Lin Ji ultimately left a backup plan in place.

Inside the Tai Sheng Sect.

In the ancestral hall, there were eight rows of soul lamps arranged neatly. Aside from the front two rows where about ten soul lamps had gone out, the remaining lamps flickered with a faint blue light, occasionally dimming and brightening.

These lamps belonged to the elders of the Tai Sheng Sect.

As long as the lamp was burning, it meant the person was still alive.

Normally, four disciples guarded the ancestral hall, two at a time, rotating day and night. However, due to Lin Ji’s earlier instructions, there was now an additional disciple on duty.

Faced with a hall full of soul lamps tied to the lives of the sect elders, the disciples naturally didn’t dare to be careless. During their shifts, they stared at the lamps without blinking.

Suddenly, one of them noticed a lamp in the middle of the third row.

The blue light inside flickered like a candle flame in the wind, flashing twice unexpectedly.

The disciple was startled and quickly rubbed his eyes.

Just as he thought he might have been seeing things, the blue light inside the lamp quickly dimmed, and in the blink of an eye, it was extinguished.

The soul lamp had become a dead lamp.

The disciple was shocked, his brain numb from the sudden scene. He stood there in a daze for a long time before he snapped back to reality and took a step forward.

His gaze dropped to the small wooden plaque beneath the lamp, on which a familiar name was carved.

Lin Ji.

The disciple’s eyes widened, and for a moment, it was as if he had seen a ghost. His face instantly filled with fear and panic as he cried out, “Sect… Sect Master?!”

He then scrambled out of the hall, shouting, “Something’s wrong! The Sect Master is in trouble!”

The night deepened, and the Tai Sheng Sect had long since fallen asleep.

The sect was so quiet that even the sound of insects couldn’t be heard. However, this layer of silence didn’t last until midnight; it was broken by the cries coming from the ancestral hall.

Lights gathered from all directions, and the sound of hurried footsteps filled the space in front of the ancestral hall.

“What happened to the Sect Master?”

“The Sect Master’s soul lamp has gone out. I just tried to sense it, but I couldn’t feel the Sect Master’s presence.”

“What does that mean…?”

“It means… the Sect Master might be… gone…”

“That’s impossible!” Lin Ji’s eldest disciple knelt on the ground, clutching his head in despair. “Master is so powerful, and he’s the Sect Master of the Tai Sheng Sect, with plenty of high-grade artifacts and talismans. How could he die?!”

Someone tried to console him, “Qin Xue, calm down. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think…”

Before they could finish speaking, Qin Xue swatted their hand away, turning with disbelief and twisted hatred in his eyes. “Calm down? Master’s soul lamp has gone out. How can I calm down?!”

The person glanced at their reddened hand and spoke with a cooler tone, “Then what else can we do? We don’t even know when the Sect Master left the sect, let alone what happened to him.”

“Senior Brother Song is right,” another person said. “The most important thing now is to track down the Sect Master’s location. No matter what happened, we need to see the Sect Master with our own eyes.”

After a few exchanges, Qin Xue seemed to calm down a bit. With the help of other disciples, he stood up, supporting his trembling legs as he walked towards one of the elders.

“Martial Uncle, this is no small matter. We need to contact the Hulü family as soon as possible.”

The elder was Lin Ji’s senior brother. Although he appeared calm, his face was clouded with darkness, as if a storm was brewing. He quickly picked up on Qin Xue’s implication and asked in a stern voice, “What exactly do you know? Tell me everything!”

Qin Xue dropped to his knees with a thud, tears streaming from his eyes as he kowtowed repeatedly before the elder. “Martial Uncle, you must avenge my Master! He must have been killed by that demon Hulü Yan!”

“…What did you say?”

–

Half an hour later, Hulü Xing had no choice but to climb out of bed, hastily dressing before rushing outside.

On the bed, Situ Wenwan also sat up, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She anxiously called out to her husband, who was heading out of the room. “Where are you going?”

“I received an urgent message from the Yun Yan Sect. I need to go check it out,” Hulü Xing replied without looking back. His voice grew fainter as he hurried away, “Go back to sleep, don’t worry about me.”

