Planning a Risky Move, Part 1

The investigation results came quickly, both surprising and expected for Su Qing.

No such storage bag from Lingbao Pavilion was found at the scene. When Su Qing and Steward Li checked, the spot where she saw the bag now held an ordinary, tattered evil cultivator’s storage bag.

She realized Xu Wenqing, seeing she didn’t fall for it, must have swapped the Lingbao Pavilion bag with one he found.

Su Qing shared her theory.

Steward Li, exhausted after the fruitless search, said, “You have no evidence. Without proof, it’s just slander. If everyone acted on guesses, we’d have nothing but false accusations. Sword Sect doesn’t tolerate that.”

Su Qing frowned. “So, I’m stuck with him next time? Can’t I switch partners? I’m not lying.”

Li was helpless. “With evidence, I could arrange something. But with only your word, no dice. Unless you find someone willing to swap.”

Swapping partners was obviously impractical. Who would trade without suspecting something fishy?

Su Qing decided to feign illness for the next secret realm trip. She’d train until she collapsed—surely Li wouldn’t drag her in.

But unexpectedly, someone did offer to swap.

It was Chen Minjing, the Qi Refining Layer 4 cultivator she’d met before.

Chen Minjing was polite, not empty-handed. She brought a bottle of low-tier healing pills and ten spirit plants—modest but valuable for new cultivators.

“It’s you,” Chen Minjing said, recognizing Su Qing, half-relieved. Shy but direct, she said, “Can we swap partners for the next secret realm? My current partner’s fine and agreed. You just join her. I want to pair with… Xu大哥, Xu Wenqing.”

“I won’t let you lose out,” she added, wary of shortchanging others. “These pills and plants are your payment. How’s that?”

Su Qing was silent for a long moment before asking, “Why? Did someone say something?”

Had Li asked around on her behalf?

“No, no,” Chen Minjing waved, nearly spilling her plants. Fumbling to secure them, she said, “My idea. Xu大哥 looked pale this morning, maybe injured. Since joining Sword Sect, he’s seemed down, low-energy. Maybe someone’s bullying him, and he’s bottling it up. He’s proud but not bad. We’re from the same village—I know him best. In the realm, just us two, I could ask, and he might open up.”

Su Qing saw her flushed, apple-like cheeks and understood.

Xu Wenqing, that jerk.

She asked an unrelated question. “Can you tell me how you reached Qi Refining Layer 4?”

Chen Minjing, used to the question, answered honestly, “I stumbled into some inheritance at Wuya Pavilion.”

“Does Xu Wenqing know?”

“We joined the sect together, supporting each other,” she said, embarrassed. “He was the first I told.”

As expected, something was off about the rumor—and the rumormonger.

Su Qing took a deep breath. “Do you trust Xu Wenqing a lot?”

“Of course,” Chen Minjing smiled. “We grew up together. He even gave me my name. I trust and owe him.”

Su Qing nodded. Chen Minjing looked at her hopefully.

“You trust him too much,” Su Qing refused. “I won’t swap.”

…

Steward Li tossed a tattered storage bag before Xu Wenqing, scowling. “This is the last time. One more slip, and I won’t clean up your mess. You’re careless—exposing yourself is one thing, but don’t drag me down!”

Xu Wenqing had sensed trouble in the realm, but Li’s confirmation stirred his emotions. Clenching his fists, he frowned. “How did she figure it out?”

“She said Lingbao Pavilion items have unique patterns visible in sunlight. She knew it was new, not from the battlefield.”

“How does she know that?” Xu Wenqing stood, eyes dark. “I checked her background. Before the sect, she was an orphan in a farmer’s home, no wealth. After joining, no connections. How does she know Lingbao Pavilion’s patterns and recognize their goods?”

“You checked her,” Li said coolly. “Didn’t you check her roommates? They’re not ordinary.”

Xu Wenqing flinched, stung by the mention of his “extraordinary” roommate.

With no backing, he’d started at the bottom in the cultivation world. His roommate, a dull-witted fool, was born into a noble family, lording over him, even resorting to fists when annoyed.

