The span of five days passed in the blink of an eye.
For Mo Ruxue, these five days should have been unbearable, but to her surprise, the time slipped by quickly.
Most of her time, aside from looking after Zhu Yuexi’s daily needs, was spent alone in her room studying the book Xu Sheng had left behind.
The more she read, the more ashamed she felt, yet that very shame only fueled her curiosity.
Since she was alone in her room anyway, she managed to finish the entire book, along with all the annotations, within those five days.
The day of departure arrived quickly.
In the world of cultivation, it was common for a sect leader to enter secluded meditation. She informed the sect’s high-ranking officials that she was taking Zhu Yuexi away to seek treatment, while publicly announcing that she was taking her disciple into seclusion.
After settling those matters, Mo Ruxue began to pack her belongings.
Since the trip would last at least six months, she needed to bring the essentials.
For a cultivator, a single spatial ring could store many items, so there was no need for extensive preparation when traveling.
However, just as she was about to leave, Mo Ruxue hesitated several times before finally taking the book she had hidden by her bedside and placing it into her spatial ring.
***
The destination was not particularly far.
Or rather, it did not take Mo Ruxue much time to reach it.
As the leader of the righteous path and a Ninth Realm cultivator—the undisputed number one in the world—distance was nothing more than a number to her.
Even with Zhu Yuexi in tow, the journey was not delayed by much.
Within half a day, the two of them arrived amidst a range of mountains atop Mo Ruxue’s flying sword.
This was also the place where Mo Ruxue and Xu Sheng had met for the first time.
One immortal maiden was dressed in white while the other wore blue. Both possessed ethereal temperaments and transcendent beauty. As they descended into the mountains standing upon a long sword, they presented a unique and striking sight.
Mo Ruxue quickly locked onto a specific valley within the mountains and flew toward it with Zhu Yuexi.
Zhu Yuexi seemed to sense that something was off.
“Master… have we entered an array?”
Mo Ruxue hadn’t expected her disciple to be so keen while poisoned and unable to use spiritual energy. Hearing this, a sense of pride welled up in her heart.
“Yes. This formation is similar to our own sect-guarding array, except its purpose is to isolate the area from the outside world. Generally, only ancient sects that have yet to reveal themselves or hidden families would use such a formation.”
Mo Ruxue did not finish her thought. Aside from ancient sects and hidden families, the Demon Cult was also fond of using these types of arrays.
Zhu Yuexi knew her master was intentionally leaving things unsaid, but she didn’t call her out on it. She simply nodded.
She led Zhu Yuexi into a stone cave; this was where Mo Ruxue had entered Xu Sheng’s residence the last time.
However, someone was already waiting for them.
Mo Ruxue initially thought it was Xu Sheng waiting for her, and a strange emotion stirred in her heart. But as she looked closer, she realized the person waiting was a woman.
“Li Qingqing…” Before Mo Ruxue could get a good look, Zhu Yuexi spoke through gritted teeth.
How could Zhu Yuexi ever forget Li Qingqing?
From the moment that wench entered the sect, she had constantly tried to compete with her for everything. It felt as though every title and honor Zhu Yuexi held had been partially stripped away by her.
Most hateful of all, Li Qingqing had actually set a trap to frame her.
If not for that woman, she wouldn’t have fallen into Xu Sheng’s trap, nor would she have been… by that Xu Sheng…
Mo Ruxue was stunned for a few seconds upon hearing the name before she reacted.
“Li Qingqing… Is she the Demon Cult spy you reported a month ago?”
Seeing that her master had no real impression of the original Li Qingqing, Zhu Yuexi’s mood improved slightly.
“Yes! It’s her… If it weren’t for her…”
“Valley Lord Xu is waiting for you both inside. He has even prepared gifts for you. Please come in.”
Before Zhu Yuexi could finish, Li Qingqing interrupted her from a short distance away.
Her eyes carried a hint of a warning, and she placed a heavy emphasis on the title “Valley Lord Xu.”
Zhu Yuexi finally snapped back to reality. Li Qingqing was one of the few people who held leverage over her.
Furthermore, Mo Ruxue was currently present.
The reason she was willing to do so much for Xu Sheng—even going as far as to deceive Mo Ruxue—was to keep those matters hidden.
She had done so much… she absolutely could not let everything fall apart because of Li Qingqing!
“It is Li Qingqing, but since a Demon Cult spy has left, she’s gone…”
Zhu Yuexi didn’t finish her sentence. This time, it wasn’t because someone interrupted her, but because she noticed that Mo Ruxue’s expression had suddenly turned sour.
Li Qingqing was a spy sent to the Linxian Sect by the Demon Cult, yet she had appeared here, at the place where Mo Ruxue had brought Zhu Yuexi to seek medical help.
Did this prove that the “expert” she was looking for wasn’t from a renowned righteous sect, but was instead from an evil cult?
If so, what would happen to her image in Yuexi’s eyes?
Mo Ruxue was not someone who craved fame or fortune, but she knew that Zhu Yuexi had always viewed her as an idol. She was unwilling to shatter that image.
Fortunately, Li Qingqing spoke up at that moment.
“On the day I fled the Linxian Sect, I also left the Demon Cult. I have now been taken in by my Valley Lord and live here in seclusion.”
The explanation was a bit forced, but it wasn’t entirely implausible. It was just a bit too coincidental. Mo Ruxue secretly watched Zhu Yuexi’s reaction.
Zhu Yuexi knew that her master was the one being kept in the dark. She didn’t want to cause more trouble with Li Qingqing, so she put on an act of believing her.
“Oh… fine then. This Saintess shall forgive you. Remember to be a good person next time.”
Li Qingqing had a smile on her face, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. She simply gave a slight nod.
“Naturally.”
***
The stone cave was not very wide, making it impossible to walk side by side. The two followed Li Qingqing into the cave one after the other.
After a walk of only ten or so steps, the previously dark cave suddenly opened up. Looking ahead, a landscape resembling a paradise away from the world unfolded before them.
A clear, small lake sat right before their eyes. On the far shore stood a building that looked like a palace but wasn’t overly extravagant; it resembled a royal summer villa.
That palace was where Xu Sheng lived. It didn’t look like the main headquarters of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, but more like Xu Sheng’s private residence.
The three of them took a small boat toward the palace. It was quite elegant. The last time Mo Ruxue had come here, she had been sneaking in.
‘With Xu Sheng’s cultivation, he must have noticed my presence long ago…’
The palace felt rather quiet and cold. During her two visits, Mo Ruxue had only seen Li Qingqing, who seemed to be the only servant. It appeared that Xu Sheng was someone who enjoyed peace and quiet.
Perhaps Mo Ruxue hadn’t noticed it herself, but she had already begun to subconsciously wonder what Xu Sheng liked based on these details.
The three went ashore and walked into the great hall. From a distance, they saw four figures inside the palace.
Three of them were kneeling on the ground with their hands behind their backs, while one person stood before them.
The one standing could only be Xu Sheng.
But when Mo Ruxue saw clearly who the other three were, her expression shifted drastically.