Chapter 136: Searching Alone

No one had seen Qu Yiqiu or Mu Yunjin.

Xia Changhan nimbly seized upon this statement, instantly associating it with the mysterious figure who had intervened in the ancient tomb. His heart tightened, and he spoke with increased urgency: "We must find Junior Sister Yiqiu and Junior Brother Yunjin immediately. This place is far too dangerous."

Qi Yongfeng’s gaze swept back and forth between Xia Changhan and Chi Yushu, and he sneered, "You two make it sound so simple. Everyone is struggling to survive right now; how can you talk about finding people? If you want to search for them, go ahead. However, my duty is to protect the disciples of Wanqing Peak, so I cannot accompany you."

"Senior Brother Qi, you’ve barely emerged from the Necrotic Lock Formation, and already you are thinking of parting ways with everyone," Zou Peng remarked with a sour, sarcastic tone, implying that Qi Yongfeng lacked integrity.

Qi Yongfeng’s expression darkened, and he let out a cold huff. "Junior Brother Zou, have you not grasped the current situation? Junior Brother Chi and Senior Brother Xia want to waste time searching for Mo Qingli’s disciples. But we are trapped in this secret realm, facing ancient, ferocious beasts and a true dragon with an unclear agenda. Following them to look for two insignificant disciples will only drag down our other peers. I wonder what our friends from the Xuanyi Sect think?"

Shifting his focus, Qi Yongfeng suddenly turned to look at He Yuman and the others. You Ruoying’s brow furrowed, her gaze fixed on He Yuman, her expression hesitant.

Upon hearing this, He Yuman’s demeanor turned grave. She swept a glance over the few remaining disciples behind her and said heavily, "I agree with Fellow Daoist Chi’s idea. You wish to find your sect members, and we of the Xuanyi Sect must also find our companions!"

Qi Yongfeng’s gaze turned sharp, his presence overbearing as he retorted, "Fellow Daoist He is truly a woman at heart, always preoccupied with sentimental matters."

He Yuman arched her elegant eyebrows, her face flushed with anger. "If you have something to say, Fellow Daoist Qi, just say it. Why resort to veiled insults and underhanded sarcasm? I don't see how my status as a woman has offended you."

Qu Youyou, who prided herself on being a prodigy no less capable than any male cultivator, could not tolerate Qi Yongfeng’s words. She immediately interjected, "Qi Yongfeng, speak clearly! What is wrong with being a woman? Do you look down on female cultivators?"

"She is right. Since when are we female cultivators only concerned with romantic entanglements?" Luo Yingying, who had been restrained by Wu Qiu, could no longer hold back. She stood beside Qu Youyou and glared at Qi Yongfeng.

At these words, many of the female cultivators present frowned, their faces showing displeasure. Receiving the hostile glares of the women around him, Qi Yongfeng rubbed his nose and laughed. "I have no intention of targeting female cultivators. I only wonder—does everyone here know where Fellow Daoist He truly comes from?"

Qu Youyou’s anger subsided slightly as she stared suspiciously at He Yuman. "Qi Yongfeng, how do you know about Fellow Daoist He’s affairs?"

He Yuman’s composed expression cracked ever so slightly upon hearing Qi Yongfeng’s words. You Ruoying, failing to notice this, was incensed by Qi Yongfeng’s mocking tone. "We certainly know where Senior Sister He comes from. What business is it of yours?"

Qi Yongfeng looked up and chuckled. "Judging by Fellow Daoist You’s reaction, it seems you clearly do not know about Fellow Daoist He’s past."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Qu Youyou did not truly care about the matter, but she wanted to stall for time to prevent Chi Yushu from going to find Qu Yiqiu. Chi Yushu, meanwhile, kept his lips tightly pressed together, his eyes deep and unreadable; no one could discern what he was thinking.

Qi Yongfeng’s words had captured the attention of most, especially the disciples of the Xuanyi Sect. You Ruoying stood with her hands on her hips, fuming. "I am with Senior Sister every day; how could I not know her background? Senior Sister He comes from the Canglan Empire, and her parents were both commoners."

"You know only the surface, not the truth. Fellow Daoist He, may I continue?" Qi Yongfeng smiled at He Yuman.

This remark successfully shifted everyone’s focus, and many gazes converged upon He Yuman. Her lips were red as fire, her eyes bewitching; even without any expression, she radiated a captivating aura. Her delicate, jade-white hands, hidden within her sheer sleeves, clenched together. She bit her lip, a flicker of determination in her eyes, and smiled. "I know what you want to say, Fellow Daoist Qi. You are quite diligent to have investigated so thoroughly. There is no need for you to tell everyone; I can state it clearly myself: I, He Yuman, was a courtesan in the Canglan Empire."

"A courtesan?"

Exclamations erupted one after another. You Ruoying, standing at the front, let her hands drop from her waist and turned to look at her in astonishment. He Yuman gave her a radiant smile, seemingly not finding the matter difficult to speak of. She felt no shame. You Ruoying met her gaze, but her own eyes drifted away, flickering back and forth.

"A courtesan... a courtesan... how could it be..."

He Yuman noticed the subtle change in her, and her smile stiffened slightly. Qu Youyou had a sudden realization. So that was why Qi Yongfeng spoke of her in such a way. Thinking of this, she could not help but feel a touch of contempt for He Yuman. Although, as cultivators, having multiple partners was common, it was different for He Yuman to have been a courtesan in the mortal world. Her background was low and base—a commoner who relied on selling her body to make a living, dependent on others—naturally making her contemptible.

Such a person was not worthy of being her rival. Qu Youyou curled her lips into a smile, feeling much more at ease. "Senior Brother Chi..." She turned to speak to Chi Yushu about He Yuman, only to find that he was no longer by her side.

She was suddenly astonished and scanned the noisy crowd, shouting, "Has anyone seen Senior Brother Chi?"

"Senior Sister He, i-is what you said true?"
"Senior Sister He was actually that kind of person in the mortal world..."
"I never would have guessed! Fellow Daoist He of the Xuanyi Sect has such a scandalous past!"

The disciples of both sects were clamoring about the courtesan identity He Yuman had revealed, and no one responded to her questions. Only Xia Changhan, Zou Peng, and a few others noticed Chi Yushu’s departure.

"Did Junior Brother Chi go to find Junior Sister Yiqiu?" Xia Changhan wondered, filled with doubts.

Zou Peng’s eyes darted around as he muttered to himself, "The disciples of Dailuo Peak led by Senior Sister Jiang have all gone missing, yet why does no one seem to care?"

He Yuman, surrounded by the gazes of the crowd, lowered her eyes, recalling the scene when she first met Huo Tangsheng. He knew her background; he knew how many sordid things she had done. But he had not looked at her with the disdain or contempt that these people did. He had brought her to the Xuanyi Sect, known as the second-greatest sect; he had made her the personal disciple of a Peak Master; he had changed her life.

Suddenly, under the scrutiny of the crowd, a beautiful smile bloomed on He Yuman’s lips. Facing their questioning gazes, she laughed, "Yes, I was a courtesan. And so what?"