143 - Stealing the Yuri Protagonist Harem

The response came almost instantly. 【You're still talking! I was almost there, but because you wanted me to send a letter to the capital, I had to turn back to the town to write and send it for you... Now it looks like it'll take another half an hour to reach the territory of the Sword Pavilion!】 Luo Wusheng scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. Initially, he had planned to obtain the Buddhist sect’s plans from the rat demon and take care of the situation himself, even using his Nascent Soul level to travel quickly back to the capital. However, the early arrival of the demon consort threw his plans into disarray. In retrospect, it seemed that the Sword Immortal lady, after experiencing so much, finally showed no reaction to him using the name “Little Yuli”... (But to have such a swift reply... she must be harboring quite a bit of resentment waiting to be vented...) He would have to think later about how to appease her, as this was one of the few aspects of his plan he was relatively confident about. 【By the way, you mentioned in a previous message that you wrote a letter to my junior sister too. What did you say in it?】 【Nothing much! Just some girlish matters... I need to concentrate on sword-riding. There are quite a few sword-flying cultivators near the Sword Pavilion and I almost collided with one just now, so let's chat later!】 And with that, the Sword Immortal lady went offline. Luo Wusheng stroked his chin. Initially, with the little fox preparing for ascension, he had wanted to chat with Little Yuli in his idle time... But what should he do now? He felt his storage bag. Inside was a sack of disciples from the Demon Sect who had been held captive for a whole day. Resolutely, Luo Wusheng extended his spiritual consciousness into his dantian, looking at the two and a half drops of half-demon blood floating there, emitting a faint crimson glow... the last half-drop had been acquired recently by rubbing the fox’s ears. Hmm, it seemed best to first test what changes would occur from refining this special demon blood. As for those Demon Sect disciples... No rush, no rush... * //Busy today, only two updates today. Chapter 212: Bai Xiaoyao's Discovery In fact, initially, Luo Wusheng had intended to quickly deal with the batch of Demon Sect disciples stuffed into sacks by a bald coachman. Considering that the Sword State was not particularly far from the capital, even releasing them and letting them make their way back to the capital could be an option. But now, he had abandoned that plan. (The Demon Sect...) After those intricate conjectures, Luo Wusheng had developed a slight distrust of the Demon Sect. If the higher-ups of the Demon Sect had truly made some deal with that immortal bald monk from the Buddhist sect... the mere thought of such a possibility made him lose the interest in releasing the batch of Demon Sect disciples from his storage bag for the time being. He was well aware that even if things were as he suspected, these ordinary disciples, not even at the Golden Core stage, would likely have no knowledge of the inner workings. Moreover, when the time came, if chaos ensued, these disciples, staying within the three thousand demon domains, would be mere cannon fodder on the front lines. “But I still have this feeling that releasing them might stir up some trouble...” This intuition wasn't without reason; after all, the arrival of the Demon Sect disciples in the capital had indeed caused some disturbances. Besides getting into conflicts with disciples of the Alliance of Martial Arts, there was also the mysterious bald coachman to consider. Had it not been for his earlier agreement to supply a batch of ordinary weapons to the Empress, causing a subsequent shortage of manpower for the Demon Weapon Pavilion... Luo Wusheng might have wanted to send the whole lot back to the three thousand demon domains. (The capital can't be given up yet. Although the current situation is significantly different from before, I still need to maximize the advantage of knowing the original plotline... Even though the storyline has indeed deviated quite a bit.) Fortunately, the major events had remained unchanged. First was the contest on the Human Immortal Ranking. An event where the Sword Immortal lady would first showcase her talents to the world with raw power. And after that... Luo Wusheng’s eyes flickered before he refocused, recalling a segment of the cultivation technique in his mind. The Blood Refinement chapter of the Demon Blood Cultivation Method. It was said to enhance the physical body through refining special demon blood, but he wasn’t sure what kind of effects it would ultimately produce. Would it make him as strong as the formidable physique described in the tales of the Headless Buddha? Hmm, invulnerability to celestial tribulations might be an exaggeration, but could it offer some resistance to ordinary heavenly tribulations? Moreover, there were said to be potential special effects that could arise... Luo Wusheng closed his eyes softly and began to operate the blood refinement method. ………… In a mansion not far from the Demon Weapon Pavilion, within the capital. Since the Demon Weapon Pavilion announced a temporary closure, apart from the few blacksmiths who remained diligently at work, most of the staff and temporary employees like Long Dahai and Gao Shi found themselves suddenly idle. Yet none of them were pleased by this unexpected leisure. Yesterday, none of them were near Wangxian Inn. Instead, they were mostly at the Demon Weapon Pavilion, waiting for the arrival of the so-called Demon Sect disciples. These old hands, who had bonded over wine and food at the Hongyan Tower, had intended to teach the newcomers a lesson. However, not only did they miss the newcomers, but Hu Dingtian, a fellow staff member waiting at the city gate, rushed back with news that the new Demon Sect disciples had clashed with members of the Alliance of Martial Arts, prompting even the Saintess of the Demon Sect to step in personally. After that, the situation grew complicated and murky. It was unclear how, but it evolved into the current situation. "... LBrother Luo does tend to get caught up in events, doesn’t he?" Long Dahai looked around at his gathered colleagues, raised his eyes, and sighed: "We've only been in the capital for a few days, yet in these few short days, Brother Luo first made a grand entrance by slicing a Nascent Soul cultivator during the Pavilion's opening ceremony, then shone in the monster suppression in the Immortal Kingdom, and now he's vanished just as everyone expected him to ascend to Nascent Soul..." His expression turned somewhat