Chapter 2160 - Word of Immortal Lady Cang Ning

The clouds receded and the rain stopped. The light of the heavens was bright and clear.

Near the railing of the top floor of Heaven’s Net.

Madam Cheng Bi stood there in a daze, her ample, snowy mounds heaving beneath clothing so tight that it threatened to burst.

She was struggling to calm herself because... Solitary Moon Mountain was gone!

A single slash had reduced it to rubble, leaving a massive chasm in the ground.

The greatest faction in Fire Cauldron City, the Sky Fire Yao Sect, had fallen, just like that!

When she replayed that vision of towering blood-red sword qi rising into the heavens, Madam Cheng Bi couldn’t help but shudder.

The entire city shook, and the forces of its various factions were out gathering information like mad. There were people shuttling all over the place.

When a whale died, countless creatures feasted. Similarly, when a local tyrant fell, other factions would quickly divvy up and feast on its “corpse”!

Su Yi sat in his wheelchair, as calm as before. He had, after all, anticipated this. It would have been far stranger if that strike

hadn’t

been enough to destroy the Sky Fire Yao Sect.

“Snap out of it,” said Su Yi. It had been a long time since Madam Cheng Bi said anything, so he gently reminded her to pay attention.

“Uh... Ah....” Madam Cheng Bi reacted as if awakening from a dream. She immediately realized that the crippled young man seated beside her had remained calm this entire time, as if he didn’t find the destruction of the Sky Fire Yao Sect the least bit strange.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Do you perhaps know that blood-red sword qi’s origins, sir?”

“That was A’Ling’s work,” said Su Yi. “We came to Fire Cauldron City specifically to crush the Sky Fire Yao Sect.”

“???” Madam Cheng Bi was baffled.

That young woman just destroyed the Sky Fire Yao Sect in a single strike? But she was obviously only in the Profound Illumination Realm! How is that possible?

“If you’ve been to the Demon Crow Mountains, you likely noticed that that streak of blood-red sword qi was similar to the ones that appear periodically in the mountains,” Su Yi said casually. “A'Ling just borrowed that power. It was nothing overly impressive.”

Madam Cheng Bi had a complicated look on her face, and her heart churned with emotion.

She had a vast breadth of experience, as in her time as the manager of the local branch of Heaven’s Net, she’d done business with all manner of strange and eccentric customers.

But this was her first time encountering a pair so unbelievable.

One was a wheelchair bound cripple unable to even lift a finger. The other was a girl in beast skins, obviously a yokel from a backwater, yet she’d somehow destroyed the city’s top sect in a single slash.

It all seemed far too unbelievable.

The part that astonished Madam Cheng Bi the most, or rather, the part that most confused her, was that anyone else who’d done something like that would have feared nothing more than word getting out.

Yet this young man seemed like he disdained to hide his actions. He’d just lightly and airily revealed the truth of the situation!

How could Madam Cheng Bi fail to understand the implications?

This is proof of fearless confidence. He refuses to lower himself by hiding the truth! Just who is this young man? He’s obviously crippled, so why is he so confident?

“You’re supposed to be answering my questions,” Su Yi reminded softly.

Madam Cheng Bi took a deep breath, suppressed her shock and confusion, and said, “There’s no need to hide it. Information regarding Immortal Lady Cang Ning isn’t top secret, but you’ll still need to pay the corresponding price.”

“A trivial matter,” said Su Yi. “Please, go ahead.”

Madam Cheng Bi promptly told him the full story.

Immortal Lady Cang Ning was originally a peerless yao immortal of the Billowing Blue Realm, and she had a Saint Realm cultivation base.

But she suddenly vanished around ten years ago.

And around the same time, the Celestial Yao Mountains gained an Immortal Queen known as Zi Jue!

Immortal Queen Zi Jue and Immortal Lady Cang Ning were one and the same.

Ten years ago, she joined the Celestial Yao Mountains and won the approval of one of its deities. With the god’s assistance, she broke into the Miracle Realm and became an unparalleled Immortal Queen of the Yao Path!

The god even gave her a new title, Zi Jue.

Su Yi finally understood. It was no wonder that Li Changqing hadn’t found any information regarding Immortal Lady Cang Ning. She’d long since changed her affiliation and become an Immortal Queen of the Celestial Yao Mountains!

“I need information regarding the Celestial Yao Mountains. A list of its deities’ names will do,” Su Yi said softly.

After his conversation with Li Changqing, he knew that the Celestial Yao Mountains had been involved in the attack on the Yi Family!

The greatest faction in the Billowing Blue Realm were among the primary offenders behind the Yi Family’s demise!

It was just that Su Yi hadn’t anticipated that the woman who’d taken Yang Shuang’er away had joined the Celestial Yao Mountains. He couldn’t help but worry about Yang Shuang’er’s well-being.

After all, even though she’d taken on a different surname, the blood of the Yi Family still coursed through her veins. If they discovered her origins... The consequences would be unimaginable!

“You don’t already know about the Celestial Yao Mountains?” exclaimed Madam Cheng Bi.

What cultivator in the Billowing Blue Realm didn’t know all about them already?

“A pointless question,” Su Yi said coolly.

Madam Cheng Bi was instantly solemn. Outwardly, she said apologetically, “My apologies. Rest assured. If all you want is a list of names, that’s well within Heaven’s Net’s ability to provide.”

As they conversed, A’Ling returned.

She immediately dashed over to Su Yi, and when she saw that he didn’t have so much as a hair out of place, she inwardly sighed in relief.

