Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 37: Blooded Fist Fighting Ring

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"So... Where are we heading?" Li Ji asked.

"First we'll stop at Redscale City for supplies, and then we'll head into the Ashen Mountains to hunt."

Redscale City was a mid-sized metropolis founded around a volcanic mountain range. The ash and heat made the soil fertile, and the mountains were incredibly ripe with rare minerals, especially those based around Fire or Lava Qi, as well as the rare parts of numerous spirit beasts and plants that thrived in the hot temperature. There was an entrance to Meng's Hollowed Veins in the Ashen Mountains, and a Voidmouth of the Folded Seas in a nearby lake, making it perfect as a hub for trade in the region.

The city and mountains were ruled by the dragon-blooded Redscale Clan. One of the many second rates power that were allowed to exist under the reign of the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect that dominated the Bird Talon Continent.

"Ashen Mountains? I thought that was an exclusive sacred cultivation ground for members of the Redscale Clan?" Li Ji wondered aloud.

"It is."

"...B-boss! We can't just march into a Clan's sacred ground for a hunt...That's trespassing!"

"It's fine," Bing Meilu waved her hand. "So long as you bribe the gatekeeper, they don't mind. And they're old friends of the Moon-Crying Swan Palace, so I doubt they would mind."

'Back in my first life, I went on many dragon hunts there. I wonder if Hongyi will have started working the barrier by the time I arrive? Wait, counting, he's what, five years old right now? Jeez, this makes me feel old. Junior sister Ruan Hua won't be born for another six years, and Shui Wu won't be born for another century!'

"I am a Wanted criminal in Redscale City, Boss." Jiang Hu suddenly interrupted. "I do not know if this is a good idea."

Bing Meilu turned to look at him in confusion. How did a member of the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada become Wanted in a mid-sized city not even that close to the Sect?

"Why?"

"It's a bit of a long story. Before I joined the sect I was just a simple bandit, making my living looting small trade caravans. One day, I happened upon a caravan containing a member of the Redscale Clan. I managed to defeat him and steal his cultivation method. It turned out I had a talent for cultivation, and so I began to use his method."

That did explain where Jiang Hu had gotten his draconic flame-based cultivation method. It was not a connection she had noticed, but in hindsight, he was not exactly hiding it.

'Crimson Dragon Faction - Redscale Clan. It makes sense. I didn't recognize his cultivation method though. Compared to Flame Princess Xiyi's, it's complete trash. I suppose he must have robbed someone from a side branch of the clan, not allowed the real potent manuals.' Bing Meilu pondered.

"After that, I began to be actively hunted by cultivators, so I ended up founding my own bandit group, seeking out other Wanted cultivators. We established the Crimson Saber Bandits. Later, a few of us more talented members managed to pass the Armada's trial and join, including Xi Fu, Shang Bolin and Mu Gong. Together we founded the Crimson Dragon Faction. Those who aren't Wanted, like Li Ji and the Elemental Four only joined us later.

"Xi Fu? You're Wanted as well?" she turned to the spear cultivator, brows furrowed in annoyance.

Jiang Hu was one thing, but the most talented member of her faction being a Wanted criminal was not ideal for her. Losing his Spear would be a blow to the growth and strength of her faction.

"Uh, yes, Boss," the man sheepishly admitted.

"So am I!" said one of the outer circle faction members.

"...Raise your hand if you're a wanted criminal in Redscale City?" Bing Meilu sighed in annoyance.

Jiang Hu, Xi Fu, and four of the outer circle members including both Foundation Establishment lieutenants, raised their hands.

'Six out of nineteen. It could be worse... But this may be problematic. Stealing a cultivation member is a huge offence, and the fact Jiang Hu actually used one of their stolen manuals to join up with the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada would be completely humiliating to the Clan if it came out. Thankfully I already had him switch to a new method. Plausible deniability at least.'

"Hmm, if it's just banditry, it should be acceptable. So long as we don't flaunt him or his methods, I doubt anyone will recognize him," Bing Meilu said. "So long as we're careful... actually, what are the rest of you Wanted for?"

"I got drunk and ate the treasured mascot pig of a major trading corporation," said Shang Bolin, one of the second realm outer circles. "Along with several other charges of indecency and disrupting the harmony in a public space."

"I stole an extremely valuable item from an auction house," the other, Mu Gong shrugged. "Probably other stuff I don't even remember."

'All of that should be manageable. Debt can pay off a debt, and we can hide Jiang Hu's real identity. Even if we are found out, the identity of Armada members should offer protection...Thank the Heavens no one here has actually done something that would seriously piss off a powerful member of the city's aristocracy in a way that cannot be compensated for-'

"I, uh, slept with the fiancee of a nobleman's son." Xi Fu admitted, with an awkward expression.

