As it turns out, curiosity doesn’t necessarily kill the cat, but it certainly leaves the cat with no peace of mind.
Hiding behind a wall, Jiang Xu watched the scene before him with a face full of dark lines. He felt a pang of regret—why had he caught up so quickly? Wouldn’t it have been better to just go back to sleep, Jiang Xu??
The bluestone path extended toward a pavilion and terrace overlooking the water. Standing inside the pavilion was a familiar figure.
It was Chu Weiling. Tonight, he wore dark purple robes, standing by the water’s edge as if waiting for something.
A moment later, a figure in black flickered into view. The newcomer was completely masked, their features indiscernible save for their eyes—the left of which was covered by a black patch. Tall and thin, the man radiated the aura of a formidable expert.
Jiang Xu immediately clamped his hand over his mouth and cautiously backed up further, trying his best not to make a sound. He watched as Chu Weiling pulled a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to the man in black. The stranger didn’t linger; after accepting the scroll, he handed a letter to Chu Weiling and vanished into thin air. His movements were silent—a sign of high-level spiritual power.
Chu Weiling tucked the letter away, scanned his surroundings, then turned to circle the pavilion and walk up the stone steps. Jiang Xu hurriedly curled his body into a smaller ball and held his breath. As Chu Weiling passed nearby, he paused for a split second, but he didn’t stay long and soon departed.
Only after he was far away did Jiang Xu breathe a sigh of relief. He slowly emerged from behind the wall, staring in the direction Chu Weiling had gone, his heart racing with suspicion. That man in black clearly wasn’t from Lingyun Mountain. How could he enter so easily? Setting aside the fact that the mountain was protected by a labyrinth of illusions that made it invisible to outsiders, the main gate was guarded by a barrier. While not impenetrable, it was top-tier; it shouldn’t have been bypassed so effortlessly.
Unless that person had an extremely high cultivation level, or… he was so familiar with the barrier’s settings that he didn’t need to break it to walk right in.
Even more suspicious was Chu Weiling. Meeting a man in black in the dead of night to exchange items was abnormal no matter how you looked at it.
Frowning, Jiang Xu stole one last glance at the water pavilion before turning to head back to his quarters.
After he left, the man in black reappeared from the shadows. His gaze was deep, and his visible eye was actually a dark gold, glowing with a terrifying light in the dark. He watched Jiang Xu’s retreating figure with a flash of amusement. Only when Jiang Xu turned a corner and disappeared did the man narrow his eye, instantly dissolving into a black mist and vanishing.
Back in his room, Jiang Xu was still ruminating on the night’s events. He felt he had to tell the higher-ups; what use was it if only a low-level disciple like him knew? If Chu Weiling was conspiring with outsiders against Lingyun Mountain, keeping silent would be a grave mistake.
But who could he tell? He went through the six Peak Masters in his head, then thought of Sect Leader Fu Yuchuan, ultimately rejecting them all.
Wait! His eyes lit up as he scrambled up from the bed. He could tell Shizun! Shizun was such a good person; he would surely believe him. Moreover, with Shizun’s high status, he would definitely investigate the matter thoroughly for the sake of the sect!
Jiang Xu couldn’t help but chuckle, covering his face. “Shizun, at a time like this, I have to say… I love you so much.”
Suddenly, the sound of something dropping outside made his body go rigid. He immediately became alert. Had Chu Weiling discovered he was being followed and come to confront him?
Jiang Xu got out of bed, scanned the room, and found a wooden stick. He walked slowly toward the door, step by step. He hid quietly behind the door, cracked it open slightly, and then his eyes widened. “Junior Sister??”
He exhaled in relief and opened the door fully. Meeting the Junior Sister’s confused gaze, he asked, “Is something wrong, coming here so late?”
Fu Bihan glanced at the stick in his hand and asked warily, “What are you doing with that!”
Jiang Xu shrugged. “Self-defense.” He brandished the stick slightly, making the Junior Sister jump back a step. She pointed at him, demanding he put it down.
He casually leaned the stick against the wall and leaned against the doorframe, eyeing her. “It’s down. So, why did you come looking for me?”
Fu Bihan bit her lip and looked down at the floor. Jiang Xu froze for a moment, followed her gaze, and saw a pile of clear glass shards.
“…This is?”
Fu Bihan grit her teeth. “That was the glazed cup I was going to give you!” She glared at him, fuming. “It’s all your fault—now it’s broken!” She used her spiritual power to scoop up the shards, looking at the pile with a sour face, her apricot eyes round as she muttered, “Ingrate.”
Jiang Xu thought to himself: How was I supposed to know you’d come to deliver a cup in the middle of the night? Besides, I didn’t break it, so how is it my fault?
Fu Bihan bit her lip, unwilling to let it go, and tucked the shards away. Then, without an invitation, she stepped into Jiang Xu’s room and sat down on a wooden stool. “Come here, quickly.”
?? Since when did this become your house?
Jiang Xu helplessly closed the door and sat opposite her. “Junior Sister, you know it’s not quite proper to visit a man’s room at night, right?”
“A man?” Fu Bihan sized him up, snorted, and tilted her chin up. “I have never regarded you as a man.”
“…Talk if you must, but no personal attacks, Junior Sister,” Jiang Xu sighed. “I know, I know, you see me as an enemy. So what exactly are you here for?”
