What does it feel like when the soul separates from the body?

At this moment, Mu Qingge felt a bit like this! She hadn’t dreamed for a long time, but as soon as drowsiness overwhelmed her, she unexpectedly entered a deep dream...

In the dream, she transformed into those golden figures, and according to the Refining Method in the Divine Strategy, she began to operate her body. Forcing out all the Spiritual Power from the Elixir Field into the meridians.

Then, by reversing the meridians, she transferred this Spiritual Power into her internal organs, muscles, bones, and even her blood.

This kind of reverse Refining Technique brought with it the danger of self-destruction at any moment.

In the dream, Mu Qingge felt extreme pain all over her body, as if her blood were burning, her muscles rapidly expanded, and soon she turned into a gigantic ball in the dream, and then—with a boom, she saw herself being shattered into pieces.

Hoo—!

Mu Qingge abruptly awoke from bed, ice-cold sweat soaking her clothes.

The rapid breathing echoed in the quiet room.

As Mu Qingge gradually calmed down, a feeling of survival after a disaster suddenly rose in her heart. She slowly lifted her hand, touching her cold cheek, and murmured gratefully, "Luckily, it was just a dream. Otherwise, it would have been a really frustrating way to die!"

She lifted her eyes, only to notice that it was already bright outside. It turned out, an entire night had passed.

Mu Qingge was slightly surprised in her heart. She remembered that after finishing dinner last night, she quickly felt sleepy, lay down, and fell asleep. Then she had that dream where she was scared awake, and it was already dawn?

In her perception, it seemed like only a couple of hours had passed, but in reality, an entire night had gone by.

Mu Qingge felt a bit puzzled, but didn’t continue to dwell on it. She lowered her eyes, gazing at her own palms, frowningly said, "Could it be that the Divine Strategy, said by Si Mo to be the highest secret of the Divine Clan, is actually a cultivation technique for killing? Or is it... that only the Divine Clan can cultivate this technique? But... then why would the Mu Family have fragments of the Divine Strategy? And the Legacy Clan..."

Slowly pursing her lips tightly, Mu Qingge fell into deep confusion. The people of the Legacy Clan inexplicably recognized her as their master, and then used the middle volume clues of the Divine Strategy as bait to force her to accept the servant Xie Ya. Why did they use this as bait? Could it be they already knew she had the Divine Strategy?

Or did they know that years ago, the ancestors of the Mu Family took the fragmented scripture of the Divine Strategy upper scroll and went to Linchuan.

If so, then they indeed had a complex relationship with the Mu Family.

However, the cultivation method of this Divine Strategy’s upper scroll is simply not something that can be practiced, and the recent dream was the best warning for her.

Mu Qingge automatically categorized the previous dream as belonging to the realm of ’thinking of it by day and dreaming of it by night’.

It must be because after unraveling the secret of the Divine Strategy’s upper scroll, she kept thinking about it, which led to such a dream. In the dream, she couldn’t resist the temptation of the Divine Strategy and practiced according to its cultivation method, resulting in tragedy.

"Dreams are subconscious reactions, is my body trying to tell me not to rashly cultivate like this?" Mu Qingge slightly raised her eyebrows.

Her thoughts somewhat chaotic, Mu Qingge thought for a moment, then took out the Pill Furnace for alchemy.

Alchemy can concentrate qi and calm the mind, gather focus, and train Spiritual Sense. As always, Mu Qingge wouldn’t waste any time and would arrange her various cultivation practices properly.

The Pill Furnace she took out was not the Heaven-Burning Furnace.

The ambiguous words of the Medicine Tower’s courtyard elder revealed to her that the Heaven-Burning Furnace was not only a valuable item in the Linchuan Realm but even in the Middle Ancient Realm, it was an alchemist’s coveted object.

Since she didn’t fully understand the situation in the Middle Ancient Realm, she wouldn’t take out ’Little Black’ to ’attract trouble’.

Therefore, what she took out was just an ordinary Pill Furnace, but anyway, with her Perfect Realm, even using an ordinary Alchemy Furnace, she could produce top-quality Elixir.

The only difference was the quantity being slightly lower and the speed a bit slower.

Soon, the scent of herbs began to fill Mu Qingge’s room...

Outside the window, the sky turned white, and the night receded.

In Yu Shui City, the peace had vanished since a day ago. Even at night, different people and horses were constantly searching through the streets and alleys.

