Chapter 3989: Stirring The Waters

“Brother, why do you think that Lord Lu refuses to marry any of the Seven Fairies? I heard that he turned them all down.”

“Stop with that nonsense. That isn’t something for people like us to discuss. Look at Fugui; he hasn’t said a word.”

“True. He’s so calm and steady.”

Lu Yin literally had nothing to say in response.

A short time later, someone else arrived and called for Lu Yin and the Ling siblings to report to the city lord’s manor.

The three were surprised, but they did not hesitate to follow the messenger to the city lord’s manor.

Upon arrival, the first thing that they saw was Yu Xiang'er’s carriage and Yu Sheng standing beside it.

“Greetings, City Lord Yu.” The three bowed.

Yu Sheng nodded as he observed the three. “You’re the mercenaries who helped to protect the south gate, right? I noticed you all. Your teamwork isn’t bad. I have a job for you—you can consider it a commission. Complete it, and you’ll be rewarded with a chance to join the city lord’s treasure-hunting team.”

Ling Guang exchanged glances with Lu Yin, after which they both looked at Yu Sheng. “May we ask, City Lord, what the task is?”

Yu Sheng replied, “Follow this carriage. Wherever it goes, you go. Protect the person in the carriage. I believe that you already know who is inside.”

Ling Guang respectfully answered, “We do know, but given our low cultivation, we may prove powerless.”

Yu Sheng smiled. “Most of the insects have already been cleared from the Blackmarsh. You’re just going for reassurance’s sake. Besides, you’re not going to be Xianger’s real protectors. At worst, you’ll be clearing away some minor nuisances. It’s very simple.”

Ling Guang let out a sigh of relief. “In that case, thank you for your favor, City Lord.”

Lu Yin also bowed. “Thank you, City Lord.”

Yu Sheng gave a slight grunt in reply.

When they left the manor, it was no longer just Lu Yin and the two siblings. They were now part of a group of more than ten that followed Yu Xiang'er’s carriage out of the city.

Ling Shu asked doubtfully, “Why is Yu Xiang'er going outside the city?”

Ling Guang chuckled in an idiotic manner. “I don’t know.”

Ling Shu rolled her eyes. “Brother, you’re just another guard. Don’t overthink things.”

Ling Guang pointed into the distance, and when Ling Shu looked at where he was indicating, she was left speechless. There was a group of cultivators crouching along the city wall, enviously eyeing the carriage and its escorts, and their chatter drifted over to the ears of the guards.

“Those Ling siblings are so lucky! They get to protect one of the Seven Fairies up close. If only I could join them!”

“I clearly fought with more courage than that Ling Guang, but they didn’t include me.”

“You’re ugly.”

“Get lost!”

“Even Fugui is over there.”

“It’s too bad that he’s just a blockhead. It’d be much better if I were in his place. What a waste...”

Ling Shu shook her head. After glancing at Lu Yin, she immediately felt better. Fugui really did have a wooden head. His expression had not changed at all.

Ling Guang was practically drooling. He was so close to the carriage that he could smell a hint of fragrance.

In addition to the Ling siblings and Lu Yin, there were several other Spirit Warriors and even some Spirit Ancestors among the escorts. There was no doubt that there were even more experts following them in secret, but Lu Yin did not search for them. After all, deep underground, there was something connected to either Silent Death or the Netherfiends. Even the slightest slip-up could lead to complete failure.

Still, his instincts told him that there were hidden experts following them. Their subtle gazes occasionally brushed over him.

The convoy soon left Blackmarsh City and entered the swamp.

It was then that Lu Yin and the others understood why Yu Xiang'er had left the city.

Her excuse for leaving Dayi City was that she wanted to dig for treasure in the Blackmarsh, and that meant that she actually did have to hunt for treasure. Even if it was just an excuse, she still needed to put on a show. During the following few days, there were plenty of insect attacks, but Yu Xiang'er’s escorts were able to handle all of them easily, and there was little danger.

The larger surprise was Yu Xiang'er’s personality.

She revealed herself as a lazy woman who did not care about anything. When asked which direction to go, she simply answered, “Whatever.”

When asked if she wanted to dig for treasure nearby: “Whatever.”

