Chapter 114 : Encountering the Man in Black Again

Chapter 114: Encountering the Man in Black Again

Over the next three days, under Xiao Ying’s arrangements, the members of the Long family stayed at the best-located inn in Mountain Gate Town.

Now that she was truly a direct disciple, she handled matters differently.

With the Disciple Recruitment Ceremony in full swing, the entire town was packed with people, yet she had still managed to secure two excellent guest rooms with ease.

That afternoon, Xiao Ying found time to visit the inn again and mysteriously pulled Long Xi aside to talk.

When she revealed the news that Long Tao had purchased property in the sect’s inner territory—

“Xiao Ying! You’re not just trying to make us happy, are you?” Long Xi’s eyes widened.

“My brother… a Qi Refining disciple, actually bought land in the sect’s town? The house is even built? And he wants all of us to move there?”

“It’s absolutely true!” Xiao Ying nodded excitedly.

“The house is already finished—it’s very grand! Young Master even set aside a plot for Brother Jiayuan, saying they would be neighbors in the future. If you move over, you’ll be able to visit each other often.”

“Wait…” Long Xi rubbed her temples, her face full of disbelief.

“Where did he get that much money? Aren’t land prices inside the sect famously expensive? Don’t tell me it’s some desolate mountain area. If that’s the case, we might as well return to our hometown.”

Xiao Ying looked puzzled as well.

Leaning close to Long Xi’s ear, she lowered her voice.

“No, it’s really a newly built town, and there’s even a cloudship dock. I’m also very confused, but Young Master just won’t say why. I suspect… it might be that he sold his looks in exchange for it.”

“Pfft…” Long Xi burst out laughing.

“With my brother’s temperament? Even if he wanted to sell, someone would have to be willing to buy! Hahaha!”

“Miss, don’t laugh!” Xiao Ying stamped her foot anxiously.

“Young Master is clearly very handsome, and… and there really are people in the sect who like him. We can’t let our guard down.”

“Oh?” Long Xi raised a brow, her face clearly saying go on, keep making things up.

“So according to you, my brother has actually found a partner?”

“This is the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect. Everyone here has good taste,” Xiao Ying said solemnly.

“Those vulgar people outside who don’t appreciate Young Master are simply blind. It’s different here, and…” She lowered her voice.

“The rivals are the kind you’d never even imagine.”

“The kind you’d never imagine?” Long Xi’s interest was piqued.

“Let’s hear it.”

“First of all… men.” Xiao Ying said mysteriously.

“I only recently found out that Young Master has been very close to a direct disciple named Nan Yuchen. That unparalleled genius who reached Foundation Establishment in just two and a half years!”

“Nan Yuchen?!” Long Xi was genuinely startled.

“How could my brother possibly know someone like that? Xiao Ying, that’s going too far just to amuse me!”

“I’m not lying! They really do know each other, and they’re very close, so I’m worried.”

“Even if that’s true, they’re definitely just ordinary friends.” Long Xi waved dismissively.

“You know what my brother’s like. He’s not interested in men at all. Back when Qinglin Town was trending with keeping handsome young attendants, which wealthy young master didn’t have one or two at his side? He had no interest whatsoever—he just took you everywhere to play.”

At this, Xiao Ying lowered her head shyly, though the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curl upward, clearly pleased by the memory.

However, she quickly grew serious again.

“Maybe they are just ordinary friends, but we can’t be careless. There’s something even more worrying… the demon race.”

“The demon race?” Long Xi was taken aback.

“Young Master now knows a very, very big and very, very seductive great demon.” Xiao Ying looked troubled.

“He’s been utterly captivated by her…”

“What?! Really? Is she a fox spirit?”

“Even more formidable than a fox spirit!” Xiao Ying gestured dramatically.

“She’s not even in human form, but she’s incredibly flirtatious. If you’d seen the way Young Master acts in front of her, it’s like his soul’s been hooked away. Dangerous! Terrifying!”

Long Xi was stunned by Xiao Ying’s words.

After a while, she said, “That… does deserve attention. Once I enter the sect, I’ll have to take a proper look. But the Nine-Xia Heavenly Sect already has many demon cultivators, so that’s not strange. If she’s as enchanting as you say, she probably wouldn’t even fancy my brother.”

“Miss, don’t take it lightly!” Xiao Ying shook Long Xi’s arm vigorously.

