Pale green gauze curtains hung from the light yellow pearwood bed frame, creating an atmosphere of simple elegance and tranquility. As Cai Zhao spoke calmly, a tall young figure slowly emerged from behind the bed frame.
The young man was strikingly handsome with refined features, his jade-like face adorned with a gentle smile. It was none other than Mu Qingyan, whom Cai Zhao knew well. Yet after several months apart, he now carried an air of authority that seemed to survey the world—a clear result of his ascension as the Demonic Cult's leader.
He casually sat beside Cai Zhao. "Zhao Zhao, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for so long."
Cai Zhao kept a stern expression. "When did you bribe the innkeeper?" There was no way Li Yuanmin would have arranged for them to stay at an inn with dubious ties to the Demonic Cult. This must have been the demon's doing later.
Mu Qingyan replied, "I didn't bribe the innkeeper."
Cai Zhao scoffed. "Don't tell me you convinced him through moral persuasion."
"I bought the entire inn."
"..."
Like the others, Cai Zhao had barely rested at the inn the previous night and had spent the entire day running around. Now, exhausted and hungry, her temper flared. She sneered, "To what do we owe the honor of the Demonic Cult Leader's visit?"
Mu Qingyan noticed the dark circles under her eyes and said sympathetically, "I told you that shabby inn was no good. I wanted to find you a proper place to rest last night, but you ran off in a flash. Otherwise, you wouldn't be this exhausted."
Cai Zhao bristled with anger. "You never said a word about the inn being bad last night! You were too busy lecturing me! Was I supposed to stay and endure more of your scolding?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look how irritable you are—clearly worn out and hungry, your temper flaring up." Mu Qingyan looked concerned. "Calm down and regulate your breathing. Don't let your True Qi go astray, or you won't be able to help when it's time to beat up Song Yuzhi."
Cai Zhao wished she could punch him until the world spun. "Can you go a single sentence without mentioning Third Senior Brother?!"
"Not at all. I've reflected on my inappropriate words last night, which is why I didn't say a thing when I saw Song Yuzhi meet up with you on the mountain at noon today." Mu Qingyan wore an expression of magnanimity.
Cai Zhao was furious. "You had someone spying on us again!"
"Not spying—protecting. The Big Dipper Six Sects have so many enemies. What if you ran into trouble out there?"
Cai Zhao was speechless. "...How can you even say that? The biggest enemy of our Big Dipper Six Sects is your Demonic Cult!"
Mu Qingyan pretended not to hear and instead sighed melancholically. "Whether you believe it or not, I've come to realize that the chasm between us is far wider than just Song Yuzhi."
Cai Zhao's anger subsided slightly.
Mu Qingyan pushed a bowl of wonton soup toward her and said gently, "Eat while it's hot. The wrappers will turn soggy if it sits too long."
Cai Zhao was indeed starving, and the aroma of chicken broth teased her nostrils. Without ceremony, she picked up the spoon and began eating.
"Slow down, slow down. Try these butterfly pastries—I had them made to match Furong's craftsmanship." Mu Qingyan helped her take out the four varieties of pastries from the warming tray. "They're quite good, aren't they? Much better than that bland millet porridge and greasy pork dumplings. That Song Yuzhi is so detached from the real world, completely clueless about how to care for someone..."
Cai Zhao set down her spoon, cheeks puffed and eyes wide with indignation. Mu Qingyan feigned a cough and turned his face away.After devouring four butterfly pastries, three pea cakes, and two emerald rolls soaked in rich broth, then finishing off the wonton soup, Cai Zhao finally felt like she was back among the living. She set down her spoon. "Why don't you just tell me why you're here, Cult Master Mu? Otherwise, I'll be on edge all night."
Mu Qingyan avoided the question. "Zhao Zhao, you've had a long journey. Shouldn't you freshen up first? The bathtub inside is still warm."
Cai Zhao scoffed. "Once I made my decision, I meant it seriously. You'd better understand this clearly—don't think you can still act as carelessly as before, without any sense of boundaries! Could you really stand by while I bathe? How improper!"
She thought her words carried enough weight while leaving dignity for both sides—quite satisfactory.
