The sacred spirit birds that had perched on the eaves flew toward the direction of the inner sect.

One of them suddenly vomited blood and fell while flying over the forest, dropping into a mountain ravine to its death.

Ling Luo stood by the riverbank, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the sacred spirit bird being washed down by the river.

One had died.

It seemed her current power wasn’t stable enough; this technique was better used sparingly.

There was a river that crossed Tianji Mountain. The water only reached an adult’s knees but perfectly separated the territories of the inner and outer sects.

Many precious medicinal herbs only grew along this river. The water was extremely clear, with all kinds of fish and shrimp. Pink and white small flowers bloomed densely in clusters along the riverbank year-round without withering.

This river was called the Defining Mountain River. Beyond the Defining Mountain River and upward was the inner sect of East Island Tianji.

Each mountain was higher than the last.

There was a different world atop the mountain peaks.

Ling Luo was far more familiar with the inner sect than the outer sect.

In the past, the Third Sect Master would secretly take her down the mountain via paths unknown to others to play in East Sea City.

Taking only her.

The Third Sect Master had only accepted three personal disciples in total.

The most favored was undoubtedly Ling Luo.

He taught her, cared for her well-being, fully protected her safety, and didn’t scold her too harshly when she made mistakes. When punishment was unavoidable, he would turn a blind eye, and afterward would bring new and interesting things to please her, take her out secretly to play, buy her beautiful clothes and ornaments, and so on.

Ling Luo had to admit that the Third Sect Master was the person who had been kindest to her besides her mother, and there had been no one like him since.

Even though they eventually became enemies and killed each other.

In the moment she killed the Third Sect Master, Ling Luo felt satisfaction, without the slightest reluctance.

The Third Sect Master’s kindness to her was because she had a face similar to someone else’s, as well as a similar voice and personality.

All of this drove that man crazy and made him do crazy things.

Ling Luo crossed the Defining Mountain River and raised her hand to touch her cold cheek.

Given the Third Sect Master’s fondness for her face, she only needed to meet him once.

In her previous life, the Third Sect Master had loved “her” madly. Before understanding the truth, Ling Luo had greatly admired him, aspiring to become someone as powerful and gentle as her master.

After learning the truth: Die, you pervert.

The Third Sect Master lived in the Qingshi Quarter, in the easternmost part of Tianji.

Before entering the quarter, there was a red torii gate a thousand steps long.

At night, the stone lamps beside the torii would light up automatically with the formation, illuminating the area as beautifully as a fairy realm.

It was currently dusk. The sacred spirit bird, driven by Ling Luo, arrived at the torii first. It perched on the torii, turning its head to survey the surroundings, but suddenly let out a cry, vomited blood, and fell to the ground.

Ling Luo: “…”

She looked at the last sacred spirit bird beside her and said, “You’re the only one left. Come on, make an effort, go see if he is in Qingshi Quarter.”

The sacred spirit bird flew away first.

What the sacred spirit bird saw along the way was what Ling Luo saw.

Familiar mountain terrain from her memory, familiar long steps and torii, and the Qingshi Quarter already reflected in the sacred spirit bird’s eyes—with a bang, the sacred spirit bird was repelled by the barrier near Qingshi Quarter, vomited blood, and died.

Ling Luo, who had just arrived at the torii: “…”

She knew there was a barrier around Qingshi Quarter, but she truly didn’t know that this barrier even repelled sacred spirit birds.

When the barrier was triggered, the Third Sect Master would naturally sense it.

The sunset in the west, the light completely dimmed, and the mountain wind howled. The stone lamps along the long steps suddenly lit up, and Ling Luo heard the shrill sound of the wind and also felt a long-familiar presence approaching.

“Roar—”

A black spiritual tiger beast rushed down from the long steps, its ice-blue eyes fixed on Ling Luo. As they were about to get close, the tiger’s form suddenly expanded, becoming as tall as the torii in an instant, and its roar brought a biting wind.

Ling Luo raised her head to look; the wind from the spiritual tiger’s roar made her clothes flutter.

The spiritual tiger lowered its head to look at her, opening its mouth as if about to bite her: “Roar—”

“Stand down.” A man’s casual voice sounded among the trees, commanding the agitated spiritual tiger to stop its attack, instantly returning to the size of an ordinary tiger.

Ling Luo’s expression was slightly stunned. Although it didn’t match her plan, she would make do with it.

She immediately knelt down and said with a slightly trembling voice, “For trespassing into the Hall Master’s quarters, this disciple acknowledges her mistake, but begs Hall Master Fan to give this disciple a chance!”

The other party was silent for a moment, then chuckled with amusement, “You, an outer sect disciple, what brings you here?”

He didn’t clarify his identity.

Ling Luo did this deliberately.

She was certain that as long as she let the Third Sect Master see her, he would have wicked thoughts, but it would also arouse suspicion to seek him out without reason. Moreover—she also wanted to deal with Hong Mao and the others.

