90: Chapter 90 Xu Changsheng, do you know you've committed a crime?

Over the following month,

while cultivating, Xu Changsheng also learned about the local customs and conditions of Yellow Ox Immortal City.

Yellow Ox Immortal City was divided into five areas:

East, West, South, North, and the City Lord's Mansion in the center.

Each of the four cardinal districts had its own unique characteristics.

He would look into these in detail later.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The door was knocked upon.

"Brother Xu, are you inside?"

Crimson Rainbow's voice came from outside the door.

He couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

The treatments over these past few days...

...had been accompanied by a 'warming of feelings' with this woman.

...

Two hours later.

Crimson Rainbow leaned against the headboard, looking satisfied.

"Is this the last time?"

Xu Changsheng flicked his sleeves. "Of course. This Xu has already done everything required by honor. Does Fairy Ni wish to demand even more?"

"I'm not... I just wanted to ask Brother Xu one more time if you are willing to join the Jinyang Sect."

Xu Changsheng shook his Head. "I appreciate your kindness, Fairy, but This Xu's Aptitude is low. I fear I would not be valued after entering the Sect."

Crimson Rainbow grew anxious upon hearing this. "How could that be? Even if the Martial Granduncles don't value you, I won't just stand by. As long as I have resources, I will definitely give them to you."

"Is that so? Then I'm afraid it will attract the attention of those with ulterior motives, making them suspicious of our relationship."

Crimson Rainbow's face flushed. "Why care about them? Our relationship is pure and innocent, as Heaven and Earth can witness."

Xu Changsheng gave a carefree smile. "Fairy Ni, there's no need to force it. I am used to being unrestrained and cannot bear the shackles of Sect regulations."

"Alright."

Crimson Rainbow hadn't held much hope to begin with; she took out a Storage Pouch.

"This is a Token of my gratitude. Brother Xu, please do not refuse."

Xu Changsheng accepted the Storage Pouch. This meant that the transactions between him and Crimson Rainbow over the past month were built upon Spirit Stones, rather than other factors.

He did a quick count.

Inside the Storage Pouch, approximately three thousand Spirit Stones were neatly arranged.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

It was truly a large sum.

He cupped his hands in thanks. "Fairy Ni is generous."

Crimson Rainbow smiled slightly. "I wonder if Brother Xu can grant me one more request?"

"Feel free to speak."

"Brother Xu, could you call me Ni'er, just like how you call Sister Tang?"

"No."

Xu Changsheng's expression turned serious, and he left immediately, giving Crimson Rainbow no chance to press further.

"Eh, what a stingy guy."

She watched Xu Changsheng's retreating figure, somewhat entranced.

In just twenty-odd days, aside from one trip to the City Lord's Mansion, she had stayed inside the room the entire time.

Aside from waiting for Xu Changsheng's 'visitations', she spent her time sitting in meditation, cultivating and absorbing the heat flow sent in by the Nurturing Method.

After repeating this only four times,

the damage she had sustained from using the Blood Burning Secret Art in the past was completely healed. Even the Crimson Flame Illuminating Heart Fire within her body was more than thirty percent stronger than before.

"We're such a perfect match."

Xu Changsheng was practically a Dao Companion born just for her.

Not only did he have a Nurturing Secret Art that complemented her, but his personality was steady and his strength was great—enough to overshadow the flaw of his Low Grade Spiritual Root.

Then she gave a soft sigh.

"A pity Sister Tang beat me to it."

Then another thought occurred to her.

In the cultivation world, strength was respected. It was normal for powerful male Cultivators to have multiple wives and concubines. It seemed that being a concubine wasn't out of the question, especially since Xie Wantang was her good friend.

Once she figured this out, her heart was at ease.

"Brother Xu, I don't believe I can't win you over."

...

On the other side.

Xu Changsheng did not linger in the attic; he intended to visit several famous scenic spots in Yellow Ox Immortal City.

Just as he stepped out of the attic,

he immediately sensed something was wrong.