Before Situ Wenwan could even respond with a “Okay,” the sound of the door slamming shut echoed outside.

Since she and Hulü Xing slept in the same bed, Situ Wenwan naturally knew about the transmission message he had received from the Yun Yan Sect. Perhaps to make it fly faster, the Yun Yan Sect had not included any content in the message.

It was precisely because of this that Situ Wenwan felt uneasy.

The Yun Yan Sect had sent transmission messages to Hulü Xing countless times before, but they had never been this frantic. What could have happened to make them so urgent?

Her intuition told her that it was definitely not something good, and it was definitely not something small.

But what could it be?

Vaguely, a name surfaced in her mind, and as she thought of that child, her expression involuntarily became serious.

After hesitating for a while, she couldn’t resist getting out of bed and dressing.

Hulü Xing had already gone far, so Situ Wenwan had to ask the night watch servants about his whereabouts.

Fortunately, Hulü Xing hadn’t left Immortal Valley but had gone straight to their usual meeting hall, likely waiting for the Yun Yan Sect’s people to arrive.

Situ Wenwan took the cloak handed to her by the maid, put it on, and, dismissing the maid, picked up a lantern and headed towards the hall.

Immortal Valley had a barrier that kept out the snow and cold winds, though it didn’t maintain a warm, spring-like environment like some other sects.

Even at night, the bright moonlight illuminated the path clearly.

Situ Wenwan moved quickly, using her spiritual energy.

However, as she rounded a corner by an artificial hill, she caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of her eye.

Startled, her body tensed, and she instinctively prepared to summon her life-bound sword, but as she moved, the moonlight revealed the figure’s face.

Her actions froze as she exclaimed, “Jing Lan?”

“Mother.” The voice dropped, and the figure took two steps forward, revealing a handsome face bathed in moonlight.

Situ Wenwan hadn’t expected Hulü Lan to be out here in the middle of the night instead of resting in his room. He had startled her, and a flash of irritation rose within her.

“What are you doing out here?” Situ Wenwan grabbed Hulü Lan’s hand, frowning deeply. “And you’re dressed so lightly. Look at how cold your hands are. Hurry back to rest, stop wandering around outside.”

Hulü Lan stood quietly as his mother scolded him, his expression complex and hesitant. However, he remained rooted in place.

Sensing something was off, Situ Wenwan pulled him closer and asked with a serious tone, “Is something bothering you?”

Hulü Lan hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly.

Although Situ Wenwan was worried about Hulü Xing, she couldn’t ignore her son when he looked like this. So, she softened her tone and asked gently, “What’s troubling you? Tell me, and maybe I can help.”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk. Then, I saw Father rushing towards the southern gate. Did something happen?”

“Something might have happened, but I’m not sure.” Situ Wenwan had always been transparent with Hulü Lan about major matters, knowing he was set to inherit the family leadership. How could he be kept in the dark about important affairs?

So she explained, “Your father received a transmission message from the Yun Yan Sect, but it didn’t contain any information. They probably have urgent business to discuss with him in person. I’m heading over to check it out as well.”

“A transmission message from the Yun Yan Sect?!” Hulü Lan’s face paled. “Are you sure it’s from the Yun Yan Sect?”

Situ Wenwan nodded in confusion. “Yes, it’s from the Yun Yan Sect.”

Hulü Lan’s body swayed, as if he had just suffered a heavy blow. His face, illuminated by the moonlight, turned ghostly pale.

“Jing Lan!” Situ Wenwan quickly grabbed his shoulders. “What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

Hulü Lan’s lips parted, his gaze unfocused for a moment before his eyes locked onto his mother’s anxious face.

“Mother…” Hulü Lan’s voice choked, his eyes filled with visible sorrow. “Is the Yun Yan Sect here to cancel my engagement with Ni Wenhui?”

“What?”

“It must be,” Hulü Lan said, pushing away his mother’s hand and taking two steps back with a bitter smile. “Wenhui said she would tell her mother about this once she returned to the Yun Yan Sect. I thought she would wait a bit longer, but it turns out she’s in such a hurry to sever ties with me.”