People from the Jiang Family, people from the Sheng Family, all searching the entire city with torches in hand, and some invisible undercurrents quietly surged.

A night passed, the searchers returned empty-handed. The Dragon Tooth Guards, silently watching everything in the dark, also retreated quietly, returning to Mu Qingge’s temporary residence, the small courtyard.

In an unknown place, the place where Qin Yiyao was held, the pitch-black environment made it impossible to distinguish day from night.

In the darkness, she finally fumbled her way to the side of someone who claimed to be a Sheng Family miss, the two carefully plotted, but neither had a completely assured escape plan.

Qin Yiyao pursed her lips and said, "The situation is unclear now, we don’t know where this place is, who caught us, what their purpose is, how many people are guarding outside, we can only take it one step at a time."

The Sheng Family girl whispered, "As long as I can get out of here, once outside I can release my Sheng Family’s signal, it can be seen within a hundred miles of Yu Shui City, and my family will definitely come to rescue me by then!"

So there’s this move!

Qin Yiyao felt a surge of joy.

It must be said, this was a good opportunity. If the Sheng Family comes, her chances of escaping are greatly increased.

Now, the task was to find a way to get the girl beside her out of this dark prison.

Of course, she had to ensure that before the Sheng Family came, this Sheng Family miss would not be discovered and killed because of releasing the signal.

Otherwise, when the Sheng Family arrived, it would not be a rescue but a killing.

Qin Yiyao frowned slightly, she asked, "After you send out your signal, how soon can your family get here?"

The Sheng Family girl calculated in her mind and honestly replied to Qin Yiyao, "I don’t know where this place is, how far it is from Yu Shui City. If it is within the visible range of the signal, they will arrive in at most half an hour."

So—there were still too many uncertainties.

What to do? Gamble or not to gamble?

Qin Yiyao slowly bit her lower lip, falling into a struggle and deep thought.

"Hey, we’ve been talking for so long, I still don’t know if you’re a man or a woman. But judging by your voice, you should be young, maybe even younger than me, yet so capable, thinking of so many things I can’t." The Sheng Family girl suddenly said.

Qin Yiyao had been speaking in a deliberately modulated tone, making it hard to discern the gender from her voice.

Hearing the admiration in the Sheng Family girl’s words, she smiled silently, a touch of unseen melancholy flashing through her eyes hidden in the darkness.

The Sheng Family girl’s praise brought her memories of the past, of that person.

All of a sudden, the image of someone in a blood-red robe, dazzling like the sun, vividly flashed in her mind, their flawlessly beautiful face still carrying that arrogant and confident smile. With every gesture and movement full of strategic insight, mastering clouds with one turn of the hand, covering rain with another, ruthless yet at times gentle and meticulous...

A hint of daze appeared in her expression, murmuring, "Am I formidable? That’s because you haven’t met that person. My little survival tricks are nothing before him. No matter how I disguise myself, I’m utterly defenseless in front of him."

"Who is it! So formidable? More intelligent than you?" The Sheng Family girl curiously asked.

Qin Yiyao smiled with a complex expression, speaking in a bitter tone, "He is not just intelligent, he could be described as a prodigy!"

"So formidable! I really want to meet him. Once we get out of here, will you take me to meet him? I’ve always had a thing for smart people, unlike my silly brother who keeps telling me not to do this and that!" The Sheng Family girl pleaded.

Qin Yiyao shook her head with a bitter smile, "I’m afraid I can’t promise you that. I don’t even know if I’ll ever have the chance to see him again, or if I should even meet him."

The Sheng Family girl sensed the faint sadness in her words.

Just as she was about to ask, there was a sudden noise.

It was the sound of a bolt being drawn, as if the people who captured them were finally about to show themselves.

"Shh." Qin Yiyao snapped back to reality, her numerous experiences between life and death making her entire body vigilant. She reminded the Sheng Family girl beside her, "Before we figure out the situation, don’t reveal your identity, and don’t act rashly."

The Sheng Family girl admired Qin Yiyao at this moment and nodded her head continuously, sealing her lips tightly.

The tightly closed door finally opened.

The long-lost light streamed in through the crack, dispersing the darkness near the door and allowing Qin Yiyao to see the thickness and texture of the door. It was a Mystic Iron Gate, very thick, which she couldn’t break through with her current cultivation.

According to her experience, only those above the Gray Realm might be able to break this door.

The door was slowly pushed open from outside, light wrapped around a few people, appearing in the dark room.

