Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (18 ???? ) (Delay due to author's health)

Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (18 ???? ) (Delay due to author's health)

Pearlescent Rose gestured to the massive mountain covered in trees and expensive courtyards. “The large North Peak is where all the puppeteers and beast blood contractors live. It’s also the area with the highest number of disciples. Our sect’s master smiths are there, usually working on a puppet, but they sometimes make time for our instruments.”

The blue-haired musician next to me grinned. “Most people in the sect go there at least once when they find a beast to be their fighting partner.”

Rose nodded. “Of course, there are side effects. Both good and bad. Which I’m sure you noticed.”

Blue Hair leaned forward as if telling an open secret. “There are some disciples who choose their tamed beast for aesthetic reasons.”

“We don’t talk about them,” all the musicians chorused.

This was a lively group.

Pearlescent Rose gestured to the next mountain in the center of the range. A large column of smoke billowed out from one of the immortal caves. A disciple, who looked like a hamster at this distance, ran out and then bent over. Likely, they were coughing up whatever poisonous smoke from a concoction they’d bungled.

“That’s Central Peak. It’s where the poison masters and poison body cultivators live. If you need any pills or elixirs, then you’ll find them there. And if you can’t, you can always offer contribution points to get someone to concoct what you ask for.”

“Though it might be cheaper to buy any healing pills in the city since those guys prefer to focus on their craft,” Blue Hair said.

I was glad to get a more detailed view of the sect as we flew over it. Since I was a spy, knowing the lay of the land was important. I tried to memorize where everything was. I gestured towards the massive red and gold palace at the top of the peak. “I think you also mentioned that the Sect Leader lives there.”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Our leader is currently in closed-door cultivation. He’ll break through to Immortal Ascension soon. Then he can take our Irrepressible Beast Blood Sect to the next level.”

The other musicians standing in the immortal boat looked away as if minding their own business.

Considering that this sect had definitely been destroyed in my past life, I could assume their leader never left closed-door cultivation. Or if he did, a stronger opponent from the righteous sects eventually killed him. But that wasn’t my problem. This place was doomed, so I should steal — or more accurately — rescue as many of their techniques as I could.

Rose used a hand seal and pointed two fingers toward a small peak covered in trees, caves, and courtyards. The boat started slowly descending. As we came closer, I noticed beautiful, secluded concert areas and lecture halls. Everything here was artfully crafted. Frankly, this was the most beautifully crafted of the peaks I’d seen so far in the sect. There were even classes out in the open where disciples painted... Even from this height, I could tell from the energy they produced that what they rendered was a combination of terrifying and beautiful. “And this is South Peak. We live here along with dread painters.”

Blue Hair very seriously said, “You should stay away from their area if you don’t want to end up stuck inside a horrific illusion.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, seniors.”

After the boat landed, and I said goodbye to the musicians who’d helped save me, Rose walked with me toward my newly assigned immortal cave.

I cleared my throat. “Senior, while I appreciate your guidance, you don’t have to bring me all the way.”

“I know.”

Then she must have some other reason for coming this way. And judging from her serious expression, it must be something difficult to talk about. Especially since she was taking so damn—

“Little Linlin, does your Dao of Rock have any songs that would... inspire someone to not lose hope?”

“A few.”

Actually, the song that melted faces was a good one for inspiring people to keep fighting. But I had a feeling that wasn’t the kind of ‘give up’ she worried about. “It depends on their reasons. When I heal with rock, I play songs that suit the patient’s situation and personality. If I know more, I can figure something out.”

Rose didn’t say anything else up until we reached my immortal cave. Whatever situation she needed help with, it must be delicate.nove(l)bi(n.)com

“Right! I forgot to mention that there are various lectures in the morning discussing demonic music.”

“Will I be able to learn the method for creating real illusions?”

“That depends on how much you can absorb.”

I grinned. “You’d be surprised.” I was a genius, after all.

A short woman ran from out of my new neighbor’s immortal cave, followed by a girl who was almost six feet tall.

The tall girl had navy hair and wore clothes that looked like they’d been slept in for days. She smiled sheepishly. “Let’s just talk.”

“I can’t believe you want to talk after—” The short girl cut herself off when she saw us. Her eyes widened.

“But you seemed to enjoy the duet we played last night.”

