Mo Yi chuckled from the side and said,
"Chief, the method Mo Yue uses, we can use it too. I just don't have her patience or attention to detail.
When she's beating someone, she'll even point out their flaws. If they don't fix them, the next time she'll keep hammering that same weakness. After enough beatings, they're bound to change!"
"Hahaha! You're right. After enough beatings, anyone would wise up." Mo Zhang let out a rare hearty laugh.
"By the way, what mission did Mo Yue go on? Why haven't we heard a single word from her?"
"That, I honestly don't know. It was arranged personally by Mo Yan Zhēnzūn, so it can't be an easy task. I went to ask the other day, but Zhēnzūn only said Mo Yue's safe and we don't need to worry."
"That's good then. Before she left, she even dug a pit for Mo Su, who's still fuming and wants to settle the score with her!" Remembering something, Mo Yi curved his lips into a playful smile.
"Oh? What exactly did Mo Yue do?" Mo Zhang leaned in, clearly interested.
"She egged Yunrong on to confess her feelings to Mo Su. Mo Su rejected her flat out, and poor Yunrong went crying outside Mo Lie's closed-door cultivation cave. She was heartbroken!"
"Hah, you just love watching chaos, don't you? Don't spread that around. Yunrong's still just a young girl." Mo Zhang shot him a reproachful look.
"I know, I know, I won't blab. Anyway, after she cried it out, Yunrong took her contracted Winged Tiger Beast and went out for training."
"She probably felt resentful toward Mo Su, so she left to avoid him, right?"
"I'm not sure about her girlish thoughts. But Mo Qi asked her indirectly. Yunrong said she could tell her Senior Brother already has someone in his heart. She only wanted to express her own feelings, and even though she was rejected, she doesn't regret it. If anything, she's relieved."
"If she can let go, that's good. Did you arrange Shadow Division people to follow her?"
"Don't worry, Chief, it's taken care of."
"The disciples we recruited from the mortal world have been cultivating in the outer sect for three years. Have you taken a liking to any? Planning to take a disciple?" Mo Zhang suddenly tossed out the question.
"No way, I don't have what it takes to be a teacher. Go ask Senior Sister Mo Qi instead! Or just push Mo Su to start grooming the next Palace Master. I'll enjoy a few more carefree days." After finishing, Mo Yi found some excuse and slipped away like his feet were greased.
Mo Zhang could only shake his head helplessly. It's not like taking a disciple means throwing your life away, so why act so scared?
Meanwhile, Du Yunfei, who was now cultivating in the Flowing Flame Sect, had already begun to stand out. With her single Fire Spirit Root and slowly revealed talent in alchemy, she quickly became valued. Not long ago, a Divine Transformation Jūnshàng took interest in her and offered to accept her as a disciple.
This time, Du Yunfei didn't refuse. She formally became that Jūnshàng's disciple. Day in and day out, she either cultivated or refined pills, then used those pills to exchange for cultivation resources, step by step raising her realm. She'd already reached the tenth level of Qi Refining and was highly regarded by Huo Yi Jūnshàng.
But every single one of her movements was closely monitored by Hua Man, and even a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Heavenly Sword Sect's Law Enforcement Hall had been secretly watching her. Through this dual surveillance, they uncovered Du Yunfei's true nature.
Though young, she was ruthless. Every peer in the sect who showed more talent than her had been plotted against.
The sharp ones quickly noticed her hostility. They either avoided her or found a strong backer to stand against her. The naïve ones, though, were all tricked and ended up dead. Her methods chilled anyone who saw them.
Hua Man frowned deeply. He himself was from a branch of the Hua family, but through hard work, he'd earned everything he had. That's why he despised people who wore a smile on the surface while stabbing others in the back. He reported everything to the new Hua Patriarch, Hua Lei.
"This, this is her true face as the former Du Yanran," Hua Lei said gently, then gave the order:
"Record how she framed her fellow disciples to death into a memory stone. Send it to her enemies and let them restrain her first.
She wants to hide in Flowing Flame Sect to cultivate in peace? Not on my watch. Let's make her the enemy of every disciple in the sect, so she won't have a moment of peace to focus on cultivation or alchemy. Let's see how long she lasts. I doubt Mo Yue Zūnshàng would be happy to see her succeed again."
Hua Lei's reputation for being black-bellied was well deserved. He pressed Du Yunfei down just as she was beginning to rise.
Du Yunfei, eager to raise her cultivation, didn't want to waste time dealing with small fry. But the evidence against her was ironclad, and it was undeniable that she'd done those things.
Her accusers even swore heavenly oaths. If they lied, they'd be struck by thunder and perish instantly. She, on the other hand, didn't dare make the same vow, leaving her cornered.
Her young face twisted with rage. She couldn't believe someone had dug up the secret things she'd done in the dark. No matter what, she refused to admit it.
Huo Yi Jūnshàng still shielded her because of her alchemy talent, but his attitude changed. He had her moved to a smaller alchemy peak to focus on pill-making, and her treatment plummeted.
She had no one to blame but herself. If she'd just cultivated properly instead of scheming against her peers, no one would've had leverage to ruin her. In the end, she'd handed her enemies the knife to stab her with.
Over at the Heavenly Sword Sect, Wei Zhengrong also received the news. He knew it was the Hua family's doing, but he only recorded the matter into a jade slip. When Zūnshàng returned, he'd naturally report it.
Meanwhile, Jian Dan and his group, with the Purple Sky Sect cultivator who'd recovered half his strength, were pushing deeper toward the center.
"Boss Mao, once we cross this mountain range, we'll reach the middle perimeter. There are some small settlements there. We can rest, maybe exchange some resources too," Hou San said. Having been inside before, he was familiar with the routes.
Jian Mao raised a brow. "Got any connections there?"
"Yeah, one team that often trades with Big Boss Qing Mian. I can't promise they'll be fair, but at least they won't rob us blind."
Jian Dan cut in, "So how'd those people gather here instead of staying outside?"
"They used to work the outer area too, but once they made enough profit, they stopped risking their lives at the Bone Burying Grounds. Now they just buy what outer teams bring back, then trade it with immortals inside."
Jian Chun commented, "Smart. They've basically monopolized the trade. But would the inner immortals really accept that?"
Hou San explained, "Some things, like broken artifacts or damaged armor, the immortals are willing to buy from them. But real treasures, like storage rings or immortal stones, the immortals won't trade through them.
That's why there are a few immortals stationed in the middle perimeter. They keep things fair. If anyone breaks the rules, those immortals won't even bother arguing. They'll just stop buying for three to five years. Then no one gets anything, so everyone falls in line."
"What if those middle-perimeter old foxes decide to just rob people?" Jian Jing asked casually.
Hou San shrugged, "Then it's all about who's got the bigger fist."
Jian Jing smirked. "True enough. Still, don't think us outer scavengers are made of clay!"
"Oh? Hou San, found yourself a new backer? You're talking pretty bold all of a sudden!"