Back behind bars: Dugu Liuli's heart demon

"Hmph, that's more like it."

Shangguan Wuqing smiled, her face brimming with happiness.

But to Lin Mo, this supposed "pet name" was rather embarrassingly mushy.

During their last session of dual cultivation, Shangguan Wuqing had, for some inexplicable reason, specifically demanded it.

She had asked Lin Mo to address her by a "pet name" when they were alone.

"Ahem..." Lin Mo gave a tactical cough to ease the slightly awkward sweetness, then asked, "Will this Enforcement Hall disciple dying here cause trouble later?"

"No."

Shangguan Wuqing said with complete confidence, "Without a body, he can only be listed as missing. The Azure Dragon Squad might investigate, but in the end, it'll simply come to nothing."

"Excellent." Lin Mo nodded.

He was afraid Liu Tie's death would bring yet another endless stream of trouble.

"Are you still going back to the Purple Heaven Palace?" Shangguan Wuqing asked next.

"Yes." Lin Mo nodded. "I still need to go back for two or three days. After that, this old man will come find you."

Lin Mo had originally planned to hide at the White Tiger Squad office for two or three days.

But plans could never keep pace with change.

There was nothing for it. He would have to return to the little wooden hut at the Purple Heaven Palace and stay there for another two or three days.

"All right. Be careful. I'll also send people to keep an eye on you."

Meanwhile.

In the darkness of night, a pair of blood-red eyes watched Lin Mo and Shangguan Wuqing.

"Shangguan Wuqing of the Vermilion Bird Squad... what a nuisance."

Two days later.

Shangguan Wuqing received a summons from the master of the Enforcement Hall and returned to Enforcement Peak for an audience.

"Master, your disciple has returned." Shangguan Wuqing dropped to one knee, cupped her hands, and spoke respectfully.

Su Meiyu, the master of the Enforcement Hall, was still seated on a meditation cushion inside the grand hall.

She was dignified and elegant, her mature allure undiminished.

Su Meiyu lifted her phoenix eyes slightly and said softly, "Liu Tie of the Azure Dragon Squad has gone missing."

"Wuqing, you killed him, didn't you?"

Shangguan Wuqing's pupils instantly contracted, and her mind reeled!

Shouldn't she and Lin Mo have been the only ones who knew about this? How had her master found out?

Shangguan Wuqing's expression had already given Su Meiyu her answer.

She continued, "Wuqing, Liu Tie could never compare to the place you hold in my heart. But you need to leave for a while until the storm blows over. I'll suppress this matter for you."

"The sect's No. 9 mineral vein has long suffered incursions from the Yin Yang Sect. Their attacks have grown increasingly brazen lately."

"Take the disciples of the Vermilion Bird Squad there and clean things up. You can return once you're finished."

"Very well, Master. Your disciple will go at once." After a moment of silence, Shangguan Wuqing could only agree.

She left the grand hall.

Shangguan Wuqing stopped, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Her instincts told her something was wrong.

The fact that Su Meiyu knew she had killed Liu Tie was suspicious in itself.

She could not possibly have told Su Meiyu, and Lin Mo was even less likely to have done so.

That meant someone else had witnessed her and Lin Mo joining forces to ambush and kill Liu Tie two nights ago.

And now, on top of that, Su Meiyu was sending her away to deal with the Yin Yang Sect's incursions at the No. 9 mineral vein.

It felt as though an invisible hand was working behind the scenes to move her out of the way.

Could it be...

Perhaps that invisible hand belonged to the person who had set their sights on Lin Mo.

She pressed a hand to her forehead, a headache brewing. She wanted to help Lin Mo, but her strength fell short of her intentions.

With her current standing and position in the First Saint Sect, she could not defy that invisible hand.

The other party could influence even her master. What could she do as a mere squad captain in the Enforcement Hall?

"Little old man, I hope you can get through this on your own."

Now, apart from praying for Lin Mo, Shangguan Wuqing could no longer offer him any help.

Elsewhere.

Inside the little wooden hut at the Purple Heaven Palace.

Lin Mo, who had spent the past two days holed up inside, still had no idea that Shangguan Wuqing had left the sect.

That evening.

An inexplicable sense of foreboding rose in Lin Mo's heart, growing stronger and stronger.

"This old man can't just sit here waiting to die!"

Lin Mo could no longer afford to worry about anything else.

He immediately left the little wooden hut, intending to find Shangguan Wuqing.

However!

Shortly after he stepped outside, several figures dressed in Enforcement Hall uniforms approached him head-on.

The person leading them was none other than Dugu Liuli.

The instant he saw Dugu Liuli, the tension gripping Lin Mo's heart eased considerably.

Fortunately, it was neither Su Yu nor the captain of the Enforcement Hall's Black Tortoise Squad.

Dugu Liuli's lips curved into a teasing smile, as though she meant to devour him. "It's been a few days, old servant. Where are you off to?"

"Well... this old man is just taking a stroll."

Lin Mo said, "Might I ask what brings you to see this old man, Captain Liuli?"

"Then I'm afraid I owe you an apology, old servant. You won't be taking a leisurely stroll tonight. You'll have to come with me first."

"If you're going to ask why, naturally, it's still about Junior Brother Zhu Fan."

With that, Dugu Liuli flicked her slender fingers.

The Enforcement Hall disciples beside her immediately surrounded Lin Mo.

Lin Mo gave a helpless, bitter chuckle.

Since Dugu Liuli was still using Zhu Fan's case to arrest him, something must have happened on Shangguan Wuqing's end.

"Captain Liuli, this old man can come with you. But before that, could you answer one question for me?"

"You want to ask about Senior Sister Wuqing?"

Dugu Liuli seemed to have guessed what Lin Mo was about to ask. She gave a faintly disgruntled snort. "Even at a time like this, you're still concerned about Senior Sister Wuqing? If that's what you want to ask, save your breath. I won't answer."

Lin Mo spread his hands and simply shut his mouth.

From the looks of it, something really had happened to Shangguan Wuqing.

Otherwise, Dugu Liuli could not possibly have used Zhu Fan to make trouble for him again.

And so.

Lin Mo found himself behind bars for the second time, once again taken to the interrogation room at the White Tiger Squad office.

Dugu Liuli did not question Lin Mo right away.

Instead, she waited until late at night.

Only then did she push open the door and enter.

Locking the interrogation room door with a heavy clunk, Dugu Liuli approached Lin Mo, swaying her seductive, water-snake waist.

She tilted Lin Mo's chin up, her alluring gaze silky, her manner enchanting and seductive. "Old servant, have you thought over what I told you last time?"

"This time, don't count on Senior Sister Wuqing coming to rescue you."

Rather than answering Dugu Liuli directly, Lin Mo said, "Captain Liuli, your jealousy is too strong. Captain Wuqing has never wanted to compete with you over anything."

"If you insist on proving yourself better than Captain Wuqing, you're very likely to develop a heart demon someday."

"You should know how terrifying a heart demon is to cultivators like us."