Not Leaving

They were puppets.

Jiang Jin instinctively went to draw his sword and strike, but his mind suddenly took a turn.

The formation in this dense forest was bizarre. He had spent half the day without finding his bearings. Rather than wasting his energy here, it would be better to let himself be captured.

These puppets were likely the creations of his Fifth Senior Sister that the rumors spoke of. It wouldn't be too late to find an opportunity to escape once he followed them into the core territory.

With his mind racing, he intentionally held back his strength and left an opening.

The puppets moved stiffly but possessed immense strength. They immediately swarmed him, binding him hand and foot in no time.

Jiang Jin did not struggle either, keeping his eyes lowered as he allowed them to escort him forward.

Sure enough, the puppets led him through countless twists and turns, passing through layers of misty miasma and ancient trees, before the view ahead suddenly opened up.

Cave openings of various sizes were spread out across the cliffside like palaces carved of stone. Not a single sound echoed even as the wind blew. Evil cultivators and puppets bustled back and forth, and the entire mountain was steeped in a deathly, freezing chill.

The puppets escorted him straight toward a cave along the mountain wall.

Gusts of sinister wind blew from the entrance, carrying a metallic stench of decay. It was clearly used to imprison captives.

Jiang Jin's brow furrowed.

This cave was warded with a spirit-sealing barrier. Once locked inside, breaking the seal would be incredibly difficult, making any attempt to escape as hard as ascending to the heavens.

He had to find a way to escape.

He violently shook his wrists, and spiritual energy exploded along the blade of his sword, snapping the hemp ropes bound around him into pieces.

With a sharp clang, his long sword unsheathed, its cold gleam sweeping across and forcing the puppets in front of him to retreat several paces.

Just as he tapped his toes against the ground to leap and break through the encirclement, a pressure as heavy as the mountains and seas suddenly descended from the sky, crashing heavily onto his shoulders.

Jiang Jin let out a muffled groan. His knees buckled, and he was nearly forced to kneel.

This pressure felt somewhat familiar, yet it was wrapped in a bone-chilling, deathly aura, making it extremely bizarre.

Looking up, he saw a moon-white figure slowly land in front of him.

It was Ye Chang'an, who had been missing for many days!

His face was pale to the point of being translucent. Though his features still possessed their usual handsome charm, there was not a single trace of his former arrogance and wildness. His eyes were hollow, like a pool of stagnant water, devoid of any signs of life.

Jiang Jin felt that something was off, but the current situation left him no time to overthink. He hurriedly spoke, “Young Master Ye, I am Jiang Jin. You should recognize me. We met in the Myriad Bones Forest realm...”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ye Chang'an raised his hand and struck.

Spiritual energy wrapped in a freezing gale slammed toward him. Jiang Jin hastily raised his sword to block. With a sharp clang, the blade vibrated violently, and he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the mountain wall.

A sweet taste welled up in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

In disbelief, he propped himself up with his sword to stand. Suddenly, his gaze caught Ye Chang'an's wrist hanging at his side.

—A dark red thread was wound around it three or four times, its end disappearing deep into his sleeve, writhing slightly as if it were alive.

Had Ye Chang'an been turned into a puppet too?!

Was Wen Tang insane?!

She even dared to lay a hand on the Young Master of Taiqing Pavilion?

Besides, weren't the two of them previously betrothed?

Before he could wrap his head around it, the puppets behind him lunged again, their iron-like hands locking tightly onto his shoulders.

Ye Chang'an's voice was flat and stiff, devoid of any cadence. “Send him to the master.”

...

This time, he was not taken to the cave. Instead, the puppets led him toward the main hall in the back.

He thought to himself that this was bad.

It would have been better to be locked in the cave earlier; at least he might have been able to ask around for Lin Mu's whereabouts.

Now that he was being taken directly to Wen Tang, he had no idea how he would escape.

If Wen Tang wanted to refine him into a puppet as well, that would be a real disaster.

However...

