Chapter Thirty-Five: The Secret

After returning to Lingyun Temple, I pondered over Yi'er's last words to me: "Be careful of the people at Lingyun Temple." Could it be that Daoist Lingyun is not a good person either?

Perhaps it's because I've been through so much these past few days, my mind is overwhelmed, and the more I think about it, the more my head hurts. Sighing in frustration, I rubbed my forehead to relieve the fatigue. Suddenly, a thought struck me. "That's right, Senior Brother Luoxi seemed to have reacted strongly to this matter from the beginning. Could it be that he knew about the peculiarities of Lingyun Temple all along? I should just ask him directly."

Just as I was lamenting my slowness, I quickly set out to find Senior Brother Luoxi.

It's strange how when you're not looking for someone, they seem to appear everywhere. But when you need to find them, they're nowhere to be found.

I searched the guest rooms, even meticulously checked the crevices of the fake mountains behind the temple, but couldn't find a trace of him. I thought he might have gone to see Daoist Lingyun, so I headed back. As I approached Daoist Lingyun's quarters, I overheard voices from outside the door.

So, Senior Brother is indeed here. Let's see what he and Daoist Lingyun are discussing.

I quietly leaned against the door and cast a peeking spell to see everything inside clearly. To my surprise, it wasn't Senior Brother talking to Daoist Lingyun, but a mysterious figure in a black robe with striking red patterns resembling flames.

Daoist Lingyun seemed somewhat afraid of the mysterious man, respectfully saluting him before speaking obsequiously, "Congratulations, Lord Hongyi. Although I'm not sure if Chi Ming can truly activate the Mingli Formation, using Lüyin and Lianmu to refine a powerful beast is quite an accomplishment."

The mention of "Lord Hongyi" quickly triggered my memory. Three years ago, I encountered this leader of Xinghuo Hall. So, Lingyun Temple and Xinghuo Hall are indeed in cahoots.

I almost burst through the door to seek justice for the siblings, but a shred of rationality told me that barging in now would only put me in danger.

Suppressing my impulse, I continued to listen to their conversation.

The mysterious man sneered and retorted, "Do you really think the summoned Chi Ming Beast can be so obediently used by us?"

Daoist Lingyun showed a hint of surprise and nervously said, "Chi Ming's resentment is indeed overwhelming. Aren't you worried about the safety of your hall's young master?"

Hongyi seemed unconcerned, casually replying, "That's none of your business. That girl won't amount to anything. Even if she dies, she's just a replaceable heir. After all, everything in Xinghuo Hall exists for Lord Chiyan. What's the loss of a mere pawn?"

Daoist Lingyun couldn't contain his delight, "So it's all part of Lord Chiyan's plan. Haha, if Lingyun Temple succeeds this time, I hope Lord Hongyi will put in a good word for me."

Hongyi chuckled coldly, "Lord Chiyan's followers used to have many branches, but none flourished. Over the centuries, they've faded away, leaving Xinghuo Hall as the dominant force. That girl is only favored because of her connection to the old hall master. Lord Chiyan elevates her, so she sacrifices for the cult." Then, he turned to Daoist Lingyun and said, "If Xinghuo Hall can rule the world, I will undoubtedly take charge."

Such arrogance! It turns out Xinghuo Hall has been scheming behind the scenes, deceiving not only Yi'er and me but also leading Lüyin and Lianmu to their deaths. How despicable.

Hongyi suddenly glanced toward the door, seemingly sensing my spell. He barked, "Who's there?!"

Damn, how did he notice me now? I cursed inwardly, turning to flee. Suddenly, a force grabbed me by the waist and pulled me away swiftly. When we stopped, I looked up to see Senior Brother Luoxi.

He raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence, and pulled me into a room.

"Senior Brother, did you know about the connection between Daoist Lingyun and Xinghuo Hall? Did you come to rescue me?" I asked immediately.

"Hm? They have a connection?" Senior Brother Luoxi seemed genuinely unaware.

"But, but you clearly…" This unexpected reaction left me stammering.

Senior Brother Luoxi seemed troubled, his brow furrowed and never relaxing. After pacing for a while, he finally spoke, "I... I'm not sure. Whenever I see Daoist Lingyun, I can't control a force within me."

"What force?"

"This power has been with me since childhood. The closer I get to temples and monasteries, the harder it is to control. My emotions surge. Yi'er is the same. We came to Qiong Yun to find a cure for this condition. We had been managing it well, but as soon as we arrived at Lingyun Temple, it flared up again." As he spoke, he clutched his left arm, seeming to endure immense pain, and collapsed to the ground.

Could he have fallen victim to Daoist Lingyun's dark magic? Worried, I hurried to support him and pulled up his sleeve, revealing patches of semicircular red scales. Some new scales even pierced through his skin.

"What's going on?!" I quickly cast a spell to dispel the curse on him, but it was futile.

Just then, Daoist Lingyun burst through the door, cursing, "Demon! Surrender now." He then turned to me, his tone becoming admonishing, "Miss Qingyue, your senior brother is the culprit behind the frequent murders in Luoyang. Come to my side and help me eliminate this scourge."

"Pah! You're the real scourge, you deceitful, sinister old demon! How dare you wear a Daoist robe and deceive everyone? If anyone needs to be eliminated, it's you!" I snapped back, my words sharp and biting.

"What's wrong with you?" Daoist Lingyun was taken aback by my outburst, staring at me dumbfounded for a moment before angrily retorting, "Your senior brother is the son of the old master of Xinghuo Hall and a demoness from Moonshadow Sect. The old master was heartbroken upon discovering the woman's demonic nature and abandoned the child instead of killing him. Who would've thought he'd cause trouble in Luoyang years later? Do you understand now?"

How amusing that this Daoist seems to know more about Xinghuo Hall than the people involved. I retorted sarcastically, "Since this is an old internal matter of Xinghuo Hall, how does a Daoist from Lingyun Temple know so much? Or are you actually a member of Xinghuo Hall, hence your detailed knowledge and righteous tone?"

"Since Miss Qingyue insists on siding with the demon, I will eliminate you two traitors today and visit Qiong Yun later to apologize," he said, showing his true colors as he attacked me.

Good, now I don't have to waste words on him.

I summoned Ice Lotus to my hand and faced him. Surprisingly, his skills were quite inferior, and after several dozen exchanges, I had him completely restrained. Just as I was about to defeat him, he pulled out a crimson pearl from his robe and threw it at me. The glaring light was blinding, and the emitted flames burned fiercely upon contact.

"Hmph, taste the power of the Spirit Fire Pearl!" Daoist Lingyun sneered, using the blinding light to land a solid strike on me.

I coughed a few times and cursed, "You despicable old demon, you'll die a horrible death!" Speaking seemed to aggravate my internal injuries, causing a sharp pain in my abdomen and making me cough up blood.

"Then you'll die first!" he roared, eyes wide with fury, as his whisk transformed into a long sword and thrust toward me.

I silently cursed him in my heart, resigning myself to my fate and closing my eyes.

Suddenly, a fierce roar erupted beside me. I opened my eyes to see a massive crimson python crash into Daoist Lingyun, then it turned and lifted me onto its head, soaring straight into the sky.