250: Chapter 250 Junior Sister, Preparation

A thousand miles south of the capital, there was a secluded valley shrouded in mist year-round.

Within the valley, halls and pavilions were scattered about, their upturned eaves and bracket sets hidden amidst the mountain mists, appearing and disappearing from view.

By now, the mountain forest was plunged into darkness, with only gusts of eerie wind blowing through from time to time.

The locations of the Demon Sound Sect were mostly hidden in such remote places, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

On this day, a pitch-black shadow tore through the air.

It was a giant, jet-black crow that spread its wings, swept over the layers of palace ridges, and landed directly on the eave of a residence.

Its scarlet eyes narrowed slightly, and a hoarse cry issued from its throat.

Inside the hall, there was a middle-aged man dressed in a profound cyan robe. His face was lean and refined, his temples slightly frosted with age, and his every gesture carried an air of composure.

Hearing the crow's cry, he had originally just glanced up casually.

But at that glance, the hand holding the teacup suddenly froze.

Boiling tea spilled over the rim and onto the back of his hand, but he seemed not to notice.

"It is... the messenger crow of that Great Master."

The man's pupils constricted slightly, and a trace of barely perceptible gravity flashed in his eyes.

He recognized this crow.

To be precise, he recognized the simple letter cylinder tied to the crow's leg.

On that cylinder was engraved an extremely secret pattern. Ordinary people would definitely not recognize it, but in the deepest part of the Demon Sound Sect, it was a mark equivalent to the Sect rules.

Anyone in the Sect who saw this pattern was required to treat it with the highest respect, without the slightest bit of negligence.

The reason for this was still unknown to the outside world, but a shocking change had occurred in the Demon Sound Sect a few months ago.

As for the scene on that day, it was incredibly tragic; the Disciples within the Sect all refused to speak of it, knowing only that several Sect Elders had perished overnight.

The man set down the teacup, stood up, and straightened his robes; the leisure in his expression had vanished completely.

He walked forward slowly, his movements extremely light, as if afraid of startling the crow.

He reached out, his fingertips steady, and slowly untied the letter cylinder from the crow's foot.

The crow tilted its head, cast a glance at him with its scarlet eyes, then flapped its wings and submerged back into the mist of the valley.

Holding the letter cylinder, the man walked back to the desk but did not open it immediately.

He first washed his hands and burned a stick of incense before gently unscrewing the cylinder.

A thin roll of silk slid out from the cylinder.

The man unfolded the silk and lowered his eyes to look.

At first, his expression was still calm.

He was extremely familiar with the handwriting; it was just like the personality of that Great Master himself—cold, stern, and unquestionable.

However, as his gaze moved down line by line, his lean face became grave at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His brows furrowed tighter inch by inch.

On the silk, that Great Master had written very concisely.

The gist was that in the near future, he would return to the Sect in person to conduct an inspection.

The mere words "inspection" were enough to make a layer of fine cold sweat seep out on the man's back.

That Great Master had not visited in a long time; his sudden return this time definitely held unusual implications.

After these few short words, the lower half of the silk was densely packed with a long list.

It was a list of Medicinal Pill names.

The man's gaze swept over the names of the medicines, and his heart could not help but sink.

ningyuan pill, Pulse-Continuing Pill, Marrow-Cleansing Pill, and even the Soul-Gathering Pill that required century-old medicinal ingredients as a primer...

Each one was a treasure of immense value.

Several of these had long since lost their Legacy; even if an ordinary School exhausted all its strength, it might not be able to gather enough for a single furnace.

Yet, the quantities listed on this sheet were counted in the tens.

The man's fingers gripping the silk tightened slightly.

He knew very well what this list meant.

That Great Master returning to the Sect this time was definitely not as simple as an "inspection".

Such a large batch of Medicinal Pill would only be used when preparing for some monumental event.

Was he going into seclusion to break through to a higher Realm? Or was he...

The man dared not think any further.

He slowly rolled up the silk, closed his eyes, and pondered for a moment; the last trace of luck in his eyes dissipated completely.

Matters had reached this point; he could not afford the slightest hesitation.

"Someone come."

He said in a deep voice, his tone more serious than before.

Outside the hall, a black shadow knelt down silently.

"Sect Leader."

The man handed over the scroll of silk, his tone grave.

"Take my token and go immediately to ask the Sect Leader to come out of seclusion."

The black shadow's body stiffened, clearly not expecting such an urgent instruction.

One had to know that since the previous incident, the true Sect Leader had been in seclusion for several months. Without a monumental change, no one dared to disturb him easily.

"Tell the Sect Leader." The man paused, then said word for word, "That Great Master is coming back."

Hearing this, the black shadow trembled violently. Daring not to delay any longer, he held the silk and vanished outside the hall like a wisp of smoke.

The hall returned to silence.

The man stood alone before the window, watching the billowing mist in the valley, and remained silent for a long time.

After a while, he let out a low sigh.

"It is strange, what on earth could have happened that would make that person suddenly return."

