Chapter 74 - A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

"Oh right, you might not know my real situation. I used to be, well... just a furnace slave." Although she had indeed been a furnace slave once, that was in a past life. Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke lowered their heads slightly, their faces blushing. Nangong Mengxiang, listening on the side, found herself increasingly perplexed. "Are you two little villains? Why did you capture Little Martial Aunt?" "Li-Little Martial Aunt..." Sha Yiyi's eyes widened. Was Luo Xue really Nangong Mengxiang's Little Master Uncle? Just a moment ago, they were still addressing each other by their names, yet now, she's already calling her Little Martial Aunt... "We just have some minor mishave," Luo Xue said, "To me, you don't seem like people who enjoy doing bad things. So, why do it?" Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke exchanged glances. Sha Yiyi hesitated for a moment and then sighed, divulging all her and Sha Keke's troubles to Luo Xue. The business at their inn was severely lacking, making it difficult for them to afford the "protection fee" from the Medicine Gang. Without the inn, they would have no residence in Ghost Demon Pass. Luo Xue thought for a bit and gained a general understanding of the twin sisters' dilemma. After pondering for a while, she asked, "Besides taking on such assignments, what else can you do?" "Cook," Sha Keke replied earnestly. Sha Yiyi smacked her younger sister on the head, catching on to Luo Xue's intentions, and then said, "We can gather intelligence, conduct tracking investigations, find people or things—of course, our search area is limited to Ghost Demon Pass as we can't venture outside." "I'm quite surprised by your skills." Luo Xue raised an eyebrow, picking up a glass of water. "Luo Xue, you flatter us," Sha Yiyi shook her head with a bitter expression, "Without these unusual tricks, my sister and I wouldn’t have survived in Ghost Demon Pass for fifty years..." "Poof!" Luo Xue spat out a mouthful of water, leaving Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke drenched. "Fifty years?" Luo Xue exclaimed, eyes wide. "How old are you?" "We’re... sixty-two this year." Though covered in water, Sha Yiyi replied honestly, "When we were twelve, we were brought here by our parents. "My father was a traitor of the Changchun Pavilion, and my mother fled with him... But they are now both deceased." Changchun Pavilion, on par with the Absolute Heaven Sect among the nine great sects, was known for its extensive and prolonged cultivation techniques. The cultivators there had a typical lifespan two to three times that of ordinary cultivators, though their combat prowess was relatively weaker compared to those of similar talent. However, what they lacked in quality, they made up for in quantity. Changchun Pavilion boasted the largest number of Nascent Souls among the nine great sects. ...It's just, they were weak enough for Luo Huaxin to waltz in and out at will and carry away the Immortal Knocking Poison. This would explain why the sisters, despite being over sixty, looked as youthful as girls in their twenties. But for Luo Xue... At sixty-two, her grandmother was just about that old in one of her previous lives... Suppressing her inner shock, Luo Xue collected herself and said, "Well, I do have some tasks that I could use your help with, but I have a condition." "What condition?" Sha Yiyi's face tensed with anxiety. Luo Xue narrowed her eyes slightly, "You... only work for me." Upon discovering that the twin sisters had such side skills, Luo Xue's mind began to churn with ideas. Her own time and energy were limited, and she couldn't manage everything alone. For things like gathering intelligence, it was best handled by professionals. Although these sisters might not be fully professional, they certainly had more experience than she did. Sha Yiyi, after hearing Luo Xue's words, was caught between hesitance and revelation, as her eyes gradually brightened, "You mean..." "Yeah, I'll handle the issues you're worried about." Luo Xue rummaged through her storage ring, eventually retrieving a small vial from the Immortal Knocking Poison that her mother had given her, and handed it to them. "You should recognize this. Sell it, and it should be enough." With a look of curiosity, Sha Yiyi accepted the jade vial from Luo Xue, opening it just enough to sniff it, her face filling with shock, "How did you get this? And so much of it..." The Immortal Knocking Poison was the treasured elixir of Changchun Pavilion, extracted from the rarest of celestial herbs. This herb bore a striking resemblance to cacti, maturing only once per millennium and swiftly withering after producing seeds. Much of its sap nourishes the seeds, while the residual sap in the withered plant is highly toxic, giving rise to its name, "Immortal Knocking Posion." It is collected every thousand years, with each plant yielding half a vial at most. Yet Sha Yiyi now held enough for two, with a value that could sustain ten of her, perhaps more! At this moment, Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke gazed upon Luo Xue as if she were a walking goldmine. "Ahem, inside the Absolute Heaven Sect..." Luo Xue scratched her nose; she wasn't sure if this amount was much, considering her mother had nabbed an entire gourd of it for her. "A trade between Changchun Pavilion and Absolute Heaven Sect?" Sha Yiyi quickly caught on, though still puzzled, "But why would Absolute Heaven Sect want this poison? Without Changchun Pavilion's methods, they can't turn it into medicine..." "Can't poison just be used to kill?" Luo Xue wondered aloud. Hearing this, Sha Yiyi almost showed an expression of disbelief but caught herself, remembering this was her benefactor speaking. With patience, she explained, "Who would use Immortal Knocking Poison just to poison someone? As a poison, it's merely the ninth-ranked, not particularly exceptional. "But as a medicine, it's an extremely rare and precious top-grade material, essential for concocting pills necessary for advancing from Core Formation to Nascent Soul." "So it's both a poison and a medicine..." Luo Xue mused, "Will this bottle of Immortal Knocking Poison be enough for you to exclusively work for me?" Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke exchanged a glance and smiled wryly, replying, "Miss Luo Xue, you jest. From now on, we sisters will serve only you." Luo Xue nodded, content with their commitment. "It so happens that in a few days, there will be an auction held in Ghost Demon Pass, hosted by the Tianhai Alliance this time. We can auction the Immortal Knocking Poison then." With decisiveness, Sha Yiyi laid out her plan, "The medicine help will certainly be interested, and since the Tianhai Alliance can't use it, we won’t have to worry about it being seized." "Auction, huh... I think I'll skip it. Not like I have anything I want to buy." Though bidding anonymously could be thrilling, Luo Xue wasn't particularly interested. "Are we still heading to Youxiang Restaurant...?" Nangong Mengxiang, who had been quiet all this time, timidly raised her hand to ask. Sha Yiyi showed an apologetic expression and was about to shake her head, but Luo Xue interrupted. "Yes, why wouldn't we?" Luo Xue's eyes flashed with determination, "I want to see who's behind this..." At that, Luo Xue suddenly recalled something and turned to ask, "By the way, how much is the reward for capturing me?" Upon hearing this, Sha Yiyi wore an embarrassed smile, holding up two fingers, "Two Qi Condensation Pills of the Yellow Rank..." "Hmm?" Luo Xue's eyes widened, "I'm that cheap?" "It was originally five," Sha Keke added mercilessly, "Sister wanted to establish a reputation for quality at a reasonable price, so she cut the price." At this, Sha Yiyi wished she could find a hiding place. Couldn't her sister read the room? This was to become their major benefactor! Their patron, their little rich lady! Hearing this, Luo Xue was reassured; it was unlikely this was about her status in the Absolute Heaven Sect. Even for a service disciple, two Qi Condensation Pills were too cheap... Wait, why am I even thinking about this? Luo Xue rubbed her temples, saying, "When we arrive at Youxiang Restaurant, proceed as originally planned, with a slight modification..." She glanced at a slightly bored Nangong Mengxiang and smiled, "Let's give them a small, shocking taste of Nangong Mengxiang!" Upon hearing this, Nangong Mengxiang blinked, question marks popping up over her head. What are you talking about? Why am I suddenly involved again? ....... Among the bustling crowd, everyone was just another face in the sea. Everything returned to its essence, regardless of good or evil, with an ascetic detachment and a vow of silence. This was the way of the Wuyan Monastery. The Wumu Master, eyes closed, moved through the endless stream of people, unnoticed by all. He walked slowly, undeterred by the heavy rain that suddenly poured from the sky. While most of the surrounding cultivators had already summoned water-repelling techniques, he continued on, allowing the rain to soak him completely. Suddenly, an insight struck him, and Wumu Master stopped in his tracks, gazing toward a certain direction. "An irreversible fate... seems to have begun," he murmured, "She still hasn't heeded the warning." He withdrew his gaze and sighed softly. "When the final outcome emerges," Wumu Master whispered, "Your regret will come too late." Disciples of the Wuyan Monastery observe the myriad facets of the world, the shifting sands of time, yet they never interfere with destinies that do not belong to them. But Wumu Master was a rare exception, wanting desperately to amend something along his journey through life. Yet he had never succeeded in changing a thing. Lifting his head, he eyed the building beside him, the four large characters prominently displayed, — "Youxiang Restaurant." "The demons of Demon Pass seek to rekindle past connections, but this ought not to be," Wumu Master shook his head. "Let this humble one make the decision for you, to sever the incorrect ties of the past." He resumed his steps, not toward Youxiang Restaurant but pivoted to an adjacent, resplendent building. Its grand entrance bore a plaque meticulously carved from a whole spirit stone, — "Tianhai Auction House." This was where, in a few days, a grand auction would take place. ...... Youxiang Restaurant is reputedly the highest-end venue in all of Ghost Demon Pass. A single dish there could deplete a typical Spirit-Condenser's lifetime savings. Of course, the dishes at Youxiang Restaurant were not ordinary, consisting of extraordinarily precious natural treasures, and even some secret legendary beasts reportedly from ancient sealed demon lands. Only the elites of major powers or the upper echelon of the three great factions could afford such extravagant expenses. Rumors claimed the mysterious owner behind Youxiang Restaurant was a former Saintess of the Shadow Spirit Temple—but such claims remained unverified.