135 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 135: The Affair Even Bai Yan was taken aback and paused abruptly. He knew very well the nuances behind the incident with the severed hand, particularly whether or not Huai Ye was connected to it. The fact that Huai Ye admitted it so openly left him on edge, unable to sit still. Mu Hua glanced at him, then stepped forward and asked Huai Ye, "So, according to you, were these two killed by your hand?" Huai Ye wasn't aware of the full story and had only a vague impression of the crowd's focus. She accidentally let something slip earlier, and only realized it when she saw the astonished faces of those around her. Now that Mu Hua was questioning her again, fearing she might say something shocking, she turned her head toward Xiang Shi Yan, seeking her guidance. The woman in white nodded slowly, "Just speak the truth." "..." Huai Ye studied Xiang Shi Yan's expression some more, suspecting there was a deeper meaning she couldn't discern. Finding none, she finally spoke, "I did encounter a monstrous cultivator but failed to subdue him. He managed to slip away..." Last night, Huai Ye had arranged with He He and the others to take them on a stroll through the night market in Qingyuan City. The place was bustling with commerce, and every shop and street vendor was worth a look. The four of them wandered from dusk until the early night, intending to head back only when some stalls began to close. The four of them hadn't been far from the market when, around the bridge, He He refused to go further, deciding to return for a white fox mask that she regretted not purchasing. She urged Qian Da Ni and Xu You Qing to accompany her, leaving Huai Ye to wait for a moment. It was just a couple of steps back and the streets were crowded with people, so Huai Ye allowed them to go. It only took a short while after her three companions left when Huai Ye detected a faint trace of something unusual. Her senses were sharp, having previously encountered and fought with demon cultivators many times, she was particularly sensitive to demonic energy, and realized immediately that some rogue was nearby. She concealed her presence, quietly moving in the direction of the demonic energy, and leaped under the bridge. It wasn't long before she spotted a masked figure hiding beneath it. However, it was late, and the distance between them was considerable. Given how alert the masked figure was, the person noticed Huai Ye immediately, preventing her from seeing precisely what they were doing. When the masked person attempted to flee, Huai Ye sprang forward to block her path. The demon cultivator was clearly far more advanced in cultivation than Huai Ye and had much more experience. Huai Ye couldn't stop her and had to watch helplessly as the person slipped away. Although during the fight, she did manage to wound the opponent with a lightning spell. After hearing Huai Ye's account, Mu Hua frowned. The time of death for the bodies couldn't be determined, and there were two of them. Aside from this point, everything seemed to fit. The disciples of Tianji Gate, using a special tool, had verified that the two demon cultivators had a cultivation level above Yuan Ying, making it possible that one of them was indeed the demon cultivator Huai Ye encountered last night. However, it all felt too deliberate. Mu Hua glanced at the composed Xiang Shi Yan, wondering if perhaps something had been cooked up between the two factions to fool the Tianji Gate. Anyone whose carefully laid plans were a step ahead only to trap themselves in a scheme wouldn't remain calm. Bai Jing Huan had closed his door to guests, leaving the other two elders of Tai Xu Sect to manage affairs temporarily. He exchanged a look with Bai Yan, giving him newfound confidence. "If so, why did you conceal the matter? Is there something else behind it?" Although Mu Hua wasn't particularly concerned for the safety of these two sects, Tianji Gate stood on the side of destiny—the fact that Qin Miao hadn't appeared much after arriving in Qingyuan City notwithstanding—she didn't mind giving Yucang Mountain some face. "Indeed, Tianji Gate has not received reports regarding this matter. The bodies found belong to the Xiao tribe, concerning demonic spies. This is significant. I hope Junior Sister Huai Ye can tell the truth." Huai Ye opened her mouth, intending to say that what she encountered should have been part of the monster demon clan, and that the place she hurt the person was different. But she suddenly felt a chill spread through. She clenched her fingers, refraining from