Situ Wenwan stood there in shock, barely able to comprehend what she was hearing.

It took her a while to digest Hulü Lan’s words, and when she did, her beautiful face darkened with rage. “You’re saying Ni Wenhui wants to call off your engagement?”

Hulü Lan, his head hanging in defeat, remained silent.

In truth, he had been suffering from insomnia for days. Ever since Ni Wenhui had left Immortal Valley with the Yun Yan Sect, telling him that she didn’t love him but saw him more as an older brother, he had been in a daze.

Even now, he couldn’t fully comprehend it.

He and Ni Wenhui had known each other since childhood and had been aware of their engagement for over ten years. She had never shown any resistance to the idea of marriage.

But when he reached the age of fourteen, the legal age for marriage, Ni Wenhui told him that her feelings for him weren’t romantic. She felt more like a sister relying on an older brother. She had mistaken her dependence on him as romantic affection, but it wasn’t.

What a revelation.

It shattered all of Hulü Lan’s hopes and illusions, leaving nothing behind.

He wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t. All he could do was force a smile that looked worse than crying.

Seeing her son like this broke Situ Wenwan’s heart. She quickly set the lantern down and gently hugged him.

“Was this her decision or the Yun Yan Sect’s decision? A marriage is a major event, dictated by parents and arranged by matchmakers. How can she just decide to call it off whenever she feels like it? Does she think the Hulü family is just something she can play with?” Situ Wenwan, furious, tried to comfort her son. “No matter what tricks the Yun Yan Sect is playing, I’ll make sure you get justice. Luckily, the Yun Yan Sect is here, right? We’ll confront them together.”

Situ Wenwan, still fuming, didn’t care about Hulü Lan’s protests. She grabbed his hand with one hand and picked up the lantern with the other, heading angrily toward the southern hall.

When the mother and son arrived at the brightly lit hall, they saw Hulü Xing sitting with a grim expression, accompanied by three nervous Hulü family elders.

As soon as Hulü Xing saw them enter, his brows furrowed tightly. He stood up abruptly, scolding them without hesitation, “What are you two doing here?”

Situ Wenwan, mindful of her son’s private matters, didn’t show her emotions but replied coldly, “I need to speak with the people from the Yun Yan Sect.”

“What business do you have with them?”

Situ Wenwan glanced at the elders sitting next to Hulü Xing, hesitated, and ultimately decided not to air their embarrassing private matters. She only said, “It’s not a small matter. You all can continue your discussion, and once you’re done, I’ll speak with them.”

“You always act recklessly, but now you’re dragging Jing Lan into it too!” Hulü Xing was livid, but seeing that Situ Wenwan was determined, he had no choice but to relent. After a brief pause, he said, “Come sit down. Don’t just stand there.”

Situ Wenwan immediately took the cue, pulling Hulü Lan to sit down.

They waited for nearly half an hour before a disciple came rushing in to report, “Master, the Yun Yan Sect and Tai Sheng Sect representatives have arrived.”

“Let them in,” Hulü Xing ordered with a wave of his hand.

“Yes.”

The disciple quickly ran out.

Before long, the disciple returned, leading a group of seven or eight people into the hall.

Hulü Lan immediately noticed Ni Wenhui’s figure among them, and he was momentarily lost in thought.

Ni Wenhui was wearing a bright pomegranate-red jacket, her black hair tied up in a simple bun, with a fluffy collar wrapped around her delicate, serene face.

Her appearance wasn’t overly striking, but her features combined in a way that made her look incredibly pleasant, making people want to keep looking at her.

Hulü Lan was utterly captivated by Ni Wenhui.

She was different from all the other noble ladies he had grown up with. She had no spoiled temper or arrogance. She was like a delicate narcissus flower, quietly blooming in a pot, emitting a faint fragrance.

Ni Wenhui’s gentleness and vulnerability triggered an overwhelming desire in him to protect her.

But then he thought of the words she had spoken to him earlier, and his hand, resting on his leg, slowly clenched into a fist.

