The human cub’s mundane life in Yunzhou City continued for a few more days.

The night was pitch-black, a darkness so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve. A fine, needle-like rain fell from the sky, enveloping the entire city in a storm. The atmosphere was heavy with a sense of impending doom, as if a great storm were about to break.

Rain falls incessantly during the Qingming Festival, and travelers on the road are heartbroken.

The Four Great Families had lived in Yunzhou City for generations. They had not forgotten their ancestors, and in the days leading up to the festival, they had already prepared the offerings for the ancestral rites, waiting for the appointed time to sweep the graves.

However, they soon discovered that many young disciples from their estates had vanished overnight.

If one or two of the more dissolute, cultivation-averse disciples had gone missing, it could be dismissed as them going out to carouse. But when seven or eight disappeared, it was a clear sign that something was terribly wrong.

“Could they have gone off to fool around together?”

Hearing this, Old Master Lu wanted to strangle the person who dared to spout such nonsense.

These young, rising disciples were their secret weapons and the very foundation of the family. They were the prime candidates to be placed into the major sects, led by the Guiyuan Sect, to challenge the Heavenly Talent Ranking. Their character was beyond reproach!

Even the spirit beast eggs that had swept through Yunzhou City eggs they usually couldn’t bear to eat themselves were fed exclusively to these young disciples. To slander them was equivalent to accusing the older generation of being disrespectful and reckless.

Furthermore, for a cultivator, Yang Yuan was crucial for strengthening one’s foundation and calming the mind. How could these young disciples possibly be out fooling around? And to choose a time right before the Qingming Festival, a day meant for paying respects to their ancestors!

Meanwhile, inside the Guiyuan Sect, a disciple polishing a Soul Lamp, who had been resting with his eyes closed, was suddenly startled by the flickering flame. His heart pounded wildly, filled with alarm.

“Master, something is wrong!”

A disciple rushed out in a panic.

“The Soul Lamps of the disciples down the mountain are flickering wildly in the wind and rain! Senior Brothers Yin Buyu and Zheng Yiming, along with several Junior Brothers, are in danger!”

A Soul Lamp contained a disciple’s soul; if the lamp went out, the disciple died. A flickering lamp was an ominous sign.

The disciples on the mountain received the news first, while those below were a step behind. Jing Qian had been in secluded cultivation, busy preparing for the Immortal Destiny Assembly, and had been running himself ragged.

Only after everything was ready did he send a jade slip message to his Eldest Senior Brother, complaining, “Senior Brother! The Qu family elder told me their disciple is exceptionally talented but only twelve years old. The Guiyuan Sect’s selection only happens every ten years, and they can’t wait. They’re hoping we can lower the age for Seeking Immortal Destiny to twelve. The Yu Family’s Young Lady also won’t turn sixteen until August, so they’re hoping we can relax the age limit too. Fine, I can ignore the Yu Family, but Junior Brother Qin Xun is also begging me for a favor. Tell me, why don’t they just lower the age limit to three?!”

Half a day passed without a reply.

Jing Qian thought it over and switched to another spiritual energy channel. “Junior Brother Yin Buyu, Senior Brother Helan Xu, have you finished selling your pills and demonic beasts? Come help me; I’m exhausted.”

He was just a weak and pitiful talisman disciple. Why did he have to shoulder such a heavy responsibility?

Another half a day passed, and still, there was no reply.

Jing Qian finally realized something was wrong. His brow furrowed as he took out his compass and began to calculate with his fingers. At last, he understood the gravity of the situation: the myriad demons and monsters of Yunzhou City were beginning to reveal themselves, and his three fellow disciples had vanished.

He swiftly drew a stack of track-finding talismans, transforming into a concentrated sword intent. With his junior brother and sister in tow, he rushed toward the Yunzhou City market.

Yunzhou City was vast, one of the ten most prosperous cities in the Zhongzhou Realm. It was protected by a restriction laid down twenty thousand years ago by a Nascent Soul Great Power; without talismans, it was impossible to locate anyone.

