Chapter 40 Returning to Fox Hill
Qin Wuyan didn't say anything, but simply pulled her into his arms again and held her quietly.
He never claimed to be kind. Although many people at the foot of Fox Hill received his protection and favors, it was only for the purpose of winning people's hearts and strengthening the Holy Church.
He always knew that he had killed countless people in his life, and even though he called himself the leader of the Divine Sect, most people regarded him as the leader of the Demonic Sect. He didn't care about that; whether someone was a god or a demon was for people to decide.
But for the first time in his life, he felt a desire to stop causing bloodshed because of Mu Yao's words.
Therefore, when the various branch hall masters of the Divine Sect were suddenly summoned back by Qin Wuyan and heard that the plan to attack Fenxiang Valley was to be canceled, everyone was astonished.
Xuanwu Hall Master Meng Guang was the first to question, "Sect Master, now that Li Xun is seriously injured and Yan Hong has gone mad, this is the best opportunity to severely damage Fenxiang Valley. Why cancel the plan?"
Qin Wuyan said, "Our main purpose for this trip is to obtain the Xuanhuo Mirror. Currently, the magic array in the southwest has been destroyed by the Qingyun Sect. With their addition, it will be even more difficult to destroy Fenxiang Valley. Since we cannot annihilate them in one fell swoop, there is no need to increase casualties. So for the next few days, you should just lead your men to make a show of force and not actually fight them to the death. Once you receive news from Tang Yuan that he has obtained the Xuanhuo Mirror, you should all retreat."
Meng Guang, Jiang Li, Su Zhenzhen, and Ye Gou exchanged glances, somewhat confused about Qin Wuyan's thoughts. Just yesterday, he had confidently declared that even if the Qingyun Sect came, he would destroy the Fenxiang Valley...
Meng Guang then asked, "What about Li Xun and Yan Hong? Yan Hong has developed a mental disorder, and Li Xun is also blaming our Shenzong for this. If we let them go this time, I'm afraid Li Xun will cause us trouble again in the future."
Is Yan Hong suffering from amnesia?
Qin Wuyan frowned slightly. Could it be that the Soul Eater has appeared again?
He pondered for a moment and said, "Although Li Xun is seriously injured, he has Zhang Xiaofan protecting him, and Lin Jingyu and the others are on their way to Fenxiang Valley. I'm afraid the few of you alone cannot kill him. Let's just let it go for now."
The subordinates looked at each other, finding it hard to believe that Qin Wuyan would really let Fenxiang Valley off so easily.
"What? You want to kill him?" Qin Wuyan glanced at the silent crowd.
Su Zhenzhen said, "Since the Left Protector has already gone to seize the Xuanhuo Mirror, why doesn't the Sect Master send more people to assist him and kill Li Xun while he's seizing the Xuanhuo Mirror? Once he's dead, the Burning Incense Valley will be leaderless, and even with the help of the Azure Cloud Sect, they won't amount to much."
The other three echoed this sentiment, agreeing that Su Zhenzhen's suggestion was excellent.
Seeing that his subordinates all agreed, Qin Wuyan nodded and said, "Very well, since you all agree, I will give you this opportunity. Protector Xie has recently made a mistake, and I plan to dismiss her after I return to Fox Hill. So, this time, whoever can kill Li Xun will be promoted to Right Protector and can choose any cultivation manual from me."
All four of them were taken aback; this was quite a temptation.
Meng Guang and Xie Qingqiu had a good relationship, so he had to ask, "Sect Master, Protector Xie is very talented and has devoted herself to the sect for many years. No matter what mistakes she has made, I hope that the Sect Master can give her a chance to make amends."
Qin Wuyan said coldly, "Meng Guang, when have you ever seen me forgive a traitor?"
Meng Guang was shocked and dared not answer. Xie Qingqiu had actually betrayed Emperor Shenzong? How could that be?
"Alright," Qin Wuyan said, "I will handle the sect's affairs when we return to Fox Ridge Mountain. Your task now is to execute the new plan. Keep a close eye on things these next few days, and don't let any word get out. You are also not allowed to tell the Vice Sect Master about this."
The four nodded and were about to leave when Qin Wuyan suddenly called out to Su Zhenzhen, asking her to stay.
Su Zhenzhen's heart skipped a beat in fright. Did Qin Wuyan still want to pursue the matter of her sneaking off to watch the play?