Yet Mu Qingyan, who had been all smiles since entering, suddenly darkened his expression. "Since when do you get to decide everything between us alone? You drop your ultimatum and think I'll just take it lying down? Don't talk to me about propriety—spare me the act!"
Cai Zhao stammered, "You change moods faster than flipping pages..." Truly a demon!
"You haven't eaten or slept well on your journey, and you've endured nothing but slights from your sect. I held back because I pitied you." Mu Qingyan's gaze grew dangerously shadowed, his aura oppressive. "Now that you're fed, let's have this out properly."
He slammed the table decisively. "You mentioned 'boundaries' earlier—who exactly are you drawing lines with? Who's close, who's distant? If you've got the guts, say it to my face!"
Of course, Cai Zhao couldn't say it—even if she could, she wouldn't dare, fearing he'd fly into a rage.
Having resolved since childhood to live peacefully and avoid conflict, she knew she couldn't win an argument against this demon. In frustration, she turned her body away.
Seeing her tactic, Mu Qingyan sneered. "Fine. If Heroine Cai refuses to reason with this demonic cultist, I'll find someone who will..." He rose to leave.
Alarm bells rang in Cai Zhao's mind. She quickly turned back and grabbed his sleeve. "Where are you going? Who are you looking for? Are you going to beat up Third Senior Brother again?!"
Mu Qingyan's smile turned icier. "Not necessarily Song Yuzhi. There are plenty of disagreeable faces in this inn. Any will do to vent my anger."
"They've done nothing to you, recent or past! Why trouble them?"
"Didn't you say it yourself? The Big Dipper Six Sects' greatest enemy is our Demonic Cult. Does the Cult Master need a reason to pick fights with North Star disciples?"
"No, no, you can't go!" Cai Zhao clung to Mu Qingyan's arm with all her might. "If you swagger out of here to beat people up, how would we explain it?! Come back and talk properly..."
Only when he saw the girl's face flushed with panic did Mu Qingyan pause at the door latch. Turning back, he said, "You said it yourself—'talk properly.' From now on, no more refusing to 'talk properly.'"
Cai Zhao sighed helplessly. "You know full well what I said when we parted was reasonable. There's an insurmountable gap between us—why make each other suffer? 'Fish in a dried-up rut spit moisture to keep each other alive, yet better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes.' When we look back on this moment someday, wouldn't it be a fond memory?"
"Heroine Cai plans far ahead indeed." Mu Qingyan's smile was gritted. "If we can't survive this moment, what 'someday' are you talking about? Why can't you be more passionate, like in the stories—'if we die, we die together; if we live, we live as one'!""...Why won't you just die already." Cai Zhao sat by the bedside, her face clouded with sorrow. "At least then Father, Mother, and Master wouldn't have to grieve."
Mu Qingyan also sat down beside her, his voice tender yet heart-wrenching. "Then aren't you afraid of making us grieve instead?"
Cai Zhao hesitated. "Actually... before meeting you, I was always doing quite well."
Mu Qingyan abruptly stood up, veins bulging on his pale forehead. "Well said! Then let's sever all ties here and now, never to meet again!"
Hearing these resolute words, Cai Zhao's first thought was, 'Will we really never see each other again?' Her fingers reflexively clutched at Mu Qingyan's sleeve. Then came her second thought—'Perhaps this really is for the best'—and she released her tight grip.
Mu Qingyan watched intently as her fingers grasped then let go. Suddenly he heaved a long sigh and slumped back down.
Softly, he said, "Perhaps it truly would have been better if we'd never met."
—With her parents' doting love, the protection of her aunt Cai Pingshu's formidable reputation, and a gentle-natured fiancé from a prestigious family, Miss Cai's future should have been bright. The one unwilling to let go of the darkness had never been her.
Cai Zhao stared at him blankly, asking herself—what would life without Mu Qingyan look like?
No arguments, no troubles, no dilemmas... but also no wonton soup, and... no one to make it for her.
Seeing the exhaustion on the girl's face, Mu Qingyan suddenly had an unworthy thought—as long as she was well, it didn't matter if he remained in darkness. He was already accustomed to it anyway.
Gently stroking her bangs, he said tenderly, "You're tired. I won't keep you from resting any longer. But there's one thing I must tell you—the mastermind behind the massacre of Great Hero Chang's entire household... likely isn't from our sect."
