Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 468 454: Amnesiac Yueqiu?

Pei Yuhang's consciousness followed the cyan ribbon of light, descending deeper and deeper into the pitch-black Sea of Consciousness.

Gradually, amidst the utter blackness, color returned to his vision.

His ears, which had felt plugged, slowly filled with a clamor of noise.

"Get your candied haws!"

"Big meat buns, three cents apiece! Step right up, don't miss out!"

Pei Yuhang opened his eyes. The feeling of weightlessness vanished, and a solid sensation spread up from the soles of his feet. He instinctively glanced down at his boots, confirming that he was, in fact, standing on solid ground.

"I… Have I appeared in the Mortal World?"

Pei Yuhang scanned his surroundings, taking in the bustling crowds and merchants. His gaze grew wary, and his right hand instinctively went to the hilt of the sword at his waist.

He tried to channel the Spiritual Qi in his body, but nothing happened.

A grave look flashed in Pei Yuhang's eyes.

His Cultivation was gone. He had been reduced to a mere mortal!

"Bai Jingjing?"

Pei Yuhang called out softly, but there was no reply.

The Silent Sword at his waist was now like any ordinary Mortal Sword, its intelligence gone, unable to communicate with him.

'Yueqiu only has Divinity Transformation Cultivation. Even if this Sea of Consciousness is her home turf, she couldn't possibly imprison a Void Refining Cultivator like me. Was it that Ancient Cultivator, Ji Shenyun? Did she use some kind of Divine Abilities to stop me?'

Pei Yuhang muttered to himself, his tight grip on the sword hilt relaxing.

His opponent had only sealed his Cultivation, doing nothing more to him.

'Perhaps that Ancient Cultivator, Ji Shenyun, has other plans, but I should be safe until she puts them into motion.'

'No matter what, I have to find Yueqiu first.'

'Besides, I'm not completely without an ace up my sleeve…'

Pei Yuhang glanced at the cyan Jade Pendant at his collar, which was emitting a faint Spiritual Light.

It was the projection of the Lifebound Spirit Pill that Lu Ruoxi had given him, here in the Sea of Consciousness.

It seemed that because his physical body was holding the real Lifebound Spirit Pill in its mouth in the outside world, not even Ji Shenyun could reach across the Spirit Space and forcibly render it into a mundane object.

Because of this, Pei Yuhang could still use the faint Spiritual Qi within the cyan Jade Pendant to recover a sliver of his Cultivation. However, the amount of Spiritual Qi stored inside was limited, and he couldn't afford to squander it.

Pei Yuhang's eyes flickered, and he silently melted into the crowd of passersby, using them as cover.

'I have to keep a low profile until I find Yueqiu.'

Pei Yuhang then began to wander through the marketplace, feigning the casual air of a handsome, white-robed young master. In reality, he was listening intently to the conversations of the passersby, gathering information.

"Prince Ning's Mansion was completely surrounded by men from the Government Office today. What's going on?"

"Hah! The Celestial Emperor is about to have Prince Ning's entire household seized. How could you not know about something this huge?"

"What? Isn't Prince Ning the blood brother of our Zhao Kingdom's Celestial Emperor? How could this…"

"Who knows? It's the Celestial Emperor's family business. Better for us not to pry."

'Prince Ning's household is being seized?'

Pei Yuhang's steps faltered almost imperceptibly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. As he walked through the streets and alleys, the name he heard most often was "Prince Ning's Mansion."

But he soon composed himself and didn't pay it much mind. After all, it had nothing to do with Yueqiu.

What Pei Yuhang was more focused on now were the small, filthy beggars in tattered clothes by the side of the road.

After all, the first time he'd found Yueqiu, it was in a small alley on the roadside. Back then, the silver-haired girl had been just another filthy little beggar.

'Maybe in this Illusion Realm within the Sea of Consciousness, Yueqiu is a beggar once again, waiting for me to find her…'

"Sigh... you think Prince Ning's downfall might have something to do with the ominous silver hair he and his daughter have?

They're all part of the Royal Family, but only Prince Ning's branch of the family has silver hair. And his daughter especially—I saw her once from afar. That little girl's eyes are blood-red, just like a demon's! It scared the life out of me!"

Silver hair… red eyes!

Pei Yuhang's pupils contracted. The air around him instantly turned frost-cold.

He spun around and strode toward the large man who had spoken. As his sleeves billowed, an invisible, oppressive pressure washed over the man.

"Friend," Pei Yuhang said, his voice low, "could you tell me everything you know about Prince Ning?"

The large man had been getting worked up in his storytelling and was annoyed at the interruption. He frowned, about to snap, "None of your damn business," but the words died in his throat the moment he looked up and met Pei Yuhang's eyes.

—What kind of eyes were those?

They were pitch-black and deep, yet seemed to be forged from ice—sharp as swords, as if they could pierce straight into a man's soul. To be stared at by him was to have two daggers hovering before your eyes. The slightest misstep, and blood would splatter on the spot.

The man shuddered, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

…

…

Pei Yuhang learned from the large man the outcome of the Celestial Emperor of the Zhao Kingdom's purge against Prince Ning.

All the men of the household were to be executed, while the women were to be sent to the Jiaosi Bureau.

The men of the mansion had already been taken to the execution grounds, and the soldiers of the Zhao Kingdom were now taking inventory of the female family members in Prince Ning's Mansion.

Prince Ning's daughter, with her silver hair and red eyes.

Pei Yuhang took a deep breath, his mind still clouded with doubt. 'Could Prince Ning's daughter be Yueqiu? But didn't Yueqiu say she and her father had wandered among refugees since childhood, displaced by famine…?'

But he had no time to dwell on it.

'First, I'll rescue Prince Ning's daughter. I can figure out the rest later.'

Concealing his presence, Pei Yuhang employed his Qinggong, moving nimbly through the cordon of soldiers and into the besieged Prince Ning's Mansion.