153: The haggard witch

At this time, Lin Qingxue also slowly woke up.

Feeling the progress in her own cultivation and the more condensed and powerful aura on her Senior Brother, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

The two pushed open the door and happened to run into Xin Yuelan, who was walking out of the neighboring room.

The Heavenly Demon Sect Saintess, who was usually lazy, mysterious, and dangerously seductive,

was currently sporting two extremely obvious dark circles under her eyes; her gaze was vacant, and her footsteps were unsteady.

She looked severely devastated and weary of life, looking exactly like a panda that had been kept up all night.

Yao Delong raised an eyebrow and feigned surprise, saying,

"Yo, Lady Maid, did you... go out to do some shady business last night?

Or were you pestered by some mouse spirit to tell stories all night?

This energy of yours, tsk tsk, is even more haggard than a mortal scholar pulling an all-nighter for an exam."

Xin Yuelan already had a belly full of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent.

Hearing Yao Delong's deliberately ignorant and sarcastic teasing,

she instantly bristled, her silver teeth clenched tight, and her red pupils almost spitting fire:

"Yao! De! Long! You still have the face to speak?! Wasn't it all thanks to you! You two... you two..."

She was so angry her fingers trembled as she pointed at Yao Delong and Lin Qingxue, unable to force out the words she was too embarrassed to say.

Lin Qingxue's pretty face turned red again at being pointed at, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

Yao Delong, however, had a look of innocence as he spread his hands and said,

"What happened to us? My Junior Sister and I were 'sparring and discussing the Dao' in the room,

exploring the ultimate principles of the Great Dao of Yin and Yang. Was the noise a bit too loud and disturbed Lady Maid's rest?

Oh dear, I am truly sorry. But..."

He changed the subject, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth,

"Lady Maid, aren't your ears a bit too sharp?

Or could it be... that you are particularly interested in the content of our discussions?

How about you come and listen in to learn tonight? Don't worry, this Young Master is very generous and won't charge you tuition."

"Pah! Who wants to listen to your... your foul language! Shameless! Despicable! Scoundrel!"

Xin Yuelan stomped her feet in anger, her face under the mask turning bright red, wishing she could pounce and take two bites out of Yao Delong.

"Just you wait! Once this Young Miss recovers her cultivation, the first thing I'll do is suck you dry!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Yao Delong picked his ear nonchalantly.

"Then this Young Master will have to look forward to it.

But before that, Lady Maid, do you still want to eat today's breakfast?"

"You...!"

Xin Yuelan was so choked up she almost couldn't catch her breath. Seeing Yao Delong's punchable "I've got you" expression,

and then looking at the embarrassed Lin Qingxue who wanted to laugh, she stomped her foot in grief and indignation.

She turned and rushed back to her room, slamming the door again with a thunderous "Bang."

"Senior Brother, you... stop teasing her all the time." Lin Qingxue pulled on Yao Delong's sleeve, feeling somewhat helpless yet amused.

Yao Delong smiled and squeezed her hand: "Don't worry, this witch is tough. Let's go, serious business is more important."

Lin Qingxue nodded and composed herself. She already knew Xin Yuelan's true identity from Yao Delong,

and knew that the assassination attempt outside White Cloud City was the Saintess's doing.

However, now that the other party's cultivation was sealed and she had become her Senior Brother's prisoner, there was no need to worry too much.

She then went to the Lin family's meeting hall and summoned a branch family Elder who was known in the clan for being steady and reliable, and who held sympathy for the Marquis's Estate.

"Uncle Lin," Lin Qingxue said with a solemn expression, handing a heavy Storage Pouch into the old man's hands,

"Inside are twenty-six thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

I must trouble you to personally make a trip to the Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate in the Northern Territory and ensure this is delivered into the hands of Heir Lingxiao.

Just say... this is a portion of the resources the Lin family is returning, hoping it can help with the Marquis's Estate's urgent needs."

