Chapter 9

Lin Sa Sa did not want He Lan Ling to go into seclusion.

Although she had already read the entire story in her dream, since waking up after her fall from the cliff, she hadn’t yet reached the main plotline of the book. The story began late one night after Lin Sa Sa regained consciousness—when the Demon Lord suddenly invaded the Cloud Hermit Sect.

The backdrop of the Demon Lord’s surprise attack was the simultaneous seclusion of both Lin Fu Feng and He Lan Ling.

“Is the plotline about to begin?”

Unable to sleep late at night, Lin Sa Sa sat at her desk, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought.

Today marked the third day of He Lan Ling’s seclusion. With his absence, Luo Shui Wei had become much more subdued, and the entire Cloud Hermit Sect was peaceful. No longer needing to act in front of him, Lin Sa Sa did feel considerably more at ease. Yet, along with that ease came a hollow emptiness in her heart, a deep sense of insecurity.

Over the past few days, aside from cultivating, Lin Sa Sa had also procured a blank book. The plotline in the story was simply too long, and she wasn’t sure she could remember every detail word for word. So while her mind was still clear, she recorded the entire storyline along with key points.

She wasn’t foolish enough to write in normal script. To prevent the book from being understood by others, she created a set of symbols only she could decipher. Among them, He Lan Ling’s name was represented by a circle, Feng Qi by the number ‘seven,’ and Luo Shui Wei by a dark, ugly flower.

The candlelight flickered as Lin Sa Sa flipped through the plot book on her desk. Her gaze lingered on the first scene of the story for a long time, and she felt she shouldn’t just sit idly by.

At the beginning, the Demon Lord invaded the Cloud Hermit Sect to find Feng Qi.

Feng Qi was the Demon Lord’s son, carrying half Demon blood in his veins. Those who knew this weren’t just Feng Qi and his mother—the Demon Lord, Gou Xiang, was also aware.

Gou Xiang had always known he had a half-Demon son, but he didn’t care. His true form was that of an ancient ferocious beast, born cold-blooded and cruel. His heart held only slaughter and power. His secret affair with the unnamed woman from the Feng family had merely been a pastime during his boredom, for deep down, he saw humans as nothing more than ants.

Gou Xiang treated the Feng woman as a mere diversion, but she saw him as her beloved. Even after Gou Xiang grew tired of her and abandoned her, she stubbornly gave birth to Feng Qi, believing that with a child, Gou Xiang would change his mind.

In the end, she never saw Gou Xiang’s change of heart. Instead, the little bastard she bore annihilated her clan and tore out her heart with his own hands. The cruelest part was that when Feng Qi slaughtered his clan and murdered his mother, the demonic energy he summoned was none other than Gou Xiang’s.

The book never explained why Gou Xiang came for Feng Qi. Lin Sa Sa only remembered that in the story, when Gou Xiang attacked, his demonic energy surged into the heavens, triggering the Cloud Hermit Sect’s Magic Defense Array. The entire sect echoed with the crisp chimes of the Demon-Seeking Wind Chime. It was the sound of the chimes that woke Lin Sa Sa, leading her to Feng Qi’s courtyard.

This segment was written from Lin Sa Sa’s perspective. By the time she arrived, both Lin Fu Feng and He Lan Ling had been forced out of seclusion, having just concluded their battle with Gou Xiang. Lin Sa Sa didn’t witness the fight itself—she only knew the outcome: Gou Xiang was defeated and fled, while Lin Fu Feng, in saving Luo Shui Wei, was poisoned by Gou Xiang and left hovering between life and death.

…Luo Shui Wei, that scourge again.

Lin Sa Sa frowned in irritation, unable to understand why her father would risk his life to save Luo Shui Wei.

What if, in this battle, Luo Shui Wei died? Or better yet, what if everything went smoothly—Luo Shui Wei remained unharmed, and Lin Fu Feng wasn’t poisoned? Could they avoid the subsequent plotline?

At this thought, Lin Sa Sa’s eyes gleamed. She abruptly closed the book and stood up.

“How could I not have thought of this before?” Lin Sa Sa opened her Treasure Chest and began rummaging through it for Magical Artifacts that could protect her from demons.  