"It stinks." The person who just stepped in couldn’t help muttering with disdain.

It was a man who had come!

Immediately, he impatiently said, "Make it brighter here. How am I supposed to choose anyone in this darkness?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the few people who entered with him began to disperse, heading to the corners of the room to light the torches hanging on the walls.

Flames ignited in the room, and the firelight dispelled the darkness, gradually revealing the outlines of the room to everyone present.

The interweaving of light made certain areas clearer, while some corners became even darker as shadows layered.

However, it finally allowed Qin Yiyao and the female from the Sheng Family to see clearly their surroundings.

It turned out that this was a prison.

Before them, with the newcomers on the other side of the bars, it felt like being trapped in a cage like a small beast.

Besides them, quite a few people were crammed together in the cage. Qin Yiyao finally saw clearly the appearance of the girl claiming to be from the Sheng Family next to her.

Despite some dirt on her cheeks, the girl had a pretty and charming look, her eyes brimmed with spiritual energy, appearing somewhat playful.

As she scanned Qin Yiyao, the girl from the Sheng Family curiously looked back at her.

She realized Qin Yiyao was dressed as a man, and couldn’t help but feel shy, as if she had never been so close to a stranger man before.

"Don’t get me wrong, I am a woman," fearing the Sheng Family girl might harbor resentment and affect their cooperation, Qin Yiyao promptly clarified her identity.

Hearing this quiet explanation, the girl from the Sheng Family was taken aback, scrutinized Qin Yiyao earnestly, and confirmed her gender upon noticing a hint of femininity between her eyebrows.

She playfully stuck out her tongue and whispered, "Turned out you’re an elder sister."

Qin Yiyao smiled faintly and quickly scanned around, signaling her not to act rashly. Previously, their whispered conversations after huddling together were not likely heard by others.

Besides, in this predicament, most people were dazed, and who would notice what they were saying?

The girl from the Sheng Family grasped the hint, shrunk inwardly, pursed her lips.

At this moment, the man walking into the cell scanned over, and Qin Yiyao promptly lowered her eyelids.

"Why are they all like this?" the man unhappily spoke. The dissatisfaction in his tone also tightened his eyebrows.

Someone leaned close to him and cautiously said, "Lord, our Ninth Lord asked me to tell you that many people have been missing recently in various cities, causing some commotion. There are fewer people moving alone, making business difficult, asking for your understanding."

Upon hearing the explanation, the man still responded with a cold snort of dissatisfaction.

Nonetheless, he did not continue to complain, and impatiently took the long pole handed over by the person beside him.

The long pole resembled a fishing rod, but it was thicker and longer than a fishing pole.

Holding the long pole, he extended its other end into the gaps of the bars.

The other end of the pole swung back and forth among the people inside, seemingly selecting merchandise.

Qin Yiyao and the Sheng Family girl squeezed into the corner, secretly observing the movements of the pole.

The pole intermittently hit some people, lifting their chins, as the man outside the bars carefully scrutinized them left and right, then disappointedly shook his head, moved the pole away, and landed it on another person.

This selection process gave Qin Yiyao a feeling as if they had fallen into the villain’s hands.

She was being treated as a slave for sale!

Vaguely, Qin Yiyao seemed to realize she had fallen into some sort of den. She never imagined that within the Middle Ancient Realm, such an underground human trafficking market existed!

"Too poor, this batch of goods is really too poor. Tell your Ninth Lord, such goods can’t fetch the usual price." The person holding the pole selected with disgust, occasionally bargaining with the nearby people.

The people beside him only smiled apologetically.

The matter of price was beyond their control.

The person with the pole seemed aware of this fact, so he merely complained verbally and did not persist continuously.

After a long while, he reluctantly chose a person, pointed the pole at her forehead, and said to the person beside him, "She counts as one."

Immediately, the gate to the bars was opened, and someone entered, walked up to the selected woman, and roughly grabbed her hair.

"Ah—!" The woman was already very scared and now in pain, she couldn’t help but cry out.

Yet, this cry of fear did not change her fate; the person who entered had no sympathy for her, forcefully lifted her by the hair, dragging her towards the door.

The woman was dragged awkwardly across the ground, her scalp seemed on the verge of tearing apart. She tightly grasped the hand on her head, constantly screaming and flailing her legs.

But ultimately, she was dragged out of the cage and thrown before the man with the pole.

"Be gentle, if she’s damaged and the price drops, will you compensate me?" the man with the pole complained.

