Pristine moonlight cascaded down the razor-sharp mountain ridge into the valley, illuminating the stream winding through it and the dark glazed roof tiles of a secluded manor.
The manor stood in quiet repose. As night deepened, the soft moonlight mingled with the glow of scattered lamps within, adorning the compound like a pearl cradled between the hills. Cobblestone paths linked the various courtyards together.
Inside a guest wing, the room was utterly quiet.
Dressed in plain robes, Su Jinxuan sat serenely before a wooden table, sipping fragrant tea.
Two hours ago, a masked figure had abducted her and brought her to this unfamiliar manor.
Yet before she could utter a single word, the person had vanished into thin air.
Though their form had been hazy and difficult to discern, she deduced that the person had to be Qin Weijiu or someone from the faction backing him.
Otherwise, there was no reason for anyone to brave such danger just to abduct her.
This sudden turn of events had returned her to Qin Weijiu's side ahead of schedule, yet Su Jinxuan found herself surprisingly unperturbed.
Suddenly,
*Knock, knock, knock—*
A gentle tap sounded against the wooden door from outside, followed by the voice of a maidservant:
"Miss Su, Mister Qin requests your presence in the study."
Su Jinxuan's eyes narrowed slightly at the words. Rising gracefully, she walked toward the door, murmuring under her breath:
"...Brother Jiu?"
*Creak—*
The wooden door swung open, revealing a pretty young maidservant standing outside.
The moment the girl laid eyes on Su Jinxuan, she froze, momentarily dazed.
The Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique held sway over men and women alike.
Su Jinxuan offered her a gentle smile. "Is Mister Qin's full name Qin Weijiu?"
The maid blinked, snapping out of her trance. "T-This servant does not know. I only know that the master of the fort addresses him as Mister Qin."
Su Jinxuan nodded faintly. "Very well. Please lead the way."
"Please follow me."
The maid stepped forward. Though she remained quiet, she turned back to glance at Su Jinxuan every few steps.
Never in her life had she seen a young lady so breathtakingly beautiful, and for some reason, the lady gave off an inexplicably warm and approachable air.
Bathed in the glow of bright-pattern lamps, the cobblestone path was far from dim, possessing instead the tranquil beauty of a moonlit night.
This valley manor was nowhere near the scale of Jingjiang Xu Manor. In less than two minutes, the maid had escorted Su Jinxuan to the door of the study.
The faint, warm glow of an oil lamp seeped through the curtains of the study window.
At the sight, a perfectly measured smile touched the corners of Su Jinxuan's lips.
This Brother Jiu of hers had always favored oil lamps when reading at night.
The maid bowed respectfully to Su Jinxuan. "Miss Su, I shall take my leave now. Mister Qin is waiting inside for you."
Su Jinxuan nodded softly, her expression tender. "Mm, you may go."
With that, Su Jinxuan stepped forward. Just as she raised her hand to knock, a raspy yet familiar voice drifted from within:
"Jinxuan, come straight in."
Su Jinxuan smiled again at this and pushed the door open.
The illumination from an oil lamp lacked the brilliance of the formations within bright-pattern lamps, but it possessed a charm of its own. Amidst the flickering flames, Qin Weijiu sat behind a desk, perusing a booklet that resembled an intelligence report.
Su Jinxuan walked up and stopped three meters before the desk, softly calling out, "Brother Jiu..."
Qin Weijiu lifted his gaze slightly. His face was somewhat pale, and wisps of Source Qi drifted uncontrollably around him.
He, too, had been struck until his qi leaked.
Xu Changge's sword qi was relentlessly lingering; any wound pierced by it simply could not heal in the short term.
"Have a seat."
Setting down the report, Qin Weijiu gestured gently toward a row of wooden chairs against the wall. "You have truly suffered these past days."
Su Jinxuan obediently took a seat on one of the chairs. She shook her head slightly, her gaze fixed with concern on Qin Weijiu's pale face. "Brother Jiu, are you injured?"
Qin Weijiu smiled and waved a hand. "It is nothing, merely a minor injury."
Su Jinxuan pursed her lips, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum: "Is it... is it because of Xu Changge?"
Over two hours of preparation had allowed her to rehearse her script thoroughly in her mind.
Upon hearing the name, Qin Weijiu's gaze instantly hardened, and he asked in a solemn tone, "Jinxuan, did you know beforehand that Xu Changge was in Jingjiang Prefecture?"
Meeting his gaze, Su Jinxuan let a trace of guilt show in her eyes and nodded slightly. "Mm... Two nights ago, Xu Changtian mentioned it in front of me. It sounded like something had gone wrong over in Jiuyuan City..."