She silently recited Mu Yao's name, hoping that Mu Yao had pleaded for her earlier and that Qin Wuyan would punish her less severely.
To her surprise, Qin Wuyan asked her gently, "Where did you and the Vice Sect Master go afterward today?"
Huh? Su Zhenzhen was taken aback. That's all?
She quickly realized what was going on and hurriedly replied with a smile, "I didn't go anywhere. I just accompanied the Vice Sect Leader to watch another play at the theater."
"What are you looking at?" Qin Wuyan asked.
Su Zhenzhen scratched her head. Oh no! She had been too caught up in her gossip and hadn't paid any attention to what opera was being performed later. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "Sect Leader, I was thinking about something and forgot the name of the opera..."
"Forgot?"
Qin Wuyan frowned; this looked like a lie no matter how you looked at it.
He sneered, "Don't think that just because you have a good relationship with Yao'er, I won't dare to punish you. But as long as you tell the truth—where you went and who you met—I'll let you off this time."
Today, Mu Yao suddenly brought up the matter of Burning Incense Valley with him, which he had always found very strange. Over the years, she had never interfered in the affairs of the sect, so why this time...?
Su Zhenzhen lowered her head, feeling caught in a dilemma. If she told the truth, it might cause Qin Wuyan to misunderstand Mu Yao, but if she didn't, she would definitely be severely punished. After thinking it over, she could only say, "Sect Master, we did stay at the theater, but later..."
She sighed deeply, feeling extremely sorry for Mu Yao. "Later, the Vice Sect Master and I even encountered Zhang Xiaofan from the Qingyun Sect."
"Zhang Xiaofan?" Qin Wuyan frowned.
Su Zhenzhen said, "That Zhang Xiaofan is so annoying. He went to see the vice sect leader on purpose, and he started to touch her as soon as they met. The vice sect leader didn't want to talk to him, but Zhang Xiaofan insisted on stopping her and kept telling her to come back and persuade the sect leader not to attack Fenxiang Valley."
Qin Wuyan's face was extremely ugly.
Su Zhenzhen felt a chill run down her spine. When she suddenly heard that the attack plan had been canceled, she guessed that it must have been Mu Yao who persuaded Qin Wuyan not to attack Fenxiang Valley.
She was afraid that her words would damage their relationship, so she quickly explained, "Sect Master, the Vice Sect Master was only thinking of you and our Divine Sect. She was not bewitched by Zhang Xiaofan. She even made a promise with Zhang Xiaofan that as long as you don't make things difficult for Burning Incense Valley this time, Qingyun Sect will not make things difficult for the Divine Sect in the future."
After a long while, Qin Wuyan still had a cold face and waved his hand, saying, "Go down and do what you should do. From now on, you are not allowed to mention Qingyun Sect in front of Mu Yao again, and you are not allowed to mention the Ghost King Sect in the past."
His tone grew increasingly cold and harsh: "Especially regarding Biyao, if you dare to talk nonsense to her again, I will kill you."
"Your subordinate wouldn't dare!!" Su Zhenzhen was so frightened that she almost lost her soul. She nodded vigorously and ran out the door as if fleeing.
…………
Three days later, Tang Yuan sent word that the Xuanhuo Mirror had been obtained, but Li Xun had survived with the help of the Qingyun Sect. As a result, almost all the Shenzong disciples sent there were injured and could not return immediately.
Qin Wuyan was worried that the Soul-Eating Monster behind the scenes would cause trouble for Mu Yao again, so he left a letter telling Tang Yuan and the others that they could return to the Divine Sect as soon as they recovered from their injuries. He was already preparing to return to Fox Hill ahead of time.
Mu Yao had suffered severe depletion of her spiritual energy, so Qin Wuyan had to take her back on his sword.
With countless clouds floating beneath their feet, she stood behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Amidst the howling wind, she recalled the first time she climbed Fox Ridge Mountain six years ago. She had held him in the same way, gazing in amazement at the vast and boundless land beneath her feet.
Back then, she was just his newly accepted apprentice, but now...
She couldn't help but smile, gently resting her head against his back. That strong, broad back had sheltered her from all the storms of life for so many years, giving her a sense of peace.
"No flame!"
