94: Chapter 94 The finger is pointing elsewhere, then let your disciple come out and take a walk.

Liu Rurao suppressed the fear born from that obscure pressure and the apprehension of misjudging Xiao Nianyin’s strength, yet the charming smile on her face bloomed anew, even more brightly than before, as if the brief tension had never occurred.

She gracefully turned, facing the direction of Ningyin Hall, her voice soft and sweet, carrying just the right amount of “amazement” and “envy”:

“Oh my, it’s been a long time. Not only has Sister Nianyin’s cultivation not diminished, but it has become even more refined and profound. Sister is truly envious.”

Her gaze shifted, and she skillfully changed the topic. “I heard that Sister recently took in an excellent Disciple, who was exceptionally promoted to a Sect Master’s Personal Disciple. She must be an astonishing Prodigy, brilliant and rarely seen in ten thousand years, right? What kind of demeanor does she possess to have caught Sister’s Dharma Eye?”

As she spoke, she gently pulled Fairy Caidie forward from beside her.

Fairy Caidie had now recovered from the previous intimidation. Although still wary, under her Revered Master’s gaze, she immediately straightened her back and lifted her delicate chin, trying to appear curious yet somewhat scrutinizing.

Liu Rurao continued with a smile, “This unworthy little Disciple of mine, named Caidie, has been cultivating with me for about a hundred years. Her Aptitude is dull; she only recently managed to Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage by chance.

She, ah, heard that Sister took in an incredible Junior Brother and was as curious as a cat, insisting on coming along to see for herself.

I thought, anyone Sister Nianyin favors must be an extraordinary talent. It would be a wonderful thing for Caidie to pay her respects, and if they could grow closer and discuss the Dao together.”

Her tone grew increasingly “warm,” even carrying a hint of matchmaker-like ambiguity: “Sister, you know, this child Caidie is quite haughty and has not found a Dao Companion in the hundred years she’s been with me.

If these young people are fated and find each other pleasing… hehe, perhaps our two Sects could turn hostility into friendship and forge a good relationship. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful story?”

As she spoke, she observed the movements within Ningyin Hall, trying to catch a glimpse of information about that mysterious Disciple, or a flaw in Xiao Nianyin’s emotions, from the tightly shut hall doors and the cold aura.

However, what answered her was Xiao Nianyin’s even colder, openly mocking voice, clearly emanating from within the hall and echoing between the peaks:

“Liu Rurao, put away your weasel-greeting-the-chicken charade.

Don’t waste your schemes on my Hehuan Sect.”

Xiao Nianyin’s voice paused, each word falling like an icicle:

“What kind of person your Disciple Caidie is, though not necessarily known to everyone in the Cultivation World, my Hehuan Sect knows very well.

Fickle and shameless, she even dared to secretly seduce her own Revered Master’s ‘old flame’…

If I recall correctly, a few years ago, you almost personally took action to purge your Sect, didn’t you?

What, now that time has passed, you’ve forgotten this ‘family disgrace’? Or is it that your Meiying Sect’s conduct has always been so… ‘unrestrained’ and ‘lacking in character’?”

As soon as these words came out, it was like a thunderclap!

Fairy Caidie’s deliberately maintained charming face instantly lost all color, turning pale, her body trembling uncontrollably, her eyes filled with unbelievable shame and indignation.

She fiercely looked at Liu Rurao, her lips quivering, wanting to explain but not daring to.

Liu Rurao’s charming smile also completely froze, a flash of unbelievable shock and anger, and a hint of embarrassment from having her most disgraceful secret exposed in public, flickered in her eyes!

The matter of Caidie seducing a Nascent Soul Stage Male Companion, whom Liu Rurao had valued at the time, happened within the Meiying Sect. Liu Rurao had been furious then, almost personally killing Caidie. Later, due to Caidie’s genuinely good talent, coupled with the Male Companion taking most of the responsibility and being dealt with by her, the matter was forcibly suppressed and listed as one of the Sect’s highest secrets, known to very few.

How did Xiao Nianyin know about it?!

Had the Hehuan Sect’s intelligence penetrated to such an extent? Or was there another hidden truth to the events of that year, with Xiao Nianyin’s people present?

In an instant, Liu Rurao’s thoughts raced, suspicion, anger, and killing intent intertwined.

But now was clearly not the time to pursue this.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning Qi and the curses that almost burst forth, and the stiff charming smile on her face “came alive” again, though it appeared exceptionally fake and cold.

“Heh… hehe…” Liu Rurao let out two dry laughs, her voice no longer soft but somewhat sharp, “Sister Nianyin, why bring up these old stories? It only invites ridicule.

On the other hand, Sister, you are being so evasive, beating around the bush, and trying every means to prevent me and Caidie from meeting your newly accepted Disciple… Could it be that this Junior Nephew… has something ‘special’ about him that makes him inconvenient to see?”

Her gaze was like a knife, as if to pierce through the walls of Ningyin Hall, and her voice suddenly rose, carrying obvious provocation and malicious speculation:

“I heard that your Personal Disciple, Sister, has only been in the Sect for a little over a month, and her cultivation seems… to be progressing ‘miraculously’?

Moreover, within the Hehuan Sect, there’s no small amount of dissatisfaction and criticism about this!

Sister, you have always been haughty and self-possessed, yet now you suddenly take in a male Disciple, and such a ‘special’ male Disciple…”

Liu Rurao deliberately drew out her tone, glancing at Lei Xuan, whose expression behind her was constantly changing, and at the surrounding Hehuan Sect Elders and Disciples with various looks, her voice clearly spreading everywhere:

“Could it be… that what you’ve taken in, Sister, isn’t a Disciple at all, but a ‘little lover’ you’ve secretly kept?”

“After all, cultivating in seclusion can be lonely and unbearable. It’s only human nature to find a young and handsome Disciple with ‘extraordinary talent’ to serve you ‘personally’ day and night, to discuss ‘cultivation’! Hehehe…”

That final laugh was full of malicious insinuation and insult, directly targeting Xiao Nianyin’s reputation and the ethics of the Revered Master-Disciple relationship!

As these words came out, the entire scene fell silent!

The expressions of the Hehuan Sect members changed dramatically; some were angry, some astonished, while others had flickering eyes, clearly, Liu Rurao’s words had more or less hit upon some people’s secret conjectures.

The atmosphere in front of Ningyin Hall instantly dropped to freezing point, even more tense and sinister than when Liu Rurao had forcibly intruded earlier.

Everyone’s gaze was focused on that cold hall, awaiting Xiao Nianyin’s response.

And Liu Rurao, with that malicious and triumphant sneer on her lips, seemed to have grasped Xiao Nianyin’s fatal weakness.

She wanted to see how this Hehuan Sect Revered Master, who always presented herself as cold and proud, would respond to such a venomous accusation!

And could that “Disciple” who had not yet appeared continue to hide?