The Qu Family
"Deliver the calling card!" Chao Yangzi rotated the thumb ring on his finger, signaling An Shi to knock on the Qu family's door.
"Yes!" An Shi cupped his hands in acknowledgment and stepped forward to knock on the Qu family's door.
"May I ask who is here?"
The gatekeeper who spoke was a Golden Core stage cultivator acting as a guard. Recently, the Qu family had been visited by the Assassin Hall multiple times, so guards with cultivation had been assigned. The guard saw a black-clad man with an imposing aura, whose cultivation was definitely above his own, knocking on the door. He deployed his divine sense but was met with a stronger divine sense that suppressed him. He hurriedly withdrew, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Seeing the other party's half-smile, he felt as if facing a formidable enemy!
"From Chaotian Immortal Sect. My young sect leader has something to ask your young lady. We apologize for the intrusion and hope for your understanding!" An Shi did not mind the guard's scrutiny, considering it a courtesy to the Qu family to exert a little pressure.
"Chaotian Immortal Sect?" The guard wiped the sweat from his forehead. Hearing the black-clad man's words, he was instantly startled. When had his young lady offended such a supreme cultivation sect? What bad luck, he had lost a bet on wine last night and was filling in as a gatekeeper.
"Yes. Please inform them. Here is our calling card!" An Shi handed the card to the gatekeeper.
"Please wait!" The guard glanced at the luxurious carriage parked outside and muttered to himself, never having seen someone deliver a calling card and then wait outside.
The guard closed the door and, with a single movement, arrived at the young lady Qu's courtyard.
"Miss, something bad has happened! The young sect leader of Chaotian Immortal Sect wants to see you. Have you been competing for business with them recently?" The guard landed in the garden pavilion with a leap. Qu Biyao was having tea with her cousin Tu Yue.
"Qu Wu, what are you rushing about for? Your young lady has been very well-behaved recently. Because of the harassment from the Assassin Hall, I haven't left the house for several days! Why are you doing the gatekeeper's job?" Qu Biyao saw it was a young man from the collateral line of the Qu family, specifically from the second branch of the fifth generation. She asked in confusion. When did this boy go to be a gatekeeper?
"Miss, I'm filling in for someone today. The young sect leader of Chaotian Immortal Sect outside wants to see you. Here, this is the calling card!" Qu Wu handed over the card and, as he did so, accepted the spiritual tea offered by Qu Biyao and drank it in one gulp!
Tu Yue next to him clicked his tongue and said, "What a waste of heavenly treasures, like a bull chewing peonies!"
"Cousin Tu, isn't tea just for quenching thirst?" Qu Wu paid no attention to his mockery.
"Indeed. Qu Wu, quickly open the main gate to welcome our distinguished guest! Please escort them to the conference hall!" Qu Biyao looked at the calling card and was also puzzled about why the young sect leader of Chaotian Immortal Sect was looking for her. She couldn't help but recall if she had recently competed with them for business, thus offending them and leading to this visit.
"Cousin, I'll accompany you. The young sect leader of Chaotian Immortal Sect is principled in his actions, so there's no need to be afraid!" Tu Yue, though curious, had also heard of the young sect leader's reputation; he was a man of integrity.
"Yes, cousin. Let's go and meet this renowned yet unseen noble young master."
Chao Yangzi and his party of three were invited into the Qu family's conference hall. He had heard earlier that the Qu family's affairs were managed by the eldest young lady, Qu, who had expanded the Qu family's business to the entire Tianchen Continent in just over ten years. She was quite capable! The luxurious decorations and the tasteful yet extravagant furnishings they saw along the way were enough to showcase the Qu family's eldest young lady's style of management!
A moment later, footsteps were heard from the corridor. A beautiful woman entered, followed by a tall, graceful man in black attire with a handsome appearance. The woman, appearing to be a maiden of sixteen, smiled before speaking.