The person who dragged the woman shrank their neck, stepped back.

Indignantly glaring at him, the man with the pole then focused his gaze on the woman on the ground. He looked down at her, his eyes assessing like examining goods. "Raise your head."

The woman on the ground was engulfed in fear.

Upon hearing his voice, she dared not refute. Her body trembled uncontrollably, as she shakily raised her head, looking pitifully at the person standing in front of her.

The man holding the pole glanced at her, snorted through his nose, "Passable."

Saying that, he no longer paid attention to her, and started selecting others with the pole again.

The cell contained both men and women, but mostly women. The men remained unconscious, unaware of their current circumstances.

This point puzzled Qin Yiyao, why were only women awake?

Could it be, the drug had a stronger effect on men?

She didn’t realize her speculation was the truth.

Those who captured them used a formula that included some ingredients, which made men’s physique more susceptible to paralysis and prolonged the sleep.

This way, by the time they awoke, most transactions had been completed, the situation was irreversible.

Even if they wished to resist, it would be useless.

Indeed, the man holding the pole appeared only interested in women, indifferent to men. Qin Yiyao noticed his pole always bypassed the unconscious men, landing on the frightened, crying women.

He selected two more women, but his expression was never satisfied.

Finally, his pole moved from the periphery, stretching toward the corners of the cell, those shrouded in shadow, the hiding place of Qin Yiyao and the Sheng Family girl.

"Sister, what should we do?" Seeing the pole draw closer, the Sheng Family girl quietly asked Qin Yiyao.

"Stay calm. Maybe this is a chance to leave!" Qin Yiyao’s mind rapidly raced.

They didn’t know where they were, how far from Yu Shui City, if Sheng Miss’s mark was useful, or if Sheng Family could arrive in time, so they could do nothing.

But if selected by this person and left here, they might find out where they are outside and then seize an opportunity to escape!

The girl from the Sheng Family didn’t quite understand Qin Yiyao’s meaning, but chose to trust her anyway.

Finally, the pole landed on the shoulder of the Sheng Family girl.

That jab was quite forceful, nearly making her cry from pain, but she managed to hold it in. She raised her head, her small face filled with anger as she looked outside the bars.

If she were at the Sheng Family, anyone who dared treat her this way would have long met their demise!

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the Sheng Family, nor did anyone recognize her as the girl from the Sheng Family!

"Oh! Those eyes are nice, with a stubborn glint, truly appealing to some wealthy young masters." Surprisingly, her look caused the eyes of the man holding the pole to brighten.

Upon seeing her appearance clearly, a satisfied look appeared on his face for the first time. "Didn’t expect such outstanding quality merchandise here, nearly overlooked you. You’re the one!" Saying this, he forcefully jabbed her shoulder again with the pole.

"Sister!" The Sheng Family girl instinctively looked at Qin Yiyao beside her, seemingly seeking her advice.

This drew the attention of the man with the pole to the man-dressed Qin Yiyao beside her.

In his eyes, there was an intriguing look. The long rod moved from the shoulder of the Sheng Family woman to Qin Yiyao’s neck, lifting up to rest against her throat, raising her face. "Another woman disguised as a man?"

Immediately, he said to the people beside him, "Go, bring both of them out."

The Sheng Family woman’s eyes flashed with anger, about to lose her temper, but Qin Yiyao grabbed her hand and shook her head. She wanted to use this man to leave here; being chosen was the best outcome.

Qin Yiyao pulled the Sheng Family lady to stand up, speaking loudly, "No need to trouble yourselves, we’ll come out by ourselves." After speaking, the two of them walked past the others towards the door.

Their cooperation surprised the people outside the fences.

It seemed that, in all their years of work, this was the first time they encountered such cooperative ’goods’.

However, since the ’goods’ were willing to cooperate, it saved them a lot of trouble. That filthy, disgusting cage, they really didn’t want to go there.

Qin Yiyao pulled the Sheng Family lady through the low doorway, standing before the man holding the long rod.

The firelight shone on them, making their features more distinct.

The man holding the long rod looked amazed, even his companions’ eyes lit up.

"Top grade! Truly top grade." The man threw aside the long rod in his hand, excitement rising in his eyes.

He had thought he had picked an ill-tempered pretty girl, but upon seeing their features clearly, he realized he nearly made a mistake.

