Chapter 36: The Plan

Hearing Su Jiu’s thoughts, Shen Wangchen’s glass-like eyes flickered.

After a moment, he put away the wordless book and said calmly, “Su Jiu, you can go back first; Yunqing will stay.”

Su Jiu didn’t know what else Shen Wangchen wanted to discuss with Mu Yunqing, but having gone to the secret realm with her mortal body, she was truly exhausted, so she had to leave on her own.

No matter how much she didn’t want to see Qi Chaoye and Mo Lin, as a fellow disciple, Su Jiu eventually ran into them.

Qi Chaoye, dressed in red, waved a feather fan in his hand, his peach blossom eyes sparkling with affection, seeming to look at everyone as if they were filled with infinite love.

The youth beside him wore dark-colored fitted clothes, tall and slender, with long hair tied back in a ponytail cascading down his back, revealing a smooth forehead. His brows and eyes, though youthful and inexperienced, hinted at a bright future.

One must admit, the one who plays the lead role definitely doesn’t lack good looks.

Seeing them from a distance, Su Jiu wanted to avoid them, but Qi Chaoye approached like a flamboyant butterfly.

“Little junior sister!” He called out to her and even poked Mo Lin beside him, grinning, “Little junior brother, why don’t you greet your sister? Is it because your sister didn’t come to pick you up a few days ago that you’re angry with her?”

Su Jiu was stopped by Qi Chaoye, so she had to force a smile and say, “Second Senior Brother.”

She quickly glanced at the young man beside him, her tone turning cold.

“Junior Brother.”

Mo Lin raised his hand, his tone equally cold.

“Senior Sister.”

Qi Chaoye watched from the side, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He had been hoping to hear Su Jiu’s thoughts, but this time she was like a mute, not speaking a word, and her thoughts were silent as well.

Qi Chaoye couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Mu Yunqing walked out of Shen Wangchen’s hall. This was the first time in several days that all of them had gathered together.

Seeing Su Jiu standing opposite Qi Chaoye and Mo Lin, Mu Yunqing’s heart instinctively tightened. He took three steps and stood in front of Su Jiu, protecting her by his side. Then, he calmly said to Qi Chaoye and Mo Lin, “Go in, Master has been waiting for you for a long time.”

“Senior Brother.” Su Jiu smiled genuinely when she saw Mu Yunqing, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of her lips. She leaned towards him unconsciously.

“Did Master summon us for something?”

With Mu Yunqing, she spoke more, completely different from her silence in front of Qi Chaoye and Mo Lin.

Mo Lin seemed oblivious, simply walking forward in silence. However, Qi Chaoye stopped, then circled around to Su Jiu’s other side, a smile on his face.

“The sect’s grand competition, held every three years, seems to be approaching. Could it be about this?”

His tone was as if he were asking Mu Yunqing, but his eyes were fixed on Su Jiu.

However, Su Jiu simply turned back to him, giving him a polite, courteous, and distant smile. Then, she quickly looked back at Mu Yunqing, tugging at his sleeve, her cheeks slightly raised, her almond-shaped eyes shining like stars.

Mu Yunqing smiled warmly, “It is indeed about what Second Junior Brother said.”

He reached out and pinched Su Jiu’s cheek, his tone tinged with helplessness, “Master mentioned it specifically a few days ago, have you forgotten?”

Su Jiu had been busy figuring out how to sneak out those days, so she hadn’t paid attention. Hearing this, her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head, muttering softly, “I didn’t listen.”

Qi Chaoye watched Mu Yunqing and Su Jiu interact, the smile at the corner of his lips fading slightly.

He remembered that when he transformed into that ugly rabbit, Su Jiu had spoken to him in a similar tone.

Su Jiu quickly remembered her current situation and looked at Mu Yunqing hesitantly, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

[But I’m now…]

Mu Yunqing understood the meaning in her eyes and reassuringly squeezed her wrist, whispering, “Don’t worry.”

Besides the sect’s grand competition, Shen Wangchen had something else to tell them.

“Su Jiu, Mo Lin, you two don’t need to participate in this grand competition,” Shen Wangchen said calmly, “From today onwards, you will stay in the Undao Hall, and I will test your swordsmanship.”

Su Jiu was naturally happy to avoid the grand competition, but when she heard that she would be staying in the Undao Hall with Mo Lin, her whole being went sour.

“Master, I…”

[Stay in the Undao Hall with Mo Lin? Am I trying to die faster? I refuse!]

Mo Lin’s brows furrowed slightly, and he also wanted to refuse.

Hearing what sounded like Su Jiu’s voice speaking in his ear, he thought she had spoken out loud. He turned to look, but only saw her looking as if she wanted to say something but didn’t.

Mo Lin was slightly stunned, staring at her face.

Su Jiu noticed his gaze and looked back, but the next second, she seemed to see someone she didn’t want to see. Her brow furrowed, suppressing the disgust in her eyes, and she quickly turned her head away.

Mo Lin was momentarily dazed by her glance, not knowing where he was for a while. It wasn’t until the old voice in the jade pendant sounded like it was about to explode in his ear that he suddenly came to his senses.

