164: Chapter 164 What's going on here?

Peering closely through the lattice window of the hall, it turned out to be a woman in disguise!

Yue Yao!

He immediately instructed the maidservant, "Please invite the Young Master in."

Yue Yao stepped into the martial arts hall, her eyes sweeping around with curiosity.

Ever since her time at Heaven Beyond Heaven, she had heard that this martial arts hall was famous throughout the world, and its master was mentioned countless times—her ears were about to grow calluses.

But only upon arriving in Northern Li did she realize that the rumors were less than half as exaggerated as reality—no matter where she went, people were talking about this place.

Her curiosity grew almost unbearable.

Just as she had taken a few glances at the interior furnishings, she saw a person seated upright in the main seat—it was Su Rui.

Yue Yao's heart tightened, and she quickly cupped her hands in greeting.

"Moon Invitation pays respects to the Hall Master."

Su Rui sized her up, then turned to the maidservant beside him, "Go call Yue Qing. Her older sister has arrived."

Yue Yao: ...

Exposed so quickly?

She panicked inwardly and became guarded.

"Sit down," Su Rui indicated the chair next to him.

Yue Yao dared not say more and sat down obediently.

Only then did Su Rui slowly ask, "How is Heaven Beyond Heaven now?"

"It is not peaceful."

Yue Yao answered truthfully; in front of Su Rui, she dared not utter a single falsehood.

"The Thirteen Departments have already established themselves independently, and the Thirty-Six Kingdoms have severed ties with Heaven Beyond Heaven. Now, only the Holy Cult is barely holding the situation together," her tone carried a suppressed heaviness.

Su Rui nodded slightly.

"What Ye Dingzhi did was indeed excessive."

"The Sect Master... is already gone."

Yue Yao shook her head, seemingly unwilling to mention it further.

"And you?"

"I am temporarily acting as the Sect Master."

She replied in a low voice, then looked up at Su Rui, a hint of resolve in her eyes.

"So, what is the purpose of your visit today?"

At this moment, Yue Qing pushed the door open. Her gaze swept over Yue Yao, her brow instantly furrowed, and her tone carried a chill.

"I... I was just worried about you."

"No need for false kindness. I am genuinely living freely here!"

She never had much affection for this older sister. Her words were barbed, each sentence stinging, leaving Yue Yao speechless for a long time.

"Your sudden appearance, could it be that you're aiming for the position of Hall Master?"

Yue Qing never believed Yue Yao had good intentions, always suspecting she had ulterior motives.

"How could I! I have absolutely no such intention!"

Yue Yao hastily waved her hands, repeatedly denying it.

"Hmph, stop pretending. Hurry back to your Heaven Beyond Heaven. This place is not for you to interfere with."

Yue Qing coldly threw down this sentence.

"Sister, do you really not want to come back at all? I can give the position of acting Sect Master to you."

"Dream on! Whoever wants this mess can have it!"

If it were in the past, Yue Qing might have coveted that supreme position.

But now was different.

Never mind whether she still cared about that, just the few months spent in the martial arts hall were enough to change many things.

Yue Yao stared blankly at the person before her, almost failing to recognize her own biological sister.

How could she have become so unfamiliar in such a short time?

Su Rui sat to the side, resting his chin in one hand, quietly watching the two sisters exchange verbal barbs without saying a word.

"As long as you are safe, I will be relieved."

Yue Yao said softly, then bowed to Su Rui.

"I shall take my leave now."

Not long after she left, Yue Qing was still standing in place, her anger not yet subsided.

"Your sister is being targeted. Her identity might have been exposed."

Su Rui suddenly spoke.

Yue Qing trembled all over, and her expression immediately darkened.

"Hmph, that woman has little skill, but she's certainly bold enough to wander around everywhere!"

Although she cursed fiercely, she had already turned to bow to Su Rui.

