An Innate-Realm martial artist led the way ahead. Xu Ziqing followed him and entered the Wang residence through the main gate.
The Wang estate was filled with carved railings and jade ornamentation, no less magnificent than the imperial palaces of the Lower Nine Continents. Still, it was ultimately a place that prized elaborate craftsmanship. Thinking back to the Xu family’s main residence, Xu Ziqing felt that the Wang clan fell short of the Xu clan by more than a little.
After passing through long corridors and waterside pavilions, they came to a large residence.
The Innate-Realm martial artist said ingratiatingly, “This is the reception hall. The family head is waiting for the Immortal Masters in the warm pavilion and will certainly not neglect anyone.”
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. “The family head is thoughtful.”
Seeing Xu Ziqing’s mild attitude, the Innate-Realm martial artist relaxed somewhat. Someone like him, who had only recently advanced to the Innate Realm, might have a certain amount of prestige in the mortal world, but before cultivators he was hardly worth mentioning. Even his position guarding the gate of the Wang estate had cost him a considerable price to obtain. His purpose was simply to meet more cultivators. If he could ingratiate himself with even one, then even a slight acquaintance might be enough to raise his status.
Yet although the position was desirable, it was not easy work.
Those with low cultivation but high status often had poor tempers. Even if these Innate-Realm martial artists could crush them to death with one hand, they still had to smile and serve them carefully, which was deeply frustrating.
Those with low cultivation and low status usually had better tempers, but even if one befriended them, there was little benefit in it.
As for those with high cultivation… their temperaments came in every imaginable variety, and many had strange quirks. No matter what, however, they rarely showed a pleasant face to Innate-Realm martial artists like them.
More often, a single disagreement could bring punishment even if it did not cost anyone their life. Some cultivators would go so far as to cripple another person’s cultivation outright. Anyone who encountered that sort of thing could only blame their own terrible luck.
This Innate-Realm martial artist had lived many years and seen many people. Now, looking at this green-robed cultivator’s clear eyes and gentle aura, he knew Xu Ziqing had to be quite young, yet his cultivation felt unfathomable. That alone showed that his strength was not weak.
Meeting a cultivator like this secretly delighted the Innate-Realm martial artist. It seemed his luck was good this time.
Having decided to curry favor with him, the Innate-Realm martial artist grew even more attentive. As he guided Xu Ziqing along the turns and pathways, he told him quite a few things about the Wang clan, hoping to draw closer to him.
As the conversation continued, it naturally turned to matters related to this mission, which also gave him an opportunity to show Xu Ziqing goodwill.
The Wang clan had one principal branch, the direct line, as well as eight collateral branches. Although the collateral branches also lived within the main estate, they held little power. In the end, authority remained concentrated in the hands of the direct line.
And the direct line was the family head’s own branch.
The family head had married only one wife but kept more than ten concubines, who together had borne him two legitimate sons and five concubine-born sons. His legitimate eldest son was already in his thirties. Both his aptitude and cultivation were quite good, and he had even become a disciple of the Heavenly Snow Sect. His path toward immortality stretched far ahead, so he would most likely not take over the family. Thus, the legitimate second son, whose aptitude was somewhat inferior, had become the clan’s presumed heir.
Yet merely belonging to the direct line was not enough to become family head. They were, after all, an aristocratic cultivation family. The heir needed enough cultivation to suppress dissent and make those below him obey.
This legitimate second son, Wang Yingwu, was only twenty-five this year and had broken through to the third layer of Qi Refinement not long ago. His aptitude truly could not compare with his legitimate elder brother’s, but compared with most others, he was still respectable enough.
The current Wang family head, Wang Kangde, wanted Wang Yingwu to see more of the world, broaden his experience, and temper himself. So, just as every previous family head had done, once Wang Yingwu broke through to the third layer of Qi Refinement, he paid a high price to hire higher-level cultivators to protect him while taking him out for training.
After explaining all this, and seeing that they were nearly at the warm pavilion, the Innate-Realm martial artist quietly added, “In past missions, the base reward was always ten spiritual pearls. But when the mission was completed especially well, cultivators with higher cultivation…” His voice dropped even lower. “…have received upper-grade Twin-Pattern Grass from the family head.”
Just as he finished speaking, the two arrived at the entrance to the warm pavilion.
Xu Ziqing gave the Innate-Realm martial artist a gentle smile. “Thank you.”
The man hurriedly replied, “This junior would not dare accept your thanks, Senior. Please, go inside.”
Xu Ziqing gave a slight nod and stepped in.
Inside the warm pavilion stood an enormous cushioned couch. A solidly built man sat upon it. His features were plain, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness, and he looked distinctly calculating.
Several smaller couches stood nearby, all occupied. The people sitting there looked young and somewhat resembled the man, though they were considerably more handsome.