When asked how she wanted the insects dealt with: “Whatever.”

No matter what she was asked, her answer was always “whatever.” It was as if she had no interest in anything at all.

In private, Ling Shu claimed that Yu Xiang'er was not a suitable woman to take home as a sister-in-law. Lu Yin could not help but throw a few glances over, as that would only matter if Ling Guang was actually able to marry the woman.

Lu Yin understood that Yu Xiang'er’s flawed personality was from Qi Xu, as one of the Immortal’s seven emotions had attached itself to the woman. It was no wonder why, when Qiunan Hongye had asked Yu Xiang'er to assign Lu Yin the task of not making trouble for the Sixth Night Pillar, Yu Xiang'er had readily agreed. The woman truly did not care about anything at all, and she also did not bother with anything. She lived by simply drifting along with the current.

Some people lived by their strength, while others lived purely by luck. Yu Xiang'er was of the latter.

If Qi Xu’s emotion had not attached itself to her, it was possible that Yu Xiang'er would have turned out differently.

But surprisingly, she had managed to become one of the Seven Fairies. It was impossible for her to have succeeded by her own initiative. It must have been because Greater Sancte Green Lotus had arranged for Yu Xiang'er to become one. Without that, then given her personality, it would have been practically impossible for her to carry a karmic bud all the way to the Sea of Karma.

“This is from the young lady, to thank you all for your support during this journey.” Yu Xiang'er’s maid presented some cultivated spirit seeds to the escort members. They had the cultivation level of a Semi-Progenitor, which made them quite the impressive gift, especially since more than a dozen were being given out at once. It was quite generous.

For Ling Guang, the spirit seeds did not matter much, given that he already had that level of cultivation.

However, for someone like Ling Shu, who still only had the strength of an Envoy, it was an unexpected windfall. The spirit seed could allow her to immediately reach the Semi-Progenitor level if she so desired.

Even for peak powerhouses, cultivated spirit seeds were valuable treasures. Not every cultivator could obtain a cultivated spirit seed. Normally, even a peak powerhouse would struggle to find a spirit seed with cultivation equal to a Semi-Progenitor, let alone one equal to their own cultivation.

A single Semi-Progenitor-level spirit seed could be sold for an astronomical price.

“Many thanks, young lady.” Everyone was extremely grateful. Yu Xiang'er truly lived up to her position as the daughter of Dayi City’s lord and one of the Seven Fairies. She was unquestionably generous.

The carriage continued traveling through Blackmarsh. No one knew how long the journey would take.

With every step, Lu Yin tested the ground underfoot, probing beneath the earth with the strength of an Envoy. This was enough to prevent his actions from being detected, as most treasure hunters would be even more brazen and intrusive.

Rumbling sounds could be heard in the distance. As the carriage drew near, they saw a group of people striking at the swamp ground. Of course, they limited their activity to within a small region. They did not dare to create too much of a commotion, as doing so would cause them to be expelled from Blackmarsh City.

The most common way that people searched for treasure in the swamp was to use a hook, one rather similar to a fishing hook. People would thrust the hook deep into the earth, and what they pulled out was anyone’s guess.

The deeper the hook went into the ground, the greater the chance of finding something good. This meant that success depended on both the treasure hunter’s strength and the quality of their hook, especially the line, which needed to be excellent. This was why there was so much fishing gear present in Blackmarsh City, despite not being close to any river or sea.

“Seventh Sister.” Yu Xiang'er’s voice rang out.

At the moment, Lu Yin was standing very close to the carriage. The guards in the escort constantly changed positions, and he just happened to be the one closest to the carriage at this moment. He heard Yu Xiang'er’s voice, and he even heard Lu Siyu’s voice from the communication device.

“Fifth Sister, what’s going on? I heard that City Lord Yu is forcing you to marry Little Lotus King. Is that true?” Lu Siyu asked in a loud voice. There was no attempt on her part to be quiet or subtle.

Yu Xiang'er replied in a soft voice, “No, he simply asked me to host some people, but I didn’t want to. Instead, I went to Blackmarsh City to rely on my second uncle.”

“That’s going too far! City Lord Yu knows your personality, Fifth Sister. My father would never do such a thing!”

