Mortal: Junior Sister Song Yu

The mine was in complete disarray.

The demon wolf's corpse lay scattered about, and the scorched earth still bore the embers of magic. The air was filled with a pungent stench of blood, demonic energy, and sulfur, making people want to vomit.

Everyone was still stunned by Song Yu's thunderous power in suppressing the level-four demonic python with a flick of his hand, and they were all dumbfounded, unable to recover for a long time.

Those guards who had just been fighting fiercely now had trembling hands as they held their magical weapons, and their eyes were filled with awe as they looked at the blue figure.

Manager Zhou stood on the high wall, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg. The color drained from his face, cold sweat trickled down his temples, and his body trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind.

That's a level four demonic beast!

A terrifying existence comparable to the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, and even on par with a Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator!

Just like that... he was defeated in one move?

He watched the blue figure gracefully land back on the wall, and felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his very soul tremble.

"Manager Zhou."

Song Yu's cold voice rang out, without a trace of emotion, yet it exploded in his ears like thunder.

"Ah? Yes! Your disciple is here!"

Manager Zhou jumped in fright and ran to Song Yu, burying his head in his hands, not daring to look directly into those eyes that seemed to see right through people.

"The corpses of monsters are all excellent materials. Arrange for people to clean up the battlefield immediately. Not a single wolf hair should be wasted."

"Yes! Yes! This disciple will take care of it immediately!"

Manager Zhou felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He started shouting loudly in his already hoarse voice, directing the surviving guards and miners to start cleaning up the scene.

The chaotic scene provided Song Yu with the perfect cover.

She strolled along the edge of the mine's defensive array, pausing occasionally. With a slight movement of her fingertips, tiny blue array flags, like fish swimming in water, silently disappeared into the ground and the crevices of the rocks, cleverly merging with the original heavy and clumsy earth-based array nodes.

She was gradually "parasitizing" her Water Moon Mirror Flower Formation onto this defensive formation.

"Fairy sister, you're so amazing!"

Little Stone had run over at some point, tilting his dirty little face up, his big obsidian eyes filled with undisguised admiration, as pure as a clear spring.

"Can I help you?" he asked expectantly, his voice soft and sweet.

However, the moment he got close, Song Yu's keen intuition suddenly jumped!

Such intense killing intent and greed!

Song Yu felt a chill in his heart, but a gentler smile appeared on his face as he took out several light-colored, dimly lit, discarded array flags from his storage bag and handed them to him.

"Okay, Little Stone is the best. Look, I'm a little busy. Could you help me put these flags under those big rocks over there, okay?"

She pointed to a few insignificant points in the distance.

"Okay!"

Little Stone immediately acted as if he had received some great mission. He hugged the array flags like treasures, ran over excitedly, and carefully inserted them. He even turned back and gave Song Yu a bright smile.

Song Yu watched his retreating figure, her eyes as deep and unfathomable as the sea.

After doing all this, she turned around and walked toward Steward Zhou, who was directing everyone to move the demon wolf's corpse.

"Manager Zhou, come here for a moment."

Manager Zhou's heart skipped a beat, as if gripped by an invisible hand. He quickly put down his work, his face pale, and jogged after him.

Song Yu led him into a storage room on the ground floor of the stone building in the center of the mine. The room was filled with discarded picks and tools, dark and damp, with the smell of rust and mold in the air.

With a casual wave of her hand, a pale blue light curtain instantly enveloped the entire room, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

thump!

The last line of psychological defense completely collapsed. Manager Zhou could no longer hold on. His legs went weak, and he knelt directly on the cold stone ground, trembling all over.

"Senior Sister Song...please spare me...this disciple...this disciple knows his mistake!"

Song Yu didn't look at him, but instead used a cleaning spell to wipe the dust off a worn-out wooden stool, and slowly sat down, her movements as elegant as if she were in a magnificent palace.

"Manager Zhou, I've reviewed the mine's accounts."

Her voice was calm, yet it was like an invisible hammer, each word striking Manager Zhou's heart hard.

"Recently, twenty 'shadow miners' have appeared out of nowhere each month to collect spirit stones."

"Wang Ermazi, the guard who died in battle three months ago, received another payment from you the day before yesterday."

"Heh, even the dead can get money from you, Steward Zhou. You really are a famous philanthropist in the cultivation world."

The last sentence, tinged with a chilling sarcasm, shattered Steward Zhou's hopes completely.

His face was ashen, and he collapsed to the ground, his back soaked with sweat, a faint, foul odor wafting through the air.

It’s over.

She knows everything.

She didn't come to check the accounts; she came to take lives!

"Senior sister! I was forced into this! I deserve to die!"

He suddenly crawled forward two steps on his knees, tears streaming down his face, and kowtowed desperately, pouring out all his unbearable suffering and grievances. "I was confused for a moment and owed Xiong Kui a huge sum of spirit stones at the casino in Blackstone Town. If I can't pay it back, they'll kill me! They forced me to falsify the accounts; I had no choice! I beg you, Senior Sister, for the sake of my many years of service to the sect, spare my life!"

"Xiong Kui? That fake Core Formation cultivator from Fengdu Kingdom?"

Song Yu casually uttered a sentence, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Manager Zhou looked up abruptly, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints, his face filled with utter horror and despair.

She even knows that!

All his secrets were exposed to this incredibly young senior disciple as if his clothes had been stripped off, laid bare under the scorching sun, leaving him nowhere to hide!

