Chapter 32 032 Will Yin Xiaozhu kill her?
Lu Yuanyuan's blood froze. If the situation hadn't prevented it, she would have almost slapped herself twice.
Let her jinx it! Let her curse us with her bad luck and say nothing nice!
The "female cultivator's" eyes were cloudy and lifeless, like those of someone who had been dead for a long time, or like the dull eyes of a fish. However, Lu Yuanyuan, hidden in the depths of the night, felt that the other person had really seen her, and an indescribable sense of panic rose in her heart.
She immediately took off running. Fortunately, she was not far from her room. In that life-or-death moment, her adrenaline surged wildly. Before the people behind her could catch up, she ran back to her room with lightning speed, slipped lightly through the crack in the door, closed it, quickly slipped back to bed, and burrowed under the covers, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders.
The cold autumn night air rushed into my throat, bringing a spasmodic pain. My heart pounded wildly against my sternum, each beat higher than the last, as if it would burst out of my throat.
What did she just see and hear?
Anyone with a brain could see that the strange female cultivator outside had no consciousness of her own and was being controlled by someone else. That person was a young man who called this kind of magic "puppet magic," and he was quite proud of himself for managing to bypass the Shu Mountain barrier and enter. Having spent two lifetimes navigating this world, Lu Yuanyuan was certain that she had never heard of any sect in the cultivation world possessing such magic.
However, even if she hadn't eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. Before transmigrating into the book, she had read dozens, if not hundreds, of cultivation novels. Combining the strange behavior of that female cultivator, she guessed that the so-called puppetry technique was most likely a spell that possessed another person's mind and turned them into a puppet.
Mount Shu never refuses visitors. Why would this person possess someone else's body and sneak over here instead of visiting in a normal way?
Therefore, it's highly likely that Yin Xiaozhu's friend is not a legitimate cultivator. Their relationship must also remain hidden.
How could the daughter of the Shushan Sect Master, the senior sister of Danqing Peak, a perfect person without any flaws, possibly associate with such a person in secret?
Her heart pounded faster and faster. Lu Yuanyuan clutched the blanket tightly. The pale moonlight shone through the stained-glass window and onto her eyelids.
Not only was the identity of this mysterious visitor suspicious, but what they were saying was also strange—although there was no context and she couldn't fully understand what they were talking about, she clearly heard a name: Xu Gu.
In Shushan, Lu Yuanyuan only knew one person's name: Xugu.
The other party's full name is Master Xugu. He comes from Danqing Peak and is a disciple of the sect leader of Danqing Peak. He is Master Xuyuan's junior sister and Yin Xiaozhu's senior uncle. He is not some unknown nobody.
However, the mysterious person who visited earlier that night called Xu Gu "old codger" in front of Yin Xiaozhu, and even said that Xu Gu suspected Yin Xiaozhu... What does this mean? What is there to suspect about Yin Xiaozhu?
Upon reflection, she vaguely remembered that Master Xugu was in seclusion for many years and rarely appeared in public. However, she had not bothered to find out the specific reason for his seclusion, and now she couldn't recall it at all.
Although the visitor noticed her presence immediately after uttering those insolent words, interrupting their conversation, and Yin Xiaozhu hadn't yet expressed her opinion, Lu Yuanyuan's intuition told her that she must have discovered some secrets Yin Xiaozhu didn't want others to know.
How will she be treated?
Will Yin Xiaozhu kill her?
Lu Yuanyuan's palms were damp and soaked with cold sweat.
According to the typical TV drama trope, NPCs are usually silenced only after overhearing someone else's entire plan. She's only heard a tiny bit of the details; if she's killed for that, wouldn't it be incredibly unfair? She'd die without even knowing why.
Calm down. This is a hidden plot triggered by the system. There's no reason to kill her directly. There must still be a chance to negotiate.
A jumble of thoughts clashed wildly in her mind, while the chilly night wind swept through the courtyard. Just then, Lu Yuanyuan noticed two footsteps stopping outside her room.
Two heavy wooden doors were gently pushed open. The bedchamber was dimly lit, and the moonlight cast two long shadows on the floor.
They came in.
Lu Yuanyuan clenched her teeth, suppressing her panic with all her might, closed her eyes, and pretended to be fast asleep.
Footsteps approached, finally stopping beside the bed, behind her. Lu Yuanyuan's body under the covers stiffened slightly, and her eyes froze.
The silence lasted for a moment. Suddenly, she felt a chill on her neck as a hand touched the side of her neck.
