When entering the valley, all the disciples from various sects registered their names. Hua Yan followed Lu Chengsha and registered under the name Zhou Xiaohua.
However, this was the first time since entering the valley that someone had called her by this name outside. She was momentarily stunned before reacting.
Hua Yan rubbed her eyes, got up, dressed, and washed up, still a bit groggy. This was mainly… Great Hero Lu’s fault. He was learning too fast, and she found it hard to keep up.
As she thought about it, an image of Lu Chengsha holding her wrists, kissing her just below her collarbone, flashed in her mind. He was very different from usual. Normally, Lu Chengsha’s demeanor was somewhat cold and stern, but at that time, his desires were deep, and he was both forceful and fervent. His eyes and lips conveyed a sense of possession, and his entire being exuded an intent to devour her. Just thinking about it made Hua Yan’s heart race, her breath quicken, and her face flush red.
She shook the image from her mind and pushed the door open to find a stranger, a disciple from Cixin Valley, standing outside.
“Are you looking for me?”
The disciple replied, “Uh, actually, it’s like this. That day, Miss Nian… mentioned something, and now Aunt Xi has some questions she wants to ask you.”
Hua Yan remembered that she had mentioned Huai Yi’s name in front of everyone, which indeed might arouse curiosity. It wasn’t surprising that Yin Xi wanted to ask her about it, so she didn’t think much of it.
Following him through numerous twists and turns, she finally saw Yin Xi.
Yin Xi’s courtyard was quite far from Nian Yi’s, but the styles were somewhat similar, both arranged very simply. She was sitting in the courtyard, wrapped in a cloak, looking lost, as if her soul had departed. Hua Yan called out to her twice before she responded.
“Did you call me to ask how I know Huai Yi’s name?” Hua Yan asked straightforwardly. “There were some letters in a hidden compartment in Nian Yi’s room. I happened to see them. They were written by Huai Yi to him. Actually, I don’t know any of you. I was just curious.”
Yin Xi’s gaze fell lightly on her, the look in her eyes somewhat subtle.
Hua Yan found it strange, “Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t take out your anger on an innocent person!”
Yin Xi took out a pot of wine from under the stone table and said, “Can you drink, little girl? Have a few drinks with me.”
She seemed like a different person. The original Yin Xi had a harsh temper, but now those emotions seemed to have vanished with Nian Yi’s death.
Hua Yan said, “I don’t drink.”
Yin Xi replied, “Then just watch me drink. I’ll finish this pot.”
Hua Yan felt it was inexplicable.
Yin Xi had already started drinking by herself. After taking a sip, she said, “I can’t keep up the pretense anymore. For over ten years, I always felt like he would find out, but he never exposed me and even kept me by his side… Later, I poisoned him, for more than a year and a half. I thought he didn’t know, but after his death, I realized he had been watching me poison him the whole time… This man must have been crazy…”
She rambled on as if she had no one else to talk to.
Hua Yan watched her drink cup after cup. Finally, Yin Xi smashed the wine pot and said, “…I don’t even know why he left this valley to me, but now it’s a complete mess, and I have no idea how to clean it up… After I finish this last task, I’ll…”
She seemed to have fallen asleep, leaning on her arm.
Hua Yan listened, blinked, and then started to walk away. On her way back, she pondered for a while, only coming back to her senses when she was near the courtyard gate.
The surroundings were still filled with the shadows of bamboo, serene and quiet. The water surface was calm and undisturbed. As she walked onto the stone bridge, she could smell a faint bamboo fragrance, but she felt something was off.
As she reached the courtyard gate and was about to step inside, an unusual sense of danger surged.
Silence.
Too silent.
An almost eerie silence.
Even if there weren’t many people in the courtyard, it was never this quiet, so quiet that it seemed like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for her to step inside.
Hua Yan halted, her silk fan slipping into her hand, and she turned to leave.
In an instant, dozens of arrows shot towards her from all directions. She raised her fan to deflect them, rotating her wrist as the arrows clashed against the steel ribs of the silk fan, falling to the ground with a clatter.
What’s going on!
Before she could think further, a second wave of arrows followed.
Hua Yan had no choice but to retreat into the courtyard, seeking cover. The fan’s steel frame was sturdy, but there were gaps in the fabric. She had to twist her wrist to break the arrows passing through the fan, which took extra effort. In a flash, she drew her Chunhua Sword from her waist, wielding the fan in one hand and the sword in the other. She moved gracefully, spinning and twirling, deflecting all the arrows.