She suddenly called his name, but received no response. She couldn't help but call again, "Qin Wuyan! I'm calling you!"
Qin Wuyan asked, "What's wrong?"
Mu Yao chuckled: "It's nothing, I just suddenly wanted to call your name."
"Hey. What's that mountain in the distance? It's so tall and big! I never noticed it before," she asked excitedly, pointing to a towering mountain peak.
Qin Wuyan looked in the direction she pointed and said calmly, "That's Qingyun Mountain."
"Qingyun Mountain? That's where the Qingyun Sect is located? Their sect looks so big and impressive, I really want to go and see what it's like inside!"
Mu Yao said it casually, but Qin Wuyan felt very uncomfortable. He then remembered that Su Zhenzhen had said that Zhang Xiaofan had begged Mu Yao to persuade him to give up attacking Fenxiang Valley, which made him even more unhappy.
He said coldly, "I'm flying on my sword. Stand still and don't move."
"oh……"
Mu Yao pouted in dissatisfaction. She felt that Qin Wuyan had been acting strangely these past few days, his attitude was cold and indifferent. Although he would still hug and kiss her, his smiles seemed forced, and he wasn't as affectionate towards her as before.
She initially thought he was worried about Tang Yuan trying to seize the Xuanhuo Mirror, so she didn't ask any further questions. But Tang Yuan sent word that even after the matter was resolved, he was still the same.
But with both of them in the air, he couldn't afford to be too distracted while flying on his sword, so Mu Yao had to suppress her questions for the time being and wait until they arrived.
Just like six years ago, he first took her back to Peach Blossom Garden. It was mid-May, the peach blossoms had long since faded, and the lush peach trees were laden with large, dense fruits. The fragrance of the flowers had turned into the fragrance of the fruit, accompanied by the babbling sound of flowing water that lingered in the courtyard.
Feeling like she was home, Mu Yao happily twirled around under the tree. Her spiritual power was wood-based, so the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees seemed to sense it, rustling their leaves and swaying their branches, all responding to her joy.
Seeing her happy expression, Qin Wuyan smiled as well. Even with all his doubts and jealousy, her smile seemed to dispel all his worries.
"No flame!"
Mu Yao rushed over and hugged him, her eyes shining like stars: "My sect leader, I've finally seen you smile from the bottom of your heart."
Qin Wuyan's smile deepened: "Are you saying that I was faking my smile all along?"
"you do not say!"
Mu Yao sighed softly and said, "Ever since you agreed to cancel the plan, I've noticed you've been sullen. Even when you smile at me, it feels so fake. On the way back just now, you didn't say a word to me. You only answered when I asked you a question. You seemed so indifferent."
Qin Wuyan felt wronged: "What did I do?"
"You are!" she scolded playfully, her tone turning serious. "What's wrong? Why have you been unhappy these past few days?"
"No," Qin Wuyan replied calmly, his eyes slightly lowered.
"Still being stubborn! You've been like this for the past few days. You're not exactly cold, but you're not exactly enthusiastic either. Why were you like this before? What happened?"
Qin Wuyan shook his head and said helplessly, "Really, no, you're overthinking it."
Stubborn to the end!
Mu Yao cursed inwardly, then asked, "Really not?"
"No."
"Alright!" Mu Yao sighed helplessly, deciding it was best not to try and find out anything.
She could only say, "If you say no, then I'll believe you for now. But I hope that if you really have something bothering you, don't keep it to yourself. You can tell me. Don't treat me like a child anymore. I can share a lot of things with you. Even if my spiritual power hasn't recovered yet, you can still chat with me. Maybe I can even give you some advice."
Her tone was extremely sincere, and her eyes were filled with burning love. Qin Wuyan was deeply moved and suddenly felt guilty for his previous doubts about her and for the jealousy he felt because of Zhang Xiaofan.
He reached out and put his arm around her waist. She smiled in his arms, her beautiful big eyes gazing deeply at him.
Their eyes met, and both were filled with tender affection.
He said softly, "Thank you, Yao'er!"
Thank you for saying these words to me. Thank you for loving me.
Throughout his life, he was always manipulated by others, unable to even control his own life and death. Even his closest friend, Qinglong, never told him that he was willing to share all the hardships he encountered in his life.
It was because he lacked self-confidence that he so easily doubted her feelings for him in this lifetime based on just a few words.
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