A Calculated Retreat and a Shadowy Invitation

Lin Mo’s wrist was suddenly seized by a grip strong enough to crush bone!

‘Crack!’

The subtle grinding of bone joints, in the deathly silent square, sounded more jarring than any scream.

Yet Lin Mo seemed unperturbed, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing his lips as he gazed at Qiu Yue’s face.

“What shall we do?” Lin Mo chuckled, addressing Qiu Yue. “Does Disciple Qiu wish for a share as well? I’ll take the left, and you the right, perhaps?” Outwardly, he appeared utterly composed, yet inwardly, he was reeling with shock.

After all, Qiu Yue’s formidable Foundation Establishment cultivation base was undeniably present. Even Lin Mo, capable of freely manipulating spiritual energy to reinforce his wrist, found himself struggling to withstand the immense pressure.

That ‘crack’ wasn’t merely the sound of bone grating; it was an omen of his spiritual energy on the verge of collapsing.

“Personal—Disciple—Lin.” Each syllable seemed to be forcibly squeezed from the depths of her clenched teeth, steeped in scalding, venomous magma, carrying a suffocating heat. “This junior sister was merely concerned for her companion’s safety. In her haste and distress, she lost her composure and mistakenly directed her grief and anger towards you. I can understand your wrath.”

Her voice abruptly rose in pitch. “Indeed, after all, Personal Disciple Lin, you cultivate the Bright Jade Profound Yin and are esteemed as Xuanji Zhenren’s true disciple! In a moment of urgency, you naturally ‘forgot’ that you are merely at the initial stage of Qi Condensation! At such a cultivation level, how could you possibly control your power at will, subdue an out-of-control junior sister without causing a single scratch, especially in such haste?!”

Qiu Yue’s words resonated in the ears of everyone present.

A sudden chill gripped Lin Mo’s heart. ‘Indeed! That wicked woman remains as wicked as ever!’

‘What appeared to be a rescue was, in fact, a series of piercing jabs, already firmly nailing the blame for Wei Qing’s critical injuries and deliberate hostage-taking squarely onto my shoulders!’

‘She’s using retreat as an advance, effortlessly dismissing the unavoidable questions. If I even vaguely agree to half of what she said, this accusation will surely be fastened even more tightly, more irrevocably, by her own hands in the future!’

‘She’s using retreat as an advance, defining the very issues I’ve tried to avoid. How utterly malicious.’

However, Lin Mo had no intention of backing down. Retreating now would only provide his opponent with more ammunition; he had to attack.

Shaking off his chaotic thoughts, Lin Mo’s lips curved upward. His voice, clear and resonant, rose sharply, directly challenging Qiu Yue. “Disciple Qiu! Since you’re holding my wrist with such force right now, if I were to suddenly vomit black blood and collapse, convulsing, would that mean you acted without proper judgment and inflicted grievous harm upon me?”

Lin Mo delivered a direct counter-question.

Qiu Yue’s eyebrow arched slightly.

“Im—pos—si—ble!” Before Qiu Yue could even speak, a frantic shriek erupted, Lu Ping’an’s voice, as she desperately tried to protect her, unaware she had stepped right into a trap. “It was merely—a touch? How could…”

“Silence!” Qiu Yue’s cold, sharp command cut off Lu Ping’an’s words.

Yet, even so, it was too late. The words spoken could not be unsaid.

This was precisely the moment Lin Mo had been waiting for!

He abruptly lunged forward, his voice a peal of thunder rolling across the silent square, carrying a tempest that tore through all pretense. “Since Junior Sister Lu herself has declared—that a mere touch could absolutely not cause someone to vomit black blood and convulse uncontrollably! Then you—!”

He suddenly extended his arm, his fingertip pointing like a sharp sword directly at Lu Ping’an’s face, each word a dagger to the heart. “How, then, can you so confidently and unequivocally—pin all of Wei Qing’s abnormal and tragic condition on my Lin Wan’er?”

His piercing gaze swept across the entire assembly, shattering the already profound silence into an even deeper, more suffocating stillness.

“This… this matter has its nuances, its degrees of severity! Disciple Qiu merely grasped you lightly, whereas you struck Wei Qing forcefully on her temple! This, this is naturally different!” Lu Ping’an stammered in response, now utterly flustered, her words coming out disjointed.

“Then what about this black blood? Don’t tell me Wei Qing’s body is unique, her blood different from ordinary people’s.”

“That, that’s naturally impossible!”

“Are you suggesting this was poisoning?”

“This—”

“That’s enough!” Qiu Yue declared decisively, her voice cutting through the escalating tension, bringing the rapidly spiraling situation to an abrupt halt. She knew full well that if she allowed Lin Mo to continue pressing, there was no telling what astonishing words Lu Ping’an might blurt out next.

At this moment, she had to hit the pause button immediately, lest delays lead to unforeseen complications.

Turning her gaze to Lin Mo, whose face was as cold as frost, Qiu Yue took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress her turbulent emotions. Her words slowed, her tone calm yet imbued with an undeniable sense of finality.

“Personal Disciple Lin.” She inclined her head slightly, her posture composed and restrained. “This time, I spoke out of turn.” Her gaze met Lin Mo’s directly, unwavering. The apology was not feigned, yet neither was it complete submission, but rather a calm calculation. “Here, I offer my apologies to Personal Disciple Lin. Please, Personal Disciple Lin, calm your anger.”

As he saw Qiu Yue nod towards him, Lin Mo was overcome by a sense of unreality, as if everything were a dream. He imagined himself still lying in a corner of the Qiu family courtyard, curled on the hard, cold bed, silently enduring the wounds Qiu Yue had inflicted.

