122 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

### Chapter 122: The Black Fox Despite Yan Jue's skepticism, she was aware that what she considered was improbable. Not to mention the rushed attempt to hide, which didn’t allow her to conceal her presence in time. There were still a few bewildered people standing in the courtyard, not having processed what was happening. Moreover, even if she did not relinquish the Buddha's hand** artifact, she would have to place it on the ancient Buddha to obtain both the red beans and the subsequent clue. People arriving later would inevitably find the next clue. That's how this group secret realm competition worked; everyone had access to the materials, it was merely a matter of who uncovered them first. It was a race. Whichever team collected the red beans, green beans, and yellow beans first would win. Zhou Leng, looking at the clueless individuals gathered under the red bean tree, was momentarily taken aback and awkwardly asked, "What are you... doing?" Duan Lu Xi replied, "Nothing." Du Ming stood in the pit chuckling awkwardly, "Hahaha." Qi Xian Qing's team also comprised several outstanding sect disciples. Immediately, a tall female disciple within his team discerned the crux of the matter, approached the red bean tree, rested her chin on her hand, and gazed at the red beans in the style of Wang Wei's famous poem. She soon discovered something beneath the roof beams. "Zi Jin," Qi Xian Qing called out coolly, "What's written on the beam?" Xie Zi Jin smiled, "There should be a broken Buddha's hand under this red bean tree, but it seems they've already dug it out and taken it." Having said this, her long, phoenix-like eyes scanned the four people present with displeasure. Qi Xian Qing lightly used her spiritual sense and quickly identified Yan Jue’s location. Qi Xian Qing's lips curled upwards, "Since we've also stumbled upon this clue, could you ladies kindly share the Buddha's hand?" Unable to hide any longer, Yan Jue jumped down from the roof beam, coughed lightly, and said, "First come, first served; the Buddha's hand is already ours." Xie Zi Jin glared angrily, "Then I'll just have to take it by force." Her figure flashed, and her five fingers turned into a claw aimed at Yan Jue. Yan Jue gracefully evaded by stepping aside, hands clasped behind her back. Xie Zi Jin opened her palm, a faint azure electric charge swirling in its center. She suddenly swung her hand, propelling a mass of thunder energy packed with explosive force straight at Yan Jue. With a flick of Yan Jue’s right hand, a massive ice wall materialized before her. There was a thunderous "boom," as the flowing ice dragon sang from its sheath, clashing with Xie Zi Jin's celestial sword. Yan Jue was already at the pinnacle of the fifth realm, her strikes were formidable, and each exchange was accompanied by earth-shattering roars, making it seem as though the whole temple were quaking. Zhou Leng wiped cold sweat from his brow, slyly glanced at Qi Xian Qing, and noticed a faint smile tugging at her lips. Xie Zi Jin was forced back by the sweeping movement of Yan Jue's ice sword, Flowing Ice, and was about to launch another attack. Qi Xian Qing suddenly raised her hand, halting her. Xie Zi Jin turned her head incredulously, "Senior Sister..." Qi Xian Qing gazed at her and asked, "And what would it take for our junior sisters to relinquish the clue to us?" Her tone was unexpectedly amiable. Yan Jue made a single-handed gesture, restoring the soil around the red bean tree to its original state. She raised her chin slightly, "You can dig it out again." Qi Xian Qing raised an eyebrow. Xie Zi Jin nearly exploded with rage, "This is outrageous!" "Why aren't you helping?" The surrounding air became still, with Zhou Leng glancing at Qi Xian Qing, sweat pouring under his collar uncontrollably. Yan Jue's move was akin to poking a sleeping dragon. Terrifying... As Zhou Leng speculated whether Qi Xian Qing would slay Yan Jue, Qi Xian Qing slowly lifted her eyes and calmly said, "Alright, we'll dig again, and then our junior sister will hand over the Buddha hand." Zhou Leng: "..." The temperature near the temple was indeed slightly warmer compared to other areas. Furthermore, the earth before the red bean tree seemed reinforced with some special material, making it incredibly hard to dig. The group pulled out their magical tools and, under the blazing sun, soon found themselves drenched with sweat after a brief bout of digging. Standing under the shade, Yan Jue laughed heartily. Xie Zi Jin nearly ground her teeth to dust, "Just wait until I'm done digging; I'll show you!" After much effort, they dug to a depth of two feet. Qi Xian Qing