A Web of Deceit and Lingering Doubts

“Junior sister, your senior brother has something to tell you. On this mission, your senior brother eliminated quite a few villains!”

Lin Xingjian’s voice was filled with excitement.

“Ah? Is that truly so?”

Li Xingtong’s eyes immediately sparkled with excitement.

“Indeed, it is.”

“This time, Senior Brother’s plan was exceptionally meticulous. From the very first reconnaissance, I lay in wait for a prolonged period exactly where you spoke of, and, true to my word, I eventually caught sight of a certain individual…”

Thereupon, Lin Xingjian launched into an animated account, regaling Li Xingtong with every detail.

He elaborated on his journey from initial reconnaissance to clandestine infiltration, detailing his elaborate disguises, and ultimately, his decisive counterattack. He recounted how he had exploited their lack of information, striking swiftly and capturing them all in one fell swoop while they were deep in slumber or meditation.

His narration was so vivid and engaging that Li Xingtong felt herself transported directly into the heart of the thrilling, high-stakes mission.

Li Xingtong listened with such rapt attention that her eyes practically sparkled with admiration.

Her gaze was filled with nothing but profound reverence and adoration for Senior Brother Lin.

Such had been the case for countless years.

Whenever Lin Xingjian returned from a successful mission, he would invariably recount its every detail to Li Xingtong.

“And so, in the end, I brought that scoundrel to justice. Junior Sister Wen, having sustained injuries, was then sent away ahead of time to preempt any unforeseen complications.”

Lin Xingjian paused his narrative at this juncture, taking a restorative sip of water to moisten his throat.

“Hold on a moment!”

Abruptly, Li Xingtong’s expression grew stern, bringing Lin Xingjian’s eager account to an immediate halt.

“Senior Brother, your explanation strikes me as somewhat illogical.”

A faint crease appeared between her brows, and a flicker of suspicion danced in her eyes.

“Eh?”

“Ah? What seems amiss, Junior Sister?”

A barely perceptible flicker of panic crossed Lin Xingjian’s face, and tiny beads of sweat began to prickle his forehead.

Upon closer scrutiny, his narrative did indeed appear less than entirely plausible.

And why was that?

Lin Xingjian had deliberately omitted any mention of his encounter with Bai Qingxue.

He considered Bai Qingxue to be an unduly troublesome individual, and thus deemed it wiser to keep her existence a secret from both his Junior Sister and his Master.

It was, in a way, quite amusing.

While Bai Qingxue hadn’t outright failed her mission like Yao Qing’er, she had, in her own way, presented a rather thorny predicament within Lin Xingjian’s own assignment.

“Senior Brother, you departed without executing the Den Leader, and you even allowed Junior Sister Wen to leave prematurely. This deviates entirely from your usual modus operandi.”

Li Xingtong fixed a serious gaze upon Lin Xingjian, her eyes imbued with a discerning scrutiny.

Lin Xingjian wiped away the perspiration beading on his forehead, striving to project an air of composure.

“Oh, ah, I recall now. I seem to have overlooked a crucial detail just a moment ago.”

His mind raced, frantically concocting a plausible explanation.

“Oh?”

Li Xingtong’s eyebrow arched inquisitively, her gaze brimming with curiosity.

“I neglected to mention earlier that after I crippled that Foundation Establishment cultivator, another righteous cultivator happened upon the scene during their own investigation, and thus we encountered each other.”

“Subsequently, our initial skirmish evolved into an unexpected acquaintance. We swiftly realized neither harbored ill intent, and once I revealed my identity, which he recognized, I entrusted the Den Leader to his care.”

Lin Xingjian delivered his explanation in a single breath, his heart silently pleading for Li Xingtong to accept his fabricated account.

“Hmm… that explanation does seem to align with reason.”

Li Xingtong’s brow furrowed faintly, puzzled as to why her Senior Brother had chosen to withhold this information until now.

Could it be that…

Abruptly, Li Xingtong fixed an unblinking stare upon Lin Xingjian, her silence unsettling.

Lin Xingjian felt a shiver run down his spine under Li Xingtong’s intensely scrutinizing and probing gaze.

He instinctively swallowed hard, then forced a playful tone in an attempt to maintain his composure.