When Xu Ziqing entered, everyone in the warm pavilion rose.
The plain-looking man cupped his fists and greeted him first. “This humble Wang Kangde greets you. May I ask how Fellow Daoist is addressed?”
He was asking about Xu Ziqing’s origins.
Xu Ziqing smiled. “Family Head Wang needn’t be so courteous. I am Xu Ziqing of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s Outer Alliance. I came after accepting the mission.”
At the words “Rogue Cultivator Alliance,” Wang Kangde’s smile immediately grew several degrees warmer. “So Fellow Daoist is from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. Then we can be considered people of the same side. I failed to greet you personally just now, which was truly discourteous of me.” His gaze swept across the room as he continued, “These are all my unworthy sons. They have not amounted to much. I fear I will have to trouble Fellow Daoist to look after them during this trip.”
Then he scolded, “Why haven’t you gone to pay your respects to Senior Xu?” This was directed at the younger generation, and the young men hurriedly bowed.
The one at the front was the oldest. His appearance, bearing, clothing, and ornaments were all a step above the others, so naturally he was the legitimate second son, Wang Yingwu.
Sure enough, the young man introduced himself first. “This junior is Wang Yingwu. Greetings, Senior Xu.”
Only after that did the concubine-born sons come forward to pay their respects, all of them equally deferential.
Xu Ziqing smiled gently and accepted their greetings. After exchanging a few more words with Wang Kangde, he was shown to a couch between Wang Yingwu and Wang Kangde.
The intention was obvious. Wang Kangde wanted Wang Yingwu to strike up a conversation with Xu Ziqing and, if possible, form a good relationship. Xu Ziqing did not mind. He accepted the tea Wang Kangde personally served and sat there calmly without moving.
The concubine-born sons looked about Su Xin’s age, perhaps even younger. Because they had been raised within an aristocratic family, they lacked Su Xin’s experience and confidence and were correspondingly more curious. They did not dare stare openly, but they secretly glanced at Xu Ziqing several times, seemingly wondering why someone who looked so young received such special treatment from their father. Wang Yingwu was older and appeared steadier. He was probably surprised as well, but he hid it well and showed nothing outwardly.
Before long, Wang Yingwu took the initiative to test the waters. “Senior Xu has such profound cultivation despite being so young. You must be greatly valued within the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.” Who in the world disliked praise? Even if the remark was slightly forward, it should not offend anyone.
Xu Ziqing had not dealt with many people, but he was not so inexperienced that he could not recognize flattery. Though he found it somewhat amusing, he still responded, “I merely make enough to get by.”
Encouraged that Xu Ziqing had answered him, Wang Yingwu immediately continued, “This junior’s cultivation is shallow, so I cannot even see the depths of Senior’s cultivation. Senior’s talent is extraordinary and your cultivation unfathomable. It truly fills people like us with admiration.”
As he spoke, he wore an expression of yearning and admiration. Yet his face looked older than Xu Ziqing’s, so whether sincere or not, the sight was still rather funny.
Xu Ziqing truly was not good at dealing with people this way. He had always been reserved and rarely played games with words. Faced with such a flood of flattery, he had no reason to get angry, yet accepting it happily made his skin crawl. He now regretted arriving so early. He had actually been the first cultivator to come apply for the mission, leaving him unsure how to handle the situation.
Just as he was wondering how to reply, voices sounded outside. It seemed another cultivator had arrived.
Xu Ziqing could not help letting out a breath of relief. He immediately turned his gaze toward the doorway and neatly escaped the predicament.
Wang Yingwu looked slightly disappointed but also turned toward the entrance to see who had come.
This time, two women entered. Both had graceful figures, but when their faces came into view, the sight was startling at first glance.
Cultivators generally looked fairly good because of cultivation. Even those with unattractive features were often set off by an otherworldly bearing that made them appear somewhat elegant.
Yet these two female cultivators gave not the slightest impression of beauty.
It was not that their features were ugly. On the contrary, both had fair skin and delicate complexions. But one had been slashed down the left side of her face and the other down the right by some unknown blade, the wounds cut so deeply they seemed to bite into bone, brutally dividing each once-pretty face into two uneven halves.
If that had been all, it might still have been bearable. Yet someone had also covered each undamaged half-face with a strange pattern. The colors were mottled and brilliant, and no clear outline could be made out, only bizarre patches of color. Whatever beauty remained had been completely ruined.
Xu Ziqing did not recognize the two women, but he could easily recognize their cultivation. Both were at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement.
He did not know how old they were, however, so their ages were difficult to judge.
When Wang Kangde and Wang Yingwu saw them, both men’s expressions changed.
Wang Kangde fared somewhat better, merely twitching at the face. Wang Yingwu did much worse. His complexion had already gone pale, and cold sweat seemed to bead on his forehead.
Seeing the father and son react this way, Xu Ziqing could not help growing curious.
