Xia Jue watched Su Jiu's frosty little face. She seemed to have something to say, yet some unspoken difficulty kept her from getting the words out despite a long struggle. He could not help chuckling inwardly. "Junior Sister, what's wrong?"
Su Jiu knitted her brows. "Senior Brother, there's something I need to tell you, but could you please not ask how I know?"
Seeing her serious expression, Xia Jue put away his teasing manner.
"Go ahead."
"After we return, you must guard the sect with the utmost vigilance while the Sect Leader is advancing."
Xia Jue put away the herbs he had just picked, the amusement in his eyes fading a little. "The Azure Tide Sect's defenses have always been fairly good."
Su Jiu shook her head. "They must be even stricter."
"Is something going to happen?"
Su Jiu nodded. "Someone with a very high cultivation level will secretly infiltrate the Azure Tide Sect while the Sect Leader is in seclusion."
Xia Jue's eyes instantly grew unfathomably deep. "I won't ask how you know, but I need to know everything you know."
Su Jiu paused slightly, frost creeping over her face. "I don't know who the intruder is. I only know that in the second year of the Sect Leader's seclusion, just as he is breaking through, that person will interrupt him, causing irreparable damage that will leave him unable to advance for the rest of his life."
Xia Jue's expression sharpened, turning decidedly grim. He swept a probing gaze over Su Jiu, then slowly nodded after a long silence. "I believe what you've said is true, but don't tell anyone else about this."
Tong Qi and Shen Qingyue had seen every change in their expressions as the two communicated through private voice transmissions.
Tong Qi thought nothing of it.