"Heaven Beyond Heaven cannot afford any more turmoil right now. That is the Foundation left by Father; I cannot let it be ruined by my hands. I request permission from the Hall Master to go out for a trip."

"Go ahead."

Su Rui nodded gently.

Yue Qing responded and quickly rushed out of the martial arts hall.

Though her words were tough, her actions were quicker than anyone else's.

Su Rui let out a light sigh and shook his head.

Someone was indeed tailing Yue Yao, but their cultivation was mediocre and posed no threat.

They probably only noticed her female identity and became suspicious.

"Let's go!"

Li Hanyi, having changed into a neat, tight-fitting outfit, trotted over carrying her cangfeng sword, grabbing Su Rui's arm, urging him with her eyes.

Though her appearance was delicate, her expression was urgent.

Su Rui shook his head with a wry smile; ultimately, he was pulled by her across the threshold.

Li Hanyi seemed unusually anxious.

This thought turned over a few times in the girl's mind, finally concluding that only by having Su Rui accompany her alone on a trip could the current predicament be resolved.

How could Su Rui not see her intention? Yet, he didn't refuse and silently agreed.

...

On the mountain path outside the city, the wind howled fiercely.

Yue Yao stepped on branches and swept over leaves, her figure swift as a swallow, moving rapidly through the woods.

Although her steps were fast, her heart was already alert—someone was trailing her from behind.

But if she turned back to Snow Moon City now, she might run right into an ambush.

Moreover, she hadn't planned to stay long in the first place.

If her identity were completely exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

When Ye Dingzhi led Heaven Beyond Heaven to sweep across Northern Li, the enmity rooted beneath the trees had long since become deep.

Even though he was gone now, those hatreds would not vanish into thin air; they would only pour entirely onto the Holy Cult of Heaven Beyond Heaven.

And as the acting Sect Master, she might not even keep her whole body intact then.

Thinking of this, her feet pressed down, and her speed increased slightly.

Suddenly, a cold light pierced through the air from the side!

Yue Yao's pupils contracted. She hastily changed direction, spun, and leaped, landing on a dead branch behind her, her gaze locked onto the person who had appeared ahead.

Simultaneously, the group tracking her quickly surrounded them, forming a pincer movement.

"I am Moon Invitation. May I ask why you are pressing me so closely?"

She stabilized her breathing, cupped her hands, and inquired, her tone composed.

"Moon Invitation?" The person scoffed, "No need to hide it. We just ask the young lady to come with us for a trip."

The onlookers were dressed in various outfits, all covering their faces with black scarves, their appearances indistinct.

"Elders?"

Yue Yao's heart trembled slightly.

"You... are from the Dark River?"

She was slightly taken aback.

During Heaven Beyond Heaven's eastern campaign, the Dark River had not suffered serious losses. It was understandable if other Schools had losses, but why target her?

"Please come."

The leader did not answer, merely raising a hand to signal, an action that brooked no refusal.

Yue Yao did not know nothing about the Dark River.

Since they had shown themselves, they surely would not give up until their mission was accomplished.

She slowly reached out, drew a soft whip from behind her waist, held it before her, and became guarded.

"It seems the acting Sect Master of Heaven Beyond Heaven is unwilling to cooperate—take her down!"

With the order given, several figures lunged out at once.

In terms of status, Yue Yao was the noble acting Sect Master; but in terms of strength, she relied mostly on her background.

She was the daughter of the former King of Beique; a royal Bloodline. Later, when her father, Yue Feng City, founded Heaven Beyond Heaven, her status was naturally unparalleled.

Even after Ye Dingzhi forcefully seized power and controlled the overall situation, many veteran generals in the Cult were still from the old Beique faction and always held her in high regard.

Precisely because of this, she had not focused entirely on martial arts.

Her talent might not have been poor, but her gentle nature lacked sharpness, and her power was even inferior to her sister Yue Qing's.

Facing the siege of a group of well-trained assassins, she quickly showed weaknesses and struggled to defend herself.

