Chapter 110 - The Harem Rescue Project

Her gaze followed the sound of breathing and landed on a handsome young man unconscious in a corner, his head slightly tilted to the side. His sect disciple uniform, in shades of blue and white, was marked with footprints, indicating he had been kicked several times. Lin Qianshuang recognized the young man as Chen Shangqing. Today was Xiao Lanle's birthday, and she assumed he had come to visit his junior sister. Like them, he too had been attacked and trapped here. A wisp of demonic energy shot from her hand, aiming at the potted plant on the table. The pot toppled, shattering with a crisp sound at Chen Shangqing's feet. Startled, Chen Shangqing slowly regained consciousness and began to take in his surroundings. Seeing Lin Qianshuang trapped in the iron cage, he struggled violently to free himself from the ropes, but the more he wriggled, the tighter they became, almost as if they were sentient. Realizing he couldn't break free, a trace of anxiety flickered across his otherwise calm face, "Senior Sister Lin, I was practicing swordplay with Sister Xiao when Zheng Mingxia suddenly gathered a group to surround her, demanding the Fo Sha Glaze. Sister Xiao was overpowered and accidentally stumbled into the Sect Leader's Trial; she's in grave danger." Lin Qianshuang jolted upright in the cage, "What did you say? Xiao Lanle has already gone inside?" Chen Shangqing gave a confirming nod. For a brief moment, Lin Qianshuang's mind was in chaos, unable to process all the information Chen Shangqing had shared. Dazed, she sank back to the ground, leaning listlessly against the bars of the cage, as if her soul had left her. The Sect Leader's Trial was a legacy secret realm set up by the founding sect leader—once entered, there was no way out. In the original story, Liang Jingxuan entered the trial and emerged a bloodied mess, unconscious for half a month; how could Xiao Lanle, with her inferior skills and delicate constitution, possibly fare better? Xiao Lanle's character avatar in the favorability interface still smiled at her with vivacity, but Lin Qianshuang quickly closed it in fear. The notion loomed that the expression might darken at any moment. The unfinished Alliance Master task was still highlighted in yellow. A massive sense of dread washed over her. Lin Qianshuang couldn't stop trembling. If Xiao Lanle truly perished within the Sect Leader's secret realm, might she never return? Would everything she'd done up to now be in vain, leading to the system wiping her out for failing her task? Mu Weiyin, observing Lin Qianshuang’s crumbling composure, seemed to understand the loss of someone important. She clasped Lin Qianshuang’s trembling wrist, her gray-black eyes fixating on hers, transmitting, "Xiao Lanle is the chosen Dao companion of this city lord. If she cannot overcome such trials, she does not deserve the title. You needn't worry." Lin Qianshuang gathered herself, awkwardly acknowledging Mu Weiyin’s grip. Not wanting to offend her, she hesitated pulling away, choosing instead to wait until Mu Weiyin let go. Was this consolation from a rival in love? It felt as though a master were dismissively evaluating an outsider about their pupil's performance in her stead. Seeing that Lin Qianshuang had calmed down, Mu Weiyin released her hand and transmitted, "This city lord is Xiao Lanle's true Dao companion. Only I know her best. You, an outsider, need not concern yourself overly." Amused by Mu Weiyin's inexplicable jealousy, Lin Qianshuang found herself unexpectedly comforted. As the holder of the Heavenly Eye, the city lord of Tian Shu was far more reliable than the system. With her emotions stabilized, Lin Qianshuang felt gratitude to Mu Weiyin—though unaware of her true thoughts, assistance came before encountering their aggressor, avoiding panic then would have been foolish. Chen Shangqing, still bound, lay back in resignation. Noticing the peculiar girl with Lin Qianshuang, he suddenly queried, "Senior Sister Lin, is this young girl next to you a disciple of the Penglai Immortal Gate?" "This is my junior sister whom Master Jinghua entrusted to my care," Lin Qianshuang introduced Mu Weiyin, then asked Chen Shangqing, "Junior Brother Chen, how are you? Can you still move?" Before Chen Shangqing could respond, the door burst open. As it swung ajar, Lin Qianshuang weakly slumped against the cage bars, feigning a soft, defenseless stance. Zheng Mingxia, leading a group of fierce cultivators, stopped short upon seeing her, then sneered, "That master really did foresee things correctly. Cousin, you actually wandered right into our trap at Xiaoyao Cave." On hearing the term "master," Lin Qianshuang probed, "Brother Liang, is he back? Is he alive?" Zheng Mingxia sneered, "That exiled Liang family's stray dog is not worth mentioning. The master I serve is far superior by leagues." For a second, Lin Qianshuang's face turned icy, her eyes shadowed. If Liang Jingxuan wasn't the mastermind, then who was orchestrating this from the shadows? As Zheng Mingxia passed by Lin Qianshuang, he approached Chen Shangqing, striking him several times, "You dared deceive me. There is no Fo Sha Glaze in the Myriad Treasures Pavilion!" Chen Shangqing's eyes narrowed coldly, "If I choose not to tell, I won't. Only a fool like you believes anything others say so easily." Zheng Mingxia yanked Chen Shangqing up by the