While they were walking toward Wang Yu Luo's main entrance, Yan Hui could see a red-clothed figure from far away standing at the entrance. It was craning its neck and watching them approach.
Yan Hui took one look at the figure and said: "When all is said and done, the clan leader of Qi Jue Clan really is special. A beauty like Xian Ge, even I may not be able to meet her in her room. But today, she actually receives you at the entrance."
Feng Qian Shuo only lightly fanned himself and smiled. Then he stepped forward and called out: "Xian Ge."
Xian Ge heard his call. Even Yan Hui, who was stood off to the side, could see the change of mood in Xian Ge's eyes. However in the end, Xian Ge chose to silently dip her head and politely curtsy: "Xian Ge respectfully greet Clan Master."
"It has been awhile. You've grown distant." Feng Qian Shuo gave a clear laugh. "Don't stand at the entrance. Let's go in." Done speaking, he was the first to step in.
When Feng Qian Shuo's figure lightly brushed past Xian Ge, her expression became slightly downcast. It was rare for Yan Hui to see her look gloomy.
But Feng Qian Shuo paused one step in front of Xian Ge. He turned his head and looked at Xian Ge. He held out his hand: "It's been too long since I've been here. Do you no longer want to hold my hand?"
Xian Ge was startled. Then she placed her hand in his. His hand closed around hers. Feng Qian Shuo led Xian Ge along with a smile. His tender gaze even made several girls standing in the wings blush with envy.
But probably no one was truly envious. Yan Hui watched them enter Wang Yu Luo, hand in hand. She couldn't help remember a saying, a match made in heaven. That was them, a perfect pair.
Then, Yan Hui had second thoughts. This man had one hundred concubines waiting for him in various places...She couldn't help sighing and feeling regret on behalf of Xian Ge.
Tian Yao, who was standing by Yan Hui, started to follow the pair into Wang Yu Luo. Yan Hui grabbed him back and then hurriedly released him. She started to rub at her numb palm.
Tian Yao tilted his head and looked at her. He didn't understand at all: "What is it?"
"Why are you following after them?" Yan Hui asked, "Didn't you see how picture perfect they were walking together?"
Tian Yao strived hard to maintain his indifferent expression. Only the corner of his mouth twitched: "No."
Yan Hui shot him a glance: "Looking at your face, it might become even more alluring than the Clan Master's face one day, but when comparing your personality to his...Aside from someone like me who's under the influence of drugs, no girl would want to walk with you."
Tian Yao heard Yan Hui's words. He only coldly smirked. His expression was somewhat mocking: "Then that would be great. I want to be alone, never infected by love again."
Yan Hui looked at Tian Yao's back and silently frowned. Then she followed after him.
Entering Wang Yu Luo, Xian Ge and Feng Qian Shuo had gone to Xian Ge's section of the building to discuss matters. Yan Hui and Tian Yao waited for a bit. A servant came to report. Heavenly Fragrance's fox demons have been secretly sent to Wang Yu Luo's rear courtyard.
Yan Hui went to the rear courtyard to look.
The fox demons were still locked in the steel cages. The cages was covered by a black cloth to prevent onlookers from seeing what was inside.
Yan Hui went to each cage and pushed aside the cloth to peer inside. Every single fox demon was in miserable condition. Their faces were filled with despair and no will to live. Perhaps in their minds, the fox demons didn't think they were being rescued. They were just goods that had been temporarily sent to another place. Perhaps they could live a few more days, but they would still die in the end. There was no escaping their fate.
Every time Yan Hui lifted the black cloth to look the in, the fox demon inside would be startled. They would start trembling and shrink into the cage's furthest corner. They stared at her in wide-eyed fright.
"Going to take me away? Is my life at its end? Dying is good. It's better than living like this."
What the fox demons thought was plainly written on their face.
Yan Hui let the cloth drop back down. She felt an unbearable heaviness in her heart. Right now, it wasn't just the fox demon situation making her feel like this. The even heavier feeling was a dreadful suspicion. It was so dreadful that Yan Hui didn't want to think of it a second time...
At least when Yan Hui lifted up the final black cover, she saw Bai Xiao Lu curled up in it.
Bai Xiao Lu was almost dead. Even when Yan Hui lifted the cover, Bai Xiao Lu didn't react from her huddle.
"Bai Xiao Lu?" Yan Hui called her.
Only then did Bai Xiao Lu slightly move. She turned her head and looked at Yan Hui. Her dull eyes lit up. Bai Xiao Lu threw herself toward the cage bars in disbelief and grasped them in her hands: "Are you here to save me again? Did Mother ask you to save me again?"
Yan Hui was stunned. It made her remember that Bai Xiao Lu's mother had been captured by a strong female Dao cultivator. Thinking about it, that strong female Dao cultivator was probably Su Ying.
Maybe when Su Ying left, perhaps that three-tailed fox demon also followed.
Yan Hui didn't reply. She only opened the cage door and said: "First come out, rest for awhile."
After what Bai Xiao Lu had gone through, she naturally wasn't in the mood to ask more questions. She clutched Yan Hui's hand and stepped out of the cage. Bai Xiao Lu didn't know how much time had passed by since she could step outside like this.
Holding Bai Xiao Lu's trembling hand, Yan Hui only silently looked down.
With so many fox demons, Yan Hui couldn't release all of them. Although Wang Yu Luo is Xian Ge's property, there were still ordinary people living here. And when night fell, even more ordinary people will come to Wang Yu Luo seeking pleasure.