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow, sighing.

"...And his sister. And several of his cousins... and maids."

'This is going to be an issue isn't it?'

"You- you what?! How the hell are you still alive?" Li Ji's eyes boggled.

"Well, actually, his mother owed me a favour. She got in the way of him using any of his family's resources to send someone to hunt me down."

" And why did she owe you a favour?" the steward pressed, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Xi Fu looked even more embarrassed.

"... She got into an argument with her husband, so she hired me to seduce and impregnate his favourite concubine, so he'd spend his life raising a child that wasn't his," he explained. "That's actually how I got acquainted with his son's fiancee."

Li Ji's jaw dropped. Even several of the other faction members looked at him in shock and discomfort. Many of them were bandits, extortionists and blackmailers, but there were just some things a man should not do to another man! Xi Fu shrugged awkwardly at the looks.

"It was a long time ago anyways..." he defended himself.

"I knew you were easy Xi Fu..." Li Ji shook his head in exasperation. "But I didn't know it was like this. Are you not even worried about catching a disease?"

"Actually, I have a Qi technique that-"

"This conversation is over," Bing Meilu interrupted, eyes narrowed. "You won't sully my pristine ears with any more details of your filth."

'I knew the Crimson Dragon Faction were involved in crime when I took them over... I did not expect this. Oh well, no use crying over spilt tea. I'll just have to be very, very careful. '

"Li Ji, how many spirit stones do we have?" she changed the topic of conversation.

"We have seven hundred twenty-three first-rank spirit stones and seven second-rank ones."

"Hmm... That won't be enough for the amount of healing items we are going to need."

"Are- are we going to need a lot of healing items?" Li Ji asked hesitantly.

Bing Meilu slowly turned to stare at him unblinkingly. It was a dragon hunt. What exactly did he think?

---

Slowly the BMFS Faction marched through the forest until the ground changed to wide grassland. They were around halfway to Redscale City when Ji Hui suddenly interrupted.

"Boss, I've noticed the tracks of a strong Spirit Dog in the area. If I go seek them out for the Beast-Man Becoming Art, It should help me advance my cultivation!"

"You know, we are about to head into a mountain range filled with beings descended from Dragons. Why don't you select something a little more ferocious than a Spirit Dog, like a Red Drake or a Magma Wyrm?" his boss suggested.

"I'm sorry Boss- I respect the Spirit Dog too much to go for the easy path to power. I must follow my Destiny!"

Bing Meilu resisted the urge to slap herself in the face. She kept forgetting she was speaking to an idiot.

"Nothing out here will have the strength of something in the Redscale Mountains," Xi Fu pointed out, yawning. "You really should consider that."

"Like... a Fire-Qi Spirit-Dog! Xi Fu, you really are a genius! I never would have thought of that!" Ji Hui's eyes widened as if he had received a wondrous revelation.

Xi Fu blinked in confusion, before shaking his head. Bing Meilu sighed. At least someone understood her pain.

Several days later, ashen-gray mountaintops began to appear upon the horizon. They had caught sight of their destination. The massive walled city stretched out for miles, as far as the eyes could see. Massive gates sat at regular intervals across the ash-grey walls, huge roads filled with trade caravans and wagons of material stretched out from the gates. They were filled with minerals, rare spirit herbs and monster parts. Of course, a good portion of it what she saw would make its way into the coffers of the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada in the form of taxes and levies.

They had already agreed upon a cover story, and Jiang Hu and the other Wanted members were all disguised and not allowed to use their real names. Leaving them off in a forest somewhere while the innocent members gathered materials was an option as well, but Bing Meilu did not want six Wanted criminals alone near the city outside of her sight, where they may be spotted and captured.

The nineteen of them strode up to the main gate. They were cultivators and disciples of the region's hegemon sect. Naturally, they would not be waiting in line with the plebs. Bing Meilu approached the gates. She did not bother speaking, merely flashing her identity token, proclaiming her a Private of the Armada.

Besides her a long line of merchants tourism and other travellers waited, watching in envy, awe and annoyance, as the gates opened to make way for them. Redscale City was not the closest city to the Port, so they likely didn't receive many visits from Armada cultivators, but it was still not an incredibly rare occurrence.

"Might I ask what reason has caused these honoured guests to grace our humble city?" a guard in Foundation asked, bowing politely to them.

His face was covered in irregular patches of red scales pushing through his skin, a sign of the fiery draconic bloodline that served as the foundation of the Redscale clan.

