her back. Just as she intended to ride her sword back, someone called out to her urgently from behind. “Senior Sister Lin, this is where demons run rampant! Junior Sister Xiao is still unconscious; it's too dangerous for the two of you!” Chen Shangqing flew on his sword to join Lin Qianshuang, anxiously saying, “Hand Junior Sister Xiao over to me. It’s inconvenient for you to carry her through the demonic winds alone.”