3: Liu Ruyan's mysterious thoughts

Jiang Yan stopped in his tracks, his heart skipping a beat. The moment he turned around, he dropped to his knees:

“The three Immortal Masters fought bravely to Breakthrough the White Shadow Demon encirclement, but they were overpowered, and the result...”

Jiang Yan stopped short, feigning sorrow as he pointed to the three White Skeletons not far away. “As for Immortal Master Li and the other two, when they separated from my house, they fled toward the Village. I hope the Immortal Master can rescue them quickly.”

He dared not say that these three were killed by him, nor would he say that the three died fighting to protect him.

After all, any fool knows that as a Mortal, how could he make Cultivators risk their lives for him? So, he simply blamed their deaths on the Evil Spirits.

Since the three had already turned into White Skeletons, even if you possessed countless methods, you couldn't possibly know what happened at the time.

Hearing this, the Old Man angrily scanned the three skeletons on the ground.

Analyzing their clothes, they were indeed his Qingyun Disciples. But what puzzled him was why these three would fight desperately knowing they were no match for the White Shadow Evil Spirits.

“Revered Master, we have done our best. Let's go check on Junior Brother Li and the others in the Village,” said a Blue-Robed Youth.

“Mm,” the Old Man affirmed, then continued, “When the Evil Spirits retreat tomorrow morning, you all investigate thoroughly.”

“Yes, Revered Master.” The three youths bowed simultaneously.

Watching the Old Man and the others fly away, Jiang Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

'This matter won't be easy to gloss over. I need to think of a foolproof plan.'

Without hesitation, he quickly ran toward the Mountain Temple in the west.

At the entrance of the Mountain Temple, two or three White Shadow Demons were wandering. Jiang Yan seized the opportunity and immediately used the Swallow Flow Sword Technique on a White Shadow Demon leaning against the wall.

The Short Blade sliced across the White Shadow Demon, but the effect of the Beryllium Chain explosion did not appear. Instead, the Short Blade was instantly corroded.

'Holy crap!'

Jiang Yan was terrified internally. He tossed the Short Blade, turned, and climbed over the wall to escape.

'Damn it, I almost bought the farm.'

'Why can't I hurt the Evil Spirits using the Swallow Flow Sword Technique? Is it a weapon problem?'

He stopped pondering, took a few steps, and entered the Mountain Temple's Main Hall through a window in the rear hall.

With familiar ease, he pulled open the Straw Curtain on the west side, opened the Cellar entrance, and rolled inside.

In the darkness, the Panel opened.

The Experience Value had clearly increased significantly.

Killing three Cultivators just now was worth several months of harvesting from farm work and killing Frogs.

But the danger level was truly fatal.

Jiang Yan still felt a wave of lingering fear. If the person Surnamed Wang hadn't been careless, he wouldn't have been able to plunder the ability to counter-kill the other two.

It truly fulfilled the old saying: murder and arson lead to wealth; building roads and bridges leave no bones.

'Huh!'

'It only took 20 years of lifespan to raise the Swallow Flow Sword Technique to Proficient Mastery.'

'It seems this sword technique isn't that great.'

'Should I continue upgrading it? Or switch to upgrading Spells?'

'No, I can't be greedy for small gains and risk my life!'

He considered it very clearly: if he chose to upgrade Spells, he would have to Cultivate the Qi Refining Technique Introductory Chapter. If he were caught by that Qingyun Sect Old Man, he would surely die.

'Forget it, I'll wait until tomorrow.'

Meanwhile, Liu Ruyan and two others had been rescued by the Old Man. As for repelling the White Shadow Evil Spirits, the Old Man couldn't do it at all, so they simply hid in the Gao Family Village.

Upon learning that Che Kun and the two others had been devoured by the White Shadow Evil Spirits, Liu Ruyan and the two others showed grief. But upon hearing that Jiang Yan was still alive, the three of them were equally confused and shocked.

“Alright, this time should serve as a lesson for you. After returning to the mountain, your Revered Master will personally punish you,” the Old Man said indifferently.

Hearing that they were to be punished by their Revered Master, the faces of Liu Ruyan and the two others instantly showed horror. They knew their Revered Master very well and were very clear about how severe the consequences of this punishment would be.

The morning light was faint.

Jiang Yan climbed out of the Cellar, stood in front of the Mountain Temple, and looked at the place where the Evil Spirits had vanished in the early morning.

He didn't know where these Evil Spirits came from, nor did he know what these things were transformed from.

“After hiding all night, you should leave now,” the Old Temple Keeper said, standing in front of the temple hall.

Jiang Yan didn't speak, just nodded gently, then stepped toward his home.

