Scholar Xiao took out a writing brush and drew a single vertical stroke in the air. He sent it flying into the distance, then lifted his robes and crouched where he was to wait.
He did not have to wait long. Yu Qingtang and the others soon arrived.
Snowwarm glanced down at the unconscious Angelica, sniffed lightly, and asked, “You still used that powder?”
The powder Snowchill had scattered over him did more than attract monsters. It could also render a person unconscious. At the time, however, Angelica probably had not noticed. He had likely assumed he had simply passed out from the pain.
“Mm.” Scholar Xiao sighed. “What a pity. He truly is not a good man.”
He stood and pointed ahead with a smile.
“Snowchill took the other disciples that way. I’ll head after them. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
His gaze paused on the wound on Snowwarm’s hand.
She made no attempt to hide it.
“If we were going to put on an act, it needed to look convincing,” she said quietly.
Scholar Xiao smiled, then turned toward the others. With a sigh, he cupped his hands to Yu Qingtang.
“It took traveling with other people for me to realize just how much fun we used to have.”
“Brother Yu, Brother Ye, I’ll be going on ahead.”
He turned to leave, but stopped after a few steps.
“Miss Snowwarm, forgive me for saying more than I should.”
Snowwarm looked up. “Young Master Xiao, I regard you as my teacher. Please say whatever you wish.”
Scholar Xiao gave a quiet laugh. “I hardly deserve that. I’m nowhere near ready to establish a school of my own.”
“I only want to remind you of one thing. A scheme may be clever, but if you want sincerity from others, you must offer sincerity of your own. Do not lose yourself.”
With that, he cupped his hands and hurried after Snowchill.
Scholar Xiao was in such a rush that there was hardly time for another word. Yu Qingtang could only wave at his retreating back.
“If your teammates are no fun, remember to entertain yourself!”
Scholar Xiao waved back from afar.
Yu Qingtang sighed. “I was going to give him some of the good food.”
“Wouldn’t that expose the whole act?” Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “Give it to me. I’ll eat his share.”
“You never miss out normally. Why are you coveting his portion too?” Yu Qingtang laughed.
While they spoke, Snowwarm had already tied up Angelica with rope and was struggling to haul him onto her back.
Yu Qingtang was about to help when she shook her head.
“Thank you for sheltering me last night. I can handle the rest myself.”
“This is part of the plan too.”
Yu Qingtang scratched his head as he watched her leave.
“What kind of scheme is this supposed to be?”
“A scheme to sow discord.” Du Heng shook his head in amusement. “Did you not understand anything she said yesterday?”
“No,” Yu Qingtang answered honestly. “It all sounded too roundabout.”
He knew himself well.
“I couldn’t pull something like that off anyway. When I’m facing someone I dislike, even if I try my best, sooner or later my mouth gets away from me.”
Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t the Biehe Sect’s ultimate technique begging for mercy?”
“That depends on the person.” Yu Qingtang spoke with complete conviction. “My master said begging only works on people who care about you. Otherwise, you just make a fool of yourself.”
Ye Chenyan drew out his response.
“Oh—”
The Girl in the Bamboo appeared on a branch above them and looked down.
“Are you training today?”
Ye Chenyan’s eyes curved with amusement. “Here she is.”
Yu Qingtang let out a wail.
“Big Sister, your heart is made of stone—”
The Girl in the Bamboo nodded solemnly.
“Mm.”
“I do not care for people, so begging is useless.”
...
When Angelica groggily regained consciousness, he realized something seemed to be dragging him along.
The image of the Nightglow Rat colony he had seen before blacking out flashed through his mind. He screamed in panic, rolled across the ground, and struggled to his feet.
Only then did he open his eyes and find himself staring directly at an equally wide-eyed and startled Snowwarm.
“You?”
Still shaken, Angelica looked around suspiciously.
“Those... those things...”
“They’re gone.” Snowwarm watched him cautiously. She held a blade of grass beneath his nose and gently brushed it back and forth. “Smell this. It will help.”
Angelica’s chest heaved violently.
