Zhu Yinxi kept his gaze lowered, appearing oblivious, but his muscles were taut, ready to respond to any situation at a moment's notice.
He needed to see Liu Qingyang's genuine reaction, and he also needed to ensure that his fellow disciples wouldn't take any drastic actions due to the presence of an outsider when they entered.
The next moment, the water curtain was gently pushed aside, and Jiang Yifan and the four others filed in, their movements swift and silent.
Only then did Liu Qingyang belatedly realize someone had entered. Startled, he stood up instinctively, a flicker of tension appearing on his face.
When he saw that the newcomers were the group from the Five Elements Dao Sect, his tension turned into surprise, followed by relief and a look of complete ease.
"Is everyone here?" he greeted them casually, his tone carry a hint of familiarity.
The moment the five entered the cave, they naturally spotted Liu Qingyang immediately.
Aside from Ling Suxin, who remained wary of his presence, the others were merely a bit surprised but quickly regained their composure.
"Qingyang? Why are you here?" Duan Xianxing blurted out, his face full of astonishment.
Li Nanzhu also blinked, her gaze shifting between Liu Qingyang and Zhu Yinxi. Seeing Feng Weilan on the ground with an improved complexion, she, being clever, quickly guessed the situation. A look of realization and a sly smile crossed her face.
Jiang Yifan was the fastest to react.
His gaze swept over the scene. Seeing that Feng Weilan's condition was stable, Liu Qingyang was present and showed no hostility, and Zhu Yinxi was calm, he instantly pieced everything together.
He cupped his fists toward Liu Qingyang and said in a peaceful tone, "Junior Brother Liu, I hope you have been well. Thank you for lending a hand to treat my sixth junior brother."
His words were both a thank you and a way to set the tone, directly establishing the "legitimacy" of Liu Qingyang's presence.
Seeing this, Liu Qingyang hurried to return the gesture. "Senior Brother Jiang, you overstate it. It was just a coincidence, a small matter not worth mentioning." He followed his words with a sheepish chuckle.
After all, the insights they had given him were still in his storage bag. However, he couldn't say that out loud and could only respond this way.
Feng Qingping had already stepped quickly to Feng Weilan's side to check on him. Feeling the purity of the medicinal power, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Her gaze softened considerably when she looked at Liu Qingyang, and she gave a slight nod of acknowledgement.
Seeing the reactions of the others, Ling Suxin also performed a quiet salute.
In her heart, she couldn't help but calculate the relationship between Liu Qingyang and the others. Although she knew Liu Qingyang had a significant friendship with the people of the Five Elements Dao Sect, she hadn't expected them to sit together so peacefully during the Sect Competition without any prior agreement to cooperate.
This situation truly surprised her.
Duan Xianxing approached Liu Qingyang with a grin and nudged him with his elbow. "Not bad, Qingyang! Thanks a lot this time!"
The harmonious atmosphere allowed Liu Qingyang to relax completely, and the slight awkwardness in his heart vanished.
After checking Feng Weilan, Feng Qingping stood up and looked at Liu Qingyang, asking seemingly casually, "Why is Junior Brother Liu here alone? Have you run into some trouble?" Her tone was full of concern, but the question went straight to the heart of the matter.
Liu Qingyang blinked, appearing to recall something, before speaking slowly.
"Sigh, don't even mention it. I originally received a signal from Senior Brother Lu and was heading in this direction to regroup. But just as I was getting close, I somehow stumbled into an array. It was quite powerful and trapped me for a long time; I couldn't get out no matter what I did. Only after the array's energy was exhausted did I manage to escape."
He scratched his head and continued, "Not long after I got out, I had the misfortune of running into several disciples from the Shenmu Sect. They started chasing me without a word. I barely managed to lose them and had just hidden nearby when I sensed movement here. I came to take a look and ran into Brother Zhu and the injured Brother Feng."
As he finished speaking, a strange silence suddenly fell over the cave.
Zhu Yinxi's normally calm face twitched almost imperceptibly at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes took on a peculiar look. He silently glanced at Liu Qingyang, then at Feng Weilan beside him, ultimately choosing to remain silent.
The expressions on the faces of Jiang Yifan, Feng Qingping, Li Nanzhu, and Duan Xianxing also became very colorful in an instant.
They were stunned for a moment, then their gazes collectively shifted to Zhu Yinxi, then to the innocent-looking Liu Qingyang. Finally, they exchanged looks filled with an indescribable meaning.
Even the usually cold Ling Suxin had a flash of realization and helplessness in her eyes.
Seeing everyone suddenly fall silent and the atmosphere turn strange, Liu Qingyang blinked, feeling confused. "Uh... what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
He looked from one person to another, finally landing on Zhu Yinxi's slightly odd expression and the still-unconscious but better-looking Feng Weilan. An unbelievable thought suddenly popped into his head, making his eyes widen instantly.
"Wait, wait!" Liu Qingyang pointed at Zhu Yinxi and then at Feng Weilan, his voice stammering. "Brother Zhu, Brother Feng... these injuries... it couldn't be... it couldn't be my Senior Brother Lu and the others..."
He didn't finish, but his meaning was crystal clear—he realized that the array that had trapped him was likely the one Zhu Yinxi had set up to escape pursuit!
And the people chasing Zhu Yinxi and Feng Weilan were very likely the Water Moon Sect team led by Senior Brother Lu Tingyun, who had sent the signal for him to regroup!
In other words, the fellow disciples he was about to join were the very "enemies" who had driven Zhu Yinxi and Feng Weilan into this state!
And he himself had been trapped by his "own side's" array by some bizarre twist of fate, and then ended up saving the "enemy"...
What... what kind of mess was this!
Liu Qingyang's face instantly slumped, his expression becoming incredibly complex. There was the embarrassment of realization, the absurdity of having friendly fire backfire on him, and a hint of belated worry.
Didn't this count as aiding the enemy to the absolute max? If his old man found out, would he skin him alive?
How distressing!
Looking at Liu Qingyang's rapidly changing face, Zhu Yinxi finally gave a soft sigh, which served as a tacit admission.
He hadn't expected things to be such a coincidence either.
The trapping array he had used to stall the enemy and buy time had actually trapped Liu Qingyang, who was rushing to join them, indirectly leading to the current situation.
Li Nanzhu was the first who couldn't hold it back. She let out a snort and a laugh, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, though her shoulders were shaking.
Duan Xianxing also suppressed a laugh, his face turning bright red.
Jiang Yifan and Feng Qingping shook their heads helplessly, though a trace of a smile lingered at the corners of their mouths.
Seeing Liu Qingyang's "wanting to cry but having no tears" look, Ling Suxin also had a rare, faint smile pass through her eyes. The Liu Qingyang here seemed a bit different from the one in the intelligence reports.
The atmosphere in the cave shifted from the subtle harmony of a moment ago to something suddenly comical and awkward.
Liu Qingyang stood there, unsure whether to stay or leave, feeling as though he had never been so conflicted in his entire life.
Rate on N.U.
