I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

"Senior Sister, you!" Qin Rufeng blushed, while Nangong Yue chuckled. This infuriated her; they were talking about serious business... what nonsense about supporting the business!

"What? You're tempted, aren't you?" Nangong Yue continued teasingly. Qin Rufeng frowned, revealing his fox-like nature, and pounced on Nangong Yue.

"What are you doing, ouch!"

"I'll teach you to talk nonsense! Just because I'm a senior sister doesn't mean I can do whatever I want."

"Ru Feng, let's get down to business."

"You still know we're talking about serious matters? Aren't you the one who steered the conversation off course?"

"Ru Feng..." Nangong Yue was pinned down by Qin Ru Feng, her hands pressed to the ground as if in surrender.

She still had a smile on her lips, but her tone had become much more serious. "You don't actually think that 'taking it in the long run' is just an empty phrase to brush people off, do you?"

"You've always been at Qingyuefang. Your reputation as a woman of exquisite beauty and refined elegance is quite well-known."

Qin Rufeng: "My extravagant spending was a cover for buying streetlights."

“Of course I know that,” Nangong Yue said. “But the fact that you’re spending money like water just to cover it up shows that you deserve those nicknames.”

Nangong Yue sneered, "So you have no idea how difficult it is to establish yourself in Cangyun City."

"Your freedom is restricted, and you have never left Qingyuefang. You are unaware of how serious the Blood Cloud infection has become."

"You don't know what the price of Zijinqiong is now, nor do you know the situation of those slaves in the spirit stone mine."

"Furthermore, they are unaware that the various sects are outwardly united but inwardly scheming against each other, with only their own interests on their minds. The Empress is also walking on thin ice in order to maintain this fragile balance."

When asked about the Empress's precarious situation, Gan Mingyue nodded repeatedly.

Nangong Yue continued, "Even so, people are still willing to gather here. Even if they are not in the city, they will stay within the Cangyun Mountain area. Even if the blood clouds spread, people are unwilling to leave."

Do you know why?

"Because the West Ring is not like the South Ring... The so-called morality and etiquette completely disappear outside the Cangyun Mountain area. Perhaps there are still some rules in other places where cultivators gather, but overall it is a barbaric world where the strong prey on the weak."

"Outside, people only have a hunter-prey relationship. With our limited resources, it would be difficult to even establish a foothold in Cangyun City. If we were to venture into the desolate wilderness on the western edge of the city, searching for sub-sky beasts..."

Nangong Yue gave a wry smile and said, "I am, after all, a prodigy with a divine spiritual root, and a direct disciple of the Vermilion Bird Saintess. I, Nangong Yue, am arrogant towards others, but I never belittle myself."

"But if I may be frank... if we leave Cangyun City now to search for traces of the Void Beasts on the western edge of the city, the result will be that we will all be captured by powerful people and used as furnaces. If we are lucky, we will die; if we are unlucky, we will suffer a fate worse than death."

"Because we are still too weak. The Golden Core Realm... is nothing."

After hearing Nangong Yue's words, Qin Rufeng fell silent... She got up from Nangong Yue and reached out to pull her up as well.

Nangong Yue continued, "The existence of sects is to gather resources and manpower to form a powerful group."

"Leaving aside robbery and looting, it is more conducive to survival to gather like-minded people and stick together for warmth."

Chapter 175 Xuan Nu Sect

Nangong Yue said, "To put it simply, once you've established a sect and recruited disciples, you can send out large numbers of people to search for the location of the sub-sky beasts. This will be much more efficient."

"Moreover, with the sect gathering resources, our cultivation speed will be greatly increased."

"If the Heavenly Dao Ring is repaired before we find the Void Beast, and we've already cultivated to the Flowing Cloud Realm, wouldn't we be able to come and go freely?"

“Whichever option you choose, you must first establish a foothold,” Nangong Yue said. “Let me be frank. The reason I’m urging you to establish a sect and become its leader is because I lack popularity and resources.”

"Your reputation as the Qin Immortal Liu Ruyan is renowned throughout Cangyun City. Who wouldn't give you some face? You control Qingyue Pavilion. Even if you don't plan to perform on stage anymore, the spirit stones you earn from the women of the pavilion will be a sufficient source of income."

"This..." Qin Rufeng frowned slightly and said, "The Immortal Sect is just sucking the blood of the women in the Immortal Sect. To be honest, I was quite comfortable in the Green Moon Sect, but I also personally witnessed many women in the Immortal Sect suffer all kinds of hardships and bullying."