Just who were these two female cultivators, that they could make the Wang father and son lose color like this?
While he was still wondering, Wang Kangde had already sprung to his feet. He moved even faster than when he had greeted Xu Ziqing, practically as though his backside were on fire and he feared that being a moment too slow would earn him a beating.
“Miss Gui Yin, Miss Gui Yang, Wang failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me!” With that, he bowed deeply.
The two women’s figures blurred slightly, and somehow they were already inside the room. One raised her left hand and the other her right to cover their mouths as they laughed softly together. Even their voices were almost exactly alike. “Family Head Wang’s courtesy is too much for us.”
Xu Ziqing became even more surprised.
As far as he could tell, the two women looked somewhat unattractive, but there was nothing improper in their conduct. Their speech was courteous as well, and their manner appeared quite amiable. Why, then, did Wang Kangde treat them like a formidable enemy?
Still nervous and apprehensive, Wang Kangde settled the two women carefully beside himself. Far from encouraging his sons to draw close to them, he looked as though he wished he could dig a trench between them and make certain the two sides never touched even by accident.
Whether anyone else noticed was another matter, but to Xu Ziqing it seemed extremely disrespectful toward the two female cultivators, and he frowned inwardly. The women, however, appeared long accustomed to it. From time to time they spoke to Wang Kangde with calm, gracious ease. Wang Kangde, by contrast, looked increasingly as though he were sitting on needles.
Xu Ziqing understood even less, while Wang Yingwu’s face grew another shade paler. He did not dare glance toward the women at all.
At last unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Ziqing turned slightly and transmitted his voice to Wang Yingwu. “Young Master Wang, who are those two ladies?”
Wang Yingwu looked up at him, surprise plain in his eyes, and nearly blurted something aloud. He quickly restrained himself and answered with an ordinary voice-transmission technique. “Senior Xu doesn’t know them?”
Xu Ziqing shook his head slightly, his expression plainly asking for an explanation.
Wang Yingwu carefully kept his face from changing and slowly explained the two women’s story by voice transmission.
Only then did Xu Ziqing understand why the Wang father and son regarded them as though facing a great enemy.
The two female cultivators were biological sisters only a year apart. They had originally been daughters of a small cultivation family and had both been exceptionally beautiful from childhood.
When the sisters had just grown into young women, they had already reached the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, extraordinarily rare aptitude for a small family. Their relatives therefore valued them even more and planned marriages with a medium-sized aristocratic family, both to strengthen their own clan and to find the daughters good homes with more cultivation resources.
Unexpectedly, the small family was annihilated by a demonic cultivator in a single night. Every member of the clan was killed, while the two sisters were abducted. From then on, they fell into the demon’s lair, became cultivation cauldrons for the demonic cultivator, and suffered endlessly.
Only then did others learn that the sisters both possessed the rare Heavenly Yin Constitution.
The Heavenly Yin Constitution was an exceptional constitution among women. If its possessor had a water spiritual root, then even with three or four spiritual roots, her cultivation speed could rival that of an ordinary dual-spiritual-root cultivator. And regardless of whether she had a water spiritual root, a woman with the Heavenly Yin Constitution made an excellent cultivation cauldron.
The demonic cultivator happened to be a libertine who specialized in collecting women with unusual constitutions for his cultivation. When he chanced upon the sisters, he coveted them at once. How could he let such superb cauldrons escape? That very night, he wiped out their entire clan and carried the sisters away.
Xu Ziqing had heard of cultivation cauldrons before. Both orthodox and demonic cultivation had such practices. They arose from certain cultivation methods that harvested yin to supplement yang or harvested yang to supplement yin. The primordial yin and primordial yang of people with special constitutions were especially prized.
The person whose essence was harvested was the cultivation cauldron.
Orthodox cultivators who used cultivation cauldrons generally followed certain rules, but demonic cultivators were another matter entirely.
Listening to Wang Yingwu recount the story of Gui Yin and Gui Yang, Xu Ziqing could not help sighing inwardly.
Up to this point, one could only call the sisters pitiable. But the story did not end there.
Because the two sisters were beautiful, the demonic cultivator harvested them soon after abducting them, and their primordial yin was lost in an instant. Yet the demonic cultivator was handsome and charming, with an elegant, carefree manner. The sisters could not help developing feelings for him, so hatred and affection became tangled together in their hearts.
While they were tormented by those conflicting emotions, the fickle demonic cultivator acquired another peerless beauty. Not only did she possess a special constitution, she was delicate and soft as well, far better at pleasing a man than the two sisters.
The demonic cultivator quickly cast the sisters aside and even gave them to his subordinates, displaying utter cruelty and heartlessness.
Their hearts shattered, and hatred finally gained the upper hand. To avoid being humiliated again, the sisters independently covered their faces with magical artifacts and destroyed their own beauty.
