Qing Yueqiu suddenly awoke in the middle of the night.
She wiped away the fine beads of cold sweat from her forehead, her crimson pupils constricting slightly in the darkness.
'Is that... the aura of Master's Sword Qi?'
Although it was faint, there was no way Qing Yueqiu would ever mistake it.
'Is Master... fighting soone?'
'I have to go see!'
Qing Yueqiu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest. For a mont, she had even forgotten that Pei Yuhang had achieved Void Refining, and that there were few in the entire Sect who could threaten him.
The young woman's fingertips trembled slightly; she had to tie the sash of her robe twice before managing to secure it.
She didn't bother to tidy her ssy hair. Hurriedly, she pulled on a pair of white, over-the-knee silk stockings and rushed outside.
THUMP THUMP—
The thick snow on the ground completely soaked the thin stockings on the young woman's feet, making them cling to her soles and calves. Through the translucent silk, the cherry-pink of her skin was clearly visible.
Following the aura of her master's Sword Qi, Qing Yueqiu rushed to the scene.
But no one was there. All that remained was a ss of footprints on the ground, not yet covered by the falling snow.
Besides those, there was a paper umbrella and a thin-gauze Magical Treasure—one with cloaking and presence-concealing properties—that had been sliced in two by Sword Qi.
'It's already over? Did Master chase the enemy out of the mansion?'
Puzzled, Qing Yueqiu circled the scene of the incident twice.
She judged from the size of the footprints under the paper umbrella that the other person was a woman...
'Another strange woman getting close to Master?!'
Hostility brewed in Qing Yueqiu's crimson eyes. 'None of those won who get close to Master are any good!'
'Should I tell Mistress?'
'Master encountered an enemy... After all, it seems I'm the only one in the entire Cold Palace Sword Mansion who noticed he fought soone.'
But—
"Mistress is too weak, and she can't help Master at all. It's better not to tell her."
Qing Yueqiu murmured to herself. She waited there, gazing at the night sky for nearly half an hour. Seeing no sign of her master, she began to worry and took out her Transmission Token.
BUZZ BUZZ—
The Transmission Token vibrated twice before the connection was established.
This made Qing Yueqiu let out a sigh of relief.
"Master, did you just encounter an enemy? I sensed that you fought soone... Oh, alright. I'll wait for you here."
Qing Yueqiu did not have to wait long. Soon, a White-clothed Sword Immortal appeared before her.
"Master!"
Qing Yueqiu practically threw herself at him, only to brake to a sudden halt three steps away. She looked Pei Yuhang up and down, letting out a long sigh of relief only after seeing he was uninjured.
Only...
'Why does Master have the faint fragrance of a woman on him?!'
The young woman's brows furrowed in unease, but she suppressed the complex turmoil in her heart and asked softly, "Master, what just happened?"
"I caught a spy from an Outer Sect who infiltrated the Cold Palace Sword Mansion."
Pei Yuhang omitted the part about his Senior Sister's visit.
Regarding his Senior Sister's true, obsessive nature, only Qianqian and he knew. He was unwilling to let a third person know about such an embarrassing affair within the Sect.
Especially his own Dao Companion and disciple.
"A spy from an Outer Sect... Was it a Female Cultivator from the Yin Yang Sacred Land?!"
A bone-chilling coldness instantly filled Qing Yueqiu's beautiful crimson eyes.
Seeing Pei Yuhang nod, the silver-haired girl clenched her fists even tighter. A hint of blood-red spread in the depths of her eyes. She bit her lower lip, not letting go until she tasted a hint of iron—
'Those won who bullied Master in the past still dare to provoke him!'
'That scum...'
"Master, should we kill her?!"
Pei Yuhang was slightly taken aback by the killing intent in the girl's eyes. For a mont, he thought the Golden Sun Divine Seal he had placed on Yueqiu had weakened, allowing his head disciple to be once again dominated by the murderous intent within her.
After confirming that Yueqiu was just being emotional, he secretly sighed in relief and then shook his head.
"No. Although the people of the Yin Yang Sacred Land are detestable, those Demonesses are currently in a honeymoon period with our Dao Sect. We can't afford any killings."
"Then what about the debt they owe you, Master?"
Qing Yueqiu suddenly raised her voice, but she regretted it the mont the words left her mouth.
'Master never told about his dark past. With his pride, he would certainly be unwilling to let know about such a shaful matter.'
So, Qing Yueqiu quickly changed her tune and added:
"I an, we can't just let them co and bully us!"
"This disciple... how could this disciple watch Master be humiliated and remain indifferent."
She lowered her head, her long silver hair falling to hide her slightly flushed cheeks. Her chest trembled gently, as if she were desperately suppressing sothing.
"Master, I want to see that woman. Can you take to her?"
Pei Yuhang looked at Qing Yueqiu's serious expression, considered it for a mont, and then nodded.
"Alright."
...
...
「In the secret chamber.」
Jiu took advantage of the mont while Pei Yuhang was away to slowly circulate her Spiritual Power, finally regaining strength in her numb limbs.
She supported herself against the wall to stand up and tried to use an Escape Technique, transforming into an intangible shadow to leave.
VMMMM—
In an instant, a biting Sword Qi shot out from the walls of the entire secret chamber, striking the shadow that was escaping toward the door.
"COUGH, COUGH!!"
Jiu's body reappeared. A coppery sweetness filled her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Pei Yuhang... You're quite ruthless with ."
Annoyed, Jiu punched the wall beside her.
It seed she wouldn't be getting out for the next few days, not unless she could find a flaw in the Array or a mont of carelessness from Pei Yuhang.
Fan Ya would probably discover her disappearance within the next three days.