Perhaps his gaze was too direct, for even across the distance and through several people, Ni Wenhui sensed it.

She turned her head and happened to meet his eyes.

He pressed his lips together, staring at her intently.

But Ni Wenhui, as if burned by his gaze, quickly turned her head away and even moved closer to Yun Yan Sect’s leader, Ni Shu, putting a clear barrier between them.

Hulü Lan was silent for a moment, taking a deep breath and forcing down the emotions surging in his chest.

Originally, he thought that the Yun Yan Sect’s late-night visit to Immortal Valley was to discuss the cancellation of the marriage between their families. But upon seeing the people from Tai Sheng Sect, Hulü Lan realized that might not be the case.

Sure enough, after the Yun Yan Sect and Tai Sheng Sect people sat down, they immediately got to the point.

“My sect’s senior disciple, Cui Yishuang, is dead. She died in the Peach Blossom Formation of the Medical Hall.” Ni Shu, who bore a striking resemblance to Ni Wenhui but with a colder demeanor, spoke with an icy tone. “This matter, I’m afraid, the head of the Hulü family is unaware of?”

Hulü Xing frowned and asked, “When did this happen?”

“Just today,” Ni Shu replied. “As soon as I sensed Cui Yishuang’s death, I contacted the Tai Sheng Sect and came here.”

Cui Yishuang had been very close to Ni Wenhui. Though they weren’t sisters by blood, they were like sisters in spirit. Upon hearing Cui Yishuang’s name, Ni Wenhui’s tears began to fall uncontrollably, streaming down her face.

Her delicate face was soaked with tears as she cried, her shoulders trembling.

Hulü Xing didn’t care about the life or death of a Yun Yan Sect disciple, but the heavy atmosphere in the hall made him realize something was wrong.

He remained silent, turning his gaze to the people from Tai Sheng Sect.

Normally, this kind of news should have come directly from them.

The representative from Tai Sheng Sect was Lin Ji’s senior brother, Hong Siyuan. His hand gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, his arm trembling, and his fingertips were white. He closed his eyes for a moment before speaking concisely about what had happened: “Hulü Yan is still alive. He was saved by the Mi family’s only son, Mi Lu.”

Hulü Xing’s body shook slightly.

Hong Siyuan continued, “They set out from the Capital City, heading northwest, passing through Jiu Yao County to the Medical Hall. They killed almost everyone in the Medical Hall. Ming De Yi and Ming Sui, the father and son, were both killed by Hulü Yan, and Qi Wangtian and Qi Heng of the Spirit Pill Sect also disappeared inside the Medical Hall. It’s likely they met the same fate as Ming De Yi.”

“Hulü Yan?!” one of the Hulü family elders slammed the table in shock, spilling tea everywhere. “Are you talking about the Hulü Yan I know?”

Hong Siyuan nodded. “Yes, him.”

“This is absurd!” the elder growled. “Hulü Yan is a cripple with no limbs or eyes! Even if he were in perfect health, he wouldn’t have been able to kill Ming De Yi and Qi Wangtian! Do you think Ming De Yi and Qi Wangtian are fools, standing still and letting Hulü Yan kill them?”

Despite being yelled at, Hong Siyuan remained calm, raising his eyes coldly toward the elder. “Fourth Uncle, do you think I would lie about something like this?”

The elder was speechless.

“Not only Ming De Yi and Qi Wangtian, but also our Sect Master, Lin Ji, Yun Yan Sect’s Cui Yishuang, and Xuan Yun Sword Sect’s Wu Qi were all killed by Hulü Yan.” Hong Siyuan paused, his gaze shifting to Hulü Xing, whose face was contorted with disbelief. “Hulü family head, do you remember the mysterious force we sensed in your Immortal Valley two months ago?”

Hulü Xing’s eyes were wide, and he murmured, “I remember.”

“I suspect,” Hong Siyuan said, “that the owner of that mysterious force is none other than Hulü Yan.”

Hulü Xing shot to his feet. “No!”

Impossible!

It couldn’t be that child!

Hulü Yan had been sacrificed on the altar, and not only had they divided his organs, but they had also taken his power.

