“Don’t be afraid, Junior Sister. I was merely dealing with a few nuisances.”
Lu Li gently wiped away the last trace of blood from Ye Ran’s cheek, then ruffled her hair.
His voice was as soft as if he were soothing a child.
But Ye Ran only grew more terrified.
She couldn’t understand why Lu Li had murdered his fellow disciples right in front of her.
Wasn’t he supposed to do things like this in secret, absolutely ensuring no one else found out?
Ye Ran’s heart was racing with panic. Her eyes remained fixed on Lu Li’s every move.
Under her watchful gaze, Lu Li took out his bloodstained sword and carefully wiped the blood off with his handkerchief.
Just as he had done when wiping her face moments ago.
[Ahhh! System, is he about to make his move? What do we do?]
Ye Ran’s face gradually turned pale. Watching Lu Li finish cleaning his sword, she began frantically calling out to the system in her heart.
[Don’t be scared, host. Worst case, I’ll use all my points to exchange for a decoy so you can fake your death and escape.]
This time, the system didn’t play dead. It answered quickly.
Still, its tone couldn’t hide a hint of reluctance.
After all, those points had taken decades of hard work to earn. The system had hoped to make a big profit from this mission. Now it looked like it would end up just like its predecessors—losing everything.
But Ye Ran was the only host who had never treated the system like a tool and often shared treats with it.
So, despite the pain, the system didn’t hesitate to offer all its points.
[System, you’re so good to me. I’ll never sneak snacks without sharing with you again.]
Ye Ran was deeply moved. Her heart finally steadied quite a bit.
By then, Lu Li had just finished wiping his sword. As he seemed about to make a move, Ye Ran swallowed hard and waited silently for the blade to fall on her.
But the next moment, Lu Li suddenly turned the sword around and plunged it into his own chest. Blood immediately stained his robes—a shocking sight.
Ye Ran’s body reacted faster than her mind. She rushed to Lu Li’s side and called out to him.
“Senior Brother!”
“Shh.”
A cold finger pressed against Ye Ran’s lips.
She looked up and saw a faint trace of excitement flicker across Lu Li’s face. But before she could get a clear look, his expression returned to normal.
Then, the jade token at his waist lit up. The light gathered in front of them, gradually forming a human figure.
“Greetings, Master.”
The moment Ling Xu appeared, Lu Li immediately raised his hand in salute. His voice had grown considerably weaker compared to earlier.
Though Ye Ran had no idea what Lu Li was up to, she quickly followed suit and bowed to Ling Xu.
Ling Xu’s expression was grim. His frown deepened, especially when he saw the bodies of the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect disciples.
But after looking away, his sharp eyes swept back and forth between Lu Li and Ye Ran, finally settling on Lu Li.
“Li’er, what happened here? Why did your fellow disciples suddenly fall?”
“By the time I arrived, they had already been killed by the demons. Only Junior Brother Li was still fighting them off. But I was too late. After I slaughtered the demons, Junior Brother Li also perished.”
Lu Li’s wound was still bleeding, his face growing paler by the moment.
Ye Ran listened to his account and couldn’t help but admire how skillfully he shifted the blame.
In that moment, she suddenly understood why Lu Li always used an ordinary sword. It was far too convenient—whether for killing or for deflecting blame. This sword left no special traces behind, so no one could ever trace anything back to him.
Ye Ran’s guess was correct. Ling Xu indeed suspected nothing. His expression only grew more solemn. After a long pause, he spoke again:
“Did your junior brother leave you any message?”
“Junior Brother Li entrusted me with a jade pendant and asked me to deliver it to you, Master.”
Lu Li produced the red jade pendant.
The moment Ling Xu saw it, a flash of excitement passed through his eyes.
“This pendant is connected to the demons. Return to the sect with the other disciples immediately. Remember, no fourth person must know about this pendant.”
“Yes, I understand.”
