After working for both the righteous and demonic factions, I became a big shot.

The leader in charge of this investigation was Youmingzi, who, along with two of his personal disciples, set off from the Divine Demon Sect for Qinglong Market.

This person holds a high position within the sect, possesses the cultivation level of the early stage of the Void Refinement Realm, and has been in charge of the Discipline Hall for many years. He is always calm and composed in his actions.

The fact that the Grand Elder sent him on this secret mission was part of his duties, since the righteous sects have a history of sending spies into the demonic sects, and many demonic sects have already suffered losses because of this.

Normally, investigations like this should be conducted discreetly, but as soon as Youmingzi arrived at the outskirts of Qinglong Market, he discovered that he couldn't "keep it under the radar" at all.

The Qinglong Market, which he remembered as dilapidated and deserted, has now changed dramatically.

A brand-new archway was erected at the entrance of the market, with the four characters "Qinglong Market" written on it. The characters were powerful and vigorous, and the archway was painted with gold and red lacquer. It looked magnificent from afar.

Two guards, dressed in uniform short-sleeved uniforms, stood on either side of the archway. They had ritual implements hanging from their waists and stood upright, clearly indicating that they had received proper training.

Youmingzi was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the disciples beside him, both of whom looked equally bewildered.

The last time they came to Qinglong Market was two years ago. Back then, there wasn't even a proper gate. The roads inside were full of potholes, and a few rogue cultivators squatted by the roadside selling ordinary spiritual materials. It was deserted and quiet, a stark contrast to the scene today.

"Let's go in and take a look." Youmingzi led the team inside, wanting to see for himself whether his initial judgment was wrong.

What kind of things can that boy in the Qi Refining stage achieve?

Once inside the market, he realized that he had underestimated the changes there.

Almost all the shops on both sides of the main street were open, with newly renovated facades and neatly hung signs. The variety of goods, from spiritual materials, pills, and magic tools to cultivation manuals and spirit beast cubs, was so complete that even he was somewhat surprised.

Although these items are of low quality, they are complete.

There were countless independent cultivators coming and going on the road, with long queues in front of many stalls, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining rising and falling.

Youmingzi deliberately slowed down his pace, first stopping in front of a shop selling medicinal herbs, pretending to select goods, and chatting with the shop owner for a few words.

"Shopkeeper, how long have you been open?"

"I've only been here for a little over a month." The shop owner, a rogue cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, was busy organizing his goods and didn't even look up as he spoke.

"What's wrong, fellow cultivator? Do you have something you want to offer?"

"No, I was just asking casually."

Youmingzi smiled and asked, "How's your business this month?"

The shopkeeper finally raised his head, looked him up and down, and grinned, "Alright, I've been stuck in Xuan Yin Market for a year, and I haven't earned as much as I have in this one month."

"Oh? So why did you suddenly decide to move here? As far as I know, Qinglongfang Market isn't as good as the one next door."

The shopkeeper chuckled, "They've already lost all credibility after being attacked twice by righteous cultivators. Besides, they're currently merging with our Azure Dragon Market."

"From now on, we'll all be from the same market, so why distinguish between yours and mine?"

"Besides, the rent will be cheaper after the merger. Our Qinglong Market has clear rules, and the Golden Core stage masters from Lanyue Peak personally manage the security. If anything happens, someone will take responsibility. Unlike before, when you paid the stall fee and then no one cared about anything."

Youmingzi nodded and then browsed through a few more shops.

After asking around, I got similar answers: the environment here is safe, the rent is cheap, and the people in charge don't bully others.

Especially when it comes to the market supervisors, almost all the shop owners speak with an air of "I can never repay the emperor's kindness in this lifetime."

Then came the questioning of Mo Ya, Mo Xiaoxiao, and the others.

The two, who had secretly written a letter of complaint to the sect a long time ago, were now speaking in a completely different tone.

"An undercover agent? Impossible!"

"If Junior Brother Shen is an undercover agent, we two will never allow it!"

"We'd stake our lives on it; Junior Brother Shen is absolutely devoted to the sect's development!"

Upon hearing this, Youmingzi stopped investigating. What was there left to investigate? It was just like what he had said before.

