As soon as Peng Xilai sensed a glimmer of hope, he immediately retrieved a small formation disk from his storage ring and opened a gap in the protective barrier surrounding Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ's guest quarters, quietly awaiting the visitor's arrival.
Before the time of half an incense stick had passed, a puff of white fluff appeared at the door of Jian Li's room. It spun slowly, growing larger, until it transformed into a small white whirlwind. When the wind settled and the clouds dissipated, Jian Dan stood revealed before them all.
Jian Dan casually brushed her long hair over her shoulder and straightened her dignified robe, then stepped gracefully into the room. Cotton Candy returned to her side, turning into a small cloud once more and nestling on top of her head.
"Senior Brother Jian Li, what's the matter? You summoned me so urgently," she said, walking into the hall with elegance and poise. Without waiting for Jian Li to speak, she took the seat to his right.
Peng Xilai and his subordinates all stood and bowed toward her.
"Greetings, Zhūnzhǔ."
Jian Li's stern expression eased slightly as he began to speak.
"Junior Sister, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. I've run into some troublesome matters and had no choice but to call you here."
He then turned to introduce her.
"This is Peng Xilai, the City Lord of Yunling City. You've likely met him before."
Then to Peng Xilai, he said:
"This is Jian Lu, Zhūnzhǔ of Tianyue Peak, from our Heavenly Sword Sect."
Jian Dan had indeed stayed in Yunling City for a while due to the Chilang Secret Realm incident. She had seen Peng Xilai from afar and wasn't unfamiliar with him. She gave the two men seated below a slight nod, then turned to Jian Li.
"You used the Ink Pendant to summon me. How could I not hurry over? What's going on?"
While Jian Dan was questioning her senior brother, Peng Xilai was quietly astonished. This elegant, otherworldly woman was actually the Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ?
He found it difficult to imagine that she had been the one who led people to flatten Heifeng Ravine. As expected, the Heavenly Sword Sect was full of sword maniacs. Best not to provoke them.
After listening to Jian Li's explanation, Jian Dan quickly understood the situation and why she had been summoned. Without wasting time, she waved her sleeve, and the unconscious shop assistant on the floor stirred awake.
The assistant sat up, holding his head, trying to recall what had happened. As he looked up, he accidentally met Jian Dan's eyes.
And then, everything went black again.
Jian Dan's eyes shimmered with a faint blue light. She held his gaze for just a moment before he fainted once more.
She closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them and drew out a jade slip. Pouring the extracted memory into it, she handed the slip to Jian Li.
"Senior Brother, I've got one good news and one bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Jian Li took the slip, didn't look at it yet, and answered at once.
"The good news."
Jian Dan smiled.
"The good news is, they're indeed planning to spread the Wind-Fixing Pearls embedded with Black Beetles. They intended to distribute them to small shops to help with the dispersal."
"So the plan hasn't been executed yet?"
"Correct."
"But the bad news is, half of theWind-Fixing Pearls that have already been distributed are compromised."
After reading the jade slip, Jian Li relayed the bad news aloud. He then duplicated the jade slip and tossed the copy to Peng Xilai.
Peng Xilai caught it and scanned the contents quickly. Turning to the female cultivator behind him, he instructed:
"Verify this information immediately. If it matches what your surveillance has uncovered, assign someone to deliver my personal token to those shops. Have Old Qi return this assistant, just as he was, and make sure Steward Jia doesn't get suspicious."
"Yes, City Lord."
The female cultivator responded promptly, bowed to both Zhūnzhǔs, and then picked up the shop assistant again and left with him.
During this window, Jian Li transmitted the jade slip's content via the Ink Pendant to Jian Sheng, instructing him to expedite the verification. Cross-checking their findings with Peng Xilai's would help pinpoint who currently held the suspect Wind-Fixing Pearls. That way, they could isolate corrupted cultivators more effectively without resorting to a broad sweep, which could easily alert the enemy.
Once Peng Xilai had issued all his orders, he turned back to the two Zhūnzhǔs and bowed respectfully.
"Many thanks to you both for acting so swiftly. I'll handle the rest. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
With that, he took his leave.
After he had gone, Jian Dan took out another jade slip and handed it to Jian Li.
"This is the list from our Heavenly Sword Sect. It contains names of affiliated families and sects whose cultivators purchased Wind-Fixing Pearls. There's about a fifty percent chance they've been parasitized. You should handle them separately."
"I knew you'd have something extra tucked away," Jian Li said without surprise.
"Of course. We can't possibly leave the Heavenly Sword Sect's gate wide open to them."
Then she frowned slightly and continued.
"Because we dismantled the Hua family, they've been trying every method they can to sell Wind-Fixing Pearls to our sect in recent years."
She shook her head with a sigh.
"Unfortunately for them, it hasn't worked. The Heavenly Sword Sect is sword-focused. Very few cultivators rely on supplementary tools. And Wind-Fixing Pearls aren't essential items, so their infiltration attempts failed. That's why they turned to affiliated families and minor sects instead."
"No matter. We'll treat this as a training exercise. Fortunately, you discovered it early."
As Jian Li issued law enforcement tasks across the sect, he kept chatting with Jian Dan.
"But Junior Sister, what made you head to Heifeng Ravine in the first place?"
Jian Dan gave a reserved smile. She couldn't exactly say it was because she had failed there in her past life and wanted to reclaim her pride this time.
That definitely wouldn't do.
So instead, she gave a light cough and explained:
"It was pure chance. I figured we'd have to enter the Cloud Sea Sect anyway for this round of contests, so I thought I'd let everyone stretch their legs a little on the way and do some good by wiping out a threat. I didn't expect things to go this far and even trouble you."
She shrugged helplessly.
"Even my plant beasts are laughing at me, saying I have a disaster magnet constitution. Wherever I go, something happens."
"Perhaps that's fate," Jian Li said simply.
"Perhaps. Either way, I'll just keep walking forward."
Jian Dan reached into her storage bracelet and took out a Wind-Fixing Pearl that had been cultivated for eight thousand years, then handed it to Jian Li.
"Senior Brother, a gift for you."
He examined the bead. It was the size of a baby's fist, glowing with a gentle light. Clearly a top-grade item.
"Very well. I'll accept it. The spoils you sent back through Jian Po, I've already had her turn over to the Affairs Hall. They'll count as sect contributions for your group. Each of you can exchange for your share once we return."
Jian Dan immediately cupped her hands in thanks. Then, seeing there was still time, she asked about Jian Yu.
"Senior Brother, Jian Yu who partnered with me this time, is she also from the Fu family? She doesn't seem very reliable."
"A temporary arrangement. You beat Jian Wan, made her lose face in the sect, so this is the sect's way of offering a little compensation and keeping things calm."
"Ah, that's unfair. I didn't expect her to be that weak. She surrendered after just a few moves. I even damaged her natal sword by accident. It startled me too."
"I saw the match recording. You struck clean and fast, no unnecessary flair. Your power was precise. If you hadn't redirected the excess force into the shield at the last moment, her natal sword would've shattered."
"That's exactly how it was."
Jian Dan nodded, then added:
"But things may not be so simple this time. The Fu family has a Wind-Fixing Pearl. It was a gift from the Jia family."