No sooner had Lu Li acknowledged the order than the phantom before them vanished.
Ye Ran had been on edge for Lu Li’s sake. Now that the sect leader was finally gone, she found herself unconsciously letting out a sigh of relief.
But when she looked at Lu Li again, she saw that he was no longer acting weak.
So that stab wound had just been for show in front of the sect leader.
What a cunning big villain.
No sooner had Ye Ran made that silent comment than she spotted a furtive figure hiding in the bushes. Judging by the clothing, it was someone from the Hehuan Sect.
“Senior Brother! Someone’s there!”
The moment Ye Ran spoke, the figure turned and slipped away, quickly disappearing into the forest.
Ye Ran grew anxious. After all, she had been present when Lu Li killed those disciples. If that person had witnessed the murders, then she would be complicit—and they would both be held accountable.
But Lu Li beside her didn’t move at all. He made no attempt to chase the figure and even stopped Ye Ran from going after them.
“She didn’t see anything she shouldn’t have. Pay her no mind.”
Lu Li looked in the direction the disciple had fled, a slight curl at the corner of his lips—a meaningful smile.
Only then did Ye Ran finally relax.
Meanwhile, back at the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect, no sooner had Ling Xu turned off his jade token than a figure in a black veil emerged from the shadows.
Ling Xu glanced at the figure, then turned his gaze into the distance.
“Did you see clearly?”
“Of course!”
The black-clad figure’s voice was hoarse, but their tone was filled with excitement.
“There’s no mistake. Back then, I accompanied my father to Young Master Lu’s first birthday banquet. The family head himself placed a jade pendant infused with phoenix blood on the young master. That pendant was identical to the one just now. And based on intelligence from years ago, that demon lord wore the pendant until the day he disappeared.”
“It seems the information I received was correct. That demon lord has indeed reappeared.” Ling Xu’s frown deepened.
“What do we do now? The demons are trying to align themselves with him. If they find him first, then Chi Ling—”
Before the black-clad figure could finish, Ling Xu glanced back at him. The displeasure in his eyes made the figure swallow the rest of his words.
After a moment, Ling Xu stroked his beard and continued, “No need to rush. Even if the demons find him, given his temperament, he won’t easily form an alliance with anyone. Besides, the jade pendant is now in our hands. With it, we can lock onto his location by tracing its aura. What we need to do now is contain the news. Only you and I should know about this. Absolutely no one else must get a share.”
“I’m always cautious in my work. You can rest assured.”
With that, the black-clad figure vanished from the great hall.
Ling Xu walked to one side and waved his hand to reveal a map of the cultivation world. Gazing at the vast lands and rivers before him, his slightly narrowed eyes were full of greed.
…
Ye Ran stood outside the Tianyuan Hall, feeling anxious and uneasy.
Back in the secret realm, as soon as Lu Li received the sect leader’s orders, he had immediately gathered all the disciples and rushed back to the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect without pause.
And now, the sect leader wanted to see her and Lu Li—alone.
Lu Li had already gone in, and Ye Ran was waiting outside to be summoned.
She felt like a desperate student waiting for an exam—one where failing might cost her life.
She didn’t know how long she had been waiting when the hall doors finally opened. Lu Li walked out.
His wound hadn’t been treated yet. Though it had stopped bleeding, his bloodstained white robes were a shocking sight.
“Senior Brother…”
Ye Ran quickly stepped forward, hoping Lu Li might give her a hint about what to expect.
But Lu Li only curled his pale lips into a faint smile at her.
“Master is still waiting. You should go in, Junior Sister.”
“Alright…”
Ye Ran kept staring at Lu Li, hoping for more, but he showed no sign of continuing.
In the end, she walked into the great hall with heavy, reluctant steps.
“Disciple Ye Ran greets the sect leader.”
The moment she entered the hall, Ye Ran immediately bowed to Ling Xu.
“So you’re Elder Li’s youngest disciple. No need for such formality. Rise.”