Xu Wenqing prided himself on his cunning and ambition but had to suppress his edge to climb via the Guans. He knew Su Qing had noble-born roommates but hadn’t expected her to be close enough to recognize Lingbao Pavilion items.

Li, not wanting to provoke trouble, asked, “This bag came from the Guans. Know what’s inside?”

“What else? Something shady, or why use me?” Xu Wenqing smirked bitterly. “Since she didn’t bite, it doesn’t matter.”

He’d spread Chen Minjing’s breakthrough rumor, subtly nudging Su Qing toward greed. Had she opened the bag, the gu insect inside would’ve burrowed into her. At Qi Refining Layer 2, she’d have no defense—her spirit root would waste away, and she’d die soon after.

The gu would die with her. No one would know the truth or care to investigate a nobody’s death. It was the cleanest, quietest method.

Sword Sect forbade bullying or infighting, with severe penalties—sometimes root destruction or expulsion.

The isolated secret realm was the perfect place to act. If the Guans and Li kept quiet, everyone would think she died from greedily opening an evil cultivator’s bag. Xu Wenqing’s hands would stay clean.

How could it be his fault? Blame her bad luck, born into the wrong family.

“You’ve chosen their path—there’s no turning back. Be their blade,” Li sighed. “Act soon; this has dragged on. The higher-ups want results, not excuses. Finish it. She’s onto you—next time, she might cause trouble. Act in the next mission. I’ll cover you, erase the communicator logs. Just clean your traces in the realm.”

Xu Wenqing’s hidden wounds ached, the abuser’s threatening face flashing in his mind. He hated and envied, wishing he could take their place.

He knew he had to act. Bowing slightly, he said gravely, “Thank you, Steward Li.”

…

Su Qing kept thinking.

She pondered a lot.

Why would Xu Wenqing, with no grudge, want to harm her?

Either he wanted to monopolize a treasure in the realm, or he was acting for someone she’d offended.

Both were possible. First, the battlefield might hold valuables. Second, she’d crossed people—though she thought those issues were settled, some, like the Qi family, were petty and vindictive.

Either way, Xu Wenqing meant her harm. There were many ways to trouble her in Sword Sect—why wait for the realm?

The realm’s isolation was perfect for erasing traces. Su Qing realized he didn’t just want to harm her—he wanted her dead.

Damn you, Xu Wenqing. Her gut was right—he wasn’t good.

But knowing his ill intent, she could skip the next realm trip. Chen Minjing’s swap offer was tempting—Chen would get her wish, and Su Qing would avoid danger.

If Xu Wenqing aimed to monopolize treasure, with his trusted villagemate beside him, would he still act? They’d grown up together.

“I’m not sure,” Su Qing murmured. “It’s my problem. I can’t let someone else take my misfortune.”

“Hiding forever isn’t a solution.”

The realm’s isolation was his chance to act—and hers. She needed combat experience, and here it was.

Xu Wenqing didn’t know she’d seen through him—a potential advantage. But this was risky, requiring thorough preparation. Luckily, she had help.

Senior Sister Weiyue had promised to aid her in need.

…

At Sword Sect’s Wuya Pavilion, there was a “study room,” officially Self-Cultivation Quiet Hall. These were caves with denser spiritual energy than the outside world, ideal for meditation. The deeper the cave, the richer the energy—36 levels underground.

Weiyue’s cave was on the ninth level.

Having spent time in Sword Sect, Su Qing knew anything tied to spiritual energy was costly. Entering, she felt her pores open, greedily absorbing the abundant energy, almost euphoric. While enjoying it, she thought: *How many spirit stones is this?*

The Quiet Hall used sect mission points, not stones. Weiyue’s temporary pass for Su Qing cost 500 points—equivalent to clearing weeds from 42 herb fields.

Su Qing felt bad for making her senior spend.

The cave, about two rooms large, was simple and serene, with only a glowing night pearl overhead and Weiyue, dressed in black, inside. Truly a cultivator’s detachment.

Weiyue looked as always—black-clad, pale as paper, eyes like obsidian with little white, her gaze piercing. Though short, her presence was formidable. Her arm and half-body, burned by Carefree Sword at the sword tomb, had regenerated.

Su Qing hadn’t seen her during the tribulation at Alchemy Sect—unsurprising, as the yang-heavy lightning wasn’t ideal for a ghost cultivator like Weiyue.