Perhaps the cool fragrance of the grass took effect, or perhaps realizing there was no bloody stench from the Nightglow Rats nearby allowed him to calm down. Either way, he wiped his forehead with his sleeve and finally recovered some of his usual composure.
Apparently embarrassed by his earlier display, he frowned.
“What happened?”
Snowwarm pointed in a particular direction.
“Most demonic beasts in these mountains have their own territories. I fled downhill and noticed that most of the grass below had never been gnawed by Nightglow Rats, so I knew they did not usually come this far.”
“Once I had escaped a certain distance, I put out the torch and circled around their territory to look for you. Then, halfway there, I found you...”
Considerately, she did not describe the miserable state he had been in.
“I barely managed to rescue you, but I did not have enough strength left to transform and carry you properly. I could only drag you along slowly while trying to catch up.”
She lowered her voice.
“I do not know how the others managed to run so fast...”
Angelica took those words to heart.
He remembered the outer disciples’ faces just before he lost consciousness and sneered.
“A pack of spineless cowards!”
Snowwarm flinched as though frightened and shrank back.
Angelica glanced at her. His expression gradually eased.
“...I wasn’t talking about you.”
“You showed loyalty and gratitude. Don’t worry. I’ll remember what you’ve done for me.”
Snowwarm gently shook her head.
“My mother said you were the one taking us away from Great Wilderness Mountain. You are the only person I know, so naturally I would do everything I could to help you.”
“But I’m not very capable. You are an inner disciple of the Fire Cauldron Sect, so there is not much I can do for you...”
Angelica gave a faint snort of laughter.
“You do not need any particular ability. Loyalty and obedience are enough.”
“Come.” His face turned cold again. “I want to see where those cowards have fled. Once I return and report them to the sect, I’ll make sure they suffer for this!”
Snowwarm followed with her head lowered, tilting it slightly to look at him.
Just as expected.
Scholar Xiao had said Angelica was conceited and arrogant. To deal with someone like him, all she had to do was make herself small and follow his lead.
Deceiving a man like this did not make her feel guilty in the slightest.
They had not walked far before they encountered Scholar Xiao coming back to search for them.
When Angelica saw that he had returned, his expression softened somewhat. He cupped his hands.
“Brother Xiao.”
“Brother Angelica!” Scholar Xiao smiled. “I knew fortune would protect a good man like you.”
“They were nothing but rats.” Angelica sneered. “Where are those useless fools?”
Scholar Xiao blinked, then even tried to defend them.
“Those young disciples are still inexperienced. Their resolve is weak, and they were simply frightened in the moment.”
“Hmph.”
Angelica looked displeased, but he did not lose his temper in front of Scholar Xiao. He merely raised his chin.
“Brother Xiao, some things cannot be dismissed simply because they are young. They require discipline.”
With that, he strode past them.
Scholar Xiao shook his head.
As Snowwarm passed him, she murmured, “Thank you.”
Scholar Xiao’s eyes curved with his smile. He pointed toward her hand.
“He has seen it now. You should hurry and apply medicine.”
“He did not see it.” Snowwarm looked down at her wound. “He truly sees no one but himself. Someone like that is not worthy of sincerity. So deceiving him does not make me a bad person, does it?”
She quietly lifted her eyes and stole a glance at his expression.
Scholar Xiao laughed despite himself.
“No, it does not.”
Only then did Snowwarm show a trace of a smile.
“Do not worry. I remember everything you told me. I will not deceive just anyone.”
“Excellent.” Scholar Xiao’s eyes curved. “A promising student indeed.”
What followed unfolded exactly as Scholar Xiao had predicted.
When Angelica returned to the group, he flew into a rage at the outer disciples. He criticized everything they did and found fault with every word and gesture.
Afterward, however, his attitude toward Snowwarm improved considerably, and by extension, he treated Snowchill somewhat better as well.
If that continued until they reached the Fire Cauldron Sect, the two of them would at least have a small measure of protection.