Cai Zhao jolted awake. "What did you say?"
Mu Qingyan steadied himself. "After you left, I rounded up Nie Zhe's remaining followers and interrogated each one to identify those who slaughtered the Chang family. But they all claimed that while they carried out the massacre at Chang Family Fortress, their guide wasn't one of them—wasn't even from our sect."
"What does that mean?" Cai Zhao asked dazedly.
Mu Qingyan explained, "After separating and repeatedly interrogating Nie's faction, several facts emerged. Over the years, Nie Zhe had been secretly colluding with someone. This person would occasionally leak information about the Big Dipper Six Sects, allowing Nie Zhe to 'opportunely' ambush North Star disciples to bolster his authority. In return, Nie Zhe would sometimes leak our sect's information to help this person gain merit. Reviewing records from the past decade, I found that seven or eight Altar Lords and over a dozen sect members who opposed Nie Zhe's leadership all met mysterious deaths at North Star's hands."
Cai Zhao said bitterly, "Give me the details of these cases! I'll root out the traitor colluding with Nie Zhe!"
"If only it were that simple." Mu Qingyan shook his head. "I've already investigated. Apart from your Fallen Blossom Valley which truly remains aloof from worldly affairs, all five remaining North Star sects have participated in these hunts—even Evergreen Temple and Hanging Temple occasionally took part."
Cai Zhao was shocked. "Why? If they wanted merit, shouldn't they act alone?"
A moment later, she exclaimed, "Oh, I understand! That mole wasn't truly using Nie Zhe's information for merit—it was to gain Nie Zhe's trust. By making Nie Zhe believe they held each other's secrets, he grew more at ease.""Exactly." Mu Qingyan nodded in approval before continuing, "As for the Chang family case, Nie Zhe's accomplices all claimed they never knew the location of the Chang family fortress and had no intention of targeting them. It was Nie Zhe who suddenly ordered them to prepare one day, only revealing the exact mountain route and position on the eve of the attack."
"So it was still that traitor's doing." Cai Zhao felt a chill in her heart. "But even my father didn't know the way to the Chang family fortress. Who could it be?"
She couldn't help sighing, "If only you hadn't killed Nie Zhe—he was the only one who knew the traitor's identity!"
Mu Qingyan frowned. "Hmph, so you think I killed Nie Zhe too?"
"Didn't you?" Cai Zhao was puzzled.
"Of course not." Mu Qingyan's sharp eyes turned cold. "Both he and Madam Sun were silenced!"
Cai Zhao gasped, stammering, "You... Madam Sun was also silenced?"
Mu Qingyan sneered. "Yes. Now the Big Dipper Six Sects are spreading rumors that I'm a ruthless, vicious monster who even killed my own remarried mother—do you believe that?" He narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous.
Cai Zhao thought to herself, Madam Sun caused your father's death, so seeking justice isn't unreasonable. Though she still felt killing one's own mother violated human ethics.
Mu Qingyan shot her an annoyed glare. "Justice should be served, but death was too lenient for her. I originally planned to make her live out the rest of her days in hardship, eating chaff and wearing rags!"
"What a brilliant plan, truly brilliant!" Cai Zhao exclaimed loudly, then added, "But now all leads are cut off. Did you investigate who carried out the silencing?"
"I did," Mu Qingyan said grimly. "But during the chaos, security at the passes of the Vast Sea Mountain Range was lax. If a skilled expert slipped away after the deed, there was no way to catch up."
"So what should we do next?" Cai Zhao asked humbly.
A trace of coldness flashed in Mu Qingyan's eyes. "We'll start by investigating the sect leaders of the Big Dipper Five Sects."
Cai Zhao felt displeased. "That's too arbitrary. Why must it be the sect leaders?"
"It's not baseless. Judging by the traitor's methods—ruthless, meticulous, airtight, and always one step ahead, cutting off every lead—this is no small fry."
Cai Zhao pressed, "Fine, forget the others. But my master and Uncle Zhou were childhood friends with Great Hero Chang. Why would they massacre the entire Chang family?"
"Obviously because they feared Great Hero Chang would discover their collusion with Nie Zhe," Mu Qingyan replied without hesitation.
