The Sacred Spirit Birds that had been perched on the eaves flew toward the inner gate.

One of them suddenly vomited blood and fell to the ground when flying over the mountain forest, crashing into a ravine and dying.

Ling Luo stood by the stream, watching as the Sacred Spirit Bird was swept away by the current. She squinted her eyes.

One of them died.

It seemed her current strength was unstable, and this spell should be used sparingly.

There was a river crossing the Heavenly Extremes Mountain, the water just deep enough to reach an adult’s knees. It perfectly separated the inner and outer gates.

Many precious medicinal herbs only grew along this river, whose water was crystal clear, teeming with fish and shrimp. Along the riverbanks bloomed small pinkish-white flowers, densely clustered together, blooming year-round.

This river was called the Ding Mountain River, and beyond it was the inner gate of the Eastern Island Heavenly Extremes Sect.

Each mountain peak was higher than the last.

At the summit, there was another world altogether.

Ling Luo was far more familiar with the inner gate than the outer gate.

In the past, the Third Hall Master would secretly take her on little-known paths down the mountain to East Sea City to play.

He would only bring her.

The Third Hall Master had taken in only three personal disciples. Without a doubt, Ling Luo was the most favored.

He personally taught her, cared for her, and protected her safety. When she made mistakes, he would not scold her harshly and would sometimes even look the other way when punishment was necessary.

Afterwards, he would bring her new and interesting items to win her favor, take her on secret outings, and buy her beautiful clothes and accessories.

Ling Luo had to admit that the Third Hall Master was the best person to her, second only to her mother. After him, no one ever treated her so kindly.

Although they eventually turned against each other and even killed one another.

When she killed the Third Hall Master, Ling Luo felt nothing but relief, without the slightest sense of regret.

The Third Hall Master’s kindness toward her had been because she bore a face so similar to someone else’s. Her voice and personality were also similar, which had driven that person to madness and caused him to do crazy things.

Ling Luo crossed the Ding Mountain River and raised her hand to touch her cold cheek.

Considering the Third Hall Master’s fondness for her face, she only needed to see him once.

In her past life, the Third Hall Master had loved “her” with madness. Before knowing the truth, Ling Luo admired him greatly and aspired to become a strong yet gentle person like him.

After learning the truth, her feelings were clear: “Pervert, die.”

The Third Hall Master lived in the Qing Stone District at the far eastern edge of the Heavenly Extremes Sect.

At the entrance of the district stood a red torii gate with a thousand steps.

At night, the stone lanterns by the torii would light up by themselves with the array, casting an ethereal glow over the area.

It was now dusk, and the Sacred Spirit Bird, under Ling Luo’s command, arrived first at the torii gate. It perched on top, turning its head to survey the surroundings, but suddenly, with a cry, it spat blood and fell to the ground.

Ling Luo: “…”

She turned to the last Sacred Spirit Bird and said, “You’re the only one left. Come on, muster some strength and go check if he’s in the Qing Stone District.”

The Sacred Spirit Bird flew off.

What the Sacred Spirit Bird saw was exactly what Ling Luo saw.

Familiar mountains, the long stairs, the torii gate, and the Qing Stone District already reflected in the Sacred Spirit Bird’s eyes. With a loud bang, the Sacred Spirit Bird was flung backward by the barrier near Qing Stone District, spitting blood and dying.

Ling Luo, just arriving at the torii gate: “…”

She knew that there was a barrier around the Qing Stone District, but she hadn’t known it could repel Sacred Spirit Birds.

Once the barrier was triggered, the Third Hall Master would sense it.

As the dusk deepened and the light faded, the mountain winds howled. The stone lanterns at the foot of the stairs suddenly lit up, and Ling Luo heard the sharp sound of the wind. She felt a familiar presence drawing near after a long absence.

“Roar—”

A black spiritual tiger beast charged down from the stairs, its ice-blue eyes fixed on Ling Luo.

Just as they were about to get close, the tiger’s body expanded, growing to the same height as the torii, and its roar brought a chilling wind.

Ling Luo tilted her head to look, her clothes fluttering in the wind created by the tiger’s roar.

The spiritual tiger lowered its head to look at her, its mouth open as if to bite: “Roar—”

“Stand down.” A languid voice rang out from the forest, causing the irritable spiritual tiger to halt its attack and immediately shrink back to the size of an ordinary tiger.

