The Gathering at Green City

Yu Qingxuan studied Qin Yan’s face, her expression tinged with a hint of apprehension, and she wondered if she had been too harsh. Yet, it was all for her junior’s sake.

“Let me adjust my inner breath.”

She spoke softly.

“I will protect you, Senior Sister.” Qin Yan replied.

Both sat cross-legged, Qin Yan gazing at Yu Qingxuan, her complexion as smooth and white as a shelled egg, now flushed with a delicate rosy hue.

His senior sister was not the cold type, at least in Qin Yan’s eyes, but rather like a warm, soothing piece of jade.

The woman before him was far more alluring, being a few years her senior, with a more striking figure, both in the fullness of her bosom and the rounded curves of her hips, unlike Xiao Miao’s youthful frame.

Moreover, Yu Qingxuan had a soft, plump figure.

Thinking of Xiao Miao, Qin Yan recalled the defiant gaze of that young woman.

Sensing Qin Yan’s eyes on her, Yu Qingxuan unconsciously straightened her back.

Is my junior looking at me? Hehehe…

About an incense stick’s worth of time passed, and Yu Qingxuan finished her meditation. With a wave of her hand, three storage pouches appeared in her grasp, belonging to the deceased bandits.

When is a cultivator most thrilled? Surely it is in such moments of looting the fallen.

Yu Qingxuan probed the pouches with her spiritual sense. Since the bandits were dead, the seals were easily broken.

The first pouch, belonging to the leader, contained some spirit stones and elixirs, but Yu Qingxuan was unimpressed, her interest waning. The second pouch, however, held something unusual—a stack of letters.

Their content was straightforward, mentioning a connection between the Black Wind Mountain and the Green City’s Wen Family.

Green City Wen Family…

She pondered, but there was little to consider; it was merely the Wen Family utilizing these bandits as their dirty hands. Such arrangements were common in the world of cultivation, where families maintained their facade while others handled their unsavory tasks.

One letter, however, caught Yu Qingxuan’s attention. It spoke of a hidden treasure, demanding that the Black Wind Bandits contribute their strength…

The deadline was set for the following day.

“Senior Sister, did you discover something?”

Qin Yan asked, noticing Yu Qingxuan’s contemplative expression.

“Here…”

Yu Qingxuan handed him the letter. As Qin Yan read it, he comprehended the situation. The bandits indeed had backing, though in this world of cultivation, it was only natural for a gang to have some support.

“Why are they so bold with these letters, unafraid of being discovered?” Qin Yan mused.

“Even if they are found, the common folk will bear the brunt, and the Wen Family will retain their share. The officials and Wen Family are in cahoots, and such practices are widespread among other families.”

Yu Qingxuan shook her head, her tone dismissive.

Qin Yan nodded, a look of enlightenment on his face. In this world, might truly makes right; power is its own proof.

Yu Qingxuan turned her focus to the final pouch, finding only a few spirit stones and elixirs, along with some vials. With a quick scan, she realized they contained poisons.

Though cultivation encompasses all arts, poisons are considered a lesser path.

Yu Qingxuan lost interest, deciding it was better to admire the view of her junior, Qin Yan, who was still studying the letter.

“Junior, are you considering joining the fray?”

She frowned slightly, her voice laced with concern. Contending for treasures is perilous, and a moment of carelessness could cost one’s life. She didn’t want Qin Yan to risk himself.

But if she sent him back to the sect, the opportunity might slip away.

“Senior Sister, don’t you want to vie for this chance?”

Qin Yan countered, his voice steady. Opportunities are rare in cultivation, and missing one could be a lifelong regret.

“Are you not afraid?”

Yu Qingxuan pressed.

“No fear!”

Qin Yan shook his head with resolve. He was no native of this world.

“Good!”

Yu Qingxuan’s eyes sparkled with approval. She admired Qin Yan’s fearlessness, so different from the norm, and this quest was likely to involve only a few local families, at most yielding a Golden Core cultivator. She was unafraid.

“We will pose as the Black Wind Bandits and meet with the Wen Family!”

“What if we are discovered?”

Qin Yan voiced his doubt.

“Then we will not hesitate to act in the name of justice, exposing the Wen Family’s collusion with bandits and their crimes against the innocent. We will use this as an opportunity to seize the treasure under the banner of our sect.”

Yu Qingxuan’s voice was filled with resolve, her excitement palpable.

****

The next morning, on the outskirts of Green City.

Qin Yan was attired as before, wearing a black robe and a hood, standing beside his senior sister.

Yu Qingxuan had donned a white veil, her waist adorned with a long sword, and her white gown lent her an air of ethereal grace. She regarded the five women before her.

“Second-in-command of the Black Wind Bandits, greeting the Wen Family ladies.”

She bowed slightly, her hands clasped.

The five women were from the Wen Family, each dressed in either white or green gowns, exuding a refined elegance. The leader, a woman in her mid-twenties with a fox-like allure, wore a white dress and regarded them with haughty eyes.

For the Wen Family, these bandits were mere tools, only worth interacting with due to the impending treasure reveal.

“I am Wen He, the eldest of the Wen Family. Should this endeavor succeed, the Black Wind Bandits will be well-rewarded.”

The woman with the fox-like gaze spoke.

“Our existence relies on the Wen Family’s support.”

Yu Qingxuan responded humbly.

Qin Yan watched his senior sister, wondering if she could have won an award in a different era.

They were impersonating bandits to meet with the Wen Family, aiming to stay hidden in the shadows, ensuring that any repercussions would fall on either the Wen Family or the Black Wind Bandits.

“He Yi, should we confirm their identities?”

A green-gowned woman beside Wen He inquired.

Wen He nodded, her gaze shifting to Yu Qingxuan, who retrieved the letter from her storage ring and handed it to Wen He.

Wen He examined the letter, its characters bold and forceful.

“These are indeed Second Uncle’s handwriting. We must leave immediately!”