Chapter 20: One Hundred Ways to Make a Man Take the Initiative

Though autumn had already arrived in the outside world, bringing a chill and a sense of desolation, the Pure Land of the Mortal World remained fragrant with birdsong. Verdant green grass stretched endlessly, and delicate pink peach blossoms cascaded in a mesmerizing shower, drifting down onto the head of Daoist Nun Qingyu.

Her cold, stunning face was clouded with gloom, yet she allowed the petals to settle atop her head.

She gazed quietly toward Holy Maiden Jingxin’s cave dwelling in the distance, feeling abandoned.

Inside that cave, there were three people—Hongchen Ancestral Master, who lay on the bed; her own disciple, Jingxin; and the last person, who should logically have been herself! Why had that person been replaced by Jiang Li?

Daoist Nun Qingyu hung her head dispiritedly. There was nothing she could do. After all, she wasn’t a descendant of Hongchen Ancestral Master. She had merely been brought back to the sect by the previous Sect Leader at the prime of her youth, and she had no resistance to Hongchen Ancestral Master’s allure.

At first, she was skeptical, but with a heart full of anticipation, she had gone to see the legendary beauty sleeping peacefully.

Before long, that anticipation had turned into possessiveness. Then, she had been forcibly removed by the combined efforts of Holy Maiden Jingxin and Jiang Li.

And rather roughly at that.

Damn it, why was Jiang Li perfectly fine while she, the Sect Leader, was the one being treated like an outsider?!

Inside the cave, perhaps it was due to the change in environment, or perhaps it was simply time—whatever the reason, Hongchen Fairy gradually awoke.

She opened her eyes, her gaze clear and bright as she looked at the two people before her.

The instant her eyes opened, Jiang Li felt as though the entire cave had begun to glow. He was momentarily dazed.

Hongchen Fairy looked utterly bewildered as she softly asked, “Who are you two? Where’s that fool who only knew how to giggle?”

“Thirty-sixth generation descendant, Jingxin, pays respects to the Ancestral Master.” Holy Maiden Jingxin bowed deeply.

“Seventy-second generation Human Sovereign greets Hongchen Fairy.”

“You’re my descendant? Who am I? And what is a Human Sovereign?” Hongchen Fairy’s gaze was hazy, completely lost as she looked at them.

Holy Maiden Jingxin asked, “Does Ancestral Master still remember anything about your past?”

Hongchen Fairy looked blank. “I only remember waking up inside a massive crystal. It felt like something outside was restraining me…”

“After breaking free, I walked down the mountain, heading east. I passed through two small towns, then entered a forest. The further I walked, the sleepier I became, until I finally found a large tree and fell asleep beneath it…”

“When I woke up, I was inside a golden chamber. A man was staring at me in a daze. When I spoke to him, he didn’t respond—he just giggled foolishly. I found it boring, so I went back to sleep…”

“This repeated a few times, and then you two appeared.”

She seemed unaccustomed to speaking so much at once and paused several times in between.

“Then do you remember anything about the Celestial Realm? Or about your descent to the mortal world?”

Hongchen Fairy gently shook her head.

Holy Maiden Jingxin and Jiang Li exchanged glances—she had lost her memories after resurrection. Or perhaps, as a new lifeform born from her physical body, she retained none of her past recollections.

Jiang Li frowned slightly. Something about her story felt off.

He used his spiritual energy to construct a three-dimensional map of the Pure Land of the Mortal World and showed it to Hongchen Fairy. “This is where you woke up, and then you walked in this direction, correct?”

Hongchen Fairy nodded.

“After that, you passed through these two small towns and finally arrived in the forest?”

She nodded again.

“You traveled by day?”

Another nod.

They chatted with Hongchen Fairy a while longer, telling her stories from ancient records about her past and explaining the current state of the Nine Provinces. When she grew drowsy again, they settled her in and left the cave.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but something is definitely off.” Jiang Li furrowed his brows.

“Ever since I took the key to your treasury, your sect couldn’t even afford to buy spirit grains and had to go down the mountain to find a way to earn spirit stones. Though I returned the key as a favor to you, you all learned your lesson and brought in some mortals from the Mengjiang Dynasty, letting them settle here, correct?”

In the Nine Provinces, all people could cultivate. The term “mortal” referred to those who, despite a lifetime of effort, remained stuck at the early stages of Qi Refining.

Hearing Jiang Li mention, “I returned the key as a favor to you,” Holy Maiden Jingxin blushed slightly but still nodded.

“These mortals established towns and farmed spirit grains, delivering a portion to your sect every year.”

“The problem lies there—Hongchen Fairy passed through two bustling towns in broad daylight. Given her appearance, how could no one have noticed her? Yet your sect received no reports, and she remained missing for three years without anyone realizing it!”

Jiang Li had only spoken halfway when Holy Maiden Jingxin suddenly understood.

That’s right. The ancestral tomb was in a secluded location, so it was reasonable that no one had seen Hongchen Fairy leave. But for her to walk through two lively towns in broad daylight without being seen? That didn’t make sense at all.

“That shouldn’t be. Each town has a Golden Core Stage junior overseeing it, and the spirit grains they provide each year are of excellent quality. How could there be an issue?”

Jiang Li glanced at Holy Maiden Jingxin with a look of mild disdain. “Instead of investigating the problem, you’re trying to deny that one even exists.”

With that, he transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the two towns.

Holy Maiden Jingxin stomped her foot in frustration, then retrieved a book from her storage ring and angrily slammed it onto the ground.

Weren’t men supposed to like slightly foolish girls?

Useless book! Not helpful at all!

Her master had sworn that it worked wonders, claiming it was one of the best-selling books in the Nine Provinces.

The book, lying abandoned on the ground, bore a bold title:

“One Hundred Ways to Make a Man Take the Initiative” — By Passionate Desire Teacher

Holy Maiden Jingxin transformed into a streak of light and followed after Jiang Li.

A while after she left, Daoist Nun Qingyu arrived, noticed the book still lying there, and let out a soft sigh.

She picked it up.

After all, she was the one who wrote it.

…

The two towns were built along a river. The one upstream was called Shanghe Town, while the one downstream was Xiahe Town—simple, straightforward names.

Unlike Qing City, which, after five hundred years, Jiang Li still couldn’t figure out what part of it was “Qing” (blue or green).

The towns flourished with prosperity. Mortals lived in peace and contentment, unbothered by their inability to reach higher cultivation levels. None of them felt inferior despite serving the cultivators of the Pure Land of the Mortal World.

The people of Shanghe Town busied themselves with their daily routines. Street vendors loudly hawked their handcrafted wares, exaggerating their quality with wild boasts. Waiters enthusiastically greeted customers, while cooks worked furiously over roaring fires to prepare delicious meals. Families gathered around tables to eat, while others made preparations for the autumn harvest.

Everything seemed perfectly normal—no different from any other mortal town.

But to Jiang Li and Holy Maiden Jingxin, something was terribly off.

A chill ran down Holy Maiden Jingxin’s spine. She shivered.

There wasn’t a single trace of life here!

The vendors, the waiters, the cooks—

They were all dead.

Shanghe Town was a city of the dead.

There was not a single living soul.