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Chapter 169: Bait in the Dark

If it had been a Fake-Dan cultivator who placed the mark, Lan Chang\'an wouldn’t have noticed it so easily without using the Nine Seal Stele or making a deliberate effort to probe.

Lan Chang\'an\'s thoughts raced as he decided not to inform Mu Bingyun about the mark for the time being to avoid startling the snake prematurely.

"Uncle Lan, is there a troublesome rogue cultivator around Wuqi Mountain?" Mu Bingyun asked, her tone laced with concern.

Uncle Lan\'s inquiry suggested that he was worried she might have caught the attention of a formidable bandit.

"Yes," Lan Chang\'an replied, his expression serious. "Half a year ago, a particularly dangerous bandit made an appearance. Although he hasn\'t shown up since, I suspect he’s still lurking around these parts."

Lan Chang\'an mentioned the situation of the "Night Fisherman."

"Night Fisherman? I\'ve heard of him," Mu Bingyun said, her heart tightening with fear. "He’s skilled in tracking, wears a bamboo hat, robs people of their wealth and their dignity, and has a penchant for acting under the cover of night."

Mu Bingyun\'s expression darkened.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment bandits wouldn’t pose much of a threat to her. However, Night Fisherman, an experienced and elusive bandit, was an entirely different matter.

She had arrived at Wuqi Mountain around noon, which was much safer.

Lan Chang\'an deftly changed the topic to the situation of the Mu Family and Mu Bingyun\'s personal cultivation.

Mu Bingyun had advanced from early-stage Foundation Establishment to mid-stage in about twenty-five to twenty-six years. This pace was faster than most cultivators with mid-grade spiritual roots.

Over the years, Mu Bingyun hadn’t encountered any significant opportunities; her cultivation had simply progressed smoothly, without getting stuck at any bottlenecks during her transition to mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

Lan Chang\'an had some guesses about this.

Years ago, Mu Bingyun had suffered damage to her foundation, which Lan Chang\'an had nurtured her over a long period with his Evergreen mana. This had naturally slowed her cultivation progress at the time.

However, Mu Bingyun had also benefitted from this, as the infusion of Evergreen mana had nourished her and given her more time to temper and solidify her foundation.

As a result, her foundation during the Qi-Refining stage had become more resilient than that of most cultivators.

Although her innate talent hadn’t changed, this treatment had slightly increased her cultivation potential and given her a smoother cultivation path than others with mid-grade spiritual roots.

This advantage made her early-stage Foundation Establishment progress much smoother.

However, this minor benefit would become less significant as she advanced further, eventually becoming negligible.

Mu Bingyun had vaguely sensed the changes in her own cultivation and was even more grateful and respectful towards Uncle Lan. She also found herself increasingly curious and drawn towards him in ways she couldn’t quite articulate.

...

After chatting for an hour or two, Lan Chang\'an suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Let me take you to visit Fairy Shi."

His tone carried a hint of regret, as if he had genuinely just remembered Mu Bingyun\'s main reason for coming.

"It\'s alright," Mu Bingyun replied with a gentle smile. "Ever since I left Little Turtle Peak, opportunities to receive guidance from Uncle Lan have become few and far between."

Her eyes gleamed as she spoke, and her smile held a hint of warmth.

In truth, she felt as if time had passed far too quickly, and was left wanting more time with him.

Lan Chang\'an then led Mu Bingyun to visit Fairy Shi on Xiao Pan Peak to discuss the matter of setting up the formation.

Having spent a good decade or two at Little Turtle Peak, Mu Bingyun was no stranger to Fairy Shi, who welcomed her kindly.

The two women discussed the details of the formation quite smoothly.

Mu Bingyun intended to strengthen the Mu Family’s protective formation at Feiyue Lake. Though the formation wouldn\'t be as high-tier as the quasi-third-rank formation on Little Turtle Peak, it would cover a much larger area.

