(2/5)
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Once again Thank you Choco for the kofi!
The information on Jiang City wasn’t extensive, so Xiao Mo quickly finished reading through it.
To summarize:
– City Lord: Lie Ying
– Population: 50,000
– Military strength: 10,000 soldiers
Xiao Mo then picked up the map beside him. It was said to represent the entire world of the eighth floor. The map displayed the distribution of various cities but wasn’t static—it was “alive.”
Just like how Lie Ying’s name had appeared on paper earlier, new cities and territories occasionally emerged on the map. Xiao Mo guessed this was due to participants gradually arriving from the seventh floor to the eighth floor.
Some cities appeared far apart, while others were relatively close. Taking Qin City as an example, there were five cities surrounding it.
Chu Jinglan reviewed Qin City’s details as well. It had a population of 50,000 and military strength of 10,000 soldiers. Its food supplies were particularly abundant, and its taxation and governance were highly reasonable. Without war, its citizens would likely enjoy a prosperous life.
Lie Ying’s task was most likely to attack Qin City in three days. If he wanted to win, this battle would be unavoidable.
Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Chu Jinglan pointed out key positions within the City Lord’s manor: “Summon these individuals for a council meeting to discuss strategies.”
The steward immediately accepted the order and left. “Understood.”
Not long after, he returned with several people—military generals, officials managing finances and personnel, and… an astrologer.
And this astrologer turned out to be none other than Jun Bushu.
It seemed not everyone became a City Lord or Madam; some could hold official positions instead.
When Jun Bushu saw Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan, his previously listless gaze brightened significantly—as if his sickly demeanor had been cured on the spot. He tucked his hands into his sleeves and bowed slightly toward them. “We meet again.”
“A few days ago, I had a feeling and cast a divination. My love tribulation seems to be undergoing some changes. Are you two planning something? If there’s anything I can assist with, feel free to let me know.”
After nearly losing half his life during his last divination for Chu Jinglan, Jun Bushu had learned his lesson. Now he only cast divinations for himself—and kept them brief.
Chu Jinglan, aside from planning to focus on improving his cultivation, didn’t have any other intentions. “Perhaps there will be some opportunities within the tower.”
Xiao Mo’s hand lightly shifted on the flute he was holding. He understood the situation but didn’t comment further. Instead, he asked curiously: “Was the divination about the war cast by you, or was it already here?”
Jun Bushu replied, “Not by me. When I arrived, the divination chart was already on the table. I was still observing the environment when I was called over.”
Xiao Mo nodded in understanding and shifted his gaze to the others present.
Among those summoned for the council were both ordinary people and cultivators. Two were disciples of sects, while two appeared to be rogue cultivators. One of them was a demon.
The demon wasn’t the one who had been with Fenxiu on the first floor but a feathered demon. As Xiao Mo observed them, they were also sizing up everyone else. The feathered demon’s gaze landed on Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan: “It seems the two of you drew the most prestigious identities among us.”
While the phantoms in the heart-tempering realm were willing to listen to the City Lord and Madam, cultivators weren’t necessarily as cooperative—especially some sect disciples who were naturally proud and arrogant.
To accomplish a collective task, there needed to be a leader, but not everyone would be willing to follow.
Among those present was a disciple from Cloud Peak Six Sects who remained silent for now. Another disciple from Immortal Alliance crossed his arms and asked, “Do you know how to complete the task?”
Xiao Mo replied calmly: “Not yet. That’s why we’re gathering everyone to discuss it.”
Xiao Mo took charge of speaking, sparing Chu Jinglan from having to say much. Now that all the “important officials” had gathered, Xiao Mo turned to the steward and asked: “Steward, in your opinion, how can we best protect Qin City’s citizens during this battle with Jiang City? Is repelling their forces enough, or do we need to conquer Jiang City entirely?”
The steward bowed respectfully and answered: “As long as Jiang City’s City Lord surrenders, that will suffice.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than another messenger rushed in: “Report—!”
“Urgent news from city defenses! Hidden City has deployed troops—reason unknown!”
Hidden City was another neighboring city. Based on its location on the map earlier, it was close to both Qin City and Jiang City. Was this turning into a three-city conflict?
The messenger claimed not to know Hidden City’s intentions. Unlike Jiang City’s clear declaration of aggression earlier, Hidden City’s actions seemed more ambiguous… Could their task be to act as opportunists—waiting for Qin and Jiang Cities to weaken each other before striking?
The steward wasted no time explaining further and immediately summoned attendants to bring intelligence on Hidden City.
Hidden City’s City Lord bore an unfamiliar name, but regardless of which side they might fight against, confirming their combat strength would be crucial.
“I have a suggestion,” Xiao Mo said evenly. “There may be other cultivators within Qin City. We could issue a public notice to gather everyone and confirm our overall combat strength.”
Currently, the strongest individual here was the feathered demon at peak Nascent Soul stage. The city’s residents didn’t possess any cultivation abilities, so determining the outcome of battles would largely depend on their cultivators. Naturally, having more high-level cultivators would be advantageous.