Cai Zhao laughed coldly. "Here's the problem—my master is already the leader of the North Star Sect, the foremost among the Big Dipper. What more could he gain by colluding with Nie Zhe?"
Mu Qingyan was uncharacteristically speechless.
Cai Zhao continued, "And Uncle Zhou? Since his youth, he's never been one for contention. Even during the highly competitive Six Sects' contests, he always left room for others. Why would he suddenly collude with the Demonic Cult in middle age?"
Mu Qingyan still had no answer.
Cai Zhao pressed further, "That leaves Vast Heaven Gate, Four Stallions Gate, and Grand Beginning Temple. Which sect leader seems likely? The diligent Sect Leader Song, who's always expanding his influence to rival my master? Or Yang Heying, whose schemes are written all over his face? Or perhaps Qiu Yuanfeng, who just died not long ago?"
Mu Qingyan remained silent.Cai Zhao said smugly, "I know Sect Leader Mu can't stand seeing our Big Dipper Six Sects so strong and prosperous now, but you should really look for shortcomings within yourselves instead of fixating on your sworn enemies! This habit of only seeing others' faults while ignoring your own is terrible. As a newly appointed leader, Sect Leader Mu, you should really reform these long-standing malpractices in your Demonic Cult. After all, with decades of factional strife and internal conflicts, who knows if some defeated faction might be secretly causing trouble!"
Mu Qingyan listened quietly until the girl finished her gloating, then suddenly asked, "You've confessed everything about us to your parents and Sect Leader Qi, haven't you? What did they say?"
Cai Zhao froze, stammering, "It's... it's fine..."
"If you won't tell me, I have other ways to find out."
Reluctantly, Cai Zhao admitted, "Master said you're a Painted-Skin Demon—wearing human skin convincingly, but you'll devour people sooner or later."
"Hmph!" Mu Qingyan said arrogantly. "If I'm a Painted-Skin Demon, then what are they? After the Chang family massacre, apart from your Fallen Blossom Valley which genuinely lived in seclusion and didn't know about it, which of the other five Big Dipper Sects intended to avenge the Chang family? Now your father wants to pay respects to Great Hero Chang, and your master and that Zhou fellow feel guilty, so they're tagging along. Hmph! Where were they earlier? A bunch of hypocrites!"
...
Moonlight streamed into the room, and all bystanders had been dismissed.
As a loyal subordinate, You Guanyue waited enthusiastically in a corner downstairs.
Shangguan Haonan yawned. "We could have just sent underlings to wait for the sect leader. Why come ourselves?"
"Then why did you follow me here?"
"My Yingying said I shouldn't let you steal the chance to show loyalty to the sect leader first."
"Then find your own way to show loyalty! Why follow me around?"
"My YanYan said honest and simple people like me are easily deceived by you, so it's better to keep following you."
As they bickered, they suddenly heard a window above them slam open. A robe fluttered before their eyes as their beloved superior was forcefully pushed out by a fierce palm strike.
A familiar girl's voice came from inside—"First rule of our agreement: no speaking ill of elders! Get out!"
With no support from the window, Mu Qingyan lightly tapped his toes against the wall and floated down gently like an ink-black cloud.
Upon landing, his expression was darker than the cloud.
You Guanyue rushed over excitedly. "Sect Leader, what magnificent movement and lightness skill! The Azure Cloud Leap truly lives up to its reputation!"
Mu Qingyan gave him a cold look.
You Guanyue shivered all over.
Shangguan Haonan stepped forward and said quietly, "Sect Leader, all things must proceed step by step. The worst would be if Miss Cai remained completely indifferent. The fact that she got angry and spoke with you for so long means there's plenty of room for reconciliation."
Mu Qingyan's expression softened slightly as he looked at his subordinate with approval.
Watching their superior walk away, You Guanyue turned angrily. "Shangguan! How dare you steal the spotlight!"
Shangguan Haonan said leisurely, "I didn't steal your spotlight. It's just that you couldn't have helped the sect leader with this matter."
"How do you know I couldn't have helped?!"
"My Honghong said your face clearly shows you don't understand women, otherwise Xingxing wouldn't have been hiding and crying."
"...Just shut up."
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