Suspicion

Cong Baoxin did not keep her in suspense. "The first to arrive today were two junior sisters from the Azure Sky Sect. The second group was Dean Yu from Flying Star Academy and his entourage. As for Master Jiang, you were the third to arrive."

"Has anything happened here recently?" Hansu asked with some confusion.

"To speak truthfully, nothing of note. The first two groups lingered in my humble shop for a while..." Cong Baoxin deliberately paused, pondering for a moment.

Hansu understood that perhaps he was reluctant to speak further and did not wish to press him. She smiled, "No need to trouble yourself, Daoist Cong; if it is inconvenient, let us leave it be. I hunted some demon beasts a few days ago—would you be interested in purchasing them? Also, I'd like to buy some local specialties, whether water, fire, or wood attributed."

Her words made Cong Baoxin feel a twinge of guilt. He replied, "It's not that I mind, it's just that both groups were a bit peculiar. I truly don’t know their reasons for coming. The two junior sisters from Azure Sky Sect only asked where they might find a teahouse or restaurant and then left without further inquiries. As for Dean Yu... It’s said he’s been recruiting disciples widely of late, but I never expected he would come to recruit in Fuhai Realm. That seems unlikely to me, so I cannot guess his true intention.

However, he brought only a single attendant, so perhaps he has personal business here, who can say?"

"Could it be Da Xiao Xi?" As soon as Hansu heard of the guests' interest in food, she immediately guessed who they must be. Unless everyone in the Azure Sky Sect shared such a trait, it could only be those two. Yet, weren’t they always inseparable from Suoyun? If they had come, where was Suoyun?

"Thank you for telling me, Daoist Cong. I am deeply grateful."

"Please, Master Jiang, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. We’re both strangers in a strange land—if there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask. Come, let me take you to the back to look at your demon beasts. As for local specialties, I’ll have one of my clerks recommend some to you shortly."

As Hansu was selecting souvenirs, Cong Baoxin received a talisman message and had to go out.

"Master Jiang, the local city lord is hosting a banquet for Dean Yu of Flying Star Academy and has invited me as well. I’ve already informed the city lord about you—why not accompany me? As for local specialties, none are as renowned as the City Lord’s Dance. It’s said that many of exceptional talent can comprehend an advanced secret art from her performance. Since the banquet is in honor of Dean Yu, she will most likely perform tonight. It’s a rare opportunity—why not come and see for yourself?"

With such a famous dance, Hansu was indeed eager to witness it and thus readily agreed, following Cong Baoxin out.

The city lord of Glazed City was a dragon maiden, though more precisely, she was a Qiu Niu. Dragons are said to have nine sons, but none truly dragons themselves, so becoming a dragon is the lifelong pursuit of these children. The city lord’s name was Princess Liuli. Though she was a Qiu Niu—a dragon child fond of music—she despised being called by that name and insisted on being recognized as a dragon maiden. Fortunately, the Qiu Niu, even in true form, closely resembled a dragon and was considered one of the more beautiful among the nine children. Perhaps because of this, she did not entirely reject her true nature and often wore yellow garments.

Qiu Niu loved music, and Princess Liuli was among the most accomplished. Her palace was ever resounding with the music of strings. When distinguished guests arrived, she would even perform a dance herself.

But what constituted a distinguished guest?

Power and cultivation meant little to this dragon maiden. What she favored was a face. Those of striking, elegant, jade-like beauty had every chance of becoming the city lord’s honored guest.

Within the city lord’s palace, pavilions and towers faced each other, with countless doors and rare plants everywhere. The radiant beauty, Princess Liuli, was meticulously preparing her appearance.

That very morning, two male companions had just left when she heard of a Confucian cultivator’s arrival—none other than the young dean of Flying Star Academy from Luo Xing Realm. So young, already head of an academy, and what’s more, dashing and refined with an air that could captivate the heart. Such a beauty—how could she let him slip away?

She applied a touch of powder and rouge, swept her long, obsidian hair into an elegant knot, revealing a slender, graceful neck. Around it, as always since childhood, hung a blue-hued necklace, making her skin seem all the more lustrous and radiant. Donning a low-cut, pale yellow gown, her beauty was enhanced yet again. She gazed in rapt admiration at her reflection, imagining the handsome youth at her side, until her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled with seduction...

"City lord, the guests have all arrived."

Her reverie was abruptly interrupted. Annoyed, Princess Liuli flicked her hand, and a taut, razor-sharp zither string silently sliced her servant girl’s throat. "Clean this up."

"Yes..."

She glanced at the blood on her hand, brought it to her lips to lick clean, then tidied her hair and sashayed her way to the front hall.

Since she was a guest of Cong Baoxin, Hansu was honored with a seat in the front row. Coincidentally, Yu Yicong sat at the next table. Watching Cong Baoxin approach to pay his respects, Hansu remained unmoved.

This Dean Yu always gave her an uneasy feeling. Moreover, he was the elder brother of Lu Tanxian—Hansu felt there was more to him than met the eye. For now, she had no dealings with him and did not wish to mingle, so when his gaze swept her way, she merely nodded in acknowledgement and did nothing more.

The banquet tables overflowed, and the feast was about to begin. The city lord, Princess Liuli, finally made her entrance.

