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After posting this comment, A Shang exited and entered the public communication area of the Spirit Card, where many cultivators gathered to chat and exchange information.
Curious, A Shang clicked in.
“Kickin’ Great Ascension, Punchin’ Tribulation Transcendence”: ‘Luxury mansion for sale in west Qingcheng! Not 998 spirit stones, not 598, just 98! Bargain price, serious seller! First come first served, dear~’
“Jiujiang Medicine Man”: ‘Ultimate Supreme Deluxe Vitality Pills! Not 8888 spirit stones, not 888, just 8! Yes, you heard right—only 8! A steal at this price! What are you waiting for, fellow Daoists? 100,000 sold monthly! Free delivery, plus a complimentary Lightning Tribulation Umbrella for painless ascension~’
“Loving My Little Demon”: ‘Got drunk while demon-hunting and accidentally knocked up a she-demon. Now she and the kid are clinging to my leg demanding responsibility. My soft heart said yes, and now they’re both sleeping beside me… kinda sweet actually. But will this affect my tribulation transcendence? Also, any tips for dating demons? Any experienced Daoists got advice?’
“Huangshan Thirteen Spices” replied to “Kickin’ Great Ascension, Punchin’ Tribulation Transcendence”: ‘SCAM ALERT! Don’t believe his “98 spirit stones” crap—this guy’s running a shady business! I privately asked if he’d take 90 stones, and he asked if I wanted to buy his face too?! What kind of monster sells faces?! Moderators! Investigate this guy! Who is he? What’s his name? Dealing in this horrifying trade makes him a tumor on the cultivation world! A disgrace!!!’
“Kickin’ Great Ascension, Punchin’ Tribulation Transcendence” replied to “Huangshan Thirteen Spices”:
“…I *%& you *%&… damn… stupid *%&…”
“Dongzhou Crossdresser” replied to “Jiujiang Medicine Man”:
“Bro, your price is too steep. The shop next door only charges 2 spirit stones and even throws in a divine ascension seat after godhood. Can’t you go lower?”
“Daoist Yiming” replied to “Loving My Little Demon”:
“Humans and demons walk different paths—this defies the Heavenly Dao. Proceed with caution, fellow Daoist.”
“Waaaahhhhh” : “Anyone want Xie Hengyu’s childhood robes? No use keeping them myself. Cheap sale—just 5 spirit stones per piece!”
“Xie Hengyu’s Loyal Dog” replied to “Waaaahhhhh”
“Me! Me! Me! Fellow Daoist, pick me!”
…
A Shang stared at the chat log in silence for a long moment. *Are these people really cultivators?*
She couldn’t shake the feeling that every single one sounded like a scam artist.
“Waaaahhhhh” replied to you:
“How many robes do you want, fellow Daoist? Buy ten and get free delivery!”
Just as A Shang zoned out, a notification suddenly appeared in her spiritual consciousness.
When she opened it, she realized she’d accidentally tapped into a private chat with this “Waaaahhhhh” user.
“Waaaahhhhh”: “Hello? You there?”
“Waaaahhhhh”: “Sweetie? You there?”
“54257386” replied to “Waaaahhhhh”:
“Sorry, wrong click. Not interested.”
“Waaaahhhhh” replied to “54257386”:
“??? Newbie? First time using a Spirit Card?”
“Waaaahhhhh” replied to “54257386”:
“Clicking into the chat means you automatically agree to buy, got it?”
“54257386” replied to “Waaaahhhhh”:
“…”
“Waaaahhhhh” replied to you:
“Whatever. Last five pieces left—I’ll cut you a deal. Five spirit stones, fair enough? Free delivery included~”
You replied to “Waaaahhhhh”:
“…”
[Payment Request Received]
A Shang decisively clicked the [Dec line] button—only for a new notification to immediately pop up in her consciousness:
[5 spirit stones deducted from your account. Balance: 0]
A Shang stared harder and finally noticed:
– Beneath the [Decline] button, there was microscopic text reading “Actually Accept”
– Meanwhile, the [Accept] button’s fine print said “Actually Decline”
‘Decline means accept. Accept means decline.’
