The Golden-Eyed Sect Master’s Interrogation

Lin Mo woke up and slowly opened his eyes.

The light was dim, probably because of the candlelight hanging high on the ceiling. Only the roof was visible clearly. Every line of the intricately carved patterns was delicate and smooth.

There were winding, coiling flood dragons, seemingly poised to burst through the rafters and soar away.

Beside them, vibrant flowers bloomed, their petals layered intricately, appearing remarkably lifelike.

Beneath him lay a soft mattress, and a duvet covered his body.

The duvet’s material was exceptionally fine; a light touch brought a silken sensation to his fingertips.

A faint, fresh scent emanated from the bedding.

It was soft, warm, and utterly comfortable.

This level of comfort was something he had not experienced in his ten years at the Qiu family.

His gamble had paid off.

He had survived—no, to be precise, he had been rescued by Mu Qingli.

Lin Mo had wagered that Mu Qingli needed him, and that as the Sect Master of the Xuan Nv Sect, she harbored no nefarious intentions.

Having witnessed the disciple-acceptance ceremony and the incident where she ‘snatched’ him, it was clear that Mu Qingli and the Grand Elder were practically at odds.

The Sect Master had not presided over the disciple-acceptance ceremony, indicating that Mu Qingli, despite her title, wielded little actual power.

As for the reason, Lin Mo remained unaware.

Mu Qingli had been willing to sacrifice her dignity to snatch a disciple in public, which suggested she desperately needed one.

While its specific purpose was unknown, this disciple was clearly of immense importance.

Finally, and most crucially, though he couldn’t explain why, he seemed capable of alleviating Mu Qingli’s backlash.

It was this realization that had prompted Lin Mo to choose such a risky approach.

For an immortal cultivator, saving a mere mortal like himself should be effortless.

Even if she couldn’t completely prevent something, ensuring his survival would likely be simple.

Indeed, hadn’t he just come back to life?

Moreover, and most, most, most, most, most importantly, his most defining characteristic remained intact!

There was no empty sensation; a mere thought brought a tangible response.

Lin Mo’s heart swelled with delight.

Instead of getting up, Lin Mo rolled onto his side, facing outwards, intending to lie there a while longer.

After all those years at the Qiu family, he hadn’t had the luxury of a second sleep in ages.

Qiu Yue had stopped returning to the main family for the New Year several years ago.

Yet, the moment he turned, he discovered a pair of golden eyes glowing faintly in the dimness.

That gaze, like a tangible rope, was fixed intently upon him.

‘Holy crap! There’s a monster!’

Lin Mo’s heart instantly leaped into his throat; he sprang up from the bed like a coiled spring, his hair disheveled from the fright.

Only when his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness did he realize it wasn’t a monster, but Mu Qingli.

For some unknown reason, she was currently squatting by his bedside, staring fixedly at him without blinking.

She resembled a silent phantom, her golden pupils shimmering with a mysterious light in the darkness.

Her face was somewhat indistinct in the shadows, only its outline visible, yet he could still feel the intensity of her focused gaze, which sent a shiver down his spine.

‘This… this person… surely… surely they aren’t trying to put a curse on me while I’m secretly asleep?!’

“S-Sect Master… you’re quite frightening like this…” Lin Mo said cautiously.

Mu Qingli, who had seemingly been half-squatting, now slowly rose, her golden eyes never once leaving him.

“Who exactly are you?” Mu Qingli slowly inquired, then snapped her fingers.

From a distance, a chair swiftly flew towards her, coming to a stable halt for her to sit upon.

It was as if invisible servants were attending to her every need.

‘Honestly… that display of power was quite impressive, very cool.’

Lin Mo sat cross-legged.

‘I must be cautious.

If I answer carelessly, and Mu Qingli decides to investigate later, it could lead to immense trouble for me.’

‘Now that I’m in Mu Qingli’s hands, ordinary methods won’t suffice for escape.’

‘Especially since my unique constitution can help her alleviate certain symptoms, I’m bound to be heavily guarded.’