The Book Spirit had only instructed her to separate Luo Shui Wei and He Lan Ling—it hadn’t said anything about disrupting the original plot. Since it wasn’t forbidden, then it must be allowed. Now that Lin Sa Sa had glimpsed the workings of fate and knew the future trajectory, it was better to avoid danger from the start. That way, she could more effectively prevent He Lan Ling and Luo Shui Wei from interacting and developing feelings.  

The night was deep, and lanterns hung every few steps outside.  

Lin Sa Sa didn’t know exactly which day the Demon Lord would arrive, so she decided to scout out Feng Qi’s courtyard first and then plan how to trap the Demon Lord and stop Luo Shui Wei from entering Feng Qi’s residence.  

The Cloud Hermit Sect had a curfew—after midnight, no disciples were allowed to wander outside, and spirit cats patrolled the grounds.  

Though Lin Sa Sa didn’t get along with her fellow Sect members, she had always been beloved by spiritual creatures. Plus, these spirit cats were all raised by Lin Fu Feng, so the rule was practically meaningless to her. At night, she could swagger around anywhere in the Sect without a care.  

Tonight, the wind carried a chill. Whether it was her imagination or not, Lin Sa Sa felt that the Sect was eerily quiet.  

As she walked, she spotted a few spirit cats—massive in size—lounging on walls or tree branches. Sensing her presence, they merely flicked their tails, too lazy to even open their eyes.  

“You’ve gotten lazier and lazier,” Lin Sa Sa muttered under her breath, eyeing the cat perched on a tree.  

She hadn’t planned to bother with them, but then she thought of Luo Shui Wei and decided to wake a few up, instructing them to keep an eye out. If Luo Shui Wei appeared late at night, they should scratch her mercilessly.  

“Wake up,” Lin Sa Sa whispered, approaching the darkest corner where the Sect’s fattest and fiercest spirit cat lay curled up.  

She poked its head. The plump cat twitched its ears but remained sprawled out. No matter how much she prodded or called, the cat seemed deaf to her, lost in deep slumber.  

This… wasn’t right.  

Glancing around at the other motionless spirit cats, Lin Sa Sa belatedly sensed something sinister. She froze in the shadows, not daring to move.  

Her caution proved wise, for soon, a figure passed by—a man with half-loose ink-black hair, draped in loosely worn white robes. His posture was slightly hunched, his steps unsteady. His face was identical to He Lan Ling’s.  

No—it *was* He Lan Ling!  

Lin Sa Sa was stunned. Wasn’t he still in seclusion? Why had he emerged early? And why was he stumbling into the woods in the middle of the night?!  

A barrage of questions flooded her mind, but the most pressing issue was this: his early emergence might have already altered the opening of the plot. If so, all her carefully laid plans would be ruined.  

Clearly, something was wrong with He Lan Ling. Normally sharp and perceptive, he didn’t even notice Lin Sa Sa’s presence. He swayed with every few steps, barely able to stand, as if enduring unbearable agony—on the verge of collapse.  

What was happening to him?  

Reason told Lin Sa Sa to leave immediately. Delving into He Lan Ling’s secrets was dangerous. But instinct whispered that this was a golden opportunity to unravel him. If she uncovered his weaknesses, she wouldn’t be so powerless. She might even gain leverage over him.  

Forget it—she’d follow from a distance first and see what happened!

Lin Sa Sa was not a lucky person. She had considered that this nighttime excursion might very well lead to an encounter with the Demon Lord’s invasion, so she had adorned herself with numerous magical artifacts for protection, including one Celestial Treasure.

Concealing her aura, Lin Sa Sa clutched the Image-Recording Stone tightly as she stealthily followed He Lan Ling into the forest. Along the way, he stumbled several times, barely managing to steady himself by leaning against trees. She trailed him all the way to the depths of the forest without him ever noticing.

Just how severely was he injured?

Watching him brace against another tree to catch his breath, Lin Sa Sa nearly rushed over to support him.

The forest they entered was called the Frost Ice Forest, named after an ice spring within it. The frigid air spread unchecked, permeating the entire forest. Ordinary disciples would never venture deep inside unless absolutely necessary.

