She lightly scraped with her fingernail, and it turned into fine crumbs. 

It was blood. 

This made it much easier to find, but someone needed to be able to use this blood for tracking magic. 

Cen Wuyue clapped her hands and stood up. 

Well, but she couldn’t. 

Some low-level Xuan Shu City disciples were still active nearby, operating low-level mecha puppets for repair work. 

These low-level mecha puppets were made of simple materials and looked clumsy, but they were incredibly strong and moved smoothly, making them suitable for heavy work. 

The City Lord’s stolen spiritual contract mecha puppet was different. It was made of the highest-grade materials and infused with the most effort from the mecha masters. Once completed, it was practically the mecha master’s second life, sharing both its successes and failures. 

Cen Wuyue looked up at the sky. 

The weather was still clear and sunny, with the sun high in the sky. 

A child passing by curiously followed her gaze, looking up. After a while, he asked, puzzled, “Sister, what’s up there?” 

Cen Wuyue withdrew her gaze from the sky and said with a smile, “Nothing. Little friend, let me ask you, where is the best Huozhong Shenxian Chicken in the city?” 

Since things have come to this, let’s eat first! 

Although she had been assigned a strange task, Cen Wuyue, with her excellent attitude, felt no anxiety. After a hearty meal, she slowly returned to the inn she had booked for ten days. 

Most inns have separate rooms for cultivators and mortals, one collecting spiritual essence and the other collecting silver. 

Cen Wuyue had originally booked the most ordinary cultivator’s room, but when she returned to the inn with a full stomach, the innkeeper greeted her with a smile and told her that she could move to the most expensive cultivator’s room for free. 

“It’s an order from the City Lord’s mansion,” the innkeeper said with a smile. 

Clearly, it was also a reminder from the City Lord’s mansion to urge her to work. 

Cen Wuyue arrived at the most advantageous Tianzi Xianren Residence, passed through the landscaping, arrived in front of the house, and reached out to open the door. 

Then she closed the door again. 

She optimistically thought: The human-shaped object covered in blood by the bed must be a mistake that my absolutely unmistakable eyes accidentally made. 

“Suddenly, I think the original room was not bad,” Cen Wuyue said as she turned to leave, walking faster and faster, “Such a high-level Xianren Residence should be left to more advanced cultivators…” 

She only took three steps before she had to stop. 

An invisible rope silently wrapped around her neck from behind, slowly tightening its grip. 

“Don’t alarm anyone, come in.” A weak voice drilled into Cen Wuyue’s ears, carrying a cold threat, “—if you don’t want to die.” 

If she was only now smelling the strong bloody scent coming from behind the door, it seemed a little late. 

Cen Wuyue didn’t want to die. 

She was thinking about her master’s third instruction. 

[Third, stay away from bad men and bad women. You’re just a small cookie, you can’t outsmart those heartless people.] 

In one day, the unfilial disciple had violated three rules of the sect. 

What a misfortune for the sect, Master! 

If someone’s neck has already been grabbed, most people would not choose to resist. 

Cen Wuyue took three steps back following the force on her neck, calmly opened the door and entered, then closed the door behind her. 

Unsurprisingly, the highest-level Tianzi Xianren Residence had an array set up, located next to the couch. 

The stranger sitting cross-legged above the array was staring fiercely at Cen Wuyue’s every move, like a wild beast ready to pounce on its prey at any moment. 

This brother was covered in blood, and his features were not very clear, but his pair of cold, gleaming eyes were very bright. 

Cen Wuyue also sized up his injuries in return, making no secret of her curiosity, “What happened? Do you mind if I take a look?” 

A flying shuttle suddenly flew to Cen Wuyue’s temple and stopped there, the cold killing intent almost piercing her skin. 

The owner of the flying shuttle said unkindly, “I mind.” 

Cen Wuyue reluctantly changed her approach, “Can I help you apply medicine?” 

“Medicine?” The owner of the flying shuttle sneered, “I’ve been monitoring you all the way. Besides food, what else do you have on you?” 

The answer was, of course, yes. Her master had worked hard to accumulate it and told her to hide it well so that no one would find it. 

But since the other party showed a clear attitude of disbelief, there was no need to explain further. 

So Cen Wuyue simply asked, “Are you one of the ‘thieves’ who broke into the City Lord’s mansion last night?” 

Although he had escaped with serious injuries, these injuries were too severe. Half of his stomach had been blown away, and he was purely relying on his powerful spiritual energy to simulate and connect his organs, and slowly repair them. 

Then again, if he could survive even this, then her master was right, cultivators were truly as resilient as cockroaches and as crazy as wild dogs. 

“‘Thieves’? Shouldn’t that be the current City Lord who usurped the throne?” The owner of the flying shuttle mocked as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous, “I am the son of the previous City Lord, the rightful young City Lord. Her position should have been mine.” 

Cen Wuyue nodded, “So you came to steal… oh, no, take the City Lord’s spiritual contract mecha puppet?” 

Since the name contains the word “contract,” it’s natural that there is such a procedure. 

Before the contract is fully completed, the mecha puppet can indeed be stolen… oh no, taken away to change its owner. 

