Various doubts from the past resurfaced, and Shang Can felt that the underlying intricacies were far deeper than she had imagined.
Someone knew about Yun Duan’s constitution and deliberately aimed to expose it in the arena of the debate conference, surrounded by the ghost clan—choosing to do so at a time when Yun Duan’s spiritual energy was obstructed; such an act was malicious beyond any doubt.
Thinking back, Shang Can felt a chill run down her spine. If she hadn’t been present at that moment, it was uncertain how long it would have taken for the cultivators who lost their spiritual power to break the confinement barrier. Qing Yu’s rescue would be of little use in that situation. The ghost clan outside the arena watched with predatory eyes, while Yun Duan was injured and revealed to be the flawless immortal body; even the surrounding cultivators could not be entirely trusted as allies. After all, the flawless immortal body was like a walking divine medicine to the cultivators.
If she hadn’t mixed in with the debate conference for the Dao Heart Lotus, Yun Duan might have…
Even with Chu Ming and Qing Yu’s disciples protecting Yun Duan, she would still have been in an exceedingly perilous situation.
The person behind this must not have wanted Yun Duan to leave the Outer Heavens alive.
The mild confusion she initially felt about the Outer Heavens turned into sharp animosity due to this lingering dread. After Qin Yi, Shang Can once again ignited a chilling killing intent but was temporarily unsure who to direct it towards, so she simply locked onto the entire Outer Heavens. Although Shang Can had an urge to confront them immediately, she ultimately suppressed her fury and, after returning home, told Yun Duan all her thoughts, seeking her partner’s permission to allow her to venture into the Outer Heavens.
However, Yun Duan did not react as strongly; she merely pressed her lips together, reached for Shang Can’s clothing, and urged her to sit down, saying softly, “…I’ve thought about what you’ve said. But now that so much time has passed, hastily provoking the Outer Heavens wouldn’t be wise…”
As she spoke, she averted her gaze slightly, pausing before continuing, “Whoever is scheming behind the scenes hasn’t acted against me in years; perhaps… perhaps they have given up. I believe going to the Outer Heavens isn’t that urgent…”
Even though Shang Can usually listened to Yun Duan, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows tightly and shake her head, “We have to go there first. It doesn’t mean we have to fight immediately, but since we know someone wants to harm you, we must uncover the truth and find a way to resolve it as soon as possible. The enemy lurks in the shadows, and delaying even a moment is like having a thorn in one’s throat.”
Seeing that Yun Duan still wanted to say something, Shang Can took hold of her hand, staring into her inky eyes, and asked, “If the roles were reversed, and I was being targeted by unknown assailants—Yun Duan, would you be able to do what you’re saying now, be content with the status quo, and not pursue the matter further?”
“…”
Shang Can felt a tightening in her hand; Yun Duan had unconsciously grasped it tighter. She didn’t continue speaking, simply watching Yun Duan, whose emotions were turbulent and complex. Her expression changed several times before settling into an unspoken anxiety and vulnerability, like ice crystals falling on her fingertips.
Yun Duan didn’t answer, nor did Shang Can press her. The two fell into a moment of silence.
The silence was broken by the sound of flapping wings. Shang Can’s ears perked up, and she looked up to see a familiar round bird flapping its wings vigorously toward them. The tense atmosphere was disrupted, and Shang Can was uncertain whether to be grateful for Chu Ming’s spirit bird. Nevertheless, she raised her hand to catch it, and the spirit bird landed steadily on her arm with a soft coo, making her arm sway slightly under its weight.
“I just received some news. It’s likely that someone will find you soon, but I thought it best to come and inform you first,” the spirit bird opened its beak, and Chu Ming’s voice came through, sounding a bit perplexed.
“A disciple from the Outer Heavens came to deliver an invitation, saying that they plan to reopen the debate conference for all the cultivators present back then…”
Chu Ming wasn’t lying. That afternoon, after receiving the spirit bird’s message, the emissaries from the Outer Heavens had already arrived.
Once again, it was Shang Can who answered the door. When she returned, she held two invitation cards in her hands, their style and wording all too familiar.
She handed one to Yun Duan and casually glanced at the other before setting it aside, saying, “Besides the date of the debate conference, which is written as the fifteenth of next month, everything else is exactly the same as the invitation for the previous debate conference. It’s quite convenient.”
Yun Duan carefully scanned it before looking at the invitation card Shang Can placed on the table, frowning, “…Is this for you?”
“Yeah. Quite impressive, isn’t it?” Shang Can nodded, speaking casually, “The disciple who delivered the invitation was just an ordinary one from the Outer Heavens, with an unremarkable aura and cultivation level, and he didn’t seem to recognize me. He initially only gave me your invitation, then suddenly asked if I was Yun Zhong Jun’s partner. I said yes.”
As she spoke, her expression slightly darkened, and she pointed to the invitation card on the table, “Then he gave me another one, saying it was the sect leader’s order.”
Yun Duan was taken aback, asking with confusion, “The sect leader’s order… does that mean no matter who my partner is, they must invite them to the debate conference? Why?”
“…Not entirely.” Shang Can shook her head, a cold vigilance appearing on her face, “At that moment, I suddenly remembered what Chu Ming had said about the Outer Heavens reopening the debate conference for ‘all the cultivators present back then.’ I felt something was off, so I acted as if I hadn’t attended the previous debate conference and asked about it when I received the invitation. He responded—”
‘Aren’t you one of the cultivators who participated in the debate conference back then?’ The young disciple from the Outer Heavens blinked, his eyes wide with genuine confusion, murmuring, ‘…but, but the sect leader said that Yun Zhong Jun’s partner was also one of the participants in the debate conference.’
