CHAPTER 11: CHAPTER 11: DEMON CULTIVATOR

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

The environment in the small courtyard where they were staying was quite nice, with plenty of rooms inside. Si Lin and Rong Ye had rooms they commonly used, and they first helped Gu Qingqing choose a room and arranged her things for her.

"Little Qingqing, are you scared to stay alone at night?" Rong Ye turned his head and saw Gu Qingqing sitting obediently by the table watching their actions. He couldn’t help but walk over and pat her on the head, asking.

Gu Qingqing shook her head. She had grown up alone since she was little, so naturally, she wasn’t afraid to stay by herself.

"The room on the left is where Senior Brother lives, and the one on the right is mine. You can come to us if you need anything." Rong Ye liked the way Gu Qingqing nodded so obediently, it made his heart melt a little, and his tone unconsciously softened.

Hearing this, Gu Qingqing looked at Rong Ye, then at Si Lin, and when Si Lin nodded, she also nodded to show that she understood.

"Alright, it’s getting late; you should go to bed early." Rong Ye looked at the sky outside, patted Gu Qingqing’s head, and said.

After Gu Qingqing obediently sat on the bed, Rong Ye and Si Lin left her room, thoughtfully closing the door for her.

The two did not return to their respective rooms directly but instead went to Si Lin’s room.

"Speak up, what exactly is going on?" Si Lin sat down by the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked directly, ignoring Rong Ye’s reaction.

"Master received news that there is a Demon Cultivator appearing here in Qingfeng City, likely a high-level one, and seems to be planning something. Some disciples from various sects have disappeared without a trace in Qingfeng City. So, Master sent us to check it out. If there really is a Demon Cultivator, we are to deal with them directly." Rong Ye saw that Si Lin had no intention of pouring tea for him, so he had to pick up the teapot and pour himself a cup while he spoke.

"When we walked around just now, I didn’t notice anything wrong." From the moment they entered Qingfeng City, Si Lin had been using his Divine Sense to probe the area but found nothing unusual.

"The Demon Cultivator must be cunning; otherwise, the sect with missing disciples would have already known about him. Let’s investigate again thoroughly tomorrow." Rong Ye wasn’t surprised, as Demon Cultivators were notoriously sly and not easily discovered.

Si Lin nodded, agreeing with Rong Ye’s view, "The night is deep; you can leave."

Before finishing a cup of tea, the host had already issued a guest-expulsion order. Rong Ye glared at Si Lin in dissatisfaction but, remembering Si Lin’s martial prowess, cowardly backed down. Annoyed, he put the teacup on the table heavily and turned to leave Si Lin’s room.

Si Lin didn’t care about Rong Ye’s reaction at all. After Rong Ye left, he cast a Barrier at the door and started cultivating on the bed.

...

"Ah!"

A piercing scream shattered the night sky, waking those in their slumber.

The originally quiet night became lively due to this scream.

Gu Qingqing was a bit drowsy when awakened by the scream. She had been studying the Sword Manual before bed and fell asleep late. It was only midnight, so she was naturally still groggy but instinctively wanted to run to the door.

"Little Qingqing, are you alright?" Rong Ye’s voice sounded outside the door.

Before Gu Qingqing could reach the door, Rong Ye pushed it open from the outside, rushed into the room, and quickly grabbed her hand upon seeing her.

"Little Qingqing, are you alright?" Rong Ye asked again while examining Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing, seeing how anxious Rong Ye was, was still a bit confused. She subconsciously shook her head.

Rong Ye carefully examined her and, finding nothing wrong except her sleepiness, finally relaxed.

Si Lin followed Rong Ye in and, although he didn’t speak, was quite concerned about Gu Qingqing’s situation. After confirming she was fine, his knitted brows gradually relaxed.

Gu Qingqing looked at Rong Ye and then at Si Lin, asking with her eyes what had happened.

She had only heard the scream and had no idea what was happening outside or why Si Lin and Rong Ye were so tense.

"Do you remember the young man we saw at the entrance earlier?" Rong Ye took a cloak out of the Qiankun Ring, wrapped it around the lightly clothed Gu Qingqing, and gently asked.

Gu Qingqing thought about it; the boy with a decent appearance, then nodded.

"He was kidnapped. His guards are searching for him, which is why it’s so noisy." Rong Ye gently explained while adjusting the cloak’s straps for her.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingqing instantly woke up, even a little surprised. There were so many people around the young man, and they all seemed quite formidable. To think that someone could just abduct him like that—how powerful must that person be?

"The one who took him was likely a Demon Cultivator. My senior brother and I plan to search for him. Would you like to join us, Little Qingqing?" They had mentioned before that they’d let her experience the world, and both he and Si Lin felt they shouldn’t shelter her too much. But he still wanted to get Gu Qingqing’s opinion.

Gu Qingqing was a bit surprised, looking at Rong Ye. She didn’t expect they would consider bringing her along!

She knew what Demon Cultivators were. In her village, she had heard many stories about them, all describing them as cruel and practicing particularly sinister Cultivation Techniques, making them a hunted presence across Xuantian Continent.

Moreover, the appearance of a Demon Cultivator usually meant something terrible was happening. Though she knew Rong Ye and Si Lin were very powerful, she still worried about being a burden.

She looked at Si Lin, gesturing to ask if she could go along too.

Si Lin nodded, and Gu Qingqing’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Without any further delay, Si Lin and Rong Ye took Gu Qingqing along, following a trail Si Lin had left.

...

The trio arrived at an abandoned mansion located in the affluent area of Qingfeng City.

Even in this wealthy neighborhood, the estate was on the large side. Still, it appeared extremely desolate and rundown, as if no one had lived there for centuries. It was hard to imagine such a courtyard existing in a rich area.

"The mark I left has disappeared; there must be an array here." Si Lin looked at the mansion in front of him, refraining from entering rashly and instead sensing it carefully before speaking.

Rong Ye, still holding Gu Qingqing, nodded upon hearing this and then carefully examined the mansion.

It was midnight, and the only thing in the sky was the moon. However, at their level of cultivation, they could see clearly even at night.

The mansion’s main gate was in a state of disrepair, with one door completely missing and the remaining door riddled with holes. The plaque above the lintel was so weathered it was unreadable.

Through the broken entrance, they could see the dilapidated state of the interior, as if some disaster had struck—many structures had collapsed. The ground was overgrown with wild grass, some reaching even half a person’s height.

Apart from its desolation, the place also appeared somewhat eerie at that moment, like a ravenous beast lurking in the darkness, waiting for someone to deliver themselves.

They couldn’t see much from the outside, and even though Si Lin and Rong Ye used their Divine Sense to probe, they found nothing unusual. They exchanged a look, and Si Lin took the lead in entering the mansion.