A Demon’s Whisper and a Sect Master’s Scrutiny

As dusk descended, painting the sky in inky hues, a black streak of light sliced rapidly through the night. Beneath her black robes, Luo Bingning cradled the unconscious Zhang Xiaocha. Mu Xi’s heartbroken, shattered image from before Lanzhi Residence relentlessly replayed in her mind.

Her heart felt as if an invisible hand had brutally seized it, each beat accompanied by a piercing agony. ‘Xi Xi…’

Her shoulders trembled violently, her slender frame swaying precariously in the tide of grief. Her throat felt constricted, dry and tight, every breath a broken sob.

Crystalline tears welled up and silently streamed down, staining her face in the dark of night.

She lowered her gaze, her tear-filled eyes glancing at Zhang Xiaocha, nestled in the blanket within her arms. Her expression was a tapestry of complex emotions.

She inclined her head slightly, pressing her cheek against Zhang Xiaocha’s sleeping face, gently caressing it. ‘Why… why did you have to run out…’

‘Wouldn’t it have been better if I had simply died? Then both you and Xi Xi would have been safe…’ Her voice was thick with tears.

She tilted her head back, letting the frigid wind lash against her delicate face as she wept silently.

Memories of her past with Mu Xi flashed relentlessly through her mind. Regret and self-blame pierced deeply into her soul, leaving her face ashen. Her fingers unconsciously clenched, digging crescent moon imprints into her palms. ‘Xi Xi…’

‘Xiaocha…’

‘I…’

It was at this moment that a strange crimson glow quietly flared in Luo Bingning’s eyes, steadily eroding their former brilliance. Her consciousness instantly plunged into chaos.

Suddenly!

A low voice echoed from the depths of her spiritual sea. ‘Sleep with her, sleep with her…’ It carried a faint, insidious allure.

Perched on the flying sword, her eyes were vacant, staring blankly ahead as the eerie red light in them intensified.

Suddenly!

A gentle white light slowly ascended from her Dantian, imbued with pure, warm energy. It rapidly spread throughout her body, forming a faint, ethereal shield.

The bizarre crimson light filling her eyes quickly receded, gradually restoring their clarity. Feeling the lingering white light around her, Luo Bingning’s brows furrowed slightly. ‘Did the Tai Shang Pure Heart Art activate its protective ward automatically?’

She tried to recall what had just happened, but her mind was a blank. Slowly, she wiped away the tear stains from her face, forcefully suppressing the sorrow in her heart. She murmured to herself, ‘This is the third time…’

‘Is it a heart demon?’ She half-closed her eyes, speculating inwardly.

Just as the rumors suggested, the cultivation methods of the Jade Maiden Sect were highly prone to cultivating heart demons. No wonder all Jade Maiden Sect disciples had to practice a cultivation art called the ‘Heart Cleansing Incantation’ before their formal training!

Furthermore, disciples with higher aptitude were required to cultivate a higher-grade ‘Heart Cleansing Art’!

‘Heart demons…’ she murmured, glancing at Zhang Xiaocha in her arms, her eyes filled with a myriad of complex emotions.

The flying sword beneath her feet moved swiftly through the night sky.

A hundred meters from the mountain gate, Luo Bingning saw the massive phoenix-emblazoned light barrier blocking her path. Her heart trembled. ‘This… this is the Sect-Protecting Array?!’

Damn it… Now, the entire Jade Maiden Sect allowed entry but no exit.

Her brows furrowed as she pondered. Given Xiaocha’s ability to ignore restrictions, there was a high probability she could also bypass this Sect-Protecting Array.

At this point, her only option was to awaken Xiaocha and let her leave the Jade Maiden Sect on her own! While this carried the risk of exposure for herself, it was better than Xiaocha facing punishment!

Otherwise, if Xiaocha’s presence were discovered, Luo Bingning’s involvement would be undeniable.

With that thought, she gathered a wisp of spiritual energy at her fingertip. The energy flickered faintly as she prepared to forcibly awaken Xiaocha.

Suddenly!

A powerful Nascent Soul aura surged from the distance, washing over them like a tempestuous wave. Luo Bingning’s finger trembled. Instinctively, she clutched Xiaocha tighter in her arms. ‘It’s the Sect Master…’ she thought.

The next instant, a graceful figure materialized before them.

Shangguan Zhi gazed at Zhang Xiaocha in Luo Bingning’s embrace, her usually brilliant eyes instantly frosting over. Her teeth ground together, a soft clatter.

‘Hmph! You cunning Zhang Xiaocha! This Sect Master almost truly believed you weren’t responsible, simply because you haven’t been in the sect lately!’

She hadn’t appeared in any previous investigations, yet she suddenly popped up now, and with Luo Bingning, no less.

Her eyes narrowed. ‘It seems she must have used some special talisman to evade my detection!’ she mused. ‘Unfortunate for her, though, that Bingning accidentally knocked her out.’

If that was the case, then based on past experience—as long as Zhang Xiaocha was in the sect, she was the most likely culprit!

Shangguan Zhi let out a small sigh of relief.

Compared to the recent emergence of another demonic overlord in the Demonic Dao, she was far more inclined to believe Zhang Xiaocha was behind this.

Or rather, only she could have done it!

Her graceful eyebrows shot up. ‘This damned little brat! She’s been nothing but trouble since she was a child, always snatching away this Sect Master’s women! To think, while I was in seclusion, she even brought Little Eight to raid half my harem at night! Absolutely despicable!’

‘She even forcibly changed Little Eight’s offspring’s species!’

She unconsciously clenched her fists, her chest heaving violently. And even now…

Dozens of peak disciples’ alluring forms kept flashing through her mind, even Qi Qianqian…

Such alluring charm, never once displayed before her. Her throat bobbed slightly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as she murmured inwardly, ‘Such a treasure actually exists in this world?’

‘Doesn’t that mean I could…’ Her thoughts drifted further away.

‘Cough…’ As if realizing her impropriety, she gave a light cough. The blush on her face vanished instantly. Glancing at Zhang Xiaocha in Luo Bingning’s arms, her expression turned frosty. She asked sternly, “She did it, didn’t she?” Her voice was exceptionally cold.

“Bingning doesn’t quite understand what the Sect Master means,” Luo Bingning replied, her expression composed. Holding Zhang Xiaocha, she bowed slightly in a respectful salute.

Hearing this, Shangguan Zhi chuckled softly. With graceful, lotus-like steps, she moved closer to Luo Bingning. She inclined her head slightly, her flawless face rapidly filling Luo Bingning’s vision.

She gently raised her fair wrist, extending a jade-like finger to lightly lift Luo Bingning’s chin. Her vermilion lips parted. “Bingning, so many years have passed, and you’re still just as you were back then!”

“Whenever you lie, you become incredibly calm! If this Sect Master hadn’t snatched you from those bandits in the mortal realm and lived with you for a time, I truly might not have noticed~”

“Isn’t that right, my dear Bingning~” As she spoke, her fingertip gently poked Luo Bingning’s flawless cheek.

As if a hidden secret had been exposed, Luo Bingning’s beautiful eyes suddenly constricted. Her fingertips instinctively clutched the corner of her skirt.

At the same time, Shangguan Zhi’s playful voice echoed in her ear. “Next, your pupils will constrict, and your hand will unconsciously grasp the corner of your skirt~ Little Bingning, am I right~”

Luo Bingning paused for a moment, then looked up to see Shangguan Zhi gazing at her with a mischievous smile.