Fu Bihan glanced at him, her face turning red at a visible speed. “I heard everything just now.”
Jiang Xu blinked. “Heard what?”
Fu Bihan’s face turned scarlet. She looked at him as if she were too embarrassed to say it, her lips trembling before she finally stammered out, “I heard you say you… you like Shizun!!”
“What??” Jiang Xu’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He almost spat out his tea, taking a long moment to realize what she meant. He explained, “That was just a spur-of-the-moment sentiment. You misunderstood.”
Fu Bihan stared at him suspiciously. “How is that possible? Shizun is so noble and elegant, and he’s so good-looking—you must have designs on him!!”
Jiang Xu gave a flat “Oh” and poured himself more tea. “In that case, it sounds like you’re the one with designs on him, Junior Sister.”
“You—you’re talking nonsense!” Fu Bihan slammed her palm on the table, her face flushing even deeper. “My feeling for Shizun is one of admiration.”
“Exactly,” Jiang Xu said, sipping his tea slowly. “Then we’re the same. I also admire him. Besides,” he licked his lips, “I don’t like men.”
Fu Bihan looked half-convinced. “Really?”
Jiang Xu didn’t know why she was so interested in his business, so he gave a casual “Mhm” and changed the subject. “So, you were looking for me?”
Having seemingly found the answer she wanted, Fu Bihan relaxed. She pulled a piece of paper folded in half from her sleeve and tossed it onto the table in front of him with a proud air.
“What’s this?”
Fu Bihan raised her chin arrogantly. “It’s my letter of apology.”
Jiang Xu’s hand paused as he reached for the paper. He looked at her for confirmation, and she simply nodded. “I did too many bad things to you before, but lately, I’ve found you’re actually okay. I asked Eldest Senior Brother, and he said an apology must be sincere, so I wrote this.” She suddenly leaned in close. “You have to read every single word.”
“Are you sure this is the attitude of someone apologizing?” Jiang Xu shook his head, tsk-ing, and carefully read the contents. “You wrote this quite seriously.” He skimmed through it, nodded, and said, “I forgive you. So?”
Fu Bihan’s eyes widened. “You’re done already?”
Jiang Xu nodded. “What else was I supposed to do?”
“Fine,” she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, since you’ve said you forgive me, can we go back to a normal relationship?”
Jiang Xu nodded. “It’s always been pretty normal.” It was you who couldn’t stand the sight of me.
Fu Bihan stood up abruptly, shot him a look, snorted, and turned to leave. Then she opened the door and came back in, placing the shards of the glazed cup on the table. “I brought the apology gift, you keep it.” With that, she turned and left for real.
Jiang Xu stared at the pile of shards on the table, feeling a headache coming on. This Junior Sister… she really knew how to pass the buck.
He sighed, cleared the shards, and lay down on the bed. A book peeked out from under his pillow. Startled, Jiang Xu picked it up. Seeing the words “Spiritual Power” on the cover, he suddenly remembered he hadn’t opened it once in the past few days!
He really should look at it. Currently, his spiritual power was definitely less than half of the original host’s. He sighed, sat cross-legged on the bed, and placed the book on his lap.
Anyway, nothing’s happening tonight. Let’s see if the book from the system is reliable.
Jiang Xu barely slept that night, but when he woke up the next morning, he didn’t feel tired. On the contrary, he felt quite refreshed, and the spiritual power in his body felt much more abundant than usual.
He tucked the book back under his pillow and stretched. “001 is actually quite reliable; following this feels pretty good.” He stood up, suddenly remembering the events of the previous night. He dressed quickly and headed out.
Before he even reached Yuexia Courtyard, he encountered several disciples all walking in the same direction. He stood to the side and pulled one of them aside to ask.
“Senior Brother, where is everyone going?”
The disciple looked at him in surprise, then pulled his hand away with a hint of disdain. “The Sect Leader has summoned everyone. Did Junior Brother Jiang not receive the command?”
Without waiting to explain further, he hurried to catch up with the others, leaving Jiang Xu standing there in confusion.
The Sect Leader summoned everyone? Jiang Xu rubbed his chin. Could it be something major? After a moment’s thought, he followed along.
Liulan Terrace, by the Lotus Pond.
Disciples stood in rows on both sides. Jiang Xu intended to find a random spot to stand, but he happened to run into the newly arrived Shi Jingyu.
Seeing him, Shi Jingyu’s eyes flashed with delight, and he immediately led Jiang Xu to stand beside him.
“Thank you, Senior Brother!” Jiang Xu thanked him with a smile, completely ignoring the envious or jealous glares from other disciples directed at him for standing next to the Eldest Senior Brother.
Shi Jingyu gave a faint smile and turned his gaze toward the platform. Watching from the side, Jiang Xu felt that he truly lived up to the title of a noble, elegant Eldest Senior Brother. Just standing there casually, he looked like a refined gentleman, his posture so upright it was hard to look away.
No wonder the other disciples were looking at him like that. Jiang Xu sighed inwardly, then saw the Sect Leader appear holding a scroll. He immediately perked up his ears and focused.
Fu Yuchuan slowly unfurled the scroll and got straight to the point. “I presume you all know that the once-in-a-century Immortal Alliance Conference is about to be held.”
Jiang Xu froze upon hearing this. Immortal Alliance Conference?