Before long, the wind howled as a man in white robes descended on his sword, landing in the clearing. With finely arched brows and starry eyes, his handsome face was none other than Mo Yanfan's. His usually expressionless features now bore a slight frown, as if troubled by something.
Moments later, a flash of golden light signaled another arrival—Lin You. She retracted the colorful shawl draped over her shoulders and smiled at Mo Yanfan. "Young Hero Mo, I apologize for keeping you waiting."
Mo Yanfan replied coolly, "Elder Lin, may I ask why you left me a message to meet so late at night?"
Lin You chuckled. "I have some personal matters to discuss with you. The daytime is too crowded, and I feared loose tongues might spread rumors."
"If it risks gossip, then it's best left unsaid," Mo Yanfan countered. "The night is deep, and though you are my elder, a private meeting between a man and a woman could harm your reputation. Please return early."
Lin You laughed softly. "As the rumors say, Young Hero Mo is indeed cold-hearted and indifferent, showing no favor to any woman. Truly, the epitome of a righteous gentleman—admirable."
Seeing she had no intention of leaving, Mo Yanfan could only clasp his hands and stand aside, waiting to see what she would do next.
"I’ve heard that the disciples under the three Profound Gate Elders of Star Rectitude Hall practice Immortal Techniques that sever emotions and desires. But the path of immortality is long, and solitude is a lonely journey. I happen to know of a fine match for you. I have a junior disciple, graceful in appearance and virtuous in character, who met you briefly months ago and has been unable to forget you since. If you would not disdain—"
"Elder Lin, please mind your words," Mo Yanfan interrupted flatly. "Since childhood, I have followed my Master’s teachings, adhering to the sect’s discipline of severing emotions and desires. Marriage is out of the question. I appreciate your kindness but must decline."
Lin You smiled faintly. "Why so resistant, Young Hero? I’ve already heard that half a year ago, you had dealings with a demoness from the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly. Some even witnessed the two of you... intimate and unclothed. Where, then, does this 'sever emotions and desires' come from?"
Mo Yanfan’s expression changed abruptly. He stared at her intently before finally murmuring in a trembling voice, "You... you are—"
Lin You laughed. "I am Lin You of the Fire Lotus Pavilion. Have you forgotten, Young Hero? Well, the night is late, and I shan’t disturb your moon-gazing any longer. Farewell."
As swiftly as she had come, she departed, her colorful shawl lifting her like wings as she vanished into the distance. Mo Yanfan remained rooted in place, his face pale with shock, as if turned to stone.
What was going on between these two? Li Fei couldn’t make sense of it—it didn’t seem related to Hu Jiaping at all. One moment, Lin You was proposing a match, and the next, she was gone?
Suddenly, the folded letter in Lei Xiuyuan’s sleeve writhed like a living thing and flew out. Startled, Li Fei reached to grab it, but Lei Xiuyuan abruptly seized her hand, shaking his head silently in warning.
If they didn’t act, they’d fall victim to the Nightmare Art again!Li Fei stared in horror as the eerie, thin letter fluttered up like a butterfly, circling around the two of them. She desperately tried to avoid looking at the words on the letter, but a melodious, distant voice began whispering in her ears—enchanting and mesmerizing. The surrounding ice and withered branches instantly transformed into a flower-filled paradise. Unable to resist, she took a step forward. Suddenly, a spark of clarity struck her. She bit down hard on her tongue, and the sharp pain shattered the Nightmare Art's illusion. Beside her, Lei Xiuyuan had already fallen under its control, staggering toward the cliff.
Li Fei grabbed him tightly, but despite his frail appearance, the boy was surprisingly strong. Even with all her strength, she couldn’t hold him back and was instead dragged forward.
In desperation, she punched him hard in the head, but this time, no matter how much she hit him, it seemed useless. Lei Xiuyuan stubbornly and silently continued toward the cliff. Li Fei could no longer afford to stay quiet—she grabbed his neck, kicked the back of his knee, and shoved him down with all her might. She flipped onto him, pinning his shoulders, and shouted urgently, "Lei Xiuyuan! Wake up!"
The two of them wrestled and yelled in the bushes, finally drawing the attention of Mo Yanfan, who had been lost in thought nearby. He hurried over and saw two children—wearing only their underwear—rolling on the ground. The boy’s clothes were stained with blood, while the girl was covered in snow and mud. Above them, a letter fluttered weightlessly like a butterfly.
Mo Yanfan reached out with two fingers and effortlessly caught the letter. As soon as it touched his hand, he let out a surprised "Huh?"—this bore the Star Rectitude Hall’s Word Spirit Nightmare Art? Just as he was about to examine it closely, the letter suddenly burst into flames and turned to ash in an instant.
What was this…? Mo Yanfan frowned.
The boy began coughing violently before finally gasping weakly, "...Too heavy. Get off."
Mo Yanfan helped him up gently, his mind racing with questions. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Why are you two out here in the middle of the night?"
Li Fei blurted, "Sir! That letter! Someone’s trying to kill him!"
Mo Yanfan replied calmly, "Answer my question first."
"I heard—" Li Fei began, but Lei Xiuyuan cut her off.