The current scene, he mused, was merely a beautiful dream conjured by his brain to comfort himself.

Yet the movement of the air, the constant murmur of chatter reaching his ears, the faint fragrance emanating from Qiu Yue, the striking image of Lu Ping’an with arms crossed, her chest seemingly on the verge of bursting with hostility, and the boiling exhilaration in his blood—all seemed to declare, ‘This is no dream!’

‘It’s strange,’ he thought, ‘when I’m happy, the Bright Jade Profound Yin doesn’t suppress my emotions.’

Nevertheless, Lin Mo did not lose his composure. He understood that everything before him was merely an illusion.

Qiu Yue’s concession now was solely to quell a situation rapidly slipping beyond her control.

‘What good is understanding her hidden motives?’

‘At least for now, I still lack the confidence to completely sever ties with the person before me.’

“Since Disciple Qiu is so magnanimous, if I were not to accept this olive branch, it would make my Lin Wan’er seem unappreciative.” Lin Mo deliberately lowered his voice. “It was I who was overly emotional just now, speaking out of turn, and misinterpreting Disciple Qiu’s kind intention to resolve this matter as something so… unsightly.”

The moment the words left his lips, Lin Mo’s wrist abruptly exerted force, attempting to seize the opportunity to break free. Yet, the five fingers clamped around his wrist remained unyielding, like cold, profound iron locks!

The strength was terrifyingly steady, as if she had already anticipated his unwilling resistance, only waiting for his slightest movement to tighten her grip.

‘…’

Lin Mo was inwardly aghast. ‘This girl’s strength is truly immense, isn’t it?’

‘Is this the power of Foundation Establishment?’

Seeing her master humble herself, Lu Ping’an finally came to her senses. She immediately bowed, saying, “I apologize, Personal Disciple Lin, it was I… who lost my composure. I allowed my anger at being unable to help my companion to spill onto you…”

“Junior Sister need not worry.” Despite Qiu Yue’s petite frame, her words carried an aura of imposing maturity.

She extended a hand, and Lu Ping’an immediately understood, crouching down so Qiu Yue wouldn’t have to stand on tiptoe to stroke her head.

“Junior Sister Lu,” Qiu Yue’s fingertips moved gently, a soft touch that nonetheless seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jin. “In today’s events, we all had our shortcomings and oversights. It is inevitable for one to be somewhat impetuous and hot-blooded in the flush of youth. Moreover, with Wei Qing having suffered misfortune, her life hanging in the balance, your burning anxiety is entirely understandable, isn’t that right, Personal Disciple Lin?” Her tone shifted subtly, her gaze precisely landing on Lin Mo. The curve of her lips remained as warm as ever, yet her eyes sent a shiver down Lin Mo’s spine.

‘It was precisely the kind of smile that promised a reckoning later!’

Lin Mo, utterly unnerved by the smiling tiger’s gaze, naturally had no intention of prolonging the entanglement. He simply acquiesced, “Indeed… it’s only human nature, hardly worth mentioning. Junior Sister Lu, in her momentary panic, harbored some misunderstandings towards me; and I, in my haste, failed to restrain my strength and damaged her clothes? Well, let’s call it even then.”

Lin Mo’s final words were a perfunctory agreement; he simply wanted to end the encounter swiftly.

Staying with Qiu Yue, he was constantly triggering emotions that the Bright Jade Profound Yin was failing to suppress.

‘…suppress. But! My hand! I can’t pull it away.’

“Personal Disciple Lin, why the rush to leave? Why don’t we go to the pavilion? My treat. We can ‘properly’ reconcile there.”

The word ‘properly’ was pronounced with exceptional emphasis.

“Er—”

“Personal Disciple Lin, won’t you grant me this favor?”

It was a smiling invitation, yet to Lin Mo, her expression was less an invitation and more a blatant summons to a ‘Hongmen Banquet’.

“…”

‘Could he refuse?’

‘He could not.’

‘It wasn’t because he was swayed by her beauty!’

‘Or gluttony!’

‘It was just… he couldn’t damn well pull his hand away!’

“Since Disciple Qiu has said so, wouldn’t it be impolite of me not to grant face? Then I shall trouble Disciple Qiu with the expense!”

“Excellent.” Qiu Yue nodded with satisfaction, her smile bright and flawless. Her gaze then shifted to Lu Ping’an, standing nearby, a look of natural concern gracing her features.

“Junior Sister Lu, perhaps you should also go change your clothes?” she suggested. “We can make a brief stop first.” Her gaze flickered between Lu Ping’an’s attire and the exquisite trim on her own sleeve, her tone carrying a perfectly pitched apology. “Alas, what I have with me… might not quite fit Junior Sister’s figure.”

Thus, through Qiu Yue’s skillful mediation, the farce finally settled.

Lin Mo was practically drawn along by Qiu Yue, moving against his will until they reached the top floor of the Lakeside Pavilion, the very place he had visited just last night.

This was a private room exclusively for Jia-grade disciples.

The heavy door of the private room silently closed behind them.

There was no third person in sight.

The space, overflowing with opulence, suddenly contracted, and a profound silence descended, leaving only the girl standing quietly before him.

Lin Mo’s fingertips felt cool.

Once again… this vast world seemed to contain only himself.

Once again, he had to face this demon, cloaked in finery, all alone.

As expected, the moment the door closed, Qiu Yue’s hair instantly reverted to its original color.

Her sapphire twin pigtails swayed with her movements as Qiu Yue immediately tackled Lin Mo to the ground, straddling him.

“Finally… we’re alone, aren’t we, my Lin Mo? Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”