Qi Ping remained in the form of a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee, prepared to flee at a moment's notice. However, as this state of affairs dragged on for nearly two days, he began to lose his patience.
'Does this woman have a hole in her head?'
'If she can't find what she's looking for, why is she just loitering here?'
Qi Ping estimated that another wave of demon insects would arrive in about a day. If the woman in blue dealt with them, that would be fine; but if they flew toward the Blood Ginseng patch, he couldn't say for certain if it would trigger some mutation, and the secrets of that place would likely be exposed. This was even more infuriating than the waste of his time.
'What should I do?'
Qi Ping felt a surge of annoyance. Through his observations over the last two days, he had confirmed that this woman in blue was indeed searching for that black-robed rogue cultivator. Fortunately, he had already moved the corpse!
Perhaps because the black-robed man's aura had vanished or been extinguished here, the woman in blue continued to pace between the foot and the peak of No. 7 Mountain, refusing to depart. Just as Qi Ping was wavering, Manager Zhu suddenly rushed over. Under the woman's questioning, he pointed toward the peaks, lingering for a long while before finally leaving.
This was the final straw for Qi Ping. He knew that hiding forever was no longer an option.
'What must be faced, must be faced.'
'First, I'll conceal my aura and follow Manager Zhu to see if I can overhear anything.'
'If that fails, I'll have to meet this woman. She doesn't seem to harbor any direct ill intent.'
'But I must still guard against the unforeseen. The Ink-Armor Bee form combined with Level 3 Barkskin is enough to withstand the attacks of a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee. As long as I am ready to transform instantly, she shouldn't be able to harm me in a short time. The remaining five hundred High-speed Ring-cutter Bees just need to stay battle-ready.'
The principle of the Barkskin spell involved using energy to form a bark-like high-defense armor on the skin's surface. When paired with the Ink-Armor Bee's natural defense, it could even shrug off the damage of a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee. With the addition of one hundred and fifty newly matured High-speed Ring-cutter Bees over the last few days, Qi Ping felt he had enough confidence to face the woman.
He hadn't shown himself before simply because he preferred to avoid unnecessary complications. Now that even Manager Zhu was involved, staying hidden might only lead to more trouble later.
To his disappointment, after following Manager Zhu for some time with his aura concealed, he discovered the man didn't have the eccentric habit of talking to himself. However, Qi Ping didn't come away empty-handed. Aside from a bit of confusion in the manager's eyes, there were no signs of terror or other negative emotions. This indirectly proved that the situation wasn't too severe; otherwise, Manager Zhu's expression would never have been so relaxed.
This eased Qi Ping's worries significantly. After about an hour of mental preparation and refining his cover story, he returned from a direction far away from No. 7 Mountain.
Upon arriving at Heaven-Measuring Peak, he pretended to be in a hurry to check on his little black bees. His facial expressions transitioned seamlessly from anxiety to relief, and finally to happiness upon seeing the decent honey yield. There were no flaws in his performance. Such emotions were things Qi Ping had experienced many times; they weren't entirely faked, but rather a reflection of his genuine feelings over the years.
As he was tending to the bees, the handsome yet expressionless woman in blue suddenly appeared nearby, holding her ink-colored compass. To her disappointment, the compass showed no reaction to Qi Ping.
When Qi Ping turned and saw her, he first showed a flash of alarm, which then turned into trepidation upon noticing the unique patterns of the Qingyuan Sect on her robes.
"Highness... This humble one is Qi Ping. Greetings to the exalted one of the Qingyuan Sect!" Qi Ping cupped his fists and bowed respectfully.
The woman was likely younger than Qi Ping, but she was a future Foundation Establishment cultivator, perhaps even a Core Formation master. Calling her "Highness" was not an exaggeration.
"Are you the tenant of this mountain? How many years have you worked here?" Her voice was calm, not nearly as haughty or overbearing as he had imagined.
