Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Xia Fei Valley Butterflies

If Fei Xia butterflies were raised from a young age and formed a contract with a cultivator, they could serve as their master’s eyes. They could scout places their master couldn’t conveniently enter. Because their bodies were the same size as mortal butterflies, they were easy to overlook.

Yun Xi’s mission this time was to collect the powder from Fei Xia butterfly wings, and also gather some butterfly eggs.

After arriving at Xia Fei Valley, Yun Xi got off the flying boat with other cultivators who shared her destination.

She had only taken two steps when two young boys walked up, enthusiastic but polite as they asked, “Senior, is this your first time at Xia Fei Valley? If you want to capture Fei Xia butterflies, it’s best to buy a distribution map of Fei Xia butterflies inside the valley. An elder in our family entered the valley yesterday to investigate, so it’s guaranteed to be the latest map. It’s only five low-grade spirit stones.”

Yun Xi glanced at them. She could tell they were rogue cultivators, but they probably had a Foundation Establishment elder teaching them at home. Even though they were only mid-stage Qi Refining, they spoke neither servilely nor arrogantly. It was clear they had stayed here a long time and were familiar with Xia Fei Valley.

“Alright. Give me one,” Yun Xi said.

Yun Xi tossed five low-grade spirit stones to them and received a jade slip.

After taking the stones, the two boys clasped their hands and thanked her. “We wish you a bountiful harvest in Xia Fei Valley, Senior.”

They didn’t pester her any further. They ran off toward the next unfamiliar face, clearly continuing to sell their maps.

Yun Xi had already swept through the jade slip’s contents with her spiritual sense. She felt the five spirit stones were well spent. Not only did it mark where Fei Xia butterflies had rested the previous day, it also marked routes where they might move.

Whenever Fei Xia butterflies laid eggs, they would always change locations. They knew cultivators loved their eggs, so to avoid being wiped out in one sweep, the mother butterflies would scatter their eggs in different places throughout the valley. That way, even if cultivators found some, part of the next generation could still be preserved.

Yun Xi didn’t even need to guess. The outer area of Xia Fei Valley had already been searched like a carpet by the cultivators entering the valley. There probably weren’t many leftovers. So she wanted to check the back valley, but the map didn’t mark the back valley’s situation.

Just then, a young girl sidled up to Yun Xi. She smiled before speaking. “Senior, I have a distribution map of Fei Xia butterflies deeper inside Xia Fei Valley. My mother took a risk to scout it, and she was even injured. Do you need it, Senior?”

“How many spirit stones?” Yun Xi asked.

“Ten low-grade spirit stones.”

It was twice as expensive as before. Before Yun Xi could respond, the young girl quickly explained, “Senior, someone already bought my map and found two Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly eggs. It’s absolutely worth it.”

A Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly was equivalent to the Golden Core Stage. Its offspring really were worth spirit stones. That piqued Yun Xi’s interest. She tossed the girl ten low-grade spirit stones, and just as she was about to take the jade slip, Dian Dian sent a voice transmission: “Master, be careful! There’s something dirty on that jade slip.”

Yun Xi didn’t pause at all. She simply covered her entire right hand in a layer of spiritual energy, then took the jade slip with a calm face. The young girl visibly relaxed, pocketed the spirit stones, and turned to leave.

“Dian Dian, what did you smell?” Yun Xi asked through a voice transmission, looking down at Dian Dian in her arms.

“Master, can you let me smell it carefully? I feel like the scent on it is familiar,” Dian Dian replied.

“Fine. Let’s find a place to rest first, then we’ll enter the valley,” Yun Xi said.

Yun Xi swept her gaze around and found that the entrance to the valley had formed into a small town. It was small, but it had everything. She headed straight for a teahouse. Places like that were usually where news gathered. The people were mixed, but it often meant unexpected gains.

The waiter was a mortal. He treated Yun Xi with deep respect and guided her to a small private room on the second floor, then went to prepare tea.

After he left, Yun Xi tossed the jade slip the girl had given her onto the table. Then she grabbed Dian Dian out of her arms and let it sniff carefully.

Once Dian Dian landed on the table, it shook out its fur first. Then it cautiously twitched its nose and sniffed around the jade slip in a circle before sending a voice transmission: “Master, I’ve definitely smelled this before. Last time, in Wan Ruo Forest, when we ran into evil cultivators, they left a mark on the bottom of your boot. This jade slip smells the same, only stronger.”

Yun Xi’s eyes flashed. She felt trouble coming for her again.

“Dian Dian, are you sure?” Yun Xi asked.

“Master, I’m sure. Dian Dian’s nose is never wrong,” Dian Dian said, standing up straight as if swearing an oath.

Now that she knew the jade slip had a problem, Yun Xi didn’t plan to check its map at all. She flicked her sleeve and swept the jade slip into a corner of the room.

Right then, the waiter knocked on the door with spirit tea. Only after receiving permission did he enter. He set the tea and cups down and started to leave, but Yun Xi stopped him. She tossed him a low-grade spirit stone. “I want to ask about something.”

The waiter quickly took the stone and asked respectfully, “Immortal Master, what would you like to ask?”

“Has anything interesting happened at Xia Fei Valley lately?” Yun Xi asked.

The waiter couldn’t tell exactly what Yun Xi wanted to know. After thinking carefully, he said, “Xia Fei Valley is always lively, with cultivators coming and going. But most people stay active in the front valley. Very few go to the back valley. It’s said there’s a Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly there.

“Some time ago, a cultivator broke into the back valley and brought out two butterfly eggs. They said they were eggs from that Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly. They also said that because it had just laid eggs, that Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly was in a weakened period, so they were able to succeed.

“After that, some bold cultivators bought maps from that cultivator and went to the back valley too.

“Later, a Golden Core Master bought those two Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly eggs for a high price. He also spread the word that he wanted more eggs like that, so another wave of cultivators went to Xia Fei Valley’s back valley.”

As she listened, Yun Xi rubbed Dian Dian in her hands, looking thoughtful. Then she asked, “After that, did any cultivators who entered the valley successfully bring back butterfly eggs?”

“Yes,” the waiter said. “Yesterday, one cultivator came out of the valley covered in injuries. After selling the butterfly eggs to that Golden Core Master, he went into seclusion to heal. As for whether any other cultivators came back, I don’t know.”

“Alright. You can go,” Yun Xi said.

After sending the waiter away, Yun Xi said to Dian Dian, “Dian Dian, did you catch anything from that?”

Dian Dian’s black ears twitched, and its black-bean eyes blinked. “The ones luring cultivators into the back valley are evil cultivators. I just don’t know whether that Golden Core cultivator is working with them.”

Yun Xi smiled slightly. “Dian Dian, your guess is right, but it’s based on you smelling the evil cultivator’s scent. Those cultivators don’t know that. They just want to earn more spirit stones, so they risk going up against that Third Rank Fei Xia butterfly.

“But if every cultivator who entered the back valley never returned, it would definitely make people suspicious. So they know how to cast a long line to catch a big fish. They let a small number of cultivators succeed in getting eggs and even return safely.

“Even if those people came back badly injured, they still gained something. It proves that opportunities come with danger, and that makes other cultivators believe it more. Any cultivator with a brain knows spirit stones don’t just fall from the sky for free.”