"Fei Fei and I saw how bright the moon was tonight, so we came out to admire it in the courtyard," Lei Xiuyuan said with slight embarrassment. "Then suddenly, a big white butterfly flew by, and after that… I don’t remember anything."
Was he lying again? This time, Li Fei didn’t bother correcting him—she wanted to see what he was up to.
A big white butterfly? Did he mean the letter imbued with Word Spirit Nightmare Art? How could something like that appear in the Academy? Moreover, the Word Spirit Nightmare Art was Star Rectitude Hall’s exclusive Immortal Technique. There was no conflict between Star Rectitude Hall and the Academy—and even if there was some hidden strife he didn’t know about, they would never resort to such methods. The Academy held a unique and transcendent status. No matter how powerful an Immortal Sect might be, any attack on the Academy would provoke retaliation from all Immortals. No one would be foolish enough to strike a blow that cost them ten times more than their enemy.So the two children were lying? Mo Yanfan quietly observed the two children before him. The boy was thin and delicate, with an honest and simple expression, while the girl looked anxious and helpless—was this girl the disciple with the rare single Earth Spirit Root?
A single Earth Spirit Root was a once-in-a-millennium occurrence. After the Spiritual Root Attribute Test, news of this had already spread among the major Immortal Sects. Though the Academy appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents were surging outside. Which sect wouldn’t want to recruit such talent into their ranks? Moreover, the boy also possessed the extremely rare single Metal Spirit Root. Could it be that some radical elder from his own sect, unwilling to wait for the new disciple selection a year later, had disregarded the Academy’s rules and secretly tried to snatch them away?
The more Mo Yanfan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. His suspicions faded, replaced instead by a twinge of guilt toward the two children. The boy’s hands were stained with blood—was it because he had used intense pain to resist the Nightmare Art? The wounds were from this morning, meaning the Nightmare Art had already taken effect yesterday.
"Don’t move your hands," Mo Yanfan said softly as he gently held Lei Xiuyuan’s battered arms. Moments later, a net-like blue Spiritual Energy emanated from his palms, enveloping Lei Xiuyuan’s arms. Soon after, the net dissipated, and all the wounds on his arms and hands had completely healed and vanished.
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give you both an explanation," Mo Yanfan said, his right hand flicking slightly as he swept the ashes of the burned letter into his sleeve. "It’s late. Return to your rooms and rest. Do not be late for tomorrow’s training."
The events of the night had been so bizarre that Li Fei couldn’t even remember how she had made it back to the courtyard.
Lei Xiuyuan remained silent the entire time. He pushed open the door to the Quiet Mystery Chamber and was about to enter when Li Fei called out urgently, "Lei Xiuyuan, wait!"
After everything that had happened, did he really think he could just walk away without saying a word?
"I’m tired, and my chest hurts. Whatever it is, we’ll talk next time."
His voice was as indifferent as always, but there was a hint of hoarseness and a nasal tone, as if he were ill. He had been coughing earlier—had he caught a chill? But with the protection of Immortal Techniques, how could he fall ill? Then it struck her: after being afflicted by the Nightmare Art, he wouldn’t have been able to use Immortal Techniques to ward off the cold. Running barefoot in the snow in the middle of the night, wearing only his underwear—of course he’d catch a chill.
Li Fei blocked the doorway, studying his pale face. "I’ll let you rest after we talk. I’ll come in with you—you can lie down and talk."
Lei Xiuyuan’s expression turned impatient. "I told you, I can’t say anything. How many times do I have to repeat myself?"
"I’ll ask, and you answer. If you can’t say something, just stay silent," Li Fei insisted, unmoved.
But the boy before her was even more stubborn than she was. He didn’t speak, just leaned against the door and stared at her. The two of them stood in silent, obstinate opposition for what felt like an eternity—so long that her feet ached, her waist hurt, and her neck stiffened. She shifted her stance but refused to back down.
A look of exhaustion, resignation, and something almost like amusement flickered in Lei Xiuyuan’s eyes. "Aren’t you tired?" he asked.
Li Fei didn’t yield. "Aren’t you?"
"I am," he admitted honestly. "Let me go inside and rest."
"Then tell me everything."He fell silent again. Li Fei continued shifting her weight from left foot to right, then back to left, locked in this stalemate with him. After what felt like an eternity, the door of the opposite Qilin Pavilion suddenly opened. When Ji Tongzhou came out and saw these two standing like pillars in just their underwear, he was startled.
"You two..." His expression shifted from shock to disdain as he snorted through his nose. "Shameless! Hmph!" With a look of utter disgust, he hurried away.
Ji Tongzhou's appearance meant it was almost mao hour. To think she'd stayed up all night stubbornly facing off against this brat—how ruthless of him, preferring to stay sick and sleepless rather than utter a single word.
Li Fei was at her wit's end. She glanced up at Lei Xiuyuan again—his bangs covered his eyes, but when the wind blew, she realized he'd actually fallen asleep leaning against the doorframe! Asleep! How could anyone sleep standing up?! She'd stayed awake all night like an idiot, locked in a standoff with someone who was asleep?!
She truly didn't know what to do with him. Furious yet helpless, she could only heave a long sigh and turn back toward her room in defeat to wash up. It was mao hour now—no matter how exhausted she was, she'd have to grit her teeth and endure. One must never be late for cultivation practice.
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