Chapter 69

Mo Lin hadn’t expected anyone to knock on the door in the middle of the night. He was sitting on the heated bed with his two junior disciples. The spiritual energy in the area was thin, making it difficult to enter deep meditation, and Yuan Ye was rambling about how strange things had been that day.

“Senior Brother, you practice the Hidden Blade Sword Technique, right? Can you tell me why our junior master doesn’t want us to mention how strong she really is? She wasn’t like this before. Could it be because of Shao Fei?”

“There must be a good reason for what the junior master is doing,” Yan Qing said obediently. “Kids shouldn’t meddle in adult matters.”

Yuan Ye: “Huh?”

“I’m pretty sure the junior master is two years younger than me.”

“And what do you call her?” Yan Qing asked, arms crossed, holding a book.

“Junior master,” Yuan Ye answered without hesitation.

Yan Qing slapped the book on his knee. “Exactly.”

After a brief pause, he added, “Besides, there’s definitely something off about Shao Fei.”

Mo Lin nodded slightly in agreement, and suddenly a thought struck him. “There are too many inconsistencies in her statements. It feels like she’s trying too hard to cover something up while constantly probing our abilities. I wonder if she’s been sent by one of those organizations that trade information to assess us.”

The four of them had just made it onto the Qinyun Ranking, so it was common for people to try and secretly gather information—what cultivation techniques they practiced, their current level, where their talents lay, their cultivation base, characteristics, physical skills, combat abilities, and so on.

Mo Lin never expected someone to knock on the door in the middle of the night. He had been sitting on the heated bed with his two junior disciples. The spiritual energy was thin, making it hard to enter deep meditation, while Yuan Ye kept rambling about how odd things were that day.

“Senior Brother, you practice the Hidden Blade Sword Technique, right? Can you tell me why our junior master doesn’t want us to mention how strong she really is? She wasn’t like this before. Could it be because of Shao Fei?”

“Our junior master must have her reasons,” Yan Qing replied obediently. “Kids shouldn’t meddle in adult affairs.”

Yuan Ye: “Huh?”

“I’m pretty sure the junior master is two years younger than me.”

“And what do you call her?” Yan Qing asked, arms crossed, holding a book.

“Junior master,” Yuan Ye replied.

Yan Qing smacked his book on his knee. “Exactly.”

He paused, then added, “Besides, there’s definitely something wrong with Shao Fei.”

Mo Lin nodded slightly, a sudden thought occurring to him. “There are too many inconsistencies in her words. It seems like she’s trying too hard to cover something up while constantly probing our abilities. Could she be sent by one of those organizations that sell information, trying to assess us?”

When Mo Lin had first made it onto the Qingyun List after establishing his foundation, information about him had been sold for a high price—7,000 spiritual stones. In the past, seven different groups had tried to gather intel on him but had all failed to get any concrete information.

Just then, the door was knocked on, followed by the trembling voice of a woman. “Freind Mo, are you there?”

Her voice was laced with a panicked sob, tinged with desperation and fear.

The three of them exchanged surprised glances. Mo Lin picked up his sword-staff. “Taoist, it’s late. What’s the matter?”

Shao Fei lowered her voice. “Taoist, may I come in to explain? I am terrified and fear that something terrible will happen. I am weak and powerless and can only turn to you for help.”

Mo Lin glanced at Yan Qing. “Well, since she’s here, let’s bring her in and see what she has to say.”

Yan Qing closed his book and looked up, while Yuan Ye smiled faintly.

It was true—his senior uncles and masters often went wandering, encountering more interesting things in a single day than they did in a year of training at the sect.

Mo Lin opened the door, resting one hand on the doorframe. The sight of the white-clad figure swaying in the wind startled him. Xia Tianwu also liked to wear white, but certainly not like the person standing before him, fluttering in the cold night breeze.