The hand was large and icy cold, encircling her neck and tightening, creating a slight pressure. The unfamiliar and frightening touch almost made her jump up. However, another, stronger and deeper force held her back. She didn't fight against the suffocation, nor did she move, like someone fast asleep, completely unaware of the outside world, her breathing remaining unchanged in frequency and depth.
Yin Xiaozhu withdrew her hand and said lightly in the night, "She's asleep."
The person beside him muttered angrily, "Impossible! I really did hear breathing just now, not the sound of wind... I know you're worried about that, but there are still three months left, there's no need to take the risk..."
Yin Xiaozhu interrupted him: "Let's talk outside."
The rustling footsteps faded into the distance, the door closed, and the air grew still. Lu Yuanyuan dared not move an inch, afraid they would turn back, afraid that if she opened her eyes, she would still see them standing behind her. All night long, she remained in this stiff, side-lying position until the first light of dawn appeared behind the clouds.
Due to excessive concentration and tension, she reached her peak of exhaustion and, bathed in the faint morning light, fell asleep without realizing it.
When I woke up again, it was already broad daylight. The sky was high and the clouds were wide, the sky was clear and blue.
In a daze, Lu Yuanyuan heard a rhythmic knocking on the door, her eyebrows twitching slightly as she woke up. Turning her head, she saw a dark figure appear outside the door: "Hey, are you awake? Yuanjun wants you to come over."
Lu Yuanyuan recognized it; it was the voice of the young female cultivator who had been delivering food boxes to Yin Xiaozhu every day recently.
System: "Ding! The phase reward for the hidden main storyline [Bitter Night] has been issued: one 24-hour trial card for the Immortal Silkworm Robe."
The system's notification made Lu Yuanyuan realize that everything last night wasn't something she saw in her sleep. She just hadn't expected that after all this, she'd only received a temporary reward. The hidden storyline, 【Bitter Night】, wasn't over yet.
System: "Correct answer."
Lu Yuanyuan gently bit her lower lip.
Everyone has curiosity. But if it meant risking her life, she had no desire to know Yin Xiaozhu's secret.
All she wanted was to live and do what she wanted to do.
Perhaps stepping into this hidden storyline was a mistake from the very beginning. She had a strong premonition that she had been drawn into a troublesome vortex, and that she would inevitably sink deeper and deeper into it in the future.
They wanted to back out, but there was no way out.
This reward is quite interesting. The Immortal Silkworm Robe is a legendary top-grade magical artifact of the immortals. When applied to a person, it is colorless and formless, and can eliminate 99.99% of damage and all negative effects for the user.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
The items were indeed good, but why did her ominous premonition become even stronger?
Is the system giving her this thing implying something? If Yin Xiaozhu wants to get rid of her, 24-hour protection is just a drop in the ocean.
Just then, there was another knock on the door: "Are you awake? Are you still sleeping?"
Lu Yuanyuan snapped out of her daze, mumbled a reply, got up, dressed, washed up, and went out.
Stop scaring yourself and observe Yin Xiaozhu's reaction.
Upon arriving at the door, I saw a figure inside, standing in front of a table tidying something up.
Lu Yuanyuan dug her fingertips into her palm and took a deep breath.
For the past two weeks, she had been pretending to be a clingy and weak younger sister, always trying to get Yin Xiaozhu's attention whenever she wasn't in class. Therefore, she absolutely could not show fear or distance, otherwise she would be giving herself away.
After a couple of seconds of mental preparation, Lu Yuanyuan put on her usual expression and ran in cheerfully: "Yuanjun, good morning! Is there something you need? Is there anything I can take care of before we head to the Heavenly Treasures Conference?"
Yin Xiaozhu hummed in response: "There are some things I need to tell you."
Lu Yuanyuan blinked, pretending to listen attentively, but her chest was pounding inside.
Yin Xiaozhu's reaction was so normal. Could it be that she was worrying too much, and the other party actually believed that she was fast asleep, and that last night's events were just over?
Yin Xiaozhu is indeed a naive and innocent saint. But when it comes to her own secrets... will she still be so naive and innocent?
That's impossible.
Lu Yuanyuan's heart was pounding like a rollercoaster. She suspected the other party was being polite before taking action, but she also worried that her overreaction might arouse suspicion since the other party wasn't initially suspicious. What she couldn't believe was what Yin Xiaozhu said next: "Half a month ago, didn't you say you wanted to go to the Natural Treasures Conference? I've changed my mind. Let's set off together today."
Lu Yuanyuan's fingers trembled slightly. If it were half a month ago, she would have been very happy. But Yin Xiaozhu last night made her feel dangerous, and she instinctively wanted to refuse, just like a person who is afraid of tigers does not want to go into the mountains.
