"Uh... let's hope everything goes smoothly!" Zhu Hanwei whispered a prayer, though in his heart he was thinking he must leave this troublesome place as soon as possible.
Seeing Su Shi'er fall silent, he too quieted down, waiting patiently.
They didn't have to wait long. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, footsteps could be heard approaching from outside.
Before the person arrived, an alluring voice reached them first.
"Two esteemed immortals have come from afar, Lin Qiao'er of the Seven Mysteries Sect apologizes for not welcoming you sooner, please forgive me!"
The voice seemed to have a magical quality, causing both Su Shi'er and Zhu Hanwei to feel a tremor in their hearts.
Soon after, a fragrant scent filled the air, and a woman in a simple gauze dress, with a graceful figure, walked in from outside.
Her hair was like dark clouds, her face like apricots and peaches, her brows as gentle as spring hills, and her eyes like flowing autumn waters; with a full bosom, slender waist, and shapely legs, she was more enchanting than a crabapple in the sun, or a pear blossom in the rain.
Such beauty was truly captivating and alluring. If a fox spirit existed, Su Shi'er thought it would be no more than this.
The moment he saw her face, his mind buzzed, and he was momentarily lost.
Just as he was captivated by her beauty, his mind blank, the Yuanyang Ruler behind him trembled slightly, sending a warm current through his body, bringing him back to his senses.
Looking to the side, he saw Zhu Hanwei with wide eyes and gaping mouth, lost in some beautiful fantasy.
"If I'm not mistaken, the head of the Seven Mysteries Sect should be Lin Zhennan. What is your relation to him?" Su Shi'er asked calmly, his gaze elsewhere, not daring to look directly at the woman before him.
In his heart, however, he was secretly on guard. This woman had no spiritual power fluctuations, clearly just a mortal, yet her beauty could make him lose his composure, which was unusual.
"Lin Zhennan was my father, he passed away six months ago!" Lin Qiao'er said, her face showing sadness, tears glistening in her eyes, casting a gloom over the entire hall.
"I see, my condolences. My junior brother and I are here to collect the tribute. Why has the Seven Mysteries Sect delayed in delivering it this year?"
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Su Shi'er cupped his hands in salute, speaking while secretly flicking a pebble to hit Zhu Hanwei.
Zhu Hanwei winced in pain, snapping back to reality, reluctantly tearing his gaze away.
"This... could the immortal be mistaken? The Seven Mysteries Sect's tribute for this year was taken by your sect's immortals six months ago!"
Lin Qiao'er was first taken aback, then looked surprised.
"Already taken?!"
Su Shi'er and Zhu Hanwei exchanged a quick glance, surprise flashing in their eyes.
"Indeed! This is the token left by those two immortals at the time."
Lin Qiao'er nodded, taking out half a token from her bosom.
Su Shi'er squinted and asked Lin Qiao'er, "In the past six months, has anyone else come to collect the tribute?"
"No!" Lin Qiao'er shook her head without hesitation.
"Senior Brother, could it be... something happened to them on the way? But, heading west from Linnan City is all our Cloud Song Sect's territory, who would dare make a move on the road? Or perhaps, they absconded with the resources themselves?" Zhu Hanwei speculated in a low voice.
In truth, he knew this matter was most likely related to the Seven Mysteries Sect.
He just didn't want to stay in this place any longer.
"Yes, both possibilities exist. It seems to find out their whereabouts, we'll have to locate those two senior brothers first!"
"Fortunately, our sect has a secret technique that can track the bearer through an item with their aura."
"Miss Lin, may we take this token with us?"
Su Shi'er said calmly, then turned to look at Lin Qiao'er.
In reality, he knew nothing of any tracking technique.
He was merely testing Lin Qiao'er, half-believing her words.
"This... of course!" Lin Qiao'er replied, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes before she returned to normal, handing the token to Su Shi'er.
Though she concealed it well, Su Shi'er, being cautious, noticed her fleeting expression change.
The Seven Mysteries Sect indeed had issues!
It seemed the tribute was out of the question; he could only gather as much information as possible to report back.
Without the tribute, valuable information could still earn some contribution points.
Su Shi'er pondered silently, showing no change in expression, maintaining a calm demeanor as he continued, "In that case, we won't disturb you further. We'll return to the sect to investigate."
With that, he stood to leave.
"Why rush, esteemed immortals? It's already dark, and you've come from afar. Why not rest at the Lin Mansion for the night and leave in the morning?"
"It's been a long time since Cloud Song Sect's immortals have visited. Please give us the opportunity to host you."
Lin Qiao'er smiled charmingly, her demeanor respectful, warmly inviting them.
Her smile seemed to captivate souls, and Zhu Hanwei, who had just regained his composure, was once again entranced.
He had just resolved to leave this troublesome place quickly, but now he forgot all about it!
Zhu Hanwei, looking infatuated, turned to Su Shi'er:
"Senior Brother Shi'er, traveling overnight isn't ideal. Why don't we rest here for the night?"
"Well... alright, we shall impose upon you!" Su Shi'er hesitated for a moment, then nodded, pretending to reluctantly agree.
He hadn't really planned to leave, waiting for this very invitation.
Since they were here, they might as well investigate thoroughly.
As for danger, he was confident in his treasures to escape if necessary.
However, he hadn't considered that while he was scheming against them, they were also scheming against him.
"I'll have rooms prepared for the esteemed immortals!" Lin Qiao'er smiled, clapping her hands.
Immediately, a pretty maid in her late teens entered from outside.
"Take the esteemed immortals to the east wing to settle in!"
Lin Qiao'er instructed, and the maid led Su Shi'er and Zhu Hanwei away with a smile.
Soon, only Lin Qiao'er remained in the hall.
With a sigh, she glanced towards the back of the hall, her delicate brows furrowing with worry.
"What troubles you, Junior Sister?" a hoarse voice asked, as a burly, pale-faced man emerged.
The man exuded an evil aura, clearly not a mortal.
He approached Lin Qiao'er, reaching to embrace her waist.
"Senior Brother, can that token really track others?" Lin Qiao'er turned to him, twisting her waist in a coy manner, subtly keeping her distance, and asked.
"In the cultivation world, countless secret techniques exist, such a method is not surprising."
"But first, they must make it back!"
The man sneered, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.
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