With a slight nod, she walked away with graceful steps.
She didn’t leave the Demonic Sect, but instead made a detour to Wu Feng Valley.
Xun’er opened the door for her, and Xiao Qiyu smiled and nodded at her.
Dressed in dark clothes, she quickly disappeared into the pitch-black secret passage.
With her cool and mysterious aura, Xun’er was a little dazed—anyone who had ever met Xiao Qiyu couldn’t help but be captivated by her.
Unfortunately, her heart was never open to outsiders.
Only Xi Fuhong had accidentally broken in and taken over her entire heart.
Her footsteps were silent.
In the distance, Xi Fuhong was dozing in a rattan chair, a hoe leaning against the wall beside her.
In the sunlight, a faint smile played at her lips, a smile even more endearing than Xiao Qiyu’s feigned gentleness.
Standing by the chair, Xiao Qiyu reached out and felt along the backrest, slowly touching Xi Fuhong’s shoulder.
This time, she didn’t rely on any ghostly spirits—she was simply searching for that guiding light in the darkness.
The guiding light named Xi Fuhong…
“Mm…” Xi Fuhong murmured a few times, shifting in her seat, protesting as if her sweet dream had been disturbed.
Xiao Qiyu’s lips curled into a doting smile, her fingers stroking Xi Fuhong’s cheek.
The soft touch made her pinch it a few times.
In the tranquil afternoon of Fog Valley, the usually dignified senior disciple of Bi Xuan Palace let her guard down, teasing the girl from Fog Valley, lingering over the warmth at her fingertips, memorizing every detail of her face—her eyelids, the tip of her nose, then her lips.
“Mm-hmm…” Xi Fuhong frowned and slowly opened her sleepy eyes.
When she saw Xiao Qiyu, she thought she was still dreaming and asked in confusion, “Xiao… Miss?”
“Sorry for waking you, Miss Xi.” Even as she spoke, her fingers refused to withdraw, gently brushing Xi Fuhong’s brow, only to have her hand caught in Xi Fuhong’s warm palm.
Xiao Qiyu didn’t resist, letting her hold on.
“I’ve been ordered to travel far.
I won’t be coming down to the valley for the next few days.” Before leaving, she wanted to spend a little more time with Xi Fuhong.
“Travel far? Where are you going?” Xi Fuhong yawned, swinging Xiao Qiyu’s hand back and forth.
Hearing this, Xiao Qiyu suddenly pressed her lips together.
“What’s wrong? Miss Xiao… where are you going? Why do you look so pale?” Seeing her like this, Xi Fuhong stood up in concern.
She’d grown a bit taller over the past three years, but still didn’t quite reach Xiao Qiyu’s eyes.
Tilting her head, Xi Fuhong asked, “Is it somewhere dangerous? Did Xiang Yin send you?”
“I’m going to find someone…” Xiao Qiyu paused, then said, “I’m going to find Luo Qingcheng.”
“…Luo Qingcheng?” Xi Fuhong repeated softly, then looked up and said, “I see.
Then be careful on the road.
Since you can’t see, why not take someone with you? I can talk to Xiang Yin and have a few people go with you, would that be okay?”
Had she forgotten? Xiao Qiyu had known Xi Fuhong had forgotten the past, but she didn’t expect her to have forgotten even Luo Qingcheng, the person she feared most.
A faint, somewhat mocking, somewhat bitter smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
“It’s fine,” Xiao Qiyu shook her head.
“It’s getting late.
I should get going.” She smoothed Xi Fuhong’s hair and left with a flourish.
Her steps were steady, the tenderness on her face fading, leaving only a cool elegance.
She had just left the secret passage when she ran into Xue Baihua, who was about to enter the valley.
The newcomer was dressed in splendid clothes, a stark contrast to Xiao Qiyu’s dark, practical outfit.
One was like a crescent moon in the night, the other a colorful phoenix on a branch.
Standing together, they were a breathtaking sight.
“I’ve been ordered to find Luo Qingcheng.” Xiao Qiyu said to Xue Baihua without hesitation.
As she expected, Xue Baihua shuddered all over.
It wasn’t fear of Luo Qingcheng, but…
“Divine Doctor, you can rest assured.
Miss Lu didn’t order me to bring Luo Qingcheng back.” Xiao Qiyu said calmly, but Xue Baihua shot her a glare.
Luo Qingcheng was the person Ah Fu feared most, and besides, Luo Qingcheng’s domineering temper was too much for anyone.
Xiao Qiyu nodded to her and left gracefully.
