Don't Cause Trouble Chapter 64: Evil Qi

Huang Erqian had no money, in fact, he was neck-deep in debt.

"Did you guys get robbed in the Desolate City secret realm too?" Huang Erqian asked through the message jade, his face twisted in misery.

"Too? You were robbed?" Ye Su was surprised. Wasn’t it usually Huang Erqian who took advantage of others in secret realms, hiking up prices?

"Don’t even mention it. Have you heard of the Bingyang Secret Realm? I went there," Huang Erqian raised his fingers and began counting, "Kunlun Sect, Sword Sect, Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect, Hehuan Sect, not to mention the Wuxing Sect and Pill Sect—any sect with a bit of reputation sent their disciples. Plus, there were tons of minor sects and rogue cultivators. The entire secret realm was packed."

Ye Su nodded. "So you went over there hoping to cash in on the chaos, but didn’t make any money and even got robbed."

"…" Silence was the only thing from today’s Huang Erqian.

Ye Su continued, "Who robbed you?"

"The Hehuan Sect," Huang Erqian said, fuming. "All I did was ask for a ride out of the place, and they said I was too ugly and had to pay an 'ugly person fee'! If my scroll hadn’t been snatched by a spirit beast, I wouldn’t have had to beg them."

"A spirit beast took your scroll?" Ye Su frowned, thinking of something. "Was it an intelligent beast?"

"No idea. That furry beast was too fast, I didn’t see it clearly," Huang Erqian clutched his chest in heartbreak. "That was the last heirloom scroll from the Wendong family."

At the time, he was in a bad spot. The Bingyang Secret Realm had tons of treasures and secret manuals, so he had rushed there to peddle his wares and buy materials. He had already spent nearly all his money. He was about to leave when danger struck just as he pulled out the scroll, it was snatched away.

He nearly didn’t make it out alive. In the end, he shamelessly begged disciples of the Hehuan Sect to take him out and spent the last of his spirit stones doing so.

"What color was the beast? How big was it?" Ye Su asked.

"White, and not that big. It just swooped in and took the scroll," Huang Erqian growled in frustration. "Stupid beast had good taste, though."

Ye Su didn’t reply. Of course it had good taste that was the Fox King.

In the original story, the Fox King had gifted many treasures to Ning Qianyao, including a Realm-Passing Scroll that saved her life multiple times in dangerous places. But the novel never said where the Fox King had gotten those items.

Only just now did Ye Su remember that the scroll Huang Erqian once owned worked exactly like the Realm-Passing Scroll.

So in the original novel, the Realm-Passing Scroll was also stolen from Huang Erqian by the Fox King?

If she could create a similar scroll-type artifact, perhaps Senior Tu wouldn’t have had to die this time.

"Did anything else interesting happen in the Bingyang Secret Realm?" Since she had remembered her junior sister and the Fox King, Ye Su kept asking. Based on timing, she should soon run into Lu Chenhan of the Kunlun Sect.

"No interesting stuff, just a ton of messy crap," Huang Erqian clicked his tongue. "You didn’t see those Kunlun Sect people. They walked around like they owned the place, flashing so many defensive artifacts and talismans it made your eyes green with envy. Inside the secret realm, disciples from the Sword Sect even fought with the Kunlun disciples. But the Sword Sect’s lead disciple wasn’t very strong, and he ended up facing Lu Chenhan. It was an ugly loss."

Going against the male lead hardly ever ended well. Ye Su frowned. "I have a drop of Cold Crystal Mud. Help me sell it."

Huang Erqian’s eyes widened and he rubbed his ears. "What kind of mud?"

"Cold Crystal Mud," Ye Su repeated.

This stuff was priceless and rare. She didn’t have much left, and the Qianji Sect was a crafting sect, so she really shouldn’t be giving it away. But since Wendong Materials had already fallen under the Qianji Sect’s banner, she ought to let them benefit somehow.