turned to glance at Yan Jue, only to find that the lively girl from earlier was now asleep, arms crossed under the eaves. Zhou Leng exclaimed, "Really, Senior Sister, she has nerves of steel, falling asleep on the job." Qi Xian Qing picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it at Yan Jue, who was sleeping soundly over there. "Whoosh—" The stone passed through the girl's body, which then vanished into thin air, leaving a clump of monkey fur floating in the air. Everyone: "..." As Qi Xian Qing's group continued digging, Yan Jue had already let a substitute take her place and supervise, while she had sneaked into the temple. She had secretly handed the Buddha's hand to Duan Lu Xi, and the four of them had already installed it within the temple. By the time Yan Jue caught up, she found the ancient Buddha had moved aside. The Buddha's hand was indeed a mechanism; once attached at the severed arm, the ancient Buddha moved, revealing the mechanism beneath. Beneath it were twenty red beans made of spiritual stones, neatly arranged beneath the ancient Buddha. The competition's rules stated that each team only needed one red bean, with the focus on speed rather than quantity. This meant that even the teams who hadn’t secured a red bean yet could still get one later. Securing the latest clue first and handing in all three beans to the sect elders first was crucial. Yan Jue picked an ominously glowing dark red bean and tucked it into her sleeve, her eyes lingering on the massive Taiji diagram. Along with the red bean, accompanying it was the clue for the next bean. The Taiji diagram. One half black, the other white. One side yang, the other yin. On the yin side of the Taiji diagram was a yellow bean. It was just an ordinary yellow bean, not the material they sought, but it seemed to be an important hint. Staring at the diagram, Yan Jue fell into contemplation. Duan Lu Xi suddenly noticed something and whispered, "Look." Beneath the Taiji diagram was an old yellowed paper. Yan Jue picked it up, finding it blank. Suddenly, a sharp voice broke the silence, "You tricked me!" Xie Zi Jin came storming over, full of anger. Yan Jue turned abruptly, smiling, "Apologies, it seems we got ahead of you." Xie Zi Jin immediately unsheathed her sword, "Whoosh—" Behind Yan Jue, her Flowing Ice sword swiftly retaliated, neutralizing Xie Zi Jin's assault mid-air. Having spent considerable time with Flowing Ice, Yan Jue had formed a flawless partnership with it. The formidable sword emanated sharp gleams that flitted through the air, concentrating on defense rather than offense, blocking all attempts to attack seamlessly. Despite Xie Zi Jin's fierce advances, she couldn't make headway. Qi Xian Qing observed Yan Jue's mirthful, phoenix-like eyes and her lips slightly pressed downwards. Just as Xie Zi Jin readied herself for further attacks, Qi Xian Qing suddenly intervened. Qi Xian Qing: "What would it take for our junior sister to hand over the clue?" No choice—first come, first serve. If it weren't Yan Jue holding the location but another group, refusing would cut off their chance of victory. Yan Jue had previously made a pact with Qi Xian Qing. If she lost, she’d have to agree to one of Qi Xian Qing's requests. There was no way she'd give away the clue so easily to Qi Xian Qing. Yan Jue smiled confidently, "Want the clue? It's possible." She gestured a number and with leisure suggested, "How about giving me a hundred spirit-feeding pills?" Xie Zi Jin paused, taken aback. Qi Xian Qing assessed Yan Jue, eyes flickering slightly. The black creature hatched from the mysterious egg only consumed spirit-feeding pills, but the gourd of pills taken from the Demon Lord’s treasure bag was only enough for ten days, after which they'd have to find more on their own. However, spirit-feeding pills were rare alchemical creations used to nurture divine beasts, and going to the Alchemy Hall would undoubtedly draw attention. Neither Qi Xian Qing nor Yan Jue specialized in alchemy, and they couldn't concoct high-quality spirit-feeding pills. The only ones capable of crafting such pills were the disciples of the Alchemy Hall. However, under these circumstances, Yan Jue's demand for spirit-feeding pills didn't seem suspicious, appearing only as an act of inconvenience. As the eldest disciple directly taught by the Alchemy Hall elder, Xie Zi Jin naturally learned the art of crafting spirit-feeding pills. Thus, the task of producing these one hundred spirit-feeding pills naturally fell to Xie Zi Jin. She rolled up her sleeves, "I might as well try to snatch it myself!" "If you start brawling with her, who knows when it will end," Qi Xian Qing interceded. "Alright, since they