Not long after Ying Bing and Li Mo left Qingmu City, a group of Huanmo Sect members was gathered in a private room on the second floor of a tavern, having breakfast. With so many of them, they couldn’t be crammed downstairs, so they ordered food and came up like a herd of cows.
Luo Yexian sat at the head of the table, waiting for the waiter to bring the dishes.
But just then, he felt a sudden heat in his pocket—his communication token.
As a demon sect, Huanmo Sect had its own set of communication methods, and the token was one of them. Ordinary members would send messages using their consciousness souls, while the sect leaders had fancier tokens from ancient times that could even project images.
Buzz—
Buzz—
“Silence! It’s the Holy Son!” Luo Yexian motioned for his subordinates to be quiet, and then activated the token, causing a light to project onto the table.
“Greetings, Holy Son.”
The figure on the other side of the light flickered unsteadily, giving it a bizarre appearance.
This Holy Son of Huanmo was once at the top of the Qianlong List but was defeated by the Crown Prince of Da Yu, causing his dragon-like status to shatter, leaving him only able to vie for a top-three position with Tian Miao from Yantian Sect.
Since then, his moods had become increasingly unpredictable.
“Why have you been searching for Wanxiang Xianzong for such a long time, only to turn up nothing?” the Holy Son’s voice was low and ominous.
Hearing the Holy Son’s less-than-pleasant tone, Luo Yexian stood up straight.
“You told us not to disturb you until we had results. Isn’t that what you meant?”
“…..”
The Holy Son’s projection flickered twice.
“Why can’t you all be a bit more flexible?”
“You told us last time that we were clumsy and limited in our perspectives, forbidding us from acting without your glorious directive and insisting we follow your every wisdom. No straying from the path!”
Luo Yexian complied earnestly.
“But I also said to use discretion in emergencies. If something unexpected comes up, you’re allowed to decide for yourself.”
“But you didn’t specify if this counts as an unexpected situation!”
“Did you not think to ask?!”
The Holy Son’s tone was dripping with annoyance.
“No, I just thought I should wait for you to finish your meditation…” Luo Yexian defended himself, very much committed to following the sacred rules.
“Ugh…”
The projection trembled violently.
Perhaps the Holy Son wanted to unleash a tirade, but since the Hall of Beasts head was his uncle, certain words might backfire—harming three enemies at the cost of one’s own.
Why didn’t he realize this was so tricky before?
Well, previously, while the Hall of Beasts did have a head, it was mostly ceremonial. Most matters in the South Border were spearheaded by Han Zhen, but with Han Zhen now deceased, the average IQ of the Hall had plummeted…
If only Luo Yexian weren’t his uncle, he would’ve enacted the rules ages ago!
“Enough! What have you done so far?”
“Holy Son, we’ve tracked them to Qingmu City and are just waiting for the right moment. As soon as they leave, we’ll be on them without delay!” Luo Yexian expressed with a serious tone, finally saying something sensible.
The Holy Son’s fluctuating projection stabilized a bit; while Wanxiang Xianzong was likely a phantom, what if it wasn’t?
The mere hint of what Wanxiang Xianzong had exhibited was too terrifying.
Even a one-in-a-million chance was enough to make him cautious.
“They’re still in Qingmu City?”
“Correct.”
The Holy Son took a deep breath; he couldn’t leave right now, and he feared Luo Yexian would mess things up. So he reiterated:
“Before confronting them, do not act rashly. Even if you find out they’re fakes, consult with me first. Report any situation that arises!”
“Yes!”
The projection flickered away.
Soon after, the dishes arrived, and the Huanmo devotees pulled out a few sets of Mahjong to k*ll some time; after all, there was nothing else to do.
Suddenly, the toothy priest’s eyes widened:
“Winning hand! I have a winning hand! Pay up, pay up!”
But not long after, that middle-aged priest burst in from outside, shouting, “Hall Master, they’ve left the city!”
“Hmm, let’s set off immediately!”
Luo Yexian sprang up, accidentally flipping the Mahjong table over as he stood.
“But I had a winning hand…”
“Big matters at hand! How can one indulge in distractions? Time to move!”
“???”
Thus, the group of Huanmo Sect members set off in a grand manner, boarding a Sixth-Grade Disaster Beast to take to the skies.
On the way, the thin middle-aged priest closely monitored the gathering of magical energies.
After a while, he spoke up again:
“Hall Master, the gathering of magical energies is just ahead.”
“Oh? Are they stopped?”
Luo Yexian squinted his eyes.
Ahead lay a flourishing peach blossom forest, where a crystal-clear stream flowed like a jade belt, winding into the unknown.
Peach petals drifted onto the stream, creating a breathtaking and serene scene, almost like a passage to a fairyland.
Woosh—
The sound of a flute seemed to resonate with the babbling stream.
“Who’s there?!” Luo Yexian asked cautiously.
The Huanmo Sect members instinctively looked up, their pupils narrowing in surprise.
From deep within the peach blossom forest, a small boat floated toward them slowly.
At its bow stood a girl in an ethereal black dress, her presence airy and delicate, with her skirt fluttering as she played a bamboo flute. The music echoed gently through the forest, reminiscent of celestial melodies, contrasting sharply with the styles of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, yet imbued with a sense of ancient nostalgia.
Ahem, quite the contrast indeed.
If anyone in Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had heard “Big Fish,” that would be a true ghost story!
But regardless, a scene dripping with fairy air lay before them, leaving no one daring to make a move.
Even more importantly, that girl was extraordinary.
Her face was veiled with sheer fabric, revealing only her elegant eyebrows; typically, it would be just a thin veil, but if you looked closely, you’d find her divine beauty hidden in the fog, utterly unseeable.
You could even close your eyes and still not know there was a person standing there!
It was as if this girl didn’t belong to this world!
Luo Yexian asked warily, “What brings you here?”
“……”
Ying Bing set down her flute, remaining silent and nonchalant, watching the group with indifference.
This was what Li Mo had advised her: to remember what life was like without him.
The first act in a performance was to dominate the stage without uttering a word; she didn’t have to say anything at all.
The gaze of Ice Chunk.
The pressure from the Phoenix Sky Empress was sky-high!
Luo Yexian: “!”
Huanmo Sect members: “!!!”
What a chillingly aloof demeanor, devoid of any emotion in those autumn-water-like eyes! It was as if she were a deity overlooking the mortal realm!
That gaze exerted so much pressure, it made Luo Yexian and the others sweat profusely, feeling like mere mortals unworthy of standing in her presence!
Not even when facing the Holy Son had they felt this way before!!
Well…
It was about time for action.
From his hidden perch, Little Li nodded in satisfaction, Ying Bing’s performance exceeded even his expectations; it was like she wasn’t acting at all.
Next time, perhaps she should tone it down a bit…
The first step had been completed, and Li Mo stepped out of the peach blossom forest, calling out:
“Senior Sister, don’t be hasty in attacking; these are the outsiders my junior brother called to visit.”