The deeper they went, the colder the surrounding air became. By the time they neared the ice spring, Lin Sa Sa felt as though she had stepped into winter. Dressed in thin robes, she couldn’t suppress a shiver. In contrast, He Lan Ling showed no sign of feeling the cold at all.

Splash—

The sudden sound of water startled Lin Sa Sa. Her eyes widened as she saw He Lan Ling plunge headfirst into the ice spring.

This ice spring was unbearably cold, far beyond what an ordinary person could endure. Over the years, disciples who accidentally stumbled in had either died or suffered severe injuries, prompting her father to forbid anyone from approaching it. Assuming He Lan Ling had fallen in by accident, Lin Sa Sa was about to rush out to save him, disregarding any secrets, when a bubbling sound erupted from the spring.

It was as if cold water had suddenly boiled. The surrounding chill dissipated, replaced by a thick white mist. In the hazy obscurity, Lin Sa Sa gradually lost sight of He Lan Ling’s figure, but she heard increasingly distinct screams.

Not He Lan Ling’s voice—but another, hoarse, shrill, and utterly unfamiliar.

The piercing howls echoed endlessly through the forest, carrying a viciousness that made one’s skin crawl with extreme discomfort.

Lin Sa Sa was already regretting her decision.

Crouching beneath a tree, she was now only a few yards from the ice spring, her hands clamped over her mouth and nose in terror.

She had to run! She needed to get out of here immediately! The male lead’s secrets were not something a mere cannon-fodder villain like her could handle!

At the very least, the Image-Recording Stone had captured everything it needed. She tucked it away securely and cautiously took a single step forward—when the screams abruptly ceased. From the ice spring came a hoarse, sinister laugh.

“You foolish brat, seeking your own death, daring to attempt devouring me.”

“All these years, I’ve remained alive and well within you. Once I break this seal, I’ll tear this body of yours to shreds!”

Another low chuckle followed, strikingly alluring compared to the grating malice of the previous voice, tinged with weakness and nonchalance. “Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“You think I can’t escape?!” The voice, provoked by He Lan Ling’s laughter, snarled through gritted teeth. “I am Ye Sha Tianmo! Had it not been for your schemes, I would have long ruled this Cultivation World—as its sole sovereign!”

Lin Sa Sa could hardly believe her ears. Ye Sha… Tianmo.

A Heavenly Devil??!

But what shocked her even more was yet to come. No matter how much the Heavenly Devil tried to provoke He Lan Ling, he remained coldly silent—until the Devil spat out:

“You truly are He Lan Kaiji’s son. Pretending to be the righteous leader of the noble sects, yet advancing through Heretical Ascension Arts in secret. Your He Lan family is filthier than us demons!”

Lin Sa Sa caught the key words. Now, it wasn’t just the cold making her shiver—it was sheer terror.

When it came to matters involving the He Lan lineage, Lin Sa Sa knew very well that she really shouldn’t listen any further…

Taking another step forward, she heard a chilling voice command: “Shut up.”

Unnoticed by her, the warm mist had dissipated, and Lin Sa Sa gradually made out the outline of the Ice Spring.

He Lan Ling reclined in the spring water, his complexion pale, his clothes and hair soaked with stray locks clinging to his cheeks, surrounded by an impenetrable aura of solemn coldness and gloom. Strangely, the crimson Magic Crest at the center of his forehead was glowing faintly, while wisps of black Demonic energy swirled around him, unclear whether they were dispersing outward or being drawn inward.

Lin Sa Sa began retreating step by step.

One step, two steps—just as she was putting distance between herself and the Ice Spring, fate seemed determined to doom her. The bushes beside her feet rustled, and suddenly a frost hare leaped out from within.

At the same moment, He Lan Ling in the spring noticed the movement and turned his head, his cold gaze piercing through the darkness as he demanded, “Who’s there?”

“Come out now.”

?!?

Lin Sa Sa turned and fled.

Author’s Note:

33: Spicy rabbit heads, braised rabbit legs, rabbit fur skirts.

Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: 58172944 (2);

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solutions: Sunset (7 bottles); Captain Levi’s Handkerchief (5 bottles); If Only It Were Like Our First Meeting (2 bottles); Misty Tears (1 bottle);