He thought for a moment. Maybe it was because his second junior sister was always calm and composed, and her clothes had other colors and intricate patterns. This winter, she often wore a red plum blossom in her hair, which matched the crimson mole at the corner of her eye, adding a touch of vibrancy to her appearance.

“What brings you such unease, Taoist?” Mo Lin asked, stepping back slightly to avoid letting the woman get too close.

He recalled his junior sister mentioning that it was difficult to guard against those who practiced the art of Gu Master used Gu and so he quietly activated a small amount of spiritual energy to protect himself.

Shao Fei looked up, meeting the gaze of the handsome young man with star-like eyes. She seemed momentarily dazed, but quickly began to speak. “Please, Taoist, help the villagers. Earlier today, I hesitated to speak up, but one of my fellow disciples suffered a mishap in their cultivation and was backlashed by poisonous insect, leaving them in extreme pain. That’s why we took shelter in this village. But I never expected…”

Her voice trembled, as if she were on the verge of tears. “Earlier today, when I heard something had happened, I rushed to the house and only saw a dark figure. I thought perhaps it was just a tiger demon and not my fellow disciple.”

Tears fell from her eyes as she looked up. The young man frowned slightly, seemingly listening carefully.

“I was hoping against hope, but tonight, my fellow disciple stared at me for a long time, as if I were prey. I could even hear them grinding their teeth. That’s when I realized it was no mere hope. I didn’t want you to see him, fearing he might target you all as well. After all… the spiritual energy and blood of cultivators are far more nourishing than those of ordinary people.”

“Freind Mo, please…”

She took a deep breath, trying to stop herself from crying, but as she inhaled the cold air, her voice cracked.

Yuan Ye couldn’t hold back anymore and let out a snicker. To cover his embarrassment, he tilted his head back, covering his face with one hand while clutching Yan Qing’s sturdy arm with the other.

Yan Qing sent him a message through spiritual transmission: “You’re laughing too loud.”

Yuan Ye, trembling from holding in his laughter, replied, “I’m sorry. I just remembered how my second uncle once said that women in the palace sound like they’re putting on a show when they file complaints. He told me if I ever wanted to learn, I should go ask the palace ladies.”

At this, Mo Lin finally made a move. He withdrew his hand from the door and cast a glance at his mischievous junior disciple.

At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall. Most of the new disciples who practiced physical techniques had learned footwork, so it was strange to hear such loud steps.

Even Shao Fei paused her crying to look in the direction of the approaching steps.

“Junior Sister?” Mo Lin exclaimed when he saw who it was, rushing forward in surprise.

Ni Jinxuan followed her junior master’s instructions, reciting the words she had been told. “Senior Brother, something terrible has happened! The junior master has been captured by a monster!”

Mo Lin’s grip on his sword-staff tightened as he processed the odd phrasing. “A monster? You mean a beast or some other creature?”

“It was a black mist,” Ni Jinxuan explained. “It looked like a vengeful spirit.”

Mo Lin felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. His entire body stiffened, and his left hand instinctively reached for the true sword hilt at the end of the staff. “Do you know which direction it went? You need to find Second Senior Sister. She’ll protect you while I go save the junior master.”

Ni Jinxuan shook her head, frowning in concern. She had waited exactly as instructed, racing out just ten seconds before the allotted time. She wasn’t too panicked, though, because when the junior master had left, her voice had carried a confident, almost amused smile.

It didn’t feel like “she” was the one being captured.

Lin Du was different from the rest of the new disciples. Usually, new initiates would follow their master and senior brothers around like fledglings, looking to their elders for guidance. But perhaps because of her naturally high status, Lin Du sometimes even outshone their eldest senior brother, always calmly orchestrating things with ease.

Mo Lin, however, was truly panicking. His second junior sister had once mentioned the junior master’s physical condition. Lin Du couldn’t use too much spiritual energy, and she had never fought at full strength. If she recklessly overexerted herself, her own body might prove to be a greater danger than her enemies.