Night shrouded the depths of the Sunset Sect. Moonlight streamed through half-covered, carved wooden windows, illuminating the room.
Yang Yao sat on the bed, her still-unhealed injuries sending chaotic energy surging through her body. Her cultivation technique was in reverse flow, a life-threatening state. Her face was pale, drained of all color.
Even so, facing the man standing before her, she opened her tired eyes wide, a slight furrow between her brows, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.
The face in her memories overlapped with the man before her, exactly the same. A wave of disgust rose in her heart.
Yang Yao clenched her teeth, unable to hide her hatred. “How are you here?”
The man was momentarily surprised, not expecting Yang Yao to recognize him. He helplessly spread his hands.
“Do you think I wanted this? I kindly saved someone, but who knew your Sunset Sect would be like this, directly escorting me here.”
Yang Yao averted her eyes and thought carefully.
Not long ago, following her past life’s memories, she had gone ahead to seize an opportunity, avoiding letting that bitch take it. Who would have thought, she first encountered the backlash of the opportunity’s restraints, and then was ambushed by a righteous sect, suffering severe injuries.
She only remembered that she had stumbled into a remote valley and then passed out.
‘How did I run into this guy?’
Amidst her thoughts, her gaze shifted back, and Yang Yao still couldn’t help appraising the man before her.
He was the Senior Brother of Green Cliff Peak of the Vast Dao Sect, Xu Lin, a man who hated evil as much as an enemy and had led people to obstruct the Demon Sect’s matters many times.
In the memories of her past life’s fall, he was even that bitch’s Guide, becoming something like her Dao Protector.
Yang Yao believed that her fall in her past life, dying under that person’s sword, had an inseparable connection to Xu Lin.
‘At this point in time, shouldn’t this guy be at the Vast Dao Sect? How could he appear at the place where I fainted, and even save me?’
Too many questions. For the first time, Yang Yao discovered differences from her past life’s memories.
Xu Lin stood in place, watching Yang Yao’s actions clearly.
“I did save your life, you know. Isn’t this treatment a bit too much? Or is this how the Sunset Sect always behaves?”
“Don’t put on airs with me.”
Yang Yao clutched the blanket beneath her, her fingertips turning white.
“I never needed you to save me.”
All the past events, vivid because of the man before her, made her spiritual energy even more uncontrollable, with a piercing pain in her chest.
“That’s what you said. I’m leaving.”
Xu Lin waved his hand, not taking it to heart.
He didn’t care, and she cared even less.
Seeing Xu Lin about to leave, Yang Yao made no move to stop him. The anger in her heart was unbearable, but what puzzled her even more was how Xu Lin had appeared inside the Sunset Sect.
Soon, she would get an answer.
Xu Lin had just pushed open the door when he was swept back into the room by a huge, invisible force. The thick wave of spiritual energy sent him stumbling backward, nearly making him lose his footing.
“Didn’t you hear her tell me to leave? Your Sunset Sect is too unreasonable, going back on your word.”
Xu Lin shouted toward the door.
Besides, in his current state, he was completely no match for this Demon Girl.
“Going back on my word? So what? Otherwise, how would my Sunset Sect be worthy of being called the Demon Sect?”
A figure stepped in. She was tall, wearing a black robe with dark gold demon patterns, a jade hairpin holding up her ink-black hair, her brows and eyes sharp and cold.
Xi Ranchen looked at Xu Lin with a half-smile. The kid’s anger was nothing to her.
“You saved her. I told you, if you heal her well, I’ll naturally let you leave safely.”
She flicked her sleeve, bringing a wave of cold.
“If you can’t, then you’ll stay here forever.”
As she spoke, Xi Ranchen stared into Xu Lin’s eyes without any pretense.
When she first found Yang Yao, the boy had already saved her. According to reason, she should kill him to silence him and avoid trouble.
But later she discovered that this boy’s acupuncture medical skills were above ordinary, even surprising Xi Ranchen. Yang Yao, who had been at death’s door, had caught her breath with his help. Even without her presence, Yang Yao would recover in no time.
More importantly, his pair of eyes—Xi Ranchen had felt something off about them the moment she first saw them.
This boy had no spiritual energy fluctuation himself, yet he could easily help cultivators straighten out conflicting internal energy. It shouldn’t just be his medical skills—there were also his eyes.
If not for wanting to figure out what was going on, Xi Ranchen would have decided to gouge out those eyes and bring them back then.
The Demon Sect Leader’s presence made Xu Lin feel a chill down his spine just standing there. His body seemed frozen, unable to move an inch.
This aura was no less formidable than the old leader of the Vast Dao Sect.
After a moment, Xu Lin said, “She herself just said she doesn’t need my help at all.”
‘I was wondering—I finally hid in a godforsaken place, only to have saved someone from the Sunset Sect. The novel was good to read, but like all characters in the book, they’re just text descriptions. Who knew I would actually run into Yang Yao so coincidentally? And then I was brought back to the Demon Sect by the arriving Demon Sect Leader. This completely doesn’t match the story line in the book.’
Xi Ranchen looked up at Yang Yao without saying a word, but her expression made her meaning clear.
“But, Master…”
“No buts.” Xi Ranchen said in a tone that brooked no argument. “This boy can help you better straighten out the chaotic energy in your body. Then I’ll settle the score with you about going to that place alone.”
Facing Xi Ranchen, Yang Yao dared not say much, so she could only glare fiercely at Xu Lin, venting her anger.
“What are you standing there for?” Xi Ranchen commanded Xu Lin. “You want me to push you over myself?”
Xu Lin didn’t know what to say. An outsider would think the two were playing good cop, bad cop, and he had a feeling of being under someone else’s roof again.
“Needle.”
Xu Lin turned to face Yang Yao and raised his hand toward Xi Ranchen to take something.
Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, a gentle breeze blew in, and a box of silver needles landed neatly in Xu Lin’s hand.
When he stood by the bed, face to face with Yang Yao, he made no further move.
“Get to it. Finish quickly and get out of my sight!”
Being treated by one of the people who had caused her death in her past life was already a humiliation. Looking at him more would only make her sick.
If not for her master being here, she would never allow him to get so close.
“Then take off your clothes.”
Xu Lin said.
At these words, Yang Yao was momentarily stunned. Her anger completely overwhelmed her, and she raised her hand as if to strike Xu Lin with a palm.
Xi Ranchen behind her was about to stop Yang Yao, but she saw Xu Lin standing still, not dodging or flinching. This piqued her curiosity.
As the palm rose with power, before her spiritual energy could even gather, it first triggered a clash of internal energy. Yang Yao coughed out a mouthful of blood, staining the blanket red.