“Big Brother Xiao.”

Madam Cheng Bi’s gaze was a bit strange. Without seeing it for themselves, who would have believed that a young girl like her had destroyed the Sky Fire Yao Sect in a single slash?

“You did well,” said Su Yi. “But you ultimately did so by relying on external objects, so don’t let it go to your head.”

A’Ling nodded. “Rest assured, Big Brother Xiao. I understand that.”

“Pay our tab,” ordered Su Yi. “Then let’s go home.”

“Got it!” said A’Ling.

But then, uncharacteristically, Madam Cheng Bi smiled and shook her head. “Sir, the information you requested wasn’t a heavily guarded secret, nor was it particularly precious. It’s far more valuable than your deposit.”

With that, she took out the bronze box and passed it to A’Ling. “You hold onto this stalk of immortal medicine. Take it as a token of my sincerity.”

A’Ling froze, then looked at Su Yi.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“Just put it away, then,” said Su Yi, not the least bit concerned. He could tell that Madam Cheng Bi wanted them to owe her a favor, but that wasn’t anything to be concerned about.

A’Ling put the box away, then chirped, “Thank you, Big Sister.”

Madam Cheng Bi smiled and patted A’Ling on the shoulder. “Dear little sister, if you ever have free time, remember to come looking for me. I guarantee that no one in Fire Tripod City will dare to provoke you!”

Madam Cheng Bi’s fervent warmth made A’Ling feel a bit ill at ease, but she nodded nonetheless.

Then, she and Su Yi set off without any further delays.

Madam Cheng Bi personally saw them off.

It was only when they reached the gates of Heaven’s Net that the full-figured mature beauty could no longer hold back.

“As I’m sure you know, the city’s factions are sure to investigate what happened, and they’ll inevitably discover our meeting. When that happens...”

Before she could finish her question, Su Yi said dismissively, “You needn’t let this trouble you. Just tell them the truth.”

Madam Cheng Bi’s gaze was inscrutable as she nodded her head. “Now I can relax.”

She wasn’t worried that today’s incident would implicate Heaven’s Net.

The Sky Fire Yao Sect had already fallen, and although they had a powerful backer, Heaven’s Net was spread throughout the Billowing Blue Realm. They weren’t afraid to offend anyone!

What really worried Madam Cheng Bi was the possibility of incurring Su Yi’s wrath and retribution if she leaked word of what had happened. That was why she’d chosen to bring this up.

Su Yi’s answer left her feeling much calmer.

It was only after he and A’Ling faded into the distance that Madam Cheng Bi retracted her gaze. She needed to take some time to clear her head and think over everything that had happened today!

......

Nothing unexpected happened on their way back from Fire Cauldron City.

Along the way, A’Ling couldn’t help but ask, “Big Brother Xiao, I still don’t quite understand. Why was Madam Cheng Bi so polite and respectful? She’s... she’s a yao cultivator, after all.”

It really was hard to believe. Humans’ status was so low that yao and demons were accustomed to ruling over and enslaving them.

Moreover, they’d just visited Heaven’s Net. Madam Cheng Bi, its manager, was a lofty and influential authority figure, yet she’d treated them with respect, not daring to show the slightest negligence. It seemed utterly unbelievable.

“She’s a yao cultivator, but she’s also a clever woman,” Su Yi said casually. “She excels at reading people, and when she realized that we were not to be provoked, she naturally didn’t dare to act up.”

A’Ling listened, but only half understood.

“Silly girl. We casually took out an immortal medicine, with no fear of Heaven’s Net trying to deceive or rob us. How could Madam Cheng Bi possibly look down on us after that?”

“This is called making a strong first impression. I showed Madam Cheng Bi that we weren’t simple, and weren’t to be provoked lightly.”

Had A’Ling been anyone else, he wouldn’t have bothered to explain, but he seemed to have endless patience for her.

“That aside, Heaven’s Net has branches all over the Billowing Blue Realm. It’s nothing like those short-sighted lesser factions.

“As the manager of the Fire Cauldron City branch of Heaven’s Gate, Madam Cheng Bi could tell that even though we’re human, we’re not someone she can afford to provoke lightly.”

Su Yi explained the logic to A’Ling down to the details. “Given the circumstances, would

you

dare to offend two strangers of mysterious origins who could casually take out immortal medicines?”

A’Ling instinctively shook her head.

“That’s right,” said Su Yi. “But that’s secondary. The real reason she changed her attitude is that streak of sword qi you used to destroy the Sky Fire Yao Sect.

“If you hadn’t done that, she’d have had doubts. She’d have suspected that we were bluffing. After seeing that, how could she dare to even wonder such a thing?

“That’s why she refused to accept so much as a coin from us, and even insisted on returning our deposit,” Su Yi said ruefully. “There’s a logic behind worldly affairs, and grasping human nature is key to success. Once you’ve gained experience, you won’t need to learn or ponder deliberately; it’ll all naturally make sense.”

A’Ling was from a remote village, and she’d spent her years hunting in the mountains. She had extraordinary strength for her cultivation level, but when it came to worldly affairs, she was like a sheet of white paper.

She still had a long path ahead of her.

A’Ling sank into thought for a while. She was starting to get it.

A little while later, she said suddenly, “Big Brother Xiao, can we sleep in peace now that the Sky Fire Yao Sect has been destroyed?”

“Not yet,” said Su Yi, his gaze calm and clear. “If all goes as I suspect, a storm will soon descend upon Grassy Creek Village.”

A’Ling’s heart shook, and her beautiful face paled.