What’s happening?
Her scalp tingled with unease, and her eyelids twitched.
She activated her lightness skill and attempted to flee.
However, the attackers seemed prepared. A massive spider web descended from above. Hua Yan immediately drew her sword and slashed through it. Just as she broke free, more people rushed in from all directions, their weapons aimed at her. It was clear this was a premeditated ambush to capture her.
Voices rose from the chaos:
“Don’t let this witch escape!”
“Catch her quickly!”
“Let’s all attack at once! She can’t fight off so many of us!”
When Hua Yan heard the term “witch,” her heart sank, feeling as though she had fallen into an ice-cold abyss.
They knew? How did they find out? How many people knew?
Does Lu Chengsha know?
“Who said that, I…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted.
“You demon witch, don’t try to argue. We already know your identity. No more pretending… I knew something was off when a disciple with no sect or background could look so enchanting and cling to Young Master Lu all day.”
Someone recognized the emblem on her sword.
“How dare you, a witch, use a sword from Tingjian Manor?”
Thinking of Lu Chengsha, Hua Yan’s anxiety intensified. She pushed back a group of disciples, but more replaced them, seemingly endless. Weapons clashed chaotically from all directions. Even when she swung her sword, she could strike three or four blades at once.
Hua Yan channeled her internal energy, trying to repel the approaching disciples as if swatting away flies.
Where is Lu Chengsha?
She murmured to herself.
“Don’t expect Young Master Lu to appear. Master Ling has already called him away.”
“Even if he were here, he wouldn’t save a demon witch like you!”
“What are you planning, witch? Do you think we don’t know? Using your beauty to get close to Young Master Lu, gaining his trust, and then spying for your demon cult leader, right?”
As Hua Yan parried attacks, she couldn’t help but retort, “I haven’t! Where is he now—”
“Are you stupid, witch? If he comes, it will only be to kill you.”
“If it weren’t for Yu Ye… Young Master Lu would still be deceived by you, witch, and played around in circles.”
Her mind was a whirlwind, trying to grasp the main point: “Was it that scoundrel Yu Ye who told you?”
“Why ask? Planning revenge?”
“Witch, you should surrender now to avoid more suffering.”
He had betrayed her!
Recalling their last unpleasant meeting, Hua Yan said immediately, “Yu Ye was captured on purpose. He deceived you all. He didn’t betray the demon cult and was chased; he betrayed the former cult leader, intending to become the leader himself. He deliberately disguised himself as a traitor to get close to you. He has no good intentions! The traps in the sect wars and exploration grounds were set by him, and those two farm women in Cixin Valley were killed by him!”
“You witch are quite skilled at twisting the truth!”
“Do you think we’d believe you based on your words alone?”
Hua Yan retorted, “How do you know I don’t have evidence?”
“Evidence or not, we’ll capture you first and talk later!”
No, she couldn’t be captured.
Her spine chilled at the thought. If she were captured, it would be like being handed over to Yu Ye. If he indeed administered the Wangchou Gu poison and fabricated a convincing story, things could turn out exactly as he planned.
The consequences were too dire to contemplate.
However, Hua Yan was now overwhelmed. Individually, these disciples were no match for her, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed her. They attacked ruthlessly, while she held back, fearing to accidentally kill someone. Her anxiety prevented her from fighting at full strength, leaving her to react on instinct with little time to think.
“Don’t kill her outright, just injure her so she can’t move. We need to interrogate her about the demon cult leader’s whereabouts.”
“They say this demon witch is very important. The cult leader won’t abandon her.”
There were too many of them. Hua Yan flicked a handful of knockout powder from her sleeve, causing a dozen disciples nearby to fall unconscious instantly.
Others shouted, “This witch is using poison!”
“She’s killing people!”
Furious, Hua Yan shouted back, “I didn’t kill anyone! This poison only causes unconsciousness!”
But no one listened to her.
Hua Yan momentarily lost focus, and a sword tip grazed her shoulder, causing a sharp pain and blood to spurt out. She hadn’t been injured in a long time, and she instinctively swung her sword in retaliation, almost piercing her attacker, but she diverted her strike at the last moment.
She didn’t want to kill anyone.
If she killed, how could she explain to Lu Chengsha that she was a good person?
The pain brought Hua Yan back to reality—she needed to escape and could not afford to be entangled any longer.
At that moment, a woman wielding a barbed whip descended from above. With a powerful swing, she lashed out, sending attackers flying and alleviating much of the pressure on Hua Yan.