The two of them, one was exquisitely dressed, though their clothes were a bit messy and dirty, their unique temperament couldn’t be concealed. Their features were uncommonly delicate and charming, exceptionally adorable.

And the other one? Although dressed in coarse hemp clothes and disguised as a man, an innate noble and cool temperament could not be hidden. Their features combined sensuous allure with an aloofness that kept others at bay, like an iceberg.

Such contradictory temperament and appearance, appearing in the same person, can truly be called a fascinating creature, a top-grade beauty!

He seemed to foresee how much considerable income these two women could bring him!

"It’s you two! Come with me!" the man said excitedly.

His shout brought everyone else back to awareness.

The person who had previously spoken to him immediately came over and asked, "Lord, what about these three?"

Three?

Only then did he remember the three people he had previously chosen. His gaze swept over the women huddled together on the ground, just bowing their heads and crying. The slight appeal he saw before now seemed utterly displeasing.

Compared to the two celestial beings standing before him, these three were no better than dirt beneath his feet!

A hint of disgust flashed in his eyes, and he said impatiently, "No, no. I only want these two! Throw those three back!"

He then changed his tone, full of smiles, and said to Qin Yiyao and the Sheng Family lady, "Beautiful ladies, come with me."

...

In Yu Shui City, during daylight, despite the absence of the infamous abductor, the streets and alleys remained bustling.

However, the Jiang Family’s search continued, closely scrutinizing any beautiful young women. The Sheng Family’s secret investigation persisted, but nobody knew exactly whom they searched for.

Mu Qingge, at this time, was sitting in a private room on the second floor of a teahouse, the open window revealing a bustling marketplace. In the distance, a glimpse of buildings concealed behind high walls and trees could be seen.

That was the Le Family’s estate.

The cities in the Middle Ancient Realm were all massive, making those in the Linchuan Realm seem like child’s play in comparison. Within the city, the various families’ estates covered vast areas.

Much like the Le Family in front of Mu Qingge, even from this distance and height, it was impossible to encompass the entire estate with a single glance. Only the tip of the iceberg was visible, yet it was already enormous. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Mu Qingge sat at the table, lazily leaning back in her chair, legs crossed on the table, elbows resting on the armrests, playing with a teacup in her hand, her eyes half-closed, a faint smile playing on her lips.

A white jade token was tossed casually on the table.

The token was silent at first but soon emitted a voice.

"Chief Steward, you’ve arrived."

"Hehe, indeed. Today is the family meeting; how could I be late?"

"..."

"As long as our Le Family stands at the forefront of this ranking competition, it will be even more glorious!"

"It’s all thanks to the wise leadership of the Family Head!"

"Eh? Chief Steward, is this a new jade pendant you bought?"

"I just bought it. It was sold by a ruined family’s unfilial offspring. I happened to pass by and bought it on sight."

"The Chief Steward indeed has a discerning eye! No antique escapes your sharp gaze!"

In the midst of the flattery, random conversations mingled.

Listening to these dialogues, Mu Qingge’s smile deepened.

The jade pendant on the table was not an ordinary one. Remember Bai Xiyue? And Qin Jinhao?

Back then, Qin Jinhao collaborated with Bai Xiyue to steal intelligence from Mu Mansion. He once gave Bai Xiyue a pair of jade pendants.

Or rather, it’d be more accurate to call them eavesdropping charms.

However, their design and texture were so similar to jade pendants that they could easily be mistaken.

Qin Jinhao learned about this eavesdropping charm by chance. It wasn’t something from Linchuan. Later, it fell into Mu Qingge’s hands, where it lingered in a corner gathering dust until now when it finally served a purpose.

The Le Family’s records provided only scant notes about this Chief Steward.

Yet, it was these few notes that allowed Mu Qingge to exploit it completely.

Le Family’s Chief Steward was fond of antiques and jade artifacts, frequently browsing the jade market in Yu Shui City.

Seizing on his hobby, Mu Qingge used some tricks at the jade market to make him buy the eavesdropping charm and wear it.

The Le Family was holding a general meeting, and a Chief Steward wouldn’t miss it.

As long as he attended, Mu Qingge didn’t need to step into the Le Family at all to hear the meeting’s contents clearly.

Most importantly, his charm could only eavesdrop, whereas Mu Qingge’s charm allowed her to listen.

Mu Qingge held the teacup in both hands, rotating it slowly in her palms, bringing it to her lips for a sip of the warm tea.

In the Le Family’s conference hall, people had already filled the seats.