She had originally wanted to send her younger sister Lin Qingyao, but at the thought of the outrageous things that sister might do,

she immediately dismissed the idea. It was safer to leave it to this experienced and prudent Elder.

"Young Miss Qingxue, rest assured, this old man will not fail your trust!"

Uncle Lin felt the weight of the Storage Pouch and, hearing that it was resources being returned to the Marquis's Estate,

a flash of relief and solemnity crossed his cloudy old eyes as he bowed and took his leave.

Meanwhile, deep within the Demon Realm, at the eerie and terrifying headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Inside the main hall, which was as majestic as a demonic mountain, the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating.

Seated high upon the Bone Throne was the current Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect—Heart Without Demonic Intent!

His face was cold, his hair white as snow, and his deep blood-red eyes seemed capable of swallowing all light,

his entire body radiating a terrifying pressure that made the Soul tremble.

Below him, a group of powerful Protectors and Elders stood with their hands down, each as quiet as a cicada in winter,

not even daring to take a loud breath. The air was thick with the Sect Master's fury, which was almost tangible.

Heart Without Demonic Intent had been unable to contact his precious daughter Xin Yuelan for several days!

He immediately contacted his daughter's personal guard, the Late Nascent Soul Stage Devil Head Liu Sha.

The news he received made him furious—his daughter had actually been abducted by a Righteous Path Cultivator within the borders of the Ba Xia Dynasty! Her whereabouts were unknown!

"Useless!" Heart Without Demonic Intent's icy voice was like a cold wind from the Nine Netherworlds sweeping through the hall,

"You couldn't even protect one person! Order Liu Sha: one month! This Seat will only give him one month!

If he cannot find the Goddess's trail, he no longer needs to exist in this Azure Cloud World!"

The grim killing intent caused the temperature in the hall to plummet.

"Father!"

To the left of the throne, a young man with the same white hair and red eyes, handsome but with a hint of sinister gloom, stepped forward.

He was Heart Without Demonic Intent's eldest son and Xin Yuelan's Elder brother—Xin Moshang.

He possessed peerless talent and a natural demonic body, with a Spiritual Power Affinity as high as 10 points, and was seen as the future successor of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

"Let me go to the Ba Xia Dynasty! I will surely find my little sister and bring her back safely!"

Heart Without Demonic Intent's blood-red eyes swept over his most excellent son, a trace of complexity flashing through them.

A son and a daughter, worlds apart. His son was exceptionally talented and cold-natured, a perfect successor.

His daughter's talent was mediocre; initially, her affinity was only 5 points,

and it was only after consuming countless Heaven And Earth Treasures that it was barely raised to 7 points, yet she was quirky and clever, the treasure of his heart.

Precisely because of this, he had tacitly allowed his daughter to go to the Righteous Path's territory for "experience," never expecting such a blunder to occur.

"Forget it."

Heart Without Demonic Intent slowly shook his head, refusing Xin Moshang's request.

The matter of his daughter's disappearance should not be publicized, especially not by letting Xin Moshang, the future Sect Master, take risks,

and he feared his son's harsh methods might ruin things instead. "I have my own arrangements for this matter."

His gaze turned to the right side of the hall, toward a figure completely shrouded in a large black robe,

whose aura was as obscure and difficult to fathom as an abyss—the Great Protector of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Sha Wuji.

Heart Without Demonic Intent flicked his finger, and a bulging Storage Pouch floated toward Sha Wuji.

"Old Sha," Heart Without Demonic Intent's voice carried an unquestionable command,

"Inside are forty thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. I leave the task of finding the Saintess's trail to you.

Use all secret contacts to find Lan'er's whereabouts as quickly as possible and ensure her safety!"

Sha Wuji reached out a hand as withered as a claw and steadily caught the Storage Pouch.

His Divine Sense swept over it, and he nodded slightly, his raspy voice sounding like sandpaper rubbing together: "Rest assured, Sect Master."

With that, his figure merged into the shadows like a ghost and disappeared from the hall.