“A Shang”: “…”
Waaaahhhhh replied to you: “Shipping immediately~ Happy receiving, dear!”
“Damn that scammer! Give me back my five spirit stones!!!”
*
Early the next morning, A Shang arrived at the sect entrance to assemble. The demon-hunting team consisted of five members, including her.
When A Shang arrived with her pack, two disciples were already waiting outside the Spirit Carriage.
One of them, a young maiden, immediately waved at her with a bright, cheerful expression. “A Shang! Over here!”
Clad in the same white Daoist robes, the girl beamed like a radiant little sun.
“Are you also…” part of the demon-hunting team?
Before A Shang could finish her sentence, the girl had already looped an arm around hers with familiarity. “What you said in the Grand Hall that day was so cool! I thought it was totally badass!”
“Oh?” A Shang wasn’t fond of such closeness—especially from someone she barely knew.
“Of course! If it were me, I might not have had the courage to expose them like you did. Oh, I haven’t introduced myself—I’m Shen Xi’er, and this is He An.” Shen Xi’er gestured to the young man beside her.
A Shang glanced at him. The youth gave her a slight nod in greeting.
“He’s always been this cold and quiet—don’t mind him,” Shen Xi’er explained breezily.
At her words, He An promptly tugged the girl back to his side.
“Hey, why’re you pulling me?” Shen Xi’er grumbled, shooting him a disgruntled look.
“Stop latching onto everyone you meet,” He An said flatly.
“When have I ever latched onto people?” Shen Xi’er huffed—then blinked, realizing she was still clinging to A Shang’s arm. With an embarrassed laugh, she let go. “Sorry, A Shang! I just got too excited.”
“It’s fine,” A Shang replied.
“This is your fault! You made me look bad in front of my idol!” Shen Xi’er smacked He An’s chest lightly, muttering under her breath.
The trio waited by the Spirit Carriage until, finally, two more disciples approached. At the sight of them, Shen Xi’er’s expression soured. “Ugh, please tell me those jerks aren’t assigned to our team…”
Following Shen Xi’er’s gaze, A Shang saw two men approaching in the distance.
The one leading them was someone she recognized—or rather, someone she’d known in her past life.
Wen Xiangli. Ranked second on the Heavenly Ranking.
A Shang hadn’t expected Wen Xiangli to join this mission, and his presence immediately signaled that this demon hunt might be far more complicated than she’d assumed.
“Sorry we’re late—did you wait long?” Xu Zhiyan, standing beside Wen Xiangli, spoke up with an apologetic smile.
Shen Xi’er quickly replied, “Not at all, Senior Brother Xu! We just got here too.”
“Good.” Xu Zhiyan’s gaze shifted to A Shang, and he seemed momentarily surprised to see her. But he quickly composed himself and said warmly, “Junior Sister A Shang, hello! You’re still new to the sect, so you might not know me. Let me introduce myself—I’m Xu Zhiyan, a disciple under Elder Tianyin. And this here is Wen—”
“Are we done with the pleasantries?” Before Xu Zhiyan could finish, Wen Xiangli cut him off and boarded the Spirit Carriage without another word.
Xu Zhiyan chuckled awkwardly. “That’s Wen Xiangli… also a disciple of Elder Tianyin.”
With that, the group boarded the carriage.
Anyone could see that Wen Xiangli had no intention of being friendly toward A Shang—and she knew exactly why.
Wen Xiangli had always been the eternal second on the Heavenly Ranking, perpetually overshadowed by Xie Hengyu.
If there was one person in the cultivation world who wanted to surpass Xie Hengyu the most, it was Wen Xiangli.
His disdain for Xie Hengyu was common knowledge.
And since A Shang was now tied to Xie Hengyu, she was guilty by association.