“Agree to Shen Wangchen, stay in the Undao Hall, it will be easier for us to act.”

“Let this female disciple stay as well, she can be used as a shield when necessary.”

Mo Lin pursed his lips, raised his hand in a salute, “Yes.”

Su Jiu wanted to say something else, but Shen Wangchen had already heard her thoughts of refusal. He simply glanced at her, and Su Jiu was so scared that she choked back her words.

[Wuwuwu, Master is so cold… I dare not speak, I’m so pitiful.]

[I really don’t want to be under the same roof as Mo Lin, I hate him!]

[Help…]

Listening to her constant wailing thoughts, Qi Chaoye finally felt a sense of relief.

Mu Yunqing glanced at Su Jiu, pursed his lips slightly, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

His junior sister, she probably didn’t know that they all knew what she was thinking.

He knew Shen Wangchen’s plan.

Shen Wangchen wanted to use Su Jiu’s thoughts to let Mo Lin know that his demon race identity had been discovered, forcing him to act against Su Jiu, or speeding up his actions.

If they were to capture Mo Lin now, it would be too early, and it might alert him.

They could only wait until he truly revealed his flaws, then they could act, following Mo Lin’s lead to find his mastermind.

Mu Yunqing knew this, but he couldn’t tell Su Jiu. He could only look at her with a hint of guilt, then leave.

After leaving the Undao Hall, Su Jiu was stopped by Mo Lin.

“Senior Sister.”

Su Jiu stopped in her tracks, her expression turning cold when she saw it was him.

“Junior Brother.”

Mo Lin stood in front of her, his hand instinctively reaching for his waist, but it landed on the scabbard of his sword.

Su Jiu’s eyes followed his hand, and she immediately took a step back, becoming quite wary.

“What’s the matter?” Seeing Mo Lin just standing there silently, Su Jiu became impatient, and she lightly clicked her tongue, “If you have nothing to say, I’ll go first.”

[Is this guy alright? Standing here like a log without saying anything, and he’s even touching his sword! My heart seizes up every time I stand with him.]

[Why is he looking at me without speaking? Could it be that he knows something?]

Su Jiu’s eyes widened slightly.

Mo Lin, who was facing her, remained calm on the surface, but his heart was like a raging storm. He stared at Su Jiu’s face, unable to calm down for a long time.

He had just heard Su Jiu’s lip movements and the words he heard were different in the hall, and he was a little surprised. However, seeing the reactions of the three people around him, he saw that they looked as usual, as if they hadn’t heard anything. He thought it was his hallucination.

But now, there were only him and Su Jiu here. Mo Lin was absolutely certain that he had indeed heard two different voices from Su Jiu.

One voice was the one she uttered, which sounded cold, but at least it was polite and courteous.

However, the other voice…

Mo Lin clearly heard the disgust in her tone towards him.

A hint of confusion flashed in the young man’s eyes.

Could it be that she knew about his attempt to attack her a few days ago?

Otherwise, how could he explain why she was suddenly so disgusted with him?

If he remembered correctly, their relationship as senior and junior siblings seemed to be okay.

The old voice in the jade pendant came out again: “After the Qian Yuan Sect’s grand competition begins, you will plant the demon seed on the disciples. Don’t kill the woman in front of you, keep her, she can be used to help you attract attention later.”

Mo Lin didn’t say anything, he remained silent, and after a while, he shook his head, stepping aside to make way for Su Jiu.

“It’s nothing,” his voice softened slightly, and he said softly, “I just remembered that I haven’t spoken to Senior Sister for a long time, I miss it a little.”

Su Jiu curled her lips, took a step and walked away, her tone perfunctory, “No need to miss it, there will be opportunities in the future.”

[Who wants to talk to you, a demon? Me talking to you? I’m trying to die faster, right?]

Mo Lin’s pupils constricted.

She knows he’s a demon?!

The young man’s fingers gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a gentle pull, the blade, thin as a cicada’s wing, was drawn halfway out, the blade gleaming coldly.

His steps were light, and in three or two steps, he was behind Su Jiu. All he had to do was draw the curved sword at his waist and gently slash at her slender, fragile neck…

However, the young man suddenly stopped, his hand holding the hilt loosened.

The blade slid back into its sheath silently.

“Right.” Su Jiu turned around, sighing as if she were helpless, and spread out her palm.

“For you.”

Mo Lin was slightly stunned, he lowered his head and looked, only to see a red string bracelet lying in the girl’s white and tender palm.

On the red string, there was a dark green bead, shaped like a lotus flower. It looked like a small trinket, but it was quite exquisite and ingenious.

Mo Lin raised his head, as if he didn’t quite understand, “What?”

Su Jiu rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand, and slapped the red string bracelet into his palm with a snap.

“A little gift I brought back from my trip down the mountain. Just this once, there won’t be any more after this.”

[You want a gift after killing me? You’re dreaming! Just this once, we’re cutting off all ties after this!]

Mo Lin’s fingertips trembled slightly.

“You know…”

That he’s going to kill her?

Su Jiu let go of his hand, shook her head and turned to leave, “I don’t know, I don’t know anything.”

She, a cannon fodder, doesn’t know anything about the protagonists’ affairs.