Beneath the night sky, in a courtyard.
Ji Ya, Yang Lin, and four disciples sat around a stone table, discussing the sudden demonic beast attack earlier that day.
Unlike the others, who were excited, Ji Ya frowned, his heart still full of lingering fear.
If Yun Cai hadn't arrived in time, that demonic monkey would have killed Yang Lin. Just thinking about it filled him with rage.
That monkey had dared attack Qingxiao Sect, so it must have had something to rely on. There would likely be even more trouble ahead.
Thinking of how his master had assigned him to investigate the haunting in the Imperial Palace, he felt the two events might be connected. Perhaps a hidden hand was at work, its goal to bring down Qingxiao Sect.
"For the next while, you must all be extra careful. Don't assume you're completely safe just because you're inside the sect."
Ji Ya spoke up with a warning, immediately drawing the attention of Yang Lin and the other four.
One of the male disciples couldn't help asking, "Ji Ya, do you know something?"
Everyone else looked at Ji Ya, figuring that someone of his standing must know many things ordinary disciples didn't.
Ji Ya shook his head. "I don't know much, but I have a feeling things won't be peaceful from here on. Tomorrow, I'm heading down the mountain to the imperial capital. There's a haunting in the Imperial Palace, and Master sent me to investigate. And today, a demonic creature attacked the sect. Don't you think that's suspicious?"
Everyone fell silent. They, too, realized trouble was brewing.
They weren't new disciples. They had weathered many hardships alongside Qingxiao Sect, and had escaped death themselves in seemingly hopeless situations. So when they heard Ji Ya say this, they didn't question him.