These individuals were all crucial figures of the Le Family, from the ruling generation to the upcoming younger generation, present in full force, emphasizing the scale and significance of the meeting.

Le Family’s Chief Steward sat in his place, frequently fiddling with the new jade pendant tied to his waist, growing fonder with each glance.

"The Family Head has arrived—!"

A loud announcement pulled his attention away from the pendant, prompting him and the others to stand up and welcome the Le Family Head’s arrival.

The Le Family’s head appeared to be over fifty, gray streaking his temples. Yet, his true age was unknown. The higher the cultivation, the longer the life span, making it harder to judge age by appearance.

His brows carried an air of authority and dominance, exuding an aura of supreme self-sovereignty.

He strode to the family leader’s seat and sat majestically, his gaze sweeping the hall, emanating a commanding presence.

"Take your seats."

Once he spoke, everyone returned to their seats.

"Does everyone have confidence in tomorrow’s ranking competition?" The Le Family Head asked.

This voice, captured by the eavesdropping charm at the Chief Steward’s waist, was almost simultaneously transmitted to Mu Qingge’s listening charm, letting her hear it.

Getting straight to the point right from the start? How delightful!

Mu Qingge’s eyes curved slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.

Once the topic unfolded, the people of the Le Family began to chat noisily. However, in the end, they were all giving vague promises—essentially belittling their opponents to elevate themselves.

After listening for a while, Mu Qingge felt somewhat bored.

Suddenly, a sentence came through the Listening Talisman, making her eyes open wide, a cold trace appearing in her clear gaze.

The sentence was, ’It’s a pity that the Treasure Master suddenly went missing. If he were here, over these years, he could have secured more resources for the family disciples, and our Le Family’s strength would be even greater!’

Missing person?

A woman’s intuition told Mu Qingge it must be related to her!

Sure enough, the following words confirmed her guess.

"Humph, that guy relied on the Family Head’s trust and indulgence and dared to secretly run to the Linchuan Realm, and ended up disappearing, life and death unknown. The Family Head sent the steward to find him, but the person reportedly died in a place like Linchuan. The three Le Tian brothers went to investigate this matter and haven’t returned to this day. It seems someone in the barren Linchuan Realm is opposing us Le Family!"

’The Le Family hasn’t forgotten this matter, as expected.’ Mu Qingge’s gaze turned cold, her aura growing icier. Even Xie Ya who entered to pour her tea was taken aback.

The Listening Talisman continued to transmit voices—

"Ha! In such a backward place as the Linchuan Realm, is there really someone not afraid to offend our Le Family?"

"If not, how do we explain our Le Family’s people continually going missing? Even the Longevity Lamp has been extinguished?"

"Eavesdropping Charm!" The voice from the Jade Pendant made Xie Ya exclaim in shock.

Her voice drew Mu Qingge’s gaze towards her.

Under those clear eyes, Xie Ya spoke honestly, "I’ve seen it before on Duole Island."

Eavesdropping Charm on Duole Island?

Mu Qingge slightly furrowed her brow.

What on earth is the origin of the Legacy Clan?

"I’ve heard Father mention that this belongs to our homeland, and is found nowhere else. Today, seeing it with the Young Master surprised me. However, the Young Master is not an ordinary person, so the Mu Clan possessing the Eavesdropping Charm is understandable." Xie Ya said.

The misunderstanding in her words, Mu Qingge had no intention to correct.

In truth, this Eavesdropping Charm wasn’t related to the Mu Family, and what they mentioned about a seemingly strong, mysterious, yet fallen Mu Clan doesn’t seem related either.

Homeland, where is it exactly?

"You may leave now." A flash of cold passed through Mu Qingge’s eyes. She kept her doubts to herself, not continuing to question Xie Ya.

Xie Ya took a glance at her and quietly left the room.

Mu Qingge put the Legacy Clan matters aside, calming her mind to continue listening to the news from the Eavesdropping Charm.

"Family Head, our Le Family must not let mere ants from Linchuan bully us." someone suggested.

The topic shifted suddenly, moving from preparation for the ranking competition to the people opposing the Le Family in the Linchuan Realm.

However, this is precisely what Mu Qingge wanted to know most.

She wanted to know what the Le Family would do next!

"Naturally, this matter will not be left unresolved." The Family Head of the Le Family spoke.

The Eavesdropping Charm grew silent suddenly, as though everyone held their breath, waiting for the Family Head’s next words.