'His are quite ugly. They looked quite nice on Xiyi, but I suppose her bloodline would have been much stronger than this random guard.'

"Just to purchase and sell some items for personal use. We won't stay for too long."

The guard's eyes flicked over Jiang Hu, who stood silently, draped in a hood. Bing Meilu tensed. Were things about to grow dicey?

"Honor brother, do you happen to be a member of the Redscale clan?" the guard suddenly asked, smiling in excitement. "Those scales and fiery energy are just like ours."

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow. She turned to look at Jiang Hu and then blinked in realization. With the irregular patches of scales from his uncontrollable cultivation of the Redscale Drake's Metamorphosis, and the fiery draconic aura, he did in fact look and seem very similar to a member of the Redscale bloodline.

"Not that I am aware of," Jing Hu eventually replied.

"You should get tested! You might be a lost descendant of some kind. The clan actually treats such people very well and is always eager to welcome them. That's actually how I came to be in this city. You can-"

"I appreciate the offer. I might consider it later, but we have a business now," Jiang Hu interrupted.

Obviously delivering himself straight to a clan he was Wanted by would be the height of stupidity. The guard nodded.

"Will you need a tour guide?"

"No, we'll be fine," Bing Meilu dismissed.

She marched forward, followed by her faction members. Redscale City was a dense, bustling metropolis, but it was easy for them to make their way through it. People parted upon seeing a large group of Sect disciples marching through.

"So Boss, what are we doing now?" Li Ji asked. "This doesn't look like the way to the commercial district."

"As I said earlier, we don't have enough money to purchase what we need right now."

They arrived outside a seemingly small inn. It's sign labelled it as the Red Horse Pub.

"A pub? How are we going to make money here?" the steward asked, confused.

"You'll see. Li Ji, follow me. The rest of you stay outside."

The two stepped into the building. The pub was much larger within than it seemed from the front. There were dozens of men and women eating, drinking and chatting. The people within quieted slightly, looking suspiciously at the two obvious outsiders. Bing Meilu calmly walked over to the bar, where a gruff older man was wiping glasses. He ignored her entrance, not asking her what she wanted.

'This must be the father of the man who was barkeep when I came here in my first life. I hope the code will be the same.'

Li Ji frowned at the disrespect and moved to say something, but Bing Meilu stopped him.

"I'll have a bloody pomegranate," she said loudly.

The barkeep turned to look at her, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"And who recommended you that?"

"An old sailor."

After a tense moment, the barkeep nodded at a man sitting by a large keg. The man pulled it open revealing a hidden door.

Bing Meilu nodded politely at the old man, leading Li Ji toward the hidden door. The wealth cultivator seemed completely shocked at the sight but followed nonetheless. They stepped through a long dark hallway and emerged into a massive underground complex. In the center stood a huge cage, within which two cultivators fought, covered in blood. Cheering spectators sat in bleachers around it. A bookie sat behind a desk, keeping track of bets.

"Wha-what the hell?" Li Ji gaped. "How the hell do they fit something so big underground? What even is this place?"

"It's exactly what it looks like, an underground fighting ring.. I'll go sign in to fight, you bet all of our money on my victory."

A thrill of nostalgia-filled Bing Meilu. The Blooded Fist fighting ring had been a favourite place for her to go to, back in the day, before she'd grown too strong to participate anymore. It was always a good way to quickly earn some spirit stones for spending money. it was not quite as large as when she'd first come here, a decade or two ahead of the current year, but that made sense.

Bing Meilu walked over to the bookie, not so subtly flexing her Peak Qi Condensation Cultivation. It was higher than average for a fighter, but nothing too special.

"Welcome newco-"

"I'd like to start an open-ring challenge."

The bookie blinked in shock. That was one of the most dangerous kinds of fights. The challenger would be forced to face any fighter or spectators that volunteered, one at a time, in sets of five. For each five victories, you could choose to take your victory money or continue for another five fights for a much larger sum. If you lost even once, all the prize money would go to the one who defeated you. The prize pool often exploded to large sums, until a much higher-level cultivator swooped in to take it all. Just the prize money alone would more than allow her to make enough money to purchase the amount of healing items she wanted. It would be even more profitable with Li Ji betting it all on her victories.

"How old are you?"

"... Excuse me?"

"You look a little young for such a dangerous type of-"

Bing Meilu released a hint of killing intent, watching the bookie's pupils dilate and his eyes widen.

"F-forgive me for my presumptuousness. I'll prepare everything then, fighter. Please, put your details into the p-paperwork," the employee nervously spoke.