By noon, the sun was already high in the sky over Baiwa City.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Xu Ming raised his head, gazing at the blazing sun above, his expression contemplative.

“What’s on your mind?” Qin Qingwan asked curiously as she observed his profile.

“Nothing much,” Xu Ming replied, shaking his head. “I was just wondering—if Baiwa City is its own self-contained world, how would its sun differ from the one outside?”

“Who knows~ Maybe the sun here is smaller?” Qin Qingwan mused thoughtfully. “Alright, enough of that. It’s already midday—let’s go eat!”

Xu Ming brought his gaze back to her. “But haven’t you been eating this whole time?”

Qin Qingwan pouted. “That was just snacks. Now it’s time for a proper meal.”

Xu Ming: “Is there really a difference?”

Qin Qingwan: “Of course! Snacks and meals go into completely different stomachs.”

Xu Ming: “You’re sure this won’t make you gain weight?”

“Of course not!” Qin Qingwan playfully raised her small fist and gave Xu Ming’s shoulder a light tap. “I’m an immortal fairy, you know—immortal fairies don’t get fat~”

Xu Ming chuckled. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone call themselves an immortal fairy.”

“So what? Are you saying I’m not pretty?” Qin Qingwan’s eyes curved into a smile.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this.” Qin Qingwan grabbed Xu Ming’s sleeve. “Come on, come on! There’s a restaurant up ahead that looks pretty good—let’s try it out!”

Before Xu Ming could protest, she was already pulling him forward.

Watching her dragging him along, Xu Ming couldn’t help but think back to their childhood, when Qin Qingwan would tug him along just like this to go play.

“Come play, my good sir~”

“Don’t be shy, sir, have some fun~~~”

“Sir, don’t go~~~”

As Qin Qingwan and Xu Ming walked past Baiwa City’s brothel district, they were greeted by the sight of cats, snakes, and lizards standing at the doors, soliciting customers.

These animals were in their original forms, not shapeshifted into human appearances. Aside from their ability to stand upright, they bore no resemblance to “people” at all.

And yet, Xu Ming saw a human man walking out of one of the brothels.

He couldn’t help but doubt his eyes.

Was this guy that desperate?

“Do all men like going to brothels?” Qin Qingwan asked, noticing Xu Ming’s gaze.

“Miss He, don’t make baseless accusations,” Xu Ming hurriedly defended himself. “I’m not interested in animals! (At least, not in unshapeshifted beasts.)”

Qin Qingwan raised an eyebrow with a sly smile. “So you’re saying you are interested in human brothels?”

Xu Ming: “…”

Qin Qingwan: “Have you ever been to a brothel?”

Xu Ming: “I haven’t.”

“Really?” Qin Qingwan stared at him intently.

Xu Ming nodded. “Really.”

Qin Qingwan scrutinized his eyes carefully, as if trying to discern any hint of dishonesty. Finally, she straightened up and lifted her chin proudly. “Alright, I’ll believe you for now.”

“Actually, brothels aren’t that great,” Qin Qingwan began, launching into a lecture. “My master said that brothels only corrode a person’s body and mind. They’re of no benefit to the Dao. Only by resisting temptation can we stay true to our path.”

Xu Ming smiled. “Then what advice would the lady have for me to resist temptation?”

“Of course I have a way,” Qin Qingwan replied smugly.

“Oh?” Xu Ming’s curiosity was piqued.

Qin Qingwan’s lips curled into a sly smile. “The next time you feel like going to a brothel, just think of me. None of them are as beautiful as I am, so why would you still want to go?”

Xu Ming: “…”

Seeing Xu Ming’s silence, Qin Qingwan pouted. “What’s with that expression? Did I say something wrong?”

Xu Ming chuckled and shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”

“Hmph, good that you know better.” Qin Qingwan turned around, striding forward with her long legs.

—

Outside Baiwa City.

A one-legged firebird and a black dog lay atop a mountain peak, gazing toward Baiwa City in the distance.

From their vantage point, Baiwa City appeared as nothing more than endless walls enclosing barren land. Inside the city, there wasn’t a single sign of life—no buildings, no people, just a desolate wasteland.

This meant one thing: Baiwa City had already begun isolating itself from the outside world, forming a small, independent realm.

“What do we do now? We can’t just sit here and wait forever,” the firebird, Bi Fang, said, stretching out its wing to pat the black dog.

“I don’t know either.” The black dog sighed helplessly. “All we can do is wait. But have you noticed something strange?”

Bi Fang shot the black dog a glare. “You’re talking about someone trying to refine that mystical artifact, right? It’s obvious they haven’t succeeded yet.”

“Heh heh heh...” The black dog let out a sly chuckle.

“Those people trying to refine the artifact must be nearby. If we intercept them and snatch it for ourselves, wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Bi Fang blinked. “You know, that actually makes sense.”

The black dog grinned. “Then let’s move out. We’ll search every inch of the area within a dozen miles.”

With that, Bi Fang took to the skies, while the black dog activated its supernatural abilities, sniffing through the forest below as they began a thorough search.

—

Meanwhile, in the forest.

A hopping zombie made its way through the woods, leaping up a mountain slope.

If Li Han and his companions were here, they’d immediately recognize this zombie as the one that had chased them for most of the day. After Shen Sheng’s death, the zombie had stopped attacking and vanished without a trace—until now.

“Rrrgh...” The zombie growled lowly as it hopped toward a patch of shrubs.

It parted the shrubbery to reveal a small formation.

The zombie pricked its finger, letting a few drops of green corpse blood fall onto the formation.

As the array activated, the zombie disappeared from where it stood.

When its vision cleared, the zombie found itself inside a mountain cavern.

Taking out a small blue orb from its tattered robes, the jiangshi crushed it, scattering the powder over its body. The powder concealed its aura and rendered its body transparent.

Cautiously, it began hopping forward.

The molten core cavern was mostly empty, with only a few beasts in the wall-bound cages struggling against their chains and roaring incessantly.

The zombie spotted a woman shackled in chains and quickly hopped over to her.

“Rrrgh...” The zombie growled softly.

The woman lifted her head. “Xiao Tiao? Is that you?”

“Rrrgh,” the zombie replied, growling again.

The woman pressed her lips tightly together. “The Baiwa Scroll is nearly complete. Take the pendant from around my neck and deliver it to the cultivators inside Baiwa City. As for who to give it to... and whether they can succeed... that will be left to fate. Go now!”

“Rrrgh.”

The zombie grabbed the pendant hanging from her neck, yanking it free before quickly hopping back toward the cavern exit.