Chapter 147: Infiltrating the City Lord's Mansion

The few of them had no idea they were being watched and continued chatting leisurely.

"Senior Brother Yue, your luck is extraordinary today. To think you won tens of thousands of spirit stones and even acquired a Mystic-tier Grade-one spirit artifact. It truly makes one envious." A younger man surrounded a refined-looking, arrogant young man and said with envy.

Senior Brother Yue maintained a calm expression and said indifferently, "Junior Brother Liu flatters me. This trifling amount today is nothing compared to winning even half of that thunder-struck wood you obtained. If Junior Brother is interested, how about we trade today's gains?"

"No, no, no. Why must Senior Brother tease your junior? Obtaining this piece of thunder-struck wood was pure luck, and it's only a few inches long. I was planning to incorporate it into my natal magical artifact, so I won't be trading with you, Senior Brother." Junior Brother Liu's expression changed slightly as he hurriedly spoke.

"Senior Brother, stop teasing the junior brother. Although thunder-struck wood can absorb lightning and greatly benefits our Heavenly Yin Sect's cultivation techniques, having too much will cause an overflow and harm our cultivation. Didn't you already obtain a piece over a dozen inches long last year? Why do you still care about his little scrap?" At this moment, a pretty-looking female cultivator walked out from a room and said with a beaming smile.

Upon seeing the woman, their eyes lit up, followed by pleasant expressions.

"Junior Sister is right. It's not that I coveted his piece of thunder-struck wood, I was merely jesting with him," Senior Brother Yue said with cultivated gentleness.

"Senior Sister looks truly radiant today," Junior Brother Liu said with an honest grin.

The woman gave a playful huff, reached out, and lightly tapped Junior Brother Liu's forehead with her finger. "Our junior brother's mouth is especially sweet today. Did you eat honey before going out this morning?"

Junior Brother Liu rubbed the back of his head and smiled foolishly without answering.

The moment Chen Xiang caught sight of the woman, a strange sensation washed over him.

He observed her briefly. Her appearance was quite agreeable, and her cultivation realm was at the eighth layer of Core Formation, yet he was certain he had never laid eyes on her before!

However, the instant she appeared, Chen Xiang detected a faint scent of blood drifting in the air.

He pondered for a moment, but remained baffled.

"Oh, right, Junior Sister. I went to look for you earlier today, intending to invite you to the gambling house with us, but why were you not in your room?" Senior Brother Yue frowned as he recalled something and asked.

The other senior and junior brothers also cast curious gazes at the woman.

Not only was the woman exceptionally attractive, but her innate talent was also remarkable. She was a key focus of cultivation in their generation, which was why all of them sought to curry favor with her—and perhaps hope for something more intimate!

The woman's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and replied, "Elder Luo summoned me for some matters this morning, so I went to attend to them. I wasn't within the estate, which is why you couldn't find me."

"Elder Luo?" Upon hearing this, the group's expressions shifted, turning alternately red and pale, though ultimately no one uttered a word.

When Chen Xiang heard the name 'Elder Luo,' his eyes instantly lit up.

Even if the Elder Luo they spoke of might not be Luo Tianming, the probability was high. From the surface information he had gathered about the Heavenly Yin Sect, there was only a single Third Elder surnamed Luo.

After a long while, Senior Brother Yue swallowed hard, forced a smile, and said, "Since Elder Luo had matters to attend to, then it cannot be helped. In any case, we will be staying here for a few more days. We can wander about together when you have free time."

"Mm." Everyone nodded gently.

"Very well, Senior and Junior Brothers, what good treasures did you bring back today? Let us gather together for a moment and see if there is anything I desire!" The woman recovered her smile and spoke quite naturally.

Her words came as a delightful surprise to them.

"Junior Sister, I saw a Mystic-tier spirit artifact phoenix hairpin today. It would look quite exquisite on you. If you fancy it, I shall present it to you!" Senior Brother Yue said with a serene smile.

"Senior Sister, I possess a Water Essence Bead that emits water-attribute spiritual qi. Keeping it by your side daily nourishes the skin, and over time, it enhances one's beauty!"