Any city with Divided Spirit cultivators would naturally hold a significant edge over others.
The group had no objections to Xiao Mo’s proposal. Once notices were sent out across Qin City, additional cultivators indeed responded and gathered at the City Lord’s manor.
Qin City now had thirty cultivators altogether—including other disciples from Yingyue Sect. The good news was that Yue Ming was among them—adding reliable manpower—but unfortunately, they still lacked anyone at the Divided Spirit stage.
Yue Ming exhaled in relief upon seeing Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan again. As everyone assembled in the manor, their positions became noticeably distinct: Lingxiao Sect disciples stood with Jun Bushu; Jun Bushu himself stood beside Chu Jinglan and Xiao Mo. Seeing Lingxiao Sect willing to ally with Yingyue Sect made Immortal Alliance disciples reconsider their stance—even those who might have wanted control of Qin City hesitated after weighing their options carefully against this alliance’s strength.
For example, the Immortal Alliance disciple who had been assigned the role of general earlier didn’t look too pleased when he saw more and more people aligning themselves with Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan. However, with the situation already decided, any dissatisfaction he felt had to be swallowed.
The sole demon present seemed indifferent, neither choosing a side nor opposing anyone.
Since there were no objections to Chu Jinglan’s position as City Lord, the next step was to draft the defense strategy for the upcoming battle. To determine how many cultivators the opposing side had, someone would need to be sent to scout.
But if the enemy had a Divided Spirit cultivator—especially one from another sect—the scout could very well lose their life. Not everyone was a talented disciple with protective measures provided by their sect.
At this point, someone spoke up: “If the other side has a Divided Spirit cultivator, sending anyone else would be pointless. Those who have sect-provided protective seals should go.”
“I agree!” another chimed in.
Many others quickly echoed this sentiment. It was clear that even those who had temporarily aligned themselves with Chu Jinglan weren’t willing to take on overly dangerous tasks. I’m not your real subordinate—don’t expect me to do something I don’t want to.
Among those present, only Chu Jinglan, Yue Ming, and Jun Bushu had protective seals left by their sect’s powerful cultivators.
Yue Ming was about to speak when Xiao Mo interrupted him: “Everyone should return and rest for now—prepare yourselves for the upcoming battle. The few of us here will discuss and gather information before notifying everyone.”
Relieved that they wouldn’t have to take risks, the others left satisfied, using whatever methods they preferred.
For now, only Xiao Mo, Chu Jinglan, Yue Ming, and Jun Bushu remained.
“Even though capable people should do more,” Yue Ming said with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression, “having to win while dragging some of these people along really irritates me.”
Protective seals were limited resources—each use depleted one. They were meant as life-saving measures.
Jun Bushu spoke weakly but with agreement: “Fair enough. We can take on this task, but they should contribute something in return.”
Xiao Mo nodded in agreement: “Mm. Let’s make a list—if they won’t put in effort, they’ll have to provide some resources.”
“But you don’t need to take any risks,” Xiao Mo added casually as he shifted his tone. “I have a secret method for gathering information that doesn’t require putting anyone in danger.”
Both Yue Ming and Jun Bushu turned to look at him simultaneously.
Jun Bushu’s lips twitched briefly in surprise but didn’t linger on it for long. Since he was waiting for someone to help him break his tribulation anyway, he assumed Xiao Mo must have some extraordinary abilities and chose not to comment further. Yue Ming, however, was visibly startled: “Are you sure it’ll work even against Divided Spirit cultivators? You’re only at Golden Core stage—not to underestimate you, but this is genuinely dangerous.”
Xiao Mo replied nonchalantly: “Don’t worry—it’s very safe. But my method is unique and confidential, so I won’t go into detail.”
Yue Ming glanced at Chu Jinglan’s calm demeanor before finally nodding: “Alright then. Seeing how composed he is, I suppose you two are confident enough.”
If Xiao Mo were ever in danger, Chu Jinglan would be the first to worry—there’d be no need for Yue Ming to fret.
“But we still need to get resources from those people earlier,” Xiao Mo said, holding up four fingers. “We’ll split it evenly.”
Yue Ming waved his hand generously. “You two are doing the work—you take it. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it confidential and stay on your side.”
Jun Bushu added, “I won’t leak anything either.”
“Consider it a confidentiality fee. You should take some too—it’s fine.”
With their plan settled, Yue Ming and Jun Bushu temporarily left, leaving only Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan behind.
Xiao Mo’s “secret method” was simple and direct: transforming into an invisible inner demon spirit body that could go anywhere undetected. He could gather intelligence from Jiang City and Hidden City in no time.
It was indeed a method that couldn’t be revealed to outsiders.
By now, the sky on the eighth floor had begun to darken as night fell. The steward led Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan to the City Lord’s bedroom, which was just as lavishly decorated as the rest of the palace—beautiful but not quite to their taste. However, the bed was spacious and comfortable.
After the door closed, Xiao Mo said, “I’ll head out tonight to scout. Time is tight—we only have three days, so I need to hurry.”
