124: Chapter 124 Upon hearing the secret news, Qing Li was furious.

Outside the bamboo cottage on Tingzhu Peak.

Madam Qingli's hunched figure stood amidst the shadows of the lush green bamboo, gazing toward Ningyin Hall while clutching a message jade slip in her hand.

Light flickered on the jade slip, indicating that a message had just arrived.

Her originally peaceful expression suddenly darkened the moment she finished reading the information within the jade slip.

"Good, what a fine Xiao Nianyin!"

Her slender fingers suddenly tightened, and with a 'crack', the jade slip shattered into powder, rustling down from between her fingers.

Madam Qingli's chest rose and fell slightly, and a rare sharp anger flashed in her cloudy eyes.

Just now, a mole she had planted in Ningyin Hall sent a secret report—Sect Master Xiao Nianyin had personally summoned Leng Ningshuang into the Cultivation Secret Chamber and was teaching her everything she knew, guiding her through the seventh level's key points of the Mystic Ice Heavenly Maiden Art, and even... seemed intent on teaching her the Killing Secret Techniques from the Mystic Maidens Sun-Stealing Art!

This news was like adding fuel to the fire, causing the suppressed rage in Madam Qingli's heart to surge instantly!

"What a fine example of burning bridges and killing the donkey once the grinding is done!" Madam Qingli's voice was cold, carrying a suppressed rage. "No, this is even more vicious than killing the donkey once the grinding is done!"

She paced slowly through the bamboo forest, her aged back appearing somewhat lonely in the mottled light and shadow, but the chilling aura of a Transformed Great Demon emanating from her caused the surrounding bamboo leaves to rustle without any wind.

"The Three-Month Agreement between Xu Ruyu and Leng Ningshuang was originally set by you, Xiao Nianyin, yourself during the Outer Sect Disciple entrance examination!" Madam Qingli murmured to herself, every word squeezed out from between her teeth. "It was you who single-handedly caused Xu Ruyu's current predicament!"

"Xu Ruyu is your Personal Disciple—this was also your own decision to announce to the public!

It was you who pushed through all opposition, even at the cost of offending the Sect Elders, just to take him as a disciple!"

"But what about now?"

Madam Qingli stopped and turned around, her gaze toward Ningyin Hall as sharp as an ice pick:

"After you recovered your cultivation, the first thing you did was kick the disciple who saved your life out of Ningyin Hall and exile him to this cold palace in the back mountains!"

"The second thing you did was actually rush to guide his opponent—that Leng Ningshuang who is to fight him to the death in the Three-Month Agreement!"

"Hahaha..." Madam Qingli suddenly chuckled lowly, her laughter desolate and ironic. "Xiao Nianyin, oh Xiao Nianyin, you've certainly calculated this well!"

Cold light flickered in her eyes as she analyzed Xiao Nianyin's motives with absolute clarity:

"You are afraid that the 'secret' in Xu Ruyu's hands will be leaked and jeopardize your position as Sect Master, but you also don't want to bear the infamy of 'harming your own Personal Disciple' and ruin your 'pure and noble, just and strict' image within the Sect."

"So you used this trick—to outsiders, it looks like you gave Xu Ruyu the chance of the Three-Month Agreement, which seems fair.

But in reality? You clearly know that Xu Ruyu only has Qi Refining cultivation, while Leng Ningshuang is already at the Late Golden Core Stage!

This was already a duel with a huge disparity in strength, one that is almost certainly a lost cause!"

"But you're still not satisfied! You even personally guide Leng Ningshuang and teach her Killing Secret Techniques! You're afraid that Xu Ruyu won't die fast enough or thoroughly enough!"

The more Madam Qingli thought about it, the angrier she became, the rage in her chest almost bursting forth.

She remembered the scene of Xu Ruyu risking his life to save her last night—the youth clearly knew he might be cast aside after his usefulness was gone, yet he still unhesitatingly returned the power fragments belonging to Xiao Nianyin from his Dantian just to save her life.

That purity, that sincerity, that persistence of 'only seeking a clear conscience'...

"Affection is always forsaken by heartlessness..." Madam Qingli sighed softly, her voice full of complex emotions. "Xu Ruyu, oh Xu Ruyu, is the one you saved really a human, or a... monster?"

But she then shook her head, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

No.

Xiao Nianyin's actions have already crossed her bottom line.

She could tolerate Xiao Nianyin being cold to Xu Ruyu, she could tolerate her drawing a clear line, and she could even tolerate her selfish calculations.

But she could not tolerate—a person, for their own secrets and Face, using such a seemingly 'fair' but actually sinister method to drive their savior to death!

This could no longer be explained by 'indifference' or 'selfishness'.

This is... repaying kindness with enmity!

"Good, very good." Madam Qingli took a deep breath, suppressing the churning rage in her chest, but a nearly dangerous cold light ignited in her eyes. "Since you, Xiao Nianyin, act this way, then don't blame me, Qingli... for digging a massive pit for you and the Hehuan Sect!"

She slowly raised her hand, her aged fingertips tracing mysterious paths in the air.

Those paths were not spiritual power, but a type of ancient and obscure runes.

"Xiao Nianyin, do you think that because you've recovered your Saint Realm cultivation, you can cover the sky with one hand in the Hehuan Sect?"

A meaningful curve hooked at the corner of Madam Qingli's mouth:

"You've probably forgotten... how the true founding Ancestral Master of your Hehuan Sect, 'Fairy Qing Tian', established her legacy in these mountains."

She looked deep into the Hehuan Sect, her gaze seeming to penetrate through layers of halls and fall upon a corner buried by time:

"You've forgotten even more... that when Fairy Qing Tian founded the Hehuan Sect, she invited three 'Protectors'."

"One of them was a Senior from my Taihu Clan."

"And as for my understanding of the Hehuan Sect..." A hint of pride flashed in Madam Qingli's eyes, "In some aspects, it is probably even greater... than yours, the current Sect Master!"

She withdrew her gaze and turned to walk towards the bamboo cottage where Xu Ruyu was.

Her steps were slow but firm.

Since Xiao Nianyin is unjust, then don't blame her, Qingli... for pointing out a clear path for Xu Ruyu.

A path that would be enough to shake the entire Hehuan Sect!