Chapter 100: The Mysterious Man
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Elder Qiu Shuang had left out an unspoken truth: everyone who survived that catastrophic event believed that Shui Qing Yue had perished two decades ago.
After all, back then, she had fought desperately to cover the retreat of the remaining survivors, seemingly without a care for her own life.
It was precisely due to Shui Qing Yue’s selfless sacrifice that, after fleeing the area, they returned together, united in their determination to continue the traditions of the Water Cloud Palace by establishing a new sect.
This act carried great risks. They had no way of knowing if those who attacked them in the past might return, yet they chose to persevere.
Now, although the Clear Wind Sect had not risen to the ranks of a renowned superpower, it was thriving and flourishing.
“Ah, actually, the Sect Master was the first to follow the Palace Master. She knows far more than the rest of us,” Elder Qiu Shuang said with a shake of her head.
Unfortunately, the Sect Master harbored too deep a prejudice against Yu Zhao, refusing to speak with her.
Ignoring this comment, Yu Zhao asked instead, “Did Shui Qing Yue have any close ties with a man?”
Elder Qiu Shuang shot Yu Zhao a peculiar glance. “Of course not. The Palace Master was known for her impeccable virtue and had no interest in trivial matters like romance.”
Both the former Water Cloud Palace and the present Clear Wind Sect admitted only female disciples. In the past, some male cultivators had even derisively referred to the Water Cloud Palace as a nunnery.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, Yu Zhao felt as though she had been stabbed in the heart. She sighed.
As expected, uncovering clues about her origins wouldn’t be easy.
According to Elder Qiu Shuang, aside from a missing brother, Shui Qing Yue had no other known relatives. If she truly had no interactions with men, it seemed impossible for her to have inexplicably become pregnant. The mystery of Yu Zhao’s connection to her remained unsolved.
It appeared her only option was to seek answers from Master Zi Wei. Whether the master was willing to meet her, though…
Yu Zhao thought with determination that she had plenty of ways to make Master Zi Wei unable to refuse.
“Do you know who attacked the Water Cloud Palace back then?” she asked her final question.
“No idea,” Elder Qiu Shuang replied with a bitter smile.
They had never seen their attackers before, nor did they know why they targeted the Water Cloud Palace. Everything had happened so suddenly, catching them completely off guard.
Having gathered all the information she could, Yu Zhao prepared to leave.
Elder Qiu Shuang gazed at her wistfully, as if reluctant to let her go. After a long pause, she asked softly, “May I hug you?”
Yu Zhao tilted her head slightly before spreading her arms.
The next moment, she felt a warm, feminine embrace tinged with a faint fragrance.
Elder Qiu Shuang’s choked voice whispered in Yu Zhao’s ear, “Thank you, Yu Zhao.”
“You’re welcome,” Yu Zhao replied with a smile.
I’m glad I could help fulfill your wish, Aunt Qiu.
Leaving Elder Qiu Shuang’s courtyard, Yu Zhao once again slipped into the night. Silent as a shadow, she moved toward Master Zi Wei’s residence.
Although she lacked the skills to conceal her movements, her Illusion Technique worked just as well. Thanks to it, no one noticed her presence as she advanced.
She spent some time searching for Master Zi Wei’s residence.
Just as she finally pinpointed the exact location, a shadow darted out from the room and leaped over the wall, heading straight for the back gate of Clear Wind Sect.
Yu Zhao was startled.
Someone else was also breaking into Clear Wind Sect at night?
Suspicion arose in her heart, but she wasted no time following.
The intruder was swift and displayed an intimate familiarity with the layout of Clear Wind Sect, evading obstacles with ease. In no time, he escaped through the back gate as though the sect were an empty field.
Yu Zhao trailed him at a steady distance, neither too far nor too close.
From her observations, the mysterious figure who fled from Master Zi Wei’s room was unmistakably a man.
Yet, the first rule of Clear Wind Sect strictly prohibited men from entering.
Judging by his practiced movements, this was clearly not his first time visiting the sect.
A man sneaking into the sect master’s quarters in the dead of night—did Master Zi Wei know about this or not?
A glimmer of amusement flashed through Yu Zhao’s eyes.
The mysterious man dashed down the mountain in one go, only to head towards the forested hills nearby, never once pausing.
Silently, Yu Zhao followed.
She had a hunch. She might uncover an extraordinary secret.
…
By dawn, daylight had fully illuminated the sky.
Little Red crept out of her room, sneaking cautious glances left and right like a thief. She dashed to the kitchen, dug out a food box she had hidden among some clutter in the corner, and slipped out through the tea house’s side door while everyone was still asleep.
Walking along the road home, Little Red’s eyes curved into crescent moons, revealing a set of bright white teeth.
Grandpa Tea had ordered her to stay at the tea house and not wander around, and he’d even found someone to take care of her younger brothers. But Little Red couldn’t stop worrying. Without her around, her brothers would surely feel uneasy.
She just wanted to take a quick look—just one look. Then she would hand over the food box left behind by the senior and return. Grandpa Tea wouldn’t know a thing.
Little Red’s home was in the southern district of Southern Abyss City, the dirtiest and most chaotic area in the city.
She navigated the alleyways with practiced ease, avoiding debris and her ill-intentioned neighbors, reaching home without drawing any attention.
To call it home was generous. It was a ramshackle shelter that barely kept out the wind and rain. Sometimes, even the inside got drenched during storms.
Still, Little Red was content.
Their living conditions might be poor for now, but she believed that once she grew a little older and found a better way to earn spirit stones, life at home would improve greatly.
Perhaps one day, one of her brothers could even become a powerful cultivator like the senior.
“Little Mao, Little Dou, Little Xi! Big sister is back! Look, I brought something good for you!”
Beaming, Little Red carried the heavy food box into the room.
But the room was empty.
There was no cheerful response from her brothers.
Perplexed, Little Red hesitated until her three brothers came rushing in from the side room, excitement lighting up their faces. One of them pointed at her and exclaimed, “Sir, she’s back! She’s Little Red!”
The smile froze on Little Red’s face.
She had no idea what was happening, but her instincts screamed for her to run. She turned on her heel and bolted.
She barely took two steps before her legs were restrained by an invisible force.
Her upper body continued the running motion, but her legs remained locked.
Thud!
She fell hard to the ground, and the food box she had been holding tumbled out of her hands.
Little Red felt dizzy and in pain. Reaching up to touch her head, her hand came away sticky with blood.
“Sis, why are you running? The sir is just here to ask you some questions!”
“Sis Red, just tell the sir where you’ve been these past few days! Then we’ll get a mid-grade spirit stone as a reward!”
“Tch, clumsy as always. Useless!”
Her three brothers squatted beside her, chattering away. None of them noticed the blood steadily streaming from the wound on her forehead.