She wore a goose-yellow gown over a pinkish-red corset that lifted her ample bosom high. Around her jade-like neck hung a blue, cloud-patterned necklace, concealing the end of her cleavage—revealing yet not revealing, with an allure all its own. Her voice was sweet and captivating, with a unique rhythm that tugged at the heartstrings.

Throughout the banquet, she kept her gaze fixed on Yu Yicong. Seeing him unmoved, she finally could not resist and performed a dance.

Even in hindsight, Hansu would recall it as the most beautiful dance she had ever witnessed. Yu Yicong was so inspired he composed a poem on the spot:

In the southern land, a beauty dances with a willow waist,
At autumn’s end, her sleeves flutter through the air.
She sways like orchid shoots, rises like a wandering dragon,
Surpassing the beauties of Yue and Wu beside the creek.
Her languid movements never end, her myriad poses shape the song.
She turns like a lotus breaking the waves,
Disarrayed as snow swirling in the wind.
Her earrings fall as she glances, her robe trails into the void.
One only fears to never catch her,
For she flies on, chasing the startled swan.

Though the dance was enchanting and captivating, Hansu found herself distracted. The reason was the necklace around Princess Liuli’s neck.

It appeared ordinary—beautiful, yes, but devoid of any spiritual aura. It looked like a simple adornment, chosen to match her attire, yet Hansu’s heart raced wildly, her thoughts in turmoil. The necklace was identical to her own!

The first time the Plot Deity had appeared, Hansu was only at the third level of Qi Refinement, still naively thinking she had crossed worlds just to enjoy a spectacle. Only after dreaming of her parents from her previous life did the Plot Deity reappear and reveal all to her.

Of course, she never called herself the Plot Deity. It was just that she knew the story so well that Hansu naturally assumed so. Later, she transformed into a talking necklace, hanging around Hansu’s neck and offering guidance. Eventually, she said her energy was exhausted and she must sleep but instructed Hansu never to remove the necklace, as it would protect her life.

After that, Hansu embarked on a solitary struggle without direction. Though she never took off the necklace, she always kept it hidden beneath her clothes, never revealing it to anyone. No one knew she possessed such a necklace.

She had thought it was Aunt Ju’s last gift, perhaps the key for her return home—a sliver of hope. Yet today, in this remote, undersea city of Fuhai Realm, she saw a necklace nearly identical to hers on the neck of a dragon maiden city lord. The implications were too significant to ignore.

Perhaps Aunt Ju had once seen such a necklace and, finding it lovely, had deliberately fashioned one in its likeness. Or maybe such necklaces existed naturally, and Aunt Ju had simply acquired one. Or perhaps there was some hidden truth she had yet to discover...

Though Hansu’s eyes watched Princess Liuli’s peerless dance, her mind kept drifting to thoughts about the necklace. She failed to notice that someone else, too, was focused on it.

When the banquet ended, Hansu left the city lord’s palace almost in haste. She hurriedly rented a cave dwelling, set up layers of wards, and, still uneasy, retreated into the immortal palace she hadn’t entered in ages.

Once assured of her safety and privacy, she loosened her collar, unwrapped the hidden necklace, took it off, and examined it carefully.

Azure, with cloud patterns—its shape, size, and texture all matched Princess Liuli’s perfectly. If there was any difference, it might have been her imagination, but Hansu felt hers was alive and more spiritually vibrant, while Princess Liuli’s was lifeless.

She tried to refine the necklace as one would a magical treasure but was almost overwhelmed by a backlash—a stabbing pain in her mind. Thankfully, the thunderweb dormant above her golden core struck out, severing the link and saving her. But the golden thunder was much diminished, like a living thing left feeble and gasping, and would need a long time to recover.

Xueling hurried to fetch spiritual medicine and fed it to her.

"I think this necklace far exceeds your current cultivation. Best not to force it. If not for that thunder, you might not have survived today."

"Yes, I was careless," Hansu replied. The medicine eased her injuries, but she dared not attempt to refine the necklace again. She turned it over and over in her hands but found nothing unusual, finally setting it aside in despair—only to pick it up again moments later and, half in madness, spoke to it: "Aunt Ju? Is that you? I have some questions—can you help me?"

Her voice, weakened by injury, echoed through the empty hall, but no answer came.

"What on earth is going on?" Hansu murmured, finally deciding to venture out again.

But her injuries forced her to recuperate for several days before she could leave. No sooner had she stepped out of her cave than several guards rushed up and surrounded her. "Seize this cultivator!"

Hansu was not afraid but did not wish to cause trouble in this foreign realm. She casually set up a barrier to ward them off and asked, "May I ask what this is about? Only a few days ago I attended the city lord’s banquet—why arrest me now?"

"You attended the city lord’s banquet? Then there’s no mistake—seize her!"

"Hey!" Hansu was about to send the soldiers packing when several demon cultivators, each at the equivalent of Nascent Soul stage, stepped forward to surround and escort her to the city lord’s palace.

She could have escaped if she truly tried, but it hadn’t yet come to that. Besides, Hansu was curious—just what had happened?

Author’s note: I have no talent for poetry, so I had to quote one instead. My apologies. Things are busy lately, but I’ll keep updating as scheduled. We're slowly approaching the end. I hope you’ll share your thoughts; although I may not reply promptly, I do read them all.