"No information?" Wang Shao's smlie instantly disappeared from his face. He was about to slam the cup and lose his temper but then remembered the value of the tea and the fact that breaking the cup would require compensation. So he put it down and angrily said, "A bunch of useless people, can't even find one person!"
The servant dared not speak.
That day by the stream, their group encountered a monster "Hu", and Miss Yang was killed by the monster, leaving no remains. Although Wang Shao was initially angry, he quickly shifted his attention to Liu Yunxin. To him, women were no different from goods. If one was lost, he could always replace her.
Besides, he had coveted Liu Yunxin for a long time.
That's why he tied Liu Yunxin and Mu Cengxiao together and planned to take them both away, intending to make Liu Yunxin his own once they reached Pingyang Town. However, on that very night, Mu Cengxiao escaped with Liu Yunxin.
The young man had disappeared, and Wang Shao's men sent to find him had not been able to locate his whereabouts, which was particularly infuriating.
"Young Master, should we continue searching?" the servant asked.
"Forget it, Mu Cengxiao is a useless fellow, overestimating his abilities to enter the Taiyan Sect. Since that's the case, he will eventually come to Pingyang Town. When the selection competition arrives, I won't need to search for him; he will show up on his own. When that time comes, I'll deal with him slowly!"
The servant obediently withdrew.
Wang Shao was still feeling somewhat unsettled. On the way to Pingyang Town, Yang Zanxing was killed by a monster, and he had also lost Liu Yunxin. Now, he couldn't even find a trace of Mu Cengxiao. It was all quite unfortunate and left him feeling frustrated. He emptied the tea from his cup and stood up to leave.
In the lobby downstairs of the inn, many young cultivators were scattered around, talking about the upcoming recruitment for the Taiyan Sect.
In the cultivation world of the city, the Taiyan Sect is a famous sect. They haven't recruited new disciples for nearly ten years, but this year, they are reopening their doors to new recruits. Young talents from all over the country have come from far and wide to join. These young talents come from different regions, with various accents and diverse attire, making the atmosphere lively.
The "Good Luck" inn is expensive, and most of the people who can afford to stay there are the favored geniuses of prominent clans. Wang Shao, with his status as the young master of a small border town, is somewhat out of place here. However, he is shrewd, and if he can make connections with some prominent disciples at this location, it will serve as support for him when he enters the Taiyan Sect. After all, it seems that he is the only one from Yue City who can enter the Taiyan Sect. Starting off alone is usually not easy.
"Oh, Young Master Wang is here too!" a woman's voice came from behind.
Wang Shao turned around to find a young woman standing behind him. While she might not be considered the most stunning beauty, she had a unique charm. Her eyes were long and slender, her nose and lips delicate, her skin fair, and when she smiled, she exuded a seductive charm. Her gauzy skirt was thin, revealing a layer of crimson undergarments, like a fox spirit from a legendary story. Her eyes captivated people and stole their hearts.
"Miss Xiangrao, did you sleep well last night?" Wang Shao asked charmingly.
Duan Xiangrao smiled slightly, her gaze fixated on Wang Shao like flowing water. "Very well, thank you, Young Master Wang."
Duan Xiangrao is a woman that Wang Shao encountered at the inn. At the time, she was standing in front of the "Good Luck" inn, seemingly driven away by the innkeeper due to lack of money. In a crucial moment, Wang Shao came to her rescue, playing the role of a hero.
Wang Shao has developed feelings for this woman, not only because Duan Xiangrao is bold and alluring during their intimate moments but also because her cultivation level is at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. If all goes well, Duan Xiangrao should be able to enter the Taiyan Sect. If they both cultivate in the Taiyan Sect, they can engage in dual cultivation and mutually benefit from each other. It would indeed be a beautiful arrangement.
As a result, Wang Shao has been spending time with Duan Xiangrao these days, and their feelings have deepened rapidly. Some might even assume that Duan Xiangrao is his fiancée, completely forgetting about the previous "Miss Yang".
"In two days, the Taiyan Sect will hold its disciple recruitment event. I heard that there are many spiritual herbs and elixirs in the Huajin Tower. Young Master Wang, would you like to go and take a look with me?" Duan Xiangrao smiled.
Wang Shao maintained his usual smile on his face, but he was slightly displeased. These past few days, he and Duan Xiangrao have been sharing everything, from accommodation to clothing and accessories, and he has had to foot the bill. The prices in Pingyang Town are much higher than in Yue City, and he has been trying to maintain an appearance of affluence. Duan Xiangrao clearly sees him as a source of wealth.
However, Wang Shao noticed that there were male cultivators nearby who had overheard their conversation. If he declined now, it would make him appear stingy and miserly. While the money was a small matter, losing face was a bigger issue. Calculating the remaining spiritual stones he had, Wang Shao reluctantly replied, "I was actually thinking the same. Let's go."
Duan Xiangrao followed with a smile. As they reached the inn's entrance, they heard a pleasantly surprised voice exclaim, "Young Master!"
A young maid with double-looped buns adorning her hair rushed over, her eyes bright with a smile. "Young Master, this servant finally found you!" She turned to the green-dressed young lady behind her and said, "Young Lady, your guess was right. Young Master is indeed here!"
Zanxing glanced at the inn in front of them, where many cultivators were gathered at the entrance. When Hong Su shouted, many people's attention was drawn towards them.
Finding Wang Shao's location wasn't difficult. Despite Pingyang Town being bustling and vibrant, it was still a small town in the end. Considering Wang Shao's habitual vanity and assessing his spending level, it wasn't hard to deduce that he would choose the only inn in town with river-view rooms, the "Good Luck" inn as his place of stay.
Wang Shao frowned, looking at Hong Su without saying anything. Hong Su panicked, grabbed Zanxing and stepped up to Wang Shao. She said, "Young Master, look, our Young Lady didn't die. She came here to find you!"
"Zanxing?" Wang Shao was stunned.
The girl before him was dressed in a green soft gauze skirt, her face veiled with a layer of white gauze, revealing only a pair of bright eyes. She looked at him silently, without uttering a word.
"How is that possible?" Wang Shao hesitated for a moment, finally coming back to his senses. "Weren't you captured by the monster and dragged into the water? How can you still be alive?"
"I escaped," the girl's voice was calm, a stark contrast to her previous coquettish demeanor.
Wang Shao hadn't noticed this difference yet, while on the other side, Duan Xiangrao's gaze fell on the white veil on Zan Xin's face. She caught a glimpse of faint black marks beneath that veil and smiled as she approached. "Is this Wang Shao's fiancée, Miss Yang, I presume?"
As soon as she finished speaking, her hidden fingers moved swiftly from her sleeve, and a powerful gust of wind lifted Zanxing's veil. A startled "ah" came from somewhere nearby and it wasn't her who had screamed.
Wang Shao pointed at her, his face showing surprise and disgust. "What on earth is that?!"
