C10 A Turtle in a Jar!

"Junior Sister, go on," Su Changyi said with a gentle smile.

"What I mean by something being fishy is that there are other families with spirit mines nearby, like the Liu family and the Wei family. These mines are closest to ours, yet the rampaging demonic beasts only target the Su family's mine. Why is that?" As soon as she posed the question, everyone felt a chill down their spine.

"There’s only one reason: someone is doing this on purpose," Su Qianxun stated confidently.

"How could they manage that?" Su Ruyan's voice was as clear and melodious as a spring.

"It could be due to some rare treasure, someone leading them here, or a beast-attracting talisman. Demonic beasts have an acute sense of smell, and using such a talisman requires the least effort. As long as there's a talisman master, it's not a problem."

"Junior Sister Qianxun, what are the other two discoveries?" Su Zimo asked, his face cold and unapproachable.

"Second, the most likely cause of the beasts' frenzy is the beast-attracting talisman. So, if we find it, we can stop the attacks. More importantly, we need to catch the person who placed it."

"The last point is that it will be difficult to catch this person. The manager mentioned that the attacks don’t happen every night, so we can't predict when it will occur. Moreover, this person must be among the spirit mine workers. Now that they know we're here to investigate, they're even less likely to act and risk exposure."

"What should we do? This is a task given to us by the leader. We can't just leave it unfinished," Su Datong said, looking worriedly at the group.

Everyone fell silent, not a word spoken. After a long pause, Su Chen finally spoke up, "Actually, there is a way."

Su Yue smiled charmingly at Su Chen and said, "Brother Su Chen, what's the plan? I knew you were the smartest..." Her infatuated look made everyone shake their heads.

Su Chen, usually reserved and with a refined appearance, exuded a scholarly air.

"The one who placed the beast-attracting talisman must be someone from this mine. If we stay here, they won't dare make a move. But if we pretend to leave in a few days, citing an urgent call from the leader, the person who hasn't been able to place the talisman might get desperate. Then, we can catch them in the act," Su Chen explained, ignoring Su Yue's flattery. His idea was met with unanimous agreement.

They decided to stay at the mine, scouting the area during the day to prepare for their plan.

In Fallen Mountain City, at the Zhao family's residence, Fuqi was leisurely feeding fish by the pond. Someone approached respectfully, stopping three steps behind him and bowing, "Sir."

"How did the investigation go?" Fuqi asked.

"The woman is named Su Qianxun, the daughter of Su Baihan and Helan Ruoling. Before she turned five, no one outside the family had ever seen this prodigious child. Her parents kept her hidden away. At five, she was tested for her spirit root, which turned out to be mediocre, so she was sent to the Spirit Manor. She only returned to the Su family after proving herself in the manor's competitions," the servant reported respectfully.

"Helan Ruoling was a woman who once captivated the world—not just for her extraordinary talent but also for her stunning beauty. She was the dream of many male cultivators. Even as time passes, mentioning her name still stirs the imagination."

"But why would such a remarkable woman choose Su Baihan?" Fuqi was taken aback by his own question.

No one had ever really considered this before. No matter how dazzling a person might be, over time, their memory fades from people's minds.

Fuqi pondered quietly for a moment, a piece of fish food rolling between his fingers. With a slight squeeze, he stopped it. "Go, spread the word that Helan Ruoling's daughter has appeared."

"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away," the servant replied before leaving.

Fuqi narrowed his eyes, a sly smile spreading across his face in the sunlight. "It's time for the cultivation world to remember this extraordinary woman."

A vast conspiracy was slowly unfolding, and the Su family found themselves at a critical juncture, teetering on the brink of survival. In these perilous times, they were like a ship without a home, adrift on the water, surrounded by danger and violence.

Su Baihan had begun to suspect that the other four families were colluding with the Zhao family, but the intricate schemes were beyond his expectations. Every time he sent aid to the Spirit Mine, his people were ambushed, leaving Su family members dead or gravely injured.

Worry consumed Su Baihan, and in just a few days, he seemed to age decades. His mind was constantly troubled, and the weight of the situation was evident in his demeanor.

Su Qianxun and the others had spent several days at the Spirit Mine, and it was time for them to leave. After explaining the situation to the manager, they departed, making sure to travel a long way back to avoid suspicion. Only when they were certain they wouldn't be questioned did they choose the shortest route to their ambush points.

Typically, a demonic beast can sense a Level 1 Talisman Paper within a range of about thirty feet. The higher the level of the talisman, the wider the range. Therefore, along this stretch of road, they needed someone stationed every thirty feet. It was crucial to eliminate everyone at each point to prevent future threats.

Thanks to Su Yue's relentless pestering, Qianxun ended up at the point closest to the demonic beast. Any misstep there could attract the beast.

Qianxun didn't argue with anyone. Even though she hadn't yet mastered any spells, her martial arts skills from a past life were more than enough to handle these low-level beasts. It was a perfect opportunity to prove to her senior brothers and sisters that she wasn't a burden and didn't need anyone's care. When faced with tasks and dangers, she could stand alongside them, establishing her own place.

In the library, Qianxun had come across a technique for concealing one's presence. This skill didn't require reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining; as long as one could channel energy into their body, they could learn it. By masking all traces of herself, she could blend with her surroundings, becoming one with the grass and trees, no longer a living person but part of the natural world.

Qianxun tried to relax and merge with her environment. One moment she was grass, the next a flower. The gentle breeze lifted her hair, and she felt like she was the wind, able to drift anywhere, as light as a feather, floating through the world.

Her progress with the concealment technique was astonishingly fast, as if she had an innate understanding of it. What Qianxun didn't realize was that her ability to learn various skills was unusually swift.

As night fell, danger loomed. The beasts that lay dormant during the day began to awaken, searching for food. The night belonged to these creatures, a realm of both their dominion and of peril.

Qianxun closed her eyes, calming her breath while listening intently and observing her surroundings with her mind’s eye. Her powerful spirit, honed over two lifetimes, allowed her to perceive vast expanses.

Suddenly, she noticed an unusual rustling among the plants. Her nerves tightened, and she began to move stealthily, clutching a piece of talisman paper, her senses focused on the person's actions.

Elsewhere, a skirmish had already begun. The spirit miners, no match for the elite disciples of the Su family, were quickly subdued.

From the bushes, a hidden figure drew a bow, shooting a talisman onto a large tree. As spiritual energy infused the talisman, a strange fragrance spread.

Qianxun was already closing in. She threw her talisman, and with a loud "bang," the person was knocked unconscious before they knew what hit them.

Ignoring the fallen figure, she turned her attention to the beast-attracting talisman, which had gathered a large number of beasts. Since the other talismans had been destroyed, these beasts wouldn't reach the spirit mine, so she left them undisturbed.

Carrying the unconscious person, she headed back. By then, her senior brothers and sisters had arrived, and the twelve of them returned together to the spirit mine base.