The several figures in gray robes had already approached. The one leading them carried a broad-bladed knife on his back, its sheath engraved with the flame pattern of the Danxia Sect.
“A Qingyun Sect comrade arrives quickly,” the gray-robed leader grinned, revealing yellowed teeth as his gaze swept over the black wolf sprawled on the ground and the stone altar. “Looks like this fiend has already been dealt with.”
Huo Yuanyao held her sword horizontally before her, her tone icy. “What business does the Danxia Sect have in Changning Village? This is not your jurisdiction.”
“Just following orders,” the gray-robed man shrugged with a casual tone. “We heard a strange beast was injuring people. The shopkeeper sent us to handle it.”
His eyes settled on Lin Nan, lingering particularly on her white hair and turquoise eyes. “You all look unfamiliar. Are you new disciples?”
Lin Nan said nothing, fingers brushing the hilt of Not-Seeing-Green.
Their auras were darker than Cao Xingzhi’s, and the blade within the sheath carried a faint stench of blood. Although their attitudes were casual, it didn’t seem they had any ulterior motives.
Suddenly, Shen Yuer pointed toward the dark cave. “There’s noise inside. Do you want to take a look?”
The gray-robed man’s expression didn’t change as he cupped his hands and smiled politely. “It’s just some wild beasts’ den. What’s there to see? Since the strange beast is gone, we’ll take our leave…”
“Wait.”
Lin Nan suddenly spoke, turquoise eyes fixed on the Danxia Sect group. “May I ask, are you worldly disciples or otherworldly ones?”
As she spoke, she picked up a stone and threw it into the dark cave. Among the sound of the stone hitting the ground, there was a faint clinking of metal.
The gray-robed men instinctively glanced toward the sound but quickly averted their eyes. “You’re quite perceptive. We’re all worldly disciples. Currently, we’re working for the Dechang Escort Agency. If you ever go to Changjing City, you can find us there.”
“You don’t show any sincerity, even as worldly disciples,” Lin Nan said. “Traveling all the way from distant Changjing City to this Changning Village still doesn’t make sense. Could it be…”
The white-haired girl’s voice was soft and gentle, completely non-confrontational, yet her meaning was serious.
She gave a light laugh, as soft and refreshing as spring rain. “Could it be that the Dechang Escort Agency’s routes have been laid out within Qingyun Sect’s jurisdiction?”
The gray-robed man chuckled awkwardly, lifting his hat brim and cupping his hands again. “You have a way with words. I am Sun Qi from the Danxia Sect, currently an escort leader at Dechang Escort Agency. This time, the agency sent me to Changning Village, and I was only instructed to kill this beast.”
Lin Nan smiled sweetly, pointing at the black wolf beside her, who was staring at her with longing eyes. “But it’s not dead.”
Sun Qi replied, “Could you please hand over this black wolf to me?”
“No,” Lin Nan shook her head. Then, after a moment’s thought, she continued, “Oh, by the way, your Danxia Sect members actually dare to come under the Qingyun Sect’s banner. Is it your courage, or the Danxia Sect’s courage?”
Sun Qi froze, initially wanting to negotiate with Lin Nan to get the chance to kill the black wolf himself, but her sudden change in tone toward this matter made him pause. He asked in confusion, “Our sect has good relations with Qingyun Sect. Though we didn’t report our arrival, why can’t we even come here?”
“Because your Danxia Sect, during the Qingyun Sect’s initiation ceremony, killed someone right in front of Qingyun Sect Master Xuan Chenzi.”
Almost instantly, a surge of cyan Qi climbed along Not-Seeing-Green. The white-haired girl’s gaze sharpened like a blade, her entire body tense and ready to strike. At the slightest movement, Not-Seeing-Green would descend on the gray-robed man’s head in an instant.
“Don’t speak nonsense!” Sun Qi became anxious, waving his hands. “The actions of worldly disciples are not related to the Danxia Sect! Besides, Zhang Qiming and the others belong to the Prime Minister’s Residence, not the Dechang Escort Agency. Don’t put this mess on me!”
Before Sun Qi finished, the Qi on Not-Seeing-Green had already dissipated like smoke. The white-haired girl, with a venomous mouth but a gentle smile, held her sword harmlessly and said, “I’m lying. Zhang Qiming didn’t kill anyone. Nothing happened at the initiation ceremony. Qingyun Sect and Danxia Sect have a good relationship~”
Sun Qi breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the girl with about ninth-rank strength across from him, but inside, a flicker of wariness arose.