“Exactly. It’s always you who’s pushing Uncle Lu, while he would never dare to push you.”

“Heehee, I know I was wrong. By the way, Fifth Sister, Little Lotus King isn’t bad. Do you really not feel anything at all for him?”

Yu Xiang'er shrugged as she replied, “It’s just too exhausting. Being alone is comfortable and free. Why look for another person to share my time with?”

Lu Siyu said, “I haven’t had enough fun yet, and I also haven’t found anyone I find pleasing. Fifth Sister, your standards are too high, and you look down on everyone. Why don’t I introduce you to Lu Yin?”

Outside the carriage, Lu Yin arched a brow.

That girl needs a beating.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Yu Xiang'er answered with a small smile, “You’re the one who likes Lord Lu. Don’t drag me into things.”

“You! You’re being ridiculous! When did I ever like him?”

“Second Sister told me. She spoke of how you made a point to beg her to agree to let him complete her task.”

“It wasn’t just me begging! Sixth Sister was there too! After all- after all-”

“Alright, you don’t need to explain. We all understand.”

“Aiya! It’s really not like that! Fifth Sister, you’re misunderstanding things! I just wanted to thank Lu Yin. No! I have to clear this up! I’ll call him right now and introduce you to him. That should be enough, right?”

Outside the carriage, Lu Yin quickly put his communication device in his cosmic ring.

“Seventh Sister, don’t play around. Lord Lu is likely discussing the war against the Nest civilization with Senior Awe Gate and the others right now. He doesn’t have time for such trivial matters.”

“Fine then! When he’s free, I’ll definitely introduce you to him. Oh, right. Little Lotus King and the others won’t chase you all the way to Blackmarsh City, will they?”

“They don’t have the time. All the members of the Scion Spire are competing for the title of First Scion right now. There are many who want to reduce Lord Lu’s influence, so they’re hoping to see a prodigy rise up to rival him. The only ones who can handle that sort of burden are those in the Scion Spire.”

“They want someone to rival Lu Yin? Is that possible?”

“I don’t know, but don’t underestimate those in the Scion Spire. They are the greatest talents of their eras. Any one of them, had they been allowed to cultivate normally, would already be overcoming Dukkha, or possibly even be a peak Dukkhan. As for those like Little Lotus King, there are many who claim that he will be the next Immortal. With the full support of the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, people are confident that those geniuses won’t fall short.”

“Well, alright. I’ll just wait and see. They don’t understand just how powerful Lu Yin is. Even though it’s frustrating that he’s from the Tianyuan Megaverse, he really is impressive.”

Soon, the inside of the carriage grew quiet again.

Yu Xiang'er pulled the curtains back and rested a snow-white arm on the windowsill while staring out with vacant eyes. There were times when she did not even want to think.

On the other hand, Lu Yin thought of something. As long as he was hiding in Blackmarsh City, how was he supposed to get underground? He had considered following the treasure hunters, but it was impossible for those hidden underground to not be on guard against them. The fact that they had never been found by the treasure hunters was proof that finding them would not be easy.

Then, what if a different group made an attempt? Say, Little Lotus King?

What would happen if those people came to Blackmarsh City?

The prodigies of the Scion Spire did not have an excessively high cultivation, but each was extremely difficult to deal with, and their identities were far from ordinary. Their arrival could stir up the waters without frightening the ones who were hiding underground.

As soon as Lu Yin thought of that, he contacted Awe Gate.

The Blackmarsh covered a vast region. Blackmarsh City was just a bit to the west of the center of the swamp, while far to the south stood an even greater city: Dayi City.

Dayi City was just outside the swamp, surrounded by mountains. It had been built atop the peaks, just beneath the clouds. It was a lively, bustling city that enjoyed a uniquely strategic location.

Many travelers passed through the city when traveling from the South Domain to the West Domain. Even those who used the skyswings to reach other regions would come close to Dayi City.

Also, from that direction, it was necessary to pass through Dayi City to reach the Blackmarsh.

It could be said that Dayi City was a place that many would visit at least once in their lives.

Surrounding Dayi City was the Hundred Cities Association, which covered the entire area around the Blackmarsh. While it was not one of the most powerful factions, the alliance still wielded considerable influence.