Recalling the scene when she heard those innocent words sent a chill down Shang Can’s spine, making her feel as if she was being watched. Surprisingly calm, she relayed the original statement verbatim and even showed a strange smile, saying, “Regardless of who this sect leader I’ve never met is, she clearly wants to tell me… that she knows everything. This includes the identity of Yun Zhong Jun’s partner that the entire cultivation world is speculating about, and the fact that the Chan Zhe is still alive—even possibly that I would learn of all this from that disciple’s words, all part of her plan.”
Having spent many years suppressing her emotions as Chan Zhe, Shang Can managed to hide her turmoil, smiling as she said that the sect leader had a good memory and politely sent the disciple away, standing alone at the door for quite a while in silence.
She knew that the disciple would most likely return to the Outer Heavens and report all her words and actions to that sect leader. There was no intention to hide anything, and a fierce battle intent stirred within her, almost making her ready to accept this provocation in an instant.
Even though she had no idea what the purpose of the Outer Heavens’ play was, it surely couldn’t be anything good. But since such a blatant threat had arrived at her doorstep, there was no option but to respond to the challenge—after all, where could she hide? Those past matters that should have remained unknown to outsiders had been deliberately revealed, and at this moment, Shang Can was quite eager to see what sort of entity was behind it all.
However, such matters could not be taken lightly. Obediently returning to her room, Shang Can shared the entire situation along with her thoughts with Yun Duan, ultimately admitting, “The visitor bears ill intentions, but I want to confront it.”
Yun Duan, who was always more cautious than her, Shang Can was prepared to hear objections, but to her surprise, after a long silence, Yun Duan changed the subject in an unexpected direction: “A Can, are you sure the disciple’s exact words were ‘the sect leader said’?”
The words “sect leader” were emphasized, causing Shang Can to pause. She thought back carefully, nodding affirmatively, “There’s no mistake; it was indeed the sect leader—”
As she spoke, she froze, blinking slowly for a long moment, looking at Yun Duan with uncertainty, and slowly said, “…Are you saying…”
“Maybe I’m just being overly suspicious,” Yun Duan said, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. A hint of contemplation crossed her delicate features as she silently placed the invitation card on the table, her voice low.
“…But I seem to remember that Tianwaitian has always been strict with etiquette. If it’s about the acting sect master… they certainly wouldn’t omit the ‘acting’ title.”
The current sect master of Tianwaitian is named Yu Jiu.
Although Shan Can had opened her eyes in this life after Yu Jiu had already entered seclusion, it didn’t prevent her from having heard many descriptions of how powerful the sect master was. Anyone who had dealings with Yu Jiu marveled at her cultivation level. Before entering seclusion, she was known as the closest person to ascending to immortality, a stunning talent at her peak. Under her leadership, Tianwaitian thrived even more.
Years ago, when Yu Jiu announced her seclusion, it was during a time of great momentum. Almost everyone thought she would grasp the final step to immortality, yet that seclusion lasted over thirty years. In the meantime, the position of acting sect master changed hands several times, yet there hadn’t been any news from Yu Jiu since.
Information about Yu Jiu abruptly ceased there, causing Shan Can to frown tightly, feeling a bit annoyed as she crossed her arms.
…Why would such a person take action against her and Yun Duan?
Moreover, if Yu Jiu were indeed in seclusion, she shouldn’t have the heart or energy to plot against Yun Duan. And if she were merely pretending to be in seclusion while orchestrating these events—then what was the point? Even if Yun Duan is an immaculate immortal body, she is still quite young. With the rumored power of Yu Jiu, wouldn’t it be simpler for her to directly take Yun Duan’s life rather than go through such convoluted schemes?
Even though Yun Duan had mentioned a few times afterward that this idea was indeed bizarre, Shan Can was unwilling to dismiss this speculation as nonsense. As her thoughts spiraled into a paradox, Shan Can first thought of seeking help from Wan Shao. After all, the Biluo Huangquan had a vast library, and it might contain records about the sect master of Tianwaitian. Given Wan Shao’s age, she likely knew Yu Jiu, and perhaps they had even met. She was the perfect person to inquire about such matters.
Perhaps sensing that Shan Can wanted to ask for her help, Wan Shao, who had said she had business and left, finally returned to Yun City after several days without any news.
When Wan Shao pushed open the courtyard door, Shan Can initially felt a hint of joy. She rushed over to share everything that had happened during Wan Shao’s absence. However, when she raised her gaze, she saw the usually vibrant flower demon’s face showing signs of paleness. Her aura was relatively normal, but she emanated an atmosphere of having no interest in dressing up—definitely not a typical state for Wan Shao.
Shan Can’s heart tightened. She set aside the matters of Tianwaitian and Yu Jiu, stepping forward to ask, “What happened?”
“…” Wan Shao remained silent for a moment, closing her eyes tightly before walking to the pavilion. She gulped down several cups of tea, then let out a long breath, saying, “Do you remember before I left, I mentioned I heard some unbelievable news and wanted to verify its truth?”
Seeing Shan Can nod, Wan Shao sighed dejectedly, her voice hoarse as she continued, “…Actually, I still haven’t been able to completely determine the truth of this news, since I haven’t seen it with my own eyes—but I wanted to let you know. This bizarre situation is driving me crazy.”
“The acting sect master of Tianwaitian who was newly appointed two years ago…” Wan Shao’s expression shifted hesitantly several times before she finally gritted her teeth and spoke, “…That person seems to have used a disguise and wears a mask. And the face behind the mask looks exactly like my mother, who has been dead for many years.”
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