Translator: CinderTL
The green-robed young woman rolled her eyes at Song Wen, her expression full of charm.
She didn't question the truth of his words, but instead began to speak.
"I was originally a rogue cultivator. The reason I offended the Jiang Family was because this old woman was too beautiful. Many Jiang Family men competed for my favor, all wanting to become my Dao companion. They even resorted to fighting each other, which alarmed the Jiang Family's Void Refinement Stage Ancestor, who imprisoned me. Alas, beautiful women have always suffered tragic fates. It's all because of this face of mine."
As she spoke, the green-robed young woman began to lament her fate, as if she were an Immortal Maiden fallen from the heavens.
Song Wen listened with suspicion. The green-robed young woman's appearance was far less devastating than she claimed.
The white-haired elder suddenly spoke, his voice sharp.
"Madam Wen, there's no need to flatter yourself. It was you who violated the virtues of a woman, flitting between different Jiang Family men, seducing them and stealing their treasures and spirit stones. Only after your actions were discovered did the Jiang Family imprison you."
With the white-haired elder's testimony, Song Wen could now confirm that the green-robed young woman and the refined scholar were not members of the Jiang Family but had offended them.
Compared to the white-haired elder and the Three-Foot Dwarf, these two were more trustworthy.
Of course, this was only relative to the elder and the dwarf. It didn't mean Song Wen truly trusted them.
"Ai Kun, you've learned almost everything about the four of us. Are you going to Yin Spider Valley or not?" the white-haired elder asked.
Song Wen raised his head and looked at the elder, but he saw that the dwarf, the scholar, and the green-robed young woman were all staring at him, as if waiting for his decision.
He could understand why the dwarf and the scholar wanted to know whether he would join them in Yin Spider Valley.
But the green-robed young woman had already made it clear that she wouldn't risk her life for Jiang Lanruo.
So, whether he went to Yin Spider Valley seemed irrelevant to her.
Why was she so focused on his decision?
Song Wen was puzzled and secretly wary.
After feigning deep thought for a moment, Song Wen didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he asked, "Fellow Daoist Jiang Chao, could you tell me what the Nine Deaths Grass is used for? Why is Jiang Lanruo so desperate to find it?"
The white-haired elder stared at Song Wen coldly.
"Ai Kun, knowing too much about this matter won't do you any good," the green-robed young woman said, stepping forward to explain.
"The Nine Deaths Grass has the effect of healing the human soul, one of the Three Souls. If Jiang Lanruo is seeking this Spirit Herb, it must be because someone in the Jiang Family's human soul has suffered a severe injury."
"Thank you for the explanation, Fellow Daoist Wen," Song Wen replied with a smile.
Since the Nine Deaths Grass was used to heal the human soul, Jiang Lanruo must be seeking it for someone who hadn't yet reached the Divine Transformation Stage. After reaching that stage, the Three Souls merge, and the soul undergoes Transformation into the Primordial Spirit, rendering the concept of the "human soul" obsolete.
This person must be someone Jiang Lanruo deeply valued; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths.
"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Wen could share any other information about the Jiang Family?" Song Wen asked.
The green-robed young woman inquired, "What information about the Jiang Family are you interested in?"
Song Wen replied, "What is the highest cultivation level among the Jiang Family members?"
At these words, the other four people present turned to Song Wen with surprised expressions.
"Ai Kun, why are you asking this? Do you dare harbor malicious intentions toward my Jiang Family?" the white-haired elder demanded coldly.
Song Wen smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Jiang Chao, you're overthinking. I'm merely a newly ascended cultivator from the Lower Realm. How could I dare to harm the Jiang Family? I was simply hoping to gather some information."
The green-robed young woman said, "The most powerful cultivator in the Jiang Family is Ancestor Jiang Guyun. Rumor has it she's already at the late Void Refinement Stage. Besides her, the Jiang Family has two other Void Refinement Stage cultivators: Jiang Liangbi, the family head, and his sister, Jiang Lanruo. Officially, the Jiang Family only has these three Void Refinement Stage cultivators. Whether they have hidden trump cards remains unknown."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist," Song Wen said.
"Ai Kun, are you going to Yin Spider Valley or not?" The white-haired elder's expression turned terrifyingly grim, like a dark cloud looming overhead. "If you dare say 'no,' don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Song Wen paid no heed to the white-haired elder's threat. As long as he wasn't facing all four of them at once, he was confident he could escape unscathed.
Naturally, Song Wen had no intention of risking his life in Yin Spider Valley. The item needed to heal human soul injuries held no value for him.
Just as he was about to refuse, a sudden thought struck him, and his eyes lit up slightly.
"When I first arrived in this world, I was fortunate enough to gain Senior Jiang Lanruo's favor and was adopted as an outsider member of the Jiang Family. Naturally, I must repay Senior Jiang Lanruo's kindness. I will certainly go to Yin Spider Valley to retrieve the Nine Deaths Grass for her."
The white-haired elder eyed Song Wen suspiciously, but since Song Wen had agreed to go to Yin Spider Valley, he didn't press the matter further.
After some discussion, the white-haired elder Jiang Chao, the Three-Foot Dwarf Jiang Wo, the refined scholar Kong Jin, and Song Wen decided to proceed with their original plan and continue toward Yin Spider Valley.
However, the green-robed young woman adamantly refused, refusing to risk her life for the Jiang Family or accompany the four men.
The elder initially intended to join forces with the dwarf, the scholar, and Song Wen to subdue the green-robed young woman.
Under his urging, the dwarf agreed. But Song Wen and the scholar were unwilling to provoke unnecessary conflict. With only the elder and the dwarf, they lacked a guaranteed victory against the green-robed young woman, so they had to abandon the plan.
Fifteen days later.
Near the cave where the five had been staying, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.
Countless demon beasts, some soaring through the air, others charging across the ground like a raging flood, surged westward with unstoppable force.
Among the herd of demon beasts, countless poisonous insects were mixed in.
"Conceal your aura and make no sound. If the herd discovers us, we'll be torn to shreds," the white-haired elder transmitted gravely.
With their lives on the line, the other four immediately followed his instructions.
The concealment formation the white-haired elder had set up was clearly meticulously prepared by Jiang Lanruo, successfully deceiving all the demon beasts and poisonous insects.
After a full half-day, the sounds of the herd's stampede gradually subsided.
The white-haired elder released his Divine Sense, cautiously scanning the area around the cave. Only after confirming that the demon beasts and poisonous insects had long since departed did he retract the defensive and concealment formations.
"You three, it's time for us to leave."
After speaking, he turned to the green-robed young woman. "Madam Wen, are you truly not coming with us?"
The green-robed young woman refused firmly. "No!"
The white-haired elder said, "I won't force you to come. But I advise you not to play any tricks. Otherwise, I have some life-saving methods of my own."
Before his words had even faded, a figure suddenly burst out of the cave.
It was Ai Kun!
The white-haired elder and the other three were stunned, unsure what to make of this.
They wondered what scheme this Ascended cultivator from the Lower Realm was up to now.
With no time to dwell on it, the four quickly followed Ai Kun out of the cave.
Once they emerged, Song Wen had already vanished.
All that remained was a swirling mass of toxic miasma, churning and undulating in a low-lying depression about a hundred yards from the cave entrance.
Clearly, Ai Kun had plunged into that miasma.
The miasma was a dense, grayish-black color, severely impairing the four's vision and Divine Sense, making it impossible to see what lay within.
(End of the Chapter)
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