Originally, the matter had simply been shelved in Zhao Yange’s heart.
In the next two days, Mu Daoying could not leave the inn due to his severe injuries.
The wound caused by the Strange Bird overflowed with demonic energy, which corroded his flesh. Even with spirit medicines from the cultivation world, it required some quiet recuperation to slowly heal.
While Mu Daoying recovered from his injuries, Zhao Yange followed Liu Qiao’e, Song Miaoling, Di Chong, and the others to investigate around Everpeace City.
Guide Xu said that the earthquakes had occurred twenty years ago, but they had not been frequent, and the scale had been small. Only in recent years had they become frequent.
Sometimes, as people walked along, a perfectly fine patch of ground would suddenly collapse, and from time to time, Strange Birds or demonic beasts would burst out from underground, injuring and killing people.
“Heavenly cycles turned, and the Demonic Sects would rise.” Song Miaoling frowned and said gravely, “Everpeace City is not an isolated case. In recent years, there have been many natural disasters and anomalies everywhere—floods, droughts, locust plagues, solar eclipses, and the like.”
Heavenly cycles had never been unchanging; pure and turbid yin-yang cycled.
When pure energy flourished, naturally there were bountiful harvests and peace for the common people.
When turbid energy flourished, wars and the fires of battle, along with natural disasters, followed one after another.
Lai Yongle said, “That’s the reasoning. Several towns near Wandering Sword Pavilion have also reported demonic disturbances. Little Shen has been busy leading teams to suppress them in recent days.”
Di Chong had a fiery temper and sneered, “These demons and monsters used to keep their heads down, but now they dare to be this rampant!”
Lai Yongle sighed, “It must be related to Luo Naji. In recent years, this man has been busy reintegrating the long-fragmented Eight Demonic Sects and reviving the Demon Domain.”
Zhao Yange knew who this Luo Naji he mentioned was.
During the rule of Demon Ancestor Jiang Chongming, the Demon Domain had once been a unified empire as solid as iron.
Later, Jiang Chongming had been defeated by Holy Monarch Jiang Wenzhao. However, because the technique he cultivated was too unique, they could not take his life and could only slowly refine him with a seal. Once Jiang Chongming was defeated, the Demon Domain had splintered.
Now, the most powerful sects in the Demon Domain numbered eight in total: the Bitter Containment Three Sects, the Fleshly Body Three Sects, Evil Karma Sect, and Burning House Sect.
Among them, Evil Karma Sect had inherited most of the legacy of the Jiang Dynasty and was the strongest sect in the Demon Domain.
Luo Naji was the leader of Evil Karma Sect, with a status nearly equivalent to that of Immortal Alliance Leader Qin Xiandu.
Luo Naji was wildly ambitious. It was said that in recent years, he had been attempting to reunify the Demon Domain, release the seal on Jiang Chongming, welcome back the Demon Emperor, and turn the entire world into a world of demons.
It was rumored that Joyous Union Sect had always been ambiguously involved with the Demonic Sects. Although Liu Qiao’e had pushed all the blame onto Qi Mei, the truth was a matter of perspective. Zhao Yange could not help but glance at Liu Qiao’e.
Di Chong sneered again, “The Immortal Alliance has been caught up in endless infighting these years and refuses to cooperate. To make matters worse, they’ve even produced a traitor like Ling Yuan!”
At these words, Song Miaoling and Zhao Yange both paled slightly.
Zhao Yange did so because Ling Yuan hailed from Jade Clarity Temple.
Song Miaoling, on the other hand, heard the implication in Di Chong’s words.
The three great families of the Immortal Alliance were not at peace internally; the three factions had always been vying covertly for the leading position.
Currently, Jade Clarity Temple led, followed by Supreme Harmony Sect, with Wandering Sword Pavilion at the bottom.
Supreme Harmony Sect was unwilling to remain in second place and had been challenging Jade Clarity Temple openly and covertly for years.
Wandering Sword Pavilion was not anxious because the current Alliance Leader Qin Xiandu came from their sect; they steadily watched the tigers fight from across the mountain.
As for Cloud Mountain Song Clan, they had relied on their own strength in recent years and had been striving with all their might to squeeze into the three great families, turning the “three great families” into “four great families.” To this end, they had cozied up to Jade Clarity Temple’s thigh, which had caused some unpleasantness with Supreme Harmony Sect.
Now, Joyous Union Sect had appeared out of nowhere.
Zhao Yange was very curious about Liu Qiao’e’s stance.
He could not help but look toward Liu Qiao’e.
Liu Qiao’e frowned, seemingly annoyed by the overt and covert struggles among these factions, and only asked the most crucial question, “If we encounter Ling Yuan, what do you all plan to do?”
Di Chong sneered, “A traitor colluding with the enemy and betraying the alliance should naturally be killed on the spot!”
Zhao Yange’s heart skipped a beat.
Lai Yongle chuckled and smiled amiably as he muddied the waters, “So young, yet with such a big temper—what do Old Mother and Elder Song think?”
Liu Qiao’e looked at Song Miaoling. Song Miaoling considered and said, “Capturing him alive would naturally be best, but now that he’s colluding with the Demonic Sects, his temperament may have changed. If he resists and hurts people—everyone should prioritize their own safety.”
