The Qingyun Sect’s reaction was even calmer than expected. The lights in the halls resembled steady eyes, gently watching the newcomers.
Lin Nan and Shen Yuer stepped inside. The stone steps beneath their feet still bore the hurried footprints of the disciples from earlier that day, while the air mingled faintly with the scent of burning incense and medicinal herbs.
As they reached the inner hall, Elder Xunlin and Xuan Chenzi were already standing by the council table.
Xuan Chenzi looked up upon seeing them, a flicker of surprise crossing his brow before he quickly composed himself into solemn calm.
Elder Xunlin’s gaze lingered on Lin Nan’s face, as if weighing something unsaid.
The surrounding disciples had long since been cleared out, likely not because the Sect Leader had arrived with great ceremony, but because this secret regarding the Monster Clan’s resurrection was too shocking to share openly.
Shu Ying handed a small box to Xuan Chenzi, her voice calm. “If there are any doubts, you can come to me. But correspondingly, if there are any developments, you must keep me informed as well.”
Her words were few, but carried an undeniable weight.
Xuan Chenzi nodded, tucking the box into his arms within moments.
A thousand years ago, the Demon Emperor, having resigned himself to never recovering the beloved whose head was severed before his eyes, abandoned his power and everything behind to join the then leading righteous faction, the Qingyun Sect.
He sought to use the Qingyun Sect as his foundation, scouring all worldly dharma and secret techniques, hoping to find a way to rescue that woman from the depths of hell.
But with time passing, all of it was like flowers in a mirror and the moon’s reflection on water—beautiful but unattainable.
Later, he even turned to Buddhism.
As for the outcome, as always, he gained nothing.
“This matter is best investigated quietly. Assign an Elder to conduct a thorough investigation in Changning Village.”
Xuan Chenzi’s voice was steady, carrying an unyielding authority.
Elder Xunlin had no objections. She simply nodded and then turned her gaze toward the white-haired girl standing at a distance.
Outside the Martial Transmission Hall,
Several duty disciples began registering the merits for the current mission, recording the two names.
The merit exchange was swiftly processed at the hall’s counter.
“Junior Sisters, according to feedback, the Changning Village monster incident you undertook has been successfully completed.”
“This mission was a Yellow-Rank Mission, worth one hundred points. It should be evenly split among the three of you, but Junior Sister Huo has voluntarily chosen to take twenty-five points, leaving seventy-five points for you two to divide.”
Shen Yuer rested her chin on her hand, pretending to ponder for a long moment. Then she turned toward the white-haired girl and said seriously, “For this mission, I ate a whole basket of Osmanthus cakes from you, Xiao Lin, so let me compensate you a bit of merit points! I’ll take twenty-five points as well.”
Lin Nan was taken aback, about to protest, but the young girl raised a finger, signaling “shh.”
This mission wasn’t truly difficult. The three hadn’t encountered anything they couldn’t handle, but they had uncovered the major secret of the Monster Clan’s altar—and Lin Nan’s Summon Demon Art had been crucial to that discovery.
Only this key point couldn’t be openly explained for certain reasons.
Lin Nan pressed her lips and shook her head, silently agreeing with the result.
“Additionally, this mission is connected to a Heaven-Rank Mission. The details are to be personally reviewed and confirmed by the various Peak Masters and the Sect Leader. As for us, cough cough, we currently do not have the authority to handle that.”
“But what we can say is that the Martial Transmission Hall will credit each of you with five hundred points for now. After the hall master finalizes the conclusion, additional rewards will be distributed.”
“!!!”
The young girl’s eyes widened, shining with excitement.
She shook Lin Nan’s arm happily. “Xiao Lin, five hundred points! We’re going to get rich!”
The girl pursed her lips in a smile and pointed at the counter. “Why don’t we pick out some things first?”
“Good idea!”
Shen Yuer dashed to the shelves like the wind, flipping through volume after volume of catalogues. She selected water-element dharma from the Library Pavilion’s collection.
The young girl tilted her head, watching Lin Nan neatly write down items and hand the list to the duty disciple.
“Small Protection Array, two doses of Stabilizing Heart Pills, three sprigs of Spirit-Recovery Grass, and Temporary Talismans—these are definitely important. Useful for future breakthroughs! Then I’ll redeem a set of these for myself too. If you run out, Xiao Lin, you can use mine!”
The girl’s tone was light, as if choosing to carry the world’s weight only within her smile.
Lin Nan looked at the pile of neatly wrapped items and felt an inexplicable sense of peace rise within her.
The two signed their names in both the Mission Points Ledger and Mission Points Redemption Ledger before leaving the Martial Transmission Hall.
Looking up, they realized night had already fallen.
They walked side by side along the stone path back to their respective abodes, the night breeze causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway gently.
Suddenly, Shen Yuer grabbed Lin Nan’s hand and handed over a small cloth pouch. “This is a temporary talisman I made. Inside are small charms I crafted. Place it under your pillow; it’ll help you sleep more soundly. If I dream of you stirring in the middle of the night, I’ll come running over.”
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, like a fortress built from simple promises stacked one upon another.
Lin Nan took the pouch and smiled. When her fingertips brushed the cloth, a warm sensation spread through her. Yet she said, “I usually sleep very steadily.”
“Hmph, who believes you~”
Shen Yuer lifted her smooth, fair chin and gave a playful snort.
She had seen Lin Nan asleep before—this gentle, tender girl curled up like a kitten in bed, as if some unseen terror lurked beyond the small confines of her mattress.
This strong, white-haired girl who appeared so resilient on the outside was actually fragile inside.
Shen Yuer could see this because they were kindred spirits.
“Okay, I’ll sleep with it under my pillow tonight.”
Lin Nan smiled faintly, feeling herself connected by an invisible thread of expectation, care, and that unspoken yet profound bond.
Perhaps this was what it meant to be a chosen one.
Returning to her dwelling, she spread out the redeemed formation diagrams, pills, Spirit-Recovery Grass, and talismans on her table, checking each instruction and usage carefully.
She divided her time with methodical precision: setting formation nodes, decocting herbs, and taking the Stabilizing Heart Pills in two doses.
In front of her bed, she laid out a Small Protection Array based on memory. The paper talismans and formation nodes cast flickering shadows in the candlelight.
Every talisman was drawn by her own steady and orderly hand.
She cut the roots of the Spirit-Recovery Grass into small sections and soaked them in clear water, preparing to brew them the next day to break the array, silently reciting incantations of calm and stability.
For Shen Yuer and Huo Yuanyao, this trip might have been a matter of experience, but for Lin Nan, her gain was tangible…
Monster Qi.
She lowered her head, the firelight from the soul-locking ring flickering.
Both the Summon Demon Art and the Qingyun Heart Sutra had temporarily reached bottlenecks.
The Qingyun Heart Sutra now demanded greater quantity and quality of true qi, and to meet that demand, the Summon Demon Art needed to break through first.
As for breaking through the Summon Demon Art, the answer was simple—summon demons.
The fate of the eighth generation Demon Emperor.
Lin Nan suddenly recalled that when she first touched that aura of fate, it was as if she met Shu Ying across a thousand mountains and rivers at an ancient temple. But this time?
Would they meet again?
She looked down at the soul-locking ring on her wrist.
She let out a soft laugh and murmured:
One piece, two pieces, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten pieces.
Thousands, tens of thousands, countless pieces, flying into Plum Blossom City and disappearing.
With the soul-locking ring, she shouldn’t be seen.
After all, without the soul-locking ring, she hadn’t been seen either.