Several days later, the sky began to brighten.

The morning mist of the capital had not yet dissipated, and the sounds of training could already be faintly heard from the Demon-Slaying Squad's encampment.

Chen Ran, dressed in profound black training attire, stepped into those vermilion-painted gates as usual.

He had come this time intending to find Captain Xia An.

Previously, Captain Xia An had said that scouts had been tracking the trail of the Yao Beast at Luoxia Mountain, and as soon as the specific location of the monster was confirmed, the Demon-Slaying Squad would immediately leave the city.

Chen Ran calculated the days, thinking that this matter should probably have some leads by now, so he headed straight to the courtyard where Captain Xia An resided.

Passing through a hanging flower gate and bypassing a cluster of osmanthus flowers in full bloom, the courtyard appeared before his eyes.

Chen Ran's footsteps paused slightly outside the courtyard gate.

From within the courtyard, a woman's voice drifted out.

The voice was crisp and melodious, carrying a touch of excitement; the tone sounded like she was extremely familiar with Captain Xia An.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother! I heard we are going out of the city to hunt Yao Beast again?"

The woman's tone was full of unconcealable joy, as if hunting Yao Beast outside the city was not a dangerous affair of licking blood from the blade, but rather like going to a lively temple fair.

Chen Ran stood outside the gate, his brows arching imperceptibly.

Immediately after, Captain Xia An's usually steady voice rang out, carrying a rare touch of patience and helplessness compared to his usual demeanor.

"Hunting Yao Beast is no child's play."

Captain Xia An's voice revealed a warning: "The monster at Luoxia Mountain is of unknown origin, and there are many of them. This time, the danger is far greater than in the past.

If you come along, you must be fully focused and never be as reckless as you were in the past."

"I know, I know..."

The woman dragged out the end of her sentence, the perfunctoriness in her tone almost overflowing.

Chen Ran stood quietly for a moment, then finally raised his foot and crossed the threshold.

The scene in the courtyard came into full view.

It was precisely this glance that caused his usually calm state of mind to stir with a trace of surprise.

He saw Captain Xia An in casual clothes, standing in the middle of the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

And hanging off his side was a person.

To be precise, it was a young girl, half-hanging, with her arms wrapped around Captain Xia An's neck, her entire body weight almost entirely slung onto him.

The young girl was extremely petite, with a head of soft, pink hair hanging down loosely, framing a face that had yet to shed its childishness.

Her eyes were curved, the corners of her lips held a smile, and she looked like a child who hadn't even reached her teens.

Chen Ran was slightly stunned.

That crisp and melodious voice from just now, which was clearly that of an adult woman, had come from such a childish face?

This kind of contrast, even though he was accustomed to the ways of the world, felt a bit strange to him.

Captain Xia An heard the movement outside the gate, turned his head, and discovered it was Chen Ran. Just as he was about to explain, he was interrupted by the other party.

"Captain Xia, what is going on here?"

Chen Ran's gaze was strange as he scanned back and forth between the pink-haired woman and Captain Xia An, as if interrogating a prisoner.

Captain Xia An gave a light cough, gesturing toward the woman on his neck.

"Ahem, this is my Junior Sister, Song Qingwu, who is also preparing to participate in this Yao Beast hunt..."

In the end, as if afraid that Chen Ran might misunderstand, he added emphatically: "She is already an adult."

Song Qingwu had been clinging to Captain Xia An, acting spoiled, but the corner of her eye suddenly caught the profound black figure at the courtyard gate.

Her movements paused, and those lively apricot eyes widened suddenly, staring straight at Chen Ran.

"Eh?"

She slid down from Captain Xia An, tapped her toes, and in a few steps reached him. She tilted her little face up, scanning him up and down with curiosity.

"Senior Brother, who is this person?"

Song Qingwu tilted her head, her tone full of confusion, "Why have I never seen him before? When did our Demon-Slaying Squad get such a character?"

"Qingwu." Captain Xia An frowned slightly, speaking up to remind her, "Mind your manners."

He paused, raised his hand to gesture in Chen Ran's direction, and his tone recovered some of its usual steadiness.

"This is Chen Ran, who has been temporarily transferred from the Zhenyu Division to learn with the squad. For the next period of time, he will be accompanying us."

"Zhenyu Division?" Song Qingwu blinked, gave a seemingly understanding "Oh," but the curiosity in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Seeing this, Chen Ran cupped his hands with a normal expression, his tone gentle.

"Chen Ran, greetings to Miss Song."

Song Qingwu was stunned for a moment, then grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and returned the greeting crisply.

"My name is Song Qingwu! You can just call me Qingwu!"

With this exchange, the two could be considered acquainted.

Chen Ran withdrew his gaze, turned to Captain Xia An, and went straight to the point.

"Captain Xia, I have packed everything and am ready to set off at any time."

Captain Xia An nodded slightly, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes.

"No rush."

He said in a deep voice, "The scouts on the front line have already found the general location of the Yao Beast. We will officially set off tomorrow."