This girl’s tongue was too sharp.
In the dynasty, she would be the perfect retainer for officials, while someone like him, an honest escort leader, would be powerless against her.
“Since the misunderstanding is cleared, we’ll take our leave,” Sun Qi wiped his sweat and cupped his hands. This time, he didn’t even want the wolf, just wanted to leave quickly.
He truly didn’t know the truth of what happened inside Qingyun Sect, but recently the Danxia Sect had issued ironclad orders forbidding any conflicts with Qingyun Sect disciples.
Sun Qi figured there must be something serious behind this, so he decided to keep a low profile for now.
If Zhang Qiming’s faction suffered because of this, it might even be good for the Dechang Escort Agency.
Watching the Danxia Sect members leave, Lin Nan withdrew her gaze. She turned her head just in time to see the little girl clasping her hands into fists, eyes full of admiration.
Those unblinking little eyes, that charming half-smile—it made Lin Nan a bit embarrassed. She patted the girl’s hands. “What are you doing?”
“Xiao Lin, you’re so bad, I like you so much!” Shen Yuer giggled, disbelief in her tone. “I didn’t expect someone as gentle as you to have such a dark side. If you keep this up, I’ll fall in love with you!”
Listening to the teasing words, Lin Nan’s heart inexplicably trembled. She shifted her gaze and hummed nonchalantly, “If you fall in love with me, you’ll have big trouble.”
“I don’t have many ambitions,” Shen Yuer raised her right fist high and slammed it heavily onto her left palm with a crack. “I just like solving big trouble.”
Hmph.
The white-haired girl, somewhat tsundere, flicked her long hair and turned toward the dark cave, replying casually, “Suit yourself.”
At that moment, a “rumble” came from inside the cave, as if a heavy object had fallen.
The black wolf suddenly stood, growling lowly at the cave entrance, fur bristling.
“Is there something else inside?” Shen Yuer called, tossing a glowing talisman into the cave. “Let’s go check!”
The three entered together. Just as they peeked in, a black shadow crouched deep inside, clawing at something.
It was a smaller wolf cub, its leg bound with iron chains, etched with the same runes as the altar.
“Puppies too!” Shen Yuer exclaimed. Her water magic transformed into a blade that sliced the chains. “Was it locked here as a sacrifice?”
Lin Nan looked at the small wolf and the black wolf’s wary face thoughtfully.
Silence returned to the cave, save for the cub’s whimpering.
Huo Yuanyao, sword in hand, checked the cave alone and came out shaking her head. “Further inside, there were only some pottery jars filled with blood. No other clues.”
Lin Nan gazed at the black wolf that seemed ready to bite the cub, and a suspicion arose in her mind.
They used the wolf pack’s blood to nourish the formation, gathering demon Qi, and finally drove the demon Qi into the mother wolf’s womb to give birth to the cub… This was just an experimental altar; the real altar’s location was still unknown.
The person who created this altar wasn’t cultivating strange beasts, but… trying to breed new…
Monsters.
This suspicion wasn’t fully formed, so Lin Nan swallowed the thought, planning to gather more clues later.
Shen Yuer held the sobbing cub. “So cruel, all just for some blood sacrifice…”
The black wolf suddenly approached Lin Nan, nuzzling the back of her hand, emitting a low sound like a friendly greeting.
Lin Nan stroked its mane. The golden flames of the soul-lock ring flickered gently, forming a strange harmony.
If her senses were correct, both the cub and the mother wolf, who treated the cub like an enemy, had indeed generated a faint trace of demon Qi.
“Looks like it’s quite fond of Xiao Lin,” Shen Yuer smiled. “Why don’t we bring them back to Qingyun Sect? It’s safer than leaving them here.”
Huo Yuanyao nodded in agreement. “Good idea. Let Beast-Taming Peak see if they can clear the remnants of the seal.”
The three tidied the scene, declined the villagers’ osmanthus cakes, and headed back with the black wolf and her cub.
Lin Nan walked last, glancing back at the broken altar. Sunlight fell on the altar’s runes, reflecting a cold light.
She suddenly thought of Sun Qi and his group.
“Dechang Escort Agency, huh,” Lin Nan propped her chin, carefully pondering. “This Dechang Escort Agency is interesting—they’ve noticed something too? It can’t all be coincidence. The recent coincidences with Danxia Sect are starting to pile up.”