Miss Loser is too enchanting

After returning, Dugu Qianye took out the Communication Stone and began discussing the day’s events with Xie Ping. Having listened to Dugu Qianye’s account, Xie Ping said, "So, they are not there?"

"Not necessarily. Brother Liu mentioned a prison cell where some people were being held. I plan to go look for it tonight. Right now, I don’t even know where the cell is."

"Then you must be careful."

"I will." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Subsequently, Dugu Qianye called Jiang Yu out.

"Is there anything else?" Jiang Yu asked with excitement upon appearing. Observing the petite figure before him, Jiang Yu could not help but sigh. What others had said was true; this girl was indeed audacious. The things she did were always different from other women. Her unpredictable actions made it impossible to guess her thoughts. Following her would surely lead to more interesting adventures. Such a life would be far more exciting than his own pastime of seeking troubles.

"Jiang Yu, I need your help. I’m going to sneak into Wuyou Island at night."

With Jiang Yu’s help, Dugu Qianye left her room quietly. Seeing how Jiang Yu cast a Phantom Realm in her room to make others believe she was still inside, and how he escorted her out of the quarters while concealing her presence, she felt fortunate to have met him. Otherwise, her actions in Phantom Sea would have been much more difficult!

Dugu Qianye first went to see Xiao’er and the others’ place and found only Xiao’er there by himself. He was reporting to Lei Fengqi through the Communication Stone about the day’s events, including Dugu Qianye not eating the flowers and vegetables.

There was a silence on the other side of the Communication Stone, then the voice said, "Don’t worry about her. She won’t stay there long, and those things won’t affect her."

"Yes," Xiao’er said, then hung up the Communication Stone.

Dugu Qianye, listening outside, nodded to herself in affirmation.

She had noticed the flower pots outside the room upon her arrival; they were all planted with the Nightmare Flower. As the world became increasingly weakened over time, this flower had gone extinct on the Xuanyue Continent. It only existed now in the Phantom Sea Domain. Therefore, most people did not recognize it.

The Nightmare Flower is a type of flower that carries corrosive properties, not to the body, but to the human brain. If one continuously inhales its scent, they will gradually forget their past, or even become insane, just like Weng Yuzi.

Weng Yuzi was also a well-known figure on the Continent a hundred years ago. As the head of the Alchemist Guild and a leading figure in the Alchemy World, he was known as a genius of alchemy. Before reaching the age of 100, he was already capable of concocting Grade 8 Elixirs, something that no one else on Xuanyue Continent could do. However, he suddenly disappeared from the Continent one day, never to be seen again. It was unexpected to find that he had been taken by the Divine Temple, and because he refused to comply, they locked him up here, subjecting him daily to the corrosion of the Nightmare Flower to the point where he now could not even remember his own identity and often fell into madness.

Similar to the Nightmare Flower was the flower and vegetable dish served at dinner. The Divine Temple had mixed some powders into it that could control a person’s body. Owing to the fragrances of the flowers and condiments, very few could detect the scent. Once the flower and vegetable dish took control of a person’s body, it was like modern heroin; missing a meal would leave one’s whole body in discomfort. If Weng Yuzi were lucid, he probably wouldn’t have been fooled, but now, alas, he couldn’t even discern the simplest components of an Elixir.

Dugu Qianye watched for a while and then left; Xiao’er, Xiao’san, and Xiao’si were not there, likely they were at the prison cell. She searched the entire courtyard and found nothing special. Despite the yard appearing quite small, searching it took her the whole night. Seeing that dawn was approaching, she had no choice but to return to her room. With only two days, she had to confirm whether her grandfather and the others were there by the following night.

The next day, Dugu Qianye sat on her bed ready to cultivate but, after trying for a while, she found that she couldn’t absorb any Phantom Power!

No wonder Liu Jilin had said he hadn’t progressed in nearly ten years; it turns out one simply couldn’t cultivate here! She wondered how the Divine Temple managed to achieve that.

But then again, everyone has cultivated to Phantom Emperor and Phantom Venerable levels, so this place might as well have been for nothing.

Unable to cultivate, one could only idle away their days on the island, which for once prominent figures, was definitely a torment of the soul.

Since he couldn’t cultivate, Dugu Qianye decided to go for a walk. When he arrived by the lake, he saw Weng Yuzi drinking tea in the pavilion. He took a sip, closed his eyes to savor it, looking truly content.

Dugu Qianye approached the pavilion and sat down opposite Weng Yuzi, saying, "Senior seems to be enjoying himself. But why alone?"

Weng Yuzi opened his eyes, which were now clear and bright, devoid of last night’s chaos and madness.

"You’re that kid from last night," Weng Yuzi looked at Dugu Qianye and said, "In these days here, we can only amuse ourselves. Enjoying tea, playing chess, these are all refined pleasures. Those guys don’t like them, haha. What do you say, want a cup?"

"Then I thank you, senior," Dugu Qianye replied with a smile.

Weng Yuzi took an inverted teacup from the tray and poured it about seventy percent full for Dugu Qianye. Hearing the plop, plop, plop of the tea, Dugu Qianye was suddenly reminded of Zi Xiao brewing tea in her courtyard. He took the cup Weng Yuzi had filled and gently took a sip, simply remarking, "Good tea."

Weng Yuzi looked at Dugu Qianye and said, "Appreciating tea requires a leisurely mood. Can you truly taste the tea right now?"

He was seen through!

Dugu Qianye looked at Weng Yuzi. Although his mind was corroded, making him often confused, it did not mean he had become foolish. Having lived for over two hundred years, what she said last night still let him know that Dugu Qianye’s arrival was not without ulterior motives.

"They say once you come here, you can’t leave. Senior, have you been here so long—have you ever thought of leaving?"

"Leaving?" Weng Yuzi chuckled and said, "What difference does it make where you are? Isn’t life just about the sun rising and the moon setting?"

A century of imprisonment had already made this once prominent figure lose his lofty ambitions. Perhaps this was the punishment of the Divine Temple for those who didn’t submit. One might live without a decree, but if even the dreams and pursuits of life were gone, that was the greatest damage to these individuals.

"Young man, just stay here peacefully," Weng Yuzi said with a laugh, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness.

"It’s not about whether I’m content to stay here. I killed the Hall Master of Rain Hall, and Yu Batian is bellowing threats to kill me," said Dugu Qianye, "Sometimes, you can’t stop just because you want to, as fate’s hand pushes you forward."

After finishing his tea, Dugu Qianye said he wanted to look around and then left. Weng Yuzi watched him go, seemingly reminiscing about something yet at the same time, contemplating nothing at all.

Dugu Qianye walked along the lakeside, then strolled through other parts of the compound, trying to locate the so-called chamber of punishment, but after a full circuit, he found not a single clue.