Bi Yao

Everyone followed the sound to look over, and at the neighboring table sat a young girl dressed in green.

The girl appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen, with skin as white as snow, bright eyes, white teeth, and a charming face.

A smile played on the corners of her lips, and her large eyes were examining Zhang Xiaofan with great interest, her gaze filled with playful mockery.

Beside her sat a stern-looking old man and a tall, middle-aged man; both men held their presence in check, clearly experts.

"This little brother is truly interesting."

The girl in green covered her mouth and giggled, her voice crisp and clear.

"You come to this Mountain Sea Pavilion and, instead of ordering mountain delicacies or seafood, you order a plate of greens and tofu. Is your Green Cloud Sect really this frugal?"

Her voice was just loud enough for the people at the surrounding tables to hear clearly.

Many people cast amused glances their way.

Zhang Xiaofan's face turned red instantly, and he felt so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

He was already clumsy with words, and being mocked in public by a beautiful girl made him so nervous he couldn't speak.

A look of schadenfreude appeared on Qi Hao's face.

He was eager to see someone from Big Bamboo Peak make a fool of themselves, as it would indirectly strike a blow at Li Xiaoyu.

Lu Xueqi frowned, a flash of displeasure in her eyes.

Although she did not care for Zhang Xiaofan's dullness, he was, after all, a fellow disciple, and she was unhappy to see him humiliated in public.

Just as Zhang Xiaofan was at a loss for what to do, Li Xiaoyu spoke up.

He did not get angry, nor did he retort with sarcasm; he simply looked at the girl in green with a smile.

"This young lady is unaware."

His voice was gentle.

"Greens and tofu may seem ordinary, but they are actually the best test of a chef's skill. Just like our own cultivation, the more fundamental the technique, the more it reveals the true essence."

"My junior brother here isn't ordering a dish; he is ordering the Dao."

His words were light and breezy, yet filled with profound mystery.

Not only did he resolve the awkward situation for Zhang Xiaofan, but he also steered the topic toward the Great Dao of cultivation, instantly elevating the level of the conversation.

The playful smile on the girl in green's face faltered.

A flash of surprise crossed her large eyes.

She had not expected this kind-hearted Green Cloud disciple to be so eloquent.

The girl in green blinked, and instead of backing down, she became even more interested.

"Oh? That's an interesting way to put it."

She stood up and walked over to the table where Li Xiaoyu and the others were sitting.

A faint, lingering fragrance followed her.

"This young woman is You Ji. Greetings to the immortals of the Green Cloud Sect."

She performed a graceful bow, calling herself You Ji.

However, Li Xiaoyu caught the way the old man beside her twitched his mouth upon hearing that name.

Clearly, it was a fake name.

Li Xiaoyu understood this in his heart but did not expose her, returning the bow with a smile: "Green Cloud Sect, Li Xiaoyu."

"So it is Young Master Li."

The girl in green's gaze swept over Li Xiaoyu before landing back on Zhang Xiaofan.

"Hey, blockhead, what's your name again?"

"I... I am Zhang Xiaofan."

"Zhang Xiaofan, is it? According to your senior brother, your name is truly wonderful—ordinary yet extraordinary, and it's also the Dao, right?"

Zhang Xiaofan's face turned even redder.

"I..."

"Since your senior brother describes this greens and tofu so mysteriously, this young woman would also like to gain some insight into your Dao."

She turned to the waiter nearby and said, "Waiter, bring a serving of your shop's signature steamed Sleep Fish for this little brother, and bring one of every vegetable dish you have as well!"

"This..." The waiter looked troubled.

The steamed Sleep Fish at the Mountain Sea Pavilion was limited in supply each day and had long since been fully reserved.

"What? Are you afraid we can't pay?"

The girl in green arched her willow-leaf eyebrows, took a gold ingot from her robes, and tossed it onto the table.

"Is this enough?"

