Chapter 343

Chapter 343: Master, I Get It, You Are Lying
After Yu Zhao heard Lou Yu Shan’s life story and appearance from Elder Gu, she took the scroll and the location of the Ancient Dao Arena that Elder Gu had deduced.

After saying farewell to several friends one by one, she, Bu Yan, and Ji Han Zhou set off at once.

Master Qing Yan stood on the highest peak of Five Elements Dao Sect, silently watching Yu Zhao leave. Then he went down the mountain to find Sect Master Ji Yuan and directly asked him to assign him a task.

Sect Master Ji Yuan was greatly shocked.

He said: “Qing Yan, are you… are you all right?”

[Could his illness have acted up again?]

[Is it too late to invite Sect Master Wu Sang back now?]

Master Qing Yan’s brows and eyes were cold as he said: “Sect Master, be at ease. My illness is much better. I can serve the sect at any time.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan let out an “ah” and could not make sense of it no matter how he thought.

[Even when Master Qing Yan was normal before, he never rushed over to ask me for a mission, did he?]

[Has he changed his nature?]

Master Qing Yan took one look and knew what Sect Master Ji Yuan was thinking. His expression dimmed as he said: “In the past, I was lonely and arrogant, not understanding others. Only now do I regret it.”

If he had faced the way he reacted differently to Yu Zhao a bit earlier, things between them would not have become so distant.

Sect Master Ji Yuan said: “It is great that you can think this way.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan was overjoyed. He had been troubled by how busy things were lately, so it was perfect to have someone who could help share the burden.

He immediately handed his most urgent task to Master Qing Yan. Afraid that Master Qing Yan might not take it to heart, he added that it was an evil cult discovered by Yu Zhao.

Sure enough, as soon as Master Qing Yan heard it was related to Yu Zhao, a chill burst out from him.

He said: “Sect Master, leave this matter to me.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan said: “Master Qing Yan, I trust you to handle this. Once it is settled, I will be sure to speak well of you in front of Yu Zhao.”

Master Qing Yan immediately gave him a grateful look, then left with his hands behind his back, killing intent rolling off him.

“Hahaha!”

Sect Master Ji Yuan was so happy he almost did a flip on the spot.

He had known Master Qing Yan for so many years, and he had finally found a way to handle him.

[So this is what they call one thing subduing another!]

Zhang Jun appeared from who knew which corner, his face scrunched up, and said: “Master, are you really going to speak up for Master Qing Yan in front of Yu Zhao?”

Sect Master Ji Yuan swept the area with his divine sense. After confirming that Master Qing Yan had gone far away, he glared at Zhang Jun and said: “Master Qing Yan is eliminating harm for the cultivation world, so of course he deserves to be praised. As for whether Yu Zhao forgives him or not, that is up to her.”

Zhang Jun suddenly understood and snickered: “Master, I get it. You are just lying.”

Sect Master Ji Yuan slapped Zhang Jun on the back of the head and said: “Your senior sister is so busy her feet barely touch the ground, and you still have time to joke around here. Go help your senior sister!”

“Oh, oh!”

Zhang Jun clutched his head and jogged away, leaving Sect Master Ji Yuan alone to keep grinning foolishly.

…

“Shao Zhen, Shao Zhen.”

“Ah!”

Wu Shao Zhen suddenly opened his eyes and saw a delicate, charming face. A strong feeling of loss surged up in him.

[It is not her.]

He lowered his eyes, hiding the fleeting emotion.

“Shao Zhen, did you have a nightmare again?”

Ye Cong Xin looked worried.

Wu Shao Zhen shook his head.

[It was not a nightmare.]

[It was… a beautiful dream.]

[A beautiful dream that haunted his soul and that he could not forget.]

Ye Cong Xin said: “As long as it was not a nightmare, that is good. I have something to discuss with you.”

Wu Shao Zhen pulled himself together and looked seriously at Ye Cong Xin.

She said: “A few days ago, I went to a nearby city to buy pills and found that someone was tracing my tracks. We have to go hide in a more secluded place for a while.”