The cost would be significant, far exceeding that of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

For many well-established Foundation Establishment families, the issue wasn’t being able to afford a Foundation Establishment Pill but rather being able to acquire one without drawing too much attention, as well as avoiding making enemies.

If they were to recklessly bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill at an auction, they risked offending late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators or even Fake-Dan Immortals. The potential consequences of this could be catastrophic.

After all, the cultivation world had no truly safe places, not even in the grand immortal cities.

For example, a Fake-Dan Immortal with malicious intent could easily erase a regular Foundation Establishment cultivator without leaving a trace of evidence.

Even Lan Chang\'an himself would be capable of such a feat.

...

"Miss Bingyun, I\'ll accept this deposit for now," Fairy Shi said after they had finalized the details of the formation. "Once all the materials are ready, I’ll make a trip to Feiyue Lake."

By the time Mu Bingyun and Fairy Shi finished discussing the transaction, night had already fallen.

During their conversation, Lan Chang\'an had been privately communicating with Fairy Shi, updating her on some details through voice transmission.

Lan Chang\'an then escorted Mu Bingyun back to Little Turtle Peak.

After a simple dinner, night had fully descended.

Mu Bingyun glanced outside, contemplating whether to stay the night.

On the one hand, she instinctively wanted to stay longer at Little Turtle Peak and spend more time with Uncle Lan.

On the other hand, there was the potential threat of powerful bandits like Night Fisherman near Wuqi Mountain.

Traveling during daylight would certainly be safer.

Mu Bingyun’s old room in the cave residence still remained untouched. However, as a beautiful and distinguished female cultivator, she hesitated to bring up the idea of staying overnight.

She hoped that Uncle Lan would offer her the option himself.

"Bingyun, it\'s getting late," Lan Chang\'an said with a kind smile. "You should head back soon and be careful on your way."

Head back now?

Mu Bingyun was momentarily stunned, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

"You\'re now the esteemed ancestor of the Mu Family, with a noble status," Lan Chang\'an said, his tone sincere. "For the sake of propriety, I won’t be keeping you here overnight."

Mu Bingyun found herself speechless, unable to find a reason to refute his logic.

After all, as an unmarried female Foundation Establishment cultivator of notable beauty and status, staying overnight with an unmarried male Foundation Establishment cultivator, especially one who was technically her senior, might indeed raise some eyebrows.

There was nothing wrong with Uncle Lan’s reasoning. If anything, it demonstrated his noble character.

"You’re right, Uncle Lan."

Mu Bingyun smiled faintly, though her heart was tinged with disappointment.

The slight sadness clouded her mind, obscuring some of the details she might otherwise have noticed.

When she had served as a maid here, it was only natural to spend every night in the cave residence. But now, that was no longer possible.

In her eyes, Uncle Lan’s behavior suggested that he saw her more as an outsider now.

Before leaving, Mu Bingyun took a moment to bid farewell to the Earth Burrowing Rat and Profound Water Turtle.

Despite the years that had passed, the two spirit pets hadn’t forgotten her and were still quite affectionate.

Squeak, squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat scurried up to Mu Bingyun, gently brushing against the hem of her long skirt.

Mu Bingyun smiled warmly and bent down to touch its paw.

She remembered that when she had first arrived at Little Turtle Peak, her reserved and introverted nature had made her unpopular with Guan Qiaozhi. The Earth Burrowing Rat had been the one to cheer her up from time to time.

"Bingyun, these two talismans are a gift from Uncle Lan," Lan Chang\'an said as he handed her two high-quality talismans.

"Uncle Lan, this is too generous," Mu Bingyun said, her expression softening as she examined the two talismans. They were both superior second-rank talismans, and one of them was an exceptionally high-quality piece.

"Wuqi Mountain isn’t as safe as it used to be," Lan Chang\'an said, his expression turning stern. "Keep them for self-defense and don’t let your guard down."

"Thank you, Uncle Lan," Mu Bingyun said, touched by his concern. The warmth in her heart quickly dispelled the disappointment she’d felt earlier.

