32 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

Fengyu's sword was taken by Ji Wunian, and without the ability to ride her sword and leave, Yuebai was left behind in the Qinglin Palace by Ji Wunian. She played with Wanwan, finding the way the little one clung to her leg utterly adorable. "Yuebai..." Jiuyi informed her that the mission was complete, then spoke to her in a motherly tone, "Although I previously said 'please go ahead,' it's important to choose your partners wisely... Look at this Ji Wunian, she seems a bit unreliable..." "Seeing her bite you like that, it seems she's just venting her frustrations..." "Don't be deceived, the cost of being PUA-ed is high..." "Though we have missions to complete, we're a harmonious socialist task system; you don't really need to sell yourself..." After chattering a lot, Yuebai only replied with one sentence. "Next time, avoid it." What? There's going to be a next time? Jiuyi felt utterly dismayed, like a parent watching their child being led astray. "Yuebai, although this mission doesn't impose many restrictions on you, Ji Wunian doesn't seem like a good match at all..." Jiuyi felt deeply worried for his host, "Just look at her, she was completely unstable yesterday... And she's been flirting with both you and Ye'er, what a player!" "She knows." "Huh?" Jiuyi was puzzled. "Knows what?" "She has long known that Qifeng was falling into demonic practice," Yuebai said while playing with Wanwan's paws. "What?" Jiuyi was surprised. "How did she know? And how do you know she knew?" Was it the cryptic conversation from yesterday? "She advised Qifeng 'no regrets on the path ahead'," Yuebai explained, "implying she had planned all along to expose Qifeng as soon as he acted, revealing his demonic energy." Yuebai even suspected that all of Ji Wunian's prior closeness with Qifeng was for this very day. But Qifeng only succumbed to demonic practice after descending the mountain; how could Ji Wunian have known in advance? "...But didn't you also say that this could expose herself as well?" Jiuyi felt his face crumpling in frustration. "Is this some kind of suicide mission?" "So..." Yuebai held Wanwan in her arms, her eyes void of emotion, "Did she know I would help her?" Jiuyi couldn't keep up with Yuebai's leap in logic and humbly asked for clarification, "Miss Yuebai, so what is the situation exactly?" "Ji Wunian should have known all along that Liuli would be attacked and severely injured, that demonic cultivators were involved, and about the water pearl incident. She also knew when Qifeng returned, he would betray the sect, possibly even knowing the reason for his betrayal and that the demonic energy would be triggered..." Yuebai recalled their conversation from yesterday, Ji Wunian's precise compliment to Qifeng's 'clarity' was too accurate. "The remaining question..." is whether she knew about me. From all her reactions, Yuebai felt Ji Wunian did not know. But this didn't explain the mystery surrounding Ji Wunian. "...So what does kissing you have to do with this?" Jiuyi asked awkwardly. "And what's the deal with you letting her kiss you...?" "Hmm? Does it need to have any meaning?" Yuebai asked indifferently. "She wanted to kiss, so I let her. Aren't I just fulfilling her wish?" Besides, it felt quite nice. Jiuyi dryly said, "Though you make a fair point, I still find something off about it." Yuebai didn't respond further. *** The interrogation of Qifeng concluded, bringing everything to a temporary close. "I used to meet Qifeng a few times," Liuli was now with Zhao Zichen and Ji Wunian, being one of the main targets of the ambush, making him the center of recent events. "Though he wasn't outstanding, he was steady. Coming back now and sneaking into my chamber... it does seem fishy even if he's a demonic cultivator." "Wunian, I know you were somewhat close to him before," Zhao Zichen also felt something was off and asked, "What do you think?" Ji Wunian was a bit dazed. She knew Qifeng shouldn’t have acted at this time. Causing such a commotion at this moment was undoubtedly orchestrated by a certain young woman. Not to mention the talisman she had specifically sent her... "Wunian?" Ji Wunian lowered her head. "I'm afraid it's my fault." Regardless, the way things developed aligned with her goals. Naturally, Ji Wunian would also shield Yuebai from the reason behind this. "When I saw Brother Qifeng