“Wh-what is it, Junior Sister? Senior Brother is well aware of his dignified appearance, but there’s truly no need to stare at me so intently.”

He attempted to dispel the subtly awkward atmosphere with a lighthearted jest.

Within the room, the dim, flickering candlelight cast long, dancing shadows of Li Xingtong and Lin Xingjian across the walls.

“What kind of cultivator, Senior Brother? Did you not even bother to inquire about their name?”

“Hmph!”

“They were merely an unremarkable cultivator, that’s all. I’ve forgotten their name, and the details surrounding them have also slipped my mind.”

He spoke with a rapid urgency, desperate to spill out these words in a torrent, hoping to mask the burgeoning panic within him.

“Is that truly the case?”

Li Xingtong’s beautiful eyes widened, and the cloud of suspicion within them intensified unmistakably.

With a graceful, almost imperceptible movement, she took a single step forward.

Under her penetrating gaze, Lin Xingjian felt a prickle of unease spread across his skin, as if there were nowhere left for him to hide.

He drew a deep breath, striving to steady his racing heart, before resolutely meeting Li Xingtong’s unwavering gaze.

“Junior Sister, I implore you, trust me.”

His voice, though faintly trembling, was imbued with an earnestness so profound it seemed he was swearing an oath to the very heavens.

“I genuinely have no connection whatsoever to that cultivator. Please, do not let your imagination run wild. I merely felt that mentioning them held little significance, which is why I abridged that part of the story.”

With Lin Xingjian’s fervent and repeated explanations and assurances, the shadow of doubt in Li Xingtong’s eyes at last began to recede.

“Very well, Senior Brother.”

A subtle upturn of Li Xingtong’s lips instantly dissolved the lingering tension in the air.

“You truly exerted yourself greatly this time. Thank you, Senior Brother, for avenging me and settling this grievance.”

Her voice, soft and melodious, brushed gently against Lin Xingjian’s heart, stirring a sense of warmth.

“It’s nothing, Junior Sister.”

“It was but a trivial matter, a mere flick of the wrist. As Senior Brother has always vowed, anyone who dares to bully my Junior Sister shall certainly not be spared my wrath.”

Having spoken, he turned and departed, his footsteps outwardly steady, yet inwardly, his heart still churned with unease from the recent close call.

Li Xingtong watched Lin Xingjian’s retreating figure, a myriad of unspoken words lingering on her lips.

Her crimson lips parted slightly, as if to voice a thought, but ultimately, she merely offered a soft smile and murmured to herself.

“Senior Brother truly is… still just as he always was.”

The young girl found herself adrift in a sea of memories.

She recalled a time in her youth when Lin Xingjian had taken her out to play, only for them to encounter harassment from a group of arrogant, wealthy young masters.

In that moment, Lin Xingjian had been trembling with fear, while she, despite her tender age, had bravely stepped forward.

From that day forward, Lin Xingjian had steadfastly vowed to protect her.

Throughout the ensuing years, regardless of the trials and tribulations they faced, her Senior Brother had never once broken his word, consistently remaining a steadfast guardian by her side.

Meanwhile, in a different quarter.

After presenting Wen Qianyue with a healing elixir, Yao Guang proceeded to meticulously examine her condition.

Her delicate hand rested gently upon Wen Qianyue’s wrist, her eyes closed in focused concentration as she perceived the subtle flow of spiritual power circulating within her disciple’s body.

A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes. Only after confirming the absence of any lingering toxins and the non-severity of Wen Qianyue’s injuries did she finally grant her permission to depart, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

The faint, lingering scent of medicinal herbs permeated the room, almost as if the very air itself rejoiced in Wen Qianyue’s undeniable safety.

“Wen Qianyue,”

Yao Guang spoke with a gentle warmth, her hand coming to rest lightly on Wen Qianyue’s shoulder.

“It is not that I, your Master, intend to be overly critical. You performed admirably in this mission, though I understand from your Senior Brother’s account that you were unable to overcome the final Foundation Establishment cultivator…”

“It’s not enough, Master!”

A flicker of fierce unwillingness ignited in Wen Qianyue’s eyes.

“I am now in the late Qi Condensation stage, yet I was wounded by a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment realm, utterly powerless to retaliate. How can I, in such a state, ever hope to keep pace with Senior Brother?”