blurting out anything that might harm her. As she quickly calculated how to respond, He He stood up from behind and said, "How could there be no record? We reported it to the Tianji Gate together with Da Ni and You Qing." Then she revealed a look that said, "If you don't believe it, ask them," her youthful face seemed very sincere and innocent. Could that really be true? Xu You Qing knew for sure that Senior Sister Huai Ye had only waited quietly by the bridge for a quarter of an hour. Her eyes flickered, but she went along and lied, "That's right." "Oh? These days, every affair in Qingyuan City goes through me first. If there really was such a major event reported, like a demon entering the city, how could I not know?" Mu Hua smoothed her sleeves. "Please, don't tell lies to cover for someone. Falsifying testimony... that won't help Huai Ye." "Young friend, you've overreacted. My disciple spoke truthfully. They're still young, and it’s unlikely they'd even think to lie," Xiang Shi Yan said gently, pulling He He to her side. Mu Hua glanced at Huai Ye's emotionless face, then smiled without a word. Taking advantage of the moment when Xiang Shi Yan couldn't pull away in public, He He interlocked her fingers with Xiang Shi Yan's, squeezing tightly. Xiang Shi Yan couldn't help but look down at her; the girl hid timidly behind her, eyes fluttering playfully when meeting her gaze. He He said, "We did tell Senior Sister Fu Xiao about it, beyond that we're not sure." Matters in Qingyuan City were overseen by Mu Hua, herself from the senior elder's lineage. Although Fu Xiao was close to Mu Hua, the Tianji Gate had been incredibly busy lately. The two had little interaction beyond jointly handling the affairs of Yucang Mountain's members, and Fu Xiao was unfamiliar with the procedures for some matters in Qingyuan City. Importantly, she wasn't present at the moment. Mu Hua smoothly continued the conversation in line with her words, "Perhaps Senior Sister Fu didn't notify me and reported directly to the sect. Besides telling me earlier today, she hasn't participated in this investigation, so a mistake isn't surprising. If it's truly as He He says, then Fu Xiao should be able to testify for Junior Sister Huai Ye. I'll investigate at the affairs department once I return to the mountain." "You seem inclined to favor Yucang Mountain," retorted an elder of Tai Xu Sect, clearly displeased. "Huai Ye's suspicion hasn’t been cleared yet. She should be detained until her innocence is proven, don’t you agree?" The middle-aged man squinted his eyes coldly, seemingly pressuring her to handle the matter strictly. "You were quite enthusiastic when calling out in front of our gate earlier; now that the people have been found, doesn’t it seem like you’re trying to delay?" "What are you talking about, Elder Yu? We were just inspecting for traces of demonic presence in the residence. Tai Xu Sect has consistently refused entry for inspections; otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so long. Also, we're not targeting Tai Xu Sect specifically; we could have forced our way in if we really wanted to. Right?" "The disciples of Tianji Gate certainly excel at wordplay and shifting topics. We were supposed to discuss Huai Ye’s punishment, and now you're dragging Tai Xu Sect into it. What's your intention?" "I made it clear earlier. This matter could be significant or minor. It's challenging to determine if Huai Ye is guilty of dismemberment or hiding the bodies. She's already clarified the misunderstanding. Once I return and verify the documents, we'll know if she's telling the truth." Tai Xu Sect's intentions were blatantly obvious. Tomorrow Huai Ye had a competition; if she couldn't participate, it would result in her elimination, preventing her from competing for the top spot against Tai Xu Sect's disciples. If Tianji Gate granted them this opportunity, the sect could let the issue slide, potentially preventing future troubles from Tai Xu Sect. However, this action would make an enemy of Yucang Mountain, with destiny being the priority. Mu Hua argued alone with the two elders of Tai Xu Sect, showing no signs of backing down. However, looking at her, Huai Ye felt an odd sensation. While inserting her experience into the gaps of the entire event, she got the sense that all her actions were under someone else’s guidance... or perhaps, it wasn't an illusion. Her peers’ testimonies were a façade. After losing track of the demon she was chasing, Huai Ye returned to the bridge filled with doubt, pretending nothing had happened as she continued to wait. Since last