Based on what he had heard from Second Senior Sister earlier, Lin Mu had been kept on Black Cloud Mountain for so long and was still perfectly fine. Since they were both personal disciples, Wen Tang probably wouldn't do anything to him either.

Perhaps she would even lock the two of them up together.

Thinking this, he felt a little more at ease.

Dragged and shoved by the puppets to the outside of the main hall, the heavy dark wood doors slowly swung inward, and a cool fragrance mixed with a hint of sweet, crisp jujube scent drifted out.

This would be his first time meeting Fifth Senior Sister.

And it was the version of Fifth Senior Sister who had been turned into a puppet and possessed no love threads.

Jiang Jin couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Clenching his fists, he raised his eyes to look toward the center of the hall.

Once he clearly saw the scene inside, his pupils contracted slightly.

Seated upon the spacious main throne carved of jade was not Wen Tang, but... Lin Mu?

The person he had been yearning for was slouched comfortably against the soft cushions. She wore a loose, bamboo-green robe with two of the collar buttons left undone.

One of her legs was bent, her foot resting on the jade armrest, while her other leg dangled in the air, swinging back and forth. Red threads and bells were tied around both of her ankles, emitting crisp, ringing sounds whenever she moved.

Her lap was piled high with crisp jujubes, which she was happily munching on, making loud crunching noises.

Standing beside the main throne was another girl. She wore a dark, subtly patterned robe that made her skin look pale to the point of translucency. Her features were incredibly delicate and beautiful, with a high, elegant nose and pale lips.

Despite having an extremely gentle face, her entire being was wrapped in an unyielding coldness.

She kept her eyes lowered, her slender, jade-white fingers deftly holding a handkerchief to catch the jujube pits that Lin Mu spat out.

Strange.

Something was off.

Wasn't Lin Mu supposed to be imprisoned by Fifth Senior Sister?

This incredibly relaxed appearance...

Why did she look a bit like a bandit king?

And there was actually someone attending to her side.

What on earth was going on?

A sudden push from the puppet behind him sent Jiang Jin stumbling into the hall. The heavy dark wood doors shut behind him with a loud boom, making the floor tremble slightly.

Hearing the noise, the two people on the throne turned their heads.

Song Yao still had half a jujube in her mouth. Upon seeing him, she raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. “Jiang Jin? Why are you here...”

Before she could finish, Jiang Jin had already rushed forward. Grabbing her wrist with immense force, he said urgently, “Seventh Junior Sister, come with me! I'm here to rescue you and take you back to Nine Saints Hall!”

Caught off guard, Song Yao was pulled forward, causing the crisp jujubes cradled in her arms to spill and roll all over the floor.

She hurriedly pulled her hand back, halting his movement. “Wait, wait, wait, wait.”

Jiang Jin frowned. “What are we waiting for? We need to leave this place quickly while Fifth Senior Sister isn't here.”

Song Yao: “...”

Fifth Senior Sister isn't here?

Then who was this standing right next to her?

She silently glanced at Wen Tang.

Wen Tang remained expressionless, but her fingers hanging at her side curled slightly. The jujube pit in her hand was crushed into powder, silently trickling down through her fingers.

The air inside the hall seemed to instantly freeze into a thin layer of ice. A chill crept up from the floor tiles, making even the flickering candlelight waver timidly.

Song Yao felt a massive headache coming on.

After she had gone out for a meal with Zhu Zhao yesterday, Wen Tang had locked her in her room upon her return, behaving as if she would never allow her to step foot outside again for the rest of her life.

It had taken quite a bit of coaxing to placate her, and now Jiang Jin had suddenly popped up out of nowhere.

Yet Jiang Jin was completely oblivious to the sudden drop in temperature. Still gripping her wrist tightly, he lowered his voice and said, “Don't worry, I will protect you. Just stay behind me.”

Song Yao wrenched her hand free, leaned back, and nestled into the soft cushions again. Her eyelids half-drooped, she said lazily, “No. I'm not leaving.”