Fu Hu sensed danger and snapped his head around. But aside from Dai Jiao, whom he was clutching by the arm, there was no one behind him. The cultivators nearby were only wandering among the stalls. A few threw him curious glances, yet nobody cared enough to meddle.
Still, he felt something was off. His feet pushed off hard, and after a few quick flashes of movement, he and Dai Jiao vanished from the main street.
The Bai sisters watched him leave out of the corners of their eyes. Only after Fu Hu disappeared did Bai Xia nod slightly to her elder sister, then slipped into the formation.
Inside the formation, Jian Jing was whispering something to Jian Dan. When Bai Xia entered, both of them looked her way.
"Fairy Lu, that Fu Hu left with an ugly look on his face, full of resentment. My sister decided on her own to leave a little trick on him. I came to report this to you and await your judgment."
Bai Xia cupped her hands with neither arrogance nor humility.
The sisters were now dressed in fresh robes, their previous poison cultivator disguises tucked away. One looked cold as ice, the other radiant and fiery, and together they naturally drew attention.
They hadn't fully blended into the team yet, but over the last two days, their conduct had been measured. The elder, Bai Shuang, clearly took the lead, while Bai Xia mostly followed her sister's word.
"Mm, not bad. It's always wise to stay guarded. What's this trick you left on him?" Jian Dan was pleased with their caution. In a place like this, one careless move meant death without even bones left behind.
"It's just a little powder, nothing suspicious here. Even if he notices, he'll assume he brushed against it somewhere. Only when it comes into contact with our special concoction will it turn into deadly poison."
"Good. Keep a close eye then."
Seeing that Fairy Lu wasn't blaming them, Bai Xia smiled and bowed before stepping out of the formation.
"These Bai sisters have good sense. They follow our lead, and they've got guts. Worth cultivating." Jian Jing actually praised them for once.
"They say their clan sent them here for protection, but that's just a nice way of saying they've been abandoned. Left to live or die on their own. If they don't make plans for themselves, then they're truly fools." Jian Dan waved her fan lightly, smiling at her Senior Sister.
"You're right. Without anyone backing them, they've got to tread carefully. Otherwise, that male cultivator who tried to harass them the other day would've been killed on the spot, not given seven days to live. They only spared him to avoid making too many enemies."
"Senior Sister always sees things clearly."
"They must've noticed our squad gives female cultivators real say, without belittling them. Add to that the lifesaving pill you gave them, and it's no wonder they chose to join us. Even knowing there'll be war when we return to our continent, they'd rather take that gamble."
"In the cultivation world, life's harsh for women. Depending on men's protection can't compare to relying on themselves."
"True enough. Though in this place, the suppression makes it impossible to use spiritual power, so Fu Hu couldn't open a defensive barrier. That's how they managed to succeed."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. Even if spiritual power was usable, as poison cultivators, if they were determined to strike, it'd still be impossible to guard against them."
"I believe that. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so feared back in the Cultivation Continent, forced into exile here."
Later that afternoon, two more squads came to trade, likely after hearing from Ji Du and Cheng Zu's squads that they'd gotten good deals. They too brought goods to exchange.
Once again, Jian Mao took charge. They traded for some body-refining pills, and most importantly, a body-refining cultivation technique slightly different from those on Lingyun Continent, which he carefully stored away.
By the time the sky grew dark, the Heavenly Sword Sect members, Kuang Dao, the Bai sisters, and Su Chui all gathered. The Purple Sky Sect disciples had recovered well after two days of rest, so Xiao Yong and Xiao Rong also joined the meeting.
Lady Di and Bei Ze had deliberately kept their distance these past few days, not participating, which made Jian Mao and the others realize their time together was likely nearing its end.
Jian Dan and Jian Jing briefly relayed the information they'd traded for with Cheng Zu's squad, then asked everyone for their thoughts.
All eyes turned to Su Chui first, since he'd spent quite some time in that squad before.
He bowed before speaking in a deep voice. The Cheng brothers' squad are among the stronger teams here. They're just more low-key than someone like Mao Wu. Their information's half reliable at best. The rest, we'll need to confirm ourselves."
"They never shared this with you before?" Jian Chun asked.
"No. When I first joined, they only asked a few questions about where I came from, then never pressed further. But they did hint they wanted me to return with them to their continent."
Jian Dan's eyes flickered with thought, then she spoke her guess.
"They've given us information about Jian Jun Zūnzhǔ, and we'll confirm it ourselves. As for why they didn't share it with Su Daoyou before, it's easy to understand. When he first joined, of course they'd gather some information to make sure he wasn't a threat.
Later, they stumbled upon news of Jian Jun. But they had no reason to tell him. They wanted to bring Su Daoyou back to their continent. Even if they did share it, what then, let him rush off alone to rescue her? That might drag them into danger, a loss with no gain. So they kept silent.
But now, it's different. One, they know Su Daoyou won't stay. Two, everyone saw how he left their squad that day, so even if he does something later, it won't implicate them. Three, it's a vague lead. Trading it for resources doesn't hurt them."
Her reasoning matched everyone's suspicions, and they all nodded.
Su Chui bowed again, saying he owed his return to everyone's help. If he hadn't found people from Lingyun Continent, he might've considered the Cheng family's offer.
After hearing his Junior Sister's analysis, Jian Mao concluded, "Since we've got the news, let's set off early for the inner area and verify it as soon as possible."
"I agree. The excuse is ready. We'll say Fu Hu's squad tried to undercut us in the trade, relying on their divine sense to gain an advantage. So we refused the deal, but worried about retaliation, we decided to leave early."
Jian Jing nodded. The reasoning was sound, so their departure wouldn't seem abrupt.
Jian Dan was anxious to find Jian Jun. If Cheng Zu's words were true, and Jian Jun Zūnzhǔ was injured, who knew what her condition was now? Had she accepted help from Fairy Tan Song? If so, their side would be at a disadvantage.
Xiao Yong and Xiao Rong had no objections. They'd joined to search for their lost companions, but the journey had already been perilous. Following the Heavenly Sword Sect's lead was the only sensible choice.
The Bai sisters also voiced no opposition. That left only Hou San and Lady Di's squad.
"Hou San, think carefully about whether you'll stay or leave. We won't force you.
Tell Lady Di we're heading deeper inside, and let her decide for herself. Also, tell her the news you got from me. Our continent's been invaded by the insect race, a full-scale war's raging. The rest doesn't need my explanation, right?"
"Yes, Fairy Lu, don't worry. Hou San understands."
With that, he left the formation, caught between hesitation and his own choice of where to go next.