"Previously, the three Le Tian brothers were sent over, but they did not return before the channel closed. The Everlasting Lamp left behind in the family indeed went out, indicating they are already dead. In the Linchuan Realm, someone capable of killing them is indeed worth investigating. However, with the family ranking competition imminent, coupled with not being able to frequently open temporary channels to Linchuan, this matter has been shelved. Once the ranking competition ends, the timing will be right. Then, I will ask the Great Elder to again use Great Magical Power to build a temporary channel, allowing the young generation disciples of the family to go over for training, and thoroughly investigate this matter, find the culprit who killed our Le Family people, eliminate all related individuals, and bring him alone back to the Le Family, abolish his cultivation, gouge his face, carve our Le Family slave characters on his face, and make him eternally serve our Le Family!"

Mu Qingge’s gaze grew colder as the Le Family Head spoke.

Even her aura dropped in temperature, as if forming ice shards in the air.

The chill seemed to coat the room with a thin layer of frost.

If someone seeks to kill her, she will kill them. This principle, she has always understood!

The Le Family wants revenge, wants her life; she understands, even thinks it reasonable. But they insist on involving whoever is connected to her!

In Linchuan, she left too many bonds...

Not only are there her grandfather and aunt, but also her newly born cousin. Besides family, there are friends, sworn buddies at the Medicine Tower, golden orchid ties with Jiang Li, and those friends she has acknowledged. She will not allow anyone to stain or harm these people!

If the Le Family truly goes to the Linchuan Realm, with their cultivation suppressed at the threshold, it would be a disaster for her relatives and friends.

She came to prevent this from happening.

Originally, after all these years, experiencing countless trials, reaching the Middle Ancient Realm, and arriving at the Le Family’s doorstep, she thought perhaps they had forgotten about this matter. Unexpectedly, not only have they not forgotten, but their methods of retaliation have become even more ruthless.

"The Le Family, truly damned!" Mu Qingge said coldly.

The Eavesdropping Charm continued to transmit the voices of Le Family members.

Following the Family Head’s speech, their enthusiastic responses filled the room, as though Mu Qingge had already been caught and handled before them.

"Right, in these few days two episodes occurred in the city." Suddenly, someone shifted the topic.

"Yes, it seems the Jiang Family’s spoiled child was slightly injured by a brothel girl. The other, you mean the disappearance of the Sheng Family’s little princess, right?"

’Sheng Family little princess missing?’ This unexpected news made Mu Qingge’s eyes sparkle.

Her mind immediately recalled all the information Mo Yang mentioned regarding the Sheng Family.

Indeed, he had mentioned that the Sheng Family has been secretly looking for someone these past few days.

Unexpectedly, they were searching for their own young lady, the one revered as the jewel in the Sheng Family, Sheng Susu has gone missing!

The disappearance of the Sheng Family’s young lady made Mu Qingge feel as if she had captured something, albeit vaguely.

However, that notion was too blurry for her to understand distinctly.

"Humph, this is good news, heaven seems to favor us! It doesn’t matter for the Jiang Family, but the Sheng Family came prepared this time, aiming to rival our Le Family. Now that their little princess is missing, they must be thrown into chaos. Hahahaha..."

The Eavesdropping Charm resonated with a burst of laughter.

The Le Family gleefully mocked Sheng Susu’s disappearance.

"While Sheng Family has been guarding the news closely, we still found out. This time, our Le Family’s chances of victory have greatly increased!"

The meeting concluded with the Le Family savoring imagined victory over the Sheng Family.

Mu Qingge held the Listening Talisman tightly, inputting spiritual power to shut down its eavesdropping.

Knock, knock—!

From behind came a knock on the door.

Mu Qingge stored the Eavesdropping Charm, speaking blandly: "Enter."

The door was pushed open, and Mo Yang walked in.

He approached Mu Qingge from behind, bowing his head, speaking in a deep voice: "Young Lord, there’s some progress in the investigation about the Spiritual Beast Car. It seems to have ties to a black market dealing in human trafficking underground. I’ve learned that this black market holds regular auction events, where the goods auctioned are people. The organization responsible for the abduction appears to be supplying them. Tonight is the scheduled auction night for this black market."

"Tonight, huh?" Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed with a dark glow.

This black market sure picked a time, choosing to hold their auction the night before the Yu Shui City’s ranking competition begins.

Mu Qingge’s gaze turned obscure, instructing Mo Yang: "Prepare the auction invitation."