’Star Envoy?’

Qin Xuan immediately seized upon the keyword.

"Don’t be afraid."

Qin Xuan lowered his voice, trying to make it sound as gentle as possible.

"We’re new to this place and would like to ask a few things."

"Wh-what would the two Star Envoys like to ask?"

The little girl looked at them timidly, her fear growing especially as she took in Hou Qi’s ugly and fierce appearance.

"I... I’m just a Spiritual Farmer from nearby who grows Red Beard Root for Red Flame Dock. I don’t know anything..."

The girl mumbled softly, her speech carrying a distinct local accent. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Just tell us what you know. This is your payment."

Qin Xuan took out a low-grade spirit stone from his Storage Pouch.

The Spirit Stone was crystal clear, emitting a soft Spiritual Qi.

The girl’s eyes widened in an instant. She stared intently at the Spirit Stone, swallowing unconsciously.

But that feeling was immediately drowned out by an even greater fear.

She waved her hands frantically.

"It’s... it’s too valuable! I... I can’t make change, and I don’t dare take it! Star Envoy, sir, please put it away quickly! If a Market Steward sees it, I... I’ll be whipped!"

Her reaction made Qin Xuan’s and Hou Qi’s hearts sink.

A single low-grade spirit stone had terrified a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer Cultivator to such an extent.

’The cost of living here is incredibly low!’

The situation seemed even more grim than they had imagined.

"It’s fine. Just take it and answer a few questions. I won’t make things difficult for you."

Qin Xuan held out the Spirit Stone.

The girl reached out a trembling hand. Her fingertips touched the Spirit Stone, then quickly retracted.

After a few hesitant attempts, she finally snatched the Spirit Stone and clutched it tightly in her palm, her excitement palpable.

"Star Envoy, sir, you’re... you’re a good person! Ask away! I’ll tell you everything I know!"

"What is this place? What is the largest sect here? And why do you call us Star Envoys?" Qin Xuan asked.

"This is Wing Mars, but we all call it Fire Snake Star. The biggest Immortal Sect is Wing Fire Palace. I heard... I heard they have a Golden Core True Monarch."

The girl spoke quickly in a hushed voice, nervously glancing toward the Marketplace from time to time.

"The elders say we live under the wings of the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch, on one of the stars of the Vermilion Bird Seven Stars... You two sirs have the aura of the stars around you, so you must have come from Star City. You must be important figures sent by the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch to govern Wing Mars, which is why I called you Star Envoys..."

’The Vermilion Bird Seven Stars... Wing Mars?’

’Isn’t this the Life Star Hou Qi was connected to?’ Qin Xuan turned to look at Hou Qi in surprise.

"Why are there two suns in the sky?"

Hou Qi interjected, pointing at the two stars.

"Huh?"

The girl froze for a moment, apparently not expecting a Star Envoy to ask such a question.

"The white one is the Sun Star. When it’s bright, its True Flame is too intense. Even a Foundation Establishment Ascendant can’t withstand it, so we don’t dare go out to work.

The yellowish one next to it is called ’Zhuzhao’ by the elders. They say it’s the Sun Star’s companion star. Its light is weaker, so we only come out to tend to the Spiritual Fields when ’Zhuzhao’ is in the sky."

’A companion star... Zhuzhao?’

’This place really is bizarre.’

"What’s used for trade in the Marketplace? And why were you so scared earlier?" Qin Xuan asked again.

"We use... we use Fire Spirit Sand, or we barter."

The girl tightened her grip on the Spirit Stone in her hand.

"Spirit Stones are too rare. Only disciples from the Major Sects and Star Envoys at Foundation Establishment or above can afford to use them...

A single low-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for a huge amount of Spiritual Sand, enough to feed my family for a year... If a Steward saw me with a Spirit Stone, he’d... he’d snatch it and accuse me of stealing..."

As the girl spoke, her voice took on a tearful tone, and her small, sallow face was filled with terror.

Qin Xuan and Hou Qi exchanged a look.

’Damn it,’ Qin Xuan thought. ’This godforsaken place may be rich in Spiritual Qi, but these so-called Stewards are even more ruthless exploiters than the Holy Sect!’

