A Frank Confession of Identity, Pressure from the Martial Saint

Jiang Baishan walked along the streets of True Martial City, soon turning into a small alley, and then appeared at the entrance of a small courtyard.

"Picturesque!"

He watched with delight as the woman in white watered the flowers and plants, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Lin Ruhua turned around, her face beaming with smiles. She leaned against Jiang Baishan's chest, the two of them deeply in love, their eyes filled with tenderness that seemed to melt each other's hearts.

"It's my fault for leaving you alone all these days," Jiang Baishan said guiltily.

Lin Ruhua shook her head with a smile:

"I know all that. The True Martial Sect has been going through a lot lately, and as an elder, you naturally have to set an example."

She scolded again:

"Am I such an unreasonable woman?"

As she spoke, she punched Jiang Baishan Jiang Baishan the chest, causing him to wince in pain. He swallowed back the words he was about to say, "I don't know who was it that tried to cut me with that big cleaver back then."

He chuckled and said:

"That's right, that's right, my Ruhua is the gentlest of all!"

Lin Ruhua nodded in satisfaction, but Jiang Baishan suddenly said seriously:

"In that case, how about becoming an elder's wife with me in the True Martial Sect? The True Martial Peach Gathering is about to begin this year, and my fellow disciples are all eager to see you."

Lin Ruhua stared blankly, her cheeks flushed.

These words came so suddenly that she wasn't prepared at all.

Her eyes held joy and sweetness, but hesitation ultimately replaced it. Looking at the determination and sincerity in Jiang Baishan's eyes, she took a step back and sighed softly:

"Bai Shan, I don't want to lie to you. I've never told you my true identity..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Baishan interrupted him:

Are you trying to say you're a member of the Demon Sect?

Lin Ruhua looked at Jiang Baishan with a bewildered expression, only to see him smile:

"We've been through so much together, if I were completely ignorant, wouldn't that make me seem incredibly foolish? My master once taught me that one cannot choose their birth, and a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Although you are a member of the Demon Sect, you have never done anything immoral or unethical, and you even possess a kind heart. In that case, what does it matter whether you are a member of the Demon Sect or not?"

Lin Ruhua was deeply moved.

"But... I am not an ordinary member of the Demon Sect. I am the daughter of Lin Xueshuang, one of the three vice sect leaders of the Demon Sect."

Upon hearing this statement...

Jiang Baishan was dumbfounded.

He had guessed that Lin Ruhua held a certain position within the Demon Sect, but he hadn't expected it to be this exaggerated. The Deputy Sect Master of the Demon Sect was one of the highest-ranking people below the Sect Master, and now he had actually abducted her daughter—it was somewhat surreal.

Lin Ruhua chuckled:

Are you scared?

Jiang Baishan quickly said:

"Hmph! Her daughter is in my hands, what do I have to be afraid of!"

Lin Ruhua immediately pinched the soft flesh on Jiang Baishan's waist, causing Jiang Baishan to grimace and beg for mercy.

In the end.

Lin Ruhua then embraced Jiang Baishan's arm and said softly:

"Bai Shan, as long as you don't mind my identity, I'm not worried. I'm not deliberately trying to hide it from you, but as you know, the Demon Sect has always been hostile to the True Martial Sect. I'm afraid you'll misunderstand that I approached you with ulterior motives."

Jiang Baishan solemnly said:

"The affairs of the Demon Sect are none of your concern. My master and the others have clear-cut grudges."

Lin Ruhua breathed a sigh of relief. She had always been unconventional and didn't strongly identify with the Demon Sect. Since her beloved didn't mind her background, she felt lighter than ever before. She thought for a moment and said:

There are some things I want to tell you.

"You say."

The two were completely open and honest with each other.

Lin Ruhua sorted out her thoughts and began to recount the many secrets of the Demon Sect:

"The Demon Sect originally had a conflict with the Southern Frontier Alliance, resulting in the deaths of several Celestial Person Realm. However, the two sides later reached a peace agreement, believing that a third party was interfering and deliberately instigating a war between the two sides. The two main suspects are your True Martial Sect and the King of Zhenbei."

Jiang Baishan's expression was somewhat solemn.

This information was somewhat beyond his expectations.

"Now, their suspicion of the True Martial Sect is even greater than that of the Prince of Zhenbei. The previous assessment, which involved sending spies, was a test. Originally, the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier were planning to take action against the True Martial Sect, but the Heavenly Sword Real Person appeared out of nowhere and killed the Sword of Inquiry in one fell swoop, making them wary."

"However, they certainly won't let this go. Although there won't be any major moves for now, there might be some actions targeting the True Martial Sect disciples, so you must be careful."

Then, she began to recount some details, all of which were information she had gathered using her identity.

She had originally planned to reveal the truth to Jiang Baishan in another way, but now that the two had already confessed their identities, she decided to tell him everything.

Jiang Baishan held Lin Ruhua's hand tightly, his eyes filled with emotion.

"Ruhua, you were the one who leaked the information about the spies from the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier to us during the initial assessment, weren't you?"

Lin Ruhua was stunned, because she only learned about this afterward.

