"So why do we still have to come to Xiao Xiang Pavilion?"
Ji Lingruo asked with an air of aggression, her arms crossed over her chest.
It was already the hour of the ox; even the brothel had closed for the night, leaving the whole Mo Ye City with only a few flickering candles burning in Xiao Xiang Pavilion.
You Su certainly wasn’t here to rekindle any past romance with Miss Cailing, nor would he take his sister to the brothel.
"Xiao Xiang Pavilion holds extraordinary significance both for Qiao Xiuying and the mother of the ghost mites. We caught the little ghost mites here, so it’s only fitting to lure their mother out from here."
You Su lowered his voice as much as possible, a plotter in the dead of night, like a sneaky flower thief.
"That makes some sense."
Ji Lingruo nodded, accepting You Su’s explanation.
"Alright, let’s start."
At You Su’s command, he retrieved the two young ghost mites from the Exorcism Order and held them in his palm.
Fairy Wangshu and Zi Yiyi stood atop a tall building across Quhuai River, watching the duo from afar.
As an observer, Zi Yiyi documented You Su’s actions, while Fairy Wangshu was ever concerned for her brother’s safety.
Compared to You Su and Ji Lingruo, their cultivation was far more intimidating, so they could only stay far away to avoid alarming the enemy.
You Su placed the little ghost mites on the ground, allowing them to crawl blindly without fear of losing them.
Each was marked with a small dot matrix, a delicate and compact tracking array purchased from Mo Ye City’s rune workshop, commonly used by cultivators to affix onto magical treasures and spiritual artifacts to prevent loss or abandonment. After all, the habit of losing things often has little to do with one’s memory.
You Su and Ji Lingruo then left the place. The demonic creatures were highly sensitive to cultivators; if the ghost mite’s mother sensed a threat, it surely wouldn’t appear rashly. Hence, they didn’t join the two women across the river, as it would cause Profound Qi to concentrate excessively, rendering the enemy too cautious to move recklessly.
The two of them hid under a tree, two long streets away from where they had discarded the ghost mites. Since You Su couldn’t see, the task of watching the tracking compass fell to Ji Lingruo.
But the movement of the light points representing the two little ghost mites on the compass was painfully slow; if it weren’t for Ji Lingruo’s keen eyesight, she would have thought they were still standing still.
They waited for a long time without seeing much change in their positions, leading Ji Lingruo to ask worriedly:
"Brother, is this method going to work?"
You Su didn’t have absolute confidence either, but he refused to give up easily:
"Let’s be patient, do you remember Master’s teaching? Demonic creatures are very cautious."
With that, Ji Lingruo resigned herself to wait, though feeling inevitably bored.
Time ticked by quietly, in the deep of night approaching dawn, everything around them was unnervingly silent.
You Su instinctively moved closer to Ji Lingruo, who didn’t shy away, their shoulders pressed tightly together.
Feeling the warmth of the young man, Ji Lingruo’s lips curved into a slight smile, relishing the reliance on You Su.
She seemed to recall what had happened at this hour last night, how their intimate embrace had begun, causing her cheeks to bloom with crimson as she said:
"We are on serious business... Don’t let your mind wander..."
Hearing this, You Su arched his brows slightly, thinking he had been focused on their surroundings the whole time, what wandering thoughts? His sister confronting him like this felt more like the guilty accusing the innocent. You Su knew very well that if he wanted to act on any not-so-excessive whims with this daydreaming girl, she’d likely only half-heartedly allow him to do as he pleased.
He chuckled bitterly inside; the incident from last night that ended abruptly had indeed displeased him all day, but he wasn’t a beast, he wouldn’t act recklessly under such circumstances.
"They moved!"
Ji Lingruo suddenly exclaimed, promptly pulling You Su up.
Though she had begun daydreaming out of boredom, her eyes had remained dutifully fixed on the compass.
The speed at which the two little ghost mites moved on that compass far exceeded earlier, clearly not something their tiny bodies could achieve.
You Su instantly focused, picked up Ji Lingruo, and began sprinting toward Xiao Xiang Pavilion.
This was the plan they had agreed upon; with Ruyi Wind Manipulation Skill, You Su’s speed far surpassed Ji Lingruo’s, but unable to check the tracking compass, Ji Lingruo took on the task of acting as You Su’s eyes.
Ji Lingruo clung tightly to You Su’s neck, her soft chest pressed flat against him, her delicate legs supported.
Yet the young girl at the moment was hardly concerned with embarrassment, her heart filled with joy about fighting side by side with her brother.
Guided by her, their distance from the frantically escaping ghost mites grew ever closer!
Now, only separated by a wall!
You Su immediately employed the Wind-Riding Ladder Skill from the Ruyi Wind Manipulation Skill, taking three steps in the air, directly vaulting over the high wall.
In his darkness-filled vision, color finally began to appear.
It was a streak of crimson blood.
This mite could hardly be defined by the word ’insect’; it had a slender body over a meter long, resembling a vibrantly colored venomous snake from the deep sea. The two little ghost mites were gripped in its beak, shivering in fear.
The ghost mite’s mother also sensed You Su who had crossed the wall. Though eyeless, only its mouth could tell head from tail, it distinctly perceived You Su’s presence. Its rapid crawl hesitated for a moment, then swiftly knowing its doom was imminent, began fleeing even faster.