Moonlight spilled down, and Jiang Moqing stood spotless, as if she was untouched by the world. She was truly like an otherworldly sword immortal. The stark contrast between her and the row of headless corpses behind her was jarring.
Qin Wanyuan blinked, a bit stunned.
“Why did Senior Sister come back? Wasn’t she sent away by the elder backing those noble disciples…?”
Lin Que had the same question.
“Why did you come back?” His left hand released the sword hilt as he lifted his gaze to Jiang Moqing.
“If you could guess what was going to happen, so could I.” Jiang Moqing answered as she leapt down from the rooftop, landing lightly in front of Lin Que.
The reason Lin Que had made preparations tonight was precisely because he sensed something was wrong with Jiang Moqing being suddenly sent away on a mission. With An Xiaoyao also out seeking medicine, he knew tonight would not be peaceful.
But he hadn’t expected Jiang Moqing to defy the elder’s orders and return early nor that she would eliminate the assassins without hesitation.
In his memory, their relationship hadn’t been close enough for her to go that far.
Though they had both studied under An Xiaoyao and shared the same cave residence for several years, Lin Que and Jiang Moqing had barely interacted outside of sword practice. Their lives had never truly overlapped.
Qin Wanyuan saw all of this and couldn’t help but wonder how two ice-cold individuals like them had ever managed to spark romance and eventually become Dao companions.
Because of all this, Lin Que felt that even if Jiang Moqing had seen through the noble disciples’ plot, she wouldn’t necessarily help him. Just coming back was already risking offense to those noble heirs let alone actually killing for his sake.
After a moment of thought, he slowly spoke,
“Why did you help me?”
He was genuinely puzzled.
Jiang Moqing didn’t reply right away. She simply looked at him quietly.
Gazing at the young man before her, his brows slightly furrowed in confusion, she thought for a moment, then said something that neither Lin Que nor Qin Wanyuan had expected.
“In this life, if I want to do something, I just do it.”
As she spoke, the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly. She actually smiled.
The Ice Fairy’s faint smile was casual and light, yet it was like a ray of warm sunlight cast atop a snow-covered peak that had been frozen for ages. It irresistibly drew the eye.
Lin Que froze slightly. In all his seventeen years, this might have been the first time he had looked so closely into a girl’s eyes and watched her every subtle expression and smile.
It was a long while before he looked away.
“That’s a line I once said.”
Jiang Moqing didn’t respond. She turned around and headed back to her room, as if that fleeting smile had been nothing more than Lin Que’s illusion.
“So this was the turning point for Lin Lang, huh…”
Qin Wanyuan couldn’t help but click her tongue.
“No wonder he fell for her. Just that one smile from Senior Sister Jiang… I wouldn’t be surprised if even a real glacier melted let alone a cold, poor young man.”
It had to be said…Jiang Moqing was already flawless in beauty, and now she had smiled at Lin Que after saving his life. Anyone with slightly less emotional restraint might have fallen for her on the spot.
The night passed like that. The assassins’ corpses were left out in the courtyard. It wasn’t until the next day that several elders came, leading the noble disciples, demanding an explanation.
They truly hadn’t expected Jiang Moqing to stand up for Lin Que let alone actually dare to kill someone.
Of the noble disciples who died last night, only one was from a prestigious family. He was a direct disciple of the Eighth Elder and the legitimate son of a noble clan. The rest of the assassins were just deathsworn followers.
However—
By doing this, Jiang Moqing had effectively forged a deadly grudge with both the Eighth Elder and that noble family. If An Xiaoyao hadn’t rushed back at dawn, the enraged Eighth Elder might have killed Jiang Moqing and Lin Que on the spot using the act first and report later strategy.
Later, An Xiaoyao argued strongly with the other elders, pointing out that the noble disciple had led a group of deathsworn disciples to launch an attack in the middle of the night. It was they who came with malicious intent, and Jiang Moqing had merely acted in self-defense.
Even so, despite having the stronger case, Jiang Moqing was still punished in the end. Her sentence was to face the wall in seclusion for a month at the Cliff of Despair with no food, no water, and no contact with the outside world. She would have to survive solely through meditation.
This was the best outcome An Xiaoyao could fight for.
After all, a sect was not a place where one elder could dictate everything.
Fortunately, Jiang Moqing had already entered a fasting state, and it wasn’t uncommon for cultivators to go into closed-door meditation for months at a time. So, the punishment was bearable.
Having learned her lesson, An Xiaoyao didn’t leave Drunken Jade Peak once during Jiang Moqing’s month-long confinement. Every day, she went to check on her from outside the Cliff of Despair.
As a bystander, Qin Wanyuan had witnessed everything with her own eyes along with the aggressive behavior of the Eighth Elder and several others.
“So, the Eighth Elder, huh…”
She slowly narrowed her eyes, a flicker of killing intent flashing deep within them.
In her view, the Eighth Elder had never left much of an impression. He was just a mentor for inner sect disciples, Qin Qian’er’s teacher, and someone who had briefly instructed her as well.
But she hadn’t expected that he had once tried to kill Lin Que.
If she hadn’t lived a second life, gained access to the system, and used the Shared Dream Talisman, she never would have discovered any of this.
Most crucially, Qin Wanyuan had originally been at a complete loss in her investigation of the traitor within the sect. But after learning what the Eighth Elder had done in the past, she finally had a suspect and a direction to pursue.
“We must thoroughly investigate everyone under the Eighth Elder’s faction!” she said through gritted teeth, clenching her fists tightly.
Even if the Eighth Elder wasn’t the traitor, Qin Wanyuan would make him pay for what he had done to Lin Que.
Time in the dream realm passed quickly.
After a month, Jiang Moqing’s confinement finally ended, and she returned to her dwelling.
Waiting at the door were a joyful An Xiaoyao and Lin Que, leaning casually against a pillar.
“Qing’er, come sit in the courtyard,” An Xiaoyao called out.
An Xiaoyao took Jiang Moqing by the hand and led her through the courtyard gate.
A table of dishes had been set out in front of the gate. Though the cooking was a bit rough around the edges, the variety was impressive. It was clear that a lot of effort had gone into the meal.
Jiang Moqing blinked.
“This is to welcome you back,” An Xiaoyao said with a smile in her eyes.
“When did Master’s cooking improve so much?”
She asked the question bluntly.
Jiang Moqing naturally assumed that An Xiaoyao had prepared the food.
At her disciple’s words, An Xiaoyao looked slightly embarrassed as if her secret had been exposed. Even her cheeks turned a faint red as she glanced to the side, toward Lin Que.
“Actually, Que’er made all of this just for you.”
“What?”
This time, Jiang Moqing was genuinely surprised.
But it wasn’t unreasonable for her to think otherwise. After all, she, Lin Que, and the little maid had lived under the same roof for years, and in all that time, Lin Que had never once prepared a meal himself. He either chewed on dry ration pills or ate food the maid occasionally cooked.
“Que’er spent the past month learning to cook while you were in seclusion at the Cliff of Despair. I think he was worried you’d been too lonely there, so he wanted to do something special.”
An Xiaoyao said this with a smile.
Jiang Moqing blinked again and looked over at Lin Que. But he said nothing. He simply turned and walked into the house.
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