He knew very well what he was about to face.

As for running away?

Stop joking. They are Cultivators; they can use Flying on Swords.

Confronting them head-on is even more of a pipe dream. If you can't even escape, how can you confront them?

Before you can even confront them, they'd simply wave a hand and take you away.

Just as Jiang Yan stepped into his Small Courtyard, Li Chunsheng's angry questioning voice rang out:

“Speak! How exactly did my Junior Brother Che, Junior Brother Zhang, and Junior Brother Wang die! Why are you alive? Did you kill them!”

Jiang Yan ignored the angry questioning Li Chunsheng and instead bowed respectfully to that Immortal Master:

“Thank you, Immortal Master, for saving this young man.”

The Old Man didn't even look, just nodded slightly.

Li Chunsheng became even angrier, grabbing Jiang Yan's collar and shouting, “Speak! Confess honestly!”

“I already explained everything to the Immortal Master last night. What more do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that you were afraid of death and abandoned the innocent...”

“Slap...” Li Chunsheng was furious and directly slapped Jiang Yan. “Shut up! I am asking you how my three Junior Brothers died!”

Jiang Yan was struck, his mouth bleeding, and half his face swollen high.

Liu Ruyan couldn't bear the sight and quickly said, “Senior Brother, let's wait until Senior Brother Feng and the others return.”

“Junior Sister, Senior Brother Che and the others must have been killed by him, how could you...”

Before Li Chunsheng could finish speaking, the Old Man nearby slowly opened his eyes and interrupted, “Enough. If he hadn't shouted for help back then, I wouldn't have stopped to save him. Their fate was sealed. Wait until Feng Xiao and the others return before making a conclusion.”

Hearing this, Li Chunsheng stopped being presumptuous, only glaring fiercely at Jiang Yan.

“Ruyan, is he your Mortal Husband?” the Old Man asked indifferently.

“Replying to Senior Martial Uncle, he is now my Mortal Ex-husband. We have already Divorced,” Liu Ruyan replied respectfully.

Mortal Ex-husband?

What a novel term!

Jiang Yan was almost amused by this harsh term, but his smile did not show on his face; instead, it was a sneer from the bottom of his heart.

Sure enough, once you reach the shore, you cut off your former lover!

The Old Man nodded silently, then looked toward the direction where Che Kun and the two others had died last night, and said faintly:

“They're back...”

Hearing this, Liu Ruyan and the two others simultaneously looked at Feng Xiao and the two returning youths.

“Replying to Revered Master, the three Disciples have finished the investigation.” Feng Xiao and the two others cupped their hands.

“Speak,” the Old Man lightly waved his Sleeve.

“The skeletons of Junior Brother Che and the two others are white, and there are no traces of weapons between the bones. The preliminary conclusion is that they did not die from poisoning or a Sharp Weapon,” Feng Xiao said first.

“Replying to Revered Master, Junior Brother Che and the two others have no souls left, and the traces left by the Shadow Demons on the ground are consistent with group feeding,” another blue-robed Disciple reported.

Hearing this, Li Chunsheng and the two others were shocked. They couldn't understand why, if they weren't harmed by Jiang Yan, they hadn't managed to escape?

One must know that Che Kun and the two others were Cultivators, and all were Cultivators of the Qi Refining First Layer. Even if they were no match for the White Shadow Demon, the three of them working together could still fight desperately to carve out a path to survival.

“Alas... fate it is,” the Old Man sighed deeply. “Very well, the matter is concluded. Let's return to the mountain.”

“Yes, Revered Master.” Feng Xiao and the two others cupped their hands and bowed.

“Yes...”

Just as Li Chunsheng was bowing, Liu Ruyan quickly stepped forward, pointed at Jiang Yan, and bowed again to the Old Man:

“Senior Martial Uncle, this Disciple wishes to ask you to bring him back to the mountain with us.”

Liu Ruyan's sudden statement stunned everyone present; they almost all felt they had misheard.

Even Jiang Yan himself was somewhat surprised and bewildered. He couldn't figure out what Liu Ruyan was doing.

“Junior Sister Ruyan, what do you mean by this?” asked the person Surnamed Yan.

Liu Ruyan said with apparent reluctance, “Although Jiang Yan is a bit older, perhaps some Elder might be willing to take him as a Disciple. Even if not... it's better than dying silently at the hands of Evil Specters. I hope Senior Martial Uncle will grant this.”

The Old Man withdrew his gaze from Liu Ruyan, looked at Jiang Yan again, and after a long silence, nodded. “Ruyan, that is very kind of you. Since that is the case, bring him back.”