56: Chapter 56 Hua Xunhuan inquires about Xu Ruyu's situation

Inside Xunhuan Hall, a cloying, warm fragrance bizarrely intermingled with a trace of lingering chill.

Qingyan was forced to sit on Hua Xunhuan's fair and supple thighs. Her waist was encircled by an arm that seemed languid but was actually powerful, and her chin was lifted by cold fingers, forcing her to meet Hua Xunhuan's charming eyes—eyes that seemed capable of piercing through a person's heart, currently brimming with playfulness and scrutiny.

They were so close they could count each other's eyelashes, their breaths intermingling.

Qingyan could clearly smell the unique scent on Hua Xunhuan's body—a mix of top-tier charm fragrance and a faint bloody odor. It caused her heart to tighten in waves, and fine beads of cold sweat broke out across her back.

She didn't dare to struggle in the slightest, nor did she dare to show even a hint of reluctance. She could only strive to maintain an outward appearance of obedience and composure.

"Ma... Revered Master..." Qingyan's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling that wasn't entirely feigned. "Disciple... Disciple did indeed see Xu Ruyu near the spiritual pond on the back mountain, and... also had contact with him outside Ningyin Hall."

"Oh? Tell me in detail."

Hua Xunhuan's fingertips gently stroked Qingyan's smooth chin, her movements as tender as a lover's caress, yet her tone carried an unquestionable command.

"Starting from the first time you saw him, do not leave out a single detail."

"What does he look like? How is his aura? His mannerisms and speech?"

"Most importantly... what was the attitude of our pure and noble Sect Master toward him?"

Qingyan steadied her mind and began to recall and narrate.

She started from the early morning when she went to the spiritual pond on the back mountain to Cultivate and bathe, where she unexpectedly ran into Xu Ruyu, who seemed to be catching fish by the pond. She described his seemingly ordinary, even somewhat dull appearance, as well as his "Mortal" characteristics, completely devoid of Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

"He seemed startled at the time, nearly falling into the pond. He... really didn't look like he had any schemes, or even any cultivation at all," Qingyan said, choosing her words carefully. "Later, I intended to go after him to settle the score, but he ran away in a panic. I thought it was just an accident."

Next, she spoke about delivering fish to Ningyin Hall.

She deliberately played up Xu Ruyu's panic and his eagerness to distance himself from her when he saw her. She also mentioned how, when Sect Master Xiao Nianyin happened to appear, Xu Ruyu looked as if he had caught a lifeline, yet remained as quiet as a cicada in winter under the Sect Master's cold gaze.

"The Sect Master at that time..." Recalling Xiao Nianyin's cold, scrutinizing gaze and her pointed warning, Qingyan said cautiously, "The Sect Master seemed somewhat displeased. She admonished Xu Ruyu not to use his status to 'bully' fellow Disciples. Her tone... was even more severe than usual."

"But I always felt that the look in the Sect Master's eyes when she watched him... was somewhat complex, not entirely one of reprimand."

"Complex?" Hua Xunhuan narrowed her eyes, her fingers stopping their stroking. "In what way was it complex?"

"I can't quite say," Qingyan lowered her eyes, as if trying hard to remember. "It seemed... like there was a trace of imperceptible... exhaustion?"

"Or rather, beneath a certain forced majesty, there was a hint of... unusual attention?"

"Moreover, the Sect Master specifically emphasized at the end that Xu Ruyu should go to the Main Hall in the afternoon, as she would begin teaching him the sect's Cultivation Technique."

"Personally teaching him? And right after his suspected 'misconduct'?" A mocking curve appeared on Hua Xunhuan's red lips. "That doesn't sound like something our Sect Master, who cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in her eye, would do."

"Given her temperament, even if she didn't punish him severely, she should have at least given him the cold shoulder for a while to make an example of him."

She released her grip on Qingyan's chin and instead began twirling a lock of Qingyan's black hair around her finger, lost in thought. "You said just now that he has no Spiritual Qi fluctuations and is like a Mortal?"

"Then it seems Rong Qingliu wasn't lying when she said he has no Spiritual Root."

"What exactly does Xiao Nianyin see in such a piece of trash?"

"To think he's worth her making such an exception to protect him, even going as far as to consult the Heavenly Charm Mysterious Maiden Heart Sutra?"

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Hua Xunhuan abruptly turned Qingyan's face toward her, her gaze sharp as a blade. "When you were close to him, did you feel anything unusual?"

"For instance... were there any hidden, unusual power fluctuations within his body?"

"Or did he have any special scent? Like... something similar to the coldness on the Sect Master, or... something else?"

Qingyan was startled by this sudden interrogation. She quickly thought back and then shook her head with certainty. "No. I used my Divine Sense to quietly investigate him. His body was completely empty, his Meridians were clogged, and there were indeed no traces of cultivation."

"His scent was also just the masculine aura of an ordinary man, nothing special."

"If I had to say... his energy seemed exceptionally vigorous, and his blood vitality was very strong, but that can't be considered anything extraordinary."

"Vigorous energy? Strong blood vitality?"

Hua Xunhuan murmured the words, the light in her eyes flickering. An absurd thought that seemed to explain some of the anomalies rose in her mind.

Combined with Xiao Nianyin's sudden act of consulting the Heavenly Charm Mysterious Maiden Heart Sutra, a conjecture that even she found somewhat unbelievable gradually took shape.

Could it be... that the frigid Xiao Nianyin has finally seen the light and developed Mortal desires? Has she taken a liking to some... 'special' abilities of this boy?

Is that why she's protecting him so abnormally, even going so far as to study the Charm Technique sutra she always despised? Is it to... better 'handle' or 'coordinate' with him?

This idea made her feel both utterly preposterous and filled with a strange sense of excitement and wicked amusement.

If that's really the case, it would be the biggest joke in the Hehuan Sect in a hundred years, and the best leverage for her, Hua Xunhuan, to exploit!

"Alright, Qingyan, you've done well."

Hua Xunhuan suddenly broke into a brilliant smile, one so gorgeous it was dazzling, yet it made Qingyan feel a chill deep in her heart.

She gently patted Qingyan's cheek. "Go now. Remember, what you said to me today, and what happened here..."

Her voice dropped, carrying a gentle threat. "You are not to mention this to anyone. Otherwise, you know what happened to Jiaonu and the others."

Qingyan's body trembled. She quickly slid off Hua Xunhuan's lap and bowed. Her voice shook slightly, "Disciple understands. Disciple shall take her leave."

With that, she almost jogged out of the Xunhuan Hall's Main Hall. Only after she was far away did she dare to take a deep breath. Her clothes were soaked through with cold sweat.

Inside the hall, Hua Xunhuan leaned back in her soft chair alone. Her fingertips unconsciously tapped the smooth animal hide, her expression shifting through various states—playfulness, calculation, excitement, and a trace of icy killing intent.

"Xiao Nianyin, oh Xiao Nianyin, what kind of game are you playing? Whether you've truly developed Mortal desires or have other schemes..."

Her red lips parted slightly as she spat out cold words, "This abnormal behavior of yours has exposed your greatest weakness to everyone."

"It seems the heavens of the Hehuan Sect are truly about to change..."