“When stuck, I want to tidy up. Too many things weigh on the mind, destabilizing my dao heart, stalling cultivation. Tidying, I throw things out—nothing feels useful, clean is best,” Weiyue explained, noticing Su Qing’s curiosity. “After a breakthrough, the world feels vast, life short. If you don’t own things, how do you prove you lived? So, I crave everything again. It’s cyclical.”

It sounded like her senior’s thesis-writing phase. Su Qing hadn’t experienced it but understood.

“What phase are you in now, Senior Sister?” Su Qing asked.

“Clearly, I’m stuck, annoyed at everything,” Weiyue said, yielding the only cushion. “No tea to offer—I don’t drink it.”

Su Qing didn’t fuss over the cushion—Weiyue could float, a ghost cultivator’s perk.

Sitting, she felt a chilling cold shoot up her spine, like ice needles. She nearly jumped. Weiyue’s light glance said, “Sit.”

Obediently, Su Qing sat.

Once settled, Weiyue continued, “This cushion is made from thousand-year cold jade marrow. It calms the mind, clears heat, and aids cultivation.”

Good for cultivation? Then the frozen butt was fine.

Suppressing the urge to grimace, Su Qing explained the secret realm and Xu Wenqing, detailing her suspicions. Weiyue, floating, listened, occasionally asking for clarification. Knowing Su Qing’s background, she quickly grasped the situation.

“First, why he wants to harm you,” Weiyue said. “Your guesses: a treasure in the realm or acting for someone you offended. The second is easier to verify. Cultivators are people, tied in a web of relationships. Trace his connections.”

Weiyue, a master of information, got a message via communicator in ten minutes. “Xu Wenqing, 18, from Xiao Chen Village. Passed the child scholar exam. Family was wealthy, but parents died, and fortunes fell. Supported by clan elders, he failed the scholar exam. Joined Sword Sect, assigned to Pinglan Court, Room 506, with roommates Jian Gaoyi, Hang Zhiye, and Guan Chenghu.”

Analyzing, she said, “Guan Chenghu’s name suggests he’s from the Guan family’s branch, not mainline, as their heirs use ‘Jia.’ Sword Sect pairs a noble, commoners, and a minor clan member in dorms. You’ve never crossed commoners or minor clans—they wouldn’t target you. The source is likely Guan Chenghu, or rather, the Guans behind him.”

Looking at Su Qing, she asked, “You offended the Qi family at enrollment, and grabbing Carefree Sword might’ve worsened it. Your roommate, Qi Tianning, is from the Qi mainline. How’s your relationship?”

“Tianning doesn’t call herself a Qi,” Su Qing clarified. “I call her Tianning.”

“Then you’re close.”

Weiyue wasn’t surprised—Su Qing was hard to dislike.

“So, it makes sense,” she continued. “With Tianning protecting you, the Qis can’t act directly, so they used the Guans, who used Xu Wenqing. Why he took it? Either for gain or to climb with the Guans—common. For the Guans, it keeps their hands clean, avoids sect scrutiny, earns Qi favor, and gains a loyal blade. Why not?”

Su Qing’s eyes widened. “From Qi to Guan to Xu Wenqing? So many steps for me? Am I that special?”

Weiyue chuckled at her naivety, her tone cool. “To you, it’s a big deal. To them, it’s leveraging power. The powerful don’t scheme—they hint, smile, and others act. Their hands stay clean.”

She knew this well, having paid a steep price for it.

Su Qing was awed by Weiyue’s analysis. If she weren’t the target, she’d applaud.

“Back to your first guess: a treasure,” Weiyue prompted. “Thoughts?”

“Maybe the black iron blood crystals?” Su Qing suggested.

“No,” Weiyue refuted. “Your description: dunes, soil, forest, dry waterfall, crystals on the cliff. Dunes are fire, soil is earth, forest is wood, waterfall is water, crystals are metal. All five elements are present.” @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

Su Qing realized, “The deaths were from drained spiritual energy. A spirit-dispersing array?”