Chu Jinglan replied calmly, “Alright. Be careful in everything.”
“Don’t worry.”
Xiao Mo waved casually before transforming into his inner demon spirit body and phasing through the wall. Following the map’s directions, he flew toward Jiang City.
His route was planned: Jiang City first, then Hidden City.
Upon arriving in Jiang City, Xiao Mo found that the City Lord’s manor was bustling with activity. Numerous cultivators had gathered in the main hall, many of whom were locked in heated arguments over who should be sent out to scout.
Their concerns mirrored those of Qin City—the cultivators of Jiang City also wanted those with protective seals to go. However, those with seals had set conditions for their participation, and negotiations hadn’t yet been finalized. The back-and-forth bargaining continued endlessly.
Honestly, if Xiao Mo hadn’t been able to move freely as a inner demon spirit, he figured they’d still be stuck arguing without taking any real action.
The good news was that Jiang City didn’t have any Divided Spirit cultivators either—just two at peak Nascent Soul stage. Comparatively speaking, Qin City’s combat strength was superior.
Jiang City would undoubtedly send troops in three days—that much was clear from their discussions. After gathering all relevant information about Jiang City, Xiao Mo set off for Hidden City.
By the time he arrived at Hidden City, night had fully fallen—but it was still early in the evening.
Inside Hidden City’s main hall, there were only three people present. After listening for a while, Xiao Mo discovered that their task was indeed opportunistic—they planned to observe the battles between Qin City and Jiang City before seizing the chance to expand their territory and claim victory for themselves.
Because of this strategy, Hidden City wasn’t particularly eager to scout right away. They intended to wait until Qin and Jiang Cities began fighting so they could assess both sides’ conditions from a safe distance. Comparatively speaking, their initial phase seemed much more relaxed.
The manor housed many cultivators as well—likely gathered here just like in Qin and Jiang Cities—but some appeared to have set up formation barriers that hindered Xiao Mo’s ability to sense them clearly. He had no choice but to move around personally and confirm their numbers and cultivation levels.
As Xiao Mo moved through Hidden City counting cultivators one by one, he tallied thirty-one individuals in total—highest at peak Nascent Soul stage. However, when he landed lightly on the roof of one particular room near the end of his search, he suddenly heard sounds coming from inside.
The noises were unmistakable—low murmurs rising into high-pitched moans punctuated by soft cries of pleasure and rhythmic movements.
Someone inside was engaging in intimate activities.
Xiao Mo: “…”
Reading about such things in novels was one thing—but stumbling upon people doing it in real life? That was an entirely different matter altogether!
The sounds coming from inside were… unbearable. Xiao Mo felt utterly uncomfortable from head to toe.
He had the urge to turn around and leave immediately—he had absolutely no interest in witnessing someone’s “live performance.”
But this was the last room, and he still needed to confirm the cultivation levels of those inside. Xiao Mo considered moving farther away and returning after they were done, but just as he heard both individuals let out their respective sounds, the creaking of the bed abruptly stopped.
Xiao Mo paused mid-step: Are they done?
Then he heard voices coming from inside.
“Hmm, there’s some improvement, but my internal injuries are too severe. One time isn’t enough to make much of a difference.”
The other voice was soft and shy, tinged with ambiguity: “Then we can try more. As long as it helps you, that’s all that matters.”
Xiao Mo instinctively took a step back, his entire being thrown into disarray.
Su Baimo and Fenxiu!
There was no mistaking it—Su Baimo’s voice was unmistakable. And the other voice belonged to Fenxiu in his current disguise. Xiao Mo vividly remembered this tone from when Su Baimo had brought Fenxiu to Lingxiao Sect’s camp earlier.
More than the fact that the two of them had somehow ended up together, what concerned Xiao Mo most was that Fenxiu was now in Hidden City.
Among the three cities about to go to war, a Divided Spirit cultivator had appeared—and not just any Divided Spirit cultivator, but a bloodthirsty lunatic who was dead set on killing Chu Jinglan.
Xiao Mo’s expression darkened instantly.
He had no interest in listening to Fenxiu and Su Baimo’s pretentious flirting any longer. Without hesitation, he retreated into his sea of consciousness and then reappeared at Chu Jinglan’s side.
Xiao Mo had been in a rush to deliver the news, but as soon as he emerged, he froze in place.
Before him lay two ruined palace buildings reduced to rubble. Several people stood around Chu Jinglan, while more were hurrying over from a distance.
Fortunately, Xiao Mo had always been cautious. At this moment, only Chu Jinglan could see him; otherwise, the scene would have descended into even greater chaos.
In front of Chu Jinglan lay the lifeless body of a demon—the feathered demon who had been the only demon in Qin City. Now lying in a pool of blood, he was unmistakably dead.
The last drop of blood on Chu Jinglan’s sword dripped off slowly. Though his spiritual sword left no stains, it clearly indicated who had killed the feathered demon.
1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter
wow- that was unexpected damm
thanks for the chapter!