He saw two city guards, dressed in white and yellow standard Immortal City guard uniforms, stepping forward with spears in hand.

Their cultivation levels were both at the Qi Refining Great Perfection level.

Each of them held a chain, at the other end of which were handcuffed prisoners.

"What's going on?"

His heart skipped a beat.

Wang Ye, who happened to be watering flowers, also noticed this scene.

Sensing a murderous aura, he walked over.

"I wonder why you all have suddenly graced my humble abode? How may I help you?"

Just then,

the two guards made way.

A tall, thin man dressed in a white robe stepped out.

He ignored Wang Ye's words.

His sinister gaze was fixed intently on Xu Changsheng.

"So you're the one called Xu Changsheng, right?"

Xu Changsheng's heart jumped. He stepped forward and cupped his hands. "It is indeed I. I wonder what brings Senior here?"

The pressure emanating from the tall, thin young man before him was startling; he was clearly a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.

He wasn't wearing the standard city guard uniform, so he was likely some high-ranking figure from the Guard Department.

"Whoosh!"

The tall, thin young man stepped forward, his invisible pressure whipping up a gust of wind that made the attic windows rattle and creak.

Bright flowers in the flowerbed snapped and fell, leaving a mess behind.

"Xu Changsheng, do you know your crimes?!"

His voice was infused with spiritual power.

"Your robbery and murder of the juniors from the Han, Qin, and Qi families last month has been exposed!"

His voice rang out like thunder, echoing through the street.

It instantly drew a crowd of onlookers.

"Look, the Head of the Guard Department is making an arrest!"

"To think Senior Kong would come out personally; this person's crime must be significant."

Outside the attic,

a crowd quickly gathered, several layers deep.

Everyone was whispering and discussing.

Kong Qiang didn't drive them away. He continued to ask, "Xu Changsheng, do you confess to your crimes?"

Xu Changsheng stepped forward and cupped his hands. "May I ask, Senior, what crime have I committed?"

Wang Ye spoke up for him. "Fellow Daoist Xu only arrived at the Immortal City a month ago and has been behaving himself here. I haven't seen him commit any crimes."

"Could Senior have made a mistake?"

"Shut up. You have no right to speak here."

Kong Qiang glared at Wang Ye, then waved his hand. "Bring them forward."

The guards on both sides pulled the prisoners from the back forward.

One of them, with disheveled hair and a dirty face, glanced at Xu Changsheng. He abruptly raised his handcuffed hands and pointed a filthy finger at him.

"Yes, it's him! He's the one who led us to become Robber Cultivators."

The other prisoner, with hair draped over his shoulders, echoed, "That's right. We were truly blinded by greed to believe his words."

"He said he'd take us into the mountains to hunt demons, but we never expected that when we arrived, we'd find a group of children at the first level of Qi Refining!"

"This man forced us to kill all those Family disciples who were out for training!"

"It has nothing to do with us! It was all this Xu Changsheng forcing our hands. He is at the Late Stage Qi Refining, while we are only at the Middle Stage Qi Refining. To save our lives, we had no choice but to obey him."

The two prisoners spoke one after another, completely blackening Xu Changsheng's name.

The crowd grew impassioned and indignant.

"So the massacre of the joint training group of several families' juniors some time ago was done by this Fellow Daoist Xu. He truly deserves ten thousand deaths."

"I heard the oldest of those children was only twelve. To be able to do such a thing... he's truly not human!"

"I went up the mountain to help with the rescue back then and saw the children's miserable state. It was horrific—practically blood drained and marrow sucked, bodies withered and bones crushed!"

"I didn't expect this Xu Changsheng, who looks so honest and plain, to commit such an atrocity that enrages both gods and men!"

On the other side,

facing the wave of condemnation, Wang Ye was somewhat speechless.

Beneath his sleeves, Xu Changsheng quietly held the Token Chu Linger had given him between his fingertips. Once Senior Kong moved to arrest him, he would activate it.