"So, you're just dumping this wicked thing on me?" Shangguan Qingxue suddenly appeared. "Ruyan, you two... don't misunderstand, I'm not here to eavesdrop."

"I just came to discuss something with Ruyan and happened to overhear your conversation. That's when I found out that my dear sister had already sold me out."

"No, no, that's not true," Qin Rufeng quickly said. "I already said that Qingyuefang would be handed over to Sister Qingxue."

“But I didn’t say I wanted it,” Shangguan Qingxue said. “You can only be the head of the workshop. You don’t need to feel guilty. This Qingyue Workshop can also become a refuge for female cultivators to make a living.”

"Otherwise, do you think they won't join the Immortal Cult anymore without Qingyuefang? This world is a dog-eat-dog world. Many female cultivators have climbed up step by step from the lower Middle Plains. And what happens when they get here?"

"Without strength, you're just fish on someone else's chopping block. Is it any better to be captured and sent to a low-class brothel, to a spirit stone mine to be used as a slave for sexual purposes, or to be captured by the Crimson Moon Cult and turned into a furnace?"

"This is what happens when you lack the strength to survive here. As the head of the monastery, don't oppress your sisters like Yuan Mengli did. Wouldn't that be saving them from dire straits?"

“You defeated Yuan Mengli but you won’t become the head of the Qingyue Workshop? The only result will be that Qingyue Workshop will be taken over by other forces, and the fate of the sisters in the workshop will be unknown… You should take responsibility, Ruyan.”

On one hand, he's being offered the position of sect leader and founder of a new school; on the other, he's being offered the position of head of Qingyue Workshop… With two yellow deer-patterned robes on his person, even Emperor Taizu of Song would probably have to say "6" (a Chinese internet slang term for awesome/impressive)…

Since he was already being offered the yellow deer skin, he couldn't refuse. Qin Rufeng had no choice but to agree.

She then personally reassured the women of the Fairy Pavilion, telling them that things wouldn't "change" and they shouldn't worry. She added that if she took over the Green Moon Pavilion, she would improve their treatment in the future.

As Qin Rufeng spoke, Shangguan Qingxue stood on his left and Feng Hua on his right... With these two supporting him, Qin Rufeng's words carried even more weight.

Another sleepless night followed, as Qin Rufeng and her sisters discussed the initial details of establishing their sect.

Nangong Yue jokingly suggested calling it the Hehuan Sect, and only Feng Hua agreed with this unserious suggestion.

Qin Rufeng's method was to "establish a sect" without "founding a new school." The new sect was called the "Xuan Nu Sect," which could be understood as a branch of the Jade Maiden Sect. He himself did not call himself "Sect Leader" but rather "Head of the Sect."

In this way, it would be equivalent to not betraying the sect, and this legitimate first step would be taken very steadily.

The following day, an envoy from Yunxiao Palace arrived at Qingyuefang on the Empress's orders. The Empress gave Qin Rufeng a whole day to sort out the various matters, which was indeed very thoughtful.

The messenger received the response, "It's our own business, there's no need to publicize it."

It was an unspoken rule that the Empress of Cangyun City did not interfere in the internal affairs of the major sects. Since everyone in Qingyuefang said so, the envoy from Yunxiao Palace simply recorded the facts without further inquiry.

Then, everyone in Qingyue Workshop unanimously "elected" Qin Rufeng as the new workshop leader. This was also an "internal matter," and Yunxiao Envoy merely recorded it without interfering.

Although it was supposedly a "family matter," Qin Rufeng, as the head of the workshop, still needed the recognition of various powerful forces.

If other forces don't recognize this, for example, if they use the excuse of defending Yuan Mengli to cause trouble or even covet Qingyuefang, then it will be a very difficult challenge.

Qin Rufeng was confident about this. Judging from the Empress's previous reply, the Empress supported her. Therefore, once the Cloud Envoy returned, Cangyun City would likely acknowledge her directly.

Another matter is that Qin Rufeng wants to establish the Xuan Nu Sect. This requires an "application" to the Yunxiao Palace, and Qin Rufeng has formally submitted the application.

The Empress was very efficient; the very next day, the Cloud Palace issued a statement acknowledging Qin Rufeng's identity as the Qingyue Pavilion Master. This forced some restless forces to abandon their unrealistic ambitions.

