Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!
Chapter 222: Even the Yin Mountain Lady’s Heartbeat

Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Even the Yin Mountain Lady’s Heartbeat

Hu Zhile didn’t have precious and convenient Teleportation Scrolls, nor could she utilize the privilege of a Yin Messenger to quickly traverse between realms via the Yellow Springs. To reach the Netherworld, she had to travel honestly to the Gate of Two Realms.

Once in the Netherworld, she continued her journey until she finally returned to the great cave abode of Yin Mountain occupied by the Lady of Yin Mountain.

"Alas, after all these years, it’s still as dull as ever," Hu Zhile sighed melancholically, as though ever since she followed the Lady here, the Great Yin Mountain had never changed.

The same deathly stillness, the same piercing cold winds.

In contrast to the warm courtyard with its gentle spring breezes and the Spirit Pool that made her drool just thinking about it, she’d barely left, yet she already missed that little courtyard where doing nothing but daydreaming was so comfortable, missed the courtyard where spring winds brushed her face and the sun shone bright.

"Miss Hu is back!" As she approached the cave abode, several ghostly figures stationed at the entrance floated out from two sides of the stone mountains and bowed to her.

One went in to report her arrival, while the others swiftly faded back into the stone mountains and disappeared.

She nodded in acknowledgment and gracefully entered the cave abode.

"Miss Hu is back!"

"Miss Hu, what’s new in the Human Realm?"

"I heard more humans are worshiping the Lady, is it true? Were you there to oversee the collection of offerings?"

"Miss Hu, do you still have any of the Lady’s Tobacco? Spare me some, I’ll pay a high price..."

......

The cave abode, bright with candles yet still eerily sinister, was filled with chattering Ghost Cultivators surrounding Hu Zhile as she walked, making her feel a moment of reluctance.

Since following the Lady back, over these years she had genuinely regarded this place as her only home. Although the surrounding Yin Energy made her uncomfortable as a Demon Cultivator due to the lack of Spiritual Energy, the Lady was kind and the Ghost Cultivators were all well-behaved and lovely, and everyone got along harmoniously.

Once she truly leaves...

Hu Zhile’s feelings were a bit mixed, but she had no time to respond to everyone, so she softly explained, "I have urgent matters and must see the Lady immediately. I’ll chat with you when I’m free."

Tang Qin, the corpse of Yin Mountain, was in cultivation when she suddenly heard a report from her subordinate, feeling quite puzzled.

She had dispatched Hu Zhile to secretly observe Mr. Jiang’s strength. Logically, any situation should have been communicated through the Communication Stone, so why did she suddenly return without a word?

Finishing her cultivation, she lifted the white veil with her long red nails and lazily said, "Let her in."

Only then did the subordinate open the door to the quiet room.

"Lady, Zhile has two extremely important matters that she was worried would not be secure if communicated through the Communication Stone, so she hurriedly came back to see you," Hu Zhile bowed, then looked at the Ghost Cultivators serving by the side.

Seeing this, Tang Qin waved her hand to dismiss them all.

Only when the door to the quiet room closed, leaving only the two of them, did Hu Zhile flick her fingers to take out two excellent hearts and lungs from the Storage Bag, "Fortunately, Zhile has not disgraced the mission and successfully retrieved the stolen goods. The process was complicated and interesting, and also involved Mr. Jiang’s combat strength and a plot from the Demon Realm..."

She recounted the entire process in detail, from how she joined the small courtyard and stayed near Mr. Jiang until how she was taken along the way. Of course, she sensibly omitted unrelated news like gifts of Elixirs and sightings of True Dragons.

"Oh? Mr. Jiang’s strength is actually so formidable?" Tang Qin was a bit shocked after hearing it.

She only knew that his Paperman and Paper Horse Skill was impressive, so she had intended to make his acquaintance back then and even took out a Corpse Poison Pill to try and win him over for mutual benefits.

But ever since that brief encounter, Mr. Jiang never summoned her for a deal again, and the joint effort to snatch the Immortal Peach was quite an important event. Hearing that Hu Zhile unknowingly befriended him, the plan was to have her probe the ’ally’s’ strength, but to think he ignored her because he was genuinely powerful?

"Did you look closely? What kind of Magical Treasure can render the Hall Master and Great Elder of Bloodthirst Hall utterly defenseless?" Tang Qin repeatedly questioned, as she had personally visited the Demon Realm’s Bloodthirst Hall to inspect the goods and negotiate prices, seeing those Demon Cultivators.

To be honest, if she were to fight against one of them, at best she could barely prevail.

To incapacitate someone so effortlessly requires some kind of net that can restrict the magic power within a Demon Cultivator! If it’s as effective as she said, it might not even be classified as a Magical Treasure but rather close to a Divine Artifact!

Hu Zhile nodded solemnly and replied, "I saw it clearly at Mr. Jiang’s side; it was just an old fishing net looking quite ordinary, with no energy leaks. When Mr. Jiang casually took it out and tossed it, I even thought he had picked the wrong Magical Treasure, but it turned out to be that powerful!

Just like the seemingly common wooden stick in his hand, nobody would think of it as a ’weapon,’ yet Mr. Jiang can release remarkable power seemingly casually.

Lady, have you noticed that Mr. Jiang seemed to have cultivated a technique that doesn’t emit any power? If he doesn’t act, even I can’t sense his presence as a Cultivator with my sensitivity to auras!"

"A fishing net?" Tang Qin furrowed her brow, thinking she’d never heard of such a miraculous Magical Treasure.

However, this was great news for her; the stronger the ally, the higher the success rate in seizing the Immortal Peach. The problem was how to firmly bind him to her; would such a formidable individual even want to carry a burden for a chance meeting?

"Indeed, when I first saw him, I too thought he was an ordinary person, yet he can command even a Yin Messenger to be respectful. I don’t know how he does it." She even considered bribing the substitute Yin Messenger surnamed Ma to discover what made Mr. Jiang so intimidating.

After contemplating for a moment, Tang Qin asked, "Since Mr. Jiang helped retrieve my items, logically, some thank you gifts should be sent. But... as he’s so formidable, his standards must be high, and regular gifts might not impress him. You’ve been by his side for days; what do you think would be appropriate to send?"

She thought for a moment and added, "I wish to conspire with him over the Immortal Peach at Wo Hu Temple, and need to send something that interests him and showcases our strength to make him willing to cooperate."

Hearing this, Hu Zhile was taken aback and thought the Lady had made up her mind to bind herself to Mr. Jiang and increase the success rate of obtaining the Immortal Peach at any cost.

But this was quite a challenging task because Mr. Jiang knows Alchemy, can build a Spirit Pool out of thin air, and is self-sufficient in daily needs, all things unattainable for ordinary Cultivators; what gift would be appropriate and show their strength as allies?

"Lady, I think..." she pondered deeply for a moment, then a bright light appeared in her eyes, "I once mentioned my origins to Mr. Jiang, and after he learned I survived from the void by luck, he was very interested in the void. How about... inviting him to explore the void by Immortal Shuttle?

Right now, we aren’t wealthy, and even if we gifted Mr. Jiang some gold or treasures, he likely doesn’t need them, and they wouldn’t demonstrate our strength. If you promise that upon succeeding in the great endeavor, he can join the exploration of the void, Mr. Jiang would likely be very interested and give his all in the quest for the Immortal Peach."

Tang Qin raised an elegant eyebrow, commenting, "That’s a good idea! No cost, yet gives him something to look forward to, and when traveling through the void together, perhaps there could even be unexpected adventures!"