“The sect is completely different from the outside world. The people you don’t care about out there are all seductive threats here—men, demon cultivators, old women pretending to be young, and so on.”

After finishing their gossip about Long Tao, the two excitedly began discussing life and cultivation within the sect.

Growing animated, they even stepped out of the inn.

Xiao Ying was pouting as she complained about how grueling martial practice at Red Blood Peak was, leaving her sore all over every day.

Just then, a man dressed in black fitted clothing suddenly appeared slightly ahead of them, a perfectly measured smile on his face.

“This young lady, what a coincidence. We meet again.”

Long Xi’s heart skipped a beat, alarm bells ringing.

Wasn’t this the very man she had encountered before at the pastry stall—the one she had suspected of casting a charm spell on her? What unsettled her even more was that, despite her vigilance, the moment she looked into his smiling eyes, she once again felt a trace of inexplicable fondness, even thinking his outfit today looked particularly dashing.

“Y-yes, quite a coincidence.” Long Xi forced out a smile and secretly pinched herself.

“The young lady beside you appears to be a disciple of the sect. I hope to become your junior brother in the future.” The man stepped forward subtly, his gaze gentle as he looked at Long Xi and Xiao Ying.

“By the way, may I have the honor of knowing your names?”

Xiao Ying frowned deeply, openly sizing the man up.

In her eyes, he was nothing more than a leering ruffian.

His feigned affectionate gaze made her skin crawl.

Long Xi suppressed the inexplicable affection rising within her and took half a step back.

“We’re about to return to pack our belongings. I’m afraid we can’t chat for long.”

“I see…” The man revealed a perfectly timed look of disappointment.

“Then perhaps another day, if fate allows—”

“Xiao Ying, let’s go.” Long Xi didn’t wait for him to finish and hurriedly pulled Xiao Ying away.

Only after they had walked a considerable distance did Long Xi let out a long breath, her palms already damp with sweat.

“Who was that disgusting man just now?” Xiao Ying glanced back in distaste.

“You seemed really nervous.”

Long Xi then recounted her previous encounter and Steward Liu’s warning.

Xiao Ying’s eyes widened.

“There’s such a thing? But when I looked at him, I only felt nauseated. That pretentious dashing act was revolting. He can’t even compare to Young Master.”

“Really?” Long Xi turned in surprise.

“You didn’t find him charming at all?”

“Charming?” Xiao Ying scoffed.

“That face of his? That slouching posture? Any random handyman in the sect is better than him. And… he probably didn’t use any charm technique either.”

As she spoke, Xiao Ying took out a small bronze plate and said,

“My Master gave me this. She said it can resist all kinds of mind-bewitching spells and provide a warning. But just now… it didn’t react at all.”

“That’s really strange. But my favorable impression of him is indeed fading now. Xiao Ying, I’m scared.”

“It’s fine. I’ve memorized his appearance. When we get back, I’ll report it to Master.”

The two quickened their pace and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

In the distance, the man in black watched the direction they had left.

The smile gradually faded from his face, and a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes.

At that moment, a man dressed in inner sect disciple robes appeared beside him.

They did not make direct contact, merely speaking softly across a short distance.

“Young Master, you’ve finally arrived.” The inner sect disciple lowered his head slightly, his tone respectful.

The man in black, addressed as “Young Master,” kept his gaze fixed on the direction Long Xi had gone, his voice low.

“Qingshu, what information do we have on those two women?”

“One I don’t recognize, but the other wearing disciple robes is the newly accepted direct disciple of True Person Zhiying, named Xiao Ying.”

“One of True Person Zhiying’s people?” The man in black sighed lightly.

“No need to rush then. We’ll take it slowly. For now, the primary target is still Nan Yuchen. How is the matter I assigned you earlier—tarnishing his reputation and weakening his fortune—progressing?”

If Nan Yuchen and Long Tao had been present, they would have immediately recognized the disciple called Qingshu by the man in black.

It was none other than Senior Brother Zhou, Zhou Qingshu, who had previously schemed against Nan Yuchen.

“Nan Yuchen is well protected, and it’s difficult for me to enter Moon-Washing Peak. But through a few missions, I’ve managed to somewhat affect his reputation among his peers.”

“Not enough.” The man in black said coldly.

“I happened to see Nan Yuchen a few days ago. Although his fortune fluctuated slightly, his foundation remains stable. Once I successfully enter the sect this time, continue to coordinate with me.”

“Yes!” Zhou Qingshu responded respectfully.