A Game of Hidden Blades in the Backyard (3)

Xue Qinghe gave him a deep look, said nothing more, turned around and resolutely boarded the Carriage. The caravan slowly drove away from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and headed down the mountain along the winding road.

Only when the enormous gate of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect completely disappeared from sight, did the gentle smile on Xue Qinghe's face vanish like the receding tide, little by little, until it was completely gone from the luxurious and spacious carriage.

Sisi of extremely pure golden Soul Power began to slowly flow across his gentle and handsome facial features. Like melting snow, the male face belonging to "Xue Qinghe" gradually became blurred and distorted.

A few breaths later, a stunningly beautiful woman's face, as cold as eternal ice, appeared without warning in the dim light of the carriage.

She slumped against the wall of the carriage, which was covered with expensive animal hides, her mind Discharge, frantically, repeatedly, the thunderous words Ling Yun had spoken to her that day. "If someone lives for ten years wearing another skin, their identity can be faked, but their true purpose will never change."

And then there was Ling Yun's final, deadly strike before he left. "Tell the Great Enshrined a message for me."

Qian Renxue bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled. This was definitely no longer some kind of suspicion or test about ghosts.

He knew that this bastard named Ling Yun truly knew his real identity; he even knew everything about his Grandfather, Qian Daoliu.

Qian Renxue slowly closed her purple eyes, her chest heaving violently. After a long while, she opened her eyes again, the panic in her eyes Sheer Force suppressed, and she completely regained the absolute calm that belonged to the Judgment Elder.

"Since he knew everything, why didn't he expose me on the spot?" Qian Renxue's mind raced. "He didn't tell Ning Fengzhi this earth-shattering secret, nor did he use it to sabotage my infiltration plan in the Heaven Dou Empire. In fact... even though he made things clear today, he didn't ask me for a single penny to keep quiet, and he didn't even try to use this to negotiate with me and my Grandfather."

She stretched out her slender, pale finger and gently tapped it on her knee, once, then again.

"Ling Yun... what are you really up to? What do you want, you freak?"

Inside the bumpy Carriage, no one could give her an answer. But one thing, Qian Renxue was now absolutely certain of.

Ling Yun, this monstrous thirteen-year-old boy, can no longer be simply categorized as an "enemy," nor can he be merely a "friend" of the Spirit Hall. He is now more like a mad pawn that suddenly fell from the sky, crashing into this grand game of chess, yet remaining untainted by any faction or color, belonging to no side.

What Qian Renxue found most troublesome and troublesome was that this uncontrollable, mad chess piece was absorbing nutrients and growing stronger at a terrifying speed never before seen on the entire continent.

Qian Renxue remained silent in the carriage for a long time. She took a deep breath, and golden light flashed again, revealing her flawless face as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe. Then, she reached into a hidden compartment under the carriage seat and retrieved a specially made blank secret letter.

Picking up the vermilion brush, she quickly wrote only two short lines on the letter, "Ling Yun is now 100% certain that he knows my true identity as an undercover agent. This person is unfathomable and currently shows no hostility. Before ascertaining his true intentions, do not make any moves against him to avoid causing trouble."

She paused here, her pen still. The image of Qian Renxue's mind Ling Yun. She hastily added on the back of the letter, "Furthermore, please, Grandfather, use the Spirit Hall's hidden forces to investigate the mass disappearances of several villages and towns on the southwestern border of Heaven Dou. Ling Yun and I both suspect that a large, previously undiscovered Evil Soul Master organization may have sprung up in the shadows of the continent. This is a matter of great importance; please investigate immediately."

The letter was deftly folded, and a wisp of special golden Soul Power emerged from Qian Renxue's fingertip. With a flick of her finger, the secret letter transformed into a Frisk stream of light, disappearing directly into the hidden compartment of the carriage, which was engraved with arrays, and was sent to the distant Spirit City.

At the same time.

Before the majestic mountain gate of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After seeing off the Crown Prince's entourage, Ling Yun remained calmly standing in the same spot, not in a hurry to return. Ning Fengzhi didn't leave, Sword Douluo Chen Xin stood to the side like a javelin. Bone Douluo Gu Rong, with his thick arms crossed, had been holding back for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back any longer. He nudged Ling Yun with his shoulder and asked in a muffled voice, "Hey, you brat, what were you and that usually smiling tiger Xue Qinghe exchanging glances and talking in riddles? What's with all this talk about Great Enshrined and Junior Elders? I couldn't understand a word!"

