Holding the Sword to Carry Away Senior Sister (Transmigration) - Chapter 31

Fu Yan never expected that by casually picking a mission to descend the mountain for experience, she would run into such a “crematorium” of a team—or at least, a crematorium in her own mind.

After all, only she possessed the “God’s perspective” of having read the book.

The banquet didn’t last long. After everyone completed their introductions and ate a bit of food, they dispersed to their respective quarters.

Soon, only the Han family members of Luanjin Fort remained in the large hall. Han Shangde couldn’t hide the joy on his face as he thought of Wang Qingyang and Bai Yueli.

“I didn’t expect the ‘Green Bamboo Young Master’ Wang Qingyang and Shui Ling Sect’s Bai Yueli to both show up. It looks like we’ve hit the jackpot this time. If all goes well, we might not even have to lift a finger the whole way.” Han Shangde took a large gulp of wine, his previous anxieties scattered to the winds.

As the Young Master of Luanjin Fort, Han Shangzhi was much more composed. However, the addition of Wang Qingyang and Bai Yueli certainly spared them a lot of logistical worry; the safety guarantee for this mission was now rock-solid.

“But…” Han Shangde seemed to think of something, and the smile on his face deepened. “That Bai Yueli is truly a top-tier beauty as the legends say. Any man would be moved by that face and figure. No wonder Wang Qingyang is so devoted.”

Hearing this, Han Shangzhi looked at the man beside him, his brow furrowing instantly as he warned in a stern voice: “They are people from the Great Sects, not someone we can afford to offend. If you have any ideas, drop them immediately, or don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”

“Fine, fine. I know what the big picture is.” Han Shangde was clearly impatient with his cousin’s words. As for how much he actually took to heart, only he knew.

They were set to depart the next day, and Han Shangzhi had many matters to handle, so he didn’t linger, heading quickly to the back rooms.

That night, a large blanket of dark clouds drifted across the sky, obscuring the hazy moonlight. The entirety of Luanjin Fort seemed to fall into a deep slumber; it was exceptionally quiet. As for what would happen on this journey, everyone held their own secret thoughts.

The next day, the sky grew bright.

Three hours later, a caravan of nearly ten carriages loaded with Liu Ore set off grandly from Luanjin Fort. Fu Yan and the others did not travel by sword; instead, they rode “Wind-Gallop Horses” provided by the Fort, flanking the convoy.

Because everyone belonged to different sects, which implied a competitive relationship, no one spoke. Including the Luanjin Fort staff, the escort team numbered at least forty or fifty people, yet it was unusually quiet. No one found the silence strange.

To prevent anyone from hijacking the goods, Luanjin Fort’s transport routes were never fixed; every mission followed a different path. This time, the route was unknown. The group only knew they would cross the Shadow Forest and the Quicksand Gobi Desert; the specific path would be determined as they went.

Fu Yan didn’t think too much about it. As she rode, she focused her mind on trying to comprehend the final form of the Illusionless Sword. Her only current trump card was a Hedo Talisman; if she could master the third form, she would have another life-saving hole card.

Due to the heavy load of Liu Ore, the group’s pace wasn’t particularly fast. They meandered along until evening. While cultivators didn’t strictly need rest, the ordinary guards escorting the goods were only at the Foundation Building stage and couldn’t travel day and night without pause.

Seeing that it was late, Han Shangzhi waved for the group to stop.

“Shangde, go check the surroundings. See if there’s a place nearby where we can settle for the night,” Han Shangzhi commanded.

Han Shangde seemed used to this. He nodded, gave a sharp “Yah!”, and galloped off alone to scout.

“I heard that in the Shui Ling Sect Ranking Tournament a few days ago, Junior Sister Bai took first place again. It seems your strength has become even more unfathomable. If there is an opportunity, I would very much like to spar with you,” Wang Qingyang said, drifting naturally to Bai Yueli’s side.

