Mu Wenyan's voice fell at the same time as Li Nanzhu’s, stirring a subtle resonance in the moonlight.
Li Nanzhu mused, "Could it be someone with a grudge against the sect?"
"Impossible," Mu Wenyan shook his head. "The sect has been in seclusion for so long that we’ve rarely made enemies, let alone whether this sect even existed a thousand years ago."
"Then..." Li Nanzhu looked at him, "Eldest Senior Brother, do you have any enemies from your time outside?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Wenyan actually hesitated for a rare moment. The moonlight cast fragmented shadows across his brow, clearly reflecting that fleeting hesitation.
Li Nanzhu’s heart stirred—this was the first time she had seen her eldest senior brother show such an expression.
"Eldest Senior Brother?" she couldn't help but call out softly.
Mu Wenyan’s fingertips unconsciously brushed against his scabbard as he gazed at the distant mountain silhouettes. "During those years I spent adventuring outside..."
The night wind blew past, lifting a stray lock of hair by his temple.
"I did cross paths with people," he said in a low voice. "But they were all honorable duels; I never established any life-and-death feuds."
Yet Li Nanzhu clearly saw his knuckles turn slightly white from the force of his grip.
A moment of silence followed.
"In any case," Mu Wenyan suddenly turned around, his eyes regaining their clarity, "I am certain no enemy would go to such great lengths for this."
Li Nanzhu nodded, but she privately noted these subtle anomalies. She felt as though her eldest senior brother was hiding something, but since he didn't want to speak, she couldn't continue pressing him. Instead, she skillfully shifted the topic.
"That hand seal Mo Lin formed at the end was truly strange."
Mu Wenyan’s expression softened slightly as he lightly touched the wound on his ribs. "That seal appears on the surface to burn longevity to increase cultivation, but I feel there is another mystery to it."
"But... how were you wounded, Eldest Senior Brother?" Li Nanzhu couldn't help but ask, her fingers unconsciously clutching her sleeves. "Even if he burned his longevity, his strength should only have been roughly equal to yours."
Mu Wenyan’s gaze darkened as he traced a line over the wound. "In the three hundred and seventy-eighth exchange, he suddenly changed his move."
The night wind grew sudden and sharp, making the ancient pines in the courtyard rustle. Mu Wenyan’s voice blended into the wind, carrying a rare gravity.
"That claw went straight for a spot three inches below my right ribs. That place... is a critical node for my spiritual energy circulation."
Li Nanzhu’s expression shifted slightly. Someone who could precisely grasp an opponent’s spiritual energy nodes...
An absurd thought immediately rose in her mind.
An insider?
"What are you thinking?" Mu Wenyan looked at Li Nanzhu’s changing expression and seemed to guess her thoughts, unable to help but chuckle.
"When Nascent Soul cultivators clash, spiritual energy circulation follows predictable patterns."
"To grasp my spiritual energy nodes so precisely, one would either have to be someone who spends every day with me or a great power with a cultivation far beyond mine."
"And I believe my junior brothers and sisters would never do such a thing."
Li Nanzhu hesitated to speak. Of course she trusted her fellow disciples, but... would a Soul Transformation cultivator truly lower their status to do such a thing?
"You're just a child, why think so much?" Mu Wenyan sighed softly. "If anything happens, I, your eldest senior brother, will be standing in front of you all."
"Then..." Li Nanzhu looked up, "what about Master?"
Mu Wenyan’s hand paused slightly as he rubbed his brow helplessly. "I have already tried to contact Master," he said softly. "There has been no response for the time being."
Li Nanzhu keenly noticed that he said "no response" rather than "unable to connect"—the subtle difference made her heart tighten.
"He’s probably gone to deal with the forbidden area again." Mu Wenyan lowered his hand, his tone returning to calm. "If you’re truly worried, we can investigate again once Master returns."
The night wind suddenly became hurried, making the old pines in the courtyard rustle. A pine needle fell onto the stone table, landing exactly between the two of them.
Li Nanzhu stared at the pine needle, understanding in her heart—her eldest senior brother was subtly dismissing her suspicion.
He didn't want to say it directly, but the action of rubbing his brow said it all: he had never doubted Master.
Li Nanzhu lowered her eyes; even she felt this notion was utterly absurd.
Feng Yi had never done anything to harm his disciples, and the care hidden in the details couldn't be faked.
The private rooms on the spirit ship, the bells carefully carved with their respective symbols, and the perfectly timed guidance during sword practice.
Yet, whenever something went wrong, the first suspect that popped into her mind was always Feng Yi.
Like right now, even though there was no evidence, she couldn't stop herself from thinking—could Master be playing a much larger game?
Suisui’s bone claws suddenly pressed against her cool hand, its soul fire flickering gently.
Li Nanzhu laughed at herself. Perhaps it was a professional habit left over from being a journalist in her past life? Or maybe it was those cliché novels she read before transmigrating that gave her a stereotypical impression of the 'villainous master' trope?
She brushed the baseless suspicions from her mind and lightly stroked Suisui’s bone claws. The night wind blew past, bringing a hint of chill.
"Since we’ve ruled out those possibilities..." She looked up at Mu Wenyan, "then we can only investigate Mo Lin himself."
Mu Wenyan nodded slightly. "Do you have a lead?"
"This is all thanks to you, Eldest Senior Brother." Li Nanzhu tapped her communication jade slip, a flash of cunning in her eyes. "If it weren't for the fact that you gave me enough spirit stones, I’m afraid I wouldn't even have been able to cross the threshold of Tingfeng Pavilion."
"By noon tomorrow at the latest, the detailed records on Qingming Pavilion will be delivered." She paused, and as if remembering something, a self-mocking curve touched her lips.
Initially, she had instinctively wanted to go to Rong Yuying.
The intelligence network of the Hehuan Sect was indeed unrivaled, but just as she was about to send the message, she was struck by a sudden realization—without knowing when it started, she had habitually relied on the other party for information.
This realization made a layer of cold sweat break out on her back.
Though it appeared to be a mutually beneficial cooperation on the surface, were those 'voluntarily' provided pieces of intelligence not just a web carefully woven by the Hehuan Sect?
They had likely calculated long ago that they could use a continuous stream of information to tie the Five Elements Dao Sect and the Hehuan Sect firmly to the same boat.
Unfortunately, they had overlooked one thing—the Five Elements Dao Sect had no shortage of spirit stones.
Well, except for Duan Xianxing.
And in this cultivation world, as long as one gave enough spirit stones, what kind of information couldn't be bought? Why was there a need to owe a debt of gratitude to the Hehuan Sect?
Just as Li Nanzhu was about to say something more, Mu Wenyan suddenly looked up. Li Nanzhu followed his gaze and saw what appeared to be a white shadow flitting through the swaying shadows of the trees.
"Eldest Senior Brother!" she called out instinctively.
Mu Wenyan had already turned away, his scabbard shimmering under the moonlight. "Go and rest. I’ll wait for my junior sister's intelligence."
His tone was as calm as ever, as if he hadn't noticed anything at all.
Li Nanzhu seemed to realize something as well, nodding slightly and swallowing her questions.
Just as she was about to turn and return to her room, she heard Mu Wenyan speak again.
"Junior Sister."
"Yes?"
"Remember, suspicion is an instinct, but verification requires evidence." Mu Wenyan’s voice was very light. "Don’t let preconceived biases cloud your judgment."
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