Bai Siyao suggested going to the Yue Lao Temple because it reminded her of something from the past.
There was once a servant girl in her household who prayed for love at Yue Lao Temple, but not long after, she fell ill. Later, it was said that the government destroyed a malevolent deity.
At that time, Bai Siyao was preoccupied with getting accepted into Danxia Palace and didn't pay much attention. But now, hearing about demonic creatures appearing in Qingyun City, she couldn't help but make the connection. Lady Liu had gone to the Yue Lao Temple to repay her vows, and Huo Chongxiao signaled to the two women, and the trio slipped into the temple amidst the crowd.
The Yue Lao Temple was extremely modest, with only a main hall. The statues, however, were quite new—an old man with a white beard, accompanied by a young boy and girl holding red strings.
Huo Chongxiao shook his head slightly, finding nothing unusual.
The three of them moved in sync, waiting for Lady Liu to finish her prayer and quietly followed her.
Yue Yunqiao whispered, "Senior Brother, why are there so many demonic creatures in Qingyun City? Doesn't that seem suspicious?"
Huo Chongxiao had already realized something was off. He pulled out the Demon Suppression Bottle, igniting the talisman paper inside with demonic energy. Sure enough, Lady Liu reacted. His face darkened, "It's the same source as last night's demonic creature."
Yue Yunqiao was stunned, "So we didn't resolve last night's issue at all?"
Huo Chongxiao nodded. He had thought it was just a minor task, but now realized he'd been deceived—the demonic creatures were no simple matter.
His first instinct was to request reinforcements from Bai Zhong'an. After all, they were fellow disciples and had a duty to support each other.
But then he hesitated, recalling the strange feeling he got from his senior brother last night. With demonic creatures in Qingyun City, the Bai family should be most affected, yet Bai Zhong'an seemed completely unconcerned.
Would it be wiser to be cautious? Huo Chongxiao questioned himself. But then, seeing Bai Siyao busy helping them, he felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of distrusting her family.
Before he could speak, Bai Siyao asked, "Huo Gongzi, don't you think something is strange about all this?"
Huo Chongxiao quietly sighed in relief. "What do you mean?"
Bai Siyao explained, "Although malevolent deities and demonic creatures share similarities, they are actually two different entities. Demonic creatures typically hunt proactively, seeking out what they desire to consume. In contrast, malevolent deities require offerings from their worshippers—they form contracts. Take Lady Liu, for example. She must first win her wager before the deity can claim its offering."
Yue Yunqiao was puzzled. "Then how could these two things share the same source?"
"Yes, they're clearly different. How could they be connected?" Bai Siyao questioned.
Huo Chongxiao murmured, "Because someone is behind this."
Yue Yunqiao was startled. "What do you mean? Someone's orchestrating it?"
Huo Chongxiao nodded. "It seems the demonic creatures in Qingyun City are being deliberately nurtured."
Yue Yunqiao was infuriated, "Unbelievable! If we hadn't arrived in time last night, an entire village of mortals would've been demonized. And this malevolent deity—once its influence spreads, how many will become sacrificial offerings? If left unchecked, the whole of Qingyun City will be doomed."
"This is beyond what we can handle," Huo Chongxiao said, fully aware of their limitations. "We must contact the patrolling elder immediately."
Danxia Palace had a system where elders took turns patrolling to ensure the safety of disciples outside the sect.
Yue Yunqiao asked, "Should we inform Senior Brother Bai?"
"Not yet," Huo Chongxiao said after glancing at Bai Siyao. "Senior Brother Bai is the most powerful cultivator in Qingyun City. If someone is stirring up trouble here, they're surely keeping an eye on him. We need to be cautious not to alert the enemy."
Bai Siyao nodded in agreement. "Although my granduncle rarely leaves the house, every major and minor faction in Qingyun City comes to pay their respects."
Seeing she had no objections, Huo Chongxiao felt relieved.
The three returned to the Yue Lao Temple to investigate the rumors circulating around town.
The first lead was Lady Liu, which they confirmed was connected to last night's demonic creature.
The second lead was the elderly man, Zeng Lao San, whose residence also harbored dark energy.
Then there was the third, and the fourth…
Huo Chongxiao pulled out a map of Qingyun City and marked the locations one by one, forming a massive network.
"There are so many," Yue Yunqiao gasped.
Huo Chongxiao's expression grew grim. Qingyun City was riddled with holes. It was impossible to believe that Senior Brother Bai knew nothing about this. But what about Miss Bai? Judging by her treatment at home, it seemed she was unaware of these matters. Moreover, she had saved his junior sister earlier. Could they trust her? Huo Chongxiao was conflicted.
Finally, he settled on a middle-ground solution: "Let's head back for now. We shouldn't alarm anyone else. We'll wait until the elders arrive to handle this."
He couldn't risk the safety of his junior sister.
Bai Siyao was pleased. Although Huo Chongxiao was still inexperienced, he had a reliable way of handling things.
The three temporarily set aside the matter and wandered around for a bit, returning to the Bai household by sunset.
Bai Mengxing had just finished his lessons and was eating some iced sweets in the main hall. Upon seeing Bai Siyao, he immediately started shouting, "You skipped your lessons today! I'm telling Father, and he'll beat you!"
Bai Siyao quickly hid behind Yue Yunqiao, muttering, "I… I requested leave."
Yue Yunqiao defended her, "Junior Sister Siyao took us out to explore at Senior Brother Bai's request. If you have any complaints, take them up with your granduncle."
Although Bai Mengxing was a troublemaker, he wouldn't dare cross a distinguished guest of Danxia Palace, especially with their granduncle involved.
He shot a resentful glare at Bai Siyao, feeling utterly disgruntled. Why wasn't he the one to accompany them? After all, he was the eldest son of the family!
Bai Siyao suddenly noticed and asked, "Why is your left hand bandaged, Big Brother? Are you injured?"
Bai Mengxing flushed red with anger.
He had planned to use Bai Siyao's talisman for his homework, but she had snatched it back yesterday. No matter how hard he tried, his efforts had failed. In the end, his sloppy work earned him a scolding from the teacher.
Worse, his hand was now swollen from the punishment.
"It's all your fault!" he grumbled through gritted teeth. "Just wait!"
Yue Yunqiao frowned deeply. The Bai family's discipline was sorely lacking. And Senior Brother Bai, who had returned to lead the family, should've been more attentive. Even if his own path to immortality was hopeless, he ought to be nurturing the younger generation properly!
As they approached the gate of Qinghe Courtyard, she comforted Bai Siyao, "Once the patrolling elder arrives, my senior brother and I will recommend you for admission to the sect. With your talents, passing the examination won't be difficult. After that, no one will dare to bully you again."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Yue," Bai Siyao said sincerely. Over the years, there weren't many people who had been kind to her. Yue Yunqiao was definitely one of them, whether in this life or her past one.
...
In the Withered Leaf Cottage.
"They've returned," Guan Mowen reported.
Bai Zhong'an remained seated by the window, leisurely playing a game of chess by himself. "Nothing unusual happened, I assume?"
Guan Mowen hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Bai Zhong'an paused, "What is it? Something wrong?"
"They visited the Yue Lao Temple," Guan Mowen replied.
Bai Zhong'an frowned.
"Visiting the temple doesn't necessarily mean anything," Guan Mowen quickly added. "After all, it's a well-known site, and many people go there for sightseeing."
Bai Zhong'an nodded in agreement, placing another chess piece.
But soon, his expression changed.
"What's wrong, sir?" Guan Mowen asked.
Bai Zhong'an opened his hand, and a faint glimmer of light flashed across his palm.
"The message talisman... It seems they've discovered something."