Chapter 111 - The Harem Rescue Project

Her gaze followed the sound of breathing and landed on a young man with handsome features lying unconscious in the corner, his head slightly tilted. His sect disciple robes, blue and white in color, bore footprints, suggesting he had been kicked several times. Lin Qianshuang recognized the young man as Chen Shangqing. Today was Xiao Lanle's birthday, so he must have visited her and, like them, had been attacked and trapped here. A wisp of demonic energy shot from her hand toward the potted plant on the table, knocking it over. It landed at Chen Shangqing’s feet, shattering with a crisp sound. Startled, Chen Shangqing slowly regained consciousness, gradually taking in his surroundings. When he saw Lin Qianshuang confined in the iron cage, he began to struggle vigorously against his bonds, attempting to free himself, only to find that the restraints tightened with any movement, as if sensing his intentions. Realizing he couldn't break free, Chen Shangqing, usually composed, showed a hint of anxiety and spoke, "Elder Sister Lin, I was accompanying Junior Sister Xiao with her sword practice when Zheng Mingxia unexpectedly brought a group to surround her, demanding she hand over the Focha Glazed Tile. Outmatched, she accidentally stumbled into the sect leader’s trial, and she's now in great danger." Lin Qianshuang shivered and stood up inside the cage, her voice rising in agitation, "What did you say? Xiao Lanle has entered the trial already?" Chen Shangqing confirmed with a nod. Lin Qianshuang's mind was in turmoil, unable to parse all the information hidden in Chen Shangqing's words. In a daze, she sank back to the ground, leaning limply against the iron bars as if her soul had left her body. The sect leader’s trial was a legacy secret realm created by the first sect leader, allowing entry but no exit. In the original plot, Liang Jingxuan had entered the trial and emerged covered in blood, unconscious for half a month. What chance then did frail little Junior Sister Xiao stand, with her much weaker cultivation? The profile picture of Xiao Lanle on the favorability interface smiled at her with liveliness, but Lin Qianshuang closed it in fear, haunted by the notion that the avatar might dim at any moment. The task as the leader of the Immortal Alliance remained incomplete, marked by a daunting 'X.' A colossal dread spread through her entire being. Lin Qianshuang trembled uncontrollably, the thought that if Xiao Lanle really perished in the trial, she might never return. All previous efforts would be for nothing, and perhaps failure would result in the system erasing her. Mu Weiyin, observing Lin Qianshuang's near-collapse, seemed to empathize with her sense of losing someone irreplaceable. She grasped Lin Qianshuang's trembling wrist, her gray-black eyes meeting hers, sending a message through a rare sound transmission: "Xiao Lanle is designated by this city lord as my destined partner. She will be fine. If she cannot overcome even this trial, she’s unworthy of being my partner. There’s no need to worry." Lin Qianshuang came back to her senses, glanced awkwardly at Mu Weiyin's hand on her wrist. Wary of offending Mu Weiyin, she hesitated to pull away, opting to wait for her to release her grip. Was this comfort from a rival in love? Why did it sound like a master critiquing an outsider about the shortcomings of their disciple? Seeing Lin Qianshuang regain her composure, Mu Weiyin loosened her grip, transmitting, "This city lord is Xiao Lanle's true partner. I know everything about her. As an outsider, you needn't concern yourself." Lin Qianshuang was bemused by Mu Weiyin's inexplicable jealousy, yet inexplicably, it eased her worries. As the Tianyan holder, Mu Weiyin’s assurances were far more reliable than the system’s. Calmness returned to Lin Qianshuang. Although Mu Weiyin couldn't know her true thoughts, her gratitude was genuine. She foolishly let her guard down before meeting their adversary, a dumb move. Chen Shangqing, helpless against the ropes, resigned himself to lying in the corner. He noticed the peculiar girl beside Lin Qianshuang and inquired, "Elder Sister Lin, is the young girl next to you a disciple of the Penglai Immortal Sect?" "This is Jinghua’s junior sister, entrusted to my care," Lin Qianshuang introduced Mu Weiyin, turning to Chen Shangqing to ask, "Junior Brother Chen, how are you holding up? Can you still walk?" Before Chen Shangqing could respond, the door was forcefully kicked open. As the door swung open, Lin Qianshuang feigned weakness, leaning weakly against the iron bars within the cage, presenting a helpless and non-threatening image. Zheng Mingxia, flanked by a group of fierce-looking cultivators, strode in. He spotted Lin Qianshuang in the cage and paused momentarily, then laughed, "That esteemed master was indeed foresighted. Cousin, you really did return to the Xiaoyao Mansion and fell into our ambush." Upon hearing the term ‘master,’ Lin Qianshuang tentatively probed, "Has Senior Brother Liang returned? Is he alive?" Zheng Mingxia responded with a sneer, "Why bother mentioning that Liang family disgrace, expelled from his home? The master I serve far surpasses him." Lin Qianshuang's expression turned cold momentarily, eyes hinting at a scheming thought. If Liang Jingxuan wasn’t behind this, then who was? Zheng Mingxia walked past Lin Qianshuang, approaching Chen Shangqing. He kicked him a few times, cursing, "Chen Shangqing, how dare you deceive me! There’s no Focha Glazed Tile in the Wanbao Pavilion as you claimed!" Chen Shangqing refrained from reacting, a cold gleam in his sword-like eyes, and said, "I