"It wasn't me..."

Both of them were stunned.

Jiang Baishan frowned:

"If it's not you, then who is it?"

Lin Ruhua's thoughts raced, and suddenly her eyes lit up as if she had thought of something. Her expression became slightly strange:

"I know who it is."

Facing Jiang Baishan's questioning gaze, she slowly said:

Qin Yun.

"That traitor?" Jiang Baishan asked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He and Qin Yun had a good relationship back then, and because of this, he was the most furious among his fellow disciples after Qin Yun left the True Martial Sect. He said more than once that he would bring Qin Yun back one day and make him repent and admit his mistakes in front of their master.

I hadn't heard from Qin Yun for several years, and I never expected to find out from my sweetheart.

Lin Ruhua nodded and said:

"It's him. My mother even wanted him to marry me to help him ascend to the position of Holy Son of the Demon Sect. I originally thought he was a traitor, but now it seems that Qin Yun may still have some old feelings for the True Martial Sect."

"Let Qin Yun marry you?!" Jiang Baishan asked anxiously.

Lin Ruhua patted his hand, telling him to calm down.

"Previously, five Celestial Person from the Demon Sect True Martial Sect. Afterwards, the Demon Sect originally wanted to continue their revenge, but Qin Yun dissuaded them by entering the Blood Demon Pool. Unexpectedly, this guy is a ruthless person. Not only did he come out of the Blood Demon Pool, but he also burned four hundred years of his lifespan to step into the Celestial Person Realm in one fell swoop. Afterwards, he became one of the three candidate Holy Sons of the Demon Sect."

"You just mentioned that someone sent a secret letter regarding the assessment. Now that I think about it, it's most likely Qin Yun's doing, because this was originally something he and the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang were jointly responsible for, but he hasn't been in a good position lately."

"Originally, with the support of the Ghost-Faced Deputy Sect Master, he was a strong contender for the position of Holy Son. However, now he is under house arrest, and my mother no longer mentions the matter of me marrying him. If it weren't for the Grand Elder's intervention, the consequences would likely have been much more severe. He has a past affection for the True Martial Sect, which is Demon Sect cannot tolerate."

"Those who enter the Blood Demon Pool are bound to be loyal to the Demon Sect, but Qin Yun has broken this precedent. Now, powerful figures from the Demon Sect are interrogating him carefully. I heard from my mother that he once Heart Demon, and the powerful figures from the Demon Sect are trying to nurture that Heart Demon and make him be controlled by Heart Demon."

Lin Ruhua recounted her story in a gentle and detailed manner.

She knew that Qin Yun had underestimated the Demon Sect Sect's methods, thinking he had acted undetected, but he had suffered a great setback. Before, she didn't understand why the Demon Sect's attitude towards Qin Yun had suddenly changed, but combined with everything she knew now, she immediately understood.

Jiang Baishan's expression gradually became complicated. His initial anger dissipated at some point, eventually turning into a barely audible sigh.

"That Xiao Ba..." He felt a mix of disappointment and frustration, along with a sense of unease.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Baishan said solemnly:

"Ruhua, could you come with me to True Martial Mountain to meet my master and senior brother? This information is very important to them. Don't worry, they will not mind your identity."

Lin Ruhua's heart skipped a beat, but the ugly daughter-in-law had to meet her in-laws eventually, so she nodded gently.

"I'll do whatever you say."

Having gone through life and death together several times, the two had already decided that they were meant for each other.

She felt no sense of belonging to the Demon Sect. The only thing she cared about was her mother. But now the True Martial Sect was the weaker party in front of the Demon Sect and Southern Border. She didn't need to worry about her mother; instead, she needed to worry about Jiang Baishan.

The two stood embracing.

After nightfall, we quietly went up the mountain.

Mingwu Pavilion.

Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian were both present, while Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua stood side by side, their hands clasped tightly.

"Greetings, Real Person Dragon Mountain and Sect Leader Luo!" Lin Ruhua bowed somewhat nervously.

Jiang Baishan also stuttered a bit:

"Master, this is my beloved, Lin Ruhua."

Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian exchanged a glance and smiled. They looked at Lin Ruhua closely, and could tell a bit about her character from her appearance and demeanor. They nodded silently to each other.

Luo Wentian laughed:

"Miss Ruhua, there's no need to be so polite. I've heard Bai Shan talk about you before. You almost chopped off his arm back then, and he's been nagging about you for months. Just call me Senior Brother."

Lin Ruhua was no longer nervous and quietly pinched Jiang Baishan.

Jiang Baishan shook his head awkwardly; this was a dark history he couldn't escape.

Daoist Longshan smiled kindly, but he didn't suggest that Lin Ruhua should address him as "Master" until after their marriage.

"Bai Shan, what important matter did you mention earlier?" he asked.

Jiang Baishan's expression turned serious, and he slowly began to speak:

"It's related to Ruhua's identity; she's the daughter of Lin Xueshuang, one of the three vice sect leaders of the Demon Sect."

The smiles on Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian's faces froze for a moment, but quickly eased. They knew Jiang Baishan's temperament and that he wouldn't act recklessly.

