As he stepped in, he walked into her residence and eventually found himself in her serene courtyard.
Under the familiar shade of the old tree, they sat together, engaging in light-hearted conversation while enjoying a pot of fragrant tea.
After a while, he finally brought up the true reason for his visit. With a solemn expression, he shared all the information he had recently gathered.
"Hmm… if it's about that," she said thoughtfully, her fingers lightly tapping the porcelain cup. "Even I don't know much. Most of what you've collected is accurate, but it lacks crucial details."
She set her cup down gently before continuing, "From what I've heard, the demonic sect disciples that were captured, though not elders were still quite significant. Three were apprehended. Two were inner disciples, and the third… surprisingly, was a core disciple."
His brows furrowed slightly. A core disciple such a title wasn't given lightly. It denoted someone with outstanding potential, a seed destined for Foundation Establishment. In simpler terms, a rare and invaluable talent.
While he didn't know the exact structure of the Demonic Sect, in most Immortal Families, a single Foundation Establishment seed might emerge only once every few decades.
For the Demonic Sect to risk deploying such a figure in a covert operation within the market… they must be planning something extraordinary.
As he sank deeper into thought, Wei Xin continued to explain.
"At first, the market authority tried to extract more intel from them, but they met with failure. So, they summoned the Sword Sect to take over the interrogation. That's as much as I know."
He nodded quietly. Even Sister Wei, whose information network extended across multiple regions, only knew this much. That alone spoke volumes about how tightly the matter was being controlled.
Then, he asked the question lingering on his mind.
"Do you think they'll be able to extract anything significant from the captured disciples?"
Instead of replying directly, she smiled slightly and offered a different insight.
"It's already been a week since they were captured. In that time, there have been two separate attacks on other markets within a thousand kilometre."
Lan Rui's eyes widened slightly. Attacks on other markets? He hadn't heard anything about this.
"Naturally, the news didn't travel far. The attacks were ultimately failures, after all. During the first assault, the market authorities pretended to be unprepared, drawing the enemy in. But just when things turned dire, reinforcements arrived swiftly."
"These reinforcements weren't minor. They consisted of several Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Cloud Sword Sect."
"The attackers panicked and were forced to retreat, though not without leaving damage behind. In that first skirmish, they managed to destroy four Foundation Establishment Corpses."
She took a slow sip of tea before continuing.
"In the second attack, the Sword Sect had already deciphered their strategy and combat formations. This time, the tables turned. The defenders destroyed another four Foundation Establishment Corpses and even managed to slay one Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator from the Demonic Sect."
"That marked the final attack… three days ago," she concluded softly.
Lan Rui nodded slowly, absorbing every word. If the Sword Sect had mobilized so precisely, it was clear the interrogation had yielded results.
The Demonic Sect must've realized that information had been leaked whether through a traitor, a spy, or a captured disciple breaking under pressure.
The only question now was which of the three was it?
Sensing the worry on his face, Wei Xin offered a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I doubt the Demonic Sect will act again anytime soon. They'll likely retreat for now, perhaps spend several months reorganizing and adjusting their plans."
He let out a quiet sigh, his shoulders easing slightly. "Thanks for the information, Sister Wei."
The tension between them lifted, and they soon drifted back into casual conversation beneath the old tree, their tea cooling slowly as the breeze whispered through the leaves.
As the tea cooled and the shadows lengthened beneath the tree, the conversation between Lan Rui and Wei Xin gradually drifted back to lighter matters.
The tension that had filled the courtyard began to dissolve, replaced by the quiet rustling of leaves and the scent of osmanthus in the breeze.
An hour passed in peaceful silence.
Just as Lan Rui rose to bid farewell, the earth trembled beneath their feet.
The delicate tea cups on the table clinked together. Ripples formed across the surface of the tea.
Wei Xin's eyes sharpened. She set her cup down without a word.
"Did you feel that?" she asked, her tone already guarded.
Lan Rui was already standing, his gaze fixed on the horizon beyond the courtyard wall. A wave of spiritual pressure surged through the air thick, oppressive, and unmistakably hostile.
Then came the sound a deafening *boom*.
A crimson explosion erupted near the market gates, briefly casting the sky in blood red light. It flickered like a dying sun, followed by echoes of chaos, screams, the clang of weapons, and shouts of panic.
Lan Rui's face darkened. "The market is under attack. Who would be so brazen as to..."
He stopped, the rest of the sentence catching in his throat.
Of course, he knew.
He just didn't want to believe it.
Wei Xin inhaled sharply. "It seems… they didn't wait months after all."
A low hum began to resonate across the market. Then, with a brilliant flash, a dome of golden light enveloped the entire Cloud Market.
The protective formations had been triggered layer upon layer of defensive arrays woven together into a massive Second-Rank Array, a marvel of cooperative craftsmanship by the Cloud Sword Sect and the Market Authority.
Gasps of relief spread across the market.
But it was premature.
Moments later, an overwhelming spiritual aura descended from the sky like a tidal wave.
Six cultivators emerged from the darkened sky, hovering in formation above the city. Each radiated an aura of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Shrouded in black mist, their figures flickered like ghosts. Without hesitation, they launched spiritual bombardments toward the golden barrier, their strikes resonating with earth-shaking force.
The array pulsed violently. Cracks spread like veins of light across its surface.
From the center of the market, a pillar of silver-blue energy shot into the sky.
The Market Guardian had arrived.
Ji Wuqing, clad in the flowing robes of the Cloud Sword Sect, ascended into the air and stopped just beyond the boundary of the defensive array, facing the six intruders. His sword floated beside him, humming like thunder restrained by silk.
His voice rang out, resonating across the market.
"How dare you attack this market? Do you intend to go to war with the Cloud Sword Sect?"
One of the black-cloaked figures floated forward and let out a slow, mocking laugh.
"War?" he said, smiling eerily. "Why do you think we attacked? Your sect has ruled this province for over ten thousand years. That seat is worn and rusted. It's time someone else claimed it."
Ji Wuqing's gaze remained cold, unreadable. His fingers tapped the hilt of his sword.
Beneath them, shadows moved.
Demonic sect disciples poured through alleyways of outer area of the market and across rooftops and there were hundreds of them.
Their movements were unnervingly coordinated, like ants rushing toward a singular purpose. Fires broke out across the outer area quarter. Smoke curled into the sky, mixing with the faint shimmer of the faltering barrier.