When the Mountain Watch Hall personnel arrived, they found the Second Hall Master’s corpse.

They preserved the signs of battle at the scene and dispatched people to patrol the mountains to search for suspicious individuals.

Song Yuanyuan, who had sent the signal, was personally questioned by Yun Shouxi who had rushed over. Yu Xiu was examining the scene, while Chu Yi led others to follow the blood trail to Yue Liangze’s courtyard.

Chang Fei and Yue Liangze went out to receive the investigation.

Ling Luo had sneaked out, and Xu Shen couldn’t conveniently show himself either. The fewer people who knew about those who had contact with Chang Fei today, the better.

The two stayed in the house, staring at each other for a moment before Ling Luo took the initiative to speak: “When did you learn the Form Phantasm Spell?”

Xu Shen said in a low voice: “The third day after entering the inner gate.”

…You are daring!

Ling Luo narrowed her eyes: “Where did you get the fragmented pages of the Form Phantasm Spell?”

Xu Shen answered truthfully: “That day my master was drunk and knocked over a bookcase while sword dancing in the library. I glanced at it while helping to tidy up.”

Ling Luo: “Just a glance?”

Xu Shen: “I have a good memory.”

Ling Luo said irritably: “I think you have a photographic memory.”

Xu Shen smiled: “You could say that.”

“Some people see it but don’t dare to practice it, and even if they practice, they might not succeed,” Ling Luo said. “You have quite a talent in the field of spell rules.”

“My master says the same, and I pursue power related to spell rules.”

Xu Shen was someone who easily became serious and had terrifying perseverance. Once he set or persisted in a goal, he wouldn’t let go until he achieved it.

As Ling Luo listened, she began to recall some memories concerning Xu Shen and the others.

But they weren’t pleasant ones.

While she was deep in thought, she heard Xu Shen ask: “But when did you learn it?”

Ling Luo smiled: “Want to guess?”

Xu Shen pondered for a while before saying: “Don’t tell me it’s another case of three days, one technique?”

The story of Ling Luo learning a complete sword technique in three days was widely circulated throughout Tianji.

“Something like that,” Ling Luo looked outside, narrowing her eyes and speaking softly. “There are many ancient texts collected in the library of the Mirage Tower. I sneaked a look at a few chapters when Master wasn’t paying attention.”

Xu Shen didn’t doubt this at all.

But the reason Ling Luo knew it was because Yun Shouxi had used this technique on her.

He had exchanged her spirit meridian with someone else’s.

And she had learned it because she wanted to switch back.

Outside the house, Chang Fei and Yue Liangze were being questioned by the Mountain Watch Hall personnel. Chu Yi stood by the stone table, looking at the wild fruits drying in the basket. He reached out, took one, and bit into it.

Sour.

Chu Yi ate with an expressionless face. After listening to the conversation, he tilted his head toward the door of the house and asked: “Is there someone else inside?”

Chang Fei’s heart sank, while Yue Liangze calmly said: “No.”

Chu Yi gave him a sidelong glance, snorted with a laugh, and walked to the eaves: “Come out on your own.”

Ling Luo inside the house: “…”

Hearing that voice, her eye twitched.

She never expected that the person coming to investigate would be her Senior Brother Chu Yi.

He had a perverse personality, and in the early days, they didn’t get along well, finding each other disagreeable. Their relationship only changed after experiencing many events together.

“Should I personally invite you?” Chu Yi licked the fruit juice at the corner of his mouth and smiled.

Xu Shen gestured for her to hide while he went out, but Ling Luo shook her head in refusal.

Chu Yi could hear breathing sounds to determine how many people were inside; hiding would be useless.

Ling Luo opened the door and went out, facing the bright sunlight, lowering her head in a bow.

Chu Yi raised an eyebrow when he saw Yingxi at her waist, and took another bite of the sour wild fruit.

He hadn’t expected to meet his junior sister in such a manner.

“Senior Brother,” Xu Shen bowed his head.

Ling Luo blinked and also said: “Hello, Senior Brother.”

“Why isn’t my junior sister recovering properly in the Mirage Tower, but instead hiding in the courtyard of her outer gate senior brother?” Chu Yi looked at her with a half-smile. “And more than one person is hiding inside.”

“Please don’t blame me, Senior Brother. Today is the ceremony, and I saw that you all had gone, leaving me alone and bored. So I came to the outer gate for a stroll. Unexpectedly, I encountered trouble, and then seeing it was you coming to investigate, I was afraid you’d tell on me to Master, so I hid.”

Ling Luo’s answer was orderly and sincere, earning the admiration of Xu Shen and the others.

“Tell on you?” Chu Yi smiled. “So that’s how my junior sister sees me. Fine, I’ll fulfill your expectations.”