got here first, we'll hand over the hundred pills." Xie Zi Jin pouted, visibly unhappy, "Senior Sister!" "I'll take care of the ingredients," Qi Xian Qing stated, "Your job is just to refine the pills." Amidst this, footsteps could be heard approaching from outside, signaling that someone had realized something was amiss and was coming over. The temple doors burst open, revealing the cold, frosty face of Yun Yang. Yan Jue tucked the yellowed paper into her sleeve, glanced once more at the yellow bean placed on the Taiji diagram, and then slipped out through the back courtyard. The secret realm opens for only three hours each time, and after these three hours, regardless of whether everyone has found the clues or not, they must leave. Back in her dormitory, Yan Jue examined the piece of paper she retrieved from the secret realm, scrutinizing it over and over but finding no useful clues. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. Yan Jue furrowed her brow slightly, lit a candle, and gently held the paper over the warm air, hoping to reveal hidden writing. Still, no words appeared. Sitting at her desk, she tried various methods to no avail. Yan Jue theorized that perhaps viewing the paper through candlelight at night might reveal something different. She decided to wait until evening to test this theory. Tucking the paper back into her sleeve, she poured herself a cup of tea, sat at the desk, and pulled out several red hemp ropes from a box, starting to weave. --- Yan Jue wasn't sure how long she stayed busy at her desk, but when she finally finished her task, the day was nearing dusk. Glancing towards the window, she then looked at the finished product in her hands— a double happiness knot. The deep crimson threads were intricately intertwined, reflecting a subtle sheen in the sunset's glow. Yan Jue had learned this knot-weaving technique from books in the scripture library over the past few days. Since being with Qi Xian Qing, she hadn't yet given anything meaningful to her. It was the most sincere gift Yan Jue could think of offering. Placing the double happiness knot into her storage pouch, Yan Jue stretched and stepped into the courtyard, where she spotted Zhu He sitting on a long wooden beam, staring blankly at a green jade pot in her hands. Curious, Yan Jue approached and asked, "Zhu He, what is that?" Zhu He looked up, "It's from yesterday's food competition!" She handed the jade pot over, "Here, it's for you, big sister." Yan Jue shook her head, "This is your prize, Zhu He; you deserve it. There's no need to give it to me. Keep it for yourself." Zhu He, eyes arched with happiness, cradled the jade pot as she smiled brightly. Yan Jue crouched down, examining the pot, "But what does it do?" Zhu He explained, "The elder said if you cover the pot and light three incense sticks in this hole here, then close your eyes and think about what you wish to eat, the spirit within will prepare it for you." Zhu He recited the elder's instructions earnestly. Intrigued, Yan Jue asked, "Do you have any of this incense?" Zhu He extracted three sticks from her pocket, "These were given to me by Sister Du Ming." Yan Jue covered the pot, inserted the incense into the mouthpiece, ignited them with a gesture, and closed her eyes to focus her wish. Soon, a tantalizing aroma wafted through the air. Heart racing, Yan Jue quickly lifted the pot lid. Sitting inside the pot was a fragrant, steaming chicken drumstick! How incredible... Zhu He chuckled, holding up the drumstick, "The elder said this jade pot houses a food spirit. As long as you offer incense, it can make anything you desire!" It's quite handy. Little Zhu would no longer have to eat spirit fruit candles at home pitifully. After discussing the pot with Zhu He some more, Yan Jue stood to leave. She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped. Standing beneath the large tree was someone staring at her—Yun Yang. Upon seeing Yan Jue, Yun Yang approached. Because of the subtle dynamics between Yun Yang and Qi Xian Qing, Yan Jue instantly felt on guard at her approach. Yun Yang greeted, "Junior Sister Yan." Yan Jue acknowledged her, curious about her intentions. Apart from their one mission together, Yan Jue and Yun Yang rarely interacted. Why Yun Yang would seek her out was unclear. Without much formality, Yun Yang got straight to the point, "I heard your team obtained the new yellow bean clue." Yan Jue: "...” Yun Yang had learned by chance that the latest clue was taken by Yan Jue. Initially leading her team south, Yun Yang soon realized something was amiss and headed to the temple. After a confrontation with Xie Zi Jin, Yun Yang discovered from her disgruntled tone that Yan