“Senior Brother Jing Qian, we’ve found a trace! Senior Brother Yin Buyu disappeared from the market! An innkeeper saw him—he said Senior Brother Yin Buyu looked dazed, his steps drifting as he followed a white lotus flower away. Because there were so many white paper flowers scattered on the road for the Qingming Festival, and each one could be followed by a wandering soul, the innkeeper didn’t think it was strange and didn’t look closely. He also mentioned that if Senior Brother Yin Buyu hadn’t frequently set up a stall with a child to sell eggs, leaving a deep impression, he wouldn’t have noticed him at all.”

“I’ve also found Senior Brother Helan Xu’s tracks! He appeared at the Xianling Fashion Shop! He bought two or three sets of Rainbow Feather Robes worth a hundred thousand spirit stones each, a stick of snail-black eyebrow pencil, and many makeup boxes. Senior Brother Helan Xu is truly wealthy… I just don’t know if he bought them for someone else or to wear himself…”

Yunzhou City boasted a vast array of shops, including fashion boutiques and cosmetics stores exclusively for female cultivators. For a young male cultivator without a Dao Companion to be browsing such establishments was clearly abnormal.

The Junior Brother who remarked on this had a peculiar expression, his mind already picturing his Senior Brother from Beast Taming Peak with his flirtatious peach-blossom eyes and ever-mischievous smile as a cross-dressing enthusiast.

“I’m not sure about his preferences,” Jing Qian said, shaking his head.

“I only divined the presence of a Fierce Ghost…” His compass spun wildly out of control, warning him that a Ghost Cultivator had manifested nearby. Once it unleashed its malevolent intent, it would leave only death and desolation in its wake.

Logically, this Ghost Cultivator should have been a man, yet Helan Xu had purchased a pile of women’s clothing. This was far too bizarre. What had he missed in his divination?

At the mere mention of the words “Fierce Ghost,” the Guiyuan Sect disciples paled, a collective shiver running down their spines. In this realm, demons were categorized into three main types: demonic evil, Fallen Immortals, and Fierce Ghosts.

Fallen Immortals were once Immortal Lords who had suffered qi deviation and fallen to the demonic path; they retained a shred of their former nobility. Fierce Ghosts, however, were born into the Ghost Path, their methods cruel and devoid of humanity.

They were far more dangerous.

“Let’s go find that little boy,” Jing Qian said, biting his lip.

He refused to let panic cloud his judgment. He flew on his sword to the Yunzhou City market, where he spotted a cherubic little boy.

The boy was short, with a fair, soft face. He was looking down, nibbling on a green rice ball. His chubby, jade-like chin formed a soft fold of flesh.

“Little brother,” Luo Ling stepped forward first.

“Senior Brother Yin Buyu and Senior Brother Helan Xu are disciples of our Guiyuan Sect. They set up stalls in the market every day. Have you seen them today?”

“I haven’t,” Ye Qing said, looking up.

He stopped eating his rice ball, his face a picture of “innocent curiosity.” “Pretty sister, did something happen to Senior Brother Yin Buyu and the others?”

Ahhh, what a cute human baby! Luo Ling’s heart melted as the child looked up at her with those adorable eyes. He was so polite, even calling her a “pretty sister”!

She frowned slightly in distress and said softly, “They’re fine, they just suddenly disappeared, and we can’t find them.”

The Soul Lamps had not been extinguished, meaning Yin Buyu and the others were still alive.

This was why every disciple of the Guiyuan Sect had been mobilized, they had to find their Senior Brothers before they met with foul play.

“Hurry and find Junior Brother Qin Xun! The more people we have, the better!”

Half a day later, they followed the clues and found Yin Buyu on the outskirts of Yunzhou City. But his figure was like smoke and mist, vanishing into the vast white fog.

Ye Qing was a very clever child. He noticed that the Guiyuan Sect disciples all looked exhausted and lost.

Tang Xi, being a spirit who could pass through walls, had quickly gathered information. He explained to Ye Qing, “Of course they’re anxious. They came down the mountain for training but lost several of their Senior Brothers. Now they’re without a leader and will be held accountable for the failure.”

As a future cultivator, Tang Xi knew more. He knew this was a fortuitous accident that would be recorded in history.

In the third year of Tian Shou, the Guiyuan Sect held the Immortal Destiny Assembly in Yunzhou City. The eve of the assembly was plagued by a Snake Demon’s appearance and a Ghost Cultivator’s massacre, making it a truly disastrous event.