So she continued with a trembling voice, “I beg Hall Master Fan to see clearly. On the day of the martial arts test, it was because I saw Senior Brother Hong Mao often oppressing Senior Brother Yue, and also helping Senior Brother Xiu Man cheat in the written test. I couldn’t help but intervene in a moment of anger.”

There was a hint of grievance in her words, clearly appearing like a little girl who had come to complain out of indignation and unwillingness to submit.

“Cheating in the written test, do you have evidence?” the other party asked.

“…I only heard it said, without seeing evidence, but I witnessed them often making outer sect disciples take punishments at the Disciplinary Hall in their place, and ordering others to help with patrols and bullying fellow disciples!” Ling Luo raised her head to look toward the front of the torii, with a stubborn expression, “This disciple has endured again and again, unable to turn a blind eye to this. I beg Hall Master Fan to investigate strictly.”

High-sounding and noble, beautifully said.

Ling Luo marveled inwardly at how much she had improved in this life.

Such fabricated words came easily to her.

In her previous life, she still had reservations when facing the Third Sect Master, but now she was fearless.

The Third Sect Master quietly observed her for quite a while from the shadows. Ling Luo maintained her stubborn and unyielding expression, waiting patiently.

After a moment, she saw the spiritual tiger turn to look back. In the interplay of lamplight and night, a tall figure emerged from around the corner of the torii.

He wore a white robe, very conspicuous in the night. His black hair flowed freely over his shoulders, giving him a lazy demeanor. The gold thread embroidery on his clothes was exquisite, and all contained certain talismanic symbols.

His slender phoenix eyes were slightly curved upward, looking at the kneeling young woman with a cryptic smile.

East Island Tianji had three beauties.

The first beauty was a place, Qingshi Quarter.

The second beauty was an object, Tang Flower Wine.

The third beauty was a person, Yun Shouxi.

Yun Shouxi was the Third Sect Master’s name.

His title was the Third Breath, True Lord.

His strength was even above that of the East Island Tianji Sect Master, but he wasn’t good at managing inner sect affairs. Except during major festivals, he rarely appeared in the sect.

Those who could often see him were his two personal disciples.

Even though Ling Luo had spent years with him, seeing his face again still stunned her for a moment with its beauty.

Yun Shouxi was truly handsome.

At least in her memory, only one person could compare.

Unfortunately, that person’s looks were too unstable, so if asked who was the most handsome in the world, Ling Luo would still answer Yun Shouxi.

Black eyebrows, phoenix eyes, white face, and vermilion lips.

Yun Shouxi walked leisurely to her side, and as he bent down, his black hair fell forward, the tips lightly brushing across her cheeks, cool to the touch.

He extended his well-defined hand to lightly hook her chin, making her look up, and into those beautiful eyes.

Yun Shouxi chuckled softly and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Tian, Tianyun Sect outer disciple, Ling Luo.” She said with a trembling voice, showing fear of this person while still trying to appear strong.

It was this kind of small stubbornness that made Yun Shouxi increasingly infatuated with her.

“Now you see that I am not Hall Master Fan?”

Ling Luo: “This disciple, this disciple acknowledges her mistake.”

“Then do you know who I am?” Yun Shouxi asked with a smile, his words carrying teasing enticement.

Ling Luo bit her lip slightly, lowering her head, “This disciple pays respects to the Third Sect Master.”

“Oh?” Yun Shouxi’s tone rose at the end, joking, “You know?”

“This disciple didn’t know this was the Third Sect Master’s residence, thinking that the spiritual power burst just now was from Hall Master Fan… But someone as handsome as this, in all of Tianji, there is only the Third Sect Master.” Ling Luo began to speak nonsense.

“That answer is quite clever.” Yun Shouxi’s tone was leisurely as the cool pad of his finger traced along her chin before withdrawing his hand, “From what I heard just now, you came to Hall Master Fan to complain?”

Ling Luo pressed her lips together, saying in a small voice, “It’s to expose wrongdoing.”

Yun Shouxi chuckled, and Ling Luo immediately corrected herself: “The Third Sect Master is right, it is to complain.”

“But you trespassed into the inner sect during your punishment period. Even if what you say is true, with Hall Master Fan’s temperament, I’m afraid there would be no return from this journey,” Yun Shouxi straightened up, but his gaze didn’t leave her, “Moreover, you’ve even found the wrong place.”

Ling Luo’s straight back while kneeling slightly slumped, as if she was becoming timid, but her words remained stubborn, “But this disciple also knows that Hall Master Fan wouldn’t turn a blind eye to cheating, so I was willing to take this gamble. I just didn’t want to disturb the Third Sect Master. It’s this disciple’s fault, and I willingly accept punishment.”

This set of lies flowed more and more smoothly from her.

Yun Shouxi beckoned, and the spiritual tiger beside him stood up, lowering its head to nuzzle his palm.

He said, “I’m not like Fan Jiu with his inflexible donkey temper. I’ll count to three, and you must immediately go down the mountain. The spiritual tiger will also chase you after I count to three.”