The sect leader’s voice was as kind as ever, which eased Ye Ran’s anxious heart just a little.
But when she looked up at the sect leader, she noticed that his kindly expression had shifted into something strange. His gaze, in particular, was sharper than usual.
“Good child, don’t be nervous. I only called you here to ask what happened in the secret realm. Just tell me the truth.”
“Senior Brother and I detected a large amount of demonic energy in the secret realm. When we arrived, Junior Brother Li was already fighting a group of demons. The other senior brothers had already fallen. Senior Brother was wounded by the demons while trying to save Junior Brother Li, but in the end, Junior Brother Li couldn’t hold on. He perished after Senior Brother finished off the demons.”
In the end, Ye Ran chose to help Lu Li cover up the truth.
After all, the villain’s priority outweighed that of NPCs. Any smart person would know which side to choose.
But beyond that, there was another reason—one Ye Ran herself hadn’t even noticed.
Her subconscious had already begun to lean toward Lu Li. From the moment she witnessed him kill, she had already prepared herself to keep his secret.
Her anxiety outside the hall had only been fear of slipping up.
“Other than that, did you see anything else?” Ling Xu paused for a moment before continuing.
Under his penetrating gaze, Ye Ran shook her head. “No, nothing.”
She had also withheld the fact that a Hehuan Sect disciple had been watching.
Although it had nothing to do with Lu Li’s killings, Ye Ran instinctively kept it to herself.
After answering, she obediently lowered her head, enduring Ling Xu’s scrutiny.
Perhaps because she had grown bolder while staying by Lu Li’s side, she found herself not the least bit flustered under Ling Xu’s assessing gaze.
“I see. Good child. You’ve worked hard.”
Ling Xu patted Ye Ran’s shoulder and smiled warmly. When Ye Ran looked up, he continued:
“However, the jade pendant Lu Li brought back from the secret realm is connected to the demons’ schemes. This matter must not be disclosed—not even to your master. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Sect Leader. Please rest assured, I will not breathe a word of this to anyone.”
Ye Ran immediately raised three fingers and swore a heart oath. Only then did Ling Xu nod in satisfaction.
“Good. You’re a sensible child. Go back and rest now.”
“Yes.”
Ye Ran bowed once more to Ling Xu before turning and walking out of the hall.
The moment she stepped through the doors, she let out a huge sigh of relief. But when she looked up, she saw Lu Li still standing outside.
Lu Li truly deserved his reputation as the untouchable flower of the sect. Even standing there covered in blood, he showed no sign of dishevelment. Instead, there was a fragile beauty to him that stirred a sense of pity.
“Senior Brother? Why haven’t you gone back?”
Ye Ran was surprised.
Had the sect leader given Lu Li further instructions?
As Ye Ran slowly approached, Lu Li’s gaze settled on her. But this time, the usual coldness and guardedness in his eyes were completely gone.
“I was waiting for you, Junior Sister.”
He had been waiting for Ye Ran’s choice.
Although he now knew who she was and understood that the child she had been meant him no harm, he also knew that people’s hearts changed.
He needed to determine whether the Ye Ran of now harbored any ulterior motives.
That was why he had deliberately handed her a weapon to use against him.
Fortunately, he was pleased with the result.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Lu Li’s lips.
But Ye Ran only grew more confused by his gaze.
She felt that Lu Li had changed again—especially compared to before she entered the hall. He seemed to carry an air of joy about him.
Beyond that, she vaguely sensed other changes she couldn’t quite pinpoint.
She stared at Lu Li for a moment longer. Just as the silence began to feel awkward, she finally spoke:
“Senior Brother, did you need something by waiting for me?”
“Let me walk you back.”
Ye Ran wondered if she had misheard.
She looked at the blood on Lu Li’s clothes and his pale face, her feelings growing complicated.
He’s this weak, and he still wants to walk me back? Is that really appropriate?
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