Dongsheng Divine Continent, Youyun Bay.
Inside a dilapidated old house by the shore, a woman of graceful figure gently drew aside the dusty curtain and looked outside.
Dense fine rain fell now, not heavy but persistent. There was little wind, yet the sound of rain hitting the ground was constant.
Perhaps because the weather wasn't all that bad, the woman spoke with a relaxed tone:
"You've all received the message, I assume."
Though her face wasn't turned toward the interior of the house, her words were meant for those inside.
In the dilapidated old house, besides the woman, there was a youth with a solemn expression and a slightly older-looking teenager.
After a moment of silence, the youth finally spoke: "You're referring to the newly emerged evil cultivators who are rampantly hunting other evil cultivators, delaying our progress?"
A flicker of disgust passed through the woman's eyes, her voice turning cold:
"Or is it because of your gluttony, forcing others to clean up your mess? What, didn't eat your fill last time? Thought you'd whet your appetite today?"
The youth trembled slightly and quickly knelt: "Subordinate..."
"Shut up. I never want to hear apologies."
The woman's gaze returned, her eyes tinged with killing intent.
If there weren't so few capable people, this trash would have been recycled long ago, turned into fertilizer.
The teenager looked ordinary, dressed plainly, unremarkable in a crowd.
Yet his eyes remained calm, as calm as an old man's, though not as cloudy.
He interjected: "No need to dwell on the past. We must prioritize this matter before us."
The woman scoffed: "Still playing the good guy, aren't you?"
"If cursing me could get the job done, I'd sit here and let you curse all day."
The teenager met her gaze directly: "The task assigned by our superiors was already delayed by Tianyan Sect's investigations."
"Time is tight, and our superiors don't have the patience for our excuses."
The woman withdrew her gaze, tapping her left arm with her right finger:
"So what's your plan?"
A faint smile appeared on the teenager's face: "A capable person has emerged. It would be a waste to kill him."
"Naturally, we should recruit him if possible. If successful, it might save us considerable time, and we should give our superiors some good news."
The woman frowned: "Don't you find this suspicious? Why did this evil cultivator appear now, precisely when we were operating in secret?"
"And he only targets evil cultivators, not mortals. The bait has just been cast, and you're already eager to bite?"
"To accomplish something, one must take risks."
The teenager's smile vanished, his tone serious: "Before coming here, I visited the three sites where this evil cultivator struck."
"The intelligence is correct. The newly emerged evil cultivator is the most vicious blood qi cultivator."
"I confirmed the blood qi spiritual energy there—it wasn't an illusion. And it wasn't just blood qi spiritual energy; I also sensed a top-tier divine art involved!"
"Nascent Soul Realm, with solid foundations and even possessing divine arts."
"These conditions together confirm beyond doubt that the newly emerged evil cultivator is a blood qi cultivator with stable inheritance."
"How many people must die to cultivate a blood qi cultivator to the Golden Core Realm? And what about his own master's lineage?"
"Among the Eighteen Immortal Sects, only Xuanqing Heavenly Sect and Tianyan Sect are investigating most intensely. The other sects are clearly putting in much less effort."
"But neither Xuanqing Heavenly Sect nor Tianyan Sect would spend such a high price to pursue such elusive clues at this time."
"It's not just giving others leverage. By reasonable deduction, this evil cultivator cannot be from any of the Eighteen Immortal Sects."
"As for your question, it's only natural that a blood qi cultivator would target other evil cultivators for faster cultivation."
The woman listened quietly to the teenager's deductions, then shifted her gaze, her voice still calm:
"Is common sense always right? In my eyes, getting things done safely, even if slowly, is the correct path."
The teenager raised an eyebrow: "Then killing him is right? If this is a trap, we'll still have to deal with it."
"A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator with divine arts—without Deity Transformation cultivation, we probably can't handle him."
At this point, the teenager's tone changed, becoming questioning:
"Or do you think it's better to leave it alone? Wait for the righteous path to eliminate this evil cultivator before we continue?"
"We can wait, but can our superiors?"
The woman frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before speaking: "I still find it suspicious."
"Then report back to them."
The teenager shifted slightly backward: "After all, you're in charge of this matter. The choice is yours, and you have ways to make our superiors agree."
Hearing this, the woman's gaze shot toward the teenager, her eyes filled with pure killing intent.
Unfortunately, the teenager remained completely at ease, utterly indifferent to her gaze that could kill.
The room fell silent again, the atmosphere growing tense.
The youth didn't dare to breathe, kneeling motionless in place.
"I'll go see for myself."
The woman finally relented, though the killing intent in her eyes didn't diminish: "You prepare the backup plan—whether to kill or recruit, be ready."
"If this mission fails, I want you to report to our superiors personally."
The teenager rose slowly: "Everyone here is on the job. If we fail, none of us will escape. If we succeed, it benefits us all."
"You can rest assured about my part."
"To ease your concerns, let me add this: if you weren't capable, our superiors wouldn't have assigned you this task."
"I may not trust you, but I trust their judgment. If you think this evil cultivator can be recruited, then recruit him. If you think he should be killed, then kill him."
"If you choose to leave him alone, you'll have your reasons."
"The only reminder I have—time is of the essence."
The woman closed her eyes and waved her hand, not responding to the teenager's words.
The teenager's expression remained calm as he turned and pushed the door open, stepping into the fine rain.
In a short while, his small figure disappeared between heaven and earth.
The youth remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to speak another word.
The woman opened her eyes and spoke: "Stop polluting the air here. Go prepare, the old way."
"Yes!" The youth responded quickly, moving swiftly but making almost no sound.
Without hesitation, he turned and walked out into the heavy rain.
The house fell silent again.
After a moment, the woman opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the drifting rain outside.
The rain was rain, and she was rain.
The rain made sound when it fell, but her passing might be silent.
Everything was too suspicious and wrong, as if a blatant trap lay before her eyes.
She rose and walked outside as well.
Whether it was an ambush or a scheme, she had to investigate.
"The rain is wild..." the woman murmured as she stepped into the rain.
"It is the path... and also the fate."
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