Chapter 46: Why is Li Feiyu Lin Ci?

Ruan Huoying stood silently to the side, blocking the way.

Lin Ci sighed softly. Since he had been recognized, there was no point in continuing the disguise.

He removed his bamboo hat and mask.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he spoke in his original voice:

“Mm, it’s me…”

“Senior Brother!”

Xia Xiaochan’s eyes welled up with tears as she stepped forward and hugged him tightly, then looked at him with concern: “Chan’er, maybe you shouldn’t have said anything…”

“It’s fine this time, but take it as a lesson.”

Lin Ci was speechless but showed no sign of blame.

After all, this was his junior sister—what else could he do?

Fortunately, they were all on the same side. He had mentioned before that he was hiding his identity for the mission, so even though it was now exposed, it wouldn’t cause any serious problems.

Still, although he had removed Li Feiyu’s mask, there was another mask he could not take off—the Chief Disciple, the Peerless Sword Dao Genius.

He looked at Ruan Huoying and spoke in a cold, proud tone:

“Sorry, I have urgent matters to attend to. Concealing my identity was unavoidable.”

“Oh, it’s… it’s alright. I understand.”

Ruan Huoying took a long moment to recover.

Li Feiyu… is actually Lin Ci?

How could Li Feiyu be Lin Ci??

She stared at the refined gentleman before her, two completely unrelated images merging in her mind, leaving her confused and at a loss.

Thinking about how she had been with him day and night these past few days, it suddenly felt unreal that the Lin Chief she had always met was the same person.

But, it had to be said, he was really handsome…

After calming herself a bit, Ruan Huoying finally accepted the truth. She puffed up her cheeks and playfully patted Lin Ci’s left arm, mock-angry:

“Aiya, you actually pretended to be me back then!”

Lin Ci knew she meant the battle with the demonic cultivator, where he hadn’t fought with full strength and she had nearly been finished.

He slowly shook his head: “I had no choice. I was disguised as a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator and couldn’t reveal my true power.”

“No, no, it’s fine.”

Ruan Huoying lowered her head and said, “Anyway, the Sword Dao has always been protecting me, hasn’t it?”

“Suppressing your power while not using your signature spells and sword techniques, and still managing so much—that’s already impressive.”

She tried to sound lighthearted, trying to ease the faint awkwardness:

“Ah, if only I’d known you were Lin Ci, I wouldn’t have joked with Sister Yuèyuè like that… By the way, what’s going on between you and Sister Yuèyuè?”

“Huh? Where is she?”

Mid-sentence, Ruan Huoying looked around puzzled, noticing that Bu Liugu’s spot was now empty.

Without realizing when, she had disappeared.

Xia Xiaochan seemed to have noticed something and pointed in one direction:

“Sister Yuè over there just walked behind the wall.”

“Ah?”

Ruan Huoying’s eyes widened in surprise. She walked around the corner to look.

Sure enough, Bu Liugu was hiding there.

Not only that—

At this moment, she wasn’t acting like a refined lady at all. She was crouched on the ground, hiding her face behind her long sleeves.

“Sister Yuè… what’s wrong with you?”

Ruan Huoying was completely baffled by her behavior.

“Oh, it’s Xiao Ying…”

Bu Liugu’s voice came muffled from behind her sleeve. “Watch for me, don’t let Lin Ci come over. I’m not ready to meet him yet.”

“Sister Yuè, are you… shy?”

Ruan Huoying was stunned. Even she had never seen the composed, clever Sister Yuè act like this.

“No, no, it’s not that… Ah yes, please give him this note for me.”

Bu Liugu hurriedly explained, handing over a folded slip of paper.

Ruan Huoying took the note, still confused, glanced at her once more, then was promptly shooed away with a “Go on, go on” gesture.

With no choice, she returned to Lin Ci and handed him the note, saying it was from Sister Yuè and that she hadn’t opened it.

Lin Ci raised an eyebrow, thinking, it’s not like class where we pass secret notes.

He unfolded it and his gaze stiffened.

After a moment, he casually crumpled the note:

“Tell her I understand.”

“Oh…”

Ruan Huoying raised her eyebrows, went back, and relayed Lin Ci’s words.

Then she returned: “Sister Yuè said that’s fine.”

“Mm. Tell her again…”

“Wait, can’t you two just talk face-to-face?”

