Shao Jiao grimaced as she yanked him, the pain from his wound flaring as fresh blood seeped from the barely-closed gash. But he didn’t struggle, simply watching Su Wan’er with calm eyes.
“It wasn’t my decision for Senior—it was his own.”
“How do you know!”
“Before he left, Senior said, ‘I’ll go.'”
Shao Jiao remained composed.
“And the words he spoke to me outside the plaza—he saw right through me. He could have exposed me in front of everyone, but he didn’t. He sat beside me, talked about elixir furnaces, talked about… why I practice alchemy.”
He lifted his gaze to meet Su Wan’er.
“A man willing to crouch down and speak to a stranger—a rogue cultivator—like that wouldn’t stand by and watch a sect be slaughtered.”
Su Wan’er’s lips trembled. She wanted to argue but found no words to refute him. She knew—her master was exactly that kind of compassionate person.
She released her grip, and Shao Jiao collapsed back to the ground with a muffled grunt.
Su Wan’er rose and stepped back two paces. Moonlight fell across her face, illuminating the reddened rims of her eyes.
“Do you know my master’s cultivation?”
Her voice quivered slightly.
“Mid Golden Core. Doesn’t your sect have even a few Golden Core cultivators? What difference would one more make!”
“I don’t know,” Shao Jiao said, still calm.
“But I know Senior’s mastery of the Alchemy Path far exceeds an Eight-Rank Alchemist. He trained a disciple like Fellow Daoist Ruan. He saw through every disguise I had in a single glance. A man like that can’t possibly be just Mid Golden Core.”
“And if even Senior can’t solve it… then my sect was destined to fall.”
Su Wan’er whirled around and slammed her fist into Shao Jiao’s face.
“He’s just Mid Golden Core! Even if my master were Nascent Soul, could he single-handedly turn the tide? I don’t know my master’s true strength, but if anything happens to him, you won’t live to see another day.”
Shao Jiao’s head snapped to the side, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Slowly, he turned his head back.
“If even Senior can’t solve it, then my sect can’t survive either. Whether I live or die—it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“You—!”
Su Wan’er clenched her fists, chest heaving violently. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back with fierce determination.
“Where is Wuyue Sect?”
Shao Jiao blinked.
“I asked you—where is Wuyue Sect!”
Su Wan’er’s voice rose sharply.
Shao Jiao paused for a moment, then slowly gave a direction and distance.
Su Wan’er listened, then turned and strode toward the courtyard.
Ruan Se stood and moved to block her.
“Fellow Daoist Su, calm down. With your current cultivation—”
“Calm down?”
Su Wan’er stopped and looked back. Moonlight fell across her face, making her reddened eyes all the more visible.
“My master was sent straight into a demonic sect’s lair, and you want me to stay calm?”
Her voice trembled with barely suppressed emotion.
“Fellow Daoist Ruan, I know you saved my life. I know you’ve been taking care of me all this time. I’ll remember that debt for the rest of my life. But you can’t stop me from saving my master.”
Ruan Se stood still, watching Su Wan’er’s stubborn face. She was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
“I wasn’t trying to stop you. I was just going to say—with your current cultivation, going there won’t help.”
“But,” Ruan Se shifted her tone, “I know someone who definitely can help.”
Su Wan’er bit her lip, saying nothing, looking up at her.
“The Cangwu Righteous Alliance. Wuyue Sect may be a small sect, but it still falls under the Alliance’s jurisdiction. Blood Lotus Sect wiping out Wuyue Sect is a declaration of war against the entire Cangwu Righteous Alliance. The Alliance can’t just sit by.”
She turned to look at Shao Jiao, who lay on the ground.
“Fellow Daoist Shao, why didn’t you go to the Alliance for reinforcements?”
Shao Jiao lay on the gray stone ground, moonlight casting over his bloodstained face. Bitterness filled his eyes.
“There are… spies from Blood Lotus Sect inside the Alliance.”
Ruan Se’s brow furrowed slightly.
“I don’t know who they are.”
Shao Jiao’s voice was low.
“But I know they exist. Blood Lotus Sect knew every single defensive flaw in my sect, pinpointed every weakness in our formations, even knew where our secret passage was. No one could pull that off unless someone sold them the information.”
He paused, his voice dropping even lower.
“I can’t be sure which person in the Alliance is trustworthy and which isn’t. If word leaks, Blood Lotus Sect will learn we’re seeking help—they’ll strike early, and everyone in my sect… will die.”
Ruan Se fell silent.
“So I had to gamble—win the Alchemy Grand Assembly, earn the chance to Question the Way, and give them what they wanted. Then my sect would have a sliver of hope.”
He let out a bitter laugh.
“Unfortunately, I lost.”
“I don’t have talent like Fellow Daoist Ruan. A Five-Rank Pill—that’s the best I could achieve.”
He closed his eyes, his voice as faint as a wisp of smoke.
“So I could only bet on one last path—staking my hopes on Senior Lai.”
Ruan Se stood there, watching him, silent for a long moment.
“Get up first.”
She stepped forward and extended her hand.
Shao Jiao opened his eyes and stared at the outstretched hand, startled.
“Your wounds haven’t been fully treated.”
Shao Jiao hesitated, then reached out and grasped her wrist, using it to pull himself up. He staggered slightly before managing to stand.
“Thank you.”
“No need.”
Ruan Se withdrew her hand.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
Shao Jiao nodded.
“For my sect, what’s a little pain?”
“Then follow me.”
Ruan Se turned and walked toward the courtyard.
“Wipe the blood off your face first. Then we’ll go find someone.”
“Who?”
“My sister, Ruan Qin.”
Ruan Se didn’t look back.
“She holds a position in the Cangwu Righteous Alliance. With her backing, the Alliance won’t refuse to send troops—but you’ll need to explain what happened.”
Shao Jiao’s steps faltered, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Ruan Se reached the courtyard gate and paused, glancing back at him.
“What are you standing there for? Keep up.”
Shao Jiao took a deep breath and hurried after her.
The two entered the courtyard one after the other, where Su Wan’er was already waiting.
She had changed into a sleek combat outfit, a long sword hanging at her waist, her hair tied high with a ribbon. She looked sharp and spirited.
Moonlight spilled over her, casting her delicate features in cold, jade-white pallor.
“Go on,” Su Wan’er said.
“I’m going to find my master now.”
Ruan Se glanced at her but didn’t stop her. She knew that at a time like this, no one could hold this girl back.
Still, she wasn’t worried. She knew what Lai Li’an was truly capable of. From bits and pieces she’d gathered, she suspected he had Divine Transformation-level strength. That sword strike earlier had dimmed heaven and earth itself. The Enforcement Hall kept him on their wanted list but never dared to truly investigate. Still, she should notify the Alliance for support.
“Be careful, then. Protect yourself first—Senior Lai will definitely be fine.”
With that, Ruan Se turned and walked out of the courtyard.
Su Wan’er leaped onto her sword and vanished into the sky in an instant.
Shao Jiao and Ruan Se soon set off as well, flying in the same direction.
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