mutation

When Sanqi saw Lin Yunwang's figure appear at the door, her eyes lit up instantly, but then quickly dimmed again, as if she had thought of something. However, this disappointment only lasted for a moment. She took a deep breath, then quickly walked to the girl's side and held her hand tightly.

She knew that Yunmei was leaving.

Their eyes met. Without a word, the sorrow of parting, the reluctance to leave, and the lingering concerns welled up in their eyes and spilled over.

To break the heavy atmosphere, she turned her gaze to Zhou Hengyan beside her, "Immortal, weren't you just now..."

Sanqi had barely begun speaking when she was interrupted by a clear, cold voice.

"Sanqi, how's the medicine I asked you to prepare?"

Sui Yuan pushed open the door and slowly walked out from the backyard. He raised his eyes and glanced around the shop, as if he had just noticed the three people standing quietly in the hall. His gaze swept quickly over Lin Yun's tightly clenched hand and finally settled on the three people's faces.

He nodded slightly, his tone calm, "You've arrived."

Lin Yun understood.

When they first met, their conversation was so carefully crafted, and that deliberately cultivated warmth made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. Now, this coldness, however, seemed more genuine. She assumed that after they became more familiar with each other, the other person had finally shed that unsettling facade and revealed their true nature.

"I have come today to bid you farewell." Her voice was clear and melodious, particularly evident in the quiet pharmacy. "I am deeply grateful for your care these past few days, and I will always remember it."

She gently pulled her hand away from Sanqi's, turned her wrist, and saw two exquisite jade bottles lying quietly in her fair palm. Just by looking at the bottles that shimmered with light, she knew that the pills inside were no ordinary medicine.

"This is a gift of thanks, and also a parting token of my affection." She held out her palms to the two of them, her gaze sincere.

"There's no need to be so polite."

"It's too valuable!"

Suiyuan and Sanqi both refused, their tone resolute.

Lin Yun forcefully shoved the medicine bottle into their hands, saying, "I know the pharmacy has no shortage of pills, but this is the most precious thing I have. I only hope you will never have the chance to use it, and keep it as a memento."

One person saved her life, and another was seriously injured for her sake; she had to deliver this sentiment.

Seeing that the two seemed about to refuse, Lin Yun quickly took his leave, saying, "I still need to go to Uncle Chen's house to express my gratitude, so I won't stay any longer. Hope we meet again someday!"

After saying that, she turned around nimbly and left quickly.

After visiting the last house, the girl felt refreshed and her steps became lighter.

Seeing her excited expression, Zhou Hengyan's lips curled up slightly, and he teased, "Tonight, I'm afraid you've given away all the pills you always carry with you, haven't you?"

Sang Zhao, standing to the side, shook his head and said, "Not only that, but I also sent them out."

Upon hearing this, Senior Brother Zhou's smile vanished instantly. Unfortunately, dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and the night was deep.

In this vast darkness, who could see his despondency?

"Senior Brother Zhou."

"Um?"

"Thank you for keeping me company tonight," the girl said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude. "If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to handle it."

The villagers of Qingfeng Town have diverse personalities; some are passionate and fiery, while others are taciturn. Although Lin Yunwang and Sang Zhao are eloquent, Zhou Hengyan is more adept at handling situations and being considerate of all aspects.

After this night, the barrier between Lin and Zhou, caused by their previous confession, seemed to have faded considerably. The girl no longer deliberately avoided being around him, nor was she reserved.

Jeju Island is truly a wonderful place.

The dark clouds had dispersed at some point, and Lin Yun sat alone by the window, gazing up at the full moon.

With today's performance, her senior brother should be able to rest assured, right? She thought somewhat uncertainly.

He had been feeling troubled these past few days, and Sang Zhao was also feeling uneasy because of him. He was worried that his junior sister would get stuck in a rut on her first mission.

Lin Yunwang naturally sensed his worry, which is why she put on a show of abandoning the mission. But in her heart, she still couldn't let go.

She stopped looking at the moon and instead rubbed her sore neck.

Originally, the task of writing the documents was just for fun, and she wrote until the early hours of the morning, nearing completion. But upon reviewing the whole story, she still found nothing new.

She slumped onto the table, feeling somewhat annoyed.

Perhaps... I should go to Luming Village again? Consider it a farewell to my mission here. Once this thought arose, I couldn't suppress it any longer.

But as soon as he stepped outside, he bumped into Zhou Hengyan, who was standing there stunned on the stairs.

"Uh, Senior Brother Zhou, you're still awake? I... can't sleep and want to go out for a walk..." She inwardly cursed her own clumsy lie.

As expected, Zhou Hengyan raised an eyebrow, clearly disbelieving, but did not point it out, only saying, "Coincidentally, I'm also wide awake. How about we travel together?"

Lin Yun had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead him around the inn. Zhou Hengyan chuckled and said, "Just tell me where you want to go, like Luming Village?"

"Senior Brother Zhou, you really know me well."

After leaving a note for Senior Brother Sang, Yun went with him to Luming Village.

This was his first time setting foot in this place.

Fortunately, he arrived.

The two stepped into the house closest to the village entrance, and at first glance, he noticed that something was amiss.

"Could you light a lamp for me?"