complicated. Although he viewed Luo Wusheng as his support in the capital, even as a great ally, deep down, he genuinely felt that this Demon Sect scion, so different from his rumored reputation, shared a camaraderie with him in some ways. Just like during their discussions on worldly affairs aboard the Seacross Vessel, they never felt any barrier. Luo Wusheng, on occasion, would surprise even these battle-hardened wanderers with his insights. Thus, every "Brother Luo" was sincerely meant, without pretense. Yet now, it was clear that the Demon Sect scion had become embroiled in some incident... Long Dahai felt a genuine headache, so much so that he hadn't visited the Hongyan Tower last night. And the mood was much the same among the others. Particularly the four initial staff members of the Demon Weapon Pavilion. They had witnessed the Pavilion's meteoric rise within less than a month, and without Luo Wusheng's appearance, they might still be guarding the dilapidated pavilion, laden with debt, toiling in the land of fireworks... Now, they lived without worry for food and clothing, and apart from the strictly monitored Lao Wang, they all enjoyed freedom at the Hongyan Tower, spending their days busy and fulfilling. Even the grudges and grievances they had suffered within the Demon Weapon Pavilion were settled with the help of the Saintess and Scion of the Demon Sect. Remembering those bygone grievances, trivial now, several staff members glanced in a certain direction. It was where the residence of the Demon Sect Saintess was located. "Since returning yesterday and announcing the temporary cessation of the Pavilion, the Saintess seems to have not left her room," remarked Xu Yuchun, lifting his eyes slightly and whispering to the other three staff members. Li Xing, typically playful and frivolous, uncharacteristically refrained from his usual demeanor, only sighing lightly, "Although I've suspected something for a while, the Saintess indeed has feelings for Big Brother Saint... just where has he disappeared to?" "Rumors and tales about the Scion have already spread throughout the city, yet none lead to his whereabouts. However... apart from the Saintess, there are also rumors about him being entangled with the Empress, the enchantress of Hongyan Tower, and a mysterious and beautiful sword cultivator..." Lao Wang spoke woodenly. Naturally, these pieces of information were not personally gathered by him, but rather sourced from Miss Su of the Six Doors Secret Spies. The moment this was said, a peculiar shade appeared amidst the previously grave expressions of the staff. “Cough... Well, he is the Scion, after all...” Hu Dingtian coughed lightly, signaling they should steer clear of this dangerous subject. The staff members silently withdrew their gaze from the residence of the Saintess. ………… Meanwhile, inside the room of the Demon Sect Saintess. Since Bai Xiaoyao moved in, the room had perhaps never been as chaotic as it was now. Pages covered in writing and crumpled paper balls lay everywhere, along with some empty containers scattered on the floor. The one responsible for this mess, the Demon Sect Saintess, leaned lightly against the bed, holding a sheet of paper with still-damp ink, her eyes glinting. "This explains everything now..." The sheet in her hand turned to ashes with her spiritual power. Chapter 213: The Letter (Second Update) Since the incident yesterday, Bai Xiaoyao had locked herself in the room. She was deeply concerned about Luo Wusheng's safety and wanted to know his whereabouts, yet she also understood her own helplessness. In a short span, it was nearly impossible for her alone to find her senior brother who had vanished due to teleportation. Thus, she could only continually reassure herself that her senior brother, as the courtesan of the Hongyan Tower had mentioned, was well-prepared and would not meet with any mishap, using this notion to temper the swelling emotions within her heart. She then threw all her energy into another matter. She began to piece together all the incidents from yesterday... no, from the moment her senior brother had left the three thousand demon domains, she started compiling everything that had taken place. Thinking of the helplessness she felt while witnessing everything unfold the previous day only helped to solidify the demoness’ resolve. Rather than indulging in futile despair, she preferred to assist her senior brother. For this reason, she had taken the initiative to announce the temporary closure of the Demon Weapon Pavilion. The incident from yesterday had undoubtedly drawn many onlookers to the pavilion, but they were merely there for the spectacle, and opening it would only drain manpower needlessly. Furthermore, apart from the blacksmiths, none were able to work normally. Only yesterday did Bai Xiaoyao realize just how much weight her senior brother carried in her heart. Now, she gently rose from beside the bed. Her eyes, though tired, swept across the room, and with a slight raise of her hand, spiritual energy swirled, gradually restoring order to the chaotic space. Lowering her hand to her storage bag, she retrieved a small, white wooden token that landed on the table before her. ...The Saintess Token. As she gazed at this symbol of her status within the Demon Sect, Bai Xiaoyao felt a tide of complex emotions surfacing within her. (If everything is as I suspect...) After spending an entire day meticulously connecting various events, she had finally arrived at some unprecedented speculations. With two fingers gently pressing on the token, she infused it with spiritual energy. Under normal circumstances, this Saintess Token would shatter at this moment, thereby allowing the Demon Sect’s master, who had been absent, to sense it. Though it was nominally intended for summoning a sect elder in times of crisis, neither Luo Wusheng nor Bai Xiaoyao were certain if the token would truly summon their elusive master. At this point, cracks began appearing on the white wooden token resting on the table. But in the next instant, an unexpected change occurred; the token emitted a dazzling light, and all the cracks vanished. Immediately after, a spatial ripple appeared beside the token, depositing two letters. Bai Xiaoyao did not immediately focus on the letters but instead picked up her Saintess Token, her expression growing more complicated, yet at the same time, she seemed somewhat relieved. "Not appearing in person, yet not ignoring it either... is it a tacit acknowledgment that all my suspicions are correct?" "So... Master has been orchestrating things from the shadows all along, laying plans unbeknownst to both my senior brother and me, including what happened yesterday…"