Just as she was considering what excuse to use to decline, a shadow fell over her.
Yin Xiaozhu bent down slightly to meet her gaze: "Why aren't you saying anything? Is there something you're worried about?"
"No." Lu Yuanyuan quickly lowered her eyes, adopting a timid expression: "Yuanjun, I didn't know that the Heavenly Treasures Gathering was dangerous at that time. I was afraid that if I went, I would be a burden to you."
Yin Xiaozhu smiled and said, "I won't let you do anything dangerous."
System: "Ding! Hidden plot [Bitter Night] updated: Please ensure you travel with the host."
"..." Lu Yuanyuan lowered her head and gritted her teeth. After adjusting her expression, she forced an expectant smile: "That's great, I can't wait to travel with Yuanjun."
The Heavenly Treasures Gathering is limited to a maximum of ten disciples from each small family or sect. Large sects like Mount Shu can send one or two hundred disciples. The list is drawn up by the leaders of each peak, with the personal disciples already selected internally, and the remaining candidates chosen from among the outer disciples.
On the day of departure, everyone gathered at the training ground and boarded the white crane boat together to head to the Lingbao Secret Realm.
The White Crane Boat resembles a giant wooden boat, entirely white, without oars or sails, and requiring no human propulsion. Each White Crane Boat is a hundred meters long and can accommodate more than fifty people, along with several spirit beasts and weapons. It flies through the sky using a magic array and is powered by spirit stones.
Each flight consumes a large amount of spirit stones, which is no different from burning money as fuel. Only the most wealthy and powerful immortal sects can afford such a luxurious and magnificent means of transportation.
The Shushan sect usually only uses the White Crane Boat when many disciples are involved in an event.
At noon, everyone gathered at the Sword Sect's training ground. Excited smiles graced their faces as they boarded the White Crane Boat, engaging in lively conversation on the deck. Some who had previously visited the Spirit Treasure Secret Realm gestured and described their experiences, creating a bustling scene.
Among the disciples of Danqing Peak, Lu Yuanyuan saw Qi Chang, as well as many other familiar faces. Of course, it was only she who knew them.
Some of her direct disciples also brought servants, but none of them were ordinary people like her.
When people saw her, it was as if they saw a flightless duck mixed in with a flock of swans. Their expressions were strange, some containing contempt, others a hint of envy.
Lu Yuanyuan couldn't fly on a sword. Carrying a hastily packed bundle, she climbed the cloud ladder and arrived at the white crane boat. After standing by the boat for a moment, she saw a familiar figure appear on the white crane boat opposite.
It's Duan Lansheng!
Lu Yuanyuan: "...!"
This is wonderful! She has never longed to see Duan Lansheng accompany her.
If she encounters any trouble during this event, at least she'll have a power bank to use.
At such a distance, her shouts wouldn't carry, so Lu Yuanyuan had no choice but to raise her arm and wave it vigorously in that direction. Duan Lansheng, who was standing alone at the stern, noticed the commotion out of the corner of his eye, turned around, and seemed slightly taken aback when he saw her.
Lu Yuanyuan grinned and gave him a big smile.
Just then, someone bumped into her from behind. Lu Yuanyuan turned around and saw it was the young female cultivator who had woken her up that morning. She had heard the girl's name during roll call; it turned out the girl was named Zhou Que, a servant of a direct disciple of Danqing Peak.
Zhou Que looked at her with resentment, sizing her up and down, and sneered, "I really didn't expect Yuanjun to take you with her. You're too lucky. Yuanjun is so good to you. Last time her hand was injured, and you went out to take on a mission. That was too much. You'd better serve Yuanjun well this time, or you'll be sorry!"
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
She finally understood why this little girl always looked at her with displeasure.
Finally seizing the opportunity to utter the harsh words she wanted to say, Zhou Que stomped her foot and ran away. Lu Yuanyuan looked in the direction she left and saw several disciples escorting a woman as she walked up. The woman looked to be in her early thirties, dressed in a white robe with wide sleeves, beautiful and dignified, rarely smiling, and exuding an extraordinary aura. Wherever she passed, the disciples all stopped laughing and joking, and respectfully bowed to her. Even the most mischievous ones instantly became as docile as quails.
Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids twitched.
This person was none other than Master Xugu.
I only heard her name last night, and today I'm on the same white crane boat with her.
Is it a coincidence? Or...?
Lu Yuanyuan lowered her eyes in deep thought. At that moment, the white crane boat beneath her feet trembled, as if it was about to take off. She stumbled and bumped the back of her head into someone's chest.
Just as she was about to turn around, a soft voice came close to her ear: "Why are you staring blankly at Master Xugu?"
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