result
Rumors within the sect about a "demon spy" intensified and spread like wildfire. Some even went so far as to claim with absolute certainty that the "spy" uncovered by the Jingyin Sect was none other than the Demon Lord who had been sealed away by the combined forces of the sect years ago. The rumors claimed that someone had secretly infiltrated the barrier, brought out the Demon Lord, and planted him within the sect, intending to bide their time until they recovered their strength and then slaughter the Jingyin Sect, which had contributed the most to the demon-slaying war.
Lin Yunwang also heard this rumor. Although he did not believe it, he could understand the viciousness of the rumor-monger.
This person directly targeted the Venerable Ones of the Jingyin Sect. The number of people in the entire cultivation world who could enter the barrier sealing the demon race without alerting others could be counted on two hands, and only the four leaders within the Jingyin Sect could secretly plant such individuals.
Lin Yun felt this was a good opportunity to bring up the old man's coma in Shuofeng City. But before she could express her thoughts, Venerable Yichen, who had rushed back to Jingyin Sect, stopped her.
"The Immortal Sect Competition is imminent; you should focus on your preparations. Do not let anything else distract you!"
The girl looked up at her master.
He looked slightly haggard, with the weariness of a long journey between his brows. Although Lin Yunwang knew that this was just an excuse from her master, she really couldn't bring herself to refuse him in this situation.
"Yes, disciple obeys." She bowed her head in response, bowed respectfully, and turned to take her leave.
Inside the council hall, Venerable Yongyun took in the entire scene of the master and disciple outside the hall.
He strolled over to Yichen, who had returned to the hall to rest with his eyes closed, shook his head and sighed softly, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm, "Senior brother, your way of teaching disciples is becoming more and more like Senior Brother Mingqi."
His sarcastic tone was undisguised; he simply compared Yichen and Mingqi side by side, and it was unclear whether he was belittling or praising them.
Yichen remained motionless, leaning against the back of the chair, not even a tremor in his eyelashes. The relentless travel of the past few days had exhausted him. Now, leaning against the back of the chair, he felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally, and he didn't even have the strength to speak.
A sliver of relief remained in his heart: he had finally made it back and managed to temporarily restrain the child Yunwang, but it was a pity that he was a step too late and could not stop Sangzhao from going to Tanwei Gate.
Seeing his exhaustion, Yongyun said no more. With a flick of her wide sleeves, the several ever-burning lamps in the hall were silently extinguished, leaving only a faint light.
He quietly left the main hall, not forgetting to instruct the disciples guarding the entrance, "Be quiet, Venerable Yichen is resting."
Yongyun's mood was far from relaxed as usual.
He could sense that the sect leader, Senior Brother Mingqi, and Senior Brother Yichen were brewing a secret plan. This judgment wasn't based on conclusive evidence, but rather on his understanding of their style of doing things and his intuition that far surpassed that of others.
After all, this feeling of being isolated is so familiar.
In a daze, he felt as if he had returned to nine years ago, when he was again kept in the dark by his fellow disciples.
Finally, caught off guard, he faced his senior brother's body. A barrage of filth and insults rained down on the already cold body, the one he had respected and admired most in his life.
Afterwards, he angrily questioned Mingqi and Yichen. All he received in return was a dismissive, "You're still young." Later, he still didn't know how his eldest brother had become a universally despised traitor, and could only helplessly witness the increasingly distant and hostile relationship between his remaining two senior brothers.
And what about now?
He had already taken on disciples and attained a venerable position, so why was he being protected by his fellow disciples without any knowledge of the situation?
Please, please don't leave me here.
On the bluestone path, Lin Yun walked with heavy steps, and the atmosphere became stagnant, with only the sound of her footsteps echoing around.
The system's cold voice suddenly rang in her mind, "Host, why don't you insist on reporting to the sect leader? The opportunity is right in front of you."
Her face was more solemn than ever before. She walked silently for a while before replying in a low voice, "Master... he's too tired."
After her trip to Yunzhong Mountain, in order to better control her resonance ability, she asked the system to relinquish some of its authority. This way, whenever her resonance ability slightly went out of control, she could try her best to adjust and adapt, so that her resonance ability wouldn't be limited when the system was no longer around.
Therefore, in the instant her eyes met her master's, she clearly sensed his relief, regret, and confusion...
As a result, she also felt lost and confused.
"System, why can you only move freely within the territory of the Jingyin Sect?"
Lin Yun had intended to speak in a lighthearted, joking tone, but the moment she finished speaking, she knew her tone was incredibly serious, even tinged with doubt. It was like when she was a child, having lost her parents, crying out to the system, begging for its appearance and help.
Please save them... I beg you...
"The system is upgrading." His voice was as cold as ever, making it hard to tell if it was a notification or a reply.
Lin Yun stopped in his tracks, his hands hanging limply at his sides.
"Never mind, forget I asked."
She found a secluded pond, sat down by the edge, and followed the tiny ripples on the water's surface stirred by the wind, as if trying to make some sense out of the disordered undulations.
Doesn't Master support me either? Or is he disappointed in me? She wondered, feeling troubled.
Because of her troubled mood, Yongyun wandered around and unknowingly strolled to the edge of the pond.