Meanwhile, the establishment of the Xuan Nu Sect was also successfully approved. However, the Empress sent Gan Mingyue with a letter to Ru Feng.

The letter was short, and besides the polite congratulations, it also said...

"Please remember, Fairy Liu, the establishment of Xuan Nu's sect will inevitably arouse the concern of other sects in Cangyun City. Please be careful and weigh the pros and cons."

"The heavens are collapsing and blood clouds are spreading. Crises are lurking everywhere and undercurrents are surging. It is truly a time of great turmoil."

"I hope that you, Fairy, will consider the overall situation, unite with your comrades, and keep the common people in mind to jointly resist the calamity of the Blood Cloud."

The meaning is quite clear. Firstly, seeing Qin Rufeng's violent way of solving problems, the Empress is also a little uneasy.

Secondly... it's about putting the common people first and resisting the Blood Cloud. As for the methods... didn't Qin Rufeng mention them himself before?

The Empress had indeed supported Qin Rufeng, so it would be impolite not to reciprocate. Qin Rufeng directly took 500 high-grade spirit stones from Yuan Mengli's private treasury and handed them over to Envoy Yunxiao.

Then she gave Yunxiao Envoy 50 high-grade spirit stones.

The messenger exclaimed in surprise, "What is Fairy Liu doing...?"

Qin Rufeng sighed and said, "I heard a saying when I was in the lower realm: 'You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household.'"

"I used to be extravagant and had a bad reputation, but now that I'm in charge of Qingyuefang, I realize how difficult it is."

“Yuan Mengli secretly colluded with the Crimson Moon Sect, giving them a lot of spirit stones in exchange for some cultivation techniques and puppets. She doesn’t have many spirit stones left.”

“These days, just purchasing the Purple Gold Jade is a huge expense. As a new head of the workshop, I also need to spend some spirit stones to appease the sisters below.”

"I want to earn spirit stones, so I need Qingyue Workshop to open as soon as possible. But to open as soon as possible, I need to spend spirit stones to hire people to repair it. So... I really don't have too many spirit stones. I hope Your Majesty won't think it's too little."

500 high-grade spirit stones isn't a small amount; it's much more than what major sects usually offer. But... compared to what Liu Qinxian earns, it's certainly not much.

However, Qin Rufeng also needed spirit stones to establish his own sect, so he couldn't be too generous. This was only the first time; giving too many would be a bad thing if the Empress took advantage of it.

Upon hearing this, Yunxiao Envoy carefully put away the 50 spirit stones and sighed, saying, "Fairy Liu has truly had a difficult time. These 500 high-grade spirit stones are far more than those from other sects that are full of empty talk about righteousness."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly inform His Majesty of your difficulties."

Qin Rufeng smiled and said, "Then thank you very much."

To deal with the Empress, one can do so through Gan Mingyue. However, Gan Mingyue is not convenient to speak about matters like this.

Therefore, it is even more reasonable for Yunxiao to explain Qingyuefang's difficulties.

"Sensible"—Qin Rufeng, being a time traveler, wasn't too bad. After all, which time traveler wouldn't hesitate to tip the eunuchs around the emperor or the imperial guards who carried out his duties?

Chapter 176 Crimson Moon Dungeon

Meanwhile, at the Crimson Blood Branch of the Crimson Moon Cult, the priestess sat arrogantly in her sedan chair...

She wore a huge bull-horn headdress, on which her long, black hair was piled up. A leather eye patch tightly constricted her eyes.

The flickering light from the dying torches illuminated the priestess's pale face, outlining delicate and sculpted curves.

Her lips were full and round, but bloodless, and even stained with black lipstick. The corners of her lips were slightly upturned, a half-smile on her face.

A very thin gold chain dangled from the corner of her mouth. It looked as if she were holding something in her mouth, with only this thin gold chain visible. However, her cheeks did not appear to be holding anything.

The dim, swaying light swept across the priestess's porcelain-like neck and shoulders, outlining the shadows of her collarbones.

The pair of nine-layered golden lotus protective mirror armors still shone brightly in the dim light.

Layers of golden lotus leaves cover the abundant fruit like flower calyxes.

The protective lens in the middle of the leaflet is very small. It's not raised but flat, like a stopper. There's also a pull ring on the surface.

The two breastplates were connected by chains, presumably for ease of wearing the armor.

Generally speaking, those with high cultivation levels rarely wear armor. However, precious armor is actually very effective for physical protection. Moreover, armor and protective magical artifacts do not conflict with each other.

