Chapter 17
Just as Liu Meng was pondering how to enter Luofeng City, the cold Voice Transmission Moon Token in her arms suddenly glowed with a soft white light again.
With a thought, she infused it with spiritual power, and Qin Shuang’s slightly weary voice immediately came from within the token.
“Liu Meng, I’ve taken care of things on my end. It was just a few fools who didn’t know their place. I’ve dealt with them all.”
Listening to Qin Shuang speak so casually, Liu Meng couldn’t believe it had really been that easy for her.
Otherwise, Qin Shuang wouldn’t have been out of touch for so long, only getting back in contact now.
But since she wasn’t willing to talk about it, Liu Meng couldn’t very well press her for details.
Right now, she was more concerned about something else.
“It’s good to hear you’re all right, Senior Sister Qin.” After exchanging pleasantries, she got straight to the point. “There’s something I’d like to ask you about. Have you ever heard of a place called ‘Luofeng City’?”
Although Liu Meng had already learned how to draw Guiding Talismans, she still knew next to nothing about Luofeng City.
The old shopkeeper at Three Talents Market was clearly untrustworthy. It couldn’t hurt to learn more before sending a clone there.
“Luofeng City?”
Qin Shuang’s voice on the other end of the token suddenly tensed, taking on a hint of wariness. “How did you learn about that place? Where did you hear of it?”
“The Treasure Gathering Pavilion at Three Talents Market,” Liu Meng answered frankly. “The old shopkeeper said that if I went to a certain place at midnight and set fire to the Guiding Talisman he gave me, I’d be able to enter Luofeng City.”
“Don’t believe a word they say!” Qin Shuang’s tone instantly turned icy. “Those black-hearted scoundrels love to cheat and swindle people. They hardly ever tell the truth. Who knows how many people they’ve tricked by all sorts of means, only to turn them into laborers who toil day and night in the market?”
“You didn’t... try the method they gave you yourself, did you?”
“No,” Liu Meng replied evenly. “I only lost a disposable clone.”
Hearing that, Qin Shuang let out a sigh of relief and said unhurriedly, “That’s good. It seems you took my advice to heart. Remember, you must never let your guard down in this demonic sect.”
“As for Luofeng City, I don’t know much about it either. But the people at Three Talents Market do tell nine truths for every lie. You really do need to go to that dead city and sacrifice the Guiding Talisman, and the spot by the old locust tree is right.”
“But they would never give you the actual talisman that lets you enter Luofeng City, much less sell it. Three Talents Market and Luofeng City have never gotten along. I don’t know how to enter Luofeng City myself, so you’ll have to figure this out on your own.”
“And one more thing—” Qin Shuang added solemnly. “Even if you find another way in later, don’t rush to trust it. It could easily be another trap. In short... be careful. I’d hate for the ally I just made to die here so soon.”
Hearing this, Liu Meng grew curious. “Senior Sister, if you can’t enter Luofeng City either, where did you get your Soul Banner?”
“Heh...” Qin Shuang chuckled, then asked in reply, “Have you forgotten where I got that secret art I showed you?”
“I got this Soul Banner from the remains of that ancient cultivator, too. I was lucky enough to find both the banner and the jade pendant.”
So that was how it was.
Liu Meng understood. The Soul Banner Qin Shuang had was simply something she’d stumbled upon by chance.
She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. It seemed there was no way to get any more clues about Soul Banners from Qin Shuang.
Fortunately, she already had a way to enter Luofeng City.
She’d obtained this method through a system-generated clone. Other people were unlikely to think of it, much less turn it into a trap aimed at her.
If she wanted to buy a Soul Banner, she would still have to make a trip to Luofeng City.
Just as she was thinking this over, Qin Shuang suddenly changed the subject.
“Come to think of it, you brought ten men out of your cave abode, and you’ve already lost two, haven’t you?” Qin Shuang’s voice held a trace of amusement. “Your approach is sound, but if you keep this up, you’ll eventually use up everyone around you. It’s time to recruit a few more. And you need maids, too. You’re the master of a cave abode now, yet you don’t even have anyone to wait on you. That’s hardly proper. You should recruit a few of them as well.”
Qin Shuang was right.
Whether for cultivation or daily chores, Liu Meng really did need to recruit more people.
However... she had no idea how to recruit mortals.
This wasn’t a game. Mortals wouldn’t respawn like NPCs. She had to find them herself, but the problem was that she didn’t even know where to look.
As if sensing her confusion, Qin Shuang continued, “What’s so difficult about that? Countless mortals want to join our sect and seek an opportunity to become immortals. Just go to one of the mortal towns at the foot of the mountain, and you’ll find plenty of people begging to follow you. Weren’t you ‘invited’ up the mountain by Su Meier’s people yourself?”
“As it happens, I know a place where the mortals have much better aptitude than those in ordinary places. You might find quite a few promising candidates there.”
As she spoke, Qin Shuang transmitted the exact location through the Voice Transmission Moon Token, imprinting it in Liu Meng’s mind. “Remember to go quickly. If you’re late, someone else may snatch up the promising candidates.”
“Thank you for the advice, Senior Sister.” Liu Meng silently memorized the location.
“We’re allies, so there’s no need to thank me.” Qin Shuang’s voice returned to its usual calm. “Take care of yourself. Don’t contact me again unless it’s important. I need to go into seclusion for a while and stabilize my cultivation.”
As her words faded, the light on the Voice Transmission Moon Token dimmed completely, and the connection was cut.
Holding the cold token, Liu Meng stood where she was, thinking quietly.
To be honest, she didn’t dare trust everything Qin Shuang said, either.
After all, this was a woman who had tested her with a deadly trap the very first time they met. Who could guarantee that the location she’d given her this time wasn’t another new trap?
“Never trust anyone.”
That was what Qin Shuang herself had said.
Besides, she still had to go to Luofeng City. Whether she could obtain a Soul Banner depended on it, and that was the foundation of her survival here. Its importance went without saying.
Recruiting people, making talismans, searching for Luofeng City... One task after another kept piling up, and for the first time, Liu Meng felt the strain of not having enough people.
Even the clone she could summon once a day wasn’t enough.
There was no way she’d go out and take risks herself—or send out her main body.
Her main body was at the heart of every plan and absolutely couldn’t be exposed to even the slightest risk. Right now, it was tucked away in a secret chamber she had specially carved out. Unless someone searched the cave abode from top to bottom, they would never discover it.
As for Liu Meng herself, she had to remain here to guard the cave abode and keep her main body safe from anyone who might covet it.
It seemed... she could only wait until tomorrow.
Liu Meng felt a headache coming on, but then he suddenly thought of something.
Wait. He’d been using clones to scout ahead, but couldn’t he put the men locked up in the cells to use as well?
Sending someone to Three Talents Market to buy materials for drawing talismans shouldn’t be dangerous, should it?