He turned and walked out of the courtyard, taking another fruit as he passed the stone table: “Master is at Lower Pine Mountain. Come with me.”

Ling Luo: “…”

She stepped forward to follow. Chu Yi turned sideways and tossed the fruit in his hand to her: “A gift from your senior brother, consider it a welcome present.”

Ling Luo inwardly sneered that his behavior was consistently detestable and provocative.

She took the wild fruit, treating it as if it were Chu Yi himself, and bit into it fiercely.

Extremely sour.

Ling Luo’s cheeks puffed out, and she turned to glare at Yue Liangze: “It’s so sour!”

Yue Liangze: “…”

I swear I knew they were very sour and had no intention of letting you eat the fruits directly.

In the end, Ling Luo still left with Chu Yi.

Today, everyone in Tianji was very busy.

The news of the Second Hall Master’s assassination was being suppressed. The Ancestral Ceremony continued under Sect Leader Mu’s guidance, while Yun Shouxi came to investigate.

Their focus was on the Second Hall Master, not paying much attention to the two disciples who had passed through the area.

After being questioned, Chang Fei and Yue Liangze had no further involvement. When they saw the Mountain Watch Hall people leave, Chang Fei’s legs gave way, and he sat down on the ground, covering his chest and smiling bitterly.

Xu Shen stepped forward and patted his shoulder in comfort.

Yue Liangze stood by the stone table, took a wild fruit, and handed it to Chang Fei as a gesture of consolation.

Chang Fei held it in his hands, his expression subtle at that moment, but he was certain he didn’t dare eat it.

Meanwhile:

Ling Luo followed behind Chu Yi, listening to the Mountain Watch Hall personnel discussing the assassination of the Second Hall Master with him.

Chu Yi had completed his apprenticeship and entered the world last year. As the chief disciple of the Third Sect Leader, he could manage sect affairs on behalf of his master.

His status was comparable to a Hall Master.

After listening to the Mountain Watch Hall personnel’s summary, he didn’t express an opinion but instead glanced sideways at Ling Luo beside him and said: “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Ling Luo remained silent.

Chu Yi said leisurely: “I haven’t even asked why there was still someone else hiding in that house, yet you’re already dissatisfied?”

“Since you said you wouldn’t ask, then don’t bring it up,” Ling Luo said listlessly.

She was still biting into the sour wild fruit.

She hadn’t realized that she had unconsciously adopted the attitude from her previous life when speaking to Chu Yi, which surprised him.

This junior sister had been respectful and obedient to him just a moment ago, but her attitude had changed so quickly.

Ling Luo slowly finished eating the wild fruit, so sour that tears came to her eyes.

Chu Yi watched, speechless: “If you can’t handle it, don’t eat it.”

Ling Luo raised her head, forcing the tears that had already welled up in her eyes to go back, not letting them flow down.

At first, Chu Yi thought this junior sister was just stubborn and very obstinate.

Until he brought Ling Luo to Lower Pine Mountain and saw Yun Shouxi. Before he could speak, Ling Luo peeked out from behind him and called: “Master!”

Hearing this voice, Yun Shouxi turned his head in surprise.

Then he saw his “beloved” crying pitifully, appearing weak and pitiful, with tears brimming in her beautiful eyes.

Yun Shouxi’s aura turned slightly cold as he stepped forward and asked: “What happened?”

“Master…” Ling Luo sniffled, speaking weakly, “Today during the ceremony, I saw you all go out and felt bored, so I came down the mountain. Senior Brother discovered me and has already scolded me. I know I was wrong.”

Yun Shouxi was slightly stunned, and the cold air around him dissipated.

So that was what happened.

He reached out to pat Ling Luo’s head, giving Chu Yi a slightly reproachful look: “It was just a sneaky trip down the mountain for fun. Why scold her so harshly?”

Chu Yi: “…”

He finally understood why this junior sister had insisted on eating the entire sour fruit.

The grudge had been established.

Ling Luo wiped her tears with her sleeve, looking pitiful.

At sixteen years of age, playing small tricks and showing a bit of willfulness was just right.

Yu Xiu returned after examining the scene, and was surprised to see Ling Luo also there. Seeing that she had been crying, he asked: “What happened to Junior Sister?”

Ling Luo answered softly: “Senior Brother scolded me.”

Yu Xiu turned to look at Chu Yi, also with a slightly reproachful gaze: “Senior Brother.”

Chu Yi lazily lifted his eyelids.

Well done.

His respected master and beloved junior brother had both been bewitched by this little junior sister.

“Have you found anything?” Yun Shouxi asked while wiping Ling Luo’s tears.

“The residual energy on the Second Hall Master’s body has a frosty aura, and the wounds are strange, with eight energies and three rotations. We can deduce it was the work of White Linglong,” Yu Xiu said.

