Chapter Twelve: Searching for the Violet Spirit Pearl

Qin Xiaomo gripped the Xuanli Blade, afraid to move. Her gaze darted to Qian Mubai, then to Wen Yao, unsure whether he was sitting or standing at that moment. Qian Mubai said, “From now on, this Xuanli Blade is your weapon for self-defense. Whenever you silently recite its name in your heart, it will appear in your hand. Be careful when using it—it’s extremely sharp, capable of slicing through black iron as easily as cutting tofu.”

Qin Xiaomo was delighted. She thought, if only she’d had a blade in hand when fighting hornets, she wouldn’t have been bitten so badly. Wen Yao stared at Qin Xiaomo for a long time, breaking the strange atmosphere by asking, “Do you still recognize me?”

Qin Xiaomo was taken aback by the question. She wasn’t a goldfish prone to forgetting things just after they’d been said. She nodded in confusion, “Ah.”

Wen Yao’s eyes grew slightly red. “Who am I?”

“You… are Wen Yao,” Qin Xiaomo replied seriously, staring at his face.

Wen Yao’s eyes filled with tears as he rushed over in excitement, gripping Qin Xiaomo’s arm tightly. “You really remember me! How did you get here?”

Qin Xiaomo looked helplessly at Qian Mubai. “I walked here.”

Wen Yao tilted his head, frowning. “Where did you walk from?”

“Ah! From under the archway of Mirror Void City,” Qin Xiaomo answered truthfully.

Qian Mubai, barely suppressing laughter, found it hard to watch these two talk past each other. “Keep the dagger close—we’re leaving.”

But Wen Yao persisted. “Tell me! Who am I?”

“Wen Yao! Didn’t you just tell me your name is Wen Yao? How could I forget that? You’re being ridiculous. Don’t worry, my memory isn’t that bad. Your name—I won’t forget it, even if I wanted to!” Qin Xiaomo, swept up by Wen Yao’s enthusiasm, couldn’t help but respond in kind.

Suddenly, Wen Yao’s expression hardened, disappointment washing over his face. He released Qin Xiaomo and turned away, heading upstairs, leaving behind only one sentence: “Take her away.”

Qin Xiaomo stood awkwardly in place, and asked Qian Mubai in a low voice, “Are all men here so changeable? Their moods turn faster than pages in a book.”

“You’ll get used to it. Let’s go,” Qian Mubai replied with a gentle laugh, leading Qin Xiaomo away. Qin Xiaomo thought secretly, “He really looks handsome when he smiles.”

Liu Lu stood at the doorway, holding two sticks of candied hawthorn, peering inside every so often. Her mouth watered with longing, her eyes nearly glued to the sweets. When she saw Qin Xiaomo emerge, she rushed up and handed her a stick. “Young Madam, just now a peddler selling candied hawthorn passed by. I bought two so we could eat them together.”

Qin Xiaomo felt a warm glow in her heart. Liu Lu was a simple-minded, devoted girl, always thinking of her. In this unfamiliar place, it was comforting to have someone so considerate. “Go ahead and eat—your drool is about to hit the floor!” she said, affectionately patting Liu Lu’s shoulder.

Qian Mubai climbed straight into the carriage and told Jiang Wei outside, “Return to the manor.”

“So soon?” Qin Xiaomo and Liu Lu clearly hadn’t had enough fun and muttered softly to themselves.

“There’s work to do. It’ll be dark soon. Take Bai Tuanzi with you when you leave later,” Qian Mubai said, glancing at the sky.

“Alright! As long as I can get out—anywhere is better than being trapped at home!” Qin Xiaomo’s spirits immediately lifted. Liu Lu pouted with envy, and Qin Xiaomo patted her leg. “If I find something fun, I’ll bring some back for you.”

“Really? Thank you, Young Madam!” Liu Lu beamed instantly; truly, she was easy to please.