"Reporting to your highness, I have followed my master in beekeeping here for over five years. Due to the appearance of rogue cultivators and demon insects, my master returned to the mortal world half a month ago." Qi Ping remained bowed, his fists still clenched in nervous tension.
Seeing his state, the woman in blue told him to relax. "There is no need to be tense. Just answer my questions truthfully!"
"Yes, highness!"
Though he said it, Qi Ping kept his body stiff, playing the part of someone trying—and failing—to relax. Seeing this, she didn't press him further and continued her inquiry.
"Why were you not on the mountain these past few days? Where did you go?"
"In response to your highness, I went to..."
The woman asked several questions in rapid succession, and Qi Ping answered each one with trembling precision. He had rehearsed these answers many times, so there were no loopholes. She activated the ink-colored compass several more times, and after confirming that Qi Ping was indeed clean, she spoke to him one last time.
"I am tracking a late-stage Qi Refinement rogue cultivator, but his trail vanished here. He controls demon insects and is very dangerous."
"He may still be in the area. You should leave as soon as possible, or you may lose your life. However..." She paused, her tone shifting. "If you help me find him, I can give you two thousand spirit stones! This is a Resonating Jade Talisman. If you crush it, I can arrive swiftly..."
"Two thousand spirit stones?" Qi Ping's eyes widened.
Good heavens, as expected of a Qingyuan Sect disciple—she was truly wealthy! But what could that rogue cultivator have that was so valuable to her? His spirit stones were less than a thousand, and the Wood-Flame Manual and Fire Spirit Tempering Pill formula, while precious to Qi Ping, were likely nothing to an inner disciple of her caliber.
The only thing Qi Ping could think of was that eerie token.
In the eyes of the woman in blue, Qi Ping hesitated for a long time before finally accepting the jade talisman.
"Highness, I am willing!"
"Very well. I swear upon my identity as a disciple of the Qingyuan Sect that I shall not deceive you in this matter!"
After making a single-handed oath to the heavens, the woman turned and vanished. This final oath surprised Qi Ping. Cultivators did not swear oaths lightly; even the simplest vow carried the risk of breeding Heart Demons if violated.
'It seems the black-robed man possessed something vital to her.'
Of course, Qi Ping had no intention of earning those two thousand spirit stones. The karmic trouble involved would be immense, and he had no wish to be swept up in it.
For the next day, Qi Ping followed the routine of a normal beekeeper. This was a life he knew by heart, having lived it for over five years. The woman in blue watched him from the shadows for nearly an entire day before finally departing.
'Fortunately, she left before the demon insects appeared.'
After commanding the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees to slay the insects and swiftly cleaning up the remains, Qi Ping breathed a sigh of relief. If she had stayed any longer, his secret might have been exposed. Having wasted several days, his life of beekeeping and farming finally returned to its proper track.
'This is the comfortable life!'
Quietly farming and keeping bees was all he needed.
A week later, following a surge of spiritual energy, Qi Ping's cultivation broke through to the fourth level of Qi Refinement.
"Finally, I've reached the mid-stage of Qi Refinement!"
With the breakthrough, Qi Ping felt his physical condition improve significantly, and his lifespan had increased. This made him quite happy. The feeling of stepping toward longevity one stride at a time was wonderful.
"Now that I've reached the mid-stage and my High-speed Ring-cutter Bees have reached eight hundred, it's time to head to the Bluestone Market!"
He had been longing for a new animal companion for a long time. Now that he had ample spirit stones and the strength to protect himself, he was determined to find a suitable one this time.
"I hope Boss Gao is as capable as they say. After investigating for so long, he should have the available spirit beasts in Bluestone Market mapped out like the back of his hand..."
Qi Ping had some confidence in Boss Gao's intelligence-gathering abilities. The man could probably find out the color of a female cultivator's undergarments if the price was right. As long as spirit stones were involved, anything was possible.
"I hope I can find a companion that surprises me this time!"
After making full preparations, Qi Ping set out for the Bluestone Market with a heart full of anticipation.