Chapter 142: Liu Liansheng

Jiang’an Prefecture, Yuangjin Ward.
Baihua Theater.

As a famously exclusive, restricted-level theater, Baihua Theater is one of the busiest venues among the forty-five wards of Jiang’an Prefecture.

A mix of fish and dragons, tens of thousands of cultivators of all kinds pass through here every day.

Cultivators have desires.

They need release.

And Baihua Theater is one of the very few places tacitly approved by the authorities—safe and secure.

“Stranger, you must be here for the first time. Would you prefer a private box or the main hall?”

The facade of Baihua Theater is vast, standing like a palace on a bustling street.

Towering into the clouds, majestic and magnificent, it showcases the splendor of architectural art, topped with wooden structures and glazed red tiles.

The facade is built of red walls, adorned with exquisite bas-reliefs and painted patterns.

On the red walls are enormous vermillion wooden doors, inlaid with golden copper nails and ornate copper rings.

Looking at it as a whole, the front of the theater has as many as thirty large doors, allowing guests to enter and exit without crowding or congestion.

Disguised as an ordinary cultivator, Qi Xiu cast a quick glance at Baihua Theater, flicking a Dao coin into the arms of the welcoming maiden at the entrance.

“A private box.”

“No problem, I’ll take you there right away.” Unexpectedly, this seemingly ordinary youth turned out to be a big spender.

The welcoming maiden smiled brightly, immediately affectionately linking arms with Qi Xiu as she led him inside the theater.

Upon entering, Qi Xiu was greeted by a faint, subtle fragrance. The hall was spacious and bright, the floor paved with smooth, mirror-like black marble that shimmered seductively in the light.

A tall, carved wooden staircase with ornate handrails led to the upper private rooms.

Walking up the stairs, the soft and delicate red carpet underfoot brought comfort.

“Business here is quite good.”

Qi Xiu spoke slowly. Having just reached the third floor, he already saw no fewer than twenty cultivators exuding the aura of those who have entered the Dao.

Each wore a beaming smile, confident and triumphant.

Clearly, they were extremely satisfied with the service here.

“That’s natural. Our Baihua Theater is famous throughout Jiang’an Prefecture.

Every day, we receive no fewer than ten thousand cultivators.

Even the government chooses our place to entertain distinguished guests.”

The maiden led Qi Xiu to a private room on the ninth floor.

The room, over two hundred square meters, was furnished with luxurious and abundant furniture. Redwood carved screens divided the space into private and comfortable areas.

The walls were adorned with stunningly beautiful brocades and embroidered works.

The large bed was spread with elegant, finely crafted quilts and cushions, decorated with ribbons.

“This isn’t just a theater?”

Qi Xiu glanced sideways at the welcoming maiden while looking at the bed that took up nearly half the room.

“Indeed. The private rooms feature solo performances, just for you to enjoy the show and have a heart-to-heart.

Once you experience it, you’ll understand the charm within.

Please wait a moment; I’ll arrange someone to assist you.”

After the maiden left, Qi Xiu quietly surveyed the private room, a glint of purple light rising in his deep eyes.

Divination Technique.

The world before his eyes suddenly shifted into a black-and-white interwoven special vision.

In the next moment, Qi Xiu’s gaze subtly changed.

Tendrils of black-purple aura permeated the entire building.

Like the veins of a human body, they extended and spread.

The black-purple aura within the entire Baihua Theater connected, faintly forming the shadow of a swaddled infant.

But this infant’s appearance was fierce, with dark bluish-black skin. It seemed to be in deep sleep, yet its eyelids were half-open, revealing a sinister and terrifying glare filled with dreadful malevolence.

“There really is something wrong.”

Concealing the purple glow in his eyes, Qi Xiu rubbed the thumb ring on his finger.

The divination technique he had learned from Daoist Qingya was crude at first, merely a method to observe the flow of heavenly and earthly energies and the star constellations.

But as this method was cultivated to the third level, it began to reveal its sharp edge.

Once activated, it could glimpse the changes of the three talents—heaven, earth, and mankind—and the surrounding flow of energies.

Simply put, it could penetrate illusions, perceive essence, and enhance one’s insight and awareness.

The black-purple aura flowing inside Baihua Theater was extremely secretive—whispering, obscure, silent.

It was a special kind of energy flow.

Like how ordinary people cannot see viruses in the air.

Without a divination technique like this, even Bloodstained Realm cultivators could not detect the anomaly inside the theater.

“My master once said, cultivators should not meddle excessively in worldly affairs.

Otherwise, entanglement with mortal dust would bring various calamities.

Therefore, Bloodstained Realm cultivators must not interfere in secular matters. This is not only a rule tacitly accepted by various forces, but also a natural instinct for cultivators to seek fortune and avoid misfortune.

Jiang’an Prefecture is vast, with many cultivators in the city, but most are early-stage Dao cultivators.

Even if there were Bloodstained Realm masters stationed here, they would likely be dispatched by the local government.

As for Dao Body experts… there probably aren’t any.

Dao Body masters are constantly communicating with heaven and earth, commanding the great Dao.

Simply sitting still would attract the energies of heaven and earth to approach on their own.

If such an existence truly resided in Jiang’an Prefecture, I would have sensed it upon entering the city.”

Feeling the abnormality in Baihua Theater, Qi Xiu gently massaged his brow.

