Farm Li did not sleep all night. The probing gaze of Ying Yue, like a pestilential insect, lingered in her mind. She knew she had to quickly familiarize herself with the operation mode of this criminal gang and find evidence of Shang Lie's crimes to complete her mission. As dawn began to break, Farm Li got up, pretending to practice breathing exercises outside the house, but in reality, she was taking the opportunity to observe the surroundings. This was a desolate valley with rugged rocks and an eerie atmosphere, far different from the luxurious demon lair she had imagined. Several simple stone houses were scattered throughout the valley, connected by winding paths that seemed like a maze. She walked along the path, occasionally glancing around, always feeling as if someone was watching her from the shadows. This sensation made her feel uncomfortable, but she dared not show it. She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, continuing to practice breathing exercises, hoping to hide her unease. Farm Li recalled what her superior had said before she left: "Li-er, this mission is no small matter; you must be careful. Shang Lie is cunning, and his subordinates are all experts. A single mistake could expose your identity and render all your efforts futile."
"I know, Master," she had replied firmly then, but now, amidst this perilous environment, she truly understood the difficulty of the task at hand. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She had to remain calm to face the challenges ahead. She walked to a cliff edge and looked down at the bottomless ravine below, her thoughts swirling. Suddenly, she felt a slight movement behind her. She turned sharply, but only saw a shadow disappear behind a rock. Was it an illusion? Farm Li was puzzled, but the feeling of being watched grew stronger. She continued walking along the cliff edge, pretending to casually admire the scenery while secretly increasing her vigilance. She knew every move she made was under surveillance and had to be more cautious. "Lady Fairy, it seems you're very interested in our place?" A low voice came from behind her. Farm Li turned around and saw a tall man standing nearby—Hu Yan, one of Shang Lie's trusted subordinates. His eyes were sharp and scrutinizing as he stared intently at Farm Li. Farm Li smiled slightly and pretended to be relaxed. "I'm just taking a walk and enjoying the scenery," she said.
Hu Yan paid no heed to her explanation and sized her up from head to toe with suspicion. "There seems to be a cultivation world aura on you."
Farm Li's heart tightened...
Farm Li's heart tightened, but she remained composed and continued smiling. She feigned surprise. "Really? I didn't feel it." As she spoke, she subtly circulated her spirit energy within her body to cover up the faint aura of the cultivation world. This aura was inherent to her; even if she tried to hide it, a highly skilled cultivator would inevitably notice something amiss. "Humph! Don't pretend! That smell of yours I could smell from afar!" The lackey pressed on relentlessly, his tone becoming increasingly arrogant. He called himself Jialang; he was usually an inconspicuous figure in the gang but now seized the opportunity to impress newcomers and wouldn't let go easily. Farm Li's eyes darted around; she had an idea. She pretended to be scared and stammered, "I... I was chased by cultivators before and had to hide in a cultivator's cave. It might have been... contaminated by that aura." As she spoke, she covertly observed Jialang's reaction. Jialang sized her up suspiciously, trying to judge whether what she said was true or not. "Oh? Is that so? Which cultivator's cave did you hide in?"
Farm Li pretended to recall something and stammered, "I... I don't remember. At the time, it was urgent and I couldn't pay attention to my surroundings." She acted as if still shaken from her ordeal, as if she had narrowly escaped death. Jialang saw how flustered she was and became even more suspicious. He sneered and said, "I think you're clearly a spy from the cultivation world deliberately infiltrating us to gather intelligence!" As he spoke, he reached out to grab Farm Li's shoulder. Farm Li moved swiftly and dodged his grasp, pretending to stumble and fall down. "What... What do you want? I'm just an innocent victim! Why are you treating me like this?" She cried out in an attempt to win Jialang's sympathy. Seeing how weak she appeared, Jialang felt even more smug. He snarled, "Hmph! Don't pretend anymore! Do you think you can fool me? I'll take you to our leader for disposal!" He reached out again to grab her.
Farm Li realized she couldn't keep pretending any longer; otherwise, it would only raise more suspicion from Jialang. A cold light flashed in her eyes as she prepared to counterattack... But just then, a low voice came from outside the crowd: "Stop."
