"Hello. I'm Lian Xing," he said, his eyes lingering on her despite himself.
"Xing…Xing....? I think I heard that somewhere."
"Mmm… where though?"
She tilted her head slightly, sinking into thought.
"It's that family in the North," Shéyǎn said, casually seating himself atop the remains of a ruined building.
"The North, huh…"
Her eyes lit up. She cupped her cheek, practically drooling.
"I've always wanted to go there. I heard they have really good sweets."
"Yeah, yeah," Shéyǎn waved dismissively, tapping his leg against the stone.
"Tell us what information you gathered."
"Ahhh, right~."
Her tone brightened as she reached into her chest and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She spread it open across the broken stone.
"This whole place is actually one massive array," she said.
"Every month, people are brought here to compete for the jades."
She paused, smiling faintly.
"I got this from someone who arrived before us."
Her smile twisted.
"He was… difficult. But after a few fingers came off, he became very cooperative."
A faint bloodlust leaked from her body, thin but sharp, like a needle pressed against the throat.
"Shhsh…"
Lian swallowed hard.
"I feel like a lamb willingly walking into a slaughterhouse."
"Oh well," he muttered after a breath.
"Cooked rice can't be uncooked. I'll see this through."
"We're currently in the Old World region," Momo said, pointing to a marked area on the map.
"Apparently, there are heavenly treasures here—ones capable of changing a person's constitution."
Her finger slid across the parchment, stopping at a cluster of mountain ranges.
"I'm sure most people will gather there," she continued lightly.
"He said it opens tomorrow."
Then—her tone changed.
Cold.
Clinical.
"Plenty of test subjects for my art."
The ruins seemed to grow quieter at her words.
"Momo."
Shéyǎn shot her a cold stare.
"Hmph."
"I didn't do anything," she protested, puffing her cheeks.
"Yes, yes—go on," Shéyǎn said, brushing it off.
"Okay~"
She tapped the map lightly.
"He said this place once belonged to the Plum Blossom Sect. They fought against the Demonic Sect long ago. Apparently, all their treasures are still here—unclaimed, even after all this time."
She paused, then added casually,
"Oh, right. To obtain a full jade, you need five people to give you their robes."
Her lips curved upward.
"Or you can just kill them… and they'll become the jades much quicker that way."
Lian's stomach tightened.
"Oh! Oh! And there's more," Momo continued, animated.
"There are tiers to the jade. If you manage to seize another full jade, you can combine them. Together, they activate an array."
She tilted her head.
"Too bad he didn't say where it leads. He was already dead when I tried asking again," she pouted.
"…Good job, Momo," Shéyǎn said warmly.
He reached out and patted her head.
Momo froze—then blushed furiously, her ears turning red.
"She gathered all that in just a few hours… how talented."
Lian silently memorised the map.
"I really need to improve."
"So," Shéyǎn said, leaning back.
"What do you think we should do? I say we head to the Plum Blossom ruins. We can gather jades quickly—and I'm sure plenty of people will already be there."
Shéyǎn glanced at Lian Xing.
"Yeah," Lian nodded after a moment.
"I agree. It's the most feasible option."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"What kind of fool turns down treasure?"
"Hahaha!"
"I knew you'd say that. I like straightforward people," Shéyǎn laughed, his smile widening.
"Alright then," he said, rising.
"Let's move now—while most people are still resting."
"Yeah, let's go…"
Lian stood up, stretching his stiff limbs.
"Follow me," Momo said lightly.
She dove off the mountain without hesitation.
Lian and Shéyǎn followed.
Momo moved through the terrain with uncanny ease, navigating cliffs and paths as if she'd walked them a thousand times before—her silhouette vanishing into the dark ahead, guiding them straight towards the Plum blossom remains.