Ye Cong Xin had not expected that spreading news about Quan Ye would actually draw the fire onto herself.

It was only when the System reminded her that she noticed someone was watching her in the dark.

She immediately realized that her actions might have aroused some people’s suspicion. In order not to expose her existence, she had no choice but to move somewhere else.

Wu Shao Zhen did not doubt Ye Cong Xin’s story. His eyes grew cold as he asked: “Who is following you?”

Ye Cong Xin told him the backstory she had already made up. Wu Shao Zhen thought of his own rough life and could not help feeling pity for her.

Right on cue, the System’s voice sounded in Ye Cong Xin’s mind.

[Ding! Wu Shao Zhen’s current Favorability is 70 points!]

Ye Cong Xin’s lips quickly curled up.

But even that tiny movement did not escape Wu Shao Zhen’s eyes.

Wu Shao Zhen felt doubt in his heart.

[Did he see it wrong?]

[Why would Qing Qing suddenly smile for no reason?]

The thought flashed through Wu Shao Zhen’s mind.

He did not have spare time to think about it in detail, because he and Ye Cong Xin had already started to move toward a more desolate place.

With the System clearing the way, their journey had some scares but no real danger.

Ye Cong Xin also pretended every now and then that her old illness had flared up again, and Wu Shao Zhen’s Favorability kept steadily rising.

Far away, on the other side, Yu Zhao did not have their good luck.

The story had to start from the second day after Yu Zhao left.

From the moment Yu Zhao left Five Elements Dao Sect, she had felt a vague unease, as if she had forgotten something.

But after thinking it over and over, she still could not figure it out.

It was not until the three of them were resting by the roadside that Yu Zhao suddenly realized what the problem was.

It was Bai Ran.

Bai Ran was far too quiet.

Although Bai Ran spent most of his time sleeping, he would still come out sometimes to get some air and play with Yu Zhao for a while.

Ever since they played in the water at Mist Peak that day, Bai Ran had not appeared again.

At first, Yu Zhao had thought he was just tired from playing and was resting to recover his strength, so she had not thought much about it.

But now several days had passed, and Bai Ran was still asleep. That was a bit strange.

Yu Zhao quickly took Bai Ran out from her sleeve.

Bai Ran’s body lay limp in the palm of Yu Zhao’s hand. His eyes were tightly shut, and there was no trace of breath.

Yu Zhao was startled. She pinched his body between two fingers and shook him gently.

There was no reaction at all.

Yu Zhao tried sending a stream of spiritual energy into his body.

There was still no response.

Bu Yan and Ji Han Zhou both leaned in from left and right.

Ji Han Zhou asked in surprise: “What is wrong with Bai Ran?”

Bu Yan turned one of his Prayer Beads and said softly: “Hibernating?”

Ji Han Zhou glanced at the lush spring scenery around them and curled his lips.

Yu Zhao’s brows drew together.

After hesitating for a moment, she decided to send a trace of divine sense into Bai Ran’s body.

But she quickly realized that this method was useless on Bai Ran.

Because there was a mysterious defense in Bai Ran’s body that blocked all divine sense from entering.

Yu Zhao let out a slight breath of relief.

If the defense was still working, it meant his true body was not dead.

As for whether Bai Ran would wake up and when, that was unknown.

After all, Yu Zhao did not really understand the habits of the demon race, let alone Bu Yan and Ji Han Zhou.

Just as Yu Zhao was hesitating over whether she should seek help from the demon race, a streak of white light came roaring from the distance like thunder.

The three of them did not even need to send out their divine sense to sense the powerful aura of a Nascent Soul old fiend.

The white light paused for a brief moment as it passed by the three of them, then suddenly threw something toward them and fled at great speed.

Yu Zhao was worried it might be a trap, so she wrapped the thing in her spirit power. When she focused on it, her heart sank.

The next moment, an old man’s curses sounded from behind them.

“Shameless thief! Do not run!”