night, anxiety had lingered in her heart—there was something strangely familiar attached to the demon cultivator who appeared as if intentionally luring her to see them. Casting a cautious glance at Xiang Shi Yan, who was engaged in debate with Mu Hua and the Tai Xu Sect members, Huai Ye realized even as she recounted the previous night, her master's expression hadn’t changed much. It was as if she was either indifferent or had known all along, maintaining a sense of assured calm. Yet, that was clearly a demon cultivator, definitely not someone in disguise. Perhaps fearing recognition, the person hadn’t used any spells. With the ice spiritual root, one of the rarest, and with Xiang Shi Yan being the only prominent one known, Huai Ye came close to capturing the opponent several times. But the opponent knew her moves well, possessed extraordinary cultivation levels, and seized opportunities to twist and lash out their tail. That long tail, like a white silk ribbon, struck Huai Ye and sent her flying several meters away. The tail appeared to be no mere imitation with magic tools; it was as if it was naturally part of them. As the person was about to escape, Huai Ye, in a moment of desperation, grabbed the fluffy fox tail. Although it lasted for only a brief moment, Huai Ye could ascertain with utmost certainty that it felt alive. Indeed, the one Huai Ye encountered last night was a female cultivator, whereas the two bodies Tianji Gate retrieved from the river were male, clearly not the same person she had met. More importantly, there was still a faint scent of her own on Xiang Shi Yan. The changes in Huai Ye's body had occurred two years ago in Xinyang City, and over the past two years, she had gained much better control over her glands. Unless provoked by external stimuli, she usually wouldn’t leak any scent easily. The last time she lost control was in the Primordial Fusion Realm, where she involuntarily released her scent in response to He He's scentless odor. It wasn’t that Xiang Shi Yan was careless in disguising herself or accidentally leaked her scent during a fight that caused Huai Ye to lose control. During combat or extreme emotional agitation, Huai Ye still couldn't fully suppress her scent, so before entering the arena, she would always apply a scent-blocking patch from Xiang Shi Yan on her glands. Last night, however, as she was out with her junior sisters, she wasn’t prepared for such eventualities. Today, the scent on Xiang Shi Yan was even fainter, suggesting she had meticulously cleansed it. Nevertheless, any unintended mishap could not be completely erased, and the residual hint was undetectable to everyone except Huai Ye's keen senses. After her brief surprise, Huai Ye couldn’t help but worry. Earlier, her master's waist seemed somewhat strained; what if she had hurt her last night? No one understood the troublesome nature of lightning techniques better than Huai Ye. What if a lingering injury was left on Xiang Shi Yan? Moreover, she recalled pulling on that fluffy tail during their encounter; could the tailbone be broken? Without knowing where Xiang Shi Yan concealed her tail, Huai Ye could only imagine it drooping lifelessly. In an inadvertent moment, Huai Ye's eyes met He He's for a brief exchange. Ah, even He He knows more than I do; she must be Xiang Shi Yan's accomplice. Could He He be aware of Xiang Shi Yan’s true identity? Does she know this secret that has eluded me for over a decade? No, because she’s He He, she can be closer to Xiang Shi Yan. Whether it’s about her spiritual imprint or her demon form, Xiang Shi Yan never tells Huai Ye what she plans to do. To her, Huai Ye has always been a child in need of protection, no matter how strong Huai Ye becomes... Only once did Xiang Shi Yan confide in her about the Cloudy Raiment incident, and Huai Ye had messed it up. Thinking of this, Huai Ye couldn’t help but feel a bit downcast. "It seems Tianji Gate is determined to favor Yucang Mountain, but we won't let you bully us. Fine, since you want to verify the documents, why wait until later? Let’s go now, to prevent anyone from claiming Yucang Mountain colluded with Tianji Gate to forge evidence!" Mu Hua, adept at rhetoric, excelled at the art of deflecting and minimizing conflict. Witnessing the situation about to reach a standstill, the elder from Tai Xu Sect insisted on accompanying Mu Hua to prove that Huai Ye's statement was fabricated. "Oh, my disciples act reasonably, whereas Tai Xu Sect repeatedly insists on their pressure tactics. If the document is indeed legitimate, would it not be clear that Tai Xu Sect