collar, punching his face, "You won't tell me where the Fo Sha Glaze is? Know that True Man Qingyun and other elders are imprisoned in the water dungeon. Lie one more time, and I'll feed them to the crocodiles." Blood stained Chen Shangqing’s mouth corner, his eyes swirling with indecipherable emotion, "I truly do not know where the Fo Sha Glaze is; hence, I cannot guide you." Furious, Zheng Mingxia kicked him aside, hands on his hips, and roared, "Clueless and full of nonsense, are you just trying to make fools of us?" A cultivator stepped forward, delivering a brutal beating to Chen Shangqing on the ground. Seeing enough, Lin Qianshuang suddenly interjected, "I know where the Fo Sha Glaze is. Let him go." Zheng Mingxia signaled with a hand, and his underlings retreated. Chen Shangqing wiped blood from his face, weakly gesturing his head towards Lin Qianshuang. Ignoring Chen Shangqing's silent plea, Lin Qianshuang's gaze deepened as she addressed Zheng Mingxia, "Cousin, I do know the artifact's location, but first, I have a question for you." Approaching the cage, Zheng Mingxia's demeanor turned lewd, chuckling, "Ask away, Cousin, but you'd better be truthful, or I won't spare you. I know how cunning you are, but I have plenty of ways to handle you." With a cold chuckle to herself, Lin Qianshuang feigned fear, "The Fo Sha Glaze is a sect secret. Only Sister Xiao confided in me; no one else knows its whereabouts. How did you know I was in the loop? This should only be known to the sect leader, and even the peak elders are oblivious." Zheng Mingxia sensed her probing, warning, "Cousin, just cooperate. The Chen family's patriarch specifically asked me to look out for you. Don’t make things difficult; just tell us what you know." Lin Qianshuang was taken aback. When did the elusive Chen family head get involved? Could it be that they too desired the Fo Sha Glaze? Beside her, Mu Weiyin sneered, her gaze flitting to the cultivators with Zheng Mingxia, then to the battered Chen Shangqing, before resting on Lin Qianshuang's astonished face, her gray-black eyes clouded and elusive as a nebula. "The Fo Sha Glaze is within the forbidden grounds of Penglai Immortal Gate, in the Penglai Palace," Lin Qianshuang calmly weaved a lie, "Last time, Sister Xiao and I entered with the Star-Plucking Sword, and during a battle with Brother Liang, we accidentally fell into the palace and stumbled upon the Fo Sha Glaze." "Penglai Palace?" Zheng Mingxia's eyes gleamed, "Cousin, are you certain?" Maintaining her frightened facade, Lin Qianshuang whispered, "Why would I lie? If you don't believe me, take me with you to lead the way. If there's trouble, I’ll be the first to suffer." Zheng Mingxia promptly ordered the unknown cultivators to move the cage, roughly shackling Lin Qianshuang and the girl beside her. He also bound her wrists with a spirit-binding rope, finally assured enough to summon his magical artifact to lift them both. Beside Lin Qianshuang, Mu Weiyin clearly sensed that the cultivators intentionally lingered with their hands on her calves while locking the shackles, an act that disgusted her enough to stir her spiritual light. "City lord, let me handle this. Don't waste your spiritual energy," Lin Qianshuang transmitted, directing a wisp of demonic energy to turn into insects biting the bare skin of the cultivators, causing them to scratch at their bodies comically as if dancing. Hands clasped behind her back, Mu Weiyin watched them coldly, her gray-black eyes regarding them as the already dead. Smirking coldly, she committed their faces to memory; even if someone showed mercy and let them live, they wouldn't see past tonight. "What are you doing? Hurry up and grab the one lying on the ground as well!" Zheng Mingxia cursed at the flailing cultivators, who, upon hearing his reprimand, quickly composed themselves despite their swollen, festering skin from the bites. They had received many benefits and dared not defy Zheng Mingxia's orders, hurriedly dragging Chen Shangqing up and onto the floating magical artifact. The vessel carrying them all was a giant gourd. Seated at the gourd's head to guide the way, Lin Qianshuang watched as a fissure gradually emerged in the misty distance. She transmitted to Mu Weiyin, "City lord, we are almost at the Penglai Palace. I know the layout well. Once inside, we can stealthily lead them into a dead-end, forcing their leader to reveal who’s behind all this, so we can understand what’s truly happening at Penglai Immortal Gate." Mu Weiyin leaned against Lin Qianshuang’s back, resting her eyes while circulating her spiritual power to break the seal binding her abilities. Effortlessly dissolving the spell, she replied, "Do as you plan. I trust you have a strategy." Reassured by Mu Weiyin’s words, Lin Qianshuang turned to Zheng Mingxia and pointed to the cracked area below, "Cousin, there lies the forbidden ground of Penglai Immortal Gate. The entrance to the Penglai Palace is hidden behind a waterfall." Zheng Mingxia looked over his shoulder at Chen Shangqing, sprawled on the gourd, "Brother Chen, you've been to the forbidden grounds before. Is this the Penglai Immortal Gate's restricted area?" Chen Shangqing remained silent, his eyes deep as he watched Lin Qianshuang's every move. As they neared the entrance to the Penglai Immortal Gate's forbidden grounds, he gripped his nonexistent spirit sword tightly.