When Yunxi chose a capsule house, she had seen many architectural styles, from ancient to modern to interstellar. Since she was currently in the cultivation world, it would not do to use anything too avant-garde. What if there were transmigrators around?
So she picked the safest option, an antique compound similar to a cultivator's magical house. Hers simply had a larger internal space, equivalent to a four-courtyard residence. She could control how much of it opened. For now, she revealed only the front courtyard.
Yunxi tossed the captive onto the ground, flicked a spell to wake him, and said coolly, "Xiao He, long time no see."
The moment Xiao He recognized Yunxi's face, his pupils shrank. He instinctively tried to flee, but he could not mobilize a scrap of spiritual power. Resigned, he lay flat and stopped resisting.
"What is it? Nothing you want to say to me?"
Xiao He shut his eyes. "If you want to know something, search my soul. But my sea of consciousness has a restriction. Be careful."
"Fine. Then tell me what you can. Why are you here?"
"Nothing special. I was traveling through the night, heading back to Xiaohé City."
"Oh? You risked coming from the Central Region all the way to the Western Region just to return to Xiaohé City? There are plenty of cultivators there waiting to arrest you."
Xiao He's eyelids twitched. He did not answer.
Yunxi narrowed her eyes, then drew the storage ring from his finger with a lift of her hand. She erased the divine sense brand as easily as breathing and began to inspect its contents.
With his sea of consciousness injured, Xiao He opened his eyes and spat a mouthful of blood. Dizzy, he stared at Yunxi, unaware of the fear in his own gaze.
When Yunxi finished searching, a black token lay between her fingers. At that instant, she noticed Xiao He's lips press together. She was about to send her divine sense into the token when a gray light film blocked her.
Xiao He hurried to stop her. "That token bears my divine sense imprint. If you force it off, the token will shatter. They will know something happened to me and will trigger the restriction in my sea of consciousness. You will learn nothing."
Yunxi turned the token in her hand, not believing him. Dian Dian had told her the aura on the token belonged to an evil cultivator, while Xiao He was merely a fallen cultivator who still practiced orthodox dao techniques. The two auras were entirely different.
She smiled faintly. "You are sure this token is yours?"
A flicker crossed Xiao He's eyes. "Yes."
"Then let us bet. I crush this token and see if you die. I wager you will be fine. What about you?"
Xiao He fell silent. He could not afford this bet. There was only one chance.
"If you will not answer, I will take it as your agreement."
Lightning gathered in Yunxi's palm, ready to reduce the black token to dust.
Xiao He finally broke. "Stop. Please do not destroy it."
"Reason."
Gritting his teeth, Xiao He said, "It is a token for entering the secret realm."
"But it is not yours. Where did you get it?"
Yunxi pressed on. She had a feeling Xiao He would bring her a surprise.
"I killed an evil cultivator and took it," Xiao He said, eyes lowered.
"Tsk. You even kill your own side. Then give me your reason for risking entry into a closed secret realm."
This time, Xiao He remained silent even longer. Yunxi waited patiently, flipping the token now and then.
At last Xiao He looked up. "My younger sister was captured by them. She is imprisoned in that secret realm. I am going to save her."
Yunxi's fingers tightened around the token, one brow lifting. "Your sister Xiao Lei? She did not join the evil cultivators with you?"
A bitter smile twisted Xiao He's mouth. "I made one mistake and every step after followed it. How could I let my sister walk the same path? After Father killed himself, I drove her away.
All I wanted was revenge for him, to restore my cultivation, to win back justice for myself. I did not want to drag my only sister down, but..." He could not go on.
Yunxi finished for him. "Working with evil cultivators is asking a tiger for its skin. To control you and make you serve them willingly, they used your sister's life to threaten you. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember what I told you back then?"
Xiao He raised his head. "Which words?"
"I hope you will not regret the choice you made."
Xiao He's expression finally changed. Regret was too mild a word now. He had sunk himself into a mire and dragged down his only sister with him.
Yunxi regarded the near-collapse before her and said evenly, "Since you still know how to regret, I will make an exception and offer you a deal."
"What deal?"
"I can save your sister, bring her back to the sect, even keep her hidden from the evil cultivators. In exchange, you become my eyes and ears among them. I want their movements and plans."
Xiao He gave a desolate laugh. "If my sister is rescued, the evil cultivators will smell something wrong. They will never trust me again. How would I get near their plans?"
"What if your sister dies by my hand, by accident?"
Xiao He frowned. "You mean have her feign death?"
"More or less."
"Will they believe it?"
Evil cultivators were notoriously suspicious.
Yunxi's smile brightened. "What if the secret realm they are hiding in is destroyed, and both they and your sister die there? Would that be convincing enough?"
Xiao He drew in a sharp breath. "You… you plan to destroy that secret realm?"
"Of course. For you, it is worth it."
The world felt unhinged to Xiao He. How could this dao cultivator before him be more ruthless than evil cultivators? He could tell that if he refused, he would certainly die, and his sister would not fare any better. At last he gritted his teeth. "Fine. If you can save my sister and let her continue cultivating, I will do anything."
"Then swear to the Heavenly Dao. If I rescue your sister, you will do whatever I ask until you fall or ascend. Before that, you shall not betray me. Otherwise, five bolts of thunder will strike you dead."
"Agreed."
Broken jars and shattered pots, Xiao He lifted his hand and made the oath. When the law of heaven descended, Yunxi waved him into a seat at her lower right and smiled.
"How did you confirm Xiao Lei is imprisoned in this secret realm? Did you clean up the evil cultivator you took the token from? Will the evil cultivators notice you slipped back to the Western Region?"
In the face of her questions, Xiao He forced himself to focus and explained how he tracked his sister, learned the secret realm had been taken over, and secretly returned to the Western Region.
Yunxi went over each step repeatedly. Once she was certain Xiao He had not lied, she immediately used a special channel to send her plan back to her master.
After reading the report Yunxi sent, Yu Ling Zūnzhě briefly signed out of the Hive.