After sending the waiter away with a final nod, Yunxi opened the courtyard's defensive formation, the shimmering ripples of energy sealing them inside. She let Dian Dian, Li Li, and Cong Shan play freely across the manicured stone courtyard while she sat down cross-legged on the bamboo chair and began circulating her cultivation method. She had already spent the spirit stones for this premium lodging, so there was no reason to waste the benefits of the high-grade spirit gathering array that hummed beneath the floorboards.
Once she started cultivating, the outside world faded away, and time slipped by until Shen (monkey) hour (around 4 PM) the next day. After finishing her session and drawing the last of the ambient spiritual energy into her meridians, she felt refreshed and clear-headed. A high-grade spirit gathering array really was different from the standard ones, leaving her internal reserves brimming with vitality. She then sent Dian Dian and Cong Shan back into the spirit beast pouch and carried Li Li out of the courtyard herself, the small creature resting comfortably in the crook of her arm.
It wasn't that she favored Li Li over the others. Recently, evil cultivators in the region had begun using specialized Yinxi agents, which interfered with Dian Dian's innate scent-tracking abilities. Li Li's eyes, on the other hand, still worked perfectly to pierce through such deceptions. To prevent any disguised evil cultivators from getting close to her without warning, she openly kept the small panda by her side as a biological scanner.
Li Li's cultivation was only at the fourth tier, marking it as a spirit beast that wasn't a combat-type battle beast. It was soft, cute, and entirely harmless-looking, so it naturally passed as her pampered spirit pet. It was also clearly well-cared for; she carried it everywhere, and the flow of high-quality beast spirit pills never stopped. It was sleek and glossy, the kind of spirit beast you could tell was raised by a high-level cultivator just for companionship and aesthetics.
The creature felt no pressure about its role at all. Everything it enjoyed was earned through its own innate abilities and the service it provided. After entering the Weiling realm, it had even vaguely sensed signs of an impending breakthrough in its own cultivation. The timing just wasn't right yet, so it hadn't mentioned the sensation to its mistress.
In truth, she didn't need to be this cautious against every shadow. Evil cultivators in the Weiling realm had all heard of Ran Xi's reputation by now. None of them would dare get close to her if they could avoid it. Any evil cultivator from the Weiyu realm who had dared to provoke her in the past never ended well. Because of that, they would rather scheme in the dark corners than confront her head-on.
Once Yunxi stepped onto the busy street, she didn't even need to ask for directions. She followed the steady flow of expectant people for about two quarters of an hour and saw a magnificent nine-story tower looming ahead. On the polished plaque at the first floor were three elegant seal script characters: Dengyun Pavilion.
Cultivators entering the first floor handed a storage pouch—presumably filled with the required entry fee—to the stoic guards at the entrance and were allowed inside. In less than the time it took for an incense stick (around thirty minutes) to burn, the two guarding cultivators stopped those who wanted to continue entering and cupped their hands politely to the crowd.
"Honored guests, the first session is already full. Please come back in one hour."
"What? I lined up early this morning specifically for this. Why do I still have to wait?"
"You arrived a step too late. Once Dengyun Pavilion reaches its maximum capacity, they won't let anyone else in. It's to ensure every honored guest receives the best treatment and focused attention."
"Then what is the point of leaving now? We might as well wait right here so we don't miss our chance again in an hour."
"Exactly. Let's wait."
The cultivators kept talking amongst themselves, expressing their frustration, then really did find spots nearby to sit and meditate. None of them planned to leave their places in line.
Yunxi didn't want to sit at the entrance and wait like the others, so she walked around to the building's back door. Sure enough, something was going on there in the shadows. A tall, thin, pale-faced male cultivator was speaking with a graceful female cultivator. She couldn't hear what they were saying through the ambient noise, but the woman's disappointment was obvious in her slumped shoulders.
After the tall cultivator opened a sound isolation barrier to ensure privacy, he spoke politely but firmly. "Bing Li Daoyou, Young Master Jin Xiu is currently in seclusion breaking through a bottleneck. I'm afraid he can't meet you right now. Please contact him again after the breakthrough is complete."
Without waiting for her to respond, he closed the heavy back door, the latch clicking into place.
When Yunxi heard the name Bing Li, she immediately knew this was the information broker she had been looking for. Li Li also stared at the woman with curiosity, its black eyes tracking her movement.