Ling Yun turned around, spreading his hands innocently. "Grandfather Bone, it's nothing, you're overthinking it."

Gu Rong's eyes widened, and his beard bristled. "Don't give me that crap. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. I've lived this long, do you think I wouldn't know what you ate if you farted? I don't believe you for a second!"

Ling Yun's eyes darted around, and he said with a straight face, "Well, then just pretend... I was having a deep conversation with our esteemed Crown Prince about some unspeakable little secrets between men."

Just then, Ning Rongrong skipped by and, having only overheard half of what was said, immediately widened her eyes and leaned closer. "Huh? What? What secret between men? Ling Yun, what mischief have you been up to while carrying us?"

Ling Yun: "Why is this girl everywhere?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Rong was so angry he laughed, pointing at Ling Yun without saying a word for a long time. The usually taciturn Sword Douluo Chen Xin merely glanced at Ling Yun indifferently, not pressing for any further questions, and simply uttered four words: "Have you rested enough?"

Upon hearing this emotionless tone, Ling Yun felt a chill run down his spine, and a strong sense of foreboding rose in his heart. He swallowed hard and said dryly, "Uh... that's about right."

"Very good." Chen Xin didn't waste any words, turning around decisively and striding into the sect. "Since you've rested enough, stop talking nonsense and come with me."

"Huh? Where are we going, Master?" Ling Yun cried out in distress.

"The highest and windiest cliff on the back mountain." Chen Xin didn't even turn his head.

Ling Yun's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he protested at the top of his lungs, "No way, Master, just today? Right now? I just represented our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and had an in-depth discussion with His Highness the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire in the pavilion for half an hour about the future situation and strategic direction of the entire continent! I'm a mental worker!"

"So what?" Chen Xin's steps didn't falter, her voice drifting back with an undeniable sternness, "Can the entire continent's situation shield you from the consequences? Can the entire continent's strategy hone your swordsmanship? If not, then get over here and jump off this cliff."

Ling Yun fell completely silent, looking like a wilted eggplant.

Xiao Wu, who had been watching the commotion from behind, finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. Dugu Yan, with a gloating expression, crossed her arms and added a sarcastic remark, "Go on, Young Master Ling, stop dawdling and try to be back before dinner."

Ling Yun turned around abruptly, his face filled with grief and indignation as he accused, "You heartless bunch, are you really just going to stand by and watch me go to my death on that precipice?"

Xiao Wu laughed until tears almost came to her eyes, and gave him a perfunctory little fist wave. "Go, Brother Yun! I believe in you!"

Dugu Yan was even more ruthless, turning around and leaving without saying a word: "Remember, make sure your jump looks cool, and don't fall to your death. I don't have any poison to cure comminuted fractures."

Ning Rongrong laughed the most carefree, skipping and waving at him. "Ling Yun, see you at the bottom of the cliff later, I'll come cheer you on!"

Ling Yun stood bewildered in the wind. "..."

At that moment, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness, realizing that even the Spirit Hall, which was rumored to be a den of dragons and tigers, was probably not as dangerous as the cliff behind the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School.

Meanwhile, on the distant mountain path, Chen Xin's voice, like a death knell, rang out again, carrying a strong sense of threat. "Ling Yun, if you dare to dawdle even a fraction of a step, tonight's homework will be ten more jumps off the cliff for this old man!"

Ling Yun's expression changed drastically, and he yelled as if he had been electrocuted, "No, no, no, Master, I was wrong, I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Resigned to his fate, the boy picked up the Water-Cooling Sword, and with tears welling up in his eyes, he sprinted towards the cliff behind the mountain to chase after it.

However, in this lively, even somewhat chaotic and heartwarming scene, no one noticed...

The moment Ling Yun turned around, his back to everyone, the feigned smirk and wailing on his face vanished completely, like a receding tide.

The glaring numbers from the secret report resurfaced in his mind.

On the southwestern border, in three villages that should have been bustling with life, 376 lives were lost.

There were no corpses, only blood everywhere; everything had mysteriously vanished.

As Ling Yun ran, he slightly raised his head and glanced at the thick, dark clouds slowly gathering on the horizon. The temperature in his dark eyes gradually dropped to freezing point, becoming terrifyingly cold.

He had an extremely strong premonition. This time, that truly troublesome, blood-stained terror had torn off its disguise and begun, bit by bit, to crawl out from that bottomless abyss of darkness. And he had to make the sword in his hand sharp enough before this storm completely swept across the entire continent.