After speaking, as if remembering something, he turned and headed towards the direction of the drill grounds.

"You two get acquainted here first. I am going to the drill grounds to check on the training."

Captain Xia An's figure soon disappeared at the end of the corridor.

In the courtyard, only Chen Ran and Song Qingwu remained.

Chen Ran's gaze fell on the young girl.

The scene just now was truly somewhat beyond his expectations.

With Captain Xia An's cold, stern, and murderous nature, ordinary people would feel immense pressure standing beside him, unable to breathe.

Yet this Song Qingwu could hang on him and act spoiled without any scruples, and Captain Xia An not only did not get angry but actually endured it.

The relationship between these two was likely unusual.

Thinking of this, Chen Ran's heart stirred, and he spoke as if casually.

"Miss Song, I have something I do not understand."

He paused and looked calmly at that childish face.

"What exactly is your relationship with Captain Xia?"

Hearing this, Song Qingwu blinked those lively apricot eyes, tilted her head to think for a moment, as if deliberating her wording.

After a moment, she spoke with a smile.

"Senior Brother Xia is the first Disciple under the Chief Commander."

When she said this, her tone was full of excitement and pride, as if she were talking about a treasure worth bragging about.

"Our Chief Commander has very high standards; he won't even look at ordinary people straight on. But Senior Brother Xia is different. He is the first Disciple personally accepted by the Chief Commander, and he is very capable! In the entire Demon-Slaying Squad, besides the Chief Commander, Senior Brother Xia is the most powerful!"

"And what about Miss Song?" Chen Ran asked, following the flow of conversation.

"Me?" Song Qingwu's eyes curved, and she began counting on her fingers, "I was only accepted by the Chief Commander three years ago, so I count as the second Disciple. In terms of seniority, I still have to call Senior Brother Xia, Senior Brother."

Mentioning Captain Xia An, the joy on her little face could not be hidden, and her eyes smiled into two crescent moons.

"Senior Brother is fierce with his words, but he is extremely kind. Every time we go out of the city to hunt Yao Beast, he always rushes to do the most dangerous tasks himself and never lets me touch the slightest bit of danger. Last time I was playful and almost fell into the trap of that mountain demon, it was Senior Brother who risked getting clawed to pull me back..."

She chattered on and on, the adoration and reliance in her words almost overflowing.

Chen Ran listened quietly, nodding impassively.

After a while, he threw out another question, seemingly casually.

"I have heard that hunting Yao Beast is extremely dangerous. Miss Song is still young; are you truly not afraid to leave the city with the squad?"

This sentence was asked ordinarily.

But in reality, Chen Ran's consciousness had already secretly reached out toward the young girl before him, taking advantage of this seemingly casual Q&A.

His Heavenly Net spread out silently, revealing every detail.

The next moment, a faint, strange look flashed in the depths of Chen Ran's calm eyes.

This young girl... her cultivation had actually reached the fourth-grade Aperture Condensation Realm.

One must know that Song Qingwu looked to be only in her early teens, and that childish face could even be described as that of a child.

To be able to step into the Aperture Condensation Realm at this age—such talent could be called outstanding even when looking at the younger generation of the entire capital.

The words "outstanding talent" could be applied to her without exaggeration.

This point alone was enough to attract attention.

But what truly made Chen Ran's heart tremble slightly was not her extraordinary cultivation.

It was...

Under the perception of his Heavenly Net, a strange, indescribable aura lingered around the young girl.

That aura was hidden extremely deep. If his Heavenly Net had not reached the full stage, and his perception was far superior to that of ordinary Martial Artists, he would likely have been unable to detect it at all.

It was a kind of coldness that could not be described or explained.

Eerie and dark, as if beneath that lively and warm shell, there was a trace of grimness from a place of extreme darkness and cold.

It was completely incompatible with the bright smile on the young girl's face.

Chen Ran's thoughts sank slightly.

He suddenly remembered that when he first saw Captain Xia An in the courtyard just now, besides that familiar sense of oppression, there seemed to be a trace of the same thing faintly mixed in.

It was just that Captain Xia An's cultivation was deep, and his aura was restrained; that trace of coldness was hidden deeper and more densely than Song Qingwu's, making it almost impossible to capture.

If he had not found the same mark on this young girl now, and verified the two against each other, he would have almost ignored it.

The Senior Brother and Junior Sister both came from under the tutelage of that mysterious Chief Commander of the Demon-Slaying Squad.

And both of them were entangled with such an identical strand of cold aura.

Chen Ran's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze sank a few degrees at that moment.

What kind of people was this Demon-Slaying Squad cultivating...

Song Qingwu was completely unaware, still puffing out her cheeks because of his question "Are you not afraid?" from just now.

"Brother Chen, you underestimate me too! I am not afraid at all!"

She put her hands on her hips, looking unconvinced. Anyone who saw her would only think she was an innocent, naive, and charming young girl.

Chen Ran withdrew his concentration, smiled gently, and said nothing more.

He simply kept that aura in his heart.