When the waiter saw the gold ingot, his eyes went wide, and he hurriedly bowed and scraped: "Enough, it's enough! Please wait a moment, Miss, I will go arrange it for you right away!"

After saying this, she ran off.

Zhang Xiaofan stared at the sudden turn of events, dumbfounded.

He had only wanted to order a cheap dish; how did he end up attracting such a wealthy and willful young woman?

"Miss, I really couldn't accept this."

He stammered.

"What's there to be embarrassed about?"

The girl in green didn't care, looking at Zhang Xiaofan with a grin. "Just consider it my treat, but you have to tell me some interesting stories about your Green Cloud Mountain."

As she spoke, she sat down in the empty seat next to Zhang Xiaofan, her large eyes examining him with curiosity, as if she had discovered an interesting toy.

This left not only Zhang Xiaofan but also Li Xiaoyu and Qi Hao stunned.

The girl's way of doing things was completely unconventional.

Lu Xueqi's brows furrowed even tighter.

She could sense the fluctuations of spiritual power on the girl in green.

That spiritual energy was dark and mysterious, completely different from the techniques of the righteous path.

She is a demon cultist!

A flash of vigilance and killing intent crossed Lu Xueqi's eyes.

The Tianya divine sword in her hand began to hum softly.

Li Xiaoyu sensed the shift in Lu Xueqi's mood, gripped her hand under the table, and shook his head at her.

The Green Cloud Sect possessed all sorts of information regarding the demon cult.

He naturally recognized the girl's origins.

The Ghost King Sect of the demon cult.

In this world, who else could possess such an air and be protected by such experts, other than Bi Yao, the only daughter of the Ghost King Sect leader, Wan Renwang?

But why would she appear here?

And why would she take an interest in Zhang Xiaofan?

Li Xiaoyu's heart was filled with doubts.

However, he knew that now was definitely not the time to strike.

This was Heyang City, a place with too many eyes; if they started a fight, it would inevitably cause a commotion.

Moreover, the two guards accompanying her were unfathomably strong; if they truly clashed, it was unclear who would win.

Just as the atmosphere turned delicate once more, footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Faxiang from Heavenly Sound Temple and Li Xun and Yan Hong from Incense Burning Valley finally arrived late.

When they saw the charming girl in green at Li Xiaoyu's table, they were all taken aback.

Li Xun, in particular, had a flash of amazement in his eyes when he saw Bi Yao's face.

As for Faxiang, the moment he saw Bi Yao, his brows furrowed, and he immediately pressed his palms together, whispering a Buddhist chant.

"Amitabha. It seems we have arrived at an inopportune time and interrupted your gathering."

Faxiang said with a smile, his gaze sweeping briefly over Bi Yao.

Bi Yao felt the eyes of the group upon her, but she didn't care.

She remained sitting happily beside Zhang Xiaofan, as if she were in her own home.

Li Xiaoyu stood up and nodded toward Faxiang and Li Xun.

"You aren't late; we have only just arrived."

"Ahem."

"Miss You Ji, we have matters to attend to. Could we ask you to leave first?"

"Hmph, as if I care."

Bi Yao snorted coldly and then walked away.

"Since everyone is here, let us begin discussing the matter at hand."

Li Xiaoyu's gaze swept over the group, his voice carrying authority.

The next morning, the disciples of the three sects left Heyang City, riding their swords eastward toward Kongsang Mountain.

Bi Yao and her two guards followed from afar, maintaining a clever distance—neither too close nor too far.

Kongsang Mountain was located in the eastern part of the Central Plains, a stretch of barren mountains spanning a hundred miles.

The terrain was steep and jagged, covered year-round in gray miasma, appearing eerie and ominous.

Legend had it that this was one of the battlefields of the ancient war between the righteous and the demonic; countless cultivators had fallen here, their resentment rising to the heavens and breeding countless monsters and evils.

Before the group had even drawn near, they could feel a cold, decaying aura rushing toward them.