.
In the Tea Haven Restaurant, Xue Shengren ignored the stares and mutters around her.
Though most of them sat far away, her cultivation allowed her to hear everything clearly. Still, she tuned them out and poured herself another cup of wine.
She wasn't drunk. Not yet... She needed four or five gourds to get drunk, but she only had three!
And she would have sat there quietly, content to wish for more wine, but now that the wind had died down, the restaurant had grown quieter.
Unfortunately, that made her notice the music more.
She raised a hand and spoke loudly.
"You there! The one playing the guzheng." She hiccuped slightly. "So the wind was the only pleasant sound before? Why do you play the instrument like it wronged you in a past life?"
It took a moment for her words to sink in, and the musician's fingers froze. He was bald, with a short, sharp beard and an even sharper mustache. He jumped to his feet, furious.
"How dare you?! I saw you when you came in! You didn't even toss a single bronze coin for my playing! A beggar like you dares mock me?!"
"Ei?!" Xue Shengren rose too, staggering like a drunk. If you wanted to cause trouble, acting drunk was the easiest way, and she pointed at him from behind her black veil.
"You're the beggar! Your whole family are beggars! I only told the truth! Your music might make someone cut off their own ears! Why not take the lesson and improve?! Why call me a beggar?!"
The other customers gasped at her words. A few laughed, which only made the musician angrier.
"You're obviously a beggar!" he spat. "Cui cui cui! Drinking and causing trouble! If you're so good at the guzheng, come and play it yourself!"
"Hmph!" She scoffed. "You think I won't?! Bring it here!"
She could play the guzheng perfectly, even in her sleep, and she wondered if she should give them a little entertainment...
But she didn't get the chance to see if the musician would accept. Her gaze shifted sharply to the restaurant's wooden door.
"Hmm?"
Through the cold air outside, she sensed danger approaching.
'Fun's over,' she thought, then dropped back into her seat.
The muttering began immediately.
"Eiss, such a useless drunk! Cui!" The musician spat toward her.
"Wilted after causing trouble."
"He's dressed like a cultivator. I thought we'd get to see a real fight!"
"Disappointing!"
But the 'drunkard' paid them no mind. She lifted her head slightly and made a seal with one hand under the table.
A small demon fruit appeared in her palm, releasing dark green fumes that flowed into her skin and vanished.
The fruit came from a tree demon. Its fumes allowed her to release her aura without alerting nearby cultivators.
Everyone in the restaurant seemed like normal people with no cultivation. Still, better safe than sorry.
She made another hand seal under the table and whispered, "Divine Piercing Eye."
A faint surge of power left her body, but thanks to the fruit, no one noticed.
The Divine Piercing Eye technique let her see through obstacles and extend her awareness beyond her physical form. Her senses left her body and drifted outside.
She counted.
'Eleven. Nine men. Two women...
'Ho? This is the same group that's found me twice already. Not bad!'
Eight of them looked like young disciples. None seemed much older than her.
The last three were different. One was much older, yet unremarkable. The other two had masked their auras.
Being chased was normal for her, and in the past few weeks, at least fifteen groups had been hunting 'Xue Shengren'.
Well, after her 'crimes', it was to be expected.
But no one knew her face, and no one knew she was a woman.
Which made escaping easy! She'd even tricked a Northern Region group into chasing after false leads.
Most hunters searched for powerful auras, or asked around taverns and inns, hoping strange events might lead them to her.
But strange events usually had nothing to do with her. So she wandered freely while they ran in circles.
This group, however, was different.
'They've found me three times now.' She frowned.
Avoiding them wasn't the issue. She could disappear the moment they came near.
But if they found her three times without knowing her face, they must have a tracking talisman.
That meant they had something that belonged to her.
'My ribbon!' she realized.
She'd lost her white ribbon the night she attacked the Zhao clan. This group must have found it and guessed it was hers.
'Impressive. Let's play a little then.'
