Xu Lin backed Jiang Luo against the door, his gaze sharp, his face dark and grim.
He watched Jiang Luo tremble, and for a moment, a flicker of pity stirred within him, but he quickly suppressed it.
He was now deep within the Demon Sect, and even though Jiang Luo had passed his test, he had to remain vigilant.
“Who exactly is it? Who’s got you so concerned about my relationship with Yang Yao?” Xu Lin’s tone dropped, laced with menace.
“My patience has its limits.”
Being effectively confined to the Sunset Sect like this was already grating on Xu Lin’s nerves.
Even though this wasn’t the Vast Dao Sect, he was still within the storyline.
In the original work, even the Righteous Path Sects were rife with intrigue and deception, let alone the Demon Sect.
The only thing holding things together in the Sunset Sect was Xi Ranchen’s presence—her iron-handed methods and unpredictable nature kept things in check.
Even so, no one dared claim the waters were calm.
Now, this fake Saint suddenly appearing, his face concealed, was already bound to draw attention.
And now Jiang Luo was suddenly so fixated on his relationship with Yang Yao—the Saint and Saintess often held the key to a sect’s fate. No matter how he looked at it, Xu Lin found it suspicious.
He didn’t want to get tangled up in some pointless Inner Strife within the sect before he could even escape the Sunset Sect.
Even if there were benefits, the cost would outweigh them.
Xu Lin thought back briefly. When he’d first arrived at the Sunset Sect, not many had seen his true face.
The Elder of the Alchemy Hall, the guy he’d beaten up, and the two disciples who’d escorted him here…
And those who knew he’d been in contact with Jiang Luo…
Xu Lin mulled over every possibility.
It couldn’t be that Sect Master Xi had some other idea, could it?
To be honest, Xi Ranchen truly was someone Xu Lin couldn’t quite read.
Snapping back to the present, Xu Lin noticed Jiang Luo still wore that pitiful, endearing expression, as if she was too frightened to even speak.
“Hm?”
Xu Lin let out a low hum.
“Senior Brother, I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jiang Luo fought back her trembling and forced the words out through clenched teeth.
“Truly don’t know?”
Jiang Luo quickly shook her head, not even sure herself what she was trying so desperately to salvage.
All she knew now was that Xu Lin was furious—this was the first time she’d ever seen him this angry.
Xu Lin narrowed his eyes, pressing his lips together. At this point, if Jiang Luo’s current display was still an act, then her composure and scheming would be far beyond what any normal person could possess.
Could there be a little green tea hiding beneath that innocent exterior? That would be terrifyingly impressive.
He even began to wonder if Xi Ranchen wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
Or maybe Jiang Luo genuinely had no idea she’d been pulled into some scheme—or perhaps he really was overthinking things.
But the way they’d pressed him so persistently earlier was truly out of the ordinary.
Since pressing her was useless, Xu Lin took a step back, let out a sigh, and put on a deeply disappointed expression.
“Since you’re unwilling to say more, I won’t press further.”
As Xu Lin withdrew his oppressive aura, Jiang Luo felt a wave of relief, yet the panic in her heart didn’t recede one bit—if anything, it grew stronger.
“Senior Brother…”
“Leave.”
Xu Lin turned away with a flick of his sleeve, his voice cold.
“Our connection ends here.”
“But… Senior Brother, you’ve helped me so much, and I haven’t even done anything to repay you.”
Jiang Luo’s weak voice came from behind. Xu Lin only glanced at her from the corner of his eye before quickly looking away.
“I helped you before because I thought you were innocent and didn’t know how to hide things. But your behavior today genuinely makes me… concerned.”
Xu Lin continued, “Consider all that help a gift. No need to keep it in your heart.”
If Jiang Luo had truly been bought by someone to probe him, then doing this would be for her own good as well.
Getting caught up in the strife between sects wasn’t necessarily a good thing for a disciple like her.
With those words, Xu Lin stood there, his intent to keep people at arm’s length unmistakable, waiting for Jiang Luo to leave on her own.
It seemed that finding an Inside Agent to escape the Sunset Sect really would require careful long-term planning.
But Xu Lin stood there for quite a while, hearing no sound at all—not even the sound of Jiang Luo pushing the door open to leave.
Even he found it strange. His words should have been blunt enough.
Regardless of Jiang Luo’s intentions, she should have known when to back off.
Xu Lin’s patience wore thin, and he turned around with a cold face once more.
“Still not…”
The moment he laid eyes on her, the girl before him was crying her heart out, just like those days when she hadn’t been able to see him and had waited alone in this spot for his return.
As if afraid of angering him again, even with tears streaming down her face, she bit her lip hard to keep herself from making a sound.
This image of someone suffering a terrible grievance yet not knowing how to voice it made Xu Lin momentarily unable to finish his words.
“No, that’s not—”
Xu Lin’s expression shifted awkwardly, unable to keep a stern face, yet unsure what expression to wear.
“You’re like this…”
A wail burst out, and Jiang Luo couldn’t hold it together any longer. She crouched down and started sobbing.
“Here you go again with this.”
Last time Jiang Luo had done the same, and it had made Xu Lin feel like he was some kind of villain.
“Don’t think you can pull this and I’ll soften like last time.”
He said that, but compared to moments ago, his tone had already softened considerably, carrying a hint of not knowing how to handle her.
Last time he’d been deliberately teasing Jiang Luo; this time, he had no such intention.
“Then just tell me clearly!”
Jiang Luo lifted her head slightly, sniffling and crying, “I don’t even know what I did wrong, and you’re already like this. Even if I did something wrong, you could tell me! But now this… is… is what you’re doing?”
Jiang Luo had thought her heart had been heavy enough these past few days, but she hadn’t expected this to hurt even more.
Xu Lin clicked his tongue. Jiang Luo’s reaction was making him start to doubt himself.
Could he have actually misjudged this girl?
He let out a sigh, brushed aside the robe in front of him, and crouched down just like Jiang Luo.
Xu Lin crossed his arms, resting them on his thighs, and said seriously, “Then tell me—who exactly brought me up to you? And why are you suddenly so interested in the relationship between this Saint and the Saintess?”
“It was Senior Sister!”
Jiang Luo said through red-rimmed eyes, speaking between sobs, her mind already in a state of saying whatever came to her.
“Senior Sister? Which Senior Sister?”
“Senior Sister Yang Yao! The Saintess you mentioned!”
“Huh?”
Xu Lin’s eyes went wide. He’d considered many possibilities, but Yang Yao was the last person he’d expected.
Yang Yao caring about his opinion of her? The thought was almost laughable.
Xu Lin quickly reached up and rubbed his forehead, struggling to piece things together, but one thing was certain.
He had apparently misjudged Jiang Luo.
“You’ve got my head spinning too.”
Xu Lin paused to collect himself.
“How did she suddenly start talking about this with you? That’s so strange.”
“I don’t know either.”
Jiang Luo rested her chin on her own thighs.
“Senior Sister just noticed that I seemed to be getting close to you. After the assembly ended today, she invited me to meet at Jade Spring Lake.”
“She also told me you’re a really bad person and that I shouldn’t be fooled or used by you.”
Not long ago, she hadn’t believed Yang Yao’s words, but looking at it now, there was real truth in what she’d said.
Xu Lin really was a very bad person.