So ultimately, not wearing armor is about showing off one's status. The Crimson Moon Cult members, however, seem to have less regard for such things. Many of them wear armor while practicing their physical training.

Like other cultivators of the Mystic Infant stage, the priestess had a swollen belly. A beautiful ruby ​​was embedded in her navel. Centered on the gem, swirling runes covered the priestess's abdomen.

She wore a long skirt. It was called a long skirt, but it only had a front panel and no back panel. The front panel was extremely long, almost reaching the ground from the sedan chair. The red background with gold flowers was quite ornate.

The priestess was supposed to be riding in a sedan chair, but it was actually just a flat board covered with a carpet. She sat cross-legged, her two snow-white thighs curled up and exposed from both sides of her long skirt.

Two women were pulling the sedan chair. Their bodies were bound with leather straps. Their limbs were folded and tied, forcing them to crawl on their knees and elbows. Their heads were completely bound, and they had a bitten into their mouths. They could neither see nor hear, and could only obey their commands.

However, they were not captured and enslaved, but rather newly converted members of the Crimson Moon Cult. The lowest level, regardless of gender, were collectively called "Crimson Moon Dog Slaves," followed by "Crimson Moon Maids" and "Crimson Moon Laborers."

Above them are the [Crimson Moon Believers], who are considered formal inner disciples. Above them are the [Crimson Moon Saintess], the [Crimson Moon Horse-Faced Demon], and the [Crimson Moon Yin-Yang Envoy]. Above them are the Priests, High Priests, and Holy Mothers.

The Red Moon Priestess's sedan chair stopped at the dungeon entrance. Two horse-faced demons helped her out of the chair.

She asked, "Is the one captured this time really Master Qingyue? I wasn't in charge of the Heavenly Prison last time, so I didn't recognize him."

She wasn't asking about Horse-Face, since the person on Horse-Face isn't very bright.

The one who answered was the Crimson Moon Yin-Yang Envoy, a stunningly beautiful and alluring woman. She replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Holy High Priestess..."

As soon as the Yin-Yang Envoy opened his mouth, the priestess waved her hand to interrupt, "There's no need to address me like that when we're not at the main altar."

"Yes, in response to Fairy Xu's question. It is absolutely true, this person is indeed Yuan Mengli, the owner of Qingyue Workshop." The Yin-Yang Envoy revealed a smile on his face. "Perhaps she should be called the former owner. She fought fiercely with Liu Ruyan and was defeated. Now Liu Ruyan has taken over Qingyue Workshop and become the new owner."

The priestess's real name is Xu Jinglan. Although she joined the Crimson Moon Clan and climbed her way up to the position of priestess, having already dedicated herself to the Crimson Moon Clan, she still wished to retain some of her own "traces." Therefore, she preferred that her subordinates address her by her surname and call her "Fairy."

Xu Jinglan sighed and said, "Alas, what a pity..."

The Yin-Yang Envoy was slightly taken aback...

Xu Jinglan noticed the change in her expression and immediately asked, "What do you want to say?"

The Yin-Yang Envoy quickly smiled and said, "Yuan Mengli's current predicament is entirely her own fault. Asking her to join the sect was not an honor for her; now, in her current state, she can only serve as a furnace."

"Hmph, fool." Xu Jinglan sneered, "What I regret is not Yuan Mengli, but Liu Ruyan."

"I saw her during the Lantern Festival. She's truly a beauty!"

"Since she's a woman from the Immortal Pavilion who loves money more than life itself, to the point of squandering it in a way that's known throughout the city, why can't we use threats and inducements, explaining the pros and cons, to invite her to join our sect?"

"Why did they have to kidnap her? Just because she had low cultivation but escaped from the Heavenly Prison, are they unwilling to accept it?"

"Is it because she is beautiful and has a great physique? I'm afraid that if she joins the church, she will become very popular and compete for the favor of the Holy Mother?"

"The trash of the Blood Abyss Altar! If it were me, how could I have let Liu Ruyan escape from the Heavenly Prison? Wouldn't that beauty already be in my arms and beneath my crotch by now?"

“Yes! Fairy Xu is right.” The Yin-Yang Envoy quickly echoed with a smile, “If Fairy Xu were here, this matter would not have been so troublesome.”

Xu Jinglan said helplessly, "And the horse-faced demons we sent out were useless... They couldn't capture Liu Ruyan and even killed each other, killing my holy maiden."

Yin Yang said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "It's... not exactly a massacre."