Cen Wuyue mobilized her divine sense to scan the entire room, but did not see any other humanoid mecha puppets. 

“I didn’t succeed at all.” The owner of the flying shuttle said angrily, “That woman knew I would go, and deliberately spread the word to lure me in. In fact, the contract mecha puppet had already been made. As soon as I entered the City Lord’s mansion, I had already stepped into her trap. I was lucky to escape from her hands.” 

Cen Wuyue felt that it wasn’t very lucky, it was entirely because she, as a shield, had delayed the time. 

“Now she falsely claims that the contract mecha puppet is lost and has sealed the city for strict investigation, but it is only to take this opportunity to kill me all at once.” The silver light moved closer to Cen Wuyue’s temple, “If you don’t want to die, you better find a way to get me safely out of Xuan Shu City.” 

“Ah, me?” Cen Wuyue really felt very innocent, “How did you target me?” 

“Blame yourself for being unlucky.” The owner of the flying shuttle said indifferently, “I noticed you last night when you happened to appear at the City Lord’s mansion. If your capture hadn’t alarmed that slut and distracted her, I really wouldn’t have had a chance to escape from that move.

I left a trace of my divine sense following you, and I heard your conversation with the steward clearly. Since you are helping with the investigation, there are naturally many ways to get me out safely. A month later is the once-in-a-decade Zhiyuan Festival.

On such a big day, Xuan Shu City will definitely open its gates wide. At that time, I can naturally mix in with the crowd and leave the city. You either find a way to delay for me for this month, or find a scapegoat to hand over and take the blame. I don’t care, that’s your business.” 

This person really had too much desire to express himself, and his expressions were also very rich. 

So Cen Wuyue finally had the opportunity to be the one saying this sentence—instead of being told—”Do you cultivate the path of emotion?” 

“You’re mocking me?” The flying shuttle threatened forward slightly, and then its owner spoke eloquently, “‘Extinguishing emotion is the only way to preserve reason, forgetting desire is the beginning of approaching heaven,’ is just the ‘orthodoxy’ that these hypocritical people love to tout. Since ancient times, ascenders have been different. Among them, the Fallen Feather True Man Qu Xiao even successfully ascended after becoming a demon and achieving great success in the path of ruthlessness. How do you explain that?” 

Cen Wuyue remembered Qu Xiao, her master had mentioned his name. 

It was said that in the places where he had slaughtered, the nearby rivers still retained a bloody color two hundred years later. 

As if understanding Cen Wuyue’s thoughts, the owner of the flying shuttle said disdainfully, “One general succeeds on ten thousand bones! Those who cannot ascend can only obediently become stepping stones for others to ascend. That’s the way of heaven. They can only blame themselves for their bad luck in this life.” 

Cen Wuyue looked at him a little more carefully, unexpectedly, without answering, and asked another question, “What about the people who were with you last night? Do they also want to leave the city together?” 

“Death warriors? They covered my retreat, they’re probably dead.” The owner of the flying shuttle replied casually, “—Alright, stop dawdling, quickly go and hand over the ‘thief’ that the City Lord’s mansion wants to them.” 

Cen Wuyue was about to turn around and go out when he tightened the invisible rope again and threatened her coldly, “Don’t think about finding the people of Xuan Shu City to expose my affairs. My divine sense is still on you. Although I am injured, it is more than enough to crush you to death.” 

“Okay.” 

— 

Since things have come to this, let’s eat first. 

— 

There are always more mortals than cultivators in this world, and many times more, hundreds or thousands of times more. 

The mortals who can live in the same era as cultivators are also particularly vigorous in their vitality. 

Even if several streets were destroyed by the City Lord’s fight last night, everyone can continue to open their doors for business as usual today. 

Cen Wuyue walked along the street, stopping and going, and turned wherever she thought the smell was right, strolling and eating all the way. 

Until the rope on her neck warned her again by pulling inward, remotely revealing the impatience and urging of the owner of this wisp of divine sense. 

This pull almost squeezed out the steamed dumpling that Cen Wuyue had just swallowed down her throat. 

She patted her neck soothingly, “What’s the rush? Eating is important.” 

After eating this small plate of steamed dumplings, Cen Wuyue finished a bowl of agar jelly, got up to pay the bill, and then asked for a skewer of fried rice cakes to hold in her hand before continuing to walk forward. 

When passing a dark alley, she curiously retreated and poked her head inside, “Is that your accomplice?” 

The rope did not respond. Cen Wuyue actively entered the alley and poked with her finger, and found that the other party was indeed dead as the owner of the flying shuttle had said, but he was still quite fresh. 

She stared at this equally tragic corpse for a moment, took out a pill from her storage ring and shot it into the other party’s half-open mouth. 

In just a few breaths, the solid corpse began to breathe again, followed by a slight movement of his fingers, and the turbid eyes moved slowly out of focus, finally falling on Cen Wuyue in front of him, his lips moving, “Young… Lord…” 

The rope tightened in surprise. 

“Don’t be nervous, it’s about the same as a mecha puppet, it can’t really bring the dead back to life.” Cen Wuyue stood up with a smile, walked out of the dark alley and looked around, quickly found several disciples patrolling the street with spear-wielding mecha puppets, and walked towards them.