“If you’re caught within the inner sect’s territory, I’ll send you to Fan Jiu.”

“If you’re not caught, we’ll consider nothing happened today.”

Ling Luo raised her head again to look, her eyes bright.

Yun Shouxi raised his hand to count, smiling at her, “Three.”

“Two.”

“Thank you, Third Sect Master.”

“One.”

Ling Luo stood up and ran.

The night wind rustled, and mist curled around.

Yun Shouxi looked in the direction where the young woman had gone with smiling eyes, that dark green silhouette lingering in his eyes for a long time.

The spiritual tiger also didn’t chase after three counts.

Much, much later, Yun Shouxi finally reached out to stroke the spiritual tiger’s head, smiling and saying, “Go, catch her and bring her back, so she can never leave me again.”

The spiritual tiger received the order, transformed into a blur of shadow, and chased down the mountain.

Ling Luo didn’t take the same path she had come by; doing so would have exposed her.

She obediently followed the proper path. Without her sword, she used the Wind Incantation, conjuring wind beneath her feet, and swiftly passed by.

Yun Shouxi hadn’t anticipated that an outer sect disciple like her would use the Wind Incantation, so he gave the spiritual tiger a head start before sending it after her.

As a result, Ling Luo had already left the spiritual tiger far behind, and it couldn’t catch up at all.

The spiritual tiger chased to the edge of the Defining Mountain River but couldn’t find anyone. It anxiously paced in a circle before finally returning with drooping ears to report its failure.

Yun Shouxi was still standing in front of the torii. Seeing the spiritual tiger return alone, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The spiritual tiger howled at him, telling the truth.

The little girl had run too fast and had already returned to the outer sect.

“Let it be.” Yun Shouxi chuckled softly, turning to walk up the stone steps, “She seems to have been quite frightened today; we’ll go tomorrow.”

As he walked, he said, “Go to Fan Jiu and inform him about the cheating matter.”

In her previous life, it was Yun Shouxi who had taken her in.

This time, Ling Luo had taken the initiative to come to him.

The controller had thus become Ling Luo.

Back in the outer sect, Ling Luo was in a good mood. She took a detour to the evening refectory to steal two hot cakes, intending to go back and rest.

After walking a few steps, she suddenly remembered Yue Liangze. At this hour, they would normally have finished their work and each gone home.

Today he had to do the work of two people, and she didn’t know if he had finished.

Ling Luo thought for a moment and decided to go back and take a look.

The lights were still on in the medicine hall courtyard.

Ling Luo climbed over the wall into the courtyard with the cakes but found Yue Liangze kneeling outside the courtyard gate, leaving her dumbfounded.

She hadn’t known until she saw it, and when she did, she was shocked.

She went over and asked in puzzlement, “What are you kneeling here for?”

Yue Liangze’s expression was calm, showing no significant reaction to her sudden arrival. When questioned, he only answered softly, “Punishment kneeling.”

Ling Luo asked, “Who punished you?”

“Senior Sister.”

Ling Luo: “…”

“Senior Sister came?” She looked back at the medicinal herbs that hadn’t been completely sorted, feeling a bit of a headache.

Yue Liangze only made a sound of acknowledgment.

Senior Sister hadn’t come by in the past few days; how coincidental that she came today.

Ling Luo asked again, “Senior Sister discovered I wasn’t here, so why were you punished?”

“Work not finished,” Yue Liangze said.

Ling Luo: “Not finishing work doesn’t warrant punishment kneeling; being lazy does.”

Yue Liangze glanced at her.

Ling Luo’s eye twitched slightly at his look, “You mean, I was the lazy one, so why did Senior Sister punish you?”

Yue Liangze: “Senior Sister doesn’t know.”

“You didn’t tell her?” Ling Luo was a bit surprised.

Yue Liangze said, “Before you left, you told me not to tell Senior Sister.”

Ling Luo: “…”

She didn’t know what to say for a moment.

If she wanted to scold him, looking at his calm and unruffled eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. If she wanted to laugh, she felt that this matter wasn’t funny.

But there was a ball of emotion rising from the bottom of her heart, charging around in her chest without finding an outlet, making her depressed.

Yue Liangze hadn’t told her that she had left.

Senior Sister saw the work wasn’t finished and thought he was the lazy one, which was why she punished him with kneeling.

Ling Luo was so angry that she stuffed the hot cake she was holding into Yue Liangze’s mouth. When the young man looked at her in astonishment, she commanded, “This is for you, don’t you dare not eat it!”

Yue Liangze silently bit into the cake.

Ling Luo knelt beside him, fuming, “You’re the good person, you’re righteous and kind, you’re full of integrity, you’re the number one person in the immortal sect!”

Yue Liangze: “?”

Ling Luo said, “Get up! Who asked you to kneel for me? I’ll kneel myself!”

Yue Liangze was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up, patted the dust off his clothes, turned, and left.

Ling Luo: “…”