Ling Luo froze for a moment, realizing it wasn’t what she had planned, but it was still manageable.

She immediately knelt down, her voice trembling slightly, “I’ve trespassed on the Hall Master’s residence. I know I was wrong, but I beg Hall Master Fan to give me a chance!”

The voice was silent for a moment before it chuckled lightly, with an amused tone, “You, an outer disciple, have come here for what?”

The identity was not clarified.

Ling Luo did this deliberately.

She was certain that once the Third Hall Master saw her, he would be stirred to make improper advances, but showing up without reason would raise suspicions.

Besides, she also wanted to resolve matters with Hong Mao and the others.

So, she continued to speak with a trembling voice, “Please, Hall Master Fan, look into this. During the martial test, I saw Senior Brother Hong Mao often bullying Senior Brother Yue and helping Senior Brother Xiu Man cheat on the written exam. I couldn’t stand it and intervened.”

She spoke with a bit of grievance, sounding like a little girl who couldn’t tolerate being wronged, as if she were reporting a complaint.

“Cheating on the written exam, do you have any evidence?” the voice asked.

“…I only heard them say it, but I’ve never seen any evidence. However, they often had outer disciples take their place in the Discipline Hall for punishment, and they would instruct others to patrol and bully fellow disciples. I saw all of this with my own eyes!” Ling Luo raised her head to look at the torii, her expression resolute. “I’ve endured it for long enough. I can no longer turn a blind eye to it. Please, Hall Master Fan, investigate thoroughly.”

She sounded dignified and eloquent.

Ling Luo marveled at how much she had improved this lifetime.

She could speak such lies so easily now.

In her past life, she would have been intimidated by the Third Hall Master, but now, she feared nothing.

The Third Hall Master watched her quietly from the shadows for a while. Ling Luo maintained her stubborn expression, patiently waiting.

After a long pause, she saw the spiritual tiger turn its head to look behind. The lanterns and the night formed a backdrop, and a tall figure emerged from around the corner of the torii.

He was dressed in white, standing out in the night. His long, ink-black hair cascaded over his shoulders, looking lazy and unruly. His robes were embroidered with intricate golden patterns, which seemed to be some kind of charm.

His narrow phoenix eyes were slightly raised as he looked down at the kneeling girl, a faint smile on his lips.

The Eastern Island Heavenly Extremes Sect had three beauties.

The first beauty was the scenery—the Qing Stone District.

The Second Beauty Is a Thing: Tanghua Wine.
The Third Beauty Is a Person: Yun Shouxi.

Yun Shouxi was the name of the Third Sect Leader, known by the title “True Sovereign of Three Breaths.”

His strength surpassed even the Sect Leader of Dongdao Tianji, but he was not one for managing internal sect affairs.

Apart from major festivals, he rarely showed his face within the sect.

The only ones who often saw him were his two personal disciples.

Even though Ling Luo had spent years in his presence, seeing his face again always left her momentarily stunned.

Yun Shouxi was truly beautiful.

In her memory, only one other person could compare to him. Unfortunately, that person’s appearance was too inconsistent.

So if anyone asked who the most beautiful person under the heavens was, Ling Luo would still answer Yun Shouxi.

With dark brows and phoenix eyes, a fair face, and crimson lips, Yun Shouxi walked leisurely toward her.

As he bent down, his black hair cascaded down, brushing lightly against her cheek with a cool touch.

He extended his slender fingers and gently tilted her chin upward, making her look into his beautiful eyes.

With a low chuckle, Yun Shouxi asked, “What’s your name?”

“Tianyun Sect outer disciple, Ling Luo,” she answered with a trembling voice, displaying both fear and forced composure.

This little act of defiance only made Yun Shouxi more intrigued.

“Now can you see I’m not Hall Master Fan?”

Ling Luo stammered, “D-disciple… was mistaken.”

“Do you know who I am?” Yun Shouxi asked with a teasing smile, his words laced with playful allure.

Ling Luo gritted her teeth slightly, lowered her head, and replied, “Disciple pays respect to the Third Sect Leader.”

“Oh?” Yun Shouxi’s tone rose slightly, mocking her. “You know me?”