As a fellow talisman master, she understood the rarity and value of a top-tier second-rank talisman.

If Uncle Lan didn’t care for her, he certainly wouldn’t have given her such a precious gift.

"Goodbye, Uncle Lan," Mu Bingyun said, her spirits lifted as she left, her light steps almost floating as she disappeared into the night.

...

Shortly after Mu Bingyun’s departure, Fairy Shi appeared on Little Turtle Peak, her graceful figure clad in her usual elegant robes.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, can you really be so cruel as to let such a beautiful young lover use her body as bait?" Fairy Shi teased, her tone filled with amusement.

"Hehe, I’d better watch out from now on. Otherwise, one day you might sell me off, and I\'ll still be in the dark, counting money for you," she continued with a playful chuckle.

"Young lover? You’re overthinking things, Fairy Shi. She’s just a junior to me, and our relationship is very straightforward," Lan Chang\'an sighed and denied.

"The way she looks at you is anything but simple," Fairy Shi said with a hint of jealousy. "Mu Bingyun is prettier and younger than I am—are you telling me you aren\'t the slightest bit tempted, Lan-lang?"

Lan Chang\'an changed the subject, "Let’s get back to the task at hand."

Fairy Shi, as an experienced cultivator, and considering their relationship as mere lovers, knew better than to dwell on such matters.

"I carefully observed her earlier," Fairy Shi said, her tone turning serious. "Mu Bingyun does indeed carry a tracking mark. Whoever placed it has a spiritual sense slightly stronger than that of an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, likely that of Night Fisherman."

Lan Chang\'an hadn’t mentioned the tracking mark earlier, only that Mu Bingyun might be being watched and had felt as though she was being observed.

Lan Chang\'an’s plan was for the three of them to secretly tail Mu Bingyun that night, using her as bait to track down and eliminate the bandit group.

While this plan did involve using Mu Bingyun as bait, it was ultimately for her protection, to eradicate the threat completely, and to improve the safety of Wuqi Mountain.

If Lan Chang\'an chose to ignore the situation and do nothing, Mu Bingyun would still be at risk, especially with the mark on her. Even if she left during the day, she had several days’ journey back to Feiyue Lake, during which the enemy could still find an opportunity to strike at night.

"I have no objections to your plan, Fellow Daoist Lan," Fairy Shi said after some thought. "But this must be done in secret. The fewer people involved, the better. We can’t guarantee there aren’t any hidden moles among the loose cultivators living in Wuqi Mountain."

"What are you suggesting?" Lan Chang\'an asked.

"Just the two of us should be enough. Let’s have Ye Fei stay behind to watch over Wuqi Mountain," Fairy Shi proposed.

"That works," Lan Chang\'an agreed, casting a glance at her.

Fairy Shi was clearly confident in her abilities, likely believing herself to be stronger than most late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After all, when faced with the wounded Fake-Dan cultivator Xiang Jinglong, Fairy Shi had remained composed and confident.

Lan Chang\'an also had a history of repelling late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and possessed second-rank puppets as well as the late-stage Earth Burrowing Rat. Fairy Shi likely held a high assessment of his strength.

The two then walked side by side, entering the cave at Little Turtle Peak. To the outside observer, it appeared as though they were lovers meeting in secret...

A quarter of an hour later.

The two of them, clad in black robes, flew low across the night sky several hundred li south of Wuqi Mountain.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, Mu Bingyun has already traveled quite some distance. How are you keeping track of her?" Fairy Shi asked.

"The Earth Burrowing Rat memorized her scent and is already on the trail, shadowing her to keep her safe," Lan Chang\'an explained.

Before she left, the Earth Burrowing Rat brushing against Mu Bingyun’s skirt wasn’t just a sign of affection.

"Remembering her scent? You certainly are considerate and attentive when it comes to this female junior of yours," Fairy Shi teased with a smirk.

At that moment, several waves of Foundation Establishment-level spiritual energy suddenly flared up in the distant night sky, accompanied by a clear cry.