Awkward

Yan had mostly recovered by now, and Lian Fulan finally allowed him to leave. However, the old dean was absent, Cisheng was busy day and night—seemingly preparing for something—and even Shan Jun had left earlier on some business.

The pink-haired woman who had left the arena stage with Cisheng was looking after Yan in his stead.

She stood about six feet tall, slender in build with a round but not plump face. Her large, dewy eyes held a friendly look, and her beautiful pink hair cascaded nearly to her slender waist. She wore light pink robes, a half-moon jade pendant hanging from her waist. Yan recalled Cisheng wore an identical one.

"Um... So what should I call you? Senior Sister, or Sister-in-law?" Yan asked awkwardly as he trailed behind the pink-haired woman.

"Within the sect, call me Senior Sister Cui. Outside, call me Sister-in-law. If others ask, tell them my name is Cui Yuan!" She turned her head, smiled, and patted Yan's head.

"Then, Senior Sister Cui, where are we going now?" Yan asked, puzzled as they moved farther from Cisheng's cave abode.

"Little Junior Brother, the Eldest Senior Brother instructed me to take you down the mountain for some real-world training," Cui Yuan replied. Sensing his first descent might make him nervous, she added, "But since you're new to the sect, we won't be hunting bandits or heretics. Just think of it as an outing!"

"Aww..." Yan sounded displeased. "Senior Sister, while I was recovering, Fulan and I visited all the city-states nearby and even traveled to many other countries..."

"Oh! It seems Junior Sister Fulan has already shown you all the fun spots!" Cui Yuan nodded, covering her smile with a jade-like hand. "Craving something tougher, are you? My little junior brother is ambitious! Alright, Senior Sister will find you a suitable task!"

As she spoke, they arrived beside a stone platform where an enforcement disciple stood guard. Cui Yuan quickly selected a fitting task from a pile of command tokens for Yan and led him down the mountain.

"Little Junior Brother, a remote city to the north has recently been plagued by 'big insects.' I recall there aren't any in that area..." Cui Yuan held the token, reading the incident details to Yan before falling silent, waiting for him to piece it together.

"'Big insect'? You mean a tiger? What about Shan Jun?" Yan was momentarily confused.

Cui Yuan narrowed her eyes and patiently explained, "'Big insect' refers to man-eating tigers. As for Shan Jun, they possess cultivation; they're different. But a Shan Jun can also turn man-eater and be called a 'big insect'!"

"But I thought they wouldn't casually come down the mountain to eat people! The climate is fine, and the mountains shouldn't be short of prey!" Yan rested his chin on his hand, thinking, then suddenly asked, "Senior Sister Cui, could it be the locals have been over-logging for firewood, exhausting resources and causing wildlife to decline?"

Cui Yuan pondered for a moment, then glanced at the token again. "They revere the mountain and earth deities. Also, though remote, it's a key trade route with the barbarian tribes. They'd have no reason to deforest."

"Then, did they offend someone?"

"Dealing with the barbarian tribes inevitably ruffles the scholar-aristocrats' feathers. But this place is far too important. Minor clashes wouldn't cause this... unless..." Cui Yuan stopped mid-sentence, waiting for Yan to answer.

"Unless someone stirred trouble to sabotage this trade route or worsen relations between the two sides!" Yan had a sudden realization, but a new puzzle emerged. "What's in it for them? Relations are already strained. This route is likely a compromise. Even if it's gone, they'd just open another elsewhere..."

"Besides, the border has generals and plenty of powerful cultivators. Who'd be so bored as to mess with it?" Yan couldn't figure it out. "Senior Sister, does this place have any other value?"

"Besides trade, nothing's recorded, though there might be mineral veins." This time, Cui Yuan didn't hold back, as she too sensed this mission was more complicated than it seemed.

"Senior Sister, I suspect a cultivator might be driving those giant tigers to attack the city. But taming beasts is the barbarians' specialty, isn't it?"

"Not just them. Many nobles also keep all sorts of exotic creatures. They have people supplying cultivation methods, and it's definitely not the barbarians. We'll need to observe more for specifics!" Cui Yuan, leading Yan onto the flying vessel, quickened her pace. "This matter is suspicious. We'll proceed discreetly. As for identity tokens and such, Junior Brother, keep yours safe!"

Instead of taking the flying vessel all the way, they stopped halfway, changed clothes, rented a carriage, and entered the city via the main road.

Their timing was fortunate. A barbarian trade caravan had just arrived, temporarily driving back the giant tigers, and the city was relatively lively.

Entering from the main gate, the streets were still crowded. Yet the dilapidated inns by the roadside, the moss-covered stone lions before the government office, the rotten, cracked wood in the thatched huts, overgrown courtyards, and the ever-present claw marks and smell of urine all indicated the current bustle was only temporary.

This was the city of the giant tigers.

Cui Yuan avoided the commotion around the caravan. She found a relatively clean inn to stay in, quietly waiting for nightfall.

Yan kept a close watch on the street. Cui Yuan received a message from Cisheng and slipped into a dark alley to make contact.

Yan watched the brightly lit caravan area, repeatedly fighting the urge to sneak closer. But remembering his senior sister's trust, he held back and stayed put. Deep into the night, faint chewing sounds drifted from the caravan's direction. Not loud, but bone-chilling.

Cui Yuan returned near dawn. She was covered in wounds, her pale pink robes stained crimson. Spotting Yan, she grabbed him and hurried away. Fortunately, they had little baggage; they simply got up and left.

Shortly after, a giant foot stomped onto the windowsill. Luckily, Cui Yuan had tidied up before leaving, leaving no traces.

As they departed, Yan glanced back at last night's caravan site. It was a scene of complete devastation, scattered bone fragments littering the ground. The carts stood empty, the bloodstains upon them glaring and horrifying—especially since Cui Yuan had deliberately chosen their inn for its proximity to the caravan to observe it.

"Sister-in-law..." Seeing Cui Yuan covered in wounds and now disregarding her injuries entirely to lead him through back alleys, Yan sensed something serious had happened.

"Brother Yan, don't trust any message received through the token! Someone here has found a way to alter or impersonate others when sending messages! Every single message could be fake!" Cui Yuan took a deep breath. "Now, we're on our own."

Yan fell silent and quietly followed Cui Yuan.

They reached a cave. Only after Cui Yuan had set up dozens of defensive formations in over a dozen surrounding caves did she finally stop to examine her wounds.

"Just superficial injuries." Cui Yuan disinfected a cloth strip over a torch and wrapped her wounds.

"Sister-in-law... you..." Yan's heart ached at the sight of her injuries.

"Brother Yan, your sister-in-law is fine. But what happens next is uncertain..." Cui Yuan casually set up a teleportation array and said to him, "You go back and bring reinforcements. Investigate every location on this list!" As she spoke, she pressed a schematic into Yan's hand.

"Senior Sister, what about you?"

"There aren't enough materials here. A simple teleportation array must be controlled by the one who set it up. Go back quickly! Your sister-in-law can probably hold on until you come to rescue me." Yet, Cui Yuan's eyes held the determined finality of a farewell. Gently, she pushed Yan into the teleportation array. A flash of light followed.

The surrounding jungle rustled with swishing sounds.