Chapter Seventy-Six: Salvation and Treasure
Spring Rain Pavilion, the dungeon beneath the artificial mountain.
Qu Yiqiu moved calmly from the corner of the covered walkway, heading straight for the rockery. Madam Wei Juan appeared like a phantom, pulling her into a shadowy recess before she could react.
Qu Yiqiu’s eyes widened—is this woman seeing through her disguise?
“Jin Ningning, there’s been a change! Two major righteous sects have infiltrated Spring Rain Pavilion and poisoned the wine; nearly all the guests and guards in front have collapsed!” Wei Juan’s narrow eyes gleamed with malice, her wrinkled face twisted into a fierce grimace.
Qu Yiqiu feigned panic, eyes wide. “They’re audacious! What should we do now?”
Wei Juan tugged at her own face, her smile sinister. “What’s there to fear? I had you use the name of Qu Yiqiu, disciple of Tianyan Sect, to attract business—now the business has come to us, hasn’t it?”
Qu Yiqiu’s pupils dilated, this time with genuine surprise. “So the Pleasure Sect was prepared all along?”
Wei Juan shot her a crooked glance, lips curling into a strange smile. “More than just the Pleasure Sect. This time, Huo Tangsheng from No-Return Peak and Jiang Shuangyan from Emerald Spiral Peak are here! Originally, the Poison Manor’s operatives were among the guests, but they unexpectedly acted early, costing us half our undercover agents! Still, you did well, seeing through Young Lord Tang’s true nature ahead of time.”
Qu Yiqiu’s body tensed at her words, a dry smile on her lips. “I did what I must for the Poison Manor’s grand cause.”
Someone had been watching her from the shadows all along. Thankfully, her identity swaps had all occurred in private rooms, each protected by Spring Rain Pavilion’s warding against spiritual senses.
Wei Juan looked at her with slight approval, then drew from her robes a palm-sized golden toad with scarlet eyes. “Take this and go to Poison Manor for reinforcements. The profits of Spring Rain Pavilion from the past fifty years are hidden within the toad’s belly. The moment the Lord sees this, he’ll send help.”
Qu Yiqiu steadied her shock, swallowing hard as she received the toad, her voice steady and grave. “Rest assured, Madam Wei. I will bring this safely to Poison Manor.”
Wei Juan nodded, then spread her Golden Core spiritual sense, scanning the surroundings with forceful authority. “Chaos is about to erupt. I must get you out immediately.”
Qu Yiqiu nodded solemnly. “Yes, Madam Wei—please be careful!”
At last, she could leave!
“Go!” Wei Juan grabbed Qu Yiqiu and ushered her into a hidden cave beneath the rockery.
Two Golden Core cultivators emerged from concealment, bowing respectfully. “Elder Wei!”
---
Wei Juan pushed Qu Yiqiu forward, her tone stern. “Let her pass. She must leave through the teleportation array.”
The two cultivators wordlessly parted to form a path. “Please, Immortal.”
Faced with three Golden Core cultivators, Qu Yiqiu’s heart raced. She forced herself to remain composed, descending calmly into the underground passage.
“You are to remain here and not take a single step away! The disciples of Tianyan Sect and Xuanyi Sect poisoned the wine to lure you away and rescue their people—but I will not give them that chance!” Wei Juan no longer concealed her formidable Golden Core aura, unleashing a surge of spiritual power.
Qu Yiqiu, not far from the entrance, felt its overwhelming force—but soon, the pressure faded. She realized Wei Juan had departed.
Below the dungeon, unguarded, Qu Yiqiu restored her captured appearance and withdrew a jade bamboo token to activate the wards.
Li Qing, barely conscious and curled in a corner, looked up to see a sliver of light as Qu Yiqiu strode in.
Qian’er, with ice-blue pupils, sat up abruptly, clutching the bars. “You’re back, fellow cultivator? They didn’t mistreat you, did they? I heard life upstairs is very hard!”
You Ruoying wiped her eyes, staring at Qu Yiqiu in disbelief. What was happening? How had she come back? In all her month-long investigation, not a single woman had ever returned after going upstairs!
Qian’er’s commotion drew the attention of the other women. Heads poked out from the cells, dull eyes suddenly bright with hope at the sight of Qu Yiqiu.
“Fellow cultivator, how did you get in?”
“Why isn’t anyone following her? How did she get in?”
“She’s dressed so beautifully—not at all like A-Jie with the broken leg. Did they not torture her upstairs?”
“… …”
Qu Yiqiu listened to their chatter, glad the dungeon relied solely on warding for security. She glanced nonchalantly at You Ruoying, then turned to Qian’er. “I’m here to rescue you. Spring Rain Pavilion above is in utter chaos.”
“What?!”
---
Her words, though quietly spoken, struck like thunder, leaving all ears ringing.
“Fellow cultivator, have you regained your freedom? Are you saying we can leave?” Li Qing sprang from the shadows, gripping the bars so tightly her hands bled, but she was heedless, urgently asking, “May I ask which sect you belong to? What happened upstairs? Can we really leave safely?”
“Yes, please tell us what’s happening above in detail, so we can judge if you’re telling the truth,” You Ruoying scrutinized Qu Yiqiu closely.
This girl was far too mysterious. At this moment, You Ruoying could not discern her cultivation level at all.
Qu Yiqiu tossed the key she’d taken from Jin Yiqiu’s storage pouch, wrapped in spiritual light, and made a round of the cells.
“What’s happening above is this… No-Return Peak acted early, and Bai Shulan, the attendant, betrayed Spring Rain Pavilion. She stole Jin Yiqiu’s key and gave it to me. If all goes as planned, the two Golden Core guards have already been lured away by her.”
According to her instructions, Bai Shulan should now be at the rockery with Jin Yiqiu disguised as a servant.
You Ruoying’s sharp gaze softened, half suspicious. “Why did Bai Shulan betray Spring Rain Pavilion?”
Qu Yiqiu smiled. “Because of you, Fellow You! I told Bai Shulan about your plan, and when she heard the name No-Return Peak, she immediately decided to stand with them and resist Madam Wei’s oppression! When you leave, don’t forget to take that kind-hearted attendant with you.”
You Ruoying swept her gaze over the opened cell doors, seeing Qu Yiqiu’s relaxed demeanor, lowered her guard, and smiled. “You’ve done well. As for Bai Shulan, No-Return Peak will spare her life!”
While they spoke, Li Qing, Qian’er, and the other women stepped out of their cells.
They reached out to touch the rays of sunlight filtering through the passage behind Qu Yiqiu, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
“We’re finally free! Father, mother, your child can finally come home!”
With a thud, Li Qing, fiercely holding back tears, knelt and bowed deeply to Qu Yiqiu. “Thank you for saving us, Fellow Cultivator. Li Qing will never forget!”
Qu Yiqiu, surprised, tried to help her up, but the other women followed suit, kneeling and bowing in gratitude.
For a moment, the dungeon was filled with the sound of their thanks.
---- Side note ----
Spring Rain Pavilion is coming to an end.
7017k