Trouble Stirs Again

"Perhaps..." Qingzhu's sigh was carried away by the evening breeze.

Before he could finish speaking, his grip on the bamboo cane suddenly tightened.

Lu Yuan caught a fleeting glint of sharpness in the old man's eyes. Lin Xiao's pupils also contracted slightly in the twilight, and his tongue unconsciously licked his canine teeth.

"Senior?"

Qingzhu didn't answer. He tilted his head, as if listening to the wind. A very faint blue ripple spread out from where the tip of his staff touched the ground, and then quickly disappeared.

The valley was quiet. Insects chirped, leaves rustled, and a stream babbled.

But this stillness was oppressive.

"Someone's there," Qingzhu finally spoke, her voice extremely low, "They've run into my 'spies' on the perimeter."

"Hundred Refinements Pavilion?"

"It doesn't seem like it." Qingzhu shook her head. "If it were those kinds of people, it would take them three to five days to sneak over. My formations are enough to fool ordinary people."

He paused, his expression growing even more somber.

"Three miles to the southeast, seven ' Entangling Silk Vine ' were simultaneously severed by Soul Power —the cuts were smooth, the force even. Like clearing roadblocks, it was swift and decisive."

Lu Yuan tapped his fingers twice on his knee. Clearing the roadblocks? No maneuvering, no hiding, just a direct strike. Was it confidence, or simply a complete disregard for alerting his master?

How long can the formation hold out?

Qingzhu closed her eyes to sense. After a few breaths, she opened her eyes, her expression heavy with worry.

"The formation is activated. But the enemy is searching very quickly, as if they have a way to locate abnormal Soul Power." He took a deep breath. "They'll reach the valley entrance in two hours at most."

Two hours.

Lu Yuan's mind raced. His Soul Power was almost depleted, and his face was still pale; Lin Xiao's right arm hadn't healed, so he was at most 60-70% of his fighting strength. Qingzhu had been living in seclusion for many years, so he was probably unwilling and unskilled in combat.

Holding out to the death? Using the formation to stall for time might work, but it would completely expose Qingzhu and drag the old man down with him.

Evacuate? It's dark, and the enemy is searching the perimeter; the chances of running into them are high. Even if they manage to escape, where can they go? Where is the next "Qingzhu"?

"We can't implicate our senior." Lu Yuan looked up, his voice turning serious. "We'll leave tonight."

Lin Xiao nodded almost simultaneously. The confusion in his eyes brought on by the breakthrough of his Martial Soul dissipated, and his fighting spirit rekindled. He licked his canine teeth, said nothing, and lowered his body slightly.

Qingzhu waved her hand.

"No need to rush to become a martyr." The old man's tone became steady, even tinged with coldness. "This valley of mine is not one that anyone can search as they please."

He looked southeast.

"Besides, what comes might not necessarily be from the Hundred Refinements Pavilion," Qingzhu said slowly, as if discerning something. "That Soul Power attribute... is fierce and violent, with a dry, acrid quality, fire mixed with Jin Rui. The Hundred Refinements Pavilion's approach is more subtle and gentle, rarely exhibiting such domineering power."

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

"It seems more like..." Qingzhu frowned, "... a thug raised by some family that specializes in aggressive attacks, or perhaps, simply their most ill-tempered direct descendant."

That's a vague statement.

But when Lin Xiao heard the words "family" and "direct descendant," his body suddenly tensed up, like a fully drawn bow. The color drained from his face, and his eyes revealed a complex mix of anger, disgust, and a hint of fear that he tried hard to conceal.

"Lin Xiao?" Lu Yuan looked at him.

Lin Xiao didn't answer. He stared intently at the darkness in the southeast, the claw mark on his cheek looking ferocious in the rising moonlight. His breathing became heavy, his chest heaving, as if an invisible hand was choking him.

Qingzhu's gaze lingered on Lin Xiao's face for a moment, then looked at his clenched fist, which had turned white, and she clicked her tongue softly.

"It seems I was pretty much right," Qingzhu sighed. "Kid, your troubles are even more troublesome than the bounty poster from the Hundred Refinements Pavilion."

Lin Xiao remained silent. His silence was his answer.

Lu Yuan's heart sank. The internal strife within a family, especially among a genius like Lin Xiao who had broken with his family, was often far more brutal. This wasn't a manhunt; it was a war involving bloodlines, freedom, and dignity.

And he, a commoner Soul Master with low Soul Power, has been drawn into this mess.

"Senior," Lu Yuan spoke again, his voice even calmer, "If it really is someone from the Lin Clan, what are the chances they've found this place? Besides forcing their way in, is there any other way to temporarily stop them? We need time to discuss this, and we also need... to recover some strength."

Qingzhu glanced at Lu Yuan, slightly surprised by the boy's clarity of mind. He nodded.

"When the formation is operating at full power, it can interfere with perception, create illusions, and delay the enemy. But if the opponent is determined and has someone skilled at breaking formations, it won't last long," Qingzhu said. "As for other methods..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

A muffled thud came from the direction of the valley entrance.

Boom--

Like a heavy object imbued with profound Soul Power, it slammed violently against the rocks or barrier. The ground trembled slightly, the herbs in the medicinal garden moved erratically without wind, and the dried herbs under the eaves jingled and clanged.

Qingzhu's expression changed.

Immediately afterwards, a voice pierced through the night and the array, exploding in the valley like rolling thunder. It was powerful, loud, and carried an undisguised domineering and mocking tone.

"Old friend Qingzhu--!"

The sound echoed through the mountains.

"After all these years, you've been hiding inside tending to your flowers and plants, not even bothering to greet your old friends when they come to visit?"

The moment he heard that sound, Lin Xiao's body trembled violently.

It wasn't just tense; it was a violent, almost uncontrollable trembling. All color drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale. In those usually defiant amber eyes, shock, disbelief, a deep-seated disgust surged, along with... a forcibly awakened fear from the depths of his childhood memories.

He clenched his teeth so tightly that his gums almost bled. His fists were so clenched that they cracked.

Lu Yuan had never seen Lin Xiao like this before. Even when he was plunged into a deep valley and faced a desperate situation, the young man's eyes were filled with fighting spirit and ruthlessness.

But now...

Lu Yuan stepped forward, blocking Lin Xiao's path. He looked at Qingzhu, his eyes questioning.

Qingzhu's face was also extremely pale. He stared at the direction of the valley entrance, the veins on the back of his hand holding the cane bulging slightly. After a long while, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth, so low that only the three of them could hear it.

This is a huge problem.

He paused, then looked at Lin Xiao, who was stiff with emotion.

"The one who came is a madman. Why did your Lin Clan send him out?"