He caught a glimpse of Lin Yunwang by the pond and instinctively wanted to turn away. After all, he wasn't very familiar with this junior disciple, let alone the fact that it was her master who was causing him such unease.
The Venerable One thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile: He's actually taking his anger out on a junior; he's really getting worse with age.
He had only taken a few steps back when a girl's voice came from behind him, "This disciple greets Venerable Yongyun."
Lin Yun bowed respectfully in his direction.
Having been discovered, Yongyun remained composed. He smoothly turned around, nodded in acknowledgment, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. However, his concealed thoughts were betrayed when he spoke, "You're here alone, are you... also troubled by my senior brother's matter?"
Fortunately, Lin Yunwang is a proper and steady person.
She did not show any unusual reaction to the Venerable One's slightly "inappropriate" concern. Instead, she became serious and replied earnestly, "Reporting to the Venerable One, this disciple is indeed worried. Master has been preoccupied lately, but has never told this disciple, which is truly unsettling."
A true friend! Yongyun almost sighed aloud in his heart.
This worry was so similar to his own. But he maintained the composure of an elder, even straightening his back slightly, and said earnestly, "Then you should persuade him more. You know his character best; as long as those around him are safe and well, he will gladly endure any hardship he may suffer."
As soon as he finished speaking, he thought of Lin Yun's performance on his first mission and thought to himself: This is like talking to a brick wall. My senior brother's two disciples are practically cut from the same cloth as him.
However, it was precisely this realization that calmed his anxiety and gave rise to a strange sense of responsibility. He looked at his young apprentice before him, his eyes showing less of the aloofness of a respected elder and more of the sincerity of a senior.
"Never take 'sacrifice' for granted as 'dedication.' It is always the most painful choice when there is no other way out, the result of having no way to retreat. If there is even the slightest possibility... do not choose sacrifice."
"This disciple will remember your teachings, Venerable One." Lin Yun bowed deeply, his voice solemn.
Seeing this, Yongyun nodded in satisfaction.
His worries were unexpectedly alleviated to a great extent as a result.
The words that had been bottled up in his heart, words he had wanted to confide in his senior, ultimately flowed to the younger generation in this way. He watched the ripples rising on the surface of the pond, and for the first time in recent times, he felt light and carefree.
He lifted his foot and left.
Suddenly, Lin Yun called out to Yong Yun, "Venerable One, there is still one thing I do not understand."
Yongyun stopped in his tracks, sighed inwardly, and turned away helplessly.
The girl's clear eyes revealed determination. "I wonder if there has been any conclusion regarding the subsequent investigation into my and Senior Brother Zhou's performance at the Thousand Count Tower?"
Sure enough, that's what they were asking.
Yongyun maintained a calm expression and spoke in a gentle tone: "This matter is over, there is no need to worry about it anymore. You are still young, you should focus on your cultivation and not waste your energy on these old matters."
The anomalies at the Thousand Pagodas were indeed suspicious, but the sect leader and senior brother never believed that it was the work of their own disciples. Even though Qiling City repeatedly pressured them to send Lin and Zhou to the Tongyuan Wanfa Tower for "assistance in the investigation," Ninghua repeatedly made excuses and refused.
In the end, it was the Immortal Venerable Qiming who mediated and agreed that he would personally meet with the two after the Immortal Sect Grand Competition.
This also means that Lin and Zhou must prove themselves in the Immortal Sect Grand Competition to qualify for entry into Qiling City. Otherwise, they may very well be forced to enter the Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion.
Ning Hua and the others did not want to place this pressure on the two young disciples too early. However, Yong Yun did not expect that Lin Yunwang still remembered things from so long ago. Judging from her appearance, she must have pondered for a long time before asking the question.
Looking into the girl's expectant eyes, he said gently, "Take these next few days to rest and recuperate, and patiently await the new rules of the Immortal Sect Competition."
"Thank you for your concern, Venerable One."
Lin Yunwang was most adept at discerning people's hearts, so he naturally saw through Venerable Yongyun's concealment, but he also knew that he didn't want to say more, and he couldn't get any information out of him.
After bidding farewell to Venerable Yongyun, Lin Yun turned to leave.
As dusk settled, a solitary figure could be seen standing in the distance before her courtyard gate.
It was none other than Master Yichen.
Dressed in white, her robes fluttering gently, her posture upright as a pine tree, her aloof and independent demeanor was just like when we first met.
How long has Master been waiting? Thinking this, she quickened her pace.
Yichen also saw her and stepped forward to greet her.
Her steps were rather hurried, and before she could even stand properly, she quickly bowed to Yichen, saying, "Disciple Yunwang greets Master."
"No need for formalities." Yichen's voice remained gentle, his gaze fixed on her, as if he had something left unsaid.
Lin Yunwang understood and stepped aside to lead the way: "Master, please enter the courtyard."
After taking her seat at the stone table, she picked up the teapot and poured tea for her master. Her hand trembled slightly, and the spout occasionally touched the teacup, making a very soft, crisp sound. Although the sound was not loud, it was quite noticeable in the quiet courtyard.
It is fear.
Lin Yun knew in his heart that it was his master's harsh words today.
If it were anyone else, even if it were Steward Han's harsh words, she could accept them calmly. But these words came from her usually gentle master, so they carried a completely different weight.
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