Ruan Huoying was flustered, completely at a loss. Why had she become the messenger between the two?

And the message was so casual—‘Got it,’ ‘That’s fine’… Was it really necessary for her to make the trip?

“There’s only one sentence I want to say: Since Sun Guishou is dead and the mission is complete, let’s part ways here.”

Lin Ci finished.

Ruan Huoying fell silent. Indeed, they had agreed to act separately after the mission.

Reluctantly, she went back and told Sister Yuè again.

Bu Liugu nodded and looked relieved:

“Yeah, it’s time to separate…”

Afterward, Bu Liugu did not appear again.

Ruan Huoying took Sun Guishou’s severed head as proof of mission completion.

She said to Lin Ci:

“When you return to the sect, inform me. I will send your mission reward to you.”

“Alright, sounds good.”

“So… goodbye then?”

“Farewell.”

Her expression remained normal as she said goodbye to Lin Ci and Xia Xiaochan.

Before leaving, she kindly hugged Xia Xiaochan and handed her a pill to restore spiritual power.

Waving her hand, she walked out of the county office at a leisurely pace.

“That Huoying sister really is a good person…”

Xia Xiaochan held the pill and sighed suddenly.

“After all, she inherited the Will of Fire.”

Lin Ci muttered something Xia Xiaochan didn’t understand.

“But the other sister feels a bit cold. Senior Brother, what’s your relationship with her?”

“Bu Liugu? She…”

Lin Ci’s tone was calm, “She’s the fiancée I mentioned before.”

“?”

Xia Xiaochan’s eyes suddenly widened as she stood rooted to the spot.

Outside the county office, Ruan Huoying came out to see Bu Liugu already waiting ahead.

Her expression brightened: “Let’s go, Sister Yuè. We can go hunt demon beasts now!”

“Mm, let’s go.”

Bu Liugu nodded and was pulled by the arm as they headed out of the city.

At this time, the eastern sky was already brightening, brushed with a light pink blush, the clouds glowing like a furnace with a soft halo.

After walking some distance,

Ruan Huoying laughed and said:

“It really surprised me that Li Feiyu is actually Lin Ci. I was stunned at first!”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect it either.”

Bu Liugu carried herself with dignity.

“To finally meet the man himself—he truly has a handsome face. Truly well-deserved.”

Ruan Huoying walked ahead, leaving Bu Liugu’s back in view as she teased:

“Sister Yuè, you actually got shy and hid away like that. If that gets out, people will die laughing.”

“Don’t slander me. I’m not shy at all.”

Bu Liugu retorted.

“Sister Yuè, I suddenly realize sometimes your mouth is really tough—harder than a duck’s.”

“What are you saying? Looks like I’ll have to beat you up.”

She rolled up her sleeves, and the two began to playfully scuffle like children.

Ruan Huoying soon tired and begged for mercy:

“Sister Yuè, stop chasing me, I’m sorry… But speaking of which, you mentioned the Jinli Division before. Could Lin Ci be one of them?”

“Most likely, but this matter is serious and must be kept secret.”

“Of course, I won’t say a word… This Chief Disciple Lin really is inscrutable. Not only is he peerless in the Sword Dao, but even the junior sister he trains is amazing—defeating opponents two realms above!”

Ruan Huoying continued ahead, tilting her head and rambling, speaking much more than usual, one topic after another…

“Xiao Ying…”

Bu Liugu pursed her lips and gently grabbed her wrist.

Ruan Huoying kept talking: “Sister Yuè, even though Sun Guishou was a Rogue Cultivator, he was a genuine Golden Core Rogue Cultivator. With skills like Xiaochan’s, she’s sure to shine at the Great Sect Tournament…”

“Xiao Ying.”

Bu Liugu interrupted again, her tone gentle: “Although I don’t know how to say this, you can cry now. No one can see you here anymore…”

She said this while softly brushing the tears from Ruan Huoying’s face with her fingertip.

Outside the city, no one was around.

Ruan Huoying froze for a moment, slowly touched her cheek, which was indeed wet.

Seeing Bu Liugu’s sincere gaze, she could no longer hold back.

Leaning on her shoulder, she began to sob loudly.

“Wuu… Sister Yuè, why…”

“Why…”

“Why is Li Feiyu actually Lin Ci…”

Bu Liugu’s shoulder was wet with tears.

She said nothing, only gently patted Ruan Huoying’s back again and again.