Bai Yueli raised her eyes to glance at him, her voice cold and flat: “The Great Sect Competition is in half a year. The ‘Green Bamboo Young Master’ need not be so polite.”

Her words were simple and distant.

Wang Qingyang wasn’t annoyed; instead, he continued to smile, saying in a half-joking manner, “Junior Sister Bai’s temperament is as cold as ever.”

“Senior Sister!”

As they were talking, a voice suddenly cut in. Bai Yueli turned her head. She saw Fu Yan riding up on her horse. Fu Yan acted as if she didn’t see the other figure nearby, looking at Bai Yueli with a natural expression. “Senior Sister, do you have a moment? I’m having some trouble with the Illusionless Sword and wanted to ask for your guidance.”

Bai Yueli paused, immediately realizing that Fu Yan was intentionally helping her escape the atmosphere. She nodded. “Alright.”

While Fu Yan had interrupted the conversation on purpose, she did indeed have questions about her swordplay. The two moved to the side, where Fu Yan humblely asked about her confusion. Bai Yueli offered her insights one by one. The third form of the Illusionless Sword was called “Illusionless.” Fu Yan didn’t quite understand the concept; Bai Yueli hadn’t learned the manual herself, so she could only offer suggestions and theories.

Seeing Bai Yueli pulled away, Wang Qingyang watched Fu Yan’s back. Though he said nothing, his eyes darkened slightly.

Soon, Han Shangde returned from his scouting. “There’s a small village about a hundred miles ahead. We should be able to stay there for the night.”

The group set off again and reached the village just before sunset. It was tiny—only a dozen or so households. The entire population likely didn’t exceed the number of people in their escort team, but Han Shangzhi had no other choice.

Fu Yan noticed something was off about the village at first glance. There was no sign of human life for hundreds of miles—why would a village appear right here? And what did these villagers live on?

Though she had doubts, Fu Yan didn’t speak up. She believed the others had also sensed the anomaly; though they didn’t say it out loud, they were all aware.

As the convoy slowly entered the village, they saw that the houses were somewhat dilapidated. Even though the sun had only just set, the village was deathly quiet. Every door was wide open, and many villagers were just sitting on their doorsteps. Yet, they showed no reaction to the unfamiliar faces of the convoy, sitting there in silence.

“Hello, old sir. We are travelers from Luan Mountain. May we borrow a place in your village to stay for the night?” Han Shangzhi found it strange, but he politely approached a kindly-looking old man.

The old man remained silent. After a long while, he slowly raised his eyes to stare blankly at Han Shangzhi, said nothing, and went back to his dazed state.

Han Shangzhi frowned, his expression turning serious. He asked several more people, but they were all like the first old man—stupid and dazed, as if they had no consciousness at all. It was quite eerie.

The group stood in the center of the village, surrounded by these vacant, staring figures, lost in thought.

“What’s going on? Why are these people like idiots? No one responds. Are they trying to drive us out on purpose?” Han Shangde, being his usual loud self, scanned the villagers with irritation.

A Zilan Sect disciple stepped forward. “I feel something is wrong. These people are too bizarre. I just probed their auras; they are indeed ordinary mortals, and there’s nothing physically wrong with them.”

While everyone was deep in thought, Fu Yan suddenly felt a gaze land on them. Before she could locate the source, the youth in the back, Fang Yu, moved.

In the span of a single breath, he returned, holding a young girl by the collar.

The girl was about eighteen, wearing an elegant pink dress, though her hair was a mess. Terrified by Fang Yu, her face was full of horror.

“AHHH!! Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”

The moment Fang Yu let go, the girl scrambled back in a panic, accidentally falling to the ground. She continued to beg for mercy, terrified for her life.

Qian Xun of the Lvzhu Gate walked over and comforted her: “Don’t be afraid, miss. We aren’t bad people, and we won’t kill you. Rest easy.”

Hearing this, the girl finally calmed down slightly. She shrank her neck timidly and looked up at the group. “Who… who are you?”