Jue had already taken the clue. Yun Yang originally saw Qi Xian Qing as her sole competitor, but she forgot about the rising threat posed by someone like Yan Jue. Yan Jue remained silent for a while but did not deny, "Yes, our team did obtain the latest yellow bean clue." She anticipated Yun Yang would give her a hard time, but instead saw a heated glint in Yun Yang's eyes. Yun Yang took a step closer, "I want to discuss the current competition landscape with you." Yan Jue: "?" Yan Jue offered a polite smile, "Please do, Senior Sister." Yun Yang explained, "In this team competition, our greatest threat is Meng Hengjun's team from the Zhenhuo Sect." "You may not know, but his team members are quite formidable. Alone, neither of us can secure victory." Yun Yang swept her sleeves, "The best strategy now would be for us to unite and confront Qi Xian Qing.” Yan Jue: "...” Understanding, Yan Jue realized Yun Yang sought an alliance to obtain the fresh insider clues. What a clever strategy… Naturally, Yan Jue wouldn’t outright reject Yun Yang. Instead, she smiled faintly, modestly saying, "Apologies, Senior Sister Yun, we were just lucky to get the latest clue this time." "Actually, we don't harbor vast ambitions or a desire to take first place, so winning isn't a must for us." "An alliance involves significant responsibilities—ones we're not equipped to handle." Yun Yang's expression turned sour as she stared at Yan Jue. Most would understand Yan Jue was politely declining. Just as Yun Yang was about to respond, Yan Jue interrupted with an alternative proposal, "But we could sell you the clue." What? Sell? Yun Yang hadn’t expected such a worldly proposal within Wulong Sect, momentarily leaving her short of words. Yan Jue's innocent grin added, "Two hundred spirit-feeding pills for the newest clue, how about it?" --- That evening, Yan Jue went to the cold pond to find Qi Xian Qing. Upon reaching the frosty retreat, she found Qi Xian Qing at the table, pen in hand, writing. Bathed in the dim candlelight, Qi Xian Qing wore a simple white garment, her appearance breathtakingly beautiful - enough to bring down kingdoms. Seeing her, Yan Jue lazily greeted and approached, only to be pulled close. Her waist was gently pressed against the table, the clear aura of Qi Xian Qing's spiritual body exuding a faintly oppressive presence, tingling her senses. Yan Jue looked up, a timid gaze meeting Qi Xian Qing's. With a soft kiss on Yan Jue's ear, Qi Xian Qing murmured, "You’ve been quite daring today." The warm breath tickled her ear, followed by soft lips tracing from her ear, sending tingles cascading through her body. Leaning on the table for support, Yan Jue felt her knees weaken, "It's only because I wanted more spirit-feeding pills for the little black beast, knowing how labored it might be for you to ask, I thought why not let me play the villain." Holding her, Qi Xian Qing's nose brushed against Yan Jue's blushing ear, murmuring, "Could you avoid getting so close to others? Seeing you do so makes me a bit upset." Qi Xian Qing was used to chatting with the little fox cub, and this tone carried into her conversations with Yan Jue. "She came to me first." Yan Jue teased, "Just now, Senior Sister Yun Yang even came to see me." Qi Xian Qing paused, asking, "And what was her business with you?" Yan Jue replied, "She wanted to know if I was willing to form an alliance." Hearing this, Qi Xian Qing frowned slightly, "And then?" Yan Jue continued, "I told her no alliance, but I could sell the clue." She paused, "For two hundred spirit-feeding pills." Qi Xian Qing: “...” Qi Xian Qing couldn't help but laugh, a smile tugging at her lips. Yan Jue nudged her lightly with her knee, "What are you laughing at?" Qi Xian Qing stifled her laughter, lightly patting Yan Jue's back, "Pretty clever." In her arms, Yan Jue felt soft yet resilient. Qi Xian Qing recalled Yan Jue playfully sparring with Xie Zi Jin earlier today, and a certain feeling surfaced within her heart. Perhaps being around Yan Jue increasingly deepened her possessive desires. In a low voice, Qi Xian Qing asked, "Still in pain today?" Yan Jue made a noise of confusion, taking a moment before realizing Qi Xian Qing referred to her discomfort from her monthly cycle. Such intimate conversation left Yan Jue dazed, causing her to lose her balance and sit on the table. Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside. Ever perceptive of her surroundings, Qi Xian Qing, though the steps were soft, picked up on them at once. Looking up, Qi Xian Qing spotted a black fox standing outside. Its glossy fur shone with an oily sheen, its large ears perked upright. With wide eyes, it stared directly at Yan Jue.