"May I ask if you are the Young Sect Leader?" Qu Biyao asked Chao Yangzi, who was admiring an ancient painting in the main hall. Her gaze swept over the masked man already seated on the left. It seemed this masked man held a significant status, and the other black-clad man stood beside him as a guard.
"Indeed, I am Chao," Chao Yangzi replied immediately.
"Please be seated! This is my cousin Tu Yue, the young city lord of Tu Shuicheng!" Qu Biyao gestured for everyone to sit and have tea. After introductions, she got straight to the point.
Chao Yangzi appreciated Miss Qu's straightforwardness and decided not to beat around the bush.
"Miss Qu, I have a matter to inquire about. Do you know Fairy Ye Ju? Do you know where she is now?"
"Oh? Does Young Sect Leader Chao also know Fairy Ye Ju?" Qu Biyao asked hesitantly. She never expected that Young Sect Leader Chao would ask her this question.
"Yes, she is the person most important to me," Chao Yangzi replied without any hesitation.
"That's good. As long as she is not an enemy, it's fine. Fairy Ye saved my younger brother's life, and she is my benefactor! Recently, people from the Assassin Hall have also been looking for her!" Qu Biyao still had reservations and did not reveal anything else.
"Assassin Hall? I will handle it. Please tell me her whereabouts." Chao Yangzi's hand, fiddling with his thumb ring, moved faster and faster.
"Young Sect Leader Chao, my sister does not know Fairy Ye's exact whereabouts, but we speculate that they entered Dushan to look for this type of raw stone," Tu Yue interjected suddenly. Being a man, he could sense that Young Sect Leader Chao had feelings for Fairy Ye. It was similar to how he felt when he worried about his cousin; he empathized!
"What raw stone?" Chao Yangzi was not surprised; after all, An Shi had also found some clues.
"It's this one!" Tu Yue took it out from his spiritual ring and placed it on the table.
Chao Yangzi stood up and approached to look. Its plain gray color was unremarkable. Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he deployed his divine sense to examine the raw stone. He discovered a trace of condensed energy within it. What was this? Was this Immortal Spiritual Qi?
Tu Yue stared intently at Young Sect Leader Chao's expression. He had quietly paid attention since Fairy Ye placed great importance on this stone. However, even after cutting open the raw stone, he couldn't sense what kind of crystal was inside. But he knew that the crystal was extremely hard. When trying to release it with spiritual power, he encountered an invisible force that eroded it, almost causing his meridians to explode. He then remembered the stories of his ancestors emerging from Dushan and dying from bursting bodies.
He knew this stone was unusual. But he would never have imagined that this was Immortal Spiritual Qi, which could only be cultivated after ascending to the upper realm!
Chao Yangzi now understood why the Venerable wanted to enter Dushan.
"Young Sect Leader Chao, can you tell me what is inside this stone? My clansmen died because of this sixty years ago!" Tu Yue did not want his clansmen to die without knowing why!
"I can, but I want you to take me into Dushan," Chao Yangzi agreed after a moment of thought.
"We can only take you to the source of Dushan. As for what's inside, we have never entered," Tu Yue thought about it and still agreed.
"No problem, Young City Lord. As long as you take us to the source, that will suffice." Chao Yangzi was unfamiliar with the Mo Tu River, and having someone familiar with the terrain was better than him fumbling around blindly.
"Inside this stone is Immortal Spiritual Qi, Immortal Spiritual Qi that can only be cultivated after ascension. With our current cultivation, absorbing this spiritual energy would cause us to explode and die!" Chao Yangzi said casually while playing with the stone.
"What? How can such spiritual stones exist on the Tianchen Continent?" Tu Yue exclaimed in surprise.
"Cousin, it seems the legend of the Dushan Secret Realm is true!" Qu Biyao suddenly said from the side.
"Chao also heard of it. It seems that Fairy Ye might have inadvertently entered the secret realm."