(Northern Region- Outskirts Of The Gobrean Jungle)
(City Lord's Estate- Grand Hall)
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," Xu Lu spoke coldly as she circulated some qi around her meridians.
The temperature around her body plummeted slightly and frost began to appear on the floor beneath her feet.
The nobles in front of her put away their smiles and expressions of fear flashed across their faces.
None would even dare to risk the wrath of an ordinary cultivator and Xu Lu was not just a mere cultivator.
She was the saintess of the Holy Sword Sect.
The representative of the younger generation of one of the most powerful cultivation sects on the entire continent.
If they offended her… a terrible fate would await them.
She would not even have to directly make a move because her allies and those seeking to win the favour of the Holy Sword Sect would gladly destroy their families.
"The pleasure is all ours," Zhao Lei stepped forward and clasped his hands together with a subservient smile on his face.
"Yes… Yes! It is a true honour to meet the saintess of the Holy Sword Sect. Your demeaner is that of an immortal goddess," Mao Yijun quickly followed his lead and showered Xu Lu with compliments.
Ye Xun and Tian Ju both snapped their fingers and several servants rushed over each holding large wooden boxes.
"A gift for the saintess," Tian Ju humbly spoke as she gestured for her slaves to walk over and present her offering.
"We hope you enjoy," Ye Xun politely whispered.
The slaves hesitantly moved forward and stood a few feet away from the saintess. They knelt down on the ground and slowly opened the boxes.
Inside one could see rare jewels such as opals, emeralds, and diamonds and more importantly… white spiritual stones.
Xu Lu waved her hands and the contents of the wooden boxes flew into her storage bag.
She immediately dispelled her spiritual pressure and nodded at the finely dressed pair.
A happy smile spread across their faces and both Ye Xun and Tian Ju jointly offered their thanks for the saintess' appreciation.
The other three aristocrats secretly cursed in their hearts at the outlandish offering.
They had brought gifts as well but compared to spiritual stones… they could not give anything of interest to a cultivator.
Well… maybe…
Su Xuefeng had thoughtful expression on her face as she beckoned with her finger and called her butler over.
Her butler was a sharply dressed middle-aged man with hair that was beginning to turn grey. She whispered something in his ears and the man departed at once.
Xu Lu used her spiritual senses to eavesdrop on their conversation and heard the words 'unknown artifact' and 'rare gift'.
"I will not be staying in the city for long," Xu Lu spoke bluntly without concealing the reason for her presence.
Her companions had already told the city lord of their mission and there was no doubt in her mind that the news had reached the ears of information guilds.
There was no point in keeping it a secret.
"Have any of you heard news of mysterious ruins or strange incidents in the jungles?" Xu Lu asked coldly.
There was a brief moment of silence as she finished talking.
The nobles weren't expecting Xu Lu to speak so honestly and they were unaccustomed to cultivators who did not use flowery language.
"I… have heard… that…" Mao Yijun hesitantly spoke.
"To the north of the city beyond a great river… there is a place where plants… do not grow. The area is completely barren, and no one knows why."
"The Dead Man zone?" Ye Xun interrupted with a bemused smirk on his face.
"That place has nothing of interest. It is merely a place of rest for adventurers venturing deeper into the jungle."
"Lady Saintess… if you travel in an eastern direction you will reach a set of stone pillars that rise up from the ground."
"These pillars have intricate carvings on their granite exterior and the markings glow with a bluish tinge."
"Tell me more," Xu Lu spoke curiously.
"Well… no one know who placed those pillars there but every so often… someone goes missing in that area," Ye Xun eagerly replied.
"Nonsense! People go missing in every area," Su Xuefeng scoffed as she refuted Ye Xun's words with a scowl on her face.
"Towards the west. I have gone on an expedition with my men and uncovered a hidden underground network of caves."
Another noble chimed in and spoke about a different area where strange sightings of bizarre monsters had been reported.
Xu Lu made a note of every location in her mind as she spent the next twenty minutes listening carefully to the aristocrats.
The Gobrean Jungle was located towards the outer edges of the continent.
It was a wild place that had barely been explored due to the monsters that roamed between its dense trees.
Xu Lu was beginning to understand why this mission was rated as four stars. There were multiple locations that each matched the description of an ancient ruins site.
Would she have to explore all of them one by one? The answer was yes.
The saintess let out a small sigh under her mask and reached into her pocket to gently touch the little white mouse hiding inside.
Her small animal companion was being surprisingly well behaved and had not made any noise since she left the table with all the food.
"Thank you for your information," Xu Lu politely spoke as Zhao Lei finished talking about a hidden cave to the south.
"Oh… lady saintess it was our pleasure but… will you not stay for longer? We thoroughly enjoy your company," Tian Ju quickly spoke up.
"No I will have to decline," Xu Lu replied calmly as she turned around and walked away with a swish of her robes.
She headed for the exit of the hall.
She had gotten everything that she had came here for and had no wish to stay in this festering hive of sycophants.
The nobles in her way parted to the side and no one dared to stop her. Xu Lu reached the heavy wooden doors and casually pulled them open.
The doors swung open, and the back of her figure gradually disappeared into the distance. The band continued to play, and the atmosphere once again became lighthearted.
The saintess had left quite the impression on the aristocrats in the hall and one could hear conversations and whispers talking about her all around the room.
"Wow! She looked so graceful and pure!"
"Why do you think that she wears a mask?"
"Is it not obvious? Clearly she is so beautiful that she is forced to wear a mask to prevent others from glimpsing at her flawless visage."
"I agree… she is probably a great beauty capable of destroying empires and turning men to the point of madness."
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