Meanwhile, not far behind them, Ye Chenyan’s group encountered an unexpected complication.
Ye Chenyan sat cross-legged as immortal and demonic energies steamed and surged around him, overflowing beyond his control.
The Girl in the Bamboo watched him tensely, her brows drawn tight. She was ready to intervene the instant anything [N O V E L I G H T] went wrong.
A thin layer of sweat covered Ye Chenyan’s forehead.
He did not allow himself to be tempted by the urge to break through. Instead, he firmly suppressed both his spiritual power and demonic energy, halting just short of advancing beyond full Nascent Soul.
He opened his eyes.
Yu Qingtang pressed one finger to his forehead.
“Don’t move.”
Ye Chenyan blinked and obediently remained still.
Yu Qingtang closed his eyes and sent spiritual power into Ye Chenyan’s body.
As the saying went, the first time was unfamiliar, but the second came naturally. Their spiritual powers had already met more than once.
This time, the spiritual power inside Ye Chenyan did not forcibly retreat and clear a path for him as it had before. Instead, it cooperated, wrapping around Yu Qingtang’s spiritual power and carrying it toward the designated acupoints.
Yu Qingtang suddenly remembered what dual cultivation had felt like during the Golden Core Competition long ago.
His ears inexplicably grew hot.
He hurriedly circulated his spiritual power and sealed several of Ye Chenyan’s acupoints. Then he took the Spirit-Locking Ring from his storage ring and fastened it around Ye Chenyan’s neck.
Ye Chenyan obediently lowered his head to cooperate and gave a quiet laugh.
“Again.”
Yu Qingtang carefully secured the Spirit-Locking Ring.
“Wasn’t your last breakthrough only a few days ago? Why are you already unable to hold it back again?”
Ye Chenyan looked at him innocently.
“While we were sparring just now, inspiration suddenly struck. I thought of a new way to use the totem, and then...”
He laughed softly.
“But I held it back at the last moment, didn’t I?”
“Don’t forget what Little Big Sister Bamboo said. If you force a breakthrough now, the best possible outcome is that you split into two people.” Yu Qingtang muttered, “One of you is already more than I can handle. Two would be...”
He paused, apparently realizing his words could be misunderstood, and immediately clarified with a grave expression.
“I mean two in the completely proper sense. Nothing indecent!”
The Girl in the Bamboo looked puzzled.
“What?”
Yu Qingtang choked, then cleared his throat and brushed her off.
“Shh. Children should not pry into such things.”
The Girl in the Bamboo frowned.
“But you call me Big Sister.”
“That is a sign of respect. It does not mean you are older than me, especially when it comes to this kind of knowledge.”
“I see...”
She did not argue. She merely turned to look at him.
“Are you still training today?”
“I can’t!” Yu Qingtang immediately shook his head and pointed at the Spirit-Locking Ring around Ye Chenyan’s neck. “Sealing his acupoints just now used up a great deal of my spiritual power. I promise I’ll cultivate longer today, so can we skip practical combat?”
The Girl in the Bamboo reluctantly nodded, then disappeared from where she stood.
Ye Chenyan glanced up and shook his head in amusement.
“She is far too easy to deceive. In some ways, her mind really is no different from a child’s.”
Yu Qingtang gave him a sidelong look.
“And yet Hua Shimiao could still bring himself to make a move on her!”
“I barely know him.” Ye Chenyan wore an expression of perfect righteousness, cutting all ties without hesitation.
Yu Qingtang laughed and pinched his cheek.
“You should restrain yourself too. Be careful you do not reach the point where even the Spirit-Locking Ring can no longer contain you.”
“I know.” Ye Chenyan was perfectly obedient. He tugged at the ring around his neck and tucked it beneath his collar. “Who knew cultivating too quickly could bring trouble of its own?”
“Listen to yourself.” Yu Qingtang clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Good thing I’m broad-minded enough to take it in stride. Otherwise, I’d die of jealousy.”
“But I’m narrow-minded.”
Du Heng’s chilly voice sounded from behind them.
“And I’ll remember that.”
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