284: Concealing the truth

Lu Chen did not stay in the narrow cave the entire time.

After instructing Bai Qiyun to guard Lan Ni well and to warn him immediately if there was any unusual movement, he quietly retreated outside.

With a few leaps of his figure, he arrived at the foot of a sheltered cliff about a hundred zhang away from the cave.

Not long after, a dark shadow that seemed to blend into the night appeared silently by his side; it was none other than Li Wuya.

Without turning his head, Lu Chen used sound transmission to concisely and quickly recount how he had found Lan Ni, her critical condition, and the initial assessment that there might be discrepancies between her situation and what Wusi had claimed.

He did not mix in any personal speculation, stating only the facts.

After hearing Lu Chen's account, even through the night, Li Wuya could sense the sudden gravity gathering on his face.

He was silent for a moment before asking in a deep voice via sound transmission: "This matter is of great importance. That Wusi... does my subordinate need to return to the city immediately to closely monitor his movements?"

Lu Chen shook his head slowly and also used sound transmission: "Not for now. He is new here and has a special identity. Right now, he needs to rely on our strength to gain a foothold, so he shouldn't leave easily in the short term. Moreover..."

He paused slightly, his tone carrying a hint of coldness, "He still has a special Restriction planted by the Sect Head years ago that hasn't been removed, so he can't stir up any big trouble for now. What's more important right now is to clarify exactly what happened at Luohun Ridge."

He turned to look at Li Wuya, his gaze sharp under the moonlight: "Although Bai Qiyun has already checked, the time was rushed, and to avoid alerting the enemy, she may not have seen everything clearly. Elder Li, please set off immediately and go to that battlefield at Luohun Ridge once more. Search carefully; do not overlook any subtle traces, residual aura, or Formation fluctuations. Remember, concealing your tracks is paramount; do not make contact with anyone who might be lurking there. Once you have investigated, return quickly. Lan Ni is seriously injured, so we should not stay here long and must take her back to a safe place as soon as possible."

"Understood!"

Li Wuya did not hesitate at all and agreed straightforwardly.

This matter concerned the life and death of Sect members and might even involve internal secrets; he knew the gravity of the situation.

He cupped his hands at Lu Chen, his figure drifting backward like a ghost, vanishing in the blink of an eye into the thick night and the shadows of the forest, speeding toward Luohun Ridge.

Only Lu Chen remained where he was.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the night sky, which was fractured by the silhouettes of the mountains; the stars were sparse, and the moonlight was cold.

The mountain wind passed through the forest, bringing with it a wailing sound, adding to the desolation and murderous aura of the wild night.

He stood quietly, his figure seemingly merging with the rugged rocks behind him.

No one knew what he was calculating in his heart at this moment or what kind of situation he was deducing.

Time passed in silence.

In the blink of an eye, two days passed.

On the afternoon of this day, Lu Chen, who had been standing with his eyes closed as if he had turned into a stone statue, suddenly twitched his eyebrows.

A strand of his extremely hidden Divine Sense left near the cave sensed a clear fluctuation in Lan Ni's aura inside the cave.

Although it was still weak, it was no longer as deathly still as before.

His figure flickered, and he appeared at the entrance of the cave, entering silently.

The light inside the cave was dim, and the air was filled with a rich scent of medicine and the lingering smell of blood that had not yet dissipated.

Lan Ni had managed to sit up halfway, leaning against the cold rock wall; her face was as pale as paper, with not a drop of blood, and her lips were chapped.

But those eyes that had been tightly shut were now open; although her gaze was unfocused and dim, it now had a focal point.

She was looking at Bai Qiyun, who was kneeling in front of her, still keeping her palm pressed against the Spiritual Platform point on her back, continuously channeling gentle Spiritual Qi; her gaze was complex.

Both Bai Qiyun and Shao Qing, who was to the side, had heavy, undisguisable fatigue on their faces.