Although the fox demons lost their neidan and weren't dangerous, there may still be a few among them with treacherous thoughts. They may want to suck the auras of ordinary people to reconstruct their neidan. Therefore aside from Bai Xiao Lu, Yan Hui still permitted other people to watch over the fox demons and leave them in their cages.
Yan Hui brought Bai Xiao Lu back to her room. She asked a few questions about what Bai Xiao Lu had experienced. The answers were more or less what Yan Hui had guessed.
The last time Yan Hui saw Bai Xiao Lu in a cage was when Yan Hui was ordered into confinement by Ling Xiao. Bai Xiao Lu wasn't killed like what Ling Xiao said. After a discussion between other shifus, it was agreed to sell her off to Heavenly Fragrance.
Yan Hui listened to Bai Xiao Lu and didn't say much. After she coaxed Bai Xiao Lu into sleeping, Yan Hui gravely sat by the bed for a long time.
Tian Yao had been sitting off to the side the entire time. However when he saw Yan Hui like that, he couldn't help asking: "What are you thinking?"
Yan Hui remained silent. Then she faked a light smile: "I was thinking this is the second time we went, but we still didn't get your horns. Now Feng Ming will order even stricter precautions around Heavenly Fragrance. What should we do the next time to get your horns and stop their method to make money?"
Tian Yao looked at Yan Hui: "And?"
"And?" Yan Hui turned to look at Tian Yao. "What else is more important that this?"
Tian Yao's gaze grew chilly: "And your shifu, Chen Xing Mountain, and their involvement with this situation."
Pierced by the matter troubling Yan Hui's heart, the smile she had managed to squeeze out froze. Maybe it was because of the Heart Protection Scale, but Tian Yao always saw straight into her heart...
From what happened today at Heavenly Fragrance, from right out of Feng Ming's mouth, they knew all xian sects sent the removed neidan to Chen Xing Mountain. Ever since that, Yan Hui couldn't keep out a terrifying suspicion in her heart.
The demon trade to make the fragrance had to involve Chen Xing Mountain. It was impossible to say otherwise. Even if Su Ying can hide what she was doing from all the xian sects, she couldn't hide it from Chen Xing Mountain.
Other xian sects might not know use purpose of the demon trade, but Chen Xing Mountain and Guang Han sect are the top Dao sects. How could they not know?
In other words, this matter had to be discussed and agreed upon by Chen Xing Mountain's inner command. Now that Zhenren Qing Guang had long ago removed himself from xian matters, all of Chen Xing Mountain's matters were overseen by Ling Xiao. Thus, the Fox Fragrance situation had to have been approved by Ling Xiao...
Yan Hui was already certain of this. To say she wasn't disappointed in Ling Xiao was a lie, but that wasn't enough for her to feel dread. What truly made her feel dread was what Feng Ming said today. Her own suspicion....
All of the fox demons' neidan were sent to Chen Xing Mountain, yet there was no trace of any destruction of the demons' neidan. So where did the neidans go? They could've been stored away. They could've been used by someone to increase their own cultivation....
And people who did thus were known in the jianghu as heretical cultivators.
Chen Xing Mountain...
"Perhaps some people at Chen Xing Mountain are using the neidan to cultivate." Tian Yao exposed Yan Hui's suspicion. Yan Hui couldn't help feel a deep chill in her heart. Tian Yao continued, "Perhaps Ling Xiao knows about this matter but doesn't stop it. Or perhaps Ling Xiao is also cultivating with it."
"Impossible." Yan Hui automatically started to shake her head. "Impossible..."
"Furthermore, Zhenren Qi Yun's death..."
Yan Hui suddenly stood up and glared at Tian Yao. Her eyes were cold: "Shut up."
Four eyes met. Tian Yao didn't shrink back the slightest: "Yan Hui, you know it yourself." He said, "If this is true, then you can only accept it."
Yan Hui clenched her fists.
It wasn't like she didn't harbor suspicions. Zhenren Qi Yun disappeared two months ago. After she arrived at Chen Xing Mountain, all traces of her disappeared. At that time, there was a cultivator gathering at Chen Xing Mountain. The fox demons' neidan were also being sent there at the same time. With Zhenren Qi Yun's status, it was very likely she was notified of that matter. And with Zhenren Qi Yun's character, it was very likely she decidedly opposed of it.
Therefore...
By the time Yan Hui met her, her entire body was chilled by the Hoarfrost Technique planted in her.
Yan Hui flung back her head, no longer willing to think about it.
"You should go. We'll talk about getting the dragon horns tomorrow." Her voice was somewhat hoarse.
Tian Yao looked at Yan Hui's figure outlined by the night. It seemed frail. He suddenly thought to stop debating the matter with her. This girl was smart. What he would think of, she would also think of.
Tian Yao knew better than anyone else how cruel it was to break one's fantasy ideal of another person. Yet life was sometimes that cruel.
The one you loved and your image of that person are two different people.
Aside from accepting and becoming resigned to that, there was no other way. Because in this world, you might encounter situations that you can change with your efforts, but that other person's heart is the hardest to change.
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Sad chapter for Yan Hui. To admit the person who saved you from hunger and poverty, who you also love, is probably a monster hurting others for their own gain is hard. I wonder how Tian Yao feels about this situation. It's like what he had to go through with Su Ying.
Also anyone watching The Legends (drama adaption of Ostentatious Zhao Yao)? It's good! And it kinda has a similar background. Cultivators that pretend to be good and righteous are actually hypocrites and the true villains. Same author too, so that's probably why haha