After convincing the other party that she truly came from a powerful faction, the money-driven underground organizations of the cultivation world finally relaxed their stance.
However, they still didn’t agree to let Tang Xin go directly to their main base and insisted on waiting for someone to come and escort her.
After a long while, another group arrived, bringing with them a specially made, fully enclosed carriage.
They gestured for Tang Xin to get in.
“What does this mean?”
Tang Xin almost thought she had been exposed, suspecting they were setting a trap for her.
“It’s a rule; the route to the camp must be kept secret,” the Nascent Soul cultivator explained. “This is quite normal… if it were you, you’d probably do the same.”
A legitimate underground organization is indeed different from scattered gangs; they operate methodically, which explains why they can continue to exist in the cultivation world despite offending so many people.
At this point, she had to take a gamble.
Tang Xin boarded the carriage, which could block all detection, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll.
The carriage swayed slightly, indicating they had set off. She couldn’t see, hear, or feel any changes outside, so she could only count the time in her mind…
About a day later, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and the door opened.
“Welcome to our temporary base.”
Tang Xin squinted her eyes, readjusting to the outside light.
Surrounded by mountains, the area was a large, leveled field with tents of various sizes scattered around, far more people than she had expected.
“Quite a crowd,” Tang Xin remarked casually. “I thought you only sent a few dozen people this time.”
“If it were just about capturing someone, the number you mentioned would suffice,” the Nascent Soul cultivator said proudly. “But we took on a full-package task: capturing, transporting, retreating, and cleaning up. Every step is done meticulously, ensuring no trouble for the employer.”
“Professional,” Tang Xin nodded approvingly, as if evaluating a subordinate, then added, “But I heard you suffered a setback at the hands of Saintess Xu Lexian?”
Upon hearing this, the Nascent Soul cultivator’s expression turned sour.
“Where did Friend Xue hear about this? It only happened recently…”
He frowned.
“I have my sources,” Tang Xin replied evasively. “Why, is it a forbidden topic?”
“Not exactly…”
Seeing the White-Haired Witch’s extensive information network, the Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t help but regard her more highly.
“The Saintess’s trump cards were indeed beyond our expectations,” he said solemnly. “According to reports from my subordinates, the most baffling part was during our first attack. The Saintess was clearly cornered by two Golden Core cultivators, yet she managed to escape smoothly. It’s simply unbelievable… could there really have been a passing good Samaritan?”
“Who knows? Maybe there really are such altruistic people who don’t charge…”
Upon entering the base, Tang Xin wanted to directly see the captured genius cultivators, but the other party suggested she rest first after the long journey, saying there was no rush.
Knowing they wouldn’t easily grant her request, and with the watchful eyes from the shadows never ceasing, she understood she couldn’t be impatient.
The current task was twofold.
First, to see those geniuses and confirm the other party wasn’t lying.
The second task was to find a way to quietly sneak to a high place, figure out the location, and send the information out using a jade token.
Especially for the second task, the long-distance communication of the jade token could only be used once, so the location had to be confirmed.
In the tent, Tang Xin, who had just settled down, was pondering the next step when the sound of a bell rang outside.
A Nascent Soul cultivator came again, bringing someone along.
“There are many rules in the camp, and Fellow Daoist Xue might feel uncomfortable,” the person said with a smile. “I noticed you seemed interested in this merchandise, so I brought her to you temporarily as a gesture of apology.”
“Hmm?” Tang Xin glanced at the small, dusty-faced Su Ling and asked, “Weren’t we told not to touch the merchandise?”
“I trust that Fellow Daoist Xue won’t do anything,” the Nascent Soul cultivator replied. “Of course, if you really like her, you can offer a higher price to buy her, and we’ll handle the rest. We can manage such adjustments.”
So, realizing that the person in front of them was a potential big client, their attitude changed completely?
“Alright,” Tang Xin said indifferently. “But I guess your other purpose is to see if I can tame her, to judge my character and ability, and analyze my position in the faction, right?”
“Well…”
The Nascent Soul cultivator showed an awkward expression, raising their evaluation of Tang Xin once again. At least in matters of “transactions,” this person was truly cunning.
“I quite like this style of merchandise, so I won’t hold it against you,” Tang Xin waved her hand nonchalantly. “Hurry up and prepare the other goods, don’t make me lose my patience.”
“Okay.”
The Nascent Soul cultivator left, leaving behind the girl whose eyes were still covered with a white cloth and whose hands and feet were shackled.
Tang Xin stepped forward, looked around to ensure there were no traps, and removed the white cloth from Su Ling’s eyes.
The flat-chested girl blinked hard to adjust to the light, then glared at her fiercely.
Her ability to speak and hear had been sealed, so she had no idea what was happening outside, only knowing that the white-haired witch in front of her was definitely not a good person.
Tang Xin touched the seal, released the restraints on her, sat down on a chair, and crossed her legs.
“Su Ling, disciple of the Xuanling Sect, sword cultivator, super flat-chested.”
She didn’t intend to reveal her own identity. For one, her identity as the white-haired witch was tied to “demonic cultivation,” which couldn’t be easily explained. Secondly, walls have ears, and if someone overheard, it would be game over.
“You’re the flat-chested one,” Su Ling rubbed her wrists, which had been chafed to the point of bleeding, glared at her, and upon seeing her figure, changed her tone. “I’m just still in my growth phase…”
Hmph, with such a vulgar figure, it’s obvious she’s a bad person…
Su Ling glanced at her with the corner of her eye, pretended to be sulking, and then… suddenly attacked!
She brought her fingers together, and a dark green sword aura emerged from her fingertips. In a flash, she charged at the unsuspecting Tang Xin, attempting a sneak attack.
“Ah,” Tang Xin, with her legs crossed, was completely unfazed by her move. “If you dare to attack me, she will be doomed.”
“She?”
Su Ling’s sword finger, which was about to strike, stopped in mid-air.
“Do you know why I’m interested in you?” The white-haired witch revealed a smile that seemed to toy with people’s hearts and said in a teasing tone, “Because I have another Xuanling Sect disciple in my hands. Do you want to know who it is?”
“Xuanling Sect disciple?” Su Ling lowered her hand, gritting her teeth. “Who is it? Tell me!”
“Hehe,” playing the part to the fullest, Tang Xin lifted her chin and said, “I won’t tell you… I can only say it’s a high-value target.”
