Thunder-Beaked Hawk went on, “This sect has a reputation for never backing off once they’re involved. Even if something’s gone wrong with Lord Bishui, the Falling Feather Sect won’t just drop it. And what’s more, a lot of their experts have been gathering up north lately. Compared to the Vermilion Hook Sect, it might be smarter for you to focus your attention here instead, brother.”

Li Xun naturally understood what Thunder-Beaked Hawk was getting at. He offered a casual word of thanks, and without any further pretense, the two exchanged a smile before stepping out of the woods together, as though nothing had just happened.

Thunder-Beaked Hawk never dragged things out. When it was time to leave, he simply left. Without sparing Qi Feixiong so much as a glance, he led his sect’s cultivators off into the distance.

Li Xun kept his expression calm as he greeted Qin Wanru, though his thoughts were elsewhere. His mind was entirely on the news Thunder-Beaked Hawk had just revealed.

He had to admit, he never expected the Wuyinxuan incident to draw suspicion so quickly. Let alone for people to zero in on him as a suspect this fast.

At this point, it was meaningless to analyze how this got out. The real question was: what exactly is the Five-Sect Alliance trying to do?

Clearly, getting Luo Moshi to lower himself and take the initiative to reach out was anything but simple. And the problem that had them so hesitant was surely not something Li Xun alone could shoulder.

Then there was the matter of the Shadow-Devouring Soul Sect. He hadn’t been back in some time, and yet his information there was already so out of date. That was truly worrisome. Still, compared to the total lack of leads in the first matter, this one was at least something he could ask around about.

Having one unresolved issue hanging over his head was already painful enough. Having two at the same time was nothing short of torment. No matter how strong his will was, even Li Xun was starting to feel the strain. After thinking it over, he decided it was best to bid Qin Wanru farewell.

As soon as the thought formed, Yin Wanderer drifted casually into view from the side.

Li Xun hastily and with all due respect explained his intention. Yin Wanderer curled her lips ever so slightly and said coolly, “Heading to the Pole?”

Li Xun gave a light cough, his eyes flicking toward the Yin-Yang Sect disciples nearby. Qin Wanru saw this look and instantly understood what it meant.

After a moment’s thought, she actually spoke up to ease the pressure on Li Xun: “My junior brother has too many matters to handle, it’s not convenient to keep him here. Master, what do you think…”

Yin Wanderer gave her whisk a light shake and smiled. “Of course I won’t keep him here… I’ll be going with him.”

“Going with him?”

Qin Wanru was taken aback, and Li Xun also put on a look of surprise, glancing over.

“Gu Zhixuan’s methods are this despicable; how could I possibly let him off? And besides, there’s the Rogue Cultivators' Alliance. I’d like to see for myself how, after tens of thousands of years, a million scattered cultivators have been molded into a single force.”

Yin Wanderer sounded so confident that even Li Xun nearly believed she meant it, let alone Qin Wanru.

“Master, Gu Zhixuan is no longer the same Jade Wanderer from sixty years ago. Now he commands tens of thousands of cultivators, sealing off the Pole so tightly…”

Halfway through her words, Qin Wanru suddenly faltered. Li Xun smirked to himself on the side. That was her misstep. Knowing how proud Yin Wanderer was, wouldn’t such a statement only provoke her into going?

Qin Wanru clearly realized it too, and quickly changed course: “Besides, Mother is still bound by the Spirit-Extinguishing Thread. I need to gather rare ingredients to refine a Soul-Stabilizing Blue Star and try to heal her. These materials are incredibly obscure. Without Master’s guidance, how could I possibly find them?”

Yin Wanderer’s eyes flicked briefly toward Li Xun’s face, then a low, cold laugh slipped out.

“Precisely because they’re hard to find, that’s all the more reason to trouble Gu Zhixuan first. If this method fails, it won’t be too late to search later. My decision is made. You should take your mother back to the sect to rest. From here on, focus your efforts within the sect itself. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t leave again.”

Li Xun silently cheered. With that, the chance of Qin Wanru dragging him off on some “urgent summons” had dropped to almost nothing.

It had to be that Yin Wanderer wanted something from him. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been so cooperative.

Seeing how things were unfolding, Li Xun became even more unwilling to give a promise too quickly. If he kept her dangling, he might squeeze out more benefits.

He chuckled to himself, but on the surface he put on a troubled look, playing the part of someone reluctant yet deeply afraid with uncanny precision.