Heading out once more, Qian Mubai donned a mask of rough, dark skin, transforming into the image of a humble woodcutter. His clothes changed to deep blue linen tucked at the ankles, and he carried a hoe in his hand. Among the crowd, he drew no attention whatsoever.

Jiang Wei drove the carriage from afternoon until the sun was nearly setting. Finally, the carriage stopped. Qin Xiaomo had played with Bai Tuanzi the whole way and surprisingly no longer felt carsick.

“Young Master, Young Madam, we’ve arrived at Desert City,” Jiang Wei called from outside.

Qian Mubai was first to step out. Qin Xiaomo, hearing the name Desert City, found herself in a true wasteland. No city could be seen—only endless yellow grass and earth stretched before her, with a faint outline of a grey city in the distance, half-hidden in the dusty haze. If not for a half-meter stone beside the carriage, with the words “Desert City” scrawled in faded red, she might have thought she’d been exiled.

Since she was here, she might as well settle in. Qin Xiaomo looked up at the sky, where a swath of orange lingered on the horizon. The pink-purple glow of dusk seeped through the clouds, filtered by dust into a beauty that intoxicated the senses.

Bai Tuanzi was far more excited, bouncing on Qin Xiaomo’s shoulder, eager to jump down. Qin Xiaomo held him back. “The wild grass is so tall—be careful or a wild beast might snatch you away, and no one would find you.” Bai Tuanzi grumbled in protest, but Qin Xiaomo had no idea what he meant.

“It’s fine! Let him go. You two share a sealing bond—he can sense where you are,” Qian Mubai said carelessly.

Qin Xiaomo let go, and Bai Tuanzi vanished in a flash. She mused to herself, this must be the legendary “disappearing act.”

“Why are we here?” Qin Xiaomo asked, bewildered.

“You’re at the early stage of the Second Earth Level. Without gathering your spirit and refining your energy, it’s hard to progress. This place has a treasure—the Purple Spirit Pearl. If you consume it and refine it, you can save at least a hundred days of foundational training,” Qian Mubai explained patiently.

“Purple Spirit Pearl?” Qin Xiaomo searched her mind for its origins. Though Desert City was crafted by other colleagues, she knew a thing or two. After pondering, she recalled that in Desert City, there was a fish called the Earthfish, living in the wasteland soil. Its body was usually red, about two feet long, with jagged teeth like a piranha, and could live a hundred years.

The Purple Spirit Pearl was found in the belly of these Earthfish, but not all possessed it. Only those Earthfish that lived over seventy years, whose bodies turned a dark purple-black, might contain the pearl in their abdomen. In truth, the Purple Spirit Pearl was the Earthfish’s own spiritual core, making it exceedingly rare.

Though everyone knew the pearl was valuable, the Earthfish’s bloodthirsty ferocity meant few could handle them. Finding a pearl also depended on luck—some searched for three to five years without finding one, much like the odds of loot dropping in a game at 0.01 percent. Finding it was akin to winning the lottery. Thus, Desert City was never strictly guarded; people were free to search as they pleased.

“This Earthfish is a mid-stage Third Earth Level spirit beast. The Purple Spirit Pearl is in its belly. It’ll be a bit difficult for you, but with effort, you have a chance,” Qian Mubai encouraged with calm detachment.

“You make it sound so easy—why don’t you do it?” Qin Xiaomo rolled her eyes.

“The search for the Purple Spirit Pearl is your real-world training. Didn’t you just get a spirit sword today? Time to break it in,” Qian Mubai said, finding a large rock to sit on. He tossed the hoe at Qin Xiaomo’s feet. “Go ahead.”

“No wonder you suddenly took me shopping—the hoe was for me too, wasn’t it?”

“Just a reminder—the Earthfish’s teeth are sharp. If it bites, it won’t let go,” Qian Mubai pulled a tea set from his sleeve, settling in leisurely to brew tea.

“Hey! Is there anything it’s afraid of?”

Qian Mubai said, “Find out for yourself,” and fell silent.