Chapter 90 - A Last Tour (1/2)

The following day, Shin Sumi was on the path leading to Fen Wudao's house early in the morning.

She had made up her mind but more importantly she wanted to clarify certain aspects of her upcoming mission.

She was greeted at the door by a meditating Fen Wudao whose divine sense had picked up her presence. Not too long after, they were both sipping on tea when Patriarch Sen arrived.

***

”It is settled then. In three days' time you will leave for the Sky Earth Sect. Should any situation that you can't handle arise, use the Jade Compass to communicate with us.”

Shin Sumi sent divine sense into the pale green object, immediately sensing the powerful spirit formation engraved within the artefact. Her knowledge of spirit formations had greatly improved over her time in the Cloud-Formation Pavilion. She could tell that the power of the artefact was high, allowing for communication across incredible distances, but in turn the number of communications was very limited.

Anyway, it was reassuring to know that she had a way back to the Dark Sky Starry Sect, should she ever need it.

When she left the company of the other two Ghosts, Shin Sumi was feeling excited and anxious at the same time. For her it was very reminiscent of the day she fled her family mansion in East Seaside village for the big city.

”Who could have guessed I would end up in an Immortal Sect, about to go undercover into enemy territory to retrieve a centuries old artefact...”

Neither Fen Wudao nor the Patriarch were able to answer her when she inquired about how long she would have to remain hidden in the Sky Earth Sect. She was on her own when it came to judging the right time to go into action without being caught by the Sky Earth Sect's cultivators.

The plan was frighteningly simple for a mission with such stakes. Shin Sumi would present herself as one of the young women from the surrounding cities, basically reenacting her own first step in the cultivation world.

She would become the daughter of a farmer escaping a marriage she didn't want. She would pass the tests to enter the Sky Earth Sect and settle inside.

In her bag of holding, Shin Sumi had a few divine jades, compilations of information coming from previous spies sent to the Sky Earth Sect over the years. With such an arsenal, she would be able to fit in quite easily as well as know the way to reach there, of course.

Shin Sumi's life might have been very valuable to the Ghosts and the Dark Sky Starry Sect but she was still ultimately disposable. The amount of resources and information given to her, on the other hand, were the fruit of years of work and many a spy's life.

It went to show how important her mission was for the Ghosts and that they were confident in her ability.

Shin Sumi left the two Ghosts for her last three days in the upper valley. She was feeling proud to be given such a big mission and especially an opportunity to cross more than half of the Blue Fire Empire.

”I wonder if there are any delicacies or curiosities specific to the Sky Earth Sect's area that I can bring back to Xiao Yue and my friends” she told Nuan as she walked the paths of the upper valley.

She gently patted the Lion Bat's back, right between the skeletal bat wings in a spot that made Nuan purr with p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.

”You know, I would have not accepted this mission, had I not been able to bring you with me. You'll just have to hide for a few months at most, and then I will 'find' you and you will become my spirit animal once again, okay sweet girl?”

It was one of Shin Sumi's earliest questions to Patriarch Sen when she arrived to Fen Wudao's home this morning. Shin Sumi had to bring Nuan with her along the mission and she was relieved to hear that the Sky Earth Sect practiced a similar kind of spirit creatures training as their own Divine-Beasts Pavilion.

”I should have guessed that” she thought as she read the information on one of the divine jades, the one with records of the Sky Earth Sect's hierarchy and cultivation genres, ”the two sects have only split a few centuries ago, it is normal that the cultivation types and techniques would remain highly similar.”

***

The first person on Shin Sumi's path of farewells was Lan Hui, quickly followed by Bai Xuengen.

Shin Sumi felt bad about leaving her friends without any information but she was very conscious of the fact that she could not tell them anything. Not that she didn't trust them but rather because a Ghost might be watching.

Spending a few hours with each of them, soon Shin Sumi had also met and laughed with Fu Xue, Mei Yunei and of course Xiao Yue, to whom she told a bit more than to the others.

”Does that count as a farewell?” she even asked herself when she waved enthusiastically from afar at a cold stone-faced Sui Lin.

”Pffiou, thank the Gods for not having to use a Confusion Pill every time I want to switch identities anymore. I don't think I've ever alternated so much in only two days' time.”

For every person she met and wanted to talk to, she would hide somewhere and take on the features of either Bai Fulong, Yan Yan, or more rarely herself.

”Oi, I should also go to the lower valley for a while before I leave, chat a bit with Brother Azu to see how he is doing!”

Shin Sumi took out her identification jade, sending one divine sense message before entering the carved flight of stairs in the cliff joining the two valleys.

When she exited the tunnel at the bottom, stepping between the stone pillars at the entrance of the lower valley, Yan Yan's silhouette cast a shadow in front of her.

The Liquid Realm disciple in charge of guarding the passage, recording which Honorary Disciple tried to ascend as well as the Liquid Realm practitionners trying to descend, didn't take long in noticing her and standing in her way.

”What are you doing here? It is strictly forbidden for Liquid Realm disciples to leave the upper valley. Are you one of those who try to come here to bully the lower level disciples in the Shinsoo Gathering stage to give you their spirit stones?”

The disciple's assurance was wavering because with a single glance he was able to tell that her cultivation level was higher than his and yet he couldn't let her pass.

”Listen, Senior Sister. For you I am willing to let it go and not report you to the Affairs Pavilion but please do me a favor and go back from where you came, okay?”

Shin Sumi held her hands open in front of her, as to signify she didn't want trouble.

”Of course, I'm sorry, I don't want to cause trouble for you. I have been allowed to come here, just wait for a bit, Brother...?”

Seeing as Yan Yan seemed to not want to cause trouble, the disciple slightly relaxed.

”Sezhuan. You can call me Sezhuan Mon.”

For a couple minutes, Yan Yan and Sezhuan Mon chatted, to the point that the boy would be willing to let her pass. He was probably intoxicated by Yan Yan's gentle traits and beautiful figure, and wondered if his lucky day had finally come when a whooshing noise came from above and a silver streak stopped right before them.

”Younger Sister Yan, are you okay?” asked a manly but warm voice full of smiles.

Fen Wudao looked at Yan Yan and the other disciple with a slightly confused face before understanding almost immediately what was going on.

”S-Senior Brother Fen...! Sezhuan is deeply sorry. This humble one didn't know that Senior Sister Yan was sent here by your person. I will step aside now” the boy immediately bowed and mumbled all sorts of apologies.

Yan Yan looked intensely at Fen Wudao as she walked past Sezhuan Mon, expressing with her eyes all the thanks she could.