On the fifth day after Xu Ming left Shijia Vige, the temple of the Yellow Sand Dragon King had already been dismantled by the vigers.


    The vige chief initially proposed building a temple in Xu Ming’s honor, but he tly refused. Incense offerings might aid cultivation, and the merits umted from them could even provide a crucial boost during tribtions. However, incense also carried karmic consequences—an invisible bond that could be both beneficial and detrimental. Xu Ming preferred cultivating alone, free from entanglements of karma. This was also why he declined Yuan Yu’s suggestion to establish a temple in the Baiwa Secret Realm.


    After the death of the Yellow Sand Dragon King, life in Shijia Vige returned to normal, though a sense of relief lingered on everyone’s faces. At least they no longer had to live under the Dragon King’s oppressive shadow.


    Every day, Luo Sanniang continued with her needlework, taking her crafts to the town market to earn a living. In the courtyard, Luo Xiaoman practiced asionally with the cultivation manual Xu Ming had given her, while also helping her mother with chores. The manual, though basic, focused on guiding spiritual energy, and no matter how she practiced, it was beneficial for her health.


    Just as the vige was beginning to regain its peace, two women arrived at Shijia Vige.


    “Is this the ce?” asked a woman in a white dress, gazing at the signboard at the vige entrance that bore the characters “Shijia Vige.”


    “It should be,” the woman in the green dress nodded. “Let’s go in and ask around. Let’s settle this quickly. I can’t stand being onnd—it’s so dry and nothing like thefort of the sea.”


    The two women, named Ruo Lan and Ruo Ye, walked into the vige.


    The vigers, going about their routines, couldn’t help but nce curiously at the pair. Such elegant and refined women were clearly out of the ordinary, with a demeanor that even the nobledies of the county couldn’t match.“Where’s your vige chief?” Ruo Ye, d in green, asked a woman washing clothes by the riverbank.


    “And who might you two be?” The woman stood up, wiping her damp hands on her clothes as she respectfully regarded the two strikingly beautiful strangers.@@novelbin@@


    “We have some questions to ask,” Ruo Lan said, stepping forward and handing over a lustrous, high-grade pearl.


    The woman’s eyes lit up at the sight of the pearl, but she hesitated to ept it, fearing that such a gift might bring troubleter. She pulled her hand back. “There’s no need for that, youngdies. I’ve just finished washing. Let me take you to him.”


    “Thank you,” Ruo Lan nodded.


    “Please wait here a moment.” The woman ced herundry in a wooden basin and quickly climbed up the bank. “This way,dies.”


    “Apologies for the trouble.”


    Ruo Lan and Ruo Ye followed the woman, who led them to the vige chief’s courtyard not long after. Standing at the entrance, the woman called out a few times, prompting the chief to step out.


    “And who might you two be?” the chief asked, his expression tinged with unease as he regarded the two graceful women. Considering the Yellow Sand Dragon King had only recently died, could these two possibly be his associates,e to seek revenge?


    “We have some questions for you,” Ruo Ye said coldly. “And if you dare lie—”


    Before finishing her sentence, Ruo Ye extended her hand toward a nearby tree. With a simple clench of her fist, the tree was instantly snapped in half, its trunk crashing to the ground.


    The vige chief’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat began to form on his forehead.


    “Ruo Ye, what are you doing? Don’t be rude!” Ruo Lan tugged her younger sister back and bowed slightly to the chief. “My apologies, Vige Chief. My sister has a rather impatient temperament. We truly mean no harm and only wish to ask a few questions.”


    “Of course, of course. Please,e inside,dies.” The chief wiped the sweat from his brow. “I will answer everything to the best of my ability.”


    “Thank you for your time.” Ruo Lan smiled and led her sister inside.


    “What is it you wish to ask?” The chief poured tea for Ruo Lan and Ruo Ye.


    “It’s about the flood dragon from the Yellow Sand River. Do you know anything about it?” Ruo Lan asked with a calm smile.


    The chief’s hand trembled slightly, spilling some tea.


    Ruo Ye chuckled, noticing his reaction. “Sister, it seems the old chief does know something.”


    “Don’t be nervous, Vige Chief,” Ruo Lan reassured him with a gentle smile. “Whether the flood dragon from the Yellow Sand River is dead or alive has nothing to do with us. No one cares about that creature. Just answer our questions honestly.”


    As she spoke, Ruo Lan retrieved a box of pearls from her storage pouch and ced it in front of the chief.


    “I can’t ept such a valuable gift,” the chief said hurriedly, waving his hands. “Please, ask your questions. I will tell you everything I know.”


    Judging by their demeanor, the chief felt certain these two were not here for revenge.


    “Please recount, in as much detail as possible, the events surrounding the death of the flood dragon from the Yellow Sand River, as well as any visitors who havee to Shijia Vige in recent days,” Ruo Lan said with a serious and earnest expression.


    “Indeed, it was an immortal from another vige who slew the flood dragon,” the chief began. “That immortal stayed with a family in our vige for a time…”


    The chief recounted every detail with meticulous precision.


    After half an hour, his ount concluded. Without further questions, Ruo Lan and Ruo Ye left the vige, leaving the box of pearls behind.


    “Elder Sister, could this Xu Ming of Wu Kingdom be the person Her Majesty is searching for?” Ruo Ye asked as they walked.


    “I’m not sure,” Ruo Lan replied, shaking her head. “There are four possible candidates—two men and two women.”


    “Then who do we pursue first?” Ruo Ye inquired.


    “Let’s follow Xu Ming for now,” Ruo Lan decided after a moment’s thought.


    “Understood.”


    Ruo Ye nodded and waved her sleeve toward the sky. Sheets of white paper scattered into the air. With a few hand seals, the papers folded themselves into origami cranes.


    Ruo Lan then retrieved the pillow Xu Ming had used during his stay in the chief’s house. One by one, the cranes flew to the pillow, sniffed it, and took off in the same direction.