Chapter 197: Golden Eyes

He sprinted across the rooftop tiles. The golden-eyed man chuckled, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. With a casual wave of his hand, he sent Linghu Meng flying. “Overestimating yourself.”

The powerful surge of spiritual energy blasted Linghu Meng off his feet. But just as he was about to be hurled off the roof, he twisted his body midair and grabbed hold of the Concealment Spirit Tool dangling at the edge.

As he was flung away, he also yanked the Concealment Spirit Tool along with him. The cloaking field shifted, revealing the two figures beneath it.

Linghu Meng crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, bones snapping. He let out a cold laugh. “Didn’t see that coming, did you? This was my real plan all along.”

The golden-eyed woman snorted. “…What a sneaky little fox. But with how dumb you are, this is about all you’re good for.”

Just as she finished speaking, a burst of spiritual energy shot out from the Spirit Artifact in Linghu Meng’s hand, slamming into him and making him cough up three mouthfuls of blood.

“We didn’t come here to kill anyone,” the woman said. “Consider this a warning. Now get lost.”

Linghu Meng hadn’t expected them to let him go. His survival instinct kicked in instantly. He threw down the Spirit Artifact and scrambled away, rolling and crawling like his life depended on it.

“We’re just letting him go?” the golden-eyed man mused. “That was a second-tier Breath-Concealing Ring. Worth a decent chunk of change. Looks like it got busted in the fall.”

“Let him be bait. It’ll help divert Bai Su’s attention.” The woman pulled out a new concealment item. “It’s only a matter of time. I don’t believe Bai Su could’ve sensed us just now. She’s strong with a sword, but when it comes to this kind of thing, she’s still lacking.”

“Let’s move. Time to find a new spot.”

The two stood up and began discussing their next destination.

Meanwhile, inside the Demon-Locking Bag they’d overlooked, a wisp of black smoke slowly drifted out.

……

……

Lian Mu flew along the path pointed out by the Silver Crane. The Flying Sea Pavilion was as lively as ever, with no sign that anything was amiss.

It seemed the people here had no idea intruders had slipped in. Whoever that was, they weren’t targeting the Flying Sea Pavilion—they were after her.

After some thought, she decided, for now, to believe this wasn’t some elaborate trap orchestrated by Bai Su to lure her out and silence her under the guise of a robbery.

Now that the red-eyed Five-form Beast was dead, her agitation had gradually settled, and her mind was beginning to clear.

If it was just about Green Bean, Bai Su wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. They’d already agreed to a straightforward exchange—money for the Spirit Pet. Bai Su didn’t strike her as someone short on cash.

But then again, she hadn’t offended anyone who’d go this far… had she?

Lian Mu thought back over her past actions. While she wasn’t exactly a paragon of virtue, she had her limits. She’d never made any mortal enemies.

Whoever had gone to the trouble of kidnapping Ji Mingyue and Green Bean clearly had a serious grudge—or maybe they were after something she had.

A thought struck her. She instinctively touched the Jiao Pearl between her fingers.

She’d retrieved the Jiao Pearl from Penglai Island, and Xuan Che had told her to keep it on her at all times. She’d fashioned it into a ring. The band was forged from a special concealment Spirit Material, so no one but her could sense the spiritual energy it held.

Aside from that, she had nothing of value on her. Her pockets were emptier than her face was clean.

She racked her brain but couldn’t figure out what anyone would want from her. No matter how you looked at it, she was just a plain, broke cultivator. She didn’t even wear her sword on her waist—she kept it tucked away in her spatial pouch. Murong Yi had once joked that if you tossed her into a crowd without her sword, no one would even guess she was a cultivator.

As she pondered, a sudden sensation tugged at her heart—something had returned.

She immediately reached out with her spiritual energy, and sure enough, the connection with Green Bean had reestablished. It was faint—so faint it could break at any moment—but it was there.

Lian Mu tried to resonate with it. She closed her eyes and followed the thread of spiritual energy into Green Bean’s consciousness. All she saw was a flash of darkness.

Then, after a moment, another image flickered—this time, a tiny, dim light.

Green Bean was likely trapped by a Spirit Artifact. But the artifact didn’t seem to be restraining it much—Green Bean had even taken a bite out of it like it was lunch.

Still, for the spiritual link to be this weak, there had to be another Spirit Artifact interfering—one that blocked spiritual fluctuations. And it had to be at least third-tier.

They were really going all out. She couldn’t earn enough for two third-tier Spirit Artifacts even after half a year of bounty hunting.

Spending that kind of money just to deal with a broke cultivator like her—what was the point?

Lian Mu changed course, following the thread of spiritual energy. But the farther she flew, the more uneasy she felt.

This path… it was leading straight to the central area of the Flying Sea Pavilion—Bai Su’s residence. Bai Lingque had taken her there once before, so she had some memory of the place.

Lian Mu: “……”

Just as she came to a halt, a figure flew toward her from the distance—it was Bai Su herself.

Seeing her there, Bai Su’s serious expression shifted to one of surprise. “You’re here too, little friend? Is the match over already?”

Her voice was gentle, tinged with pleasant surprise, as if the murderous look Lian Mu had seen on her face earlier had been nothing but a hallucination.

“It’s over,” Lian Mu said coolly. “I came out to look for my friend.”

Bai Su smiled. “Then you must’ve won. It seems I didn’t misjudge you.”

