Chapter 48: Tushan Yaya, Completely Bamboozled

A sudden voice from behind made Yang Qingyuan pause instantly.

"You humans are just too shameless!!!"

Yang Qingyuan turned his head to see Tushan Yaya glaring at him with a face full of fury.

Clearly, the little vixen had heard every word of his conversation just now.

"Why are you eavesdropping on other people's conversations?" Wangquan Zui glared at Tushan Yaya with a look of displeasure.

"Who was eavesdropping? I just happened to walk by while you were talking about this."

Tushan Yaya let out a cold snort. For the longest time, she could not understand why those Taoist priests were so weak yet so fond of running to Tushan just to get beaten up. Weren't they simply asking for a thrashing out of sheer malice?

It wasn't until today that Tushan Yaya finally understood the reason behind it. After all this time, they were treating Tushan as a stepping stone to earn prestige and merit!

The very thought of her elder sister and herself working themselves to the bone day in and day out to fend off these Taoist priests' attacks, and even having to hold back so as not to kill them, made Tushan Yaya's blood boil with anger.

"Miss Yaya, you can scold them all you want, but we've never attacked Tushan, you know."

"Hmph, who knows if you'll end up just like them later on..."

Yang Qingyuan chuckled softly, choosing not to argue too much with her.

"We are about to leave Tushan. Is there something you wanted from us?"

"I heard Rongrong say that all of you Mask members have some sort of organization?"

Yang Qingyuan froze slightly before giving a nod.

"Yes, that's right. Our organization is called the Mask. What about it?"

"Do the members of your organization go around upholding justice for others just like last time?"

"Yup, I suppose you could call that our routine daily task."

Upon receiving Yang Qingyuan's affirmative reply, a bright gleam suddenly flashed across Tushan Yaya's eyes.

In a way, Tushan Yaya's personality was remarkably similar to those of the Mask members.

They were all humans and spirits who could not tolerate any injustice and possessed a fiercely strong sense of righteousness in their hearts.

Seeing the spark in Tushan Yaya's eyes, a bold idea suddenly popped into Yang Qingyuan's mind.

"Miss Yaya, would you... be interested in joining us?"

As he spoke, a cryptic smile crept up the corner of Yang Qingyuan's mouth.

"What?"

Before Tushan Yaya could reply, Wangquan Zui let out a startled cry first.

"Qingyuan, have you lost your mind? She's a spirit!" Wangquan Zui whispered urgently in Yang Qingyuan's ear.

"I know. So what? When the Mask was founded, your brother never said its members strictly had to be human, did he?"

Yang Qingyuan nodded with a calm expression.

"That's not..."

At that moment, Wangquan Zui felt that the world had truly gone mad. Being around Yang Qingyuan always exposed her to things that completely subverted her worldview.

"My brother and the others definitely won't agree to this, right?"

"That's easy to fix. Why not just establish a spirit branch for the Mask organization?"

Wangquan Zui: "..."

Watching the two of them whispering to each other right in front of her, Tushan Yaya instantly grew a bit annoyed.

"Hey, I haven't even said I wanted to join yet, have I?"

"Miss Yaya, don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Think it over carefully. Joining us not only grants you immunity and exemption for acting as a chivalrous hero, but it also allows you to explore the truth of this world alongside us!"

"The truth of this world?" Tushan Yaya paused slightly.

"That's right. You must know about the three great spirit kingdoms and the boundary circle of the Taoist Alliance, right?"

"Mhm, I know."

"Then aren't you curious about who left that circle behind? What was the purpose of leaving it there? And what kind of scene truly lies beyond the circle?"

A trace of yearning flashed through Tushan Yaya's eyes.

She had to admit, she was tempted.

Every single word from Yang Qingyuan sounded like a devil's whisper, repeatedly enticing her to make her choice.

Seeing that the timing was just right, Yang Qingyuan delivered the ultimate finishing blow.

"Let me tell you, geniuses like me are a dime a dozen in the Mask. Once everyone gets to know each other, you can spar with whoever you want.

Besides, isn't your sister's wish to achieve peace between humans and spirits?

Once you get chummy with these geniuses from the Taoist Alliance's noble families, won't you be able to help your sister along the path of achieving human-spirit peace?"

Without a doubt, invoking Tushan Honghong's name was an absolute killer move for Tushan Yaya!

Because for a sister-con like Tushan Yaya, everything else could take a backseat, but her elder sister was absolute, supreme, and completely unique!

"You mean... I can help my sister?"

"Of course, I guarantee it."

Watching Tushan Yaya, who was practically completely bewitched and "hoodwinked" by Yang Qingyuan, a trace of complexity flashed through Wangquan Zui's eyes.

She never expected things to turn out this way.

Although she inexplicably felt a sense of annoyance every time she met Tushan Yaya, she had to admit that this little vixen was indeed very pure-hearted.

She was carefree, harborer of no malicious schemes, and wore whatever was on her mind right across her face.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Yang Qingyuan wanted to invite her to join the Mask?

However, not resenting Tushan Yaya's personality did not mean she felt entirely indifferent about Tushan Yaya being a spirit.

No matter what, the undeniable reality was that conflicts between humans and spirits persisted continuously.

Interacting too closely with spirits at a time like this made Wangquan Zui worry that this might not bode well for Yang Qingyuan.

"Fine! I'll join!"

In the end, unable to resist Yang Qingyuan's "seduction," Tushan Yaya resolutely chose to join.

"Welcome, Miss Yaya. From today onward, you are the very first member of the Mask organization's spirit branch!"

"Spirit branch? What's that supposed to mean?" Tushan Yaya blinked in confusion.

"When the Mask was first founded, its initial members were all geniuses from the major families of the Taoist Alliance, and everyone was human. Therefore, traveling to the territory of Maritime Taoist Alliance with your identity might carry a slight risk.

However, we've recently shifted our activity locations from the Taoist Alliance to the Four Great Spirit Kingdoms, so operating together shouldn't pose any problems.

Oh, and if you meet any like-minded individuals in the future, you are welcome to invite them to join the organization yourself."

Yes, like Dongfang Yuechu, for instance.

Since those two troublemaking masterminds of punishing the wicked and promoting goodness were destined to be paired up, it was best to gather them whenever possible...

"Alright, I understand!"

A hint of joy flashed across Tushan Yaya's face.

Back in Tushan, her elder sister Tushan Honghong had to protect Tushan, and her younger sister Tushan Rongrong had to manage Tushan, leaving virtually no one to play with Tushan Yaya.

Now, though she didn't quite know what kind of organization she had just joined, it at least sounded like it would be a lot of fun.

"So, do we have any activities coming up next?"

"Well, before long, we should be heading to Southern Kingdom..."