Chapter 122: Seeing Helian Again

Elder Cheng asked, “May I ask what your intentions are in coming here?”

“The reason the Demon Refining Prison was so fragile and easily breached this time,” Hong Jian replied, “was because Ji Youyun, during those few days, took the divine souls of the guardian demon beasts and, together with Dai Mingchi and Xing Wuyai, broke through the 'Sky Veil' to welcome me back.”

Hong Jian paused briefly, glanced at the demon cultivators standing or sitting around, then continued, “I cultivate the ‘Great Calamity Scripture’ alongside him. It’s not difficult to deceive him briefly, but his cultivation far surpasses mine. To hold my ground and continue opposing him, I must constantly trouble him, forcing him to be distracted and unable to provide timely support. That is why I asked the sect leader to send word for all the prisoners held in the Demon Refining Prison to be rescued alive. I have come now to take charge of these people. I kindly request Elder Cheng to hand them over to me for disposition.”

“Is that all?” Elder Cheng was somewhat surprised. Meeting this ‘direct disciple of the sect leader’ for the first time, he knew nothing of her temperament and character. He had decided to observe a while longer rather than risk the lives of his clan and family. Yet, she made no demands on him or his people, only requesting the prisoners. This caught him off guard.

Hong Jian nodded with a smile. “Elder Cheng, I fully understand your eagerness to serve the sect.”

Elder Cheng’s face flushed, but she went on to explain, “As long as the Sky Veil remains, we are isolated here on the Daoist continent. The great sects are riddled with conflicts; we have no need to help them reunite. These prisoners from the Demon Refining Prison will be of great use. Elder Cheng and your people can simply watch the show.”

“Haha, that’s a brilliant idea! Let them turn on each other; we just enjoy the spectacle.”

“Miss Qi may have cultivated the Dao Foundation, but her heart is truly aligned with ours.”

Before Elder Cheng could respond, several of his old comrades loudly expressed their approval.

“Your plan is good, miss, but the number of Dao cultivators we captured this time is too few to cause much upheaval. Besides, these Dao cultivators are headstrong. Among them are four Nascent Soul experts—not so easy to control,” Elder Cheng said, a rare moment of concern for Qi Xiuning.

He shook his head, stood up, and said to Hong Jian, “Alright, come with me.”

Hong Jian bowed slightly before sitting down and said, “I have another delicate request. Since Elder Cheng mentioned they are difficult to control, I prefer not to meet them directly. It would be best if Elder Cheng could cooperate so that they feel I rescued them from your hands.”

Elder Cheng was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. “That’s easy. They have all been drugged by me and remain unconscious. I’ll have someone dump them in a remote wilderness. You can wake them when you arrive.”

Hong Jian smiled gratefully. “Thank you very much, Elder Cheng.”

“Among our own, no need for thanks. Come, I’ll show you the prisoners first.”

Following Elder Cheng deeper inside, with Helian’s matter resolved and the captured Dao cultivators rescued, Hong Jian’s heart was uneasy. She had yet to find a suitable excuse to ask for Elder Jing’s father, Jing Laotou, from Jing Xiaoyun’s grandfather.

As she conversed amicably with Elder Cheng, the small dark spirit hidden in her sleeve stirred restlessly—Jing Xiaoyun’s urgency pressing her to speak quickly. If necessary, she would have to demand it outright. Fortunately, Jing Xiaoyun’s grandfather seemed to trust her; even with doubts, he probably wouldn’t suspect her identity.

But she hoped to avoid doing this in front of so many people.

Hong Jian’s mind raced. She quietly soothed Jing Xiaoyun and trailed Elder Cheng as they emerged from the underwater mansion into the valley.

Night still blanketed the land. The valley was open to the sky, starlight sprinkling down, bathing the area in a dim glow. Tall wild grasses swayed as insects chirped at varying pitches, and thousands of fireflies danced low in the air, creating a scene of delicate beauty.

Hong Jian knew these were demon insects raised by the Cheng clan.

She swept her divine sense over the valley, finding no one present but noticing curtains of entwined vines hanging from the stone walls—surely temporary caves carved out for the prisoners.

Indeed, Elder Cheng casually formed a hand seal and uttered a word. The strange vines on a nearby stone wall suddenly extended, spreading to the ground and revealing a cave entrance over a person’s height.

“All the Dao cultivators we captured this time are inside. You may enter and see for yourself,” Elder Cheng said.

Hong Jian stepped into the hastily prepared prison chamber. A strong stench of rot hit her immediately.

Elder Cheng’s words were truthful. The cramped space was cluttered with nearly twenty people lying scattered like corpses. Yet, unlike dead bodies, their limbs were warm, and faint breaths emerged.