She wanted that ribbon back. It was precious. And if she kept running, they'd keep tracking her. So this time, she stayed.
.
Xue Shengren cancelled the Divine Piercing Eye technique and raised her head. She was about to sip her wine when a hoarse whisper brushed her ear.
"You! You saw them coming. Why are you still here? Are you trying to die?!"
She frowned and turned slightly to the empty spot beside her.
"Old man Xu," she whispered. "I told you to stop whispering in my ear like that. Don't you feel ashamed?!"
Elder Xu was an enlightened demon.
Demons who cultivated for a thousand years and gained enlightenment could take human form. These were called enlightened demons.
Demon cultivators signed blood contracts with such demons, summoning them when needed.
But Elder Xu was strong enough to come and go freely. Worse, he could make himself invisible.
So he often came out just to nag her.
"Don't change the subject!" Elder Xu hissed. "If you stay here and even one escapes, they'll see your face! Then what?! Everyone in the Wulin will know what you look like!"
"Tch. They have my ribbon. I might as well enjoy myself."
"All this for a ribbon?! What if they-"
But she made two quick hand seals, and the voice vanished.
"Tch. Annoying old man. Who says it's just a ribbon?"
.
Meanwhile, outside in the snowy road, the group approached the Tea Haven.
"Fenghuang-Jun! I think this is it! The talisman's glowing brighter!"
An excited disciple in blue robes and boots pointed at the building, holding up a flaming talisman.
The other seven disciples in similar robes gathered around, eyes shining with anticipation.
They had tracked Xue Shengren for ten days using that talisman.
It wasn't a fire talisman, exactly, as it took on the essence of its target. That it burned meant Xue Shengren's essence was fire - likely from the Eastern Region.
Now they just needed to confirm if he was Zhao Lanfeng.
The talisman sparked brightly. This would be their first real battle against a powerful cultivator.
Before now, they had only hunted lesser demons, acted as escorts, or chased minor criminals.
But none of them were supposed to be here.
They had followed Fenghuang-Jun on a regular mission, and somehow, it had led to this.
They all looked at the shabby tea house.
The red and gold paint on the sign was faded, and one of the characters in 'Tea Haven' was nearly gone.
Some wrinkled their noses.
"Such a rundown place," one muttered. "Is Xue Shengren holding people hostage in there?"
Fenghuang-Jun said nothing.
He was called Fenghuang - the Water Phoenix of the West - because he had mastered an ancient phoenix technique at a young age.
But his real name was Shui Chenlin. The only son of the Western Dragon Clan head, heir of the Shuiliu Sect, and the current Master in charge of training Sect disciples.
Tall and lean, with dark, smoky eyes, Shui Chenlin narrowed his gaze.
He had felt it again - that same presence watching them.
He had felt it each time they neared Xue Shengren. Then it would vanish, and their target would be gone.
'So he senses us and escapes before we arrive,' he thought grimly.
"We've been careless," he said quietly, then ordered, "Set the array. Cover a few miles."
Arrays were barrier spells. They could trap, protect, suppress enemies, or boost allies, depending on the formation.
This one required six special flags.
It would boost their strength, weaken enemies without a clan totem, and trap anyone over a certain power level inside.
Lu Fengho Chenlin's companion, added a large shield spell for good measure.
With the array in place and the talisman still burning, Xue Shengren was nearby - and couldn't run.
Once the array was complete, the six disciples returned.
Shui Chenlin nodded at the tea house.
They began to approach - quietly.
"Lord Meng, wait-!"
Too late.
One of the cultivators burst through the swinging doors.
"Scram!" he shouted, unsheathing part of his sword and releasing his aura.
"If you don't want to die, get out now!" And there was silence - then chaos, as people scrambled to escape.
The owner and his servers ran out the back.
Xin Dao was ruled by the strong, so normal people knew better than to stick around when cultivators fought.
But as everyone fled, one person remained calmly seated.
.