A jade dagger.
It was small and exquisite, carved with intricate and peculiar patterns.
It didn't seem to be sharpened; it was so blunt it couldn't even slice through paper.
Watching from the side, He Yu said curiously, “This dagger looks quite nice, but it can't hurt anyone, can it? It's probably just for show.”
Song Yao lowered her gaze, her thumb brushing against the hilt.
She had suddenly remembered just now that she seemed to have seen Eldest Senior Brother use this thing before.
Back then, Eldest Senior Brother had refused to pay her any mind and ignored all her provocations, treating her completely like thin air. His corruption value had remained stuck at a mediocre level.
Even when she went around telling everyone he was a ten-thousand-year-old turtle, she hadn't managed to get a rise out of him.
To find a way, she had sneaked into Eldest Senior Brother's room and watched from the shadows as he transformed this seal into a dagger.
Unfortunately, before she could find out what he planned to do with it, she was discovered. She had been forced to fight him, accidentally tearing down his house in the process, which resulted in him throwing her off the main peak and banning her from returning for a month.
Why did Eldest Senior Brother have the Fifth Elder give this to her?
Could it be that he knew she was still alive and wanted her to use this dagger to slit her own throat?
Surely he didn't hate her that much...
But considering his attitude toward her, it was hard to say.
Song Yao pondered for a moment, then controlled her spiritual energy to turn the dagger back into its seal form before slipping it into her spatial pouch.
Before long, the Seventh Elder came over carrying a steaming pot of medicinal chicken. Sitting down at the table, he coaxed his two disciples to drink a couple more bowls of soup to nourish themselves.
He then ordered someone to bring over the chicks, ducklings, and Lin Shui, and asked, “Should these be sent to the main peak or to Mingjing Peak?”
Having not seen its master for a long time, Lin Shui excitedly scurried around Song Yao's feet, howling happily.
Song Yao scooped it into her arms, thought about it, and said, “Let's leave them on Baicao Peak.”
The Seventh Elder's voice dropped a bit. “Leave them on Baicao Peak? Are you going out again?”
Song Yao pressed down on Lin Shui's head with one hand while using a porcelain spoon to sip her chicken soup with the other. “Yes, I need to go out.”
Seventh Elder: “...To that demon realm in Frost City?”
Song Yao: “Hard to say, but after that, I have to go to the Mingdan Pavilion to participate in the Alchemist Tournament.”
The Seventh Elder breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Lin Shui out of her arms. “Didn't you say before that you weren't interested in the Alchemist Tournament? Why are you participating now? That's perfect, though. Your Eldest Senior Brother is going too, so you can go with him.”
He Yu nodded with a smile. “Sure, that way we can look out for each other.”
“Better not.”
Song Yao nibbled on a chicken drumstick. “I was invited by Pavilion Master Huai. I might be targeted by his eldest uncle, and they might try to assassinate me.”
The Seventh Elder's heart, which had just settled, leaped back into his throat. “How... how did you get mixed up with Pavilion Master Huai again?”
Song Yao replied half-muffled, “Well, he said he'd give me spirit stones.”
Seventh Elder: “No, absolutely not. The waters of the Mingdan Pavilion run deep, and the situation is not as simple as you think. They have countless secret guards hidden within. If you get involved, your life will truly be in danger. You're just a pill cultivator, and you don't have anyone to protect you like Pavilion Master Huai does. Listen to your master, don't wade into these muddy waters.”
After listening to him, Song Yao couldn't help but look up with a smile. “It's not like I'm actually Lin Mu.”
The Seventh Elder had been too anxious just now. Reminded by her words, he choked on his breath, his face instantly turning a mix of blue and red.
From the side, He Yu asked in confusion, “What do you mean you're not actually Lin Mu? If you're not Lin Mu, who else could you be? Anyway, Master is right. Even if your sword skills are decent, you haven't properly trained like the others. If you run into real danger, you won't be able to escape.”