"Pfft, with Senior Sister's natural beauty, what need does she have for a Water Essence Bead? I have Whitening Pills right here. Consuming them makes the skin even fairer. Senior Sister will surely love them!"

"..."

The group crowded around the woman, introducing their spoils of the day as they walked. Most of the items were things a woman would use, each with more impressive effects than the last.

Originally, there were a few other female cultivators among them, but they were now left out in the cold, casting resentful glances at the woman in the center of the crowd.

Yet, Chen Xiang noticed a subtle difference.

He observed that the woman appeared somewhat frail. Although her gait seemed normal, her body exhibited an imperceptible sway, though she recovered and adjusted her posture almost instantly.

"Hehe, this is getting interesting. An untold story between Elder Luo of the Heavenly Yin Sect and a female Core Formation cultivator of the sect..." Chen Xiang muttered with a wretched smile.

This flock of Heavenly Yin Sect disciples gathered in a long pavilion, which doubled as a small-scale trade fair.

Knowing that such gatherings tended to drag on late into the night, Chen Xiang decided against trailing them further and wandered off to explore on his own.

After a short while, Chen Xiang stepped into a courtyard. Security here was much stricter, yet it still posed no obstacle to him.

He pressed close to the wall, moving with cautious steps while glancing left and right. His demeanor closely resembled that of a rookie thief breaking into a trade for the very first time.

"Dammit, why is there never anyone walking alone? It leaves me no chance to experience what it's like for a master to breach a tiger's den!" Chen Xiang muttered to himself.

The City Lord's Mansion was teeming with cultivators who were drilled with strict discipline.

Teams of ten patrolled the grounds, checking their headcounts periodically. Even answering nature's call required groups of three or more, and no one was permitted to exceed the limit of a single quarter-hour. This left him zero opportunity to snatch someone and interrogate them about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Yin Sect members.

If a single person went missing, the entire City Lord's Mansion would likely go into immediate lockdown, creating troublesome complications for his escape.

Thus, he concluded that stories in books were entirely deceptive. Was there really such a thing as casually nabbing a servant or a guard and finding out the layout of the entire City Lord's Mansion?

As Chen Xiang prowled around on tiptoe, he suddenly sensed the presence of a single person inside a nearby room. This brought him a pleasant surprise.

Carefully evading several squads of guards, he cautiously cracked open a narrow gap in the window and peered inside.

He saw a figure within the room, seated at a desk at an oblique angle to the window. Holding a book in hand, the person was reading with rapt attention, completely absorbed and tirelessly immersed in the pages.

Once Chen Xiang managed a clear view, a mental exclamation escaped him.

Bloody hell, another beauty!

This woman was dressed in a white fleece gown with a classic crown resting upon her hair. Her facial features were refined, her skin fair, and her overall appearance breathtaking. In terms of looks, she surpassed the female Core Formation cultivator he had seen earlier, though she fell just a fraction short of Li Hanwei.

"The cultivation world truly offers abundant perks. It seems hardly any of the women I encounter are unattractive," Chen Xiang mused with a sigh of sentiment.

This realm lacked the sorcery of modern cosmetic illusions; these were authentic, natural beauties.

There was not the slightest trace of spiritual fluctuations emanating from this woman, which suggested she was merely a mortal. That realization put his mind completely at ease.

With a flicker of his figure, Chen Xiang materialized quietly behind the woman, then waved his hand to cast a sound-proofing barrier.

Addressing her back with elaborate courtesy, he said smoothly, "Do not be alarmed, fair lady. This traveler lost his way while passing through and wishes to pose a few questions. I hope you will answer them truthfully."

Good manners should never be discarded; Chen Xiang delivered these lines quite naturally, without even a blush.

However, the woman did not turn around. Instead, she calmly turned a page of her book and spoke in an unperturbed tone, "You have been lingering outside my study for quite some time, little friend. That hardly resembles someone who has simply lost their way!"

Chen Xiang stumbled back three paces, staring at the woman's back with an expression as if he had just laid eyes upon a ghost.

What had he just heard?

Though the voice was clear and delicate, it was unmistakably, unequivocally the voice of a man!