Shen An is a talent! He's a talent that their Divine Demon Sect has been burying, and he's exactly the kind of talent they need right now!

How could his judgment have been wrong back then?

..........

As for Shen An, after three days of torment, he finally got a vacation.

He left the sect and headed straight for Qinglong Market.

Moreover, they deliberately concealed their presence, mainly because this wasn't an undercover investigation, but a rendezvous.

In an inconspicuous tea room, the aloof female swordswoman Feng Qingyu and her junior sister Feng Xiaoyu were already waiting.

"Miss Qingyu, Miss Xiaoyu..." Shen An clasped his hands in greeting and then sat down opposite Feng Qingyu.

Today, Feng Qingyu was dressed in a gray training uniform and carried an ordinary short sword. Her face, without any makeup, paired with her high ponytail, although she didn't have the imposing aura of a swordsman walking among mortals when we first met, she was still clearly a cold and aloof swordsman cultivator.

Feng Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was dressed as a maid, with two maid buns in her hair and a blue dress, looking very cute.

"Junior, you're quite something! You've transformed Qinglong Market in just a few months," Feng Xiaoyu praised.

She's not very old and doesn't mince words, so the fact that she took the initiative to praise her shows that the changes in Qinglongfang City have indeed exceeded her expectations.

Shen An smiled, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Miss Xiaoyu, you flatter me. I was just lucky, and it was all thanks to the support of our Sword Pavilion. If we're talking about real skills, I can't compare to the fellow Daoists of the Sword Pavilion who are out there slaying demons and monsters."

Feng Xiaoyu's eyes crinkled with delight at his words: "You certainly know how to talk."

Feng Qingyu sat opposite Shen An and hadn't said a word since Shen An entered the room.

She was dressed simply today, and her gray training clothes made her face look even more aloof, but the cup of tea in her hand had already been refilled twice, indicating that she had been waiting for quite some time.

Shen An saw this but didn't rush to ask about the important matter. Instead, he poured her another cup of hot tea.

"Miss Feng, I am late and have kept you waiting. It should be me who is visiting you, not you. I feel really bad that you have to come all this way."

Feng Qingyu glanced at him, her expression still indifferent, but she still took a small sip of the tea he poured. Shen An's attitude made her feel quite comfortable.

"It's alright. Your cultivation level isn't high, and running around recklessly would only lead to trouble."

Although what you said is true, it's a bit hurtful.

She paused, placed the cup on the table, and continued, "Do you still remember what happened last time when I mentioned you were an undercover agent for my Sword Pavilion, enjoying the privileges of an outer disciple?"

Shen An nodded: "Of course. It is my great honor to become a disciple of my Sword Pavilion. I will never forget the kindness of the two young ladies."

Feng Qingyu seemed satisfied with his attitude, so she stopped with pleasantries and got straight to the point: "I came to see you because the inner sect competition of the Divine Demon Sect is coming soon."

Shen An's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "Yes, less than a month."

Feng Qingyu tapped her jade-like hand holding the sword lightly on the table: "Our Sword Pavilion would like to take this opportunity to investigate something."

Shen An didn't rush to answer, but patiently waited for her to continue.

Feng Qingyu continued, "It's not that I want you to do anything, after all, your cultivation level is too low."

"According to our information, during the Inner Sect Grand Competition, several scrolls of martial arts manuals will be taken out from the Scripture Pavilion as rewards for the winning disciples. One of them is a fragment of a sword manual that our Sword Pavilion lost a hundred years ago."

When she said the words "incomplete sword manual", her tone was calm, but Shen An noticed that her fingers on the table tightened slightly.

"You just need to help us confirm one thing: whether the torn book is really on this reward list. If you can confirm it, we will take care of the rest."

After listening, Shen An quickly made up his mind.

This matter is neither a big deal nor a small one.

He only helped "confirm" an item on a reward list; he didn't actually steal anything. Even if it were discovered later, it wouldn't constitute a serious crime.

On the other hand, if this matter is accomplished, the favor done to the Jiange side will be immense.

At least that's how it is with Feng Qingyu.

However, this also suggests that Sword Pavilion may have other spies and arrangements within the Divine Demon Sect.

Just then, a jade pendant in Shen An's storage bag suddenly lit up.

This is how Mount Emei contacted him!

.........