Lin Qi caught the fleeting killing intent that flashed across Senior Sister Yuan Xi and looked up at her in surprise.
Yet she saw no change in Senior Sister Yuan Xi's expression.
"If it's the Evil Cultivator Gang, why do they strike once every ten days? Today doesn't seem to be the tenth day, does it? Why did they suddenly act again?"
Lin Qi remembered that the times recorded on the scroll were generally at night. Only today's incident had occurred during the day.
After pondering for a moment, the senior brother from the Affairs Hall said, "This is indeed strange. By all reason, the actual time for the crime should be three days from now, and the Dao Ming Beast has never committed crimes during the daytime..."
"Heavenly Dog Devours the Sun!"
Everyone thought of it at the same time!
The Lord of Ming City stood with one hand behind his back, his face cold and stern, as though he had thought of something terrifying.
"Could it be... they are sacrificing something?"
Only large-scale evil arts would choose such a special day, and the wine theft and murder cases in Ming City had continued for three years. Perhaps they had been preparing for this sacrifice all along!
The moment they considered this possibility, the Lord of Ming City and the others no longer wished to wait. They directly tore open space and teleported to Luo City.
As Lin Qi was about to follow Senior Sister Yuan Xi back to rest, she suddenly sensed a covert gaze fall upon her.
She sharply turned her head and met the dark, unfathomable eyes of the Rogue Cultivator Mu Jin.
Senior Sister Yuan Xi was alerted by her movement and looked over as well.
She shielded Lin Qi behind her and asked unhappily, "What are you looking at?!"
Mu Jin stepped out from beneath the eaves. Dim lamplight shrouded his sharply defined face, splashing him with an aura that was half righteous, half wicked.
He suddenly curled his lips in a faint smile and said slowly, "Only children under five can smell the scent of the Ghost-faced Musk Deer. Since your junior sister is a cultivator, she must be older than five, right?"
Senior Sister Yuan Xi's expression remained unchanged. She shifted her gaze away blandly. "There is no shortage in this world of people blessed with extraordinary talent. My junior sister was born able to smell all kinds of strange fragrances. What is one Ghost-faced Musk Deer worth? Fellow Cultivator Mu, you should broaden your horizons."
Chen Yun could smell the Ghost-faced Musk Deer's scent despite having an adult body, so Lin Qi could do it too!
What a fuss over nothing!
"Oh, is that so?"
Mu Jin glanced at Lin Qi behind Yuan Xi, chuckled softly, then turned and entered the small courtyard.
After returning to their room, Lin Qi noticed that Senior Sister Yuan Xi was especially silent today.
"Senior Sister, are you worried that Mu Jin guessed my real age?"
Being able to cultivate at four after discovering spiritual roots was rare even in the Cangwu Realm. If it were exposed, Lin Qi could already foresee how much danger she would face.
She had acted impulsively when she smelled the fragrance today and had not considered what would follow.
Senior Sister Yuan Xi reached out and gently stroked Lin Qi's head, a mild smile lingering at the corner of her lips. "It isn't because of him."
"Xiao Qi, hurry and meditate. Senior Sister will stand guard for you, so stop letting your thoughts run wild."
Lin Qi always felt that Senior Sister Yuan Xi was weighed down by worries today, but since Senior Sister Yuan Xi refused to speak of them, she could not keep pressing her.
Yuan Xi rose and lit a stick of Calming Incense for Lin Qi. The old physician had prescribed it today, saying it could help Lin Qi calm her mind and soothe her spirit, making her less susceptible to the Sword Qi within her body.
With the aid of the Calming Incense, Lin Qi quickly sank into cultivation.
Senior Sister Yuan Xi sat quietly beside the table, her indifferent gaze fixed on the Calming Incense as it slowly burned down.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and only a little of the incense remained.
She picked up the sword on the table, slowly rose, and stepped outside.
Lin Qi, immersed in cultivation, did not notice the slightest movement.
