Volume 2, Chapter 89 – Harming Them is Harming Yourself

The situation was urgent. Elder Ruan and his companions didn’t even bother with horses—they gritted their teeth and used several Cyclone Talismans, covering thousands of miles in a single day. They set out in the morning and arrived at the prefectural capital by evening.

At the Immortal Alliance headquarters, Elder Ruan identified himself and requested an audience with Steward Cai. To his dismay, the disciples guarding the gate deliberately obstructed him, refusing him entry.

Left with no choice, Elder Ruan had to bribe his way through various channels. It wasn’t until noon the next day that he finally met Steward Cai—the same old man who had presided over the Evergreen Conference. To avoid another fruitless trip, Elder Ruan had brought some of the Honghua Sect’s most treasured artifacts.

“Steward Cai, I’ve come once again regarding the cursed land in Meng County. The miasma there is expanding rapidly and now covers an entire town. I implore the Immortal Alliance to intervene.”

Elder Ruan spoke with deference, his tone pleading.

“Elder Ruan, doesn’t your sect have a genius disciple who recently broke through to the Incarnation Realm? That would be Cheng Hongling, correct? With such strength, handling a mere cursed land should be trivial for her.”

Steward Cai’s expression remained unreadable.

“You flatter her, Steward Cai. That cursed land is far too sinister—it’s no place for a young girl who has only just reached the Incarnation Realm.”

Elder Ruan quickly recited his prepared argument.

“My, my, Elder Ruan. To call an Incarnation Realm cultivator a ‘young girl’—how bold of you!”

Steward Cai’s tone was mocking before he continued, “I understand your concerns, but the Immortal Alliance is stretched thin. Yongning Prefecture has more than just Meng County’s cursed land to worry about. Other sects don’t even have a single Incarnation Realm cultivator—if we don’t assist them, who will?”

A flicker of anger crossed Elder Ruan’s face. This was the exact same excuse Steward Cai had used last time—not even bothering to come up with a new one. But what could he do?

Taking a deep breath, Elder Ruan suddenly dropped to his knees with a loud thud.

“Steward Cai, I beg you!”

“Oh? There’s no need for this, Elder Ruan!”

Though his words sounded concerned, Steward Cai’s expression remained indifferent.

“Very well. Return for now and await our notice. Once the Immortal Alliance has the manpower, we’ll send someone immediately.”

“Thank you, Steward Cai. I’ll take my leave then.”

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Elder Ruan forced a polite smile, stood up mechanically, and left. He knew it was another empty promise—yet another wasted effort.

As soon as Elder Ruan was gone, Steward Cai snorted coldly.

“A mere disciple of the Honghua Sect dared to openly claim she lost due to unfair rules at the Evergreen Conference—humiliating me in front of everyone! And now they expect the Immortal Alliance’s help? Wishful thinking!”

“But Master, we secretly investigated the cursed land in Meng County. It truly is dangerous. If it isn’t cleansed soon, an outbreak could become uncontrollable.”

A timid disciple spoke up cautiously.

“Uncontrollable? Even better! Have you heard the saying, ‘When the rabbit dies, the fox mourns’ ¹ Feeling empathy for those in similar situations ? Most of Huangtian Prefecture’s miasma originates from that place. If it’s completely eradicated, what use would mortals have for cultivators? Only by letting it fester does the Immortal Alliance retain its value!”

Steward Cai revealed his true motives.

“But what if we’re raising a monster we can’t control?”

The disciple voiced his concerns.

“A cursed land the size of a small town? What threat could it possibly pose? In the cultivation world, there are cursed lands spanning entire prefectures—even nations! Have any of them ever truly threatened the Immortal Alliance?”

Steward Cai waved his hand dismissively.

Elder Ruan returned empty-handed and immediately reported the bad news to Qin Quan.

“I don’t understand—what has our Honghua Sect done to offend the Immortal Alliance? Why won’t they lift a finger to help us?”

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Even the usually composed Qin Quan was red-faced with anger.

“Indeed. We’re a recognized sect under their banner. Aren’t they worried about driving us to despair?”

Elder Ruan sighed in frustration.

“Forget it. Relying on others is worse than relying on oneself. For now, Hongling must remain hidden. Let’s just hope that doppelgänger contacts her soon.”

Qin Quan shook his head helplessly.

“Should we send her away to hide?”

Elder Ruan suggested.

“How? The Honghua Sect is swarming with outsiders, including genuine Incarnation Realm experts! The moment she steps out, she’ll be exposed!”

Qin Quan’s retort left Elder Ruan speechless.

Sect Master Lin Feng was deep in conversation with his son, Lin Chao.

“Father, what is the Honghua Sect playing at? After all these days, they still refuse to let us see Cheng Hongling!”

Lin Chao couldn’t make sense of it.

“It is strange. Even if she’s stabilizing her cultivation, it shouldn’t take this long. The Honghua Sect is overflowing with guests—are they really going to snub even the Huxiao Sect? At the very least, they should let her doppelgänger greet us!”

Lin Feng stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Could it really be a fake?”

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Lin Chao voiced his suspicion again.

“A fake? The Incarnation Realm requires a doppelgänger—how could that be faked?”

Lin Feng countered.

Before Lin Chao could respond, a disciple’s voice came from outside.

“Sect Master, I have urgent news.”

“Enter. Speak plainly.”

The disciple bowed and reported:

“Sect Master, I’ve learned from a Honghua Sect disciple that someone recently impersonated Cheng Hongling—supposedly looking identical to her. Shortly after, rumors spread that she had achieved a doppelgänger breakthrough.”

“What?”

Lin Feng stood abruptly, then smirked. “Speak of the devil, and the devil appears.”

“Father, are you saying her so-called ‘doppelgänger’ is actually the impostor?”

Lin Chao caught on quickly.

“Precisely. Why else would the Honghua Sect hide her? If this is true, it all makes sense—a fake Incarnation Realm genius, with neither her true self nor her ‘doppelgänger’ fit to be seen.”

Lin Feng’s tone was triumphant.

“But why would she pretend to be an Incarnation Realm expert?”

Lin Chao remained puzzled.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Honghua Sect is on its last legs, struggling to recruit disciples. An Incarnation Realm ‘genius’ would instantly boost their reputation, attracting talent. That’s the first reason. Second, with an Incarnation Realm cultivator ‘guarding’ Huangtian Prefecture, what evil spirit would dare cause trouble?”

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Lin Feng’s explanation was dripping with disdain.

“That makes sense. So what should we do?”

Lin Chao sought his father’s guidance.

“Better safe than sorry. Let’s leak this information to the other sects—they’ll help us verify the truth.”

Lin Feng’s decision was calculated.

“Indeed. Many have been holding back out of fear of Cheng Hongling’s supposed strength. Once they hear this, the bolder ones might take matters into their own hands.”

A sly grin spread across Lin Chao’s face.

After an exhausting struggle, Qi Huang finally subdued the feminized corporeal souls and tied them up in a corner.

“What do I do with them now? Is there a permanent solution?”

She turned to her four unaffected souls for advice.

“No. Though they’ve been feminized, they’re still your corporeal souls. Harming them is harming yourself.”

The Heavenly Soul answered gravely.

“Tch. So they’re like a chronic disease now?”

Qi Huang sighed in frustration. Knowing time was short, she wasted no further effort and enlisted her four unaffected souls to help push open the Heart’s Door.

With their combined strength, the door finally budged. Qi Huang hurried through, unsure how much time had passed in the outside world—or what mischief Cheng Hongling’s Spiritual Wisdom Soul might have caused in her absence.