For two consecutive days, they had not slept or rested; one had exhausted her mind and Spiritual Qi to maintain Lan Ni's Life Qi, while the other had been fully focused on Alchemy to create life-saving Medicinal Pill.

Even though both of their cultivations were not weak, they showed signs of overexertion at this moment.

Lu Chen's arrival broke the slightly stagnant atmosphere in the cave.

His gaze fell directly on Lan Ni's face; without any pleasantries or condolences, he got straight to the point, his voice flat: "Junior Sister Lan Ni, can you still speak?"

Lan Ni seemed to use some effort to turn her gaze toward Lu Chen; a trace of imperceptible fluctuation flashed in her eyes, appearing to be surprise, yet also realization.

She nodded very slightly, the movement so small it was almost imperceptible; clearly, even nodding aggravated her injuries, bringing pain.

Just then, Shao Qing put down the Spirit Medicine he was organizing and walked over quickly.

In his hand, he held a Medicinal Pill the size of a longan, emerald green in color, and emitting a fresh fragrance, which he handed to Lan Ni's lips.

His voice carried a hint of weary hoarseness but was exceptionally clear: "First, take this Origin-Returning Spirit-Continuing Pill. This Medicinal Pill can help you temporarily gather some spiritual Origin Qi, which should be able to support you in staying awake for half an hour. Once the time is up, the medicinal power will fade, and the injuries will backlash; I fear you will fall into a coma again. If you have anything important to say, you need to hurry."

Lan Ni looked at the Medicinal Pill, then raised her eyes to look at Lu Chen, and then at the weary-faced Bai Qiyun and Shao Qing; the complexity in her eyes deepened.

She did not resist, slightly opening her mouth to take the Medicinal Pill, and swallowed it with the help of a strand of Spiritual Qi channeled by Shao Qing.

As the Medicinal Pill entered her stomach, a gentle yet tenacious warm current slowly dissolved, flowing toward her limbs and bones.

Although it could not heal her serious injuries, it was as if a drop of oil had been added to a nearly exhausted oil lamp.

It brought a faint, almost unreal trace of Life Qi to her ashen face, and her eyes became a bit clearer.

Lu Chen had been watching quietly, and after she took the Medicinal Pill and her aura stabilized slightly, he spoke again, his tone still calm: "Before you speak, look at this first."

He flicked his robe sleeve, and a pale green Jade Slip flew out from his hand, supported by a gentle Spiritual Qi, hovering steadily in front of Lan Ni, within her reach.

"After you finish reading the contents of this Jade Slip, we will talk."

Lan Ni raised her slightly trembling hand, took the Jade Slip, pressed it against her brow, and sank her Divine Sense into it.

Inside the Jade Slip was the general outline of what Wusi had said after arriving at Ruins Abyss City, which Lu Chen had organized.

As well as the results of Bai Qiyun's preliminary investigation; it was clear, well-organized, emphasized the key points, and did not mix in Lu Chen's personal judgment.

In just a moment, Lan Ni put down the Jade Slip and placed it gently on the dry grass beside her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened them again, the last trace of hesitation and bewilderment had faded from her eyes.

There remained only a kind of nearly icy calmness, as well as intense emotions suppressed beneath that calmness.

"Most of it... is true."

Her voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper rubbing, and her articulation was somewhat difficult, but every word was enunciated clearly.

"The location, the encounter, the Blood Gate... are facts."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lu Chen, Bai Qiyun, and Shao Qing, and slowly uttered the next sentence, which made the hearts of the three people in the cave tremble simultaneously:

"But, apart from me and Wusi... the other eleven fellow Sect members, none were spared. All have... fallen on the spot. No one... escaped back to the Sect."

Once these words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.

Bai Qiyun's fingers, which were channeling Spiritual Qi, trembled almost imperceptibly; she looked up sharply, her eyes full of shock.

Wusi had clearly said that the others were either dead or injured, but that several people had still returned to the Sect to report the news!