“I didn’t realize this was the Third Sect Leader’s residence. I thought the burst of spiritual energy earlier was from Hall Master Fan… But someone as good-looking as you—there’s only one in all of Tianji.” Ling Luo started spinning nonsense.

“That’s a clever answer.” Yun Shouxi’s tone was leisurely as he withdrew his cool finger from her chin. “So, from what you said earlier, you’re here to complain to Hall Master Fan?”

Ling Luo pursed her lips and whispered, “To report him.”

Yun Shouxi chuckled, prompting her to quickly correct herself, “You’re right, Third Sect Leader—to complain.”

“But you broke the rules by entering the inner sect while under punishment. Even if your accusations are true, with Hall Master Fan’s temper, you’re unlikely to leave unscathed. And you’ve come to the wrong place.”

Ling Luo’s straightened back slouched slightly as if she were losing her nerve. Yet she stubbornly replied, “I know Hall Master Fan wouldn’t ignore cheating, so I took a gamble. I didn’t mean to disturb the Third Sect Leader—my mistake, and I’ll accept my punishment.”

Her lies flowed more and more smoothly.

Yun Shouxi waved his hand, and the spiritual tiger by his side stood up, rubbing its head against his palm.

“I’m not like Fan Jiu, that inflexible old mule,” Yun Shouxi said. “I’ll count to three. You’ll head back down the mountain immediately. After three, the tiger will chase you.

“If it catches you in the inner sect, I’ll send you straight to Fan Jiu. But if you make it out, we’ll forget this ever happened.”

Ling Luo looked up again, her eyes sparkling.

Yun Shouxi raised his hand, counting with a smile. “Three. Two.”

“Thank you, Third Sect Leader!”

“One.”

Ling Luo turned and ran.

The night wind rustled, and clouds swirled around the mountain. Yun Shouxi watched her retreating figure—a streak of dark green—lingering in his gaze.

The tiger did not chase after her immediately.

It wasn’t until much later that Yun Shouxi patted the tiger’s head and said with a smile, “Go. Bring her back. Don’t let her leave me again.”

The tiger obeyed, turning into a blur as it sped down the mountain.

Ling Luo avoided her original route, fearing she’d be discovered. Instead, she followed the proper path, using a Gale Charm to hasten her steps.

Yun Shouxi hadn’t expected an outer disciple to know such a charm, so the tiger started its pursuit much later than it should have.

By the time it reached the river near Ding Mountain, Ling Luo was long gone. Frustrated, the tiger paced in circles before returning with drooping ears.

Still standing by the torii gate, Yun Shouxi raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw the tiger return alone.

The tiger howled in explanation: the girl was too fast and had already returned to the outer sect.

“Forget it,” Yun Shouxi chuckled lightly, turning toward the stone steps. “She’s been frightened enough today. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

As he walked, he added, “Go inform Fan Jiu about the cheating incident.”

---

Returning to the outer sect, Ling Luo felt at ease. She stopped by the evening dining hall to steal two warm buns before heading back to rest.

But then she remembered Yue Liangze. By now, everyone else should have finished their work and gone home. Since he was covering for her, she wasn’t sure if he’d managed to finish in time.

Ling Luo decided to check on him.

The pharmacy courtyard was still lit.

Climbing over the wall with her buns, she found Yue Liangze kneeling outside the courtyard gate.

“What are you doing kneeling here?” she asked in disbelief.

“Punishment,” he replied calmly, unfazed by her sudden appearance.

“Who punished you?”

“Senior Sister.”

Ling Luo was speechless.

“Senior Sister came by?” She glanced at the unfinished herbs and felt a headache coming on.

Yue Liangze nodded slightly.

“Why did she punish you if I was the one who left?”

“She didn’t know,” Yue Liangze said.

“You didn’t tell her?” Ling Luo was surprised.

“You told me not to.”

Ling Luo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She stuffed a warm bun into Yue Liangze’s mouth and ordered, “Eat it! No excuses!”

Yue Liangze silently took a bite, his expression unreadable.

Ling Luo knelt beside him, grumbling, “Just look at you, Mr. Perfect. So righteous, so virtuous, the first model disciple of the sect!”

Yue Liangze stared at her, confused.

“Get up!” she said angrily. “I’ll kneel for myself!”

After a moment, Yue Liangze stood, dusted himself off, and walked away.

Ling Luo: “…”