Chu Yi also said: “During the battle, disciples saw the opponent wielding a wrist blade with a black flawed jade, which is also a mark of White Linglong.”

Yun Shouxi focused on wiping Ling Luo’s tears, his movements gentle. As he leaned closer, Ling Luo could see his delicate skin, and couldn’t help but marvel at how truly handsome he was.

“White Linglong,” Yun Shouxi softly repeated, his lips slightly curved, eyes filled with gentle humor. “Go to Dream River Manor and retrieve the Second Hall Master’s movements outside the mountain for the past three years.”

Yu Xiu nodded, accepting the order.

“Little Yi, go and examine the records of those entering and leaving the sect in the past half year.”

Chu Yi glanced sideways at Ling Luo and left to carry out the order.

Ling Luo laughed inwardly while maintaining a pitiful expression, slightly backing away and saying: “Master, I know I was wrong. I’ll go back to Qingshi Manor now.”

Yun Shouxi’s hand halted in mid-air. Hearing this, he narrowed his eyes and smiled: “You’ve recovered quite well these past few days, enough to run down the mountain.”

“Today someone infiltrated the mountain and caused trouble, killing the Second Hall Master. You stay with me, don’t go anywhere.”

Ling Luo feigned ignorance and asked: “Master, what is White Linglong?”

Yun Shouxi straightened up, folded his hands into his sleeves, and looked into the distance, saying softly: “Just a group of waste, not worth mentioning.”

White Linglong specialized in assassinations, employing various strange techniques, mostly poison spells.

But this time, when killing the Second Hall Master, they didn’t use their usual assassination techniques or poison spells. Instead, there was a prolonged battle, and they were discovered by multiple people.

According to White Linglong’s style of operation, Ling Luo felt that the Second Hall Master might not have been their target. Perhaps he had accidentally discovered White Linglong’s true identity, which led to the confrontation.

White Linglong claimed never to fail. If the Second Hall Master wasn’t the target, then their mission wasn’t complete, and they wouldn’t have left the mountain.

Additionally, today was Tianji’s Ancestral Ceremony, and the mountain was sealed. They couldn’t leave even if they wanted to.

Yun Shouxi did not regard the assassin organization, which the cultivation world spoke of with fear, highly, but he couldn’t tolerate them successfully infiltrating Tianji and causing trouble.

He led Ling Luo around the various halls in both the inner and outer gates. During this time, information from various sources continuously arrived, which he sorted through and made decisions on before issuing orders.

Yun Shouxi didn’t often manage sect affairs, but it wasn’t because he wasn’t good at it.

The Ancestral Ceremony continued.

As night fell, Ling Luo stood on a high peak, watching the procession below hidden among the forest, forming a dragon of lanterns.

As Yun Shouxi led her down, they encountered Song Yuanyuan and the others on the path.

They were pulling Yue Liangze, trying to take him to see the procession to relieve the day’s fatigue. Unexpectedly encountering Yun Shouxi, they were startled and hurriedly stood straight, bowing: “Greetings to the Third Sect Leader.”

Ling Luo stood beside Yun Shouxi, quiet and still, showing no sign of being familiar with them.

“Rise,” Yun Shouxi said gently. “Were you the ones who encountered the incident with the Second Hall Master today?”

Song Yuanyuan’s palms were sweating as he respectfully said: “Yes.”

“You must have been frightened,” Yun Shouxi looked at the blood stains on their clothes. “Have you been to the Medicine Hall for treatment?”

Being cared for by the Third Sect Leader, Song Yuanyuan and Chang Fei were somewhat flattered.

“We have, the Medicine Hall has given us medicine, and there are no major issues.”

Yun Shouxi nodded, strolling past and smiling: “Go and enjoy yourselves.”

The group bowed their heads: “Safe travels, Third Sect Leader.”

Ling Luo walked beside Yun Shouxi, ignoring Song Yuanyuan’s gaze, leaving with a cold and aloof demeanor.

Yun Shouxi stretched out his hand to her, “It’s dark at night, and the slope is steep. Be careful not to fall.”

Ling Luo extended her hand, allowing him to hold it as they went down the mountain.

Behind them, Song Yuanyuan caught a glimpse and said sourly: “The Third Sect Leader dotes on her.”

Yue Liangze watched silently.

The Third Sect Leader was handsome, gentle, and possessed every beautiful aspect. In comparison, one couldn’t help but feel inferior, with only the words “unworthy” coming to mind.

He unconsciously clutched his sleeve with the hand at his side, blinked, and then turned his gaze away.

“Ling Luo didn’t even look at us just now… is it because I…” Chang Fei raised his hand to scratch his head, his face troubled and apologetic.

“What are you thinking? Is she that kind of person?” Song Yuanyuan pulled him forward. “Ling Luo just couldn’t relax because the Third Sect Leader was there.”