Ever since the Sword Casting Villa received the letter sent back by their young master, Chu Ling, and cleared up the misunderstanding that the Demonic Cult had kidnapped him, the rumors among the righteous factions claiming the Cult intended to unify the martial arts world began to dissipate.
However, no one knew of the Young Master Chu’s extremely unique constitution. Once exposed, it would be enough to set the peaceful world of martial arts into a bloodbath.
It was for this reason that the only people aware of the matter—the old Villa Master Chu and Jun Yichen, now joined by Chu Xiangtian and Jun Qing—were exceptionally worried about the Young Master Chu, who currently remained within the Demonic Cult.
A reply was quickly sent out, destined for the Young Master still staying with the Cult. The letter contained only one message of urgency: a demand for him to return home as soon as possible.
However, several reply letters were like stones sinking into the ocean; they vanished without a trace.
Whatever the reason, the group could only speculate toward the worst possible outcome. Simultaneously, the men dispatched by Old Master Chu and Jun Yichen had all disappeared. The last message sent back reported that they had encountered people from the Demonic Cult.
It was easy to imagine that a confrontation had broken out between the two sides. Regardless of whether they had informed the Cult members about the Young Master’s secret, or if the Cult members had simply struck them down anyway, the fact remained that both groups of men had completely vanished.
This news undoubtedly caused the hearts of Old Master Chu and Jun Yichen to sink.
“We can’t delay any longer,” Jun Yichen said in a heavy voice, his gaze burning as he looked at the Old Master. “Brother Chu Ling’s current situation is unknown, and the Demonic Cult’s attitude is worrying. We must take the initiative!”
Old Master Chu caught the underlying meaning and said in surprise, “Do you mean to personally… No, that won’t do. You are the Martial Arts Alliance Leader; you cannot put yourself in danger. If someone must go personally, it should be these old bones of mine—”
Chu Xiangtian interrupted hurriedly from the side, “Dad, don’t forget about me! Isn’t it just breaking into the Demonic Cult alone? I’ll bloody do it!”
Since their attempt to incite the entire righteous path had failed, the rescue of the Young Master had now become a private matter. Furthermore, they couldn’t risk exposing his special constitution everywhere; that would be counterproductive.
Jun Qing stayed quietly to the side like an outsider, silent and still.
Only then did he suddenly speak: “When I said I would help before, I wasn’t lying.”
Before the others could react, he continued calmly, “If someone needs to sneak into the Demonic Cult to find Young Master Chu’s whereabouts, I am likely the most suitable candidate.”
He had verified his “cheat code”—he could indeed come and go freely right under the noses of these masters without being detected. That is, assuming their martial arts weren’t just for show.
As soon as these words were spoken, not to mention the surprise of the others, Jun Yichen was the first to disagree. “Brother Qing, your martial arts are mediocre. How could you possibly infiltrate the Demonic Cult? Even I might not have the confidence. Stop fooling around.”
The passing of his adoptive father had indeed dealt a heavy blow to Jun Qing. Over these past days, Jun Yichen had become certain that the Jun Qing who woke up after falling into the water had truly changed.
In the past, he always looked at him with admiring eyes, boldly declaring his feelings and wishing to be stuck to his side at every moment.
Now, however, those things are gone. Most obvious were those clear, dark eyes; they held nothing but a cool indifference, and there was no longer a younger brother following him around with a heart full of adoration.
Jun Yichen’s mind was a mess of emotions, unsure of how to feel, though there was a sense of relief. In his eyes, the current Jun Qing seemed to have grown up, becoming much more sensible.
But being sensible didn’t mean he could talk nonsense. How could an extremely dangerous task like infiltrating the Demonic Cult be handed to someone with mediocre skills? No matter how you looked at it, it shouldn’t be his turn.
After Jun Yichen finished speaking, he stopped looking at him, intending to consult with the Uncle again, only to hear a calm voice drift into his ear: “Then why don’t we have a test?”
Jun Yichen turned his head, looking at the persistent Jun Qing in astonishment, not understanding what gave him the confidence to say such things.
Jun Qing also raised his eyes, meeting his gaze calmly, and continued, “Let’s see if I can take that teapot right from under the eyes of you three.”
He pointed to an exquisite, long-spouted, white jade tea canister on the table beside Old Master Chu.
…
After a series of verifications, even the way Old Master Chu looked at Jun Qing changed.
He had thought his martial arts were merely second-rate—undoubtedly the bottom of the barrel among those present. Before this, he had been completely excluded from the rescue operation.
Having accidentally overheard the secret of his younger son, Old Master Chu had only one requirement for him: to keep his mouth shut and swear it on his life.
But now, Old Master Chu suddenly remembered that when the secret was overheard, none of the three of them had noticed the other’s approach, let alone that he had heard everything…
Looking at it now, did he actually possess such a bizarre and uncanny skill?
At this thought, Old Master Chu’s eyes suddenly lit up. If he truly could quietly slip into the Demonic Cult, then…
“Try it a few more times.”
Jun Yichen, whose eyes were equally filled with surprise, spoke after a moment of silence. It seemed he had already made a decision in his heart.
Jun Qing nodded slightly; he didn’t mind. He knew Jun Yichen was doing this to ensure more security.
If he could truly save that beautiful youth this way, he would have fulfilled this lingering concern. As a healthy, law-abiding person from the modern era—someone who would feel righteous indignation at news reports of women being assaulted and killed, yet could only hope the police would be effective and catch the culprit—he felt he had to act.
Now that he was in this era and facing a similar situation, knowing the beautiful youth’s status as a “human furnace” was enough to imagine the tragic things that would follow. It was even worse than the atrocities reported in modern news.
If Jun Qing didn’t know about it, it would be fine, but since he had accidentally overheard it, he would help as much as his abilities allowed.