Lan Ni's words directly pierced through Wusi's biggest lie.

He had concealed the certain news of the others' deaths, and perhaps even concealed the key information that no one had returned to report!

Lu Chen's face still didn't have much expression, but his eyes became deeper; he pressed further: "This person Wusi, during the skirmish, did he have any unusual actions?"

The chill in Lan Ni's eyes increased sharply, and her voice carried undisguisable resentment and coldness: "Wusi... this person has always been strange. The Sect ordered me to accompany him this time, partly to secretly observe his conduct. This encounter with the Blood Gate was indeed an accident, not designed by him. However..."

Her breathing became a bit rapid, seemingly aggravating her internal injuries.

A trace of pain flashed across her face, but the hatred in her eyes became even more intense:

"However, when breaking out of the encirclement, he... clearly did not use his full strength! Several Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters had the opportunity to escape, but because he was ineffective in covering the rear and slow to rescue, they were surrounded by the Blood Gate demons... and perished right there! I saw it with my own eyes!"

The last few words were almost squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying a bloody, tearful accusation.

Lu Chen listened quietly until Lan Ni's breathing became unstable due to her emotional agitation, and she began to cough.

He then stepped forward, gently pressing on her shoulder, channeling a gentle stream of Spiritual Qi to help her calm down.

"Alright, no need to say more. I understand."

Lu Chen's voice was still calm but carried a reassuring power.

"Your injuries are too severe; you should not get agitated again. Rest and recuperate with peace of mind. Later, we will take you away from here and find a safe place to treat your injuries. As for the rest of the matters, we can discuss them when your injuries have stabilized."

He let go and turned to Shao Qing: "Shao Qing, I must trouble you again to refine a few more doses of Medicinal Pill for Junior Sister Lan Ni to stabilize her injuries and aid in her recovery. We are preparing to set off to return."

As he spoke, he took out two small cloth bags from his Storage Pouch and handed them to Shao Qing.

Shao Qing took them subconsciously, and after a brief check, he was stunned.

One of the cloth bags contained neatly stacked, Spiritual Qi-filled Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, no less than a hundred in number.

The other contained several Jade Boxes, all filled with rare Spirit Medicine for aiding healing, with full maturity, which were exactly what he might urgently need for his upcoming Alchemy.

"Boss, this is..." Shao Qing was somewhat at a loss.

"You and Miss Bai have worked hard this time."

Lu Chen slightly cupped his hands at him, his tone sincere.

"Junior Sister Lan Ni's life is at stake, and I will need you to take care of her subsequently. These Spirit Stones and Spirit Medicine are part of the remuneration for this time. After the matter is accomplished, I, Lu, will have additional rewards; I will never let you down."

"Boss, you are too kind! This is my duty!"

Shao Qing waved his hands quickly, his face slightly flushed from Lu Chen's solemn thanks and generous remuneration, feeling a bit embarrassed.

He was originally ordered to assist, so saving people and performing Alchemy were naturally his duty.

But Lu Chen's regard and generosity still warmed his heart.

Under Lu Chen's insistence, Shao Qing finally accepted the two cloth bags.

He put them away with great care, then immediately walked to the side, preparing to start the furnace for Alchemy again.

Lu Chen turned to Bai Qiyun again and said quietly via sound transmission: "Lan Ni still has hidden details she hasn't revealed, and her emotions are unstable. Stay here with her, soothe her heart, and don't let her exhaust herself by thinking too much. I will go out to arrange the return matters."

Bai Qiyun understood and nodded gently at Lu Chen, indicating she understood.

Lu Chen said no more, signaled to Shao Qing, and took one last look at Lan Ni, who looked exhausted but was forcing herself to stay alert, her eyes complex.

He turned around and walked with steady steps out of the narrow cave filled with the smell of medicine and blood, leaving a heavy silence behind for the three people in the cave.