Bing Li sensed someone watching her from the alleyway. When she turned around, she saw a striking female cultivator in a flamboyant red robe holding a small panda and looking her over. Her mood was already poor from the rejection, and she was about to leave when the other party flashed forward with a burst of speed and blocked her path.
"Bing Li Daoyou, could I trouble you for a private word?"
Only then did she carefully examine the stranger. When she realized the other party's cultivation was higher than her own, she asked warily, "Who are you, and why are you looking for me?"
"Běnjūn wants to inquire about some information. I have heard your intelligence network is the most thorough and accurate in Songran City."
Hearing that it was business rather than a personal matter, Bing Li relaxed a little, though she still asked with professional caution, "What do you want to know, and how will you pay for it?"
Yunxi stroked her pet's head as she spoke. "I'm looking into a cultivator from the Su family named Su Miu, a mid-stage Unity cultivator. As for payment, what do you need? How about I help you meet Young Master Jin Xiu?"
At the mention of Su Miu, the broker's expression grew more serious. When she heard the reward was meeting the man she had been chasing, she shamefully felt tempted by the offer. She cupped her hands and said, "Zūnshàng, if you don't mind, please come to my residence so we can talk in private."
"Alright."
Yunxi agreed without hesitation.
At that moment, Li Li sent a voice transmission directly to her mind. "Zūnshàng, there's nothing wrong with Bing Li Daoyou, but that tall cultivator she spoke to earlier feels strange. If there's a chance to see him again, that would be good."
It even flicked its tail afterward, a sign of its lingering suspicion.
"It's fine. There will be a chance."
A quarter of an hour later, she followed the woman into a secluded, narrow alley. Bing Li opened the door to a somewhat dilapidated shop and politely invited her inside.
The plaque above the door read Sundries in faded ink. Combined with the worn, splintered door panels, it gave Yunxi the feeling that the shop might close down any day now. Still, she stepped inside, expecting something hidden within the meager facade. Instead, the shop was less than thirty square meters and felt incredibly cramped. Items were piled messily on the floor, and the shelves were unorganized and cluttered with dusty jars.
Bing Li nudged a pile of items on the ground with her foot and smiled sheepishly. "I have been busy lately and haven't had time to clean up."
With a wave of her sleeve, she put away the eyesores into a storage device.
Yunxi gave a light cough in understanding. If her guess was right, the broker had been busy chasing after Young Master Jin Xiu day and night. Who would have time to tidy up a shop like this under those circumstances?
In the end, she was led to a small courtyard behind the shop. This place looked much more respectable than the front. At the very least, there were spiritual plants and herbs growing in neat plots, along with a high-grade spirit gathering array that kept the air fresh.
After they sat down at a small table, Bing Li waved her sleeve and set out a tea set, a plate of spirit fruit, and a plate of pastries. As she brewed the tea, she asked, "How should I address you, Daoyou?"
"Haoran Sect, Ran Xi."
The broker's hand paused for a single breath before continuing the pour. "You're an ascended cultivator?"
"Yes."
"Then your strength really is impressive. You managed to break through to the Unity stage in such a short time after arriving."
She glanced at her guest with open envy, including the glossy little panda resting in her arms.
"Just good luck," Yunxi replied simply, dismissing the praise.
After pushing a cup of steaming tea toward her, Bing Li finally spoke in earnest about the business at hand. "The Su family is a hidden clan in the Spirit region. They rarely appear in public unless something major happens. After the righteous and evil war began, they sent a ten-person squad to the ancient battlefield, rotating the members every ten years. Their reputation among the sects is fairly good. The Su Miu you're asking about is a rising star of the Su family. It seems the Ancestor favors him quite a bit. He has never entered the ancient battlefield."
Yunxi nodded and asked her next question. "Do you know of a Su family cultivator named Feng Jiayun?"
Bing Li thought for a moment, her brow furrowed. "I have never heard of her. Are you sure there's such a person in the Su family?"
"I'm sure."
"Then she is probably someone insignificant or kept very deep within their grounds. Give me some time to investigate the lower ranks."
"Alright."
With the serious matters settled for the time being, Bing Li rubbed her hands together. "Then let's talk about the payment for the information Zūnshàng asked for."