"You know a lot of people, sell it privately," Ye Su said. She was only willing to offer a single drop, but that was enough for artifact refiners who needed it to repair or make small tools. "Let them know Wendong Materials is still in business."

Huang Erqian’s hands were shaking. "Alright, I’ll definitely take care of it. Should I come find you now?"

This was Cold Crystal Mud, a material rumored to be able to repair divine artifacts. There’s no way he would let it fall into anyone else’s hands without care.

"Sure, we’ll be staying in Guizong City for the next few days," Ye Su agreed.

Huang Erqian was still clicking his tongue in disbelief. "I can’t believe there was Cold Crystal Mud in the Desolate City Secret Realm. Once word gets out, it’s bound to cause a stir next time—way more chaotic than the Bingyang Secret Realm."

"You didn’t know?" Ye Su said calmly. "The Desolate City Secret Realm collapsed."

Huang Erqian: "?"

He was stunned and then something occurred to him. "Every time you enter a secret realm... does it collapse?"

Ye Su: "...Not every time."

……

Ye Su turned off the transmission jade disc and walked out of the room.

That day when they returned to Guizong City, Ye Su tried to sell some talismans, but not many were sold. There were simply too many talisman cultivators here, all looking down on each other. Especially those who sold talismans on the street, they were automatically considered the lowest tier.

In the end, she only managed to sell about twenty talismans, and that was only because she had Xu Chengyu and the others wear their Sword Sect robes and pretend to be buyers to draw attention. Only then did a few young sword cultivators show interest.

But not long after, a well-meaning talisman cultivator nearby warned the others who were considering buying: "Don’t get scammed! Have any of you ever heard of Sword Sect disciples buying talismans on the street? They go to official shops. Anyone claiming to be from the sect and buying talismans in public, only in Guizong City could they get away with that. If it were in Tushou City, someone would've cut them down with a sword already."

Other sword cultivators thought it over and realized it made sense. In the end, they all scattered.

Ye Su: "..." She didn’t even get the chance to demonstrate the talismans' effects.

Thankfully, they had managed to sell just enough to afford a stay at the cheapest inn available though the rooms didn’t have a spirit-gathering formation.

Ye Su and Lu Jiu were used to this kind of condition, but Xu Chengyu and the others weren’t. They stayed in their rooms trying to cultivate, but it didn’t really lead to anything.

Zhou Yun even considered pawning off one of his valuable protective artifacts to scrape together enough for travel expenses home but his senior brother stopped him.

If they started pawning things, the Sword Sect would hear about it sooner or later. Xu Chengyu didn’t want to cause unnecessary worry. None of them were injured, they were all safe and sound. There was no need to alarm the sect.

……

Ye Su knocked on You Fushi’s door. When there was no response, she pushed it open and walked in.

As expected, her junior brother was lazily sprawled on the bed again. His long, jet-black hair was messily draped over his back, covering most of his face.

"Spring makes you sleepy, summer makes you tired, autumn wears you out, and winter makes you hibernate," Ye Su said, standing by the bed. "Junior Brother, is there ever a time you’re not sleeping?"

You Fushi didn’t respond. That wasn’t unusual, Ye Su should’ve been used to it by now. But for some reason, something felt off. She frowned, took a step forward, and reached out to brush his messy hair aside. Only to see his face was extremely pale, with sweat dampening his temples. He clearly wasn’t feeling well.

"You Fushi?" Ye Su placed her hand on his forehead. Sure enough, it was burning hot.

Ever since they left the secret realm, he had been unusually quiet, following behind her without saying a word, not even complaining about their lodging conditions.

Ye Su thought back to that day. After she pulled You Fushi out of the secret realm, he had stayed completely silent. But unlike his usual quietness that somehow still drew attention, this time it felt... wrong.

"I’ll go get a heal—" Ye Su started to say she’d find a healer, but then remembered that this junior brother’s identity was a mystery. It wouldn’t be good if anyone found out. "I’ll go ask Xu Chengyu, see if he has any medicinal pills."