The reason he hadn’t gone directly to find his Sixth Senior Brother upon entering the city was because Jiang’an Prefecture was not an ordinary county town.

As a sub-provincial capital, the population was enormous.

The internal forces were complex and tangled.

Moreover, before departing, Daoist Yunxiong had given instructions.

“Though Xingba is stubborn, he is no fool.

He must know the cost of meddling in officialdom.

On your visit, also investigate the reason for his self-inflicted downfall.

If it is truly his personal fault, no need for words—just beat him half to death and bring him back.

But if there’s something else...

Hmph!

I will make the world know the price of plotting against a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect!”

Master Yunxiong’s words still echoed in his ears.

Coupled with the secret arrangements inside Baihua Theater and the terrifying, sinister infant, Qi Xiu’s eyelids lifted slightly.

It seemed that his Sixth Senior Brother’s sudden entry into officialdom might indeed have deeper causes.

But why did the mastermind choose him?

Just as Qi Xiu pondered investigating the infant’s clues from other angles, the door was lightly knocked twice.

A fiery beauty in sheer silk, half concealing her face with a pipa, barefoot, stepped inside.

“Young master, this humble one...”

“You came just in time. I have some questions for you.”

Raising his hand, Qi Xiu released a [Melancholy Breeze Talisman].

Before the barefoot woman could even introduce herself, she became dazed, half asleep and half awake.

Today’s Melancholy Breeze was enhanced with Bewitching Grass and Forgetful Soul Flowers.

The poisoned would not only become drowsy but also obedient.

Upon waking, they would completely forget the memories of being poisoned.

Controlling the barefoot woman, Qi Xiu began questioning her about various details of Baihua Theater, including hidden secrets not meant for outsiders.

“Liu Liansheng.”

The woman struggled in her expression, seemingly about to wake, revealing the name of the theater’s owner.

Silently noting the name, Qi Xiu waved his hand, putting her into a deep sleep again.

This dancing girl was just an ordinary person.

She knew very little about the theater’s inner workings.

However, by chance, she once served a high-ranking manager of the theater and overheard the owner’s name.

Liu Liansheng—that name could serve as a clue.

...

Leaving Baihua Theater.

Qi Xiu spent several days wandering Jiang’an Prefecture, using Liu Liansheng as a lead, and actually uncovered some information.

Departing from in front of a gambling den called Golden Pool, Qi Xiu’s gaze darkened.

This Liu Liansheng held many assets in Jiang’an Prefecture.

But they were mostly gray-area enterprises— theaters, gambling houses, opium dens.

Only a tiny fraction were businesses like restaurants or cloth shops.

These were clearly fronts for money laundering and bookkeeping.

And at every one of these gray businesses’ headquarters, that eerie infant appeared.

Throughout Jiang’an Prefecture, there were as many as sixty-nine such places.

“To untie the knot, one must find the one who tied it. I have to start with these strange children.”

Muttering softly, Qi Xiu lightly shook his sleeve. In an instant, a dozen vividly lifelike sparrows flew out from his sleeve.

“Go, keep an eye on these places for me.”

Counting on his fingers, Qi Xiu nodded to the sparrows, which were spirit creatures created from paintings brought to life, brimming with intelligence.

With a flutter, they scattered and flew away.

Heading toward the locations where the eerie infants were found.

These sparrows were connected to Qi Xiu’s mind, able to report back directions and any unusual developments in real time. They were small and indistinguishable from real birds—perfect for surveillance.

After arranging all this, Qi Xiu turned and left.

What followed was a waiting game.

...

For ten consecutive days.

The sparrows on watch had been rotated twice, but no effective information had been detected so far.

Qi Xiu was not impatient.

Impatience is a fatal flaw when handling any matter.

Moreover, Master Yunxiong’s instructions prioritized investigating the reason behind Sixth Senior Brother Gan Xingba’s downfall.

If nothing unusual appeared after ten days, then twenty, thirty days could pass.

There is no perfect disguise in this world.

Even the best camouflage will eventually reveal its flaws.

On the seventeenth day of surveillance, sitting calmly in a small garden shelling peanuts and listening to a tune, Qi Xiu suddenly paused.

His gaze under black, round spectacles flickered slightly, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

I finally caught you.

A faint mist of moisture spread, and Qi Xiu vanished from his spot as if by magic.

Nearby guests, sensing the chill, turned around oddly but saw nothing unusual.

They only brushed the dampness from their clothes, frowned, and muttered quietly.

...

Jiang’an Prefecture, Ximin Ward.

At the busiest street corner of the ward stood Jingxin Pavilion, bustling with people coming and going unceasingly.

The establishment’s name was elegant, and its decor leisurely, so one might mistake it for a teahouse or a bookstore at first glance.

But in truth, it was an opium den.

Selling a water pipe tobacco called Jingxin Golden Soup.

This water pipe tobacco claimed to soothe the mind and satiate hunger, bringing pleasure without harming the brain.

Those who came daily were not only cultivators but also many ordinary folks.

It was the second most important enterprise under Liu Liansheng, just after Baihua Theater.

“Are all preparations ready?”

In the backyard of Jingxin Pavilion, two men dressed as merchants whispered to each other, each holding a porcelain jar.

“All packed long ago.”

They exchanged the jars, glanced around cautiously to ensure nothing was amiss, then quickly parted ways.

Unbeknownst to them, perched on the eaves above, an ordinary-looking sparrow observed their every word and action.

...

(End of chapter)