The short girl turned bright red, then yelled, “Don’t talk to me. We’re done!”

She bowed to Pearlescent Rose before flying off on a fan spiritual tool.

So, the tall one was my new neighbor. She bowed languidly. “Senior.”

Rose sighed deeply. “Try to... be better, junior Azure Melodic River.”

“You say that as if this was my fault.”

Rose just looked at her.

Her cheeks turned red. “I’ll do my best, Senior,” she said in a tone that made me think she wasn’t going to change at all. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to the new disciple?”

“This is Musician Linlin. She is very powerful. Underestimate her at your own peril.”

She grabbed her heart dramatically. “I would never.”

“Are you an alchemist?”

“I wouldn’t purchase ingredients like this if I weren’t.”

“Well, you could always buy them and hire an alchemist.” He shrugged. “Anyway. If you’re an alchemist, you’ll want to attend the free lectures. It will help you figure out which plants are local... to this side of the continent... this way you’ll take less time when you come here.”

Fuck. I hadn’t even considered that my pill recipes would give me away since they had been popular prescriptions all over the world the last time I traveled across continents.

If this old man was sharp enough, he’d realize that these ingredients were the most common on my home continent, but I wasn’t too worried. No one from here could afford to travel that far. Still, it didn’t hurt to be more careful going forward.

“Thank you for the advice, senior.” I bowed respectfully.

He nodded and then released my materials. “Being new to the sect and the area must be hard. Be sure to learn as much as you can.”

I collected everything into my ring and grinned. “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. Not for a genius like me.”

The man rolled his eyes.

Whatever. I turned and then walked back into the crushing crowd.

I definitely wasn’t unnerved by all the unclean people. And the increased paranoia after getting spotted as a foreigner also didn’t affect me... not at all. I was just so busy trying not to touch anyone that I ended up taking the wrong door and entering the stairwell toward the treasure pavilion’s next level. Which was fine. It wasn’t like I had to exit this building filled with dirty people for my mental well-being.

It was quiet in the stairwell. I used my disguise technique to lower my presence and sat down on a nearby bench... like a badass.

Soft voices from up the stairs traveled down to me.

“... scroll.”

After hearing that triggering word, I adjusted my hearing using the disguise technique to focus on the sound of that voice.

“Do you think we’ll really go through with it?”

A second voice was nearby. “No. Absolutely not.”

“That’s what I thought... but it is tempting.”

“Even if it’s tempting, it will be a trap. We’ve all had uncomfortable run-ins with those unscrupulous evil cultivators.”

“But we know the Scroll of 10,000 Evil Souls exists so...”

“Shhhhh!”

From there, they must have switched to a more private form of communication.

I narrowed my gaze on the door at the top... a place I couldn’t enter without a pass.

Fuck.

I traveled all around the goddamn outer sect with no hint of the scroll and after spending a single day in the inner sect I accidentally overheard a conversation about it? This had to be a setup of some kind to lure any demonic cultist, right? Then again Little Spring’s protagonist luck could have rubbed off on me.

But could I actually be that lucky?

Whatever. At least I could confirm that there were people within the sect that believed they had the scroll. That was more information than I had before.

The only shitty part was that I’d have to find a way to reach the second floor of the treasure pavilion without making anyone suspicious. I had a feeling I could get more information there.

Because of the distance, I had to send a secret sound transmission to Little Spring instead of using the telepathic technique. I quickly informed him of what I had discovered and where.

“I’m amazed you found even that much!”

“Ha! Of course, I found this much. It was bound to happen.” Since I was relying on his luck. But luck was also part of a person’s abilities in this dumbass world. “Who am I?”

“Sister Lin!”

“That’s right.” Muahahaha!

And I was someone who could walk through a sea of dirty disciples and not use my cleaning technique. I was a fucking badass!

“Little Teasing Mouse is dragging me all around the inner sect. It’s taking a lot longer than I thought it would.”

Poor kid. He left before I did, but he was still on his tour.

“Good luck. Make sure you learn whatever you can.”

“Yes, Sister Lin!”

“I’m going to attend an alchemy lecture here and finally get a grasp on these poison arts. If you’re able to escape from that girl, you should also observe it... before you try to buy a bunch of ingredients, only to get yourself outed as being a foreigner from a distant land.”

“Uh... That sounds very specific.”

“Just go to the lecture!”