She turned and hurried out, not noticing the faint black scales that briefly flickered across You Fushi’s face.

As soon as the door closed, You Fushi opened his eyes. His purple pupils shimmered like cold frost. He slowly sat up, then opened his palm, inside it, a ball of black demonic energy swirled.

Though the western broken monument had been full of dark energy, most of it had been drawn away by Tu Shi. At the time, Cheng Huai’an and Lian Lian hadn’t been attacked at all. But Ye Su, while drawing runes near the center stone tablet, had been struck by the dark energy hidden beneath it.

She thought she was fine because the secret realm collapsed afterward, assuming the evil energy disappeared with it.

In truth, that energy had transferred to You Fushi.

This mortal is going to die then no one will continue refining and advancing the Mistflower Fang.

Unlike his usual lazy appearance, You Fushi now looked like he was born to suppress these things. His long, slender fingers gently closed in. The black energy in his palm writhed violently, but by the time he pressed his hands together, it couldn’t resist at all. It was crushed by sheer force.

……

"Brother Xu." Ye Su found Xu Chengyu and asked if he had any medicinal pills she could borrow.

"Do you need ones for external injuries or for treating the spiritual core?" Xu Chengyu looked at her, then simply took out both kinds. "Is it Young Master You who’s unwell?"

Ye Su nodded. "He might have gotten hurt inside."

"Should we get a healer?" Xu Chengyu asked.

"No need for now. We don’t have the spirit stones to pay, either." Ye Su raised the pill bottles. "Thank you."

Ye Su hurried back, but when she opened the door, she saw You Fushi lying on his side in bed. One hand propped up his forehead, and the other was playing with the Mistflower Fang on the mattress.

"…You're okay now?" For a moment, Ye Su didn’t even know what kind of expression she should make.

You Fushi looked up at her, confused. "What?"

"As long as you're okay." Ye Su put the pills away.

Demons are really that unpredictable? Just moments ago, he looked deathly ill. She had barely gone to borrow medicine and now he was perfectly fine again.

Even though she was speechless, as a responsible senior sister, Ye Su still stepped forward. She leaned over and reached out to feel his forehead, to see if the fever was gone.

You Fushi turned his head away, clearly unwilling to be touched.

Ye Su’s hand paused mid-air. Her gaze fell on his temple where the sweat had been was now completely dry. She lowered her hand and straightened up, about to leave, but then leaned down again and sniffed near him. "You haven’t bathed these last two days?"

She seemed to catch the same scent from within the realm again.

You Fushi’s eyebrows shot up in irritation. He immediately reached up, covered the lower half of Ye Su’s face, and pushed her away. "Get out."

He had never been so annoyed by a mortal before!

She’s the one who hasn’t bathed!

Ye Su obediently backed off. "Since you’re fine, go practice your calligraphy."

You Fushi covered his ears with his hands and turned his back to her.

He couldn’t hear her.

"Don’t forget. Remember to keep practicing," Ye Su said as she left, closing the door behind her.

She had barely taken a few steps when she stopped, glancing thoughtfully back at You Fushi’s room. She never doubted her senses.

There was definitely a familiar aura from that realm clinging to her junior brother, she just didn’t know what he had done.

Ever since You Fushi appeared, everything about him had been a mystery except for those blatantly obvious actions he made.

……

The closure of both the Bingyang and Desolate City secret realms naturally stirred a wave of discussion across the cultivation world. The Bingyang Secret Realm, which closed first, had plenty of stories people enjoyed talking about, though none were as explosive as the collapse of the Desolate City Secret Realm.

Every major sect was internally debating what might have caused it. Those well-connected even knew that the senior disciple of the Sword Sect had been inside, along with a personal disciple from the Wuxing Sect.

Everyone was guessing whether someone from those two sects had discovered the realm’s core treasure.