Lin Ruhua observed the changes in their expressions and breathed a sigh of relief. She then bowed and said:

"True Person, Senior Brother, it's like this..."

She slowly recounted all the previous plans that the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier had made against the True Martial Sect.

It also mentioned Qin Yun's current predicament.

That's all.

The Daoist Longshan had a complicated expression.

They had made many guesses about the secret message sent during the True Martial assessment, wondering who was responsible. They never expected it to be Qin Yun who sent it. Thinking of Qin Yun's current situation, he felt a pang of regret.

A single wrong thought, otherwise things wouldn't have come to this.

Luo Wentian also sighed inwardly, and said gratefully:

"Thank you for informing me, Miss Ruhua."

Now that the cause and effect are clear, it is understood that the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier did indeed suspect the True Martial Sect because of the destruction of the Southern Frontier's Qingzhou stronghold.

In particular, the plans and actions of the Demonic Demon Sect are very important to the True Martial Sect. Knowing them in advance will allow them to respond accordingly.

He knew.

Lin Ruhua was able to reveal these inside stories because she was probably already deeply in love with her fifth junior brother and had made a great sacrifice.

Lin Ruhua waved her hands repeatedly, her face slightly flushed:

"Senior Brother, you're too kind."

She hesitated slightly, then gritted her teeth and said:

"There's one more thing. Although the True Martial Sect has the Heavenly Sword Real Person Master in charge, the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier are ultimately more powerful. Since they formed an alliance, they have been secretly plotting to achieve the Martial Saint title, complementing each other's weaknesses. If either of these forces were to produce Martial Saint, it would likely cause a cataclysmic upheaval, leading to a declaration of war against the Great Flame. In that case, the True Martial Sect might very well be used as a sacrifice!"

"We urge you, True Person and Senior Brother, to make plans as soon as possible!"

Having said all this, she felt a complete sense of relief; this was all she knew.

The Mingwu Pavilion was completely silent.

The Daoist Longshan had a solemn expression.

Luo Wentian and Jiang Baishan were filled with shock.

The pressure on the Martial Saint was simply too immense.

Jiang Baishan's face was pale. He stared blankly at Lin Ruhua, then said anxiously:

"Martial Saint? How is that possible? It's been so long since Martial Saint has been born in the Great Flame Kingdom. How could the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier produce Martial Saint so easily?"

Lin Ruhua gently held Jiang Baishan's hand and said:

"In fact, the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier have always had a method to achieve the status of Martial Saint with the help of external forces. They have been trying for a thousand years and are now close to success. A hundred years ago was a test. They waited for the Great Flame Martial Saint to weaken and wanted to take this opportunity to rise up."

"Now that the two forces have formed an alliance, the progress has accelerated even further."

Luo Wentian couldn't help but ask:

"Beautiful lady, do you know how long it would take for the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier to produce Martial Saint?"

Lin Ruhua said somewhat apologetically:

"I don't know the specifics either; it's an absolute secret of the Demon Sect. I only found out about it by chance from my mother. But judging from the Demon Sect's recent activities, it shouldn't be more than three years."

Daoist Longshan was also somewhat unsettled.

In other words...

Will the world change drastically in three years at the latest?

It is foreseeable.

If Martial Saint masters were to emerge from both the Southern Frontier and the Demon Sect, they would inevitably challenge the rule of the Great Flame. Two thousand years of rule has indeed been far too long.

Originally, it was thought that the True Martial Sect was on the verge of rising to prominence, but unexpectedly, it has encountered such a great change.

Moreover, the True Martial Sect was the first to be affected.

Given the previous destruction of the Qingzhou stronghold, the conflict between the True Martial Sect and the two forces is now irreconcilable. Moreover, the greater the prestige of the Heavenly Sword Real Person, the easier it is to use him to establish his authority and raise his banner.

In an instant.

It was as if a demonic sword was hanging over the heads of the True Martial Sect, ready to strike at any moment.

They say it will be at the latest three years, but what if the Demon Sect has a Martial Saint born two years or even a year earlier?

Nobody can say for sure.

The Daoist Longshan glanced almost imperceptibly at the screen behind him, then let out a long sigh and said:

"This news is very important to us, Ruhua, thank you."

He gave a slight bow.

If Lin Ruhua hadn't informed them, the True Martial Sect would have been completely unaware of the impending crisis.

Lin Ruhua quickly dodged, waving her hands frantically as she said:

"True Person flatter me, Master. Bai Shan and I are kindred spirits; his sect is my sect."

Daoist Longshan sighed inwardly.

Having lived for nearly a century, he saw things more clearly than younger people and naturally knew that Lin Ruhua's heart was devoted to her fifth disciple, which was why she acted this way.

However, this matter is not fair to Lin Ruhua either. The Demon Sect and the True Martial Sect are enemies. Lin Ruhua is the daughter of the Demon Sect Sect's vice sect leader, while Jiang Baishan is a disciple of the Daoist Longshan. Even if they win, one of them will inevitably suffer.

Daoist Longshan needs to consider more.

Perhaps the best solution is to keep both of them out of the picture.