Inquiring for Information under Light Frost

Donghua Divine Continent, Zichen City.

"..."

The sound of light footsteps echoed as a young woman walked silently through the city.

This colossal city was far more magnificent and grand than any in the Western Divine Continent.

The thousand-zhigh spiritstone walls were engraved with flowing runes, shimmering gold under the sunlight. The streets stretched dozens of zhang wide, flanked by towers constructed from spiritwood and colored glass, some reaching dozens of stories high. Wind chimes made of spirit stones tinkled gently beneath the eaves, their melodies intertwining with the hum of flying artifacts gliding low overhead.

The bustling scene made the young woman instinctively touch the thin veil covering her face. Only after confirming it was secure did she feel slightly more at ease.

This young woman was none other than Bai Qianshuang, who had been teleported to the Donghua Divine Continent.

The teleportation process had gone smoothly, without any mishaps—except that Ye Chuan had been left behind.

From Bai Qianshuang’s perspective, Ye Chuan had been ensnared by those strange threads and flung away.

"Ye Chuan, you’ll be fine," she murmured, lowering her gaze.

She could sense the formidable strength of their attackers. Though she knew Ye Chuan was powerful, worry gnawed at her—especially with the vast distance between them, leaving her completely unaware of what had happened.

Yet Bai Qianshuang had no way to return via teleportation.

Her identity was far too sensitive. As the wanted Holy Maiden of the demonic Jade Void Sect in the Donghua Divine Continent, she knew all too well the price on her head.

In her current position, seeking out factions with teleportation arrays or renting a vessel capable of crossing the Endless Sea was an almost impossible task.

"Ye Chuan..." Bai Qianshuang lifted her eyes.

The streets teemed with people. Cultivators soared past on flying swords, their robes fluttering in the wind. Stalls run by alchemists glowed with spiritual light, their pill fragrances luring passersby. Others rode spirit beasts—tigers, deer, and other exotic creatures—their occasional cries drawing gasps of awe.

The liveliness of it all only made Bai Qianshuang feel colder inside.

Her emotions wavered, but in the end, she steadied herself.

No—she had to trust Ye Chuan.

She merged into the crowd, her plain white robes standing out in quiet contrast.

A wide bamboo hat shaded her face, the veil beneath revealing only a glimpse of her pale, exquisite jawline. The moment she arrived in the Donghua Divine Continent, she had disguised herself.

"Hey, miss! Care for a Soul-Calming Talisman? Stabilizes the spirit, wards off inner demons!" A vendor’s shout snapped her from her thoughts.

Bai Qianshuang ignored him at first—until he added,

"This is a treasure from the Qingyun Sect, one of the Three Great Sects!"

The words made her pause mid-step. Her brows furrowed briefly before she spoke.

"How is the Qingyun Sect faring these days?"

"The Qingyun Sect? They’re the top sect in Donghua now! Countless cultivators dream of joining." The vendor puffed up proudly. "Not to brag, but I’ve got family working there."

Behind her veil, Bai Qianshuang’s tone turned icy. "Is that so? Any interesting rumors about them?"

Seeing her interest, the vendor grinned knowingly.

"Five low-grade spirit stones, and I’ll share some juicy Qingyun Sect gossip."

Bai Qianshuang touched the storage ring on her finger, then produced the stones without hesitation.

She lacked nothing in resources—Ye Chuan had made sure of that, constantly stuffing her ring with cultivation manuals, treasures, jewelry, and piles of spirit stones and crystals.

"Speak," she said, tossing the stones.

"Generous as always, miss!" The vendor scooped them up. "Heard about the Qingyun Sect getting blown up recently?"

"Blown up?"

"Yep! And it’s all tied to that demonic sect—the Jade Void Sect."

Bai Qianshuang: "..."

"Rumor has it, a spy from the Jade Void Sect infiltrated the Qingyun Sect—some guy named Huang Haotian. Wrecked several buildings, slaughtered a bunch of disciples too!"

"Really..." Bai Qianshuang’s eyes flickered with doubt.

The Jade Void Sect...

Huang Haotian?

Who?

While Bai Qianshuang might not know every member of the Jade Void Sect, the sect primarily consisted of female disciples. A male name like that would have stuck in her memory.

An alias, perhaps?

"The Qingyun Sect’s ancestor had to step in personally to put him down."

"Dead." Her gaze darkened.

Hearing of a Jade Void Sect disciple’s death sent a sharp pang through her chest. If that person had infiltrated the Qingyun Sect, it must have been for revenge.

Yet in the end, they had fallen.

"Yep. Soul shattered and all."

"..." Bai Qianshuang was silent for a few seconds. "Anything else?"

The vendor rubbed his fingers together.

She tossed two more stones. "Make it worth my while, and there’ll be more."

"You’re too kind, miss!" The vendor beamed. "Now, when it comes to the Qingyun Sect, you can’t ignore the Jade Void Sect. After all, that demonic sect was wiped out by the righteous factions, right?"

"Well, word is, their Holy Maiden has rebuilt the Jade Void Sect and is now causing trouble for the Qingyun Sect!"

"That’s impossible!" Bai Qianshuang’s voice rose before she could stop herself.

She was right here.

Who was this impostor claiming to be the Jade Void Sect’s Holy Maiden?

Someone was using their name!

"Why impossible?" The vendor blinked at her sudden intensity. "Miss, that Holy Maiden might be from a demonic sect, but she’s a real beauty. Just two days ago, her people ambushed a Qingyun Sect trade convoy near here. Plenty of witnesses saw it!"

Bai Qianshuang pondered for a moment. "Where exactly?"

"About three hundred li east of Zichen City—Dongyou City."

She tossed a few more stones and turned away without another word.

But their conversation had not gone unnoticed.

Not far down the street, two women stood watching—dressed in pristine white robes, their waists adorned with tokens bearing the characters "Qingyun Sect."

"Senior Sister Zi, what’s wrong?" one asked, noticing her companion’s fixed gaze on Bai Qianshuang’s retreating figure.

"That cultivator was asking a lot about our sect," Zi Ning'er said coolly.

"So what? The Qingyun Sect is the foremost sect. Of course people are curious."

"No. When the Jade Void Sect was mentioned, she reacted strongly—even asked for their location." Zi Ning'er narrowed her eyes. "I suspect... she’s a remnant of the Jade Void Sect."

"Let’s follow her."