After settling the arrangements, Yun Jin and Yu Songnian made themselves perfectly comfortable, not bothering to waste time dealing with Yu Lin.
Inside the room, Yun Jin was deep in thought.
"Third Senior Brother, I think we'll have to visit Luohua Mountain."
Yu Songnian nodded. He had come to the same conclusion. Their current mission was centered on that mountain. It had been twenty years since his father died.
In those two decades, the strange treasure that was rumored to have appeared never surfaced again. After his father's death, it vanished without a trace and has remained hidden ever since. That alone was suspicious enough.
The current mission, however, was described differently.
"Luohua Mountain: Suspected activity from heretical cultivators. Multiple cultivators have gone missing while investigating. Among the missing, the highest cultivation recorded is at the Nascent Soul stage. (This mission is considered dangerous. Disciples are advised to be at least at the Divine Transformation stage before accepting.)"
This time, it wasn't about any mystical treasure, but a possible heretical threat. And now, even Nascent Soul cultivators had vanished.
Twenty years ago.
Now, twenty years later.
Two strange incidents in the same place.
It was hard not to suspect a connection between them.
If they could uncover the mystery of Luohua Mountain, perhaps the truth behind his father's death would also come to light.
"No matter if it's to complete the mission or to uncover the truth from back then, we have to go to Luohua Mountain," Yun Jin said firmly.
Yu Songnian hesitated.
"Little Junior Sister, the incidents surrounding Luohua Mountain span two decades. No one has been able to explain what's really happening. It's dangerous. If we rush in without preparation, we could be putting ourselves in serious danger."
If it had been just him, Yu Songnian would have gone to investigate right away. That would be the only way to get closer to the truth and discover the real cause of his father's death.
But Yun Jin was here too.
He couldn't bear to risk dragging her into something so perilous because of his own personal mission.
This whole situation was clearly more complicated than the sect's mission briefing suggested. If they gave up, the worst outcome would be a fine—just a few spirit stones. But if they pressed forward recklessly, it could cost them their lives.
But Yun Jin was not someone who could be dissuaded so easily.
Yu Songnian was still racking his brain for a way to convince her when Yun Jin nodded thoughtfully.
"You're right. It really is dangerous. Which is exactly why we can't be stupid and go in with just the two of us."
Yu Songnian blinked.
…What?
Had she just agreed with him?
Before he could process it, Yun Jin flashed a cheeky grin.
"But we've got ready-made help, don't we?"
Ready-made… help?
Who?
Yu Songnian hadn't caught on yet.
Yun Jin replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"The four Holy Lands are desperate to unlock the Wushuang Sect's secret vault. Meanwhile, we have to complete this mission before we can proceed. If they want things to move along faster, shouldn't they lend us a hand? We now have a whole group of Divine Transformation stage helpers. And not just any helpers. These people are capable enough to match Unity stage combat power."
Yu Songnian stared, dumbfounded.
That was possible?
Yun Jin continued.
"Also, these Holy Land disciples are all precious treasures of their sects. But right now, none of them have broken into the Divine Transformation stage. If something were to happen to them here in Lin City, what do you think would happen? Including Yuehua Sect, the local sects nearby would be dragged into a storm. So of course, their sects will send powerful escorts."
She smiled.
"And just like that, we gain another group of top-tier experts to assist us. So, Third Senior Brother, does Luohua Mountain still seem all that dangerous to you?"
Yu Songnian fell silent.
Adding up all the disciples from the four Holy Lands, their combined strength practically equaled an army of Unity stage cultivators.
And if other sects followed suit and dispatched elite protectors…
The scale of this force would be terrifying.
If Luohua Mountain really had the strength to resist such power, it wouldn't have remained so quiet all these years, causing only scattered trouble near Lin City.
With a force like this descending at once, Luohua Mountain might not even last a moment—it would be obliterated.
"Now there's no risk at all," Yun Jin said brightly. "Come on, Third Senior Brother, let's go gather our people."
Yu Songnian: "…"
All he could think was, if some heretical cultivator really was hiding in Luohua Mountain, they were doomed this time.
Yun Jin didn't waste any time. The disciples from the four Holy Lands had arrived in high style, renting out the entire largest inn in Lin City.
She skipped over there happily.
Those disciples had all cast some form of tracking technique on her, and Yun Jin hadn't bothered to dispel it.
So the moment she arrived at the inn's entrance, everyone rushed down to the main hall, afraid they'd miss something important.
"My, everyone's here to welcome me? You're too kind, truly!" Yun Jin beamed, all wide-eyed joy.
Duan Yiwei said in a cold voice, "Yun Jin, spare us the small talk. Why are you here? Are you finally ready to open the vault?"
"Duan Yiwei, you better mind your tone," Jin Yu said icily, glaring at him.
Cheng Su stepped forward with a smile and took Yun Jin's hand. "Yun Jin, don't mind these smelly men. We're both women. Why don't you come to my room and have a little heart-to-heart with your elder sister?"
Cheng Su had never been someone who smiled easily. She was known to be serious, even a bit stiff. But when she smiled just now, it was mesmerizing, as if it reached into your soul and stirred a sense of closeness without reason.
Ye Liuqin raised a brow.
"Cheng Su, cut the charm techniques. Yun Jin isn't going to fall for that."
Noticing Yun Jin's confusion, Ye Liuqin explained, "The Beastmaster Sect and Xuandan Gate both specialize in spiritual power manipulation. Xuandan Gate mostly focuses on enhancing alchemy. But the Beastmaster Sect… well, they like to experiment. They've created all sorts of odd applications. Just now, Cheng Su casually used a spiritual technique called 'Spring Wind into Rain.' It's harmless, really. It just makes people find her more likable."
"I see," Yun Jin nodded.
Cheng Su looked at her with interest.
"But Yun Jin, you didn't seem affected at all."
Yun Jin's eyes curved with a smile.
"Maybe it's because the moment I saw you, I already liked you so much that there was no room for more."
She said it so sweetly, even Cheng Su couldn't help but laugh. It felt too genuine to press the issue.
Of course, Yun Jin knew the real reason. Most spiritual techniques like that only worked if the caster's spiritual cultivation exceeded the target's.
Her own spiritual power had already reached the Divine Transformation stage, condensed to the point of forming a golden core.
In terms of raw spiritual strength, Cheng Su likely couldn't outmatch her.
So naturally, the charm had no effect.
"I came today to ask for your help with something," Yun Jin said with a warm smile. "If you agree to help me, maybe we can set out to open the vault even sooner."