“Exactly,” Weiyue said. “You know spirit-gathering arrays. Cultivation is about harnessing spiritual energy—more affinity, higher cultivation. Hence, we seek energy-rich places like this Quiet Hall. Gathering arrays pull energy to a center.”

Su Qing nodded. Tang Yueling once wanted a high-tier gathering array in their dorm but was denied by the dorm steward—too much energy drawn would starve others, and new students couldn’t afford Quiet Hall points.

“Makes sense,” Su Qing said. “So, a dispersing array scatters energy?”

“Not quite,” Weiyue said. “Think of it as an advanced gathering array, so strong it strips all energy from a space, including people’s. To those drained, it’s a dispersing array.”

“So, Xu Wenqing might use this array against me?” Su Qing tensed. “He’s Formation Sect—could he have known?”

“Unlikely,” Weiyue said. “First, it’s a mid-tier fourth-grade array—a newbie can’t access or wield it. Second, the waterfall’s nearly dry, weakening the water element, so the array’s broken and unusable. I’m telling you this because, compared to those crystals, this array is the real treasure. Don’t miss it. Your cultivation’s low—Sword Sect’s energy will last you decades. You won’t need it. Bring it to me, and I’ll buy it at a good price.”

She added, “Don’t tell Zhu Xu.” @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

Su Qing thought extracting the array came after dealing with Xu Wenqing. As long as he couldn’t use it against her, that was good.

She had no idea how to extract it—collect all five elements?

Weiyue turned serious. “I can’t enter the realm to help. You’ve decided to confront him there. What outcome do you want? If you die and he lives, the Guans’ test is passed, and they’ll cover it. If you live and he dies, you might be charged with harming a fellow disciple. How will you handle that?”

“I won’t hold back,” Su Qing said firmly. “Whoever’s behind it, he wants my life—that’s real. Those who aim to kill must be ready to be killed. I’m confident I can take him.”

She paused. “But I won’t kill him this time. Not killing him yields more. When it’s over, I’ll ask Steward Chen Yu for justice, have his root destroyed, and expel him.”

This would tie her closer to Sword Sect, under its protection. Cafeteria work wouldn’t get her into the core—stirring trouble and letting the sect handle it would. Trouble builds bonds.

A clean student, forced to skirt the law’s edge.

Xu Wenqing could be someone’s blade or her sacrificial chicken. Better a chicken than a blade—she’d ensure procedural justice.

“One more thing,” Su Qing said. “I need your help, Senior Sister.”

She outlined her plan.

Weiyue nodded. “Rough but feasible. You’re resolved, so act boldly. Cultivation is defying fate—don’t hesitate. Think clearly, do it. Succeed or die. If you die, join me as a ghost cultivator.”

Well…

Better to live.

Her talent was average—if she died, she’d likely stay dead, not become a ghost cultivator. @Infinite Good Reads, Only at Jinjiang Literature City

Ghost cultivation wasn’t easy either. Su Qing subtly shifted her numb, frozen lower half, daring neither to complain nor speak.

…

Su Qing valued her life. She really wanted to live.

Her second life was heaven’s gift. She wasn’t greedy enough to expect another.

So, “Yueling, lend me a life-saving artifact~” she said, cozying up to Tang Yueling, eyes bright, overly warm. “I’ll repay you—my body’s on the table.”

Her mushiness gave Tang Yueling goosebumps. Rubbing her arms, she snapped, “Back off, I’m not buying it. Why suddenly need a life-saving artifact? Who’s after you?”

Su Qing was honest. “I’m in trouble that might cost my life. But I’m ready to face it with full preparation. When it’s done, I’ll tell you everything, start to finish, in detail. Deal?”

Her sincerity touched Tang Yueling. Though Su Qing didn’t specify, she felt trusted, which sparked joy.

Not showing her lightened mood, Tang Yueling tilted her head, smirking. “Not telling now? Doesn’t sound urgent. Fine, I’ll hear it later. Your cultivation’s low—one artifact won’t do.”

She slapped down five dazzling artifacts. “Protect yourself head to toe. Let’s see who can touch you!”

Su Qing was floored, stunned again by Tang Yueling’s extravagance.

Glancing at Tianning’s empty bed, Tang Yueling warned, “Tell me first. I don’t do secondhand news.”