"It seems you already know."

Song Yu's voice remained unreadable, "You have two paths before you."

"First, I'll tie you up and hand you over to the sect's Enforcement Hall along with the account books. Colluding with external enemies and embezzling a huge sum of money, according to the sect rules, you should have your cultivation abolished and your soul destroyed. Your life ends here."

Manager Zhou's body trembled violently, the last trace of color drained from his face, and his lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.

Song Yu looked at him and slowly spoke, revealing the second possibility.

"The second option is to atone for your crimes and earn a living; that will give you a chance to save your life."

These words, devoid of any emotion, were like a beam of holy light piercing through endless darkness, instantly illuminating Steward Zhou's lifeless heart.

Like a drowning man grasping at a last straw, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes bursting with an incredibly strong will to survive.

"This disciple is willing! This disciple is willing to serve Senior Sister like a slave! I beg Senior Sister to give this disciple a chance!"

"Very good." Song Yu nodded. "Now, contact Xiong Kui."

"Tell him that the demonic beasts have been dealt with by this 'ignorant' true disciple of mine. The mine's defensive array was severely damaged in the previous beast attack and is at its weakest point. Tell him to make his move tomorrow night."

Manager Zhou was taken aback, his face showing difficulty and fear: "But Senior Sister, Xiong Kui is a fake Core Formation cultivator, and he also has two late-stage Foundation Establishment experts under his command. We...we can't stop him!"

Song Yu slowly stood up, walked to him, looked down at him, and a cold and arrogant smile curved her lips on her beautiful face.

"What do you think of that azure-scaled python compared to Xiong Kui?"

Manager Zhou fell silent instantly, as if struck by lightning.

Yes... that was a level four demonic python, and she was able to suppress it with a flick of her wrist and take it as a spirit pet.

In her eyes, a mere pseudo-core cultivator is probably really... nothing at all?

"You lured them here, into the trap I've laid. After it's done, I'll report to the sect that you've penetrated deep behind enemy lines and rendered a great service to the sect. Your crime of embezzlement will be offset by your merits, and your life will be spared."

Song Yu's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority and power. Every word was clearly imprinted deep in his soul, making him involuntarily believe and obey.

"As for your position as manager, it's definitely gone. Whether you return to the sect as a menial servant or spend the rest of your life in the mortal world is up to your own fate."

"I choose! I choose option two!" Manager Zhou did not hesitate and kowtowed three times to Song Yu, drawing blood from the hard stone ground.

"Disciple Zhou Hai thanks Senior Sister for sparing my life! I am willing to serve you, even unto death!"

Song Yu's keen intuition clearly sensed that the fear and despair in his heart had completely transformed into a resolute and ruthless determination after grasping at a straw.

The ruthlessness towards Xiong Kui was also a reflection of regret for his past self.

This person is usable.

"Very well, get out of here and pretend nothing happened. Let everyone rest well today and recharge. Tomorrow night, we'll lock the door and beat the dog."

"yes!"

Manager Zhou stood up, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, or as if he had taken on a new mission. His whole demeanor changed; he straightened his back considerably, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light of desperation.

He bowed deeply to Song Yu, turned around, opened the door, and walked out.

Song Yu was left alone in the room.

She walked to the window and looked at the sunset outside, which was gradually turning blood red, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Things are far from that simple.

The monster turmoil created by the Yuling Sect, Xiong Kui's bandit gang, and that mysterious little stone who harbors malice towards me.

The fact that these three forces are intertwined is no coincidence. There is likely a much larger network behind it.

Xiong Kui is a fake elixir, I can handle him.

But what if there's an even stronger being behind it, like... an old monster in the early or even late stages of Core Formation?

She couldn't gamble with the lives of hundreds of people in the entire mine.

We must report this to the sect and request their support!

Song Yu returned to his room, set up several soundproof and defensive barriers, and then took out a top-grade teleportation talisman.

She succinctly wrote down her findings and speculations, including the Yuling Sect, the robbery gang, the inside agents, and the potentially larger conspiracy behind it all. Finally, she solemnly requested that the sect immediately send at least two Core Formation stage deputy peak masters to provide support.

After writing it, she carefully checked it over. Once she confirmed that it was correct, she released a burst of magic power from her fingertips, transforming the communication talisman into a dazzling stream of light that instantly pierced the sky and shot towards the direction of the Falling Cloud Sect.

After doing all this, watching the streak of light disappear into the horizon, she finally breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling a little calmer.

Once the sect's support arrives, no matter what kind of monsters or demons are hiding behind this, they will have nowhere to hide.

The crisis should be resolved soon.

However, she didn't see it.

The talisman carrying crucial information flew up to an altitude of ten thousand meters, just as it was about to disappear into the clouds.

A wisp of demonic energy, deeper than the night and seemingly capable of swallowing all light, appeared out of nowhere without warning.

It was like a living, hungry venomous snake, silently coiling around that streak of light.

laugh……

A barely audible sound, like the soft popping of a bubble.

The brilliant light on the transmission talisman, along with the talisman itself, was instantly "swallowed" by that wisp of demonic energy, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.

Then, the wisp of demonic energy twisted and disappeared into thin air, as if it had never existed.

High above, the clouds remained pristine white.

The evening breeze still gently caressed the area around the mine.

The beginning of a momentous event, capable of upending the entire cultivation world in the northern part of the Tiannan Continent, has quietly arrived without anyone being aware of it.