An hour before Su Yuan interrogated Wei Youzhu, in the territory of Xianghan Mansion, inside a cave that no one could find.

Ruan Pingcui looked at Taibai Phecda, who was fully dressed and sitting cross-legged, meditating with closed eyes inside the cave, and said solemnly:

"Flame River, you and I have monitored each other for two days. You should have realized that I captured you not for dual cultivation, but for other motives."

"Where exactly are the coordinates of the Exotic World you know? Speak quickly."

Taibai Phecda raised his eyelids, pretending to sneer:

"I heard you work for the Governor of the Cold Plum World. He should already be aware of my capture by you and is on his way here, isn’t he?"

"You are in such a hurry to force my biggest secret out of me before that Governor even arrives, it seems you have ulterior motives."

Ruan Pingcui said lightly:

"So what? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to cooperate with me rather than handing this secret over to the Southern Governor?"

"You must understand, I want to know this secret just to escape to that world and live in peace, while the Southern Governor wants to know this secret to conquer and enslave that world."

"In comparison, isn’t it obvious who is more suited for cooperation?"

Taibai Phecda’s eyes flickered slightly as if in deep thought, but was quite shocked at heart.

"It seems that Sect Leader Ruan of the Joyful Union Sect has some irreconcilable conflicts with the Governor of the Cold Plum World, to the extent she prefers to defect rather than serve under him."

"Could this be my breakthrough in taking over the Cold Plum World?"

After thinking, Taibai Phecda asked:

"Could it be that Sect Leader Ruan places all her hopes of escape in my hands alone? What if you couldn’t catch me, or I refuse to divulge the information to death, then what?"

Ruan Pingcui said:

"Whether we catch you or not doesn’t affect my subsequent plans much."

"Because we will first attempt to assassinate the Southern Governor, and only by seizing the pass token from him can we pass through the World Wall without obstruction, escaping the blockade of the Celestial Law World."

"As for you, we will take you with us when we leave. Even if you’re initially unwilling to reveal the location of the Exotic World, we have plenty of time to make you speak."

We? It seems Ruan Pingcui has assistance, at least a strong individual who has stepped into the Nascent Soul stage for many years.

Two against one, with careful planning, it sounds quite promising.

Moreover, with both sides in conflict, the fisherman profits; even if Ruan Pingcui’s side is at a disadvantage, he could rise in the deadlock and seize the final victory.

Taibai Phecda’s mind raced, realizing the situation was extremely favorable to him, with no reason to intervene recklessly.

"I will not participate in the upcoming assassination operation, but if you really have a chance of winning, I’ll naturally choose to cooperate with you."

Taibai Phecda made his response.

Ruan Pingcui’s lovely face showed satisfaction, she giggled and said:

"I like a decisive man like you. It’s settled then, no going back on the word."

Taibai Phecda did not respond, continuing to meditate with closed eyes.

And less than forty minutes later, a figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.

It was a man of medium build, shrouded in black robes.

Upon entering the cave, the man in black removed his hood, revealing a plain face, a middle-aged man with a smooth, beardless face.

Though the face looked ordinary, the cold and nearly ruthless expression on it would send a chill down the spine of anyone who saw it.

This person was none other than Nan Cang, the de facto emperor of the Cold Plum World, the top figure in both the underworld and official circles, the Southern Governor.

"Greetings, Governor."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Ruan Pingcui giggled, saluting Nan Cang with a look of both reverence and admiration.

There was no hint of rebellion in her demeanor.

Nan Cang glanced at Ruan Pingcui, speaking in an unnaturally hoarse voice:

"You’ve finally reached the Nascent Soul Stage, not wasting my efforts in cultivating you. It’s time for you to fulfill the role of a Furnace Cauldron."

Ruan Pingcui’s smile became slightly forced:

"It is my honor."

Nan Cang withdrew his gaze and said coolly:

"I will not mistreat you. Once that Exotic World is conquered, you’ll have a share of the rewards." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"But before that, we must first extract the whereabouts of the Exotic World."

Saying this, he directed his gaze towards Taibai Phecda, releasing an invisible oppressive force towards him:

"Little friend Flame River, please disclose the location of that world you know. I will allow you to develop it jointly with me."

Upon hearing this, Taibai Phecda feigned a posture of being unable to bear the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator, trembling as he spoke:

"I’ll tell, I’ll tell everything."

"I come from a Small World called Absolute Sword World, and the Main World connected to this Small World is located at..."

Taibai Phecda’s answer went straight to the point, immediately capturing Nan Cang’s attention.

At that moment, Ruan Pingcui’s beautiful eyes suddenly gleamed with cold light; in a brief flash of thought, the entire cave erupted with one pink mist after another, enveloping Taibai Phecda and Nan Cang within.

This was a non-harmful yet extremely potent and fast-acting aphrodisiac.

As it was harmless to people, even the danger instincts of a Nascent Soul cultivator could not detect it before it took effect.

Prior to this, Taibai Phecda had already obtained the method to resist the aphrodisiac, thus could maintain mental clarity, but Nan Cang, caught off guard, was fully exposed to the pink mist.

Once poisoned, the victim will fall into a seductive illusion and be unable to extricate themselves.