In his mind, an image flickered from his unfamiliar memories: the shy, blushing smile of that extremely beautiful youth. Unfortunately, that smile had been for someone else…
Jun Qing’s mind wandered for a moment, and he remained silent.
…
Completely unaware that the plot was about to bolt like a runaway horse—galloping a hundred thousand miles away with no way to pull it back—Chu Ling, back in his courtyard within the Demonic Cult, was having a grand old time.
Relying on the fact that he was just an “18th-tier” background character who wasn’t even at the main plot location, he was enjoying himself.
That’s right—exposing that he had a “crush” was intentional.
The intelligence had already been stolen, and the Young Master Chu’s mission was complete. There was no longer any point in staying in the Demonic Cult. Plus, he had already seen all the sights he could visit here. If he didn’t hurry up and change the “map” (location), what was he waiting for?
The System, however, saw right through him: 【Host, you just want to go out into the wider world to “hook some guys,” don’t you?】
Chu Ling made a shocked face: 【Tung-er (System), you actually said “hooking guys”? You’ve been corrupted!】
System: 【Just tell me if I’m right or not.】
Chu Ling: [……]
He said pitifully: 【Tung-er, you know why I bound with you. What is left in this Demonic Cult worth staying for? Q^Q】
【Nothing.】 Chu Ling shook his head, answering his own question with a low, tearful expression: 【Even the last thing I was interested in—that “stand-in”—suddenly broke…】
The System hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping, before finally comforting him: 【Host, if you want to leave, then leave. The original owner’s goal has been achieved anyway, so it’s not a violation of the character persona. Besides, maybe going outside will allow you to maintain the plot even better.】
Chu Ling: 【Tung-er, you’re so good! QwQ】
System: 【Pat on the head.】
And so, Chu Ling began planning his departure from the Demonic Cult.
The whistle Tang Zhen left behind had already been blown. He just didn’t know how Tang Zhen would hear it or how he would sneak in.
Or would he just pay a formal visit?
Chu Ling shook his head; since he couldn’t figure it out, he would just wait quietly. For Young Master Chu, other than Tang Zhen’s path, there were no other options.
…
Ghost Face sent the youth back to the courtyard, but before he could linger, a subordinate arrived with an order from the Cult Leader, demanding he go see him immediately.
Ghost Face paused. Seeing the youth’s gaze turn suddenly nervous, he gave a comforting stroke to the youth’s soft black hair before turning to leave.
“Big Brother Ghost.”
The youth’s call came from behind. Ghost Face’s steps halted. He turned slightly to see the youth with a pale face, his lips—which had finally faded back to a light pink—quivering slightly before he whispered: “Be careful…”
The corners of Ghost Face’s lips curled into a tiny arc. He nodded slightly to show he had heard, yet he didn’t ask why he needed to be careful when meeting his own Cult Leader.
But the moment he turned around, the curve of his lips flattened. His eyes became dark and lightless.
It was the same room, decorated with extreme luxury.
The silver-white mask with golden patterns had been removed and tossed carelessly onto a side table. The dark figure sitting in the chair supported his forehead with one hand, his narrow eyes slightly closed as if resting.
It wasn’t until Ghost Face entered noiselessly and knelt in the center of the room.
“Master.”
Ji Wuyuan slowly opened his eyes. The color of his pupils was deep and eerie, radiating a chilling, forest-like coldness.
His gaze was condescending as he looked down at the kneeling Ghost Face, but that cold gaze seemed to pierce through him, looking at someone else whose face was blurred.
Perhaps a petite girl, perhaps a woman with a seductive figure, or… a man with a tall, straight stature.
Ji Wuyuan slowly closed his eyes again, his fingers gripping the armrest so hard they turned white, barely suppressing the violent urge to slaughter everything inside him—he would not allow it.
—No matter who it was.
—His Ling-er could only be his.
The extreme, icy darkness swirled at the bottom of his half-closed eyes, becoming deeper and deeper.
The air became so oppressive it was almost impossible to breathe. A powerful pressure radiated from Ji Wuyuan. Ghost Face felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, breaking into a cold sweat, yet he remained motionless in his kneeling position, not moving his head even a fraction.
However, a sliver of doubt must have existed in his heart—wondering why Ji Wuyuan’s reaction was so different from what was expected. He should have… gotten what he wanted, shouldn’t he?
That sliver of doubt flashed through his mind, but before Ghost Face could think further, a low voice—devoid of any emotion—slowly drifted into his ears from those crimson, cold thin lips.
“So, it turns out he already has a sweetheart…”
That single sentence shocked Ghost Face so much he instantly looked up, meeting those blood-red eyes suppressed with madness, before slamming his head back down.
“Hehe…”
“Are you surprised?”
“I am very surprised too…”
“I didn’t expect my Ling-er to quietly… find a sweetheart…”
It was like a lover’s whisper, an exceptionally gentle voice, yet it seemed to contain an extremely cold aura. That aura hovered around Ghost Face, as if even his blood was about to be frozen solid.
Ghost Face was already numb to it, only feeling as if his brain had been violently stirred by a stick, leaving him both shocked and dizzy.
“Young Master Chu, he…”
Fortunately, he still remembered to maintain the proper distance from the youth.
“Hehe…”
Ji Wuyuan laughed again, a smile that was inexplicably terrifying.
“So you didn’t know either, did you…”
“This subordinate never knew!” Ghost Face lowered his head deeply, his tone unreadable, seemingly carrying a hint of a trance.
“Very well, I know. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
But before leaving the room, Ghost Face glanced back. For a split second, he seemed to see a sky full of bloody black mist gathering behind the man sitting there—surging, roaring, threatening to swallow everything.
He blinked, and it all vanished like a hallucination.