Her words were extremely tactful, but Zhao Yange’s heart skipped a beat again. Wasn’t Song Miaoling saying that it was acceptable to kill him if necessary?!
Lai Yongle stroked his beard and nodded, clearly in agreement.
Liu Qiao’e said coldly, “I have no objections.”
Thus, this plan of action was tentatively settled.
They could delay no longer!
That very night on the way back, Zhao Yange knocked on Mu Daoying’s door, intending to get to the bottom of it with him.
After he told him about everyone’s discussion, Mu Daoying fell silent for a long time without speaking.
“Ning Xia.” Zhao Yange said, “We can’t just watch as Elder Ling Yuan perishes—”
It was too strange. Zhao Yange frowned; he suspected that the Immortal Alliance was simply looking for the Soul-Returning Lamp to silence him by killing him.
Previously, Qu Yating had also tactfully expressed to him the Immortal Alliance’s intent to kill and silence. Temple Lord Qingxu was not pleased to see Ling Yuan survive due to the sect master dispute.
“Capturing him alive if possible” was just sugarcoating the true purpose.
Although Ling Yuanzi was Mu Daoying’s master, he had a straightforward nature, and the Jade Clarity disciples under him, including Zhao Yange, all admired him.
“Even if the Elder really colluded with the Demonic Sects.” Zhao Yange said in a low voice, “We still need to investigate thoroughly.”
“What do you want me to do?” Mu Daoying waited a moment before slowly speaking.
“I don’t know either.” Zhao Yange shook his head, “I’m just here to give you a heads-up.”
“Yongzhang.” Mu Daoying said solemnly, “Thank you.”
“To be honest, have you really never thought about running away?” Zhao Yange brought up the old matter again, “I… I really can’t stand by and watch her humiliate you.”
Mu Daoying did not answer. Of course he was worried about his master… but with the One Line Pull on him, and the vast gap in cultivation between him and Liu Qiao’e, running now would be too reckless; he needed to plan carefully.
He steadied his mind and said earnestly, “Cultivation is merely ‘endure humiliation first, take weakness as the foundation, tranquility as the base, and longevity as the goal.’ I can still endure these things for now, Yongzhang. Thank you. I’ll consider your words carefully.”
Zhao Yange was a bit disappointed, knowing he could not persuade him in the moment.
He hesitated for a long time before finally blurting out, “Ning Xia, you know how the Immaculate Old Mother feels about you—”
Mu Daoying: “?”
Zhao Yange euphemistically, “About you—”
His eyes flashed frantically with hints. Mu Daoying was stunned for a moment before finally understanding.
“I know.” Mu Daoying’s tone was flat, “Old Mother has always liked handsome young men.”
Zhao Yange: “That’s not…”
“I didn’t mean that.” He smiled bitterly without end, unsure whether to call Mu Daoying obtuse or to say he was quite self-aware of his own looks.
“What I mean is, Old Mother’s attitude toward you isn’t just mere flirtation.”
Meeting Mu Daoying’s increasingly puzzled gaze, Zhao Yange took a deep breath and said, “She might like you! The kind of like between a man and a woman!”
Mu Daoying was stunned, as if struck on the head with a stick, his ears buzzing.
Liu Qiao’e… liked him? His brows furrowed unconsciously, and he subconsciously retorted, “You’re overthinking it.”
Zhao Yange: “Look at her attitude toward you! And during that earthquake, she pushed you away, didn’t she?”
Mu Daoying had no experience with romantic love between men and women. He silently recalled, but it was like looking at flowers in the mist—he still could not see clearly.
Zhao Yange: “Think about those storybooks you’ve read in the past!”
Few people knew that the renowned Jade Sword True Heart, Mu Daoying, had a little-known private hobby: he liked reading storybooks. He did not care for vulgar romances. Though he occasionally browsed them, he did so with either disapproval or sympathy and pity, like a living bodhisattva.
What he loved most were the tragic, sorrowful ones—the more lingering and heartrending, the more poignant and moving, like couples parted like swallows and orioles, lovers unable to be together. They always moved him deeply.
Mu Daoying seriously recalled the storybooks he had read before, but still came up empty.
“Sigh.” Zhao Yange sighed in frustration that he couldn’t shape him up, “I don’t even know how to put it to you.”
Mu Daoying shook his head, his expression solemn as he lectured like a proper little scholar, “Perhaps you really are mistaken. Yongzhang, you must never say such things again, lest you damage Old Mother’s reputation.”
Liu Qiao’e liked him? Just thinking about it made Mu Daoying’s cheeks ache faintly.
Although he was ignorant of love, he had never seen in any storybook a girl who took pleasure in slapping her lover.
If Liu Qiao’e learned of today’s words, Mu Daoying’s heart chilled slightly; he could almost imagine a barrage of more than a dozen slaps.
He still felt the idea was too absurd.
However, saying it out loud would damage his image. After all, he was not that old and cared about face; it was hard to admit that he was actually a bit afraid of her.
Zhao Yange sneered, “Does she, with her entire harem, even have a reputation to damage? You’re the one whose reputation would be damaged?”