She paused, then continued, "Because I had just stepped out of Xu Manor a few days earlier, I didn't manage to pass word to you in time, Brother Jiu..."
"..."
Hearing this, Qin Weijiu raised a hand and rubbed his temples forcefully.
The lingering question of why Xu Changge had suddenly appeared in Jingjiang Prefecture was answered at last, yet the explanation stirred an absurd urge to laugh within him.
He had assumed that his own presence had been exposed, prompting Xu Changge's unexpected arrival. Who could have imagined it was for such a ridiculous reason?
He was actually aware of what had transpired in Jiuyuan City—a severe incident had occurred at one of the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce's demon-farming ranches deep in the mountains, claiming countless lives.
Yet who could have foreseen that a bastard like Xu Changge would personally grace the area for such a matter?!
Amidst the flickering lamplight, the study fell into dead silence.
Watching Qin Weijiu's shifting expressions, Su Jinxuan bit her lip and spoke in a soft, trembling voice:
"Brother Jiu... I'm sorry. If only I had been willing to give my body to Xu Changtian..."
"Enough."
Qin Weijiu raised a hand to cut her off.
If Su Jinxuan had been willing to sacrifice her chastity to seduce him, even if Xu Changtian possessed a secret treasure to protect his soul, he would never have resisted the Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique.
Yet Qin Weijiu understood this girl's disposition all too well.
Glancing at the guilt-stricken Su Jinxuan, a touch of helplessness surfaced in his eyes. "This matter is not your fault. It was merely terrible timing. Had Qin Mo arrived earlier, or had Xu Changtian mentioned Xu Changge to you sooner, the outcome would have been entirely different. Alas..."
A single miscalculation, dictated by fate—he could only let out a long sigh.
Su Jinxuan hesitated, then asked with great worry, "Right, Brother Jiu... do you know about Qin Mo...?"
Catching her cautious, probing gaze, Qin Weijiu fell silent for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "I am sorry, Jinxuan."
"..."
Su Jinxuan's pupils contracted slightly, and she forced a strained smile. "Brother Jiu... what... what are you saying?"
Though her special training under Ying'er had been brief, the results were remarkably effective.
Seeing her reaction, Qin Weijiu let out another quiet sigh and consoled her, "I originally intended to rescue him as well, but I was obstructed by Ran Qingmo."
Su Jinxuan pursed her lips and looked up. "Ran Qingmo?"
"The disciple of the Imperial Preceptor."
Qin Weijiu offered an explanation, his tone carrying a hint of bewilderment. "That idiotic woman claimed the Chancellor's Manor was about to move troops against the Sword Sect, yet turned right around and began aiding the Chancellor's Manor's people. Hah..."
"..."
Hearing this, the figure of that profligate noble inexplicably surfaced in Su Jinxuan's mind.
For reasons unknown, she instinctively suspected that this woman of obscure motives had gone looking for Xu Changtian.
As the thought flashed by, she remembered the thing she had left behind in his bedroom and quickly reined in her thoughts.
After a long silence, amidst the quiet stillness of the room, Su Jinxuan spoke with a slightly trembling voice:
"I... I want to avenge Qin Mo. Brother Jiu... can you teach me how to cultivate?"
The helplessness of watching powerhouses clash overhead, coupled with the fury over the death of her "beloved," provided ample motive for her to utter those words.
"..."
Qin Weijiu's eyes snapped toward her immediately.
Su Jinxuan clenched her fists, meeting his gaze with utter sincerity.
In the ensuing silence, Qin Weijiu observed her every subtle nuance—from her heartbeat and breathing to the micro-expressions on her face.
In this recent upheaval, their sole gain was arguably that Qin Mo had died at the hands of the Chancellor's Manor.
They could use this opportunity to pit Burial Village against the Chancellor's Manor.
Yet this matter demanded utmost caution. If the people of Burial Village ever discovered that he was the one pulling strings behind the scenes, the backlash would easily devour them.
If Jinxuan were the one to handle this...
Thinking to this point, Qin Weijiu did not agree right away. Instead, he shook his head gently.
"Jinxuan, your constitution is unique, and I do not have a suitable cultivation technique on hand at the moment..."
Disappointment flickered across Su Jinxuan's face.
Qin Weijiu then shifted the topic: "However, I will search for one on your behalf. For now, the Chancellor's Manor holds immense power, so we must plan this carefully over the long term."
"Mm, alright," Su Jinxuan agreed.
"Heh..."
Qin Weijiu looked at Su Jinxuan and smiled faintly.
A technique could be provided, but there was still one matter he needed to uncover first.
He had to figure out why Qin Mo had been exposed almost immediately after infiltrating Xu Manor.
Though Jinxuan showed little sign of suspicion, she could not be ruled out entirely.
Chapter 91