Volume 2, Chapter 83 – Ghost Tomatoes (Part 2)

“Enough! We haven’t been here in half a year. Of course they had to find ways to survive. If they didn’t seek help from other sects, would they just wait to die?”

Ruan Lingyu, being older and more composed, immediately reprimanded her junior sisters.

“I understand that, but still—” Shen Yuan protested, unwilling to let it go.

“No ‘but.’. This is our Honghua Sect’s own failing. Respect isn’t given by the Immortal Alliance’s rules—it’s earned.”

Ruan Lingyu cut her off sharply.

Qi Huang nodded slightly in agreement. Coming from humble origins herself, she sided with the senior sister’s reasoning.

“This fairy speaks sense. We’re not the kind to betray old ties. The disciples of Honghua Sect once risked their lives to exorcise evil from our village, and we’ve never forgotten that. But this time, we truly had no choice—and it was the Heyi Sect who offered help first.”

An elderly village representative explained cautiously, not wanting to provoke the fairies.

“No need for explanations. I understand.” Ruan Lingyu nodded graciously.

“The Heyi Sect offered help on their own?”

Yun Fei seized on the key detail.

“Yes. The Heyi Sect is thousands of miles away. We couldn’t possibly have sought them out.”

The old man’s answer made Yun Fei frown.

“Then this wasn’t a coincidence?”

An unsolicited offer was very different from an invited one.

“What do you mean?” Ruan Lingyu asked reflexively.

“Nothing.” Yun Fei shook her head.

“Let’s move on to the next location.”

Not wanting to press further, Ruan Lingyu gave the order to leave.

“Wait!”

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Qi Huang stopped them immediately. She hadn’t even done what she came here for—how could they just leave?

“What is it?” Ruan Lingyu asked, puzzled.

“Elder, may I ask your name?”

Qi Huang addressed the old man who had spoken earlier.

“This humble one is surnamed Liu. Does the fairy have any instructions?”

Old Man Liu replied politely.

“Instructions? No. Honghua Sect delayed resolving your village’s troubles for so long—we feel guilty about it. Even though the ghost has been dealt with, for safety’s sake, how about we conduct a free inspection? Consider it an apology.”

Qi Huang kept her tone gentle.

“Free?”

Shen Yuan was taken aback and nearly objected, but Ruan Lingyu cut her off.

“Yes, yes! We’ll inspect everything again, free of charge!”

The senior sister immediately caught on, inwardly impressed by Qi Huang’s quick thinking.

“Free? Truly free? We’ve already paid the Heyi Sect—we have no more money for rewards!”

Old Man Liu clarified warily.

“Yes, completely free. Not a single coin.”

Qi Huang reaffirmed.

“Then we thank the fairies deeply!”

Overjoyed, Old Man Liu spread the news. After all, who could guarantee the ghost was truly gone? What if other evils lurked unseen?

Soon, the villagers’ attitude toward the Honghua Sect disciples softened noticeably.

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“Little junior sister is too clever! Not only did we avoid danger, but we also salvaged Honghua Sect’s reputation.”

Shen Yuan finally understood.

“Now you see why I stopped you? Don’t act so impulsively.”

Ruan Lingyu took the chance to lecture her.

Before long, Old Man Liu returned, beaming, and extended an invitation for the disciples to share a meal.

Qi Huang refused without hesitation. Born in a poor village herself, she knew how much such hospitality would cost these people—likely their entire savings.

Touched, Old Man Liu’s last traces of resentment vanished.

Seizing the moment, Qi Huang inquired about the infant spirit’s origins. After all, her real goal was the Ghost Tomato.

“It’s simple. A woman in our village died during childbirth. After we buried her, the baby in her womb became a vengeful ghost, haunting the village. Later, the Heyi Sect’s cultivators found the little fiend at her grave and destroyed it.”

Old Man Liu summarized.

“Grandpa Liu, could you take us to the woman’s grave?”

Qi Huang knew that if a Ghost Tomato existed, it would be there—only a place of extreme Yin energy could nurture such a thing.

The old man agreed eagerly, utterly disarmed by her kindness. Soon, he gathered some village youths to guide them up the mountain.

At the gravesite, Qi Huang remained vigilant, sweeping the area with her divine sense while her sisters stood guard with drawn swords. The villagers dared not approach within a hundred paces.

“Well? Any traces?” Ruan Lingyu whispered, her breath fragrant.

“No lingering spirits.”

After a thorough inspection, Qi Huang confirmed.

“Good.”

Ruan Lingyu exhaled in relief.

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Only then did Old Man Liu and the others cautiously approach.

Now certain of safety, Qi Huang intensified her search. From treetops to underground, she left no inch unchecked.

Then—there!

A flash of purple in the grass, dozens of paces from the grave. Her heart pounded as her legs carried her forward unbidden.

“What is it?”

Ruan Lingyu followed, the others close behind.

Pushing aside the grass, Qi Huang revealed a fist-sized, round purple fruit nestled in withered vines. Its skin, deep as an eggplant, bore eerie, intricate patterns—undeniable proof.

A Ghost Tomato.

“Hah! It really exists!”

Qi Huang grinned beneath her hood.

“What is this?”

Ruan Lingyu asked. Few cultivators would recognize such a rarity.

“A highly poisonous fruit. I must remove it—if the villagers touch it, they could die.”

Qi Huang lied only partially. While deadly to mortals, her true motive was possession.

“Then we’re in your debt, fairy!”

Old Man Liu thanked her profusely.

Wrapping the fruit carefully in a handkerchief, Qi Huang stowed it away, mentally scoffing at The Compendium of Bizarre Flora and Fauna in the Cultivation World:

‘What lunatic wrote this? ‘Extremely rare’? Bah! Easier to find than a flea on your head!’

“Since all is well, we should depart.”

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Ruan Lingyu gave the order.

Amid the villagers’ gratitude, Qi Huang and her sisters left Wang Village. Though they’d done little, Honghua Sect’s standing had been partially restored—all thanks to her.

Throughout the journey, Qi Huang pondered the Ghost Tomato’s use. Two paths lay before her:

Consume it now—with luck, her divine sense might break through to the Incarnation Realm.

Preserve it—return and cultivate it as “fertilizer,” following her original plan for sustainable growth.

After much deliberation, she chose patience. If more Ghost Tomatoes could be found, she’d reconsider direct consumption later.

Meanwhile, at Honghua Sect’s foothills…

A group clad in uniform attire and wielding matching swords arrived—clearly from another sect.

Indeed, they were disciples of the Heyi Sect, led by their pale-faced sect master, Lin Feng.

“Father, was this trip truly necessary? A fifteen-year-old in the Incarnation Realm? I’ve never even heard of such a ‘genius.’ And that woman competed in the Evergreen Conference mere months ago—she didn’t even qualify as a provincial-level talent! Back then, she was barely at the Unity Realm’s fifth or sixth layer. How could she break through so fast?”

A lanky youth, Lin Chao, complained.

“Little Chao, better safe than sorry. Honghua Sect is our neighbor. Though both are under the Immortal Alliance, competition is inevitable. We must verify this.”

Lin Feng spoke patiently.

“And how? Force her to fight? What if this so-called ‘prodigy’ just hides?”

“If she won’t act, she’ll at least summon her doppelgänger. If she refuses even that—then it’s surely a lie.”

Lin Feng declared.

And so, father and son continued their discussion as they ascended toward Honghua Sect, determined to uncover the truth.