Nan Cang’s body stalled because of this.

At the same time, beside Ruan Pingcui, a male figure that had been hiding in the void suddenly appeared.

Even though he revealed himself, his figure remained ethereal, and the Scorpion Tail Saber in his hand shot out like lightning, piercing through space and stabbed into Nan Cang’s lower back in an instant.

Once this blade sinks in, the curved blade would directly reach into Nan Cang’s abdomen, pinning down his Dantian and Nascent Soul, making it difficult for him to employ any techniques.

However, after this stab, a metallic clash sounded, and the Scorpion Tail Saber was violently deflected by a forceful rebound.

Ruan Pingcui and the male figure’s faces changed abruptly.

Because they discovered that beneath the clothing pierced by the Scorpion Tail Saber, there was no protective magical treasure.

Nan Cang had completely relied on his physical body to withstand a full-force strike from a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"Hehehe, I knew you reckless lovebirds wouldn’t just surrender quietly."

In the pink mist, Nan Cang’s voice rang out without any emotional fluctuation.

As he spoke, he slowly turned around, staring expressionlessly at the two rebels before him.

"Ruan Pingcui of the Joyful Union Sect, Kongyue of the Ghost Shadow Sect... You two were the forces I arranged in Xianghan Mansion, yet you are becoming increasingly disobedient."

"Since that’s the case, you can both become the resources to strengthen this seat."

As the words fell, under the shocked gazes of the two Nascent Soul cultivators, Nan Cang slowly raised both hands and casually pinched in the void.

Bang bang—

Accompanied by two explosive sounds from within the chest cavities, Ruan Pingcui and Kongyue’s faces turned pale, and intense pain made them instinctively open their mouths, with organ fragments and blood spilling out.

The enormous gap in power between the sides was undoubtedly revealed at this moment.

Let alone assassinating Nan Cang successfully, even injuring him was entirely impossible.

"Escape!"

Kongyue of the Ghost Shadow Sect gave a low roar to Ruan Pingcui, yet didn’t retreat but instead charged towards Nan Cang with a knife.

Nan Cang didn’t dodge, allowing Kongyue to crash into his body.

Then, a strange thing happened; the part of Kongyue’s body in contact with Nan Cang seemed to melt, rapidly integrating into Nan Cang’s body.

Feeling himself being absorbed bit by bit, Kongyue struggled in despair, but it was all in vain.

However, his suicide attack wasn’t entirely ineffectual; after all, he used his body to slow down Nan Cang’s movement to some extent.

"The Governor of the Cold Plum World... is quite fierce!"

Sitting aside, pretending to be at a loss, Taibai Phecda drew a sharp breath.

Kongyue of the Ghost Shadow Sect had cultivation at the Nascent Soul Third Layer.

Even if it was a relatively weak Nascent Soul Third Layer, being so effortlessly slain was an unbelievable feat.

At the very least, Taibai Phexda admitted that he couldn’t achieve this now.

From this strength comparison, he concluded that even if he joined the battle, it would be futile, merely exposing himself.

So... Did this woman, Ruan Pingcui, even investigate the assassination target’s strength?

Initiate the attack, only to be killed with a single move?

How will this allow me to reap the benefits as a fisherman?

Taibai Phecda deeply felt that plans couldn’t keep up with changes... But he didn’t want to do nothing, as that would only put him in a more passive situation.

As his thoughts spun rapidly, he set his sights on Ruan Pingcui and had an idea.

Even though this idea clearly bore traces of being corrupted by his own disciple, it was at least a feasible plan.

Let’s give it a try.

With this thought, Taibai Phecda suddenly transformed into a streak of blood-red sword light, rushing towards Ruan Pingcui in an instant.

Accompanied by the fall of a bloody sword qi, Ruan Pingcui, who was already severely injured, had a deep, bone-revealing mark cut open on her chest.

"Demoness, how dare you betray the Southern Governor? You’re courting death! Let me, on behalf of the Governor, slay you, the traitor, today!"

Ruan Pingcui looked at Taibai Phecda in shock and said in grief and indignation:

"What a vile person who takes advantage of the wind, you just watch!"

With those words, Ruan Pingcui wasted no more time, turned her head, and ran, disappearing from sight in an instant as she rushed out of the cave.

Taibai Phecda pretended to look around at the cave entrance, then turned around apologetically, reporting:

"Lord Governor, my cultivation is shallow, and I let that Ruan Pingcui escape. Please forgive me, my lord."

"No matter, I oversee the entire Cold Plum World; she won’t escape."

Nan Cang’s tone was calm. Kongyue’s body had been nearly two-thirds absorbed by him, leaving only a hand and foot outside, making Nan Cang resemble a bizarre conjoined figure.

...

Within the Tribulation Moon Space, listening to Wei Youzhu’s account, Su Yuan, who was worried about Ruan Pingcui’s future, suddenly felt a mental tug.

Motis, who guarded the Tribulation Moon Pearl, was summoning him.

With a thought, Su Yuan appeared alone in the external world and saw, in the courtyard, a seductive woman, entirely covered in blood and with a pale face.

It was none other than Ruan Pingcui, the Sect Leader Hehuan, whom Su Yuan had seen with his own eyes not long ago.