Lian Mu replied, “Pavilion Master Bai, drop the act. Does Flying Sea Pavilion really think all its guests are fools?”

The smile on Bai Su’s face froze. “So you know… I admit, we mishandled this. On behalf of the Flying Sea Pavilion, I offer you my sincerest apologies. We’ll do everything we can to help you find your friend. The Pavilion has sealed all exits and is fully mobilized to catch the intruders. We didn’t tell you earlier because we weren’t sure of their strength. They were hiding in the shadows, and you were their target—I couldn’t risk your safety.”

Lian Mu said, “Actually, I didn’t finish my last match.”

Bai Su didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“My Spirit Pet was stolen too.”

At that, fury flashed across Bai Su’s face. “They dared go that far… They must have a death wish.”

Lian Mu said, “There’s no point in more explanations. If their disappearance truly has nothing to do with you, then I hope the Flying Sea Pavilion will cooperate with me.”

“Of course,” Bai Su said. “Just now, I detected their spiritual energy fluctuations—this way.”

Lian Mu glanced in the direction she pointed. It was completely different from the one she had been following—exactly the opposite, in fact.

“It’s not here,” she said. “My spiritual connection with General Bean points that way, and it’s on the move. They’re dragging him around and getting close to your place.”

Bai Su frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then immediately used a Communication Talisman to contact another group. “Bai Lingque, take your team to the East Pavilion and search it thoroughly.”

“Pavilion Master, we’ve already reached the East Pavilion. The guards there said Linghu Meng came by, but he was alone. No sign of anyone else.”

Bai Su was silent for a moment, then said, “They’ve abandoned Linghu Meng. Don’t let that bastard off the hook either—capture him and lock him in the Sea Chamber.”

“Understood.”

Bai Su turned back. “Would you be so kind as to lead the way, young friend?”

With Bai Su joining in, things became much easier. Before, Lian Mu had been planning to outwit their enemies with clever tactics. But now that Bai Su was on her side, it was practically a guaranteed win.

The two of them moved swiftly, weaving through layers of pavilions until they reached the west wing of the Flying Sea Pavilion. This was where Bai Su usually handled affairs, and it housed many of the sect’s secrets, protected by high-grade barriers.

Lian Mu tested the strength of the barrier—it was easily a thousand times stronger than the one at the Beast Fighting Arena. “Pavilion Master Bai, I suggest you set up a similar barrier at the Beast Fighting Arena. If I hadn’t come prepared today, Gong Yu’s demonic beast would’ve torn through a crowd by now.”

Bai Su’s mouth twitched. “You’re right, young friend. I’ll hire a more powerful talisman cultivator another day.”

It was the first time Lian Mu had seen that expression on her face. From Bai Su’s helpless smile, she caught a glimpse of cold, deadly intent.

Lian Mu was quite pleased.

Those fools who dared to cause her trouble were as good as dead now.

“Have you found anything nearby?” Bai Su asked.

“In the vicinity,” Lian Mu replied in a low voice. “But their Concealment Spirit Tool is too high-grade. I can’t pinpoint the exact location.”

The Spirit Artifact restraining Green Bean was tough—he’d been gnawing at it for ages and had only managed to chew out a hole the size of a bean. If their spiritual link were just a bit stronger, she could have locked onto them directly.

Now that Bai Su was here, Lian Mu didn’t bother using her own search talismans. The Flying Sea Pavilion’s talisman papers were far superior—no need to waste her own.

Sensing Green Bean’s presence gave Lian Mu some relief. If Green Bean was okay, Ji Mingyue was likely safe too.

It seemed their enemies weren’t sure which one she cared about more. Before negotiating with her formally, they wouldn’t dare make any rash moves.

“Pavilion Master Bai, this is your home, isn’t it? The thieves are hiding in your house. Aren’t you going to clear your name?” Lian Mu said.

Bai Su didn’t reply. Her eyes turned sharp, and she raised her sword, slashing toward the central tower. The sword aura, carried by a fierce gust, struck the phoenix-head carving on the rooftop with pinpoint precision.

In an instant, a thunderous boom erupted, followed by the sound of something shattering.

“You two—get out here. Keep hiding, and it won’t just be a few Spirit Artifacts getting destroyed.”

Mist billowed across the rooftop as two tall figures slowly emerged from the white fog.

“Bai Su, no need to be so hasty. We were just passing by and stopped here to rest,” said the golden-eyed woman in the lead.

With the concealment shield shattered, Lian Mu could feel the spiritual link stabilize again—Green Bean was with them.

Her gaze swept over the two, pausing briefly on the man. When she saw the third golden eye on his forehead, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

“We just came to play with this little friend,” the golden-eyed woman said with a smile. “Bai Su, would you mind stepping aside?”

Bai Su responded with a slash, severing the woman’s right arm. But the golden-eyed woman didn’t even flinch. A wisp of mist rose from the stump, and the arm regrew instantly.

“Why so aggressive?”

Bai Su said coldly, “So it’s not your real bodies. No wonder you two are so bold.”

The three-eyed man got straight to the point, looking at Lian Mu. “Your friend and Spirit Pet are in my hands. I have a question for you. Answer honestly, and I’ll let them go.”

Lian Mu studied him from head to toe. The face didn’t ring any bells. “I don’t think I know you.”

“You don’t need to know me.” He tossed her an image-recording stone.

“You just need to know this person.”