Qin Wanru knew her master’s temperament all too well. Seeing Yin Wanderer’s stance, she realized there was no changing it, and had no choice but to accept. She turned to Li Xun and reminded him, “Junior brother, on this journey you must take good care of Master…”

She should be taking care of me, not the other way around, Li Xun sneered inwardly, though outwardly he agreed at once with all the proper respect.

Then Yin Wanderer suddenly smiled from the side. “That ‘junior brother’ you called him is quite fitting. From today on, he is my second disciple. The two of you must support each other and help one another from now on.”

Li Xun’s smile froze, while Qin Wanru let out a soft “Ah.”

But the lapse was quickly smoothed over by two minds too sharp to be caught off guard for long. Li Xun’s grin grew all the brighter, and Qin Wanru’s face lit up with joy.

“Then I must congratulate my junior brother. And of course, congratulations to Master as well. After all, a talent like him is truly rare in this world.”

Li Xun answered politely, but inwardly he was a little puzzled.

With Yin Wanderer’s declaration, he had essentially been brought into the Yin-Yang Sect in both name and principle. One could even say this was paving the way for him to eventually take control of the sect.

More importantly, because of her fixed way of thinking, Qin Wanru assumed this was merely her master’s way of drawing him closer. Naturally, she was happy to accept it, and in doing so she unknowingly swept away any potential objections before they could even arise.

That was exactly what Li Xun had wanted her to do, though he hadn’t given her the order. She had done it on her own, simply because of that younger sister of hers. Was that really necessary?

Doubts lingered in his mind, but given the circumstances, Li Xun had no reason to refuse such a tempting offer. Meeting Yin Wanderer’s calm, unreadable gaze, the smile on his face grew all the more genuine.

.....

“You did well,” Li Xun said, watching Qin Wanru and her group vanish into the clouds. He smiled. “After all, you saved me a lot of talking. That’s good.”

Yin Wanderer turned her head slightly, staring off into the distance without replying.

Seeing her like that, Li Xun gave a soundless chuckle. He reached out, brushing her cheek, gently pushing aside a few loose strands of hair. Yin Wanderer shot him a cold glance, but it no longer had any power to affect him.

His fingers lingered, feeling the smoothness of her soft skin. He let out a long, contented sigh.

This was the breath of life itself. The puppet was still the puppet, yet because of the living glow radiating from her, she was now worlds apart from what she had been. It was as if his own breath and heartbeat resonated with hers.

This was the real Yin Wanderer. This was a true beauty.

His arm slid around her like a serpent, lightly stroking the delicate curve of her neck. Yet the words that came from his mouth were perfectly proper.

“Earlier you said the binding technique on your sister wasn’t the work of Gu Zhixuan, but of Gu Yin… Is there really such a big difference between the uncle and the nephew?”

Yin Wanderer cast a fleeting glance at the hand that had been toying with her body, and a subtle smile appeared on her face. To Li Xun it looked like mockery, but it vanished almost at once. She lowered her eyes. “The difference… is great,” she finally said.

Li Xun thought for a moment, pulled his hand back, and patiently waited for her to go on.

She cut him another look before continuing: “The difference between the two runs deep, all the way to the bone. Whatever else one may say about Gu Zhixuan, he’s extremely proud and arrogant. There are things he would never do, and things he’d never stoop to doing. But Gu Yin is different.”

She let out a cold laugh. “Compared to Gu Zhixuan, Gu Yin may not be capable of as much. But as long as it’s something she can do, she will do it… Do you understand?”

Li Xun raised his brows. From the sound of it, Gu Yin almost seemed the more dangerous of the two.

So then…

Linking it to everything he had experienced, Li Xun felt more certain than ever that what Lin Wuyou once said was true: the real power behind Yemo Heaven had always been Gu Yin.

But what about Gu Zhixuan?

His eyes swept over Yin Wanderer, and she understood. After a moment’s thought, she said, “According to rumors, the relationship between uncle and nephew was extremely strained. Back then, even though Gu Zhixuan wasn’t the sect master of Miaohua Sect, he still held the real power. Gu Yin might have worn the title of sect master, but she was little more than his mouthpiece.

“Later, for reasons no one knows, Gu Zhixuan gave up his authority on his own and settled in No Return Land. People outside all assumed the two had fallen out. It wasn’t until Zhong Yin hunted him down that he was forced to return and take shelter in Yemo Heaven…”

She hadn’t given a direct answer. After all, any answer here would have been nothing but groundless speculation. What she said instead came across as far more objective.