The air froze for a few breaths before Jian Dan finally smiled and said to Shou Min, "With such a clear mark on Xiao Yue's forehead, how could you not see it?"
Xiao Yue lifted his little head and showed the crescent moon mark on his forehead. The female cultivator across from him wasn't being honest at all, she just wanted to catch him and was making excuses.
Shou Min froze, feeling like she'd been dazed for a split second earlier. But hearing Mo Yue Zūnshàng's words, then glancing again at the wolf pup in Jian Dan's arms, she immediately bowed. "It was my shortsightedness. Please forgive me, Zūnzhǔ."
She knew there was no way to smooth this over anymore. She'd had thoughts she never should've had, so now all she could do was admit fault.
"Forget it. You came to attend the Heavenly Demon Palace's succession ceremony. Don't go saying afterward that I, Mo Yue, made things difficult for the Beast Taming Sect's honored guest."
"I wouldn't dare!"
Jian Dan gave her a glance, an unreadable smile tugging at her lips, then turned and left with her attendants.
Once Mo Yue was gone, Shou Min immediately turned back to Guest Peak, where she happened to run into Shou Feng.
"Junior Brother, did you settle things with the Heavenly Sword Sect?"
"Senior Sister Shou Min."
He gave her a respectful bow, then nodded and quickly summarized the negotiation.
When she heard it, Shou Min sighed. "I was hoping we could save some spirit beasts, or just trade beasts instead of spending spirit stones."
Shou Feng wanted to roll his eyes. He wiped his face and let out a long sigh. "Meng Zūnzhǔ may look all smiles and easygoing, but he's sharp in negotiations. He twisted things around until he'd dug out every bottom line Zhēnzūn set. I didn't have the ability to push any lower. If Senior Sister's better at this, maybe you should go try yourself."
Shou Min just gave a faint smile and didn't answer. Deep down, she felt dissatisfied. He'd already sealed the deal, and now he wanted her to renegotiate? That would only make the Beast Taming Sect look like oath-breakers. Besides, Meng was a Void Refinement Zūnzhǔ. She wasn't about to go sticking her head into something so thankless.
She laughed it off and went back to her temporary cave-dwelling. The thought nagged at her though. She had the strong feeling Mo Yue Zūnshàng had done something to her, and she wanted to check carefully.
Shou Feng snorted softly and returned to his own cave. He immediately used a jade slip to report the negotiation details to the Zhēnzūn back in the sect.
Meanwhile, Jian Dan returned with Xiao Yue to her cave on Moyan Peak.
The little wolf pup felt embarrassed about today's blunder. He didn't go patrol the mountain as usual but stayed curled up weakly in Jian Dan's arms, reflecting on himself.
Back at the Heavenly Demon Hall earlier, Jian Dan had received a message from Meng Congjian through the obsidian pendant. It hadn't been convenient to check it then, so only after returning to her cave did she send her divine sense into it.
After reading the message, she nodded in satisfaction. Meng Congjian had secured the best possible terms. A blood insect and two array plates in exchange for one superior-grade spirit vein and a hundred spirit beasts—that was no small feat.
"I'll send the blood insect after the succession ceremony ends," she replied.
She was uneasy about the Beast Taming Sect studying the blood insect. The thing was too strange. Shou Min's appearance today had actually given her the perfect chance to leave a backhand. Whether they researched it or not, she'd get the news first.
With that settled, she spent the remaining time drawing on her past experience managing the War Hall of the Heavenly Sword Sect, drafting a new training plan. Whether it would fit the Black-Robe Guards, she'd only know after she officially joined them.
Once she finished, she found Xiao Yue still curled quietly in her lap. She stroked his head with a smile. "What's wrong? Still upset?"
He rubbed his little head against her palm and finally muttered, "Am I stupid? Is that why Father won't let me leave the clan?"
"Why do you think that?"
"The moment I left my people's protection, I nearly got caught as a pet. If it wasn't for Mo Yue, I might've been contracted already."
Her lips curved into a faint smile. She tapped the crescent mark on his forehead and said, "Your self-awareness isn't bad. So?"
"I'll cultivate hard. This trip away from my clan will just be to broaden my horizons. Once the ceremony ends, I'll obediently go back to the beast clan."
The pup wagged his tail as he made his vow.
"Good. As long as you can keep your word, I'll support your decision."
"Thank you, Mo Yue."
He didn't realize that his little vow would throw him into deep waters, forcing him through harsh trials that would make him grow fast.
"Alright. Tomorrow you'll come with me to meet Mo Zhang Zūnshàng."
With just three days left until the succession ceremony, the Heavenly Demon Palace was busier than ever. Almost all the invited guests had already arrived.
Major sects like the Demonic Sound Gate, Crimson Blood Manor, Nine Fiends Hall, and Life and Death Pavilion all sent high-level cultivators to show support. After all, this was the grand event of the number one demon sect.
That day, Mo Qi and Mo Yi made time to visit Jian Dan.
"Senior Sister Mo Yue, you'll attend the ceremony, right?"
"Of course. Why else would I have rushed back?" She shot Mo Qi a strange look.
"Hehe, good. We were worried you'd skip it because of Jian Feng."
"Do you take me for someone that petty?"
She glared at Mo Yi, who only laughed awkwardly inside. Mo Qi, meanwhile, burst out laughing.
"Senior Sister, you say you're not angry, but Mo Su's been walking around with dark circles. He either stays in his cave or at the Heavenly Demon Hall, nowhere else."
"Ahem! He just happened to throw himself into my fist so I could vent a little, that's all."
Like hell, they thought in unison.
"Enough. I won't meddle in their mess anymore. You two didn't just come here to complain for Mo Su, did you?"
She arched a brow. They'd already caught up on old times.
"The Tang family's been asking around about you these past few days. They want to know what happened after you fell into the spatial rift."
Mo Yi, always sharp with news, was the one to bring it up.
"Oh? And what do they want?"
"What else? They're after their lost Immortal Artifact and Mahayana Zhēnzūn."
Mo Qi smoothed her hair and let out a mocking laugh. "After their Mahayana Zhēnzūn went missing, their clan was in chaos for a while. Some even said Tang Yi had already fallen. Mo Su seized the chance to remove all their people from key positions in the sect."
"I remember that before I fell into the rift, there wasn't any news about their Zhēnzūn's death."
Jian Dan stroked Xiao Yue's fur, her voice soft like she was talking to herself.
"True. Tang Yi's soul lamp hasn't gone out. We only learned this after returning from the Ming Valley War. They kept it under wraps, but eventually word spread that their Mahayana Zhēnzūn had fallen. They had no choice but to admit Tang Yi's soul lamp still burned."
"So once the news was confirmed, Mo Su struck and cut their people out."
"Exactly. Alive or dead, body or no body, as long as the soul lamp's intact, they still cling to hope. They want to find him. Mo Su just treated him as already dead and made his move."
Mo Yi shrugged.
"In that case, it has nothing to do with me. They should be looking for the Jian family."
"You think they didn't? They just couldn't find them. Now that you're back, they're aiming at you."
"I already had Gong Yi send them a message."
"Hehe, Senior Sister Mo Yue, with your current cultivation, unless the Tang family's gone mad, they'll never accept your challenge."
Mo Yi grinned.
"Then why are they sniffing around me? Don't tell me they expect me to find the Jian family for them!"
"That's exactly what they want. They're hoping to use you to track down Tang Yi."
"And why? What makes them so sure I can make the Jian family release him?"
"Because your surname is Jian."