Lu Xiangyin hadn’t ordered her to kill Luo Qingcheng, and even if she had, Xiao Qiyu wouldn’t have agreed.
Though she was in the Demonic Sect, she held to the belief of not taking lives.
Such contradictions, yet she was at ease with herself.
This time, her mission was to let Luo Qingcheng go, to let her take the blame as a villain, to lure and bait, and to draw both sides into conflict.
She mounted her horse, took the reins, and though her eyes were covered with a cloth, she galloped freely through the woods.
She traveled for three days, and when she reached Wu Xun Peak, it was just as Martial Arts Alliance Leader Chen Tanghe was leaving the headquarters.
The city was full of gossip, and all Xiao Qiyu had to do was ask a couple of questions and someone would explain everything.
From what she learned, Chen Tanghe was troubled by the Demonic Sect’s killings and had gone to Liang Family Courtyard to hold a martial arts conference.
“Perfect.” Xiao Qiyu murmured, lowering her head.
“Huh? What did you say, miss?” asked a stable boy nearby.
Xiao Qiyu handed the reins to the boy and took out a few coins.
“Please look after my horse for me.
Here’s some money in advance.
I’ll be back in a few hours.” After giving the money to the boy, Xiao Qiyu walked away, ignoring the noisy marketplace, her steps steady as she headed up the mountain.
The Wulin Headquarters was built halfway up the mountain.
The road wasn’t steep, but there were two martial artists guarding the gate, and no outsiders could enter.
She pinched her fingers and muttered an incantation, swaggering past the guards without any obstruction.
At first glance, people might think Xiao Qiyu was an honored guest invited by the alliance leader, but if you looked closely, there were several dark shadows by the guards’ sides.
It wasn’t that they didn’t stop her, but that in broad daylight, their eyes were clouded by ghosts—they couldn’t see Xiao Qiyu at all.
They could guard against warriors, but not against the ghost arts of Bi Xuan Palace.
That’s how Xiao Qiyu could sneak into headquarters without any effort.
Sitting in the main hall, Xiao Qiyu looked relaxed, but faint black shadows swirled around her, flickering in and out, darting high and low like smoke, sometimes gathering into human shapes.
These were all the ghost spirits that followed Xiao Qiyu.
Ordinary people couldn’t get through stone walls, but these spirits could—they were perfect for searching for prisoners.
After a while, the black mist gradually dissipated, and Xiao Qiyu flicked her sleeve and left the Wulin Headquarters.
Late at night, a cool breeze rippled across the still surface of the pond, sending out waves.
The reflection in the water showed a maid walking by.
Her steps were a bit unsteady, but her purpose was clear as she headed for the side courtyard.
She opened the wooden door with practiced ease, found the trapdoor under the bed, and after a bit of fiddling, opened the entrance to the cellar.
Without hesitation, the maid stiffly walked down the stone steps.
When she reached Luo Qingcheng, she remained silent, simply taking out a key and unlocking her chains without a word.
Luo Qingcheng, who hadn’t eaten for days, was half-awake and half-asleep, puzzled by the maid’s appearance.
When she saw the maid unlocking her, Luo Qingcheng frowned even more.
Had Chen Tanghe changed his mind? Or did the maid pity her? No, that wasn’t it.
Noticing the maid’s dull eyes, Luo Qingcheng vaguely sensed a plot, but she’d rather jump into the trap than sit here and wait to die.
With a clatter, the heavy shackles fell to the ground.
Luo Qingcheng, newly freed, had no time to rest.
She gathered her tattered clothes and, though unsteady, made her way back to the surface, leaping over the threshold in big strides.
The air she breathed was no longer musty and foul, but fresh and free.
Luo Qingcheng clenched her fists—she would make Chen Tanghe pay for this.
There was no time to waste.
Luo Qingcheng found a servant’s rough clothes to change into.
She had lost her martial arts, so she could only disguise herself as a commoner for now.
Then she found a good horse.
Though she was weak, Luo Qingcheng gritted her teeth and rode from headquarters into the city.
Under the moonlight, the sound of hooves echoed loudly.
Once beautiful and delicate, she was now haggard and disheveled.
In her hurry, Luo Qingcheng didn’t notice a familiar figure standing by the city wall, watching her as she slipped past the gate.
“To escape… or not to escape?” Xiao Qiyu murmured softly.
This time, whether it was her, Luo Qingcheng, or even Xue Baihua, they were all caught in the enemy’s game.
Every move, every smile—one wrong step, and it would all be over.
