"Zūnshàng, why'd you let them go?" Xiao Yue asked sullenly, still annoyed.
Jian Dan reached out, brushing her hand along Xiao Yue's gleaming fur, her mood instantly brightening. She smiled and said, "Someone's gotta carry the message back. Otherwise I'd have to run all the way into the inner region myself, and that's way too much trouble."
"They got off cheap!" Xiao Yue bared his fangs at the siblings who were already fading into the forest.
The Tan Song siblings seized the chance. They activated the teleportation talisman in an instant, a halo of light wrapped around them, and they vanished right before Jian Dan and Xiao Yue's eyes.
"Let's go."
During her standoff with the siblings, multiple groups had already arrived. Among them were Cheng Zu, Cheng Song, and the Ji Du Squad. Another team lingered farther back, strangers to her, and none of them dared to come closer.
"Mo Yue, get on. I'll take you away!"
Xiao Yue suddenly showed off his powerful form. Jian Dan didn't hesitate. With a light tap of her toe, she landed gracefully on his back.
Following her guidance, Xiao Yue leapt high, bounding forward. After a few powerful jumps, they disappeared from the battlefield.
Only when the wolf and rider were completely gone did Cheng Zu and Cheng Song slowly creep forward. Ji Du's Squad followed closely behind, both groups spreading out to search. Whenever they crossed paths, they instinctively gave way, avoiding conflict.
After the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, a thin cultivator, barely one-seventy in height, came forward to report to the Cheng brothers.
"Brother Cheng Zu, we didn't find anything."
Ji Du's Squad had better luck. They stumbled upon the golden bell that had been knocked aside earlier. Quick as ever, they handed it to Ji Du, who stowed it into his storage pendant without a word.
When the third squad arrived and saw the two groups already whispering together like old acquaintances, they immediately turned around and left, not daring to linger.
"Ji Du, looks like your intel was off," Cheng Zu teased, his youthful face holding a sly grin.
Ji Du didn't argue. He just shook his head. "When I first met them, I figured I could squeeze some benefits. Turns out their fists were tougher than I thought. They even said their boss was two female cultivators. At the time I thought it was misdirection, but now it seems they weren't lying. We just didn't believe them."
"Three days ago something went wrong in the inner region. You think it's related?" Ji Du probed.
"Don't know." Cheng Song shook his head.
"The destruction of Mao Wu's Squad has already spread everywhere. No one from the inner region's contacted you?" Ji Du pressed.
"No, and I'm not planning to go back in. At the last trade meet, we sold off most of what we had. It's about time for us to leave," Cheng Zu replied with a smile.
Ji Du blinked in surprise, then cut to the chase. "With your strength, Brother Cheng Zu, as long as you're cautious in the outer region, you could keep building up resources. And Mao Wu's already gone…"
He didn't finish, but they all understood.
"We've stayed long enough. The Sect's missions are complete. This chance, we'll leave for others. But as a friend, let me give you a word of advice. Don't get too greedy. Mao Wu's the warning. And don't assume the immortals in the inner region are so kindhearted."
With that, Cheng Zu cupped his hands to Ji Du, then led his squad away.
Ji Du stood silent for a long while. Beside him, Dao Ba muttered, "Boss, what did Cheng Zu mean? Is he upset that we picked up a bargain?"
Ji Du's eyes flickered. He glanced back toward the inner region before replying, "The Cheng brothers are always cautious. Send people to tail them. The moment you confirm they've left, report to me immediately."
"Got it, Boss. What about us? Do we still head inside?"
"No. Tan Song's clan's immortal artifacts aren't that easy to snatch. We'll pull back to the outer region. Be ready. Once you confirm the Cheng brothers have gone, we'll leave too."
"This…"
"Stop whining. Just do it. Lately I've felt something's off. Can't say what exactly, but it's better to be prepared."
"Alright, I get it."
Dao Ba never argued with Ji Du. He knew his boss's caution was what had kept their crew alive and thriving. So he turned to make the arrangements.
Meanwhile, after activating the teleportation talisman, the Tan Song siblings staggered back into the inner region, their battered state shocking even the Tianxian elders, who thought they'd been ambushed by enemy immortals.
Without explaining, they pulled out the sealed jade slip and presented it.
"This is the command jade slip of Eastern Immortal King. Please, Elder, see for yourself."
Tan Songyong's brow twitched. A chill of unease crawled through him.
He took the jade slip and examined it carefully. It was indeed a command slip from the Eastern Immortal Domain's Xianwang.
He could break the seal, but his cautious nature made him step into an intact room. After laying down a barrier, he pressed his finger to the slip and channeled Xianyuan energy. It took a full ten breaths before the seal cracked.
Drawing in a steadying breath, he carefully sent his divine sense into the jade slip.
A quarter of an hour later, his divine sense pulled back. The jade slip shattered instantly, turning to dust without leaving a trace.
But Tan Songyong felt dreadful. His Xianyuan energy tangled in his meridians, his usually calm face twisted with unease. It took him a long time to steady himself. When he finally stepped out, the Tan Song siblings were already waiting.
They'd swallowed healing pills, tidied themselves, and stood outside the door. Seeing the elder emerge, they let out a sigh of relief. At least the jade slip had been real. The only question was… what order did it contain?
"Elder, what command did Eastern Immortal King give? Why send a lower-realm cultivator to deliver it? Was it directed at our Tan Song family alone?"
===
So, I hit a bit of a wall and I think I need a new story to freshen things up. Basically, I got a little bored translating one of my projects on Webnovel, True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress, so I decided to pick up another novel.
I was looking for something with 'historical' mixed with 'transmigration' and 'Fourth Calamity' vibes. I found this shorter one, I think it's around 100-150 chapters, called Summoning Players: From Magistrate to Monarch.
You can check it out on my AO3 profile if this blurb hooks you!
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Lin Xi died, and then she got a promotion. Waking up in a new world, she's now the magistrate of a backwater county, a post awarded to her predecessor by a grateful emperor. The good news? She's skipped the peasant class entirely and landed a government job. The bad news? Her new county is poor, the roads are terrible, and the locals have a deep-seated distrust of anyone in power.
But Lin Xi has a theory: there are no bad citizens, only too many terrible officials. So, she rolls up her sleeves. She's planting crops, building bridges, and turning this forgotten place into a functioning society. She's doing such a great job that the one thing she never saw coming happens: the Imperial Court vanishes. The central government just... ceases to exist.
With no emperor, no chain of command, and no laws from the capital, what's a capable and ambitious local leader to do? For Lin Xi, the path is clear: if the old heaven has died, it's time for a new one to rise.
Meanwhile, in a modern world called Longguo, a hyper-realistic game titled From Magistrate to Monarch has become an overnight sensation. Gamers are desperate to play, but the chances of getting a spot are almost zero. The masses are left watching live streams, endlessly debating the game's ruthless AI. What they don't know is that the world is all too real, and the few lucky "players" who log in are about to have their own lives turned upside down, forever changing the fate of Lin Xi's rising domain.