Even if Hulü Yan had somehow survived, he was just a cripple who couldn’t even stand on his own. How could such a terrifying power come from him?

A wave of fear of the unknown surged through Hulü Xing’s mind like a climbing vine, consuming his thoughts.

Hulü Xing, who had always been composed and dignified, lost all control at this moment. His expression twisted with anger, and his usually calm demeanor shattered.

Anything related to that woman always caused him to lose his composure.

Before, it was that woman. Now, it was that woman’s child.

That mother and son were determined to make his life difficult!

He had worked so hard to drive them out of the family, so why did their presence still linger everywhere?

It was as if they were omnipresent.

Panic-stricken, Hulü Xing kept denying Hong Siyuan’s words. He leaned on the table, his eyes filled with malice as he stared at Hong Siyuan. “He’s been crippled for so long. How could he have the strength to kill them? Are you sure the one who killed Lin Ji and the others wasn’t someone Mi Lu hired to help?”

Hong Siyuan’s face darkened, but he remained expressionless as he stared back at Hulü Xing.

After a moment of silence, seeing Hulü Xing’s increasingly tense expression, Hong Siyuan spoke slowly, “Hulü family head, the world outside has changed.”

Hulü Xing opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.

After a long pause, his body went limp, and he collapsed back into his chair.

Hulü Lan had little interest in their conversation, his gaze never leaving Ni Wenhui.

He waited and waited until finally, when Ni Wenhui’s sorrow had subsided, he quietly got up and walked behind her. Leaning down, he whispered in a low voice, “Can you come outside for a moment? I have something to ask you.”

After speaking, Hulü Lan left the hall silently.

Even though the barrier of Immortal Valley blocked the winter snow and winds, it was still cold outside. And since Hulü Lan was dressed lightly, the cold wind seeped into his clothes.

He had only been outside for a short while, but he already felt as if a layer of ice had formed over his body.

Without his storage ring on him and no magical items to keep him warm, he had no choice but to endure the cold, occasionally blowing on his hands to warm them.

But no matter how long he waited, Ni Wenhui didn’t come out.

It wasn’t until the people inside finished their conversation, and Ni Shu led Ni Wenhui and the other Yun Yan Sect disciples out to leave that Hulü Lan finally saw her again.

Seeing that Ni Wenhui was about to leave, Hulü Lan panicked and quickly called out her name.

But Ni Wenhui kept her head down, walking forward as if she hadn’t heard him.

It was Ni Shu who noticed, gently tapping Ni Wenhui’s back. “Jing Lan is calling you.”

Ni Wenhui seemed to snap out of a daze and turned to look at Hulü Lan in the direction Ni Shu had indicated.

Hulü Lan’s heart raced, afraid that Ni Wenhui might refuse him. So, before she could say anything, he hurriedly said, “I just want to talk to you for a moment. Just a little while, is that okay?”

Ni Wenhui bit her lip.

“Go ahead,” Ni Shu said softly. “Jing Lan has been waiting for a long time. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but if there’s a misunderstanding, it’s better to clear it up.”

Ni Wenhui glanced at Ni Shu, then nodded and turned to walk towards Hulü Lan.

Seeing this, Ni Shu sensibly led the other disciples further away.

Ni Wenhui followed Hulü Lan to a spot behind one of the pillars. The soft moonlight draped over them like a thin veil. The space was narrow, forcing them to stand close together, their breath mingling in the cold night air.

Normally, Ni Wenhui wouldn’t have thought much of it, but after what she had said to him earlier, the proximity made her uncomfortable.

She fiddled with her sleeves, took a step back, and whispered, “What else do you want to say?”

Hulü Lan noticed her little gestures, and his gaze slowly grew cold.

Before, he had been stuck in his own thoughts, unable to see the situation clearly.

But after standing in the cold for so long, it was as if the icy wind had blown away the fog in his mind, and suddenly everything became clear.

He had figured it out.

Staring straight at Ni Wenhui, his voice turned icy, “The reason you want to call off our engagement… is it because you’ve fallen in love with someone else?”