Lin Yun glanced at the dusty oil lamp on the untouched table, a soft ball of spiritual energy gathering at his fingertips. By its light, Zhou Hengyan gently stroked the beams in the room, carefully examining the wood grain and weathering marks, then strolled to the window to check the cracks.

"Judging from the extent of wind erosion in the wood and the gaps in the window frames, this house was built at least sixty years ago."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yunwang frowned.

This is yet another point of contention.

The exact time, which should have been the most precise, has become ambiguous in the case of Luming Village, which basically confirms that someone deliberately concealed it.

Could the cultivators of Qiling City truly see through the layers of mystery to uncover the truth? Lin Yun didn't know, and one question after another arose in her mind.

Who could it be? What's hidden behind this? Is it worth that person going to such lengths?

"Must we return to the sect at dawn?"

She withdrew her spiritual power, and the room returned to darkness.

At the same time, a very faint rustling sound came from the window, like fabric rubbing against the window frame.

The two men's eyes sharpened, and without the slightest hesitation, they simultaneously attacked the window.

The already flimsy window shattered with a crash, sending splinters flying. Several pieces of wood embedded themselves in the dark figure outside the window, eliciting a muffled groan.

The man reacted extremely quickly, turning around to dodge the two swords thrusting at him, and then ran down the mountain.

"Stop!" the young man shouted sternly.

The man in black reacted quickly, but Zhou Hengyan and Lin Yun worked together seamlessly. One blocked the main road, and the other cut off the path. In just a few moves, they cornered the sneaky man in black in the narrow woods.

At this moment, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

"Surrender."

Zhou Hengyan's sword gleamed coldly in the night, steadily pointing at the vital point on the back of the man in black, three zhang away.

Lin Yun stood with his sword in hand, his aura imposing, blocking all escape routes for the men in black.

What is your purpose?

It was a hoarse male voice, sounding quite old.

"That's what we should be asking you!" Lin Yun said coldly. "You deliberately concealed yourselves, making it difficult for our spiritual power to detect you... and..." She seemed to think of something, but swallowed the words back.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Zhou Hengyan felt there was no need to continue the stalemate, so he summoned a rope and prepared to tie him up.

The instant he took a step, a thick, impenetrable white fog surged forth without warning, instantly engulfing the entire forest. His vision was shattered, and even the figures of his companions, who were right in front of him, vanished without a trace.

It's that damn fog again!

Alarm bells rang in Lin Yun's mind. Almost at the same moment the fog rose, the long sword in his hand, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, slashed without hesitation at the spot where the man in black had just stood, as he remembered it.

"clang!"

The opponent blocked her attack with a dagger.

Seeing that her judgment was correct, she smiled and thought to herself: Since this fog can make it impossible to see the road ahead, then I will rely on my intuition.

The girl didn't forget to remind Zhou Hengyan, "Senior brother, don't move! Listen carefully!"

In this eerie fog, friend and foe are indistinguishable; everyone is blind. The fog-manipulator's advantage lies in hiding in the shadows and controlling the entire situation. All she can do is keep a close watch on the aura of the man in black before her.

The sword light appeared and disappeared in the thick white fog, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

After a few moves, the opponent's offensive weakened.

With instincts far surpassing others, she had already dealt several heavy blows to her opponent. And now, she shrewdly seized an opening, thrusting her sword forward with deadly force.

"Pfft!"

The tip of the sword felt like it was piercing flesh and bone, followed by a soft cracking sound of bones breaking. With a sudden twist of the wrist, the sound of flesh tearing open became even louder.

There are gains and losses.

She was caught off guard by the blow and couldn't dodge in time; her arm was pierced by the dagger.

"I wonder if they applied poison or not," she muttered under her breath.

"No, I didn't apply it," the man in black replied.

She felt the voice sounded familiar, but it didn't seem to be the voice the man in black had made before.

The sounds of clashing weapons could be heard not far away, indicating that the person who spread the fog had finally lost patience and made a move.

Zhou Hengyan was indeed caught off guard by the sudden attack, but he quickly recovered and was now even able to keep track of the changes in the fog. He could now vaguely make out the figure of the person he was fighting. "Junior sister! The fog is thinning! Hold on!"

"Understood!" Lin Yun responded loudly. In the thick fog, the two, who were so close yet unable to see each other, relied on their voices to convey their support.

But in the next instant, her hair stood on end. It was a fear that seemed to be etched into her soul, and her instincts told her to run away. Before she could react, she was gently tapped on the back of her neck, and all her strength receded like a tide, causing her to collapse limply.

As consciousness blurred, another heavy thud as someone fell to the ground could be faintly heard.

We must not fall here.

Lin Yun used all her strength, biting her lip until it bled profusely, the taste of blood filling her mouth, yet darkness still beckoned to her.

She gathered her remaining spiritual energy and drew her sword to stab her own thigh. Just as the tip of the sword was about to touch her skin, a warm hand gently touched her wrist. A sharp pain shot through her wrist bone, and she lost all strength.

The longsword did not fall to the ground, but was caught steadily by that person.

"Go to sleep."

In the last, blurry moment before her consciousness faded into darkness, her last vague perception was of her longsword being gently placed back into her hand.