Reed River City.

The sun hung high in the sky, marking midday. The streets buzzed with activity; pedestrians jostled for space while vendors hawked their wares with gusto. The broad avenues were filled not only with light carriages and fine steeds but also with spirit beasts of all shapes and sizes, pulling ornate sedan chairs as they sped by.

Bai Xirou strolled down the street, cradling a Four-Eyed Spirit Fox in her arms. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took in the bustling scene. Having grown up in the secluded Falling Cloud Valley, this was her first time experiencing such vibrant city life.

The fox in her arms shared her excitement, its round, bright eyes darting from side to side, taking in everything.

Bai Xirou wore a light yellow dress that accentuated her graceful figure. Her raven-black hair cascaded like a cloud, her waist was slender as a willow, and her features were exquisite—white teeth and vermilion lips. She looked like an ethereal lotus, clean and otherworldly, causing many passersby to steal frequent glances.

If not for the faint, almost imperceptible aura of a cultivator emanating from her, someone would likely have already approached her to strike up a conversation.

Although Reed River City had a mixed population of mortals and immortals, most of the cultivators here were merely Qi Refining realm loose cultivators. A late Foundation Building existence like Bai Xirou was more than enough to deter the vast majority of petty troublemakers.

“Sister Bai, look! That person’s candied hawthorn skewers look really delicious. Can we buy two sticks to try?”

Spotting a vendor selling candied hawthorn, the fox demon’s mouth watered so much it was about to drool. It immediately clamored to go buy some.

Bai Xirou reached out and patted the fox’s head.

“Alright then. But you must exercise moderation. Eating too much will upset your stomach.”

The fox demon said weakly, “Sister, I’ve already reached Foundation Building. I could eat the whole stall and my stomach would be fine…”

Hearing this, Bai Xirou nodded and led it toward the street-side stall.

She had traveled through mortal villages and towns during sect missions before, so she naturally knew that common folk traded with copper coins, silver, or gold, while only cultivators used spirit stones.

After buying the candied hawthorn for the fox, Bai Xirou was about to leave when a delicate, sweet female voice called out from beside her.

“Sister, please stay a moment.”

Realizing someone was calling her, Bai Xirou paused slightly and turned to look. A young girl of about fifteen or sixteen was standing not far away, smiling warmly at her.

The girl was quite pretty, though her complexion was slightly pale. A faint ripple of mana emanated from her body—she was actually an early Foundation Building cultivator.

“Little sister, is there something you need from me?”

Bai Xirou asked with some confusion, while secretly surprised in her heart.

To possess such cultivation at such a young age meant her talent could be considered top-tier.

Behind the girl, several servants dressed as house guards and maids followed closely.

This group of servants had evidently been disciplined well; they stood quietly with eyes lowered, noses aligned with hearts, standing still as statues so as not to interrupt their master’s conversation.

“Sister, you are truly beautiful. Even the men on the street are staring dumbfounded.”

The girl covered her mouth and chuckled lightly before continuing. “My name is An Cailan. My father is An Lingxiu, the City Lord of this city. The moment I saw you, I felt a special kinship, which is why I took the liberty to disturb you. I hope I didn’t startle you?”

“So it’s Sister An. My apologies for the disrespect.”

After hearing the girl’s introduction, Bai Xirou immediately understood, and her expression softened.

As neighbors, the relationship between Reed River City and Falling Cloud Valley had always been excellent; the two sides were considered allies who watched out for each other.

The City Lord, An Lingxiu, was originally a high-ranking official in the imperial court. He had been exiled here to guard this region after losing power in a political struggle. With the strength of the mid-Golden Core stage, he count be considered a top expert within Reed River City.

Most importantly, An Lingxiu still retained many old connections within the Great Xia Imperial Court. His clan in the distant capital even boasted a Soul Formation stage Grand Cultivator. With such a background, even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators would treat him with a degree of courtesy.

The two women exchanged pleasantries for a while before An Cailan smiled faintly and spoke in a soft voice.

“Sister Bai, a mid-Foundation Building stage Ghost Face Moth has recently appeared outside the city. This demonic moth frequently attacks passing travelers and merchant caravans. In just half a month, it has already killed dozens of innocent commoners.”

“My father just issued a bounty, calling on cultivators within the city to hunt and kill this demonic moth. As his daughter, I naturally don’t want to stand idly by.”

“To stop the moth from slaughtering the innocent, I’ve already arranged to meet with several Foundation Building stage loose cultivators. I’d like to invite you, Sister, to join us outside the city to hunt the moth. After the deed is done, the City Lord’s Manor will surely offer a generous reward.”

An Cailan laid out her entire plan. After finishing, she looked at Bai Xirou with a face full of hope, her eyes shining with earnest light.

“This…”

After hearing the girl’s narrative, Bai Xirou revealed a look of hesitation. She spoke indecisively, “The reward isn’t necessary. Even for the sake of the city’s people, I’m willing to help.”

“However, I still have a companion handling matters in the city. It wouldn’t be right to leave without a word. How about you tell me the area where the moth is active first? Once my companion returns, I’ll go out of the city to help you eliminate that moth. How does that sound?”

“Alright then. This map has the moth’s activity range marked on it. You can find us there. I’ll go meet up with the others first…”

An Cailan sighed with a hint of regret. She then took out a map depicting the terrain around Reed River City from her storage ring, handed it to Bai Xirou, and hurriedly left with her servants.

Not long after.

“Junior Brother Qi, you’re back!”

Spotting Qi Yuan approaching, Bai Xirou, who was strolling with the fox in her arms, felt her beautiful eyes light up. She immediately went up to greet him with joy.

Looking at the smiling Bai Xirou, Qi Yuan quickened his pace, feeling a pang of guilt.

“My business is finished. Let’s go.”

Bai Xirou smiled gently. “You’ve worked hard.”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan’s expression became somewhat unnatural.

“Not hard at a—”

Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed slightly, and he asked in a grave tone:

“Eldest Senior Sister, did you meet anyone during the time I was away?”

At this moment, he detected a faint, almost imperceptible trace of… Ghost Qi on Bai Xirou!

Even in broad daylight, this Ghost Qi lingered and refused to disperse, proving that its owner was of a high grade—at least at the level of a Nascent Soul Ghost General.

Has Bai Xirou been targeted by some ghost entity?

With this thought, Qi Yuan’s brow furrowed tightly, and a sharp glint of killing intent flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Seeing his serious demeanor, Bai Xirou couldn’t help but frown slightly. She nodded and said:

“I just met An Cailan, the daughter of the Reed River City Lord. She invited me to go outside the city to eliminate a demon, along with several Foundation Building stage loose cultivators.”

As she spoke, she took the map out from her sleeve and pointed to a small circle marked in red. “The Ghost Face Moth they want to kill is in this area. They’ve probably already arrived there by now.”

Sure enough, the Ghost Qi is emanating from this map!

“Let’s go.” Qi Yuan’s gaze sharpened as he spoke immediately. “We’ll go find that group right now.”

This matter concerned Bai Xirou’s safety. If he didn’t figure out exactly what was going on, he would absolutely not let this rest.