Chapter Forty-Six: The Sect of Departure and Seclusion

Beneath that locust tree, Li Su gathered a sphere of light in his palm. Through the natural barrier, he raised his hand toward it, and the beam pierced through the shield. A piece of red jade appeared in his hand, and with it, he opened a corner of the barrier.

After a while, a man dressed in blue, his face veiled with a blue scarf, appeared. He knelt beside Li Su, head lowered. "Master, what are your orders?"

"Investigate a man named Ji Xuanyu," Li Su commanded, his expression cold. He did not look at the man beside him; his gaze was fixed far into the distance.

"Yes!" The man in blue was about to depart.

"Li Su, you—?" Yinyao, out for a walk to clear her mind, had wandered to the locust tree where she had once fallen. To her astonishment, she had just witnessed everything that transpired. She could hardly believe her eyes.

The man in blue halted in his tracks, turning his head along with Li Su to look back.

Without glancing at the blue-clad man, Li Su issued his order, "Go." In a flash, the blue shadow vanished, and the gap in the barrier swiftly closed.

"Me? What about me?" Li Su smiled as he walked slowly toward Yinyao.

"Are you Li Su?" Yinyao could sense a wave of oppressive power sweeping toward her. Her spiritual energy began to flow, instinctively resisting it. She was surprised—Li Su, who had seemed so childlike and innocent just days before, was actually this person before her!

Li Su's smile deepened, elegant and alluring, dazzling as the stars.

"Who else?" There was a hint of mischief in Li Su's tone—completely unruffled.

Yinyao had too many questions she wanted answered. Her voice was tinged with coldness. "You kept this from everyone? And just how much have you been hiding?"

"This is what you see," Li Su replied, light as the wind, calm as the clouds. "Surprised? Well, now you know my true self."

"You’ve maintained some connection to the outside. That man just now called you ‘Master’—so you must have founded some sect beyond these walls. But I’ve never heard of any powerful new sect," Yinyao recounted her deductions in an even tone.

"Of course it’s mysterious. Why would I let it be exposed so easily? I can tell you only this: the sect’s influence is spread throughout the entire martial world. And I am the Master you’ve heard of. The sect is called…" Li Su blinked, drawing out his words, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

Yinyao shot him a blank look. She disliked this evasiveness; her tone turned even colder: "Speak."

"Li Yin Sect. Named after the manor, hidden from the world." Watching her reaction, Li Su understood and answered her straightforwardly.

Yinyao regarded this man before her—clearly no ordinary person, and quite possibly ambitious. He had pretended to be naive and harmless, playing the innocent child, but now she realized how deep his heart ran.

Hearing Li Su’s words, Yinyao quickly concluded, "You want to return to the outside world!"

"Oh? Don’t you?" Li Su answered her question with another.

"Yes!" The answer sprang from Yinyao’s lips without hesitation, almost automatically.

Li Su looked directly into her eyes and chuckled softly, "Then that settles it."

At his reply, Yinyao understood and said no more. "Let’s go." She turned and walked straight toward her quarters, Li Su following at a leisurely pace, looking completely at ease.

"Your little fox is quite adorable—her name is Bing’er, isn’t it?" Li Su said suddenly, out of nowhere.

"Hmm?" Yinyao turned, studying the enigmatic Li Su. Only she knew about Bing’er, and she herself had only learned of the fox recently. How could Li Su know?

"Were you following me?"

"It appeared because I helped you break through your bottleneck. Shouldn’t I be aware of it?" Li Su sidestepped her question, answering with an evasion of his own.

"Heh." Yinyao glanced at him, then turned away and continued walking.

"Everything you saw and heard today—I hope you’ll keep it secret." Li Su’s tone shifted from authoritative to negotiating. "I’ll help you achieve what you wish to accomplish."

Yinyao smiled faintly. "Don’t worry, I understand. Since I’ve agreed to one request of yours, you should do me a favor as well."

"Name it, as long as it’s within my power," Li Su replied without hesitation.

"Investigate a man named Gu Xinyu. He’s close to the Martial Alliance Leader. Also, look into those around him—especially the Alliance Leader, Chu Suyi!" Yinyao knew she had to rely on Li Su’s power to learn all she wished to know.

Upon hearing this, Li Su responded at once, "Gu Xinyu, in the period after you first arrived here, founded the Lingyu Pavilion. The Ghost Doctor and Poison Fiend have resurfaced in the martial world. After disappearing for a month, the Martial Alliance Leader returned and ordered the search for a young lady named Silver Bell. Now, his position in the martial world is secure, and he commands universal respect. Everyone in the martial world admires him. Do you have any connection with him?"

Only Silver Bell? What about me? What am I to him?

Yinyao sneered inwardly, but only shook her head at Li Su’s question. "No connection. I’m just curious, that’s all." She thought it best that Li Su remain ignorant of the rest.

Li Su, hearing her reply, asked nothing further. "Then let’s go." He still had to maintain his disguise, and it was time to pay his respects to his father—and to contemplate his own return to the outside world.

Li Su took the lead. Yinyao remained where she was. Her eyes stung, and something slipped from the corner of her eye, trailing down her cheek—a silent tear, carried away by the wind, leaving only a mark of sorrow and voiceless grief.

Her lips parted, and she uttered a single word: "Yu."

Li Su had not left. He hid in the darkness, behind the trunk of a large tree, quietly watching Yinyao’s lonely, slender figure. His heart clenched, twisted with pain, and bled.

Yao’er, do you know? I already know that Chu Suyi is Ji Xuanyu—the man who was willing to exchange his life for yours. I only learned this because I had deliberately planted spies at the Twilight Pavilion. He loves you deeply. But what about you—do you love him as well?

Li Su watched Yinyao from afar until she finally left, and only then did he turn and walk away.

One night passed, and all returned to its former state. Li Su was again the cheerful, boyish youth he had always seemed, but Yinyao’s feelings for him had quietly changed. Li Jin kept his promise, helping Yinyao to temporarily suppress that force within her, and reminded her once more that only she could truly purify it.

On the surface, everything seemed unchanged, but something essential had shifted.

With Li Su’s help, Yinyao now had a thorough understanding of the situation in the outside world. She counted the days and realized the grand triennial Martial Gathering was fast approaching. At last, she made her request to Li Jin, the master of the manor, to leave.

Li Jin, upon hearing her request, did not try to dissuade her but agreed, knowing Yinyao had matters she must attend to.

That very night, Li Su also asked to accompany Yinyao. After some thought, Li Jin too granted his consent.