The young talents favored by the Four Great Families were all killed in the Demon Palace set up by the Ghost Cultivator, their Yang Yuan stolen, which resulted in the Guiyuan Sect failing to recruit any top-tier disciples.

Meanwhile, Yu Jinghan, a once-in-a-millennium genius, lost control of his demonic qi and could only join a minor sect that didn’t care about bloodlines.

It was said that the only person to seize a fortuitous opportunity in the Demon Palace was a disciple surnamed Qin.

“Oh… Brother Yin Buyu will be alright, won’t he?”

Ye Qing murmured softly. The night was deep and the dew heavy. He tugged at his blanket with his small hand, but sleep was far from coming. As fellow street vendors in Yunzhou, he and Yin Buyu had bonded over selling eggs.

Helan Xu had even sold him the magical artifact basket and the Immortal-Binding Rope at the super-low price of just ten spirit stones.

Brother Helan Xu could have used those two artifacts to catch birds in the Baize Mountain Range, yet he had given this chance to make a fortune to an ordinary human child like him. Just thinking about it made Ye Qing feel deeply moved.

Tang Xi, however, thought to himself, They probably won’t survive.

In the 19th year of Tian Shou, Pei Xuan attacked the Cultivation World. To resist the 300 million demonic creatures from the Demon Realm commanded by Pei Xuan, the Immortal Sects, led by the Guiyuan Sect, dispatched a total of 10,000 disciples.

Tang Xi clearly remembered that the three names mentioned above were not on the Disciple Register. This meant they hadn’t even survived to see the 19th year of Tian Shou.

Ye Qing was the kind of child who inspired affection even when he said nothing. He couldn’t hide his thoughts; every emotion, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness was etched on his face, making him irresistibly endearing. Yu Jinghan didn’t even have to guess what the other was thinking.

He grabbed his sword and said, “I’ll go with you.”

Meanwhile, in the wild countryside, a ghostly wind howled and fox-fires flickered. A group of Guiyuan Sect disciples was in a wretched state.

Junior Sister Luo Ling leaned against the bamboo grove, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her face.

She had spent the entire day searching for her Senior Brother and no longer had the strength to complain about why a female cultivator from the Yu Family, who didn’t even have a cultivation base, had come along to join in the chaos.

Yu Feixue hadn’t even reached the Qi Condensation stage. She had been pampered with the finest clothes and food since childhood, never having had to sleep rough in the wild. After a whole day of running around like a headless chicken with a group of Guiyuan Sect disciples, she was utterly exhausted. Her pink lips pressed together as she closed her eyes, swallowing all her complaints.

Everyone had fallen asleep.

Qin Xun, however, couldn’t sleep. He knew what the old man with the jade pendant detested, so he dared not reveal his thoughts completely. Instead, after taking off his jade pendant, he found his Senior Brother and asked him.

“Senior Brother, do you ever feel a special connection to a female cultivator with a beautiful voice? Even before seeing her, you already have a good impression of her, and this feeling has nothing to do with her beauty or appearance.” What Qin Xun didn’t say was that after seeing her in person, this good impression had instantly reached its peak.

The young woman was exceptionally beautiful, with bright, captivating eyes and a lovely smile that revealed dimples.

Dressed in flowing white robes, she looked less like a residual soul and more like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm. After learning about her past, Qin Xun felt even more compassion for her.

She was truly a young lady of great beauty, burdened by a blood feud yet striving tirelessly to overcome her circumstances.

“I swear to the Heavenly Dao that I will definitely find the Golden Lotus Petals for you and bring you justice!” His vow made the young woman beam with joy.

Jing Qian was exhausted to the point of collapse and was currently meditating to regulate his breath. Hearing this question, his mind went completely blank.

His Senior Brother’s disappearance already had him running around in circles; now his Junior Brother was actually asking him for relationship advice! How was he, a pure-hearted male cultivator who had never even held a female cultivator’s hand, supposed to know about such things?

Meanwhile, the human cub was sprawled across Yu Jinghan’s back. The young man’s back was lean yet steady, like a small boat that no storm could overturn. In his half-asleep state, he heard a voice.

“I, Qin Xun, swear to the heavens that I will find the Liuli Sect’s long-lost treasure for you and seek justice on your behalf!”

This Qin Xun person sounds so familiar… Why does he love making oaths so much? Ye Qing thought groggily.