won’t reveal what I don't wish to. Only a fool like you would believe such words readily." Zheng Mingxia grabbed Chen Shangqing by the collar, delivering a punch to his face. "If you won't tell where it is, know that master Qingyun and other elders are confined in the water dungeon. With one more lie from you, they'll be fed to crocodiles." A bruise materialized at the corner of Chen Shangqing's mouth, a complex emotion flickering in his gaze, "I genuinely do not know where the Focha Glazed Tile is." Zheng Mingxia threw Chen Shangqing aside with a kick. Hands on his hips, his potbelly jutted out as he barked, "You must think us fools to buy into your nonsense." One of the cultivators approached and began beating Chen Shangqing on the ground. Within the iron cage, unable to tolerate the sight any longer, Lin Qianshuang suddenly spoke up, "I know where the Focha Glazed Tile is. Release Junior Brother Chen first." With a gesture from Zheng Mingxia, the underlings retreated. Chen Shangqing wiped the blood from his face, struggled to sit upright, and gave Lin Qianshuang a warning shake of his head. Ignoring Chen Shangqing’s silent discouragement, Lin Qianshuang’s eyes darkened, addressing Zheng Mingxia, "Cousin, I can tell you where the treasure is, but first, I want to ask you something." Zheng Mingxia approached the cage with a drastically shifted demeanor, leering at Lin Qianshuang, "Ask away, cousin, but you better be truthful. I have my ways if you try any tricks." Lin Qianshuang inwardly smirked. With a frightened expression, she said, "The Focha Glazed Tile is a sect secret, known only because Xiao Lanle told me in confidence. How did you learn I knew about it? Such knowledge is meant solely for the sect leader, not even the elders of the peaks are privy." Zheng Mingxia, sensing a trap, cautioned, "Cousin, behave yourself. The Chen family head personally instructed me to look out for you, to prevent any grievance. So, cut the tricks and spill everything you know." Startled, Lin Qianshuang pondered how the elusive head of the Chen family got involved. Could it be that they too coveted the Focha Glazed Tile? Beside Lin Qianshuang, Mu Weiyin's gaunt cheeks curled into a sneer. She glanced at the group of cultivators behind Zheng Mingxia, then at the battered Chen Shangqing, and finally at the stunned Lin Qianshuang. Her gray-black eyes, unpredictable as a clouded sky, shifted with a mysterious light. "The Focha Glazed Tile is within the forbidden grounds of the Penglai Immortal Sect—in the Penglai Underground Palace," Lin Qianshuang boldly lied, maintaining her composure. "Recently, Junior Sister Xiao and I stumbled into the underground palace while fighting with Junior Brother Liang, and we accidentally found the Tile." "Penglai Underground Palace?" Zheng Mingxia's eyes lit up in excitement. "Cousin, are you sure?" Lin Qianshuang kept her fearful facade, whispering, "How could it be false? If you distrust me, take me along. I’ll lead the way. Should an ambush await, I'd be the first victim." Quickly, Zheng Mingxia ordered the cultivators of unknown origin to remove the cage, roughly chaining Lin Qianshuang and the girl beside her. For extra security, he bound her wrists with a spirit-sealing rope, finally feeling at ease as he summoned a magical artifact to push them forward. Mu Weiyin noticed how the cultivators took liberties while chaining them, feeling a wave of disgust as her fingers glimmered with a halo of spiritual light. “City Lord, let me handle this. Conserve your strength,” transmitted Lin Qianshuang as she directed a wisp of demonic energy into small insects that bit the exposed skin of the cultivators, sending them scratching comically, as if dancing. Mu Weiyin, her posture regal and hands crossed behind her back, watched them with cold disdain. In her steely eyes, these men were already dead. She smirked, recalling their faces. Even if Lin Qianshuang’s soft heart spared them now, they wouldn’t survive the night. “What are you standing there for? Get that one lying on the ground up too!” Zheng Mingxia barked impatiently. Zheng Mingxia scolded the group of flailing cultivators, prompting them to return to their tasks, though the bites left their skin festering and swollen. Despite the pain, having benefited much, they dared not defy Zheng Mingxia’s orders. Quickly, they hoisted Chen Shangqing up and shoved him onto the hovering magical artifact. Their mode of transport was a giant gourd. Lin Qianshuang sat at the forefront, guiding Zheng Mingxia. As the hazy distance slowly revealed a chasm, she sent a sound transmission to Mu Weiyin: "City Lord, we're almost at the Penglai Underground Palace. I'm familiar with its layout. We can secretly lead this group to a dead end, force the leader to reveal the mastermind, and uncover what's truly happening in the Penglai Immortal Sect." Mu Weiyin rested against Lin Qianshuang's back, meditating, using her spiritual power to easily break the seal that suppressed her. She replied through the sound transmission, "Follow your plan. I know you've thought this through." Listening to Mu Weiyin, Lin Qianshuang turned and pointed the chasm out to Zheng Mingxia, saying, "Cousin, that’s the forbidden ground of Penglai Immortal Sect. The entrance to the Penglai Underground Palace is hidden behind a waterfall." Zheng Mingxia glanced back at Chen Shangqing, lying on the ground, and asked, "Brother Chen, you've been to the forbidden grounds, correct?" Chen Shangqing was silent, his eyes profoundly fixed on Lin Qianshuang's every move. His gaze then shifted to the approaching Penglai forbidden grounds, his hand clenching an imaginary spirit sword.