It was clear these unfortunate Dao cultivators had been dragged from the sea, drugged, and abandoned without care. Some still bore seaweed, others were so disheveled they were nearly naked. Having been imprisoned for who knew how many years, the stench was unsurprising.

Hong Jian examined each prisoner. Jing Xiaoyun’s description was accurate; most wore thick beards, making it difficult to identify Helian among them.

She released the ‘Great Calamity Scripture’ and reached out with her divine energy.

Among the nineteen cultivators, the lowest level was Golden Core, with four Nascent Soul experts. Their souls were drained and lifeless, barely resisting Hong Jian’s divine energy. She quickly located Helian.

Helian lay unconscious, dressed in tattered clothes, limbs splayed face-up. As described by Lu Yanchang, his thick beard covered his face, and his long limbs marked him as a tough man, even in such a weak state.

Hong Jian lingered beside Helian a moment longer, then Elder Cheng said, “The ‘Great Calamity Scripture’ is indeed formidable. This Dao cultivator is the best among them. Had he not exhausted his final energy, we would not have captured him so easily.”

Hong Jian nodded, speaking casually, “He will be very useful in the future.” Then she turned her gaze to the next prisoner.

She examined the rest one by one. Most possessed Golden Spirit roots—sixteen in total. The remaining three had one Earth Spirit root and two Fire Spirit roots. Beyond their advanced age, all three bore complex injuries. Even Elder Cheng admitted, “These three are ruined.”

Hong Jian’s heart surged. “No, these three are our trump cards against Ji Youyun.”

Their soul injuries were so evident that as soon as she touched them, she realized Ji Youyun had been experimenting on them, seeking a shortcut to breakthrough his ‘Myriad Flows Returning to the Source’ technique.

All three were scattered cultivators, imprisoned in the Demon Refining Prison for many years. Some had already turned to dust; others died from their wounds during the prison’s disintegration and fall into the sea.

Hong Jian felt a deep sorrow. Her hand trembled slightly within her sleeve. At that moment, she thought again of Ji Youfeng, sleeping beneath the glacial seabed, pierced by the severing heartstring that ended his life.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm, and said to Elder Cheng, “I would also trouble you to send a few men to help escort them out of the valley.” Pausing, she asked, “Did you only rescue these from the Demon Refining Prison? What about the others?”

Elder Cheng hesitated. “These are all the Dao cultivators we captured. For some unknown reason, the prison suddenly shattered; our people couldn’t catch up, and many escaped. The important prisoners likely escaped with them.”

He said nothing of his son-in-law, but Hong Jian had no choice but to ask Jing Xiaoyun for her father.

“The others are less important. There is one prisoner, though, connected greatly to the Dao cultivators. His nephew is Jing Baixi, a Nascent Soul expert of the Dan Cliff Sect. I ask Elder Cheng to investigate further and ensure this man is handed over to me alive.”

She spoke solemnly, as if Jing Laotou’s fate was crucial to the contest between her and Ji Youyun.

Elder Cheng stared at Hong Jian, silent for a moment, then furrowed his brow deeply.

Hong Jian’s expression was grave, her gaze unwavering in challenge. The valley fell completely silent; even the small dark spirit dared not move.

After a long pause, Elder Cheng’s eyes shifted. “You must understand, he is my son-in-law. My daughter is gone. You want me to have my son-in-law mingle with those Dao cultivators?”

The small dark spirit flapped its wings in apparent discontent. Hong Jian guessed it was Jing Xiaoyun’s frustration and ignored it.

“I will do my best to ensure his safety, Elder Cheng. This is my only request. Please consider the sect’s greater good.”

Whether this appeal would work was uncertain.

Elder Cheng’s expression shifted several times, seeming finally resolved. He sent a telepathic order and turned to Hong Jian. “Very well, I will hand them over. For safety, after this, I will lead my clan to relocate from this valley. Since you do not mind having my son-in-law with you, I’ll have my granddaughter accompany you as well. She can act as our liaison for future matters.”

Granddaughter? Could it be Jing Xiaoyun? The old man had insisted Jing Xiaoyun bear the Cheng surname; calling her granddaughter was plausible.

But soon Hong Jian realized otherwise. The small dark spirit seemed confused, suggesting Jing Xiaoyun had received no notice.

Before long, a graceful, stunning young girl appeared in the valley, her voice clear and sharp: “Grandfather, why call Qingqing out at this late hour?”

Hong Jian frowned. As the girl approached, a faint floral fragrance emanated from her, subtly disturbing Hong Jian’s soul.

Before Elder Cheng could introduce her, Jing Xiaoyun angrily identified the girl: “Grandfather, why summon her? Of my uncle’s children, this little vixen is the most treacherous. Don’t agree to anything with her; please have Grandfather send someone else. I’ll go with you.”