Chu Ying returned to the inn and made her way toward Jiang Mu.
She approached him and asked with a hint of anticipation,
"Master Jiang Mu, do you know the beggars in the nearby alleys?"
Jiang Mu, who was busy calculating expenses for the cook and new servants, paused and looked up at her with a confused expression.
"Ah, lady, are you asking about those sound beggars?" he replied, but there was a faint excitement in his eyes.
"Sound beggars?" She was puzzled by the term.
"Yeah. In this whole city, only those beggars and women are real humans," he said, shaking his head.
"As for the men, most of them have some memory loss... or a foul mouth."
She didn't interrupt and simply nodded. "Yes, those sound beggars."
"Well, I know a few of them," he said. "But what happened? Did one of them cause trouble for you?"
His expression grew fierce.
She quickly waved her hand. "No, no. I just want to ask about the beggar who looked the eldest among them—slightly hunched. Does he always appear in that alley?"
An elderly beggar? He was stunned by her question.
"Miss, there are no elderly beggars in this entire city," he said slowly.
"Those people you see are the ones who can't afford the price of lust. They're left in those alleys to beg and repay their debts to the brothels.
In fact, they're not really beggars... just broken men. They've lost their vitality from overindulgence and can't even do physical labor anymore."
She was completely bewildered.
"Are those courtesans demonic practitioners? How can the city tolerate such things?"
"No, miss, you misunderstand," he replied.
"They voluntarily give up their vitality. It's a trade—they can't afford the high-priced courtesans, so they pay with their life force instead."
Her head ached as she tried to absorb all this.
But one detail bothered her the most—the hunched beggar only appeared today and left without a trace.
She asked again, "Do you know about Lady Qinru of the Springwater Sect?"
Jiang Mu paused and glanced at her. He murmured to himself,
"How does a mortal know the real name of Lady Qinru? Was it that beggar...?"
He cleared his throat and decided not to hide anything. Who knew what would happen if he did?
"Yes, miss. Lady Qinru is the current Grand Elder of the Springwater Sect.
But where did you hear her name? Did that beggar tell you?"
She nodded.
"Yes. That beggar told me to go there."
"Oh… Then, miss, you'll have to wait a week to meet her."
"A week? Why? Is something special happening?"
"You're not aware? The Springwater Sect will be selecting talented disciples from across the region.
Lady Qinru will personally visit the city for the selection.
That will be your only chance to meet her."
"I see..."
She bowed politely.
"Thank you, Master Mu. I'm truly grateful."
"Ah, miss, just a small thing!" he said, rubbing his nose proudly.
It had been a long time since someone thanked and appreciated him.
---
Meanwhile, after completing their tasks, Xiaobai, Xiaona, and Xiaoji appeared before Yu Qingci.
"Master, all tasks have been completed," Xiaona said, bowing as she handed over several storage rings.
"Here are the materials you asked us to prepare."
Yu Qingci raised her fingers, and the rings floated into her palm.
"Well done. Let's begin our journey to Mirrorleaf."
Soon, they appeared on the outskirts of Mirrorleaf Forest.
Li Chen, standing beside Yu Qingci, became immediately alert.
After encountering the Shadow Piercing Sect twice, he knew the danger he faced before.
Each time, the attacks had been more fatal and more precise.
He couldn't afford to let his guard down—especially not now, with so many people involved.
But after walking for quite some time, they saw no trace of an ambush.
No movements. No assassins.
Only silence.
Li Chen and Yu Qingci exchanged glances, both puzzled.
They had prepared for a bloody confrontation before reaching the courtyard, yet the entire forest was eerily quiet.
Still, they remained vigilant.
The three maids were also confused.
They didn't know about the assassination hall's conflict with their master.
But none of them asked—they simply followed, quietly scanning their surroundings.
Soon, the group reached a large open space.
Li Chen stepped forward and took out the courtyard token.
A moment later, a grand formation activated.
Xiaobai, Xiaona, and Xiaoji were stunned.
A formation? Here? In the middle of the open forest?
They could hardly believe such intricate design had been hidden so plainly.
They entered the courtyard, and the three maids gasped again.
One of them exclaimed, "Wow… it's like paradise!"
"I never imagined there would be such a place inside the perilous Mirrorleaf Forest."
Li Chen and Yu Qingci smiled at each other but said nothing.
Yu Qingci turned to the maids.
"Familiarize yourselves with everything. All maintenance of this courtyard is now your responsibility."
Suddenly, a child's voice called out—
"Mother! Mother!"
Li Xuan came running toward her.
The three maids looked at each other in shock when they heard him say mother.
Xiaobai, standing in the middle, seemed to realize something and muttered,
"So this man… is the child's father. Miss truly married him."
Li Xuan threw himself into Yu Qingci's arms.
She lifted him and hugged him tightly.
"My boy, did you miss your mother, Qingci?" she asked softly.
He nodded with a quiet "hmm."
"Mother missed you so much too," she whispered, kissing his cheeks.
The little boy giggled.
Yu Qingci glanced at the maids, who respectfully excused themselves.
Holding her son, she made her way toward the study hall.
---
Elsewhere in Mirrorleaf Forest, Bai Ling and Elder Song hovered silently in the air.
They looked down over the thick canopy of the forest. There eyes met with each others and without saying a single word they guessed other one's intention.
Soon after that he quickly travelled to a distant area of forest and said coldly,
"Let's begin our task."