return, I hinted at the lack of manpower in the sect while drinking with him. Although we've gathered many sects here, the preparations were hurried, leading to weak defenses..." "Not really," Liuli comforted her. "If you hadn't given me that jade talisman in advance, I might not have survived." Severely injured, Liuli, even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, might not have been able to fend off the demonic Qifeng. When Ji Wunian arrived, Liuli was already unconscious. Upon waking, he reported that Qifeng attacked while he was resting, and he only felt a surge of spiritual energy before losing consciousness. Ji Wunian, being the "first" to arrive on the scene, claimed that when she got there, Liuli was protected by the talisman, holding back the demonic Qifeng with its barrier. Other arriving members, along with Zhao Zichen and several elders from different sects, saw Liuli being shielded by the talisman's light, while the demonic Qifeng had already been subdued by Ji Wunian. This setup was part of Ji Wunian's arrangement, following Yuebai's plan. Qifeng's exposure and the jade talisman that allegedly hid the demonic energy were all part of the plot. Ji Wunian wondered how much more she would have to handle from that woman. "Thus, Liuli, it seems you owe that young lady another life," Zhao Zichen remarked, "If you see her, you should indeed consider repaying her in any way possible." Ji Wunian, initially lost in thought, was brought back by this comment. "...Senior brother, you must be joking," Liuli replied awkwardly. "But if I do meet her, I should properly thank her for saving my life." "Senior Brother Liuli," Ji Wunian asked, "Do you really not recognize her at all?" "Why would even you wonder, Wunian?" Liuli was helpless. "You've at least seen her once; I haven't seen her at all..." All the instances when Liuli had been saved, he was unconscious and had no idea what the woman who had saved him multiple times looked like. Indeed, those who had seen her besides the Lingyun disciples were mainly Ji Wunian. Because the Lingyun disciples had seen her too, it wasn’t just Ji Wunian. "Let's not worry about the young lady for now," Zhao Zichen said, "The demonic energy on Qifeng was well concealed, and it seems only by triggering it can it be detected. If any sect disciples are tainted by it, they might easily be led into demonic practices, becoming bloodthirsty killers." Qifeng confessed during the trial that his plan was to infect the weakened Liuli with demonic energy and use Fengyu as a conduit to taint Ye'er and Ji Wunian, turning them into demonic spies embedded in Sanqing as a poisonous thorn. Ji Wunian knew this was a half-truth, influenced by Yuebai's handiwork. "The greater fear is that disciples have already been contaminated," Ji Wunian held the Fengyu sword handed to her by Ye'er. "We must be vigilant." Zhao Zichen, thinking about the sword's origin, asked, "How is Ye'er?" "No abnormalities," Ji Wunian replied. "I'll keep her close and continue to observe." "I wonder how the demonic clan managed to cultivate such a thing," Liuli frowned. "It's truly unheard of." "There are already quite a few rumors within the sect," Zhao Zichen furrowed his brow, "Elder Qi Yue will have significant troubles with this as well." This incident occurred at the Eight-foot Peak, and even if Elder Qi Yue is impartial, he can't avoid private gossip, not to mention the external sects... "This thing is like a plague," Ji Wunian leaned back. "The greatest fear is ignorance. Senior brother, I think we need to investigate," she said. "According to Qifeng, the demonic clan plans to use this as a strategy. We can't sit idly by." Zhao Zichen nodded, then smiled. "Wunian, it seems your restriction will have to be lifted." Ji Wunian still had twenty years before her restriction would be formally lifted. Her only known title was what she had left after descending the mountain years ago. Being tied to the secular royal family, Ji Wunian's understanding of such matters likely surpassed those of the reclusive sect elders. "Qifeng said he encountered the demonic cultivator at Kunming," Ji Wunian smiled. "That's where the human, demon, and demonic realms intersect. I'll go take a look in a few days." "This matter is neither urgent nor slow," Liuli said. "Wunian, you should make thorough preparations before descending the mountain." "Wunian understands."