"Master."
Mo Yan appeared silently in the room, as if he had always been there.
Xie Zhaolin handed him the ornament. "This reacts to demonic qi. Keep it close. When you have free time, try infusing it with demonic qi in different ways. See if it reacts more, or if it hides any other information inside."
She paused, then added, "Be careful. Its origins are unknown, and it might be dangerous. Don't rush it, and never show it to anyone. If anything goes wrong, stop immediately and report to me."
Mo Yan accepted the ornament solemnly, feeling a faint resonance emanating from it. "Understood! I'll handle it carefully."
Xie Zhaolin nodded. Being of the demon race, Mo Yan might notice details she couldn't.
Her gaze drifted out the window, distant and thoughtful. To fully uncover the ornament's origin and the mystery of Zhang Xiuxiu's lineage, she'd eventually have to venture into demon territory. Only by accessing the demon clan's inner information could she hope to find records about this unusual ornament—or someone who recognizes it.
But with her current cultivation and situation, rushing in would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den. Too risky.
Besides, the matter with Elder Chou in Qingxi Sect wasn't settled yet, and she still hadn't secured a spot in the Tianxu Secret Realm. She had far too much to handle.
"Master needn't worry," Mo Yan said softly, sensing her concern. "I'll study this thoroughly. When your cultivation improves, or the timing is right, we can plan our next step."
"Mm." Xie Zhaolin nodded, pressing down the impatience rising in her chest. Cultivation was a long road, and some mysteries didn't need solving immediately.
She turned her attention back to the present.
It was time to leave Qingyang City.
There was nothing more valuable to find here, and staying too long would only draw unwanted attention.
The next morning, Xie Zhaolin bid farewell to Zhou Wanru, citing other pressing matters. She didn't question her and, after some polite farewells, personally saw her to the estate's gate.
Originally, they'd planned to head to a nearby black market to gather some materials for refining the Shiyue Ribbon. But on the way, Xie Zhaolin changed direction.
She decided to return first to the border town where Zhang Xiuxiu had met her tragic end.
There, the threads of Zhang Xiuxiu's fate still lingered.
In a secluded area outside the town, Xie Zhaolin formed a hand seal and changed her appearance back to the thin, sallow-faced, weak girl she had once been. She suppressed all her aura, looking like a powerless, fragile girl, and lowered her head as she walked into the town, heading straight for the dirtiest, most chaotic alley she remembered.
As expected, near the gambling den, a few perverted-looking thugs crouching in the shadows noticed her immediately.
"Hey! Where's this little girl come from? Don't look special, but she's brave, coming here alone," a thug with yellow teeth sneered as he got up, moving toward her with ill intent.
"She looks unfamiliar… but heh heh…" another tall, skinny thug licked his lips, eyes glinting with lecherous excitement. "Even if she's worth only a few coins, we can have some fun. If she dies, who cares? Grab her, boys!"
Clearly, this wasn't their first time. They moved in instinctively, hands reaching for "Zhang Xiuxiu."
She lifted her head, her timid eyes instantly turning cold. Without any other movement, she flicked her wrist, and a flash of cold light shot out.
Snap!
The thug's arm was severed at the shoulder.
"Ahhh!" A bloodcurdling scream tore through the alley.
The others froze in terror, and before they could react, more flashes of cold light cut them down, heads severed instantly, bodies collapsing to the ground.
Xie Zhaolin didn't even glance at the corpses as she stepped toward the gambling den.
Inside, the noise and chaos immediately drew the attention of the gamblers and enforcers.
"Who's there?! How dare you crash our place!" someone shouted.
Before the sentence finished, a dozen enforcers armed with sticks, swords, and knives rushed to surround her.
Her gaze swept over them calmly, not even wasting words. Wherever her eyes landed, blood bloomed like flowers.
The gamblers and remaining enforcers panicked, trying to flee, only to find the main doors sealed by an invisible force.
In mere moments, every enforcer rushing her lay dead on the floor. The gambling den fell silent, leaving only a few terrified gamblers trembling in shock.
Xie Zhaolin's cold eyes scanned everyone, finally settling on Liu Balian, cowering at the back. She hovered above the ground, looking down at him.
"Do you remember me?" Her voice was the same hoarse, youthful tone of Zhang Xiuxiu, but it carried a deadly edge.
Liu Balian turned pale, shaking like a leaf. "N… No… I don't remember… Master, spare me! Please!"
The surviving thugs also fell to their knees, faces filled with confusion and terror.
They'd hurt too many people to even remember the insignificant Zhang Xiuxiu.
Xie Zhaolin felt a pang of sorrow for the girl. She'd died so pointlessly, and those responsible couldn't even remember her name.
Just then, a terrified gambler who'd wet himself squealed from the corner, "Is… Is she Zhang Laosan's dead sister? The girl called Xiuxiu?!"
The rest clung to this lifeline.
"Y-Yeah! It's Zhang Laosan! That bastard owed money! It's not our fault!"
"Master! The one who owes a debt is Zhang Laosan! He's already dead!"
Zhang Laosan…
Xie Zhaolin almost forgot this so-called "brother." It had been this gambling-addicted brother who had thrown Zhang Xiuxiu into the fire.
She hadn't expected any clues from these people, but hearing the name sparked something inside her. She asked coldly, "Did Zhang Laosan leave any belongings? If there's anything special, I might spare your lives."
She asked casually, not expecting much.
But Liu Balian's eyes suddenly flickered with panic and hesitation. "Y-Yes… I have one thing… he stole it from home… it's… strange…"
He nervously reached for a storage pouch at his waist.
At that moment, the other terrified gamblers and thugs suddenly glinted with greed and frenzy, as if it were a priceless treasure.
"Grab it!" someone shouted. Chaos erupted as they lunged for the pouch.
"Mine! It's mine!"
"Get away!"
The scene spiraled out of control.
Xie Zhaolin's eyes showed disgust and impatience. Even facing death, these people were still pathetic.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Several strands of black baleful qi shot out. The scrambling thugs, including Liu Balian, had their heads pierced instantly and fell dead without a sound.
Xie Zhaolin extended her hand, pulling the pouch toward her. She didn't hesitate, probing it with her divine sense.
Inside were all sorts of things, mostly silver, coins, and low-grade spirit stones. But her divine sense immediately locked onto one item.
It was a small object wrapped in tattered cloth.
She opened it, revealing another dark purple shard.
The material, the color, even the ancient, obscure patterns were almost identical to the ornament shard she had found beneath Zhang Xiuxiu's old home.