Han Yu's smile did not falter upon sensing the Eight Emotions Energy.

He calmly chewed his food, nodding along to Wu Shuan's tale. Yet inwardly, he sharpened his focus. Someone nearby was surprised by him, or perhaps by something related to him. And the direction… he could tell. It came from the southern side of the camp.

Where the unorthodox sects were camped.

Han Yu set down his bowl and forced a chuckle. "You two go ahead and keep talking. I'll be back in a bit. Too much soup. I need to relieve myself."

Neither Wu Shuan nor Fatty Kui paid it much mind, waving him off.

Han Yu rose and walked calmly toward the edge of the camp, following the path toward the outhouses near the southern edge of their camp. The night air was cool, and the faint glow of formation wards lit the treeline beyond.

And there, just as his senses had warned him, stood a lone figure.

She made no attempt to conceal herself. The moonlight reflected faintly on her robes, their distinct pattern impossible to mistake.

Han Yu's eyes narrowed. Mist Eye Sect.

And then recognition clicked.

"Meng Jueyan," Han Yu murmured, his voice just loud enough to carry.

The woman lifted her head at the sound of her name, her expression unreadable.

Han Yu's eyes lingered on Meng Jueyan. She stood at the barrier's edge without so much as a cloak of stealth, her posture relaxed as though she were merely stargazing or stealing a quiet moment away from the chaos of camp life.

To anyone else, she might have appeared harmless, a lone disciple finding solace in the stillness of night. But Han Yu knew better. Her presence here, so coincidental and so calm, was anything but accidental.

He let out a faint breath, slipping a hand into his robe. From within, he drew out his Communication Jade slip, the smooth surface pulsing faintly with spiritual light. Words spoken aloud would raise suspicion, and the barrier between camps made a direct approach impossible. This was the only method they could use without drawing attention.

The slip flickered to life as his spirit sense poured into it.

"Why are you looking for me?" Han Yu's words were sharp, concise, a probe rather than a greeting.

The jade pulsed a moment later. Meng Jueyan's reply came, her voice crisp yet faintly amused as if she had expected his wariness.

"Surprised, aren't you? I was simply caught off guard seeing you here. But since you're here, tell me... has Elder Yi sent any orders for me? He's been silent for too long."

Han Yu's brows knit together. 'So that was it.'

She wasn't here for idle talk or chance reunion. She was searching for direction, stranded in uncertainty, and had assumed he could provide it.

His fingers tightened on the slip before he responded.

"I've had no contact with Elder Yi. I'm here under the identity of a Twin Leaf Peak disciple, nothing more. If you're waiting for his command, you'll wait in vain."

Across the barrier, Meng Jueyan inclined her head slightly, acknowledging his words without visible disappointment.

The jade pulsed again.

"I see. Then, since fate has arranged for us to cross paths here, would you be interested in working together?"

Han Yu blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Collaborate?" he typed back. "Do you realize how suspicious that would look? Our sects aren't exactly known for mutual trust."

Her reply came swift, tinged with quiet confidence.

"Not openly, of course. We wouldn't stand side by side in the light of day. What I propose is simple: an exchange of information. Nothing more."

Han Yu hesitated, staring at the faint glow of his jade slip. "And why should I risk that? What's in it for me?"

The pulse of her jade was steady, as if she had been waiting for him to ask.

"Firstly," she wrote, "you still owe me. Have you forgotten the Spirit Stone mine incident? My help there saved you no small trouble."

Han Yu's lips curved faintly, half in annoyance, half in reluctant acknowledgment. His fingers tapped against the slip.

"I already paid that debt. The information I gave you about the sect affiliates was more than enough. Without it, your Mist Eye Sect would never have pulled down their image so neatly."

There was a pause, then a faint flicker of light across the slip.

"True. But you and I both know something else. We are both pieces on Elder Yi's board. Pawns, moved and shifted whether we like it or not. Since that is the case, we might as well use each other where we can."

Han Yu stared at the words for a long moment before sighing, pressing his fingers against the cool jade.

She wasn't wrong. Since Han Yu had made up the identity of Elder Yi, he couldn't risk harming it and had to follow through to maintain the relations.

"Fine. Then tell me exactly what you want."

The jade brightened with her swift reply.

"The factions within the Mist Eye Sect have grown restless. Elder Wei's people have been pressing harder than ever, and my faction has been deliberately weakened. Many of our disciples were split apart for this expedition. I suspect it was intentional, a way to cripple us before we could act."

Han Yu frowned as he read, his thoughts sharpening. He had heard faint whispers about the growing internal strife in the Mist Eye Sect from Meng Jueyan before, but never with such clarity.

"Go on," he urged.

Her voice returned, calm but edged with steel.

"This is an opportunity. A chance to strike at Elder Wei's people while they are divided and overextended.

If I feed you their positions, your sect's disciples can move against them—whether to hamper their actions or to eliminate them outright. Either way, their loss becomes my gain. And whatever treasures are seized along the way, you may keep. I won't ask for a share."

Hearing her message, Han Yu couldn't help but pause.