An ordinary little girl, already at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, was living a life worse than a mortal’s.

This small glimpse was enough to reveal how difficult life was for low-level Cultivators and how cruel the rules were on Wing Mars, and perhaps throughout the entire Vermilion Bird Seven Stars Star Domain!

Just as Qin Xuan was about to ask for more details,

a commotion suddenly erupted in the distant Marketplace, and a few sharp shouts could be heard from afar.

The yellow-robed girl’s face instantly turned deathly pale, as if she’d seen a ghost. She frantically stuffed the Spirit Stone deep into her clothes, not even bothering with the small hoe and the few pathetic roots on the ground.

Still, she bowed to Qin Xuan and Hou Qi, her politeness unwavering as she said in a trembling voice:

"Star Envoys, the Stewards are coming! I have to run... Thank you for the Spirit Stone! Thank you!"

With that, she turned and dove into the crimson bushes like a frightened yellow sparrow, her small figure vanishing in an instant.

Hou Qi’s brow furrowed. Gazing in the direction the girl had disappeared, he moved like a cold, venomous snake, silently trailing after her.

Qin Xuan remained where he was, having already guessed what Hou Qi intended to do.

A moment later, Hou Qi returned, carrying the girl’s still-warm corpse. Traces of Demonic Essence from the Soul-Searching Technique lingered on his palm.

"Senior Brother Qin, it seems we’ve been transported Beyond the Celestial Realm. What the girl said just now was all true..."

Hou Qi said via Telepathy, as if he had just done something perfectly natural.

Qin Xuan sighed and shook his head.

But before he could speak, Ye Danggui, who had woken up at some point, had witnessed the entire act. She nearly ground her teeth to dust in rage.

She pointed a finger and furiously accused them, "You Demon Cultivators deserve to be torn to pieces and thrown into the eighteenth level of hell! She was just a child, why couldn’t you spare her?!"

Qin Xuan looked utterly stunned.

Hou Qi looked at Ye Danggui as if she were an idiot and said coldly, "Her cultivation was low, but she saw our true faces. If she had gone back and reported it, and the Golden Core True Monarch of this place found out, wouldn’t that have been a death sentence for us?"

Ye Danggui retorted angrily, "That’s no reason to kill her! The girl was so polite, even as she was leaving!"

"Damn it, you talk too much!"

Hou Qi slapped Ye Danggui across the face with tremendous force.

BAM!

Ye Danggui saw stars, and half of her face swelled up like a pig’s head. Dazed, she fainted once more.

"Senior Brother Qin, what should we do with this bitch? Should we just refine her?"

Qin Xuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"For now, it’s best to keep a low profile. Cripple her Dantian, shatter her Divine Soul’s memories, then dump her outside the Marketplace to test the waters and see what becomes of her."

"Good idea!" Hou Qi’s eyes lit up. ’Why didn’t I think of that?’ he thought.

Ye Danggui whimpered strangely. She hadn’t actually fainted. Hearing this, her face went deathly pale and her heart sank, her expression one of utter horror.

’Such vicious Demon Cultivators!’

And what Hou Qi did next completely shattered Ye Danggui’s last line of mental defense.

Not only did Hou Qi follow Qin Xuan’s instructions, crippling her cultivation and destroying all her memories,

he even stripped her naked and tossed her, completely bare, on the outskirts of the Marketplace!

The Stewards had been patrolling the Marketplace.

Suddenly, they heard a commotion from the crowd behind them. Rushing over, they found the fair, supple body of a woman lying on the ground!

"A Star Envoy?" one of them, a short, fat Steward at the Second Level of the Purple Mansion Realm, exclaimed, his expression changing drastically.

"Quickly, report to Tributor Shi! Remnants of the Holy Blood Sect are here to provoke us! Seal every part of the Marketplace!"

WHOOSH!

A brilliant red Fire Talisman exploded in the air.

Immediately after, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator appeared, flying through the air.

When Qin Xuan saw the Tributor Shi the steward had mentioned, he was completely stunned.

The man was lean and wiry, with bronze skin, and dressed in a sharp, dark brown martial outfit.

It was none other than Xiao Dinglan’s subordinate, Shi Nanxing!