intended to frame Huai Ye?" Xiang Shi Yan replied before Mu Hua could, "With Elder Yu's words, could I not speculate that Tai Xu Sect's residence indeed had a visit from the demons, and that this whole charade is just to buy time to clean up evidencia?" Sneaking in without discussing it with Mu Hua first, using someone like Fu Xiao not present as their witness, and knowing that Tianji Gate wouldn't openly favor Yucang Mountain; Yu Zhang Lao determined she was bluffing and let out a dismissive snort, "Then let's see the documents." "Great! Let’s go and see what's real and what's not!" Observing the commotion with amusement, Xu You Qing came to her senses only as everyone began to relocate. To her dismay, Qian Da Ni, who should have been by her side, was nowhere to be found. Panicking slightly, she tugged on He He's hand, signaling her to ask Xiang Shi Yan. Being on Tai Xu Sect turf, she feared Qian Da Ni had been taken by them. He He had actually noticed Fu Zhi's quiet departure long ago, but seized the moment only now to inquire naturally. She shook Xiang Shi Yan, feigning bewilderment, "Master, where did Da Ni go?" "I sent her on an errand. No need to worry." "...I see." He He suppressed a cold smile, realizing that Little Tianji had taken measures on both sides, ensuring she had backup plans and wouldn’t suffer losses. As it turned out, Fu Xiao wasn't all that busy as rumors suggested. Since Fu Zhi's condition worsened, the Second Elder had dismissed the disciples who had been in charge of maintaining and serving at the Transformation Pool to contain the news. Currently, Fu Zhi's true body had only Fu Xiao to oversee it. When Fu Zhi moved as Qian Da Ni, her true body in the Transformation Pool lay motionless like a corpse, only occasionally awakening for brief periods. Thus, apart from mindlessly lingering and meditating, Fu Xiao truly had little to occupy her most days. Today evidently wasn't one of those days. Her mind constantly concerned with the fear that Fu Zhi might silently die while unconscious, Fu Xiao didn’t dare enter a deep meditative state. Her awareness lightly drifted between consciousness and sleep when she suddenly heard splashes and saw Fu Zhi crawling towards the shore. Fu Xiao scrambled to her feet, picking up the folded clothes beside her. Without much thought, she waded into the water to help Fu Zhi. The pale and frail body was familiar to her after many encounters, and although it wasn’t quite routine, she wasn’t foreign to it. Yet as Fu Zhi leaned against her feebly, Fu Xiao blushed and hurriedly draped clothes over her. The spiritual energy in the water wrapped tightly around her legs like threads, delivering a sharp pain. Fu Xiao grimaced, clutching Fu Zhi to hurry out of the pool. "Why are you getting up so early today?" Fu Zhi wasted no time, barely catching her breath before urging Fu Xiao to head to the affairs department. The girl refused to move, "What do you need to do at the affairs department? If the Grand Elder finds out, he won’t be pleased." The blind girl turned her empty, clouded gaze towards her, a rare urgency etched on her face. "Just go. I'll take the responsibility if anything happens..." "What can you take responsibility for? A clay deity crossing a river is hardly self-preserving..." "The matter is crucial; we must go," Fu Zhi insisted, meeting her with a weighty seriousness, "Our master isn’t dead, neither am I." Fu Xiao vaguely guessed it might truly be something critical, possibly related to Yucang Mountain, and dared not linger. Taking Fu Zhi up with a few swift leaps, she darted across rooftops, reaching their destination in no time. Unexpectedly, that was just the beginning. "No way, if the Grand Elder discovers we forged documents, this won't be a joking matter! Besides, we don't have the department's seal, and Senior Sister Mu Hua will go over these documents again, we can't hide it from her!" Fu Zhi wriggled out of her grasp to prevent water from wetting the paper when Fu Xiao writes, "The seal is in the drawer over there. Just say it was my unilateral decision if Mu Hua asks; you had no knowledge of this matter. Go fetch the paper and I'll dictate while you write—" In the pitch-black vision, someone gripped her shoulder with bone-crushing force. She heard Fu Xiao’s incredulous voice, an unfamiliar tone emerging from its sudden height. "Fu Zhi! Who do you think you are, daring to meddle with Tai Sui! Do you really believe you can be Tianji?" Fu Zhi fell silent until Fu Xiao shook her vigorously again in anger before she found her voice, uncertain, "But, I have only you..." Few