‘My only course of action is to gain her trust, lull her into a false sense of security, and then find an opportunity to escape.’

‘Just like at the Qiu family.’

‘If I’m too closely watched, even with Yang Po Po’s help, I probably won’t be able to get out.’

‘Here… I must tell the truth!’

“My original name is Lin Mo, and I… lost my memory.

Ten years ago, I woke up to find myself in the mountains.

Before I could even attempt to recover my memories, I accidentally offended the Qiu family’s young lady in Luofeng City and was subsequently taken as a male servant.

It took me ten years, and the help of others, to finally escape, but an unforeseen incident occurred midway, causing me to inadvertently join the Xuan Nv Sect’s recruitment procession.

And then… well, Sect Master, you know what happened next…”

Mu Qingli remained silent after hearing his story, her golden eyes still fixed on Lin Mo, her thoughts inscrutable.

Only after a long pause did she leisurely utter, “Is that so?”

“I swear to the heavens, Sect Master! I truly didn’t intentionally come up the mountain in women’s clothing!

It was a complete accident that I ended up in the Xuan Nv Sect!” Lin Mo declared, thumping his chest.

“I know,” Mu Qingli replied.

“The Xuan Nv Sect has a formation array, and while it’s currently undergoing repairs, this information has not been leaked to outsiders.

I also inspected you and found nothing capable of evading detection.

I believe your claim of stumbling in by accident.”

Mu Qingli then seemed about to say something else, but hesitated, pausing for a long moment before finally asking, “…You said you were captured, but why?”

“Ah…? I… I don’t know…”

“Perhaps it was because I offended that young lady; she likely found me an eyesore and didn’t want me to die too easily, so she captured me, intending to torment me for a lifetime?”

Lin Mo genuinely didn’t know the true reason; this was the only explanation he could conjure.

“What a truly perverse taste,” Mu Qingli suddenly remarked.

“That young lady is no good person either.”

‘Those words!’

‘They brought a flicker of surprise to Lin Mo.

Could she—’

“If it were me, I would have simply killed him,” she continued.

“Isn’t it disgusting to keep a repulsive man by your side?”

Having said this, Mu Qingli fixed her gaze upon him.

‘Well…’

‘Her words were quicker than my thoughts, immediately extinguishing my budding idea.’

‘She still despises men so much.

Is this truly a matriarchal world?’

‘My future… looks bleak indeed.’

Just then, he felt a sudden rush of wind.

Lin Mo was abruptly pushed down, a heavy weight pressing against his abdomen, pinning his entire body to the bed!

‘Huh?’

To his astonishment, it was Mu Qingli!

At some point, she had swiftly flipped onto the bed, now sitting directly on Lin Mo, holding him firmly down.

‘Hm?!’

Before Lin Mo could even react, his splayed hands were suddenly yanked above his head by an unseen, immense force!

A sharp pain shot through his wrists as a cold, constricting sensation instantly tightened.

His arms were bound together inextricably!

“Yet, I can’t leave you!” Mu Qingli’s voice, brimming with fury, sounded as if she had been utterly provoked.

But for some inexplicable reason, the flush on Mu Qingli’s face prevented Lin Mo from associating her tone with her expression.

Rather than the raging anger that would cause blood to boil beneath her cheeks, turning them crimson, it looked more like… shyness.

It was the blush that might appear on a young girl’s face in an anime, when she yearns to confess her feelings but is too shy to utter a single word.

‘Lin Mo couldn’t help but wonder if… something was wrong with him?’

“Tonight… I’m going to thoroughly study you!

I will uncover your secrets and completely rid myself of you, this disgusting man!”

With that declaration, Mu Qingli directly lay upon Lin Mo’s chest, meticulously and earnestly… studying him.

‘Just studying, with no other intentions—right?’

‘No matter how I look at it… Mu Qingli… she seems just like a cat high on catnip.’

She was utterly captivated, deeply engrossed.

Especially… with how she was now desperately inhaling his scent, as if it were an addicting drug…

‘Great… just escaped the tiger’s maw, only to fall into a demoness’s lair…’