Everyone followed the sound and saw Hu Yan slowly approaching with a playful smile on his face. He didn't speak for Farm Li; instead, he stood aside and watched coldly, wanting to see how Farm Li would handle this predicament. "Continue," he said to Jialang, his gaze never leaving Farm Li.
Jialang paused when he heard Hu Yan's voice and looked at him questioningly.
Hu Yan didn't explain; he repeated simply: "Continue." He leaned against his arms with interest, looking forward to seeing the show.
Farm Li's thoughts raced; Jialang's suspicion and Hu Yan's cold observation put immense pressure on her. But she knew that panicking would only make things worse. She took a deep breath and a spark of determination flickered in her eyes. "Fine! Since you all believe I'm a spy, there's nothing left for me to say!" Suddenly straightening up, her tone changed from weakness to anger and resentment. She abruptly pulled away from Jialang's hand and pointed at him angrily, "I traveled thousands of miles here seeking refuge from cultivator hunters! Who would have thought I'd suffer such humiliation here! You've wronged me without cause—don't you have laws anymore!"
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became; tears welled up in her eyes. She choked out, "I'm a weak woman with no family or support; I found shelter here after great effort! Why... why are you treating me like this..."
She began crying genuinely, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in rain—pitifully beautiful yet heartbreaking.
The small lackeys who had previously held animosity towards Farm Li were also moved by her display of sorrow. They began whispering among themselves.
"This girl doesn't seem like a bad person..."
"Maybe we've wronged her?"
Jialang was stunned by Farm Li's acting skills; he was momentarily at a loss for words as he stared at her.
Suddenly, a cold voice came from outside the crowd: "Crying so much makes you look like you've suffered great injustice."
Everyone followed the sound and saw Ying Yue slowly approaching with a sardonic smile on his face. He walked up to Farm Li and looked down at her with piercing eyes flashing with coldness.
"Your acting skills are indeed good, but they can't deceive me," he said.
Farm Li's heart sank; Ying Yue's words were like thunder awakening her from her performance state. She knew that Ying Yue had already seen through her disguise.
Ying Yue continued: "Although your cultivation world aura is faint, it can't fool me. Who are you and what brings you here? You'd better confess honestly; otherwise..." He paused dramatically with a hint of threat in his voice.
Farm Li forced a calm demeanor as she looked up at Ying Yue; defiance flashed in her eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm just an ordinary woman here for survival," she said firmly.
Ying Yue sneered as he was about to speak when Hu Yan suddenly interjected, "Ying Yue, are you sure she's a spy from the cultivation world?"
Ying Yue nodded confidently: "I'm certain. Her aura can't fool anyone."
Hu Yan didn't say anything else but turned to Shang Lie for instructions. Shang Lie remained silent, observing Farm Li silently with his deep gaze that made her feel uneasy.
After a moment, Shang Lie spoke slowly: "Since you all doubt her identity as a spy, give her a chance to prove herself."
He paused before his tone turned icy: "Go get 'Blue Heaven Star Dust'."
Everyone present was stunned by these words—including Ying Yue and Hu Yan—Blue Heaven Star Dust was a treasure even Spirit Lords found difficult to obtain! Shang Lie actually wanted a newcomer like Farm Li to retrieve it? This was clearly setting her up for failure!
Farm Li's pupils narrowed as shock waves surged through her mind. She couldn't understand why Shang Lie was doing this; had he already fully uncovered her identity?
Ia mendekati seorang lagi, sedang hendak membuka mulut untuk menasihati, tetapi digagalkan oleh satu pandangan dari Shang Lie. "Kenapa? Kalian rasa keputusan saya salah?" suara Shang Lie sejuk dan menyakitkan, membawa kekuatan yang tidak dapat disanggah. Orang-orang tidak berani lagi berkata-kata, hanya boleh merendahkan mata mereka. Pandangan Shang Lie kembali jatuh kepada Nong Li, nada suaranya dingin dan tanpa emosi: "Berikan masa tiga hari, jika engkau tidak dapat mengembalikan Bìluò Xīngchén, datanglah dengan kepalamu."