Chapter Seventy-Eight: Just You Wait

Xu Zhe made his way steadily toward the Sacred Land of Yaoci.

How could he infiltrate Yaoci in a manner that would arouse no suspicion? This was a most perplexing question.

After racking his brains to no avail, he finally took out the Myriad Manifestations Jade Tablet and searched on the Spirit Net—astonishingly, he found a wealth of results.

On the Spirit Net, many had discussed the very topic of “how to sneak into Yaoci without being discovered.”

For instance, there was a man who wished to court a maiden of Yaoci but, frustrated by his inability to approach her, sought advice online on how to infiltrate the sect.

As always, the first reply was unerringly clever: “You fool, why not just follow her on the Spirit Net and strike up a conversation?”

The second reply agreed: “He’s right.”

The original poster protested: “You know nothing!” and promptly posted a photo: he was piloting a limited-edition luxury airship, parked close to the Sacred Land of Yaoci, his hand resting on a fair, slender leg in the co-pilot’s seat. The skirt beside the leg was unmistakably that of an inner disciple of Yaoci.

Below, a flood of replies followed, all echoing the same sentiment: “Boss, you’re amazing!”

...

“I don’t understand,” Xu Zhe frowned, shaking his head in bewilderment.

The man had asked how to sneak into Yaoci, but in the end, he hadn’t actually entered at all—he’d merely taken a photo nearby. Why, then, did everyone lavish him with praise?

Xu Zhe continued scrolling through the search results, but none offered the clues he sought.

At last, one particularly well-discussed thread caught his eye.

Anonymous poster: “Tested personally—entered and exited Yaoci Sacred Land seven times, safe and sound.”

This person had posted several photos taken within the sacred grounds, then described the method by which he had managed to come and go unseen.

He had mastered a technique of transformation, disguising himself as a bewitching woman.

“Outrageous. In broad daylight, under the bright heavens—this is an affront to all morality. One must avert one’s eyes from such indecency...” Xu Zhe immediately launched into a stern tirade.

A grown man, over six feet tall, resorting to women’s attire to infiltrate Yaoci—what sort of example was that?

“I, Xu Zhe, would never do such a thing,” he declared, promptly blacklisting the man and continuing his search.

In the end, he found nothing useful. What he did find, however, was an aerial map of the Sacred Land of Yaoci among the related searches.

The Sacred Land of Yaoci stood atop a mountain peak, piercing the clouds, the entire domain shrouded in a formidable protective array.

By all accounts, only the sect’s own disciples could enter; outsiders would indeed find it nearly impossible to slip inside.

Yet Xu Zhe noticed a flaw.

From the outside, it appeared impenetrable, but within, there seemed to be no defenses at all...

“As I suspected—heaven rewards the diligent, and those with resolve will always find a way. After all my searching, I’ve finally made a discovery!” Xu Zhe rejoiced, putting away the Myriad Manifestations Jade Tablet and transforming into a streak of light that shot off into the distance.

The following day, he donned an entirely new face—appearing now as a young man of humble, honest aspect, the very picture of rustic sincerity.

He arrived without difficulty at the base of the mountain beneath the Sacred Land of Yaoci.

Looking up, he saw the peak soaring into the heavens, lost among the clouds.

After a quick survey of his surroundings, Xu Zhe’s eyes lit up with satisfaction.

“Just as I thought—the ground is entirely undefended. What a grave oversight. Yaoci is still too inexperienced,” he mused, shaking his head as he prepared to move forward.

Suddenly, a sharp sound sliced through the air above, followed by a crisp voice of rebuke.

“Halt! This is the domain of the Sacred Land of Yaoci. Outsiders are forbidden to trespass. No men are permitted near!”

In a flash, several young and beautiful Yaoci disciples descended before him, barring his path.

“Ladies, it’s a misunderstanding,” Xu Zhe said courteously. “My name is... Xu—no, Xu Honest. This is my first journey into the world, and I happened upon this place by chance. I had no idea it was the Sacred Land of Yaoci. If I have offended, I beg your forgiveness.”

At his words, the faces of the Yaoci disciples remained cold, their manner even sharper and more severe than before.

“A likely story,” one sneered, lips curling with disdain. “Since our founding, Yaoci has been renowned across the Four Continents. Are you mocking us by claiming you didn’t know this was Yaoci? Are you suggesting our fame is lacking?”

Xu Zhe felt a chill run down his spine.

There it was—the mindless intrigue he so disliked.

How to handle such biting sarcasm?

After a brief moment of thought, Xu Zhe adopted a look of shock and cried out, “You wrong me, ladies! Who could have guessed that you would see through my feeble lie at a glance? Your wisdom is truly unmatched—like the reincarnations of dragons and phoenixes. I’ll admit it: I’m here to seek the one I admire.”

The disciples’ faces turned proud, as if they had expected nothing less.

“You’re hardly the first to make excuses to get close to Yaoci. To think you could fool us—what a fantasy.”

“You know the rules, don’t you? Spirit stones or pills will do, or you can transfer spirit jade through the Myriad Manifestations Jade Tablet.”

The group spoke one after another.

Xu Zhe blinked in surprise. Rules? What rules?

Still, he produced a storage ring and fished out a single low-grade spirit stone. Whatever the rules were, he’d best try and see.

“This is it?”

The disciples eyed the stone in disdain, making no effort to hide their contempt.

“No wonder you’re trying to trick your way in—you really are a penniless wretch.”

“I’d love to know which of our sisters was unfortunate enough to catch your eye.”

“Go on, who is it you admire?”

“You’ve only offered a single low-grade stone, so we’ll merely pass on your message. Whether she responds or comes to see you is none of our concern—we won’t even tell you her answer, unless you’re willing to pay more.”

...

At this, Xu Zhe finally understood: so this was the rule.

One bribed them with spirit stones or pills to have them deliver a message to another Yaoci disciple. If you paid well, they might even relay her reply.

What a fascinating little industry!

But there was a problem—whom should he name as his beloved?

He didn’t seem to know any disciples of Yaoci. There was one whose surname he recalled, but she was already dead.

“Ahem, the one I admire is...”

Xu Zhe quickly searched the Spirit Net for “Yaoci” on his Jade Tablet, immediately finding a list: “The Ten Beauties of Yaoci.”

The first name, unsurprisingly, was Lin Keyi.

Definitely not her.

He looked at the second—perfect, he didn’t know her.

“Liu Lanxu,” he said promptly.

The disciples’ expressions changed at once.

“You admire Sister Liu?” one asked, eyeing Xu Zhe strangely.

“That’s right,” he nodded.

“Very well, wait here.”

With mocking laughter, they snatched the spirit stone from his hand, soared into the sky, and vanished among the clouds.

...

[First update]