Hua Yan finally caught her breath.
“Ning Yin,” the woman said, “I apologize for being late.” She used her whip to clear a path, grabbing Hua Yan and running inside.
Everyone had been guarding against Hua Yan fleeing outward or upward and were caught off guard when she moved inward. By the time they reacted, the two women were already inside the building. Ning Yin immediately pushed open a window and pulled Hua Yan, preparing to jump out.
Hua Yan reacted quickly: “Using the underground passage? Where is the cult leader?”
Ning Yin replied, “The cult leader has already left. He sensed something was wrong and decided to leave early. He sent me to get you.”
With a splash, the two landed in the water and swam towards a large rock. They heard more splashes behind them—pursuers. The two women moved the rock aside and swam into the passageway. As the pursuers neared, Ning Yin pressed a spot on the stone wall, causing rocks to fall and block the entrance. She then pulled Hua Yan further into the passage.
Hua Yan, soaked and with the taste of water in her mouth, felt the sting of her shoulder wound.
She used to fear pain the most, but now she couldn’t afford to.
Without pursuers behind them, Hua Yan finally became fully aware of the situation.
Her identity was exposed. She had to leave Lu Chengsha. Just last night, they had been so intimate, sharing kisses and touches. She had been thinking of taking him to Qingzhou to meet her family, dreaming of roaming the martial world together. But now… there might be no future together.
Hua Yan finally understood what Xie Yingxian meant by, “If you like him, make the most of your time.”
Life had been so sweet that she had almost avoided thinking about the differences in their identities.
Even so, she couldn’t help but have some unrealistic hopes—maybe Lu Chengsha wouldn’t mind, maybe even if he knew her true identity, he wouldn’t care. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to claim in front of other righteous disciples that she hadn’t killed and was a good person, but perhaps Lu Chengsha would believe her…
She hadn’t seen him yet. How could she be willing to leave without knowing?
Ning Yin, holding her hand, paused slightly. “Holy Maiden, what’s wrong? Did you drop something? We can’t go back for it now. We’ll have to come back another time! We need to leave quickly. Although we blocked the entrance, it will only hold for a while. They will definitely come after us.”
Hua Yan knew she was right.
But… she had really left something behind!
What should she do?
Could she go back and retrieve Lu Chengsha?
Hua Yan followed Ning Yin in a daze, not knowing how long they ran until they finally reached an exit. Ning Yin pushed open a stone slab that concealed the exit and pulled her up.
Outside, the grass was lush, and the surroundings were filled with trees. It was a sparse little forest that looked unfamiliar. Hua Yan confirmed they had exited the valley, facing a wide main road.
On the main road was a seemingly ordinary carriage.
Ning Yin also breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Hua Yan, worried, and said, “Holy Maiden, are you alright? Oh, you’re injured! Let me see…”
Hua Yan reluctantly gathered her thoughts and said, “I’m fine.”
Ning Yin had already pulled aside her shoulder garment, revealing the deep gash on her fair skin, feeling heartache. “How could they do this to you? Get on the carriage first. I’ll apply medicine for you later. Wait, Holy Maiden, why aren’t your clothes dry? Is your internal energy not…?” She reached for her wrist.
Hua Yan shook her head. “I’m really fine.”
She just lacked the energy.
Even the usually carefree Ning Yin sensed something was off. She was about to say more, but Hua Yan had already stepped towards the carriage. Ning Yin watched her back and sighed.
Another woman, who looked similar to Ning Yin but had a different demeanor, was sitting on the carriage. She was Xie Yingxian’s other maid, named Jiang Lan.
Her clothes were similar to Ning Yin’s but in a light red color. Jiang Lan sat on the driver’s seat, holding the reins, and gave Hua Yan a gentle smile, urging her softly, “Holy Maiden, please get in the carriage.”
Hua Yan nodded, used her internal energy to dry her clothes, lifted the curtain, and entered the carriage. Inside, someone was already waiting for her.
He was still in his usual plain gray clothes, sitting lazily on one side of the carriage with his knees bent, one hand supporting his chin, and the other tapping lightly on the small table inside the carriage. His narrow eyes were half-closed, seemingly deep in thought, not knowing how long he had been waiting.
When she entered, Xie Yingxian seemed to wake up. He raised his slightly pale eyes, and a welcoming smile appeared on his handsome, otherworldly face. He spoke to her.
“Young Miss, let’s go home.”