The news would definitely reach the Holy Daughter's ears. When that happened... she wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she had co to see Pei Yuhang on her own initiative.
'The Holy Daughter will definitely not let off lightly.'
'No... I absolutely have to hide this from the Holy Daughter!'
"Pei Yuhang, you've really gotten into deep trouble."
Beneath the mask, Jiu's voice was full of resentnt, no longer hoarse but as crisp and clear as an oriole's song.
She pushed herself up against the wall, preparing to use her Pupil Technique to find a breakthrough point in the Array more quickly.
Just then, the faint sound of footsteps ca from outside the door.
Jiu's heart sank. She quickly collapsed back onto the floor, feigning a state of utter exhaustion as if she'd been ravaged by Pei Yuhang.
RUMBLE—
The Stone Gate was slowly pushed open, making a dull, heavy sound.
Jiu raised her head, her gaze falling on Pei Yuhang. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she was about to mock him with a few sarcastic remarks, to bicker with him, when her pupils suddenly shrank at the sight of the figure slowly erging from behind him.
It was a young woman with rare silver hair, the wisps of which shimred with a cold luster under the Moonlight.
Her skin was fairer than snow and her features were as if painted, but her pair of crimson eyes were like a churning Blood River, stabbing toward Jiu without any attempt to conceal their intense hostility and contempt.
Jiu knew who this young woman following behind Pei Yuhang was.
She was the stray girl nad Qing Yueqiu, whom Pei Yuhang had found during his travels in the mortal world and brought back to the Dao Sect. In recent years, she had gradually revealed her brilliance, defeating Ji Xichan in a battle between peers to take first place in the Dao Sect's grand competition.
Now, there were faint signs that she was on the verge of surpassing Ji Xichan to beco the Dao Sect's number one prodigy.
'Such enviable talent.'
This kind of girl, showered with countless honors and her master's affection, would forever bask in the sun. She was worlds apart from an assassin like herself, who walked in shadows and could not be exposed to the light.
Jiu's fingertips tightened slightly. She then looked at Pei Yuhang and said coldly, "Pei Sword Immortal, what do you think you're doing?"
"Nothing much. My disciple just heard the sound of fighting you in the middle of the night and was very worried, so I brought her to have a look."
"Fighting ?"
Jiu murmured, thinking, 'Wasn't the one who fought you that Senior Sister with the ultra-evil Dao Fruit?'
She opened her mouth, but then noticed the hint in Pei Yuhang's eyes and decided to just shut it.
'This man doesn't want others to know about his business with that Lu Ruoxi?'
'Did Pei Yuhang and Lu Ruoxi have a falling out?'
It seed Jiu had actually managed to dig up so useful intel tonight.
Her professional instincts told her there was a big story here.
'If I can figure out what happened between Pei Yuhang and Lu Ruoxi, then perhaps the Holy Daughter will forgive for acting on my own this ti!'
Qing Yueqiu stared coldly at Jiu, then suddenly took a step forward, her silver hair fluttering in the wind.
"Master, why not take off her mask and see this woman's true face?"
Pei Yuhang shook his head slightly and said softly, "Shang Miaoyan of the Yin Yang Sacred Land is ruthless. If we were to forcibly remove this mask, she would surely have this person executed for it."
"Master!"
Qing Yueqiu's brows knitted tightly, a flash of displeasure in her blood-red eyes.
"If Shang Miaoyan wants to kill her, that's Shang Miaoyan's bad karma. What has it got to do with you?"
"This person infiltrated the Cold Palace Sword Mansion late at night, acting suspiciously. It is already rciful of us not to take her life.
Uncovering her true face is only natural, isn't it? As for whether Shang Miaoyan will kill her, that is an internal affair of their Demonic Sects. What does that have to do with us?
Besides, they are all Witches who have hard countless n and torn apart countless families. Even if they kill each other, it's just dogs biting dogs!"
As Qing Yueqiu spoke, her hand reached for the Glazed Treasure Sword at her waist, looking as if she was ready to strike at any mont.
Jiu felt that sharp Sword Qi and intense hostility, and her back tensed slightly.
Although she had recovered so of her strength, with a Void Refining Great Cultivator like Pei Yuhang present, she would be helpless if he really let Qing Yueqiu make a move.
'If my mask is taken off...'
"That's enough, Yueqiu!"
Pei Yuhang suddenly spoke, halting his disciple's escalating hostility.
"What is wrong with you today? I only brought you here to put your mind at ease. Why are you so emotional? Is this how you usually cultivate your heart-mind?"
"Master, I—"
"Yueqiu, I know you an well, but... this person before us is rely a helpless subordinate following the orders of that Tyrant, Shang Miaoyan.
If we remove her mask, this person will completely lose all hope of survival, and then we'll get no information out of her at all."
Pei Yuhang patted Qing Yueqiu's head, signaling for her to relax her tense body.
"Yueqiu, it's getting late. Let take you back to rest," Pei Yuhang said gently.
"...Mm."
Qing Yueqiu hesitated for a mont before nodding. She shot Jiu a warning glare, then walked out of the secret chamber.
Pei Yuhang then turned to the silent Jiu and said coldly:
"Don't think you're lucky. I just suddenly felt that it's rather pitiful, you working for that Tyrant, Shang Miaoyan. It reminded of a friend who once helped ."
"For now, you'll stay here. And don't imagine Shang Miaoyan will co to take you back. Even if she cos asking for you, I won't hand you over."
After speaking, Pei Yuhang walked out of the secret chamber.
Jiu watched Pei Yuhang's departing back, and a worried, fretful mutter escaped from under her mask.
"Idiot..."
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