The demonic cultivator flew into a rage and sent the two women away as hard-labor servants.
As everyone knew, women were always more ruled by emotion than reason. When they loved someone, they wanted him to live; when they hated someone, they wanted him dead.
Turning from love to hatred could hardly have been more natural.
Supported by that hatred, the sisters not only survived, but somehow gained the acknowledgment of a pair of Yin-Yang Spiders. From then on, their cultivation advanced rapidly. In the end, they turned the tables, killed the demonic cultivator, and destroyed his lair!
The demon’s lair had harmed countless people. The sisters rescued many suffering women and helped settle them elsewhere. Their families were naturally grateful, and the sisters’ fame spread widely.
By rights, that should have been a good reputation, not one that inspired fear.
Wang Yingwu continued, “Senior may not know this, but the demonic cultivator who killed their family had already reached Foundation Establishment and was extremely powerful. He also chose families neither too large nor too small, leaving them helpless against him. Yet the sisters were clearly only at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement at the time. How could anyone capable of killing him be simple?”
The elder sister raised the Yang Spider, which was male, while the younger sister raised the Yin Spider, which was female. They made this pair of Yin-Yang Spider demon beasts their life-bound beast pets, abandoned their former names, and renamed themselves Gui Yang and Gui Yin.
The Yang Spider carried terrifying poison. Its venom could make an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s entire body go rigid within three breaths. Back then, Gui Yang released the Yang Spider and had it bite the demonic cultivator viciously. Only then was she able to strike and kill him.
By that time, Gui Yang’s temperament had already become twisted. She actually flayed the demonic cultivator’s face off and hung it in front of his lair for display. With such ruthless methods, how could others not fear her?
Even that might have been overlooked. The two were, after all, pitiable women, and so long as they did not slaughter indiscriminately, who would deliberately make trouble for them? Unfortunately, Gui Yin also possessed a Yin Spider.
The Yin Spider was even more uncanny. It was not highly poisonous, but it could lay curses.
Gui Yin and Gui Yang deeply hated men who were fickle and faithless. Whenever they saw a male cultivator with three wives and four concubines, even if his sole intention was to produce descendants and continue his clan line, they still could not bear the sight.
All they had to do was release the Yin Spider to bite him once. Afterward, once that male cultivator slept with someone, he could never sleep with anyone else unless he broke through to Foundation Establishment. Even if his heart merely strayed, the curse would attack his heart and kill him. And among all cultivators beneath Heaven, how many ever managed to reach Foundation Establishment?
Ever since the Gui Yin-Yang sisters destroyed the demon’s lair, they had stirred up quite a storm across several great continents.
No one knew where they learned an extraordinarily powerful escape art. Using their own blood as the medium, they could cross a thousand li in an instant, a speed no worse than the movement arts of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
At that time, the two sisters sought out countless male cultivators who had wives and concubines. The Yin Spider displayed its might, biting no fewer than a hundred men in only a few days.
Only after venting their anger did the sisters flee when those male cultivators banded together to retaliate. They disappeared for several years. When they emerged again, they had already broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, and the two Yin-Yang Spiders had become even more formidable.
The sisters still despised faithless men, but they had gained somewhat more restraint in how they acted. Ordinarily they were all smiles and soft words, yet after a single disagreement, they might still send the Yin Spider to bite someone.
There were countless male cultivators beneath Heaven. The more a family’s disciples were expected to strengthen and expand the clan, the more likely they were to become involved with many women, and thus the more likely they were to catch the attention of Gui Yin and Gui Yang.
The Wang family merely wanted its younger generation to gain experience, yet it had somehow attracted these two vicious women. Most of Wang Kangde’s biological sons were here, and most had little hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. If they somehow angered the Gui Yin-Yang sisters, the Wang family’s direct line in the next generation could forget about flourishing.
After finishing his explanation, Wang Yingwu looked deeply uneasy.
After hearing the sisters’ story, Xu Ziqing thought the two were somewhat extreme, but he did not regard them as terrifying monsters. Everything had begun with the two of them being victimized, and what followed was understandable in light of that. In fact, he disagreed more with the Wang father and son’s way of thinking.
Once a man married a wife, he naturally ought to devote himself wholeheartedly to her. Gui Yin and Gui Yang were indeed excessive in coercing others with curses, but betraying one’s beloved in the name of continuing the family line was hardly the conduct of a true man either!
Thinking this far, Xu Ziqing no longer felt like talking with Wang Yingwu. At present, he only felt that the sisters were rather free-spirited. Yet because they had suffered so greatly in their early years, they remained trapped by an inner demon and could not reach enlightenment. If one day they could let go of the past, their state of mind would naturally become clear and polished. Their suffering would become tempering instead, and reaching Foundation Establishment or even Essence Transformation would likely be no difficult matter.