The Seventh Elder cleared his throat twice. “Indeed. No matter what, don't you only have a Golden Core cultivation right now?”
Song Yao smiled. “I'm only at the Golden Core stage because it's the most convenient. Master, you should know me well enough by now. How could a minor situation like this take my life?”
The Seventh Elder's expression was complicated. He wanted to advise her further but didn't know where to start, and he was afraid of pushing too hard.
After fumbling for words for a long while, he finally said, “Are... are you really that short on money? How much do you need? Why don't I go ask the Third Elder to get some for you?”
Song Yao: “I already took the Third Elder's money two days ago.”
Seventh Elder: “...Fine.”
The more He Yu listened, the more off things felt.
What did she mean by "already took the Third Elder's money"?
And why was the atmosphere between these two so bizarre?
It felt like they were only speaking in half-sentences, leaving the rest unsaid.
Especially Master—why did he seem so cautious around her?
It was as if his junior sister were some kind of terrifying monster.
Having eaten her fill, Song Yao stood up with Lin Shui in her arms. “I'll head back first and bring Lin Shui back later. I know what I'm doing regarding the Alchemist Tournament, so don't worry.”
With that, she casually stepped onto her sword and flew off.
Watching her receding figure, He Yu couldn't help but feel anxious upon seeing his master dazed. “Is Junior Sister really going to participate in the Alchemist Tournament? Shouldn't we try harder to persuade her? Back when you rejected the Mingdan Pavilion, weren't you secretly hunted by them for a while and nearly killed? If Junior Sister gets directly involved, won't it be even more dangerous?”
The Seventh Elder finally snapped out of it and stood up, looking rather weary. “She can't be persuaded. Let it go.”
As he cleared the dishes, he remembered something and told He Yu, “Oh, right. Be more polite to your junior sister from now on. Whatever you do, don't offend or provoke her.”
He Yu couldn't help but laugh at this. “Master, what is wrong with you? Junior Sister is so sweet and sensible. Besides, why would I provoke her for no reason?”
The Seventh Elder looked even more weary and let out a long sigh. “You'll understand in the future...”
...
With nothing else to do for the moment, Song Yao went back to her room with Lin Shui to sleep, planning to wake the Fifth Elder up after she woke up to see if she could get some more information out of her.
She was definitely going to the Frost City demon realm. Putting Eldest Senior Brother aside for now, things had already reached this point. Since it was impossible for her to retreat into the mountains and forests as she had originally planned anyway, she might as well go see who that Immortal Venerable was and who had ambushed her.
If she was going to have a hard time, those who played dirty behind her back wouldn't have it easy either.
She had just lain down on the bed with Lin Shui in her arms, her mind drifting through a jumble of thoughts, when a slender, fair hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Lin Shui by the scruff of its neck.
Lin Shui had been curled up obediently under Song Yao's arm, comfortably closing its eyes, but in the next second, it was flung away with a couple of startled yelps.
With her arms suddenly empty, Song Yao was startled awake. She looked toward the edge of the bed in a daze.
Wen Tang stood by the bedside. Her features were delicate and beautiful, and she was shrouded in a faint, damp, cold energy. Her dark eyes were deep, making it impossible to read her emotions.
She quietly looked down at Song Yao on the bed, her voice extremely low. “Song Yao, if I didn't come looking for you, were you never going to return?”
Her aura was somewhat weak, as if she had been injured.
Song Yao suddenly remembered.
When she left Black Cloud Mountain earlier, she had told Wen Tang not to wander off, fearing she might get into trouble.
Could it be that she had ended up trapped on Black Cloud Mountain?
And because of that, did she suffer a backlash when she left?
Song Yao instantly felt a wave of guilt. She hurriedly sat up and pulled out the control doll used to command Wen Tang. “My apologies, my apologies. I've been a bit busy lately and forgot to return this to you. I should have had Xie Zhou bring it to you last time. Are you alright?”
Rate on N.U.