"What a foolish girl!"

A cold voice rang out, and a figure suddenly charged into the fray.

The long whip swung like lightning, sending two assassins flying backward.

The whip was wielded like a long spear, thrusting straight out, faintly revealing the shadow of Prairie Fire Hundred Strikes—that was a Move she had secretly observed Sikong Qianluo practicing at the martial arts hall. Though she hadn't received the true transmission, it possessed some of the Aura.

"Sister!"

"Hurry up and run! Are you just going to stand here and wait for death!"

Yue Qing gritted her teeth and hissed.

She knew she couldn't hold out for long.

She was not a Disciple of the martial arts hall, and the Hall Master had never taught her a Cultivation Technique.

Although she had secretly learned some Moves, she lacked the support of Internal Skill, making it difficult to last.

Her cultivation also hadn't surpassed these assassins, and the situation was extremely perilous.

"Go back to Snow Moon City! No matter how bold they are, they wouldn't dare make a Move inside the city!"

Before the words even left her mouth, she had plunged into the crowd, fighting many against one.

But the situation that followed stunned her—

The assassins' Moves were sluggish, and their strikes were restrained, as if they were deliberately holding back?

Yue Qing grew suspicious: What kind of show was this?

Meanwhile, the Dark River members exchanged glances, their expressions complicated.

Trouble...

They certainly recognized who Yue Qing was.

Every single person in the martial arts hall, including the recently added maidservants, they had secretly noted their appearances, all to avoid disaster.

The Dark River could stand for many years not just because of ruthless methods, but also because they knew when to advance and when to retreat.

A place like the martial arts hall was not to be provoked.

One mistake could lead to the destruction of their entire lineage.

Not just them, but all the major powers in the Jianghu felt the same apprehension.

Yue Qing's identity was not a secret in Snow Moon City.

But ever since the Demonic Cult's eastern expedition, everyone had tacitly ignored that fact—as if she were just an ordinary woman.

At this moment, with Yue Qing suddenly appearing inside the martial arts hall, those assassins were wary of her status and dared not strike ruthlessly.

She managed to force her way through the encirclement and pulled Yue Yao out.

Although Yue Qing didn't understand why, she unhesitatingly rushed outward with her sister.

As long as they could escape back to Snow Moon City and seek the Hall Master's protection, with just one word from the Hall Master, Heaven Beyond Heaven would surely be safe.

Just as the two sisters broke free from the encirclement, a sharp Saber Qi suddenly flashed over.

Yue Qing's face changed. She fiercely shoved Yue Yao, and the Saber Qi sliced between the two of them, passing through several large trees before dissipating into nothingness.

A man with a sturdy build walked out slowly, carrying a heavy long saber on his shoulder.

"Xie Seven Blades?"

This attire, combined with the Dark River identity, made him easy to recognize.

"Miss Yue Qing, we are merely inviting Yue Yao to be a guest at the Xie Family. If you are unwilling to let her go, handing over the Void Thought Skill will suffice—I can personally escort her back to Heaven Beyond Heaven."

Xie Seven Blades frowned slightly upon seeing Yue Qing.

He could not afford to provoke the person behind the martial arts hall.

If he truly angered that one in Snow Moon City, not only would the Xie Family be unable to protect itself, but the entire Dark River might suffer.

"So, the target is the Void Thought Skill!"

That was the peerless martial art Ye Dingzhi used to dominate Northern Li, famous throughout the Jianghu for a long time.

"I really don't know it!"

Yue Yao hastily shook her head.

"Whether you know it or not is unimportant. Once you arrive at the Xie Family, we will naturally go to Heaven Beyond Heaven to transcribe the manual," Xie Seven Blades said calmly.

With Ye Dingzhi dead, the domain was fractured. The current Heaven Beyond Heaven was no longer something the Dark River needed to fear.

And since Yue Yao held a noble status, trading her for a secret technique offered a very high chance of success.