Yuan Xi raised a hand and set up a barrier inside Lin Qi's room. After glancing at Luo Ci's room next door, she silently departed from the Wine Immortal Pavilion.
Not long after she left, Chen Yun received word. He fiddled with the golden abacus on the table and asked carelessly, "Where is Fifth Young Master?"
His subordinate answered, "He is still sleeping!"
"Fine, leave. What business is it of ours what the guests want to do?"
Chen Yun leisurely glanced out the window. "You only need to bring back heads to ensure Fifth Young Master's safety."
"Yes!"
Yuan Xi silently arrived at a small courtyard. The shadows of trees within were desolate, and the place saw few visitors. Only one room was lit.
She landed beside the window, her eyes lowered as her fingertips rubbed the sword hilt.
Just then, the light inside suddenly went out.
A few breaths later, a figure emerged from the door. It was none other than the Rogue Cultivator Mu Jin she had seen during the day.
Yuan Xi concealed her presence and silently followed him.
Mu Jin hurried all the way toward the outskirts of the city.
Yuan Xi remembered that there was a Luo Jiao Lake in the outskirts. It was not small, surrounded by mountains and home to many demon beasts.
What was Mu Jin doing heading there in the middle of the night?
One walked while the other followed. Before they knew it, half an hour had passed.
From a distance, Yuan Xi could vaguely make out the glittering lake surface.
With his back to her, Mu Jin stood by the lakeside gripping a sword, making no further move.
"You've followed me for so long. Aren't you going to come out?"
His low voice, enhanced by spiritual energy, reached Yuan Xi's ears with perfect clarity.
She no longer hid herself and flashed into view behind Mu Jin.
Mu Jin turned with his sword in hand, a faint smile still on his face. "Did you come to silence me because of what I said during the day?"
Yuan Xi stared at him with deep eyes but did not answer.
Mu Jin gave a low laugh, his tone carrying a trace of disdain. "Sect disciples are nothing special after all. How are your methods any different from us Rogue Cultivators?"
Yuan Xi watched him quietly. "What do you think sect disciples should be like? Whether Rogue Cultivators or sect cultivators, everyone should know one thing."
"What thing?" Mu Jin's smile carried casual contempt.
The next second, a flash of cold light shot straight into the sky, its dazzling sharpness stabbing at the eyes.
Mu Jin instinctively raised a hand to shield them. In that instant, danger had already reached his throat.
Only then did he slowly hear her answer.
"Those who know too much do not live long!"
Mu Jin raised his sword hilt to block the blade's tip. The tremendous impact sent him rapidly retreating, while a chilling aura crept from his hand into his bones.
Very quickly, a thin layer of frost covered the hand gripping his sword.
Mu Jin no longer held back. His longsword shrieked from its sheath, and thick killing intent instantly swept through the surroundings.
At the sight of that sword steeped in killing intent, fury flashed through Yuan Xi's eyes.
It was this sword that had nearly caused Xiao Qi to suffer Qi Deviation!
Fueled by anger, Senior Sister Yuan Xi fully unleashed her Golden Core cultivation.
She turned and slashed with her sword. Violent waves from the lake swept up to cover half the sky, transforming into a roaring water dragon that charged toward Mu Jin.
Mu Jin was one step away from falling into Luo Jiao Lake when his body abruptly spun, merging as one with the sword in his hand.
The dense killing intent covering his body transformed into Sword Qi and cleaved headlong into the waves.
The longsword severed the water, cold light illuminating the moon!
It seemed as though two sword cries rang out in the night sky.
After a crisp clash, surging spiritual energy exploded outward.
Splash!
Lake water drenched Mu Jin from head to toe, and the impact sent him plunging directly into Luo Jiao Lake.
Yuan Xi's sword spun once through the air and returned to her hand, while her own steps involuntarily retreated two paces.
In the first exchange, Yuan Xi held the upper hand.
I worked hard on writing today! Thank you to Ao Ye Yi Qi, Ke Yao, Pudding-Cb, and Su Yuqing AS for the gifts. Thank you all, my little darlings, for your support! Heart gesture!
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