Han Shangzhi stepped forward. “We are travelers heading to Chaoyang City. It’s late, so we hoped to stay in your village for one night. We mean no harm.”

The girl seemed to sigh in relief. She looked at the crowd, slowly climbed up from the ground, and said, “Then… then follow me.”

Han Shangzhi blinked, looked back at the strongest member, Wang Qingyang, who nodded. He then signaled for the group to follow.

The girl led them around the street to two or three wooden houses. “No one lives in these rooms. You can… you can stay here for now.”

“Many thanks, miss!” Han Shangzhi thanked her. “I am Han Shangzhi. Might I ask your name?”

“Chun Hua,” the girl said softly. “You can stay here for a night, but… but you must leave before dawn tomorrow.”

The guards at the back looked at each other, confused.

“Why is that? And what’s with this village?” Han Shangde couldn’t contain his curiosity and pressed for answers.

Chun Hua didn’t answer. She turned and ran away.

“Let’s go inside first,” Bai Yueli, who had remained silent, finally spoke.

Han Shangzhi quickly had the guards pull the carriages into the courtyard. The others followed Wang Qingyang and Bai Yueli into the wooden house. Because those two were the strongest, they were the default leaders of the group.

Inside, guards lit candles, the yellow light filling the hall. Han Shangzhi approached Wang Qingyang. “Young Master Wang, do you know what the secret is here?”

Han Shangzhi considered himself well-traveled, but he had never seen a situation like this. He wasn’t worried about anything except his cargo.

Wang Qingyang sat calmly. “Young Master Han, do not worry. We will set out as planned tomorrow.” He then looked at Bai Yueli with a smile. “I wonder if Junior Sister Bai also…”

Before he could finish, Bai Yueli cut him off: “No need.”

The exchange left the others in a fog. Han Shangzhi didn’t understand either, but with Wang Qingyang’s reassurance, his worries lessened. “In that case, everyone find a room to rest. There might not be enough rooms, so I’ll have to trouble you to squeeze two to a room.”

No one objected.

However, as she recalled the state of the village outside, Fu Yan—who had been standing quietly to the side—suddenly realized something, and her heart filled with horror.

If her guess was right, the conversation between Wang Qingyang and Bai Yueli made perfect sense.

This village was being “farmed.”

On the vast Tongxuan Continent, besides the Human Race, there were other species, the Demon Race being one of them. For thousands of years, the relationship between humans and demons wasn’t harmonious, but it wasn’t always at a boiling point either. There were even gifted demon disciples in famous sects.

However, many mediocre demons preferred to take shortcuts to increase their strength. These demons would kidnap ordinary mortals and treat them like livestock, “farming” them in secret to consume their essence and blood regularly. Mortals who lost their essence would slowly become dazed, eventually dying of total exhaustion.

This was a cruel method, and the Great Sects would always hunt down such demons. These days, with the prosperity of human cultivators, such “farming” methods were almost extinct. Fu Yan never thought they would stumble upon such a scene.

Demons who used this method were usually no higher than the Hedo Stage. Knowing this, Wang Qingyang was confident; what he wanted was the Demon Core.

In the entire group, only Bai Yueli had the strength to compete with him for the core, which was why he had asked her. However, Bai Yueli seemed to have no interest in it.

The Demon Core is the foundation of a demon, equivalent to a human’s Qi Sea, containing vast spiritual energy. A core from a demon at the Great Circle of the Opening Light stage could be worth hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones.

Thinking of this, Fu Yan felt her own heart stir. But she remained rational; with her current strength, even if she got the core, she couldn’t keep it.

In the hall, the others seemed to have gone to their rooms. Fu Yan looked at the empty surroundings and belatedly remembered Han Shangzhi’s words.

Two to a room?

This was tricky. She couldn’t go to Shui Liuqing—that would be walking into the lion’s den. After thinking it over, she headed to the second floor.

That night, Fu Yan knocked on Bai Yueli’s door.