disciples remained in the affairs department after Fu Zhi, using her elder status, had dispersed them. Once even Fu Xiao fell silent, the atmosphere grew unbearably still with an air of deathly silence. Not hearing Fu Xiao’s breathing, Fu Zhi feared she had left her behind. Reaching out blindly, she trembled while calling out, "Fu, Fu Xiao...where are you?" A faint sigh emerged not far away, followed by the helpless words of the girl, "What do you need written? Hurry up." With the department stamp forcibly retrieved from a pried lock secured on the document, Fu Xiao didn't dare breathe too loudly as she cast a resentful glance at the newly unburdened Fu Zhi. Her sweet-talking ways were one thing, but using her to falsify evidence—now that was loathsome! "Is this good enough?" Fu Xiao grumbled irritably. "Yes, thank you." A sudden wave of cheerlessness washed over Fu Xiao; softly she mumbled, "We’re doomed, but dying together isn’t so bad, is it." The door swung open abruptly, sending Fu Xiao into a startled jump. Facing Mu Hua now, she was too guilty to speak, tongue-tied as she threw a glance at the bewildered Fu Zhi and subtly shielded her. Facing Mu Hua’s icy stare, Fu Xiao stepped forward with the newly written document. "Senior sister, I forgot to inform you first when passing the message to the Grand Elder. Thinking that perhaps you didn’t have the chance to review it back on the mountain, I thought to bring it for you here. What’s going on with these folks?" "You’ve made me scramble around fruitlessly all day," Mu Hua remarked, slowly extracting the paper from Fu Xiao’s hands. Carefully examining it, she concluded, "It was indeed reported last night, with both my master’s and the department's seals. Elder Yu, if you really don’t trust me, you’re welcome to review it yourself." What's there left to see? It was all clearly pre-arranged, waiting for Tai Xu Sect to step into the trap. Elder Yu's face flushed red with anger, feeling humiliated but not willing to further disgrace himself, he stormed off with a wave of his sleeve. "Today’s incident was a mishap on Tianji Gate's part, causing Junior Sister Huai Ye unnecessary suspicion. I hope you’ll forgive us," said Mu Hua, smiling as she apologized to Huai Ye after driving Elder Yu away. Though her words were directed at Huai Ye, Mu Hua's gaze was fixed on Xiang Shi Yan, who was staring intently at Fu Zhi. Gathering her attention, Mu Hua introduced, "This is Fairy Qingwu—Fu Zhi, the youngest disciple of the Tianji Master, and an elder of our sect." At the sound of Mu Hua's voice, Fu Zhi trembled slightly. Knowing Xiang Shi Yan's eyes were upon her, she couldn't help but take a small step back. Beside her, Fu Xiao hurriedly removed her own outer robe to cover Fu Zhi. Her thin garment had been soaked by the water and clung transparently to her, prompting Fu Xiao to tightly grasp the edges of Fu Zhi's clothing. Not feeling that was enough, Fu Xiao shielded half of Fu Zhi's body and nodded apologetically from a distance to Xiang Shi Yan, "Pardon our impropriety in front of Elder Xiang." "..." It was hard for Xiang Shi Yan to reconcile Fu Zhi's frail appearance with the image from the original tale of how she would be in the future. This was her first time meeting Fu Zhi's true form face-to-face, and Fu Zhi was not as robust as Xiang Shi Yan had imagined, leaving her momentarily stunned. "No matter, now that Huai Ye's innocence is proven, we shall take our leave." As the two from Yucang Mountain departed, Fu Xiao considered seeing them off, but was stopped by Mu Hua. Usually wearing a welcoming smile, Senior Sister Mu Hua now eyed them coldly, glancing at the drawer Fu Xiao had forcibly pried open. When her gaze turned to Fu Zhi, the blind girl, unable to see, shivered instinctively. After a prolonged silence, a frigid voice drifted through the darkness: "There will be no next time." Exactly whom her words admonished—Fu Xiao for forging documents or Fu Zhi for colluding with outsiders—remained uncertain. Author's Note: Eighth day of daily updates! The hierarchy among the three from Tianji Gate is roughly Mu Hua >> Fu Xiao ≥ Fu Zhi, with Mu Hua being omnivorous at the apex (meaning she leads all). Thanks to the little angels who cast their votes or nourished me with Nutrient Fluid from 2022-07-20 01:49:42 to 2022-07-20 35:58:24~ Thanks to the little angels who nourished with Nutrient Fluid: Xi Xiao Zhizhi 30 bottles; Luran Meile 20 bottles; Xianyun Xiaoyehe 1 bottle; I'm very grateful for everyone's support, I'll keep working hard! No pop-up ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)