The Sect Master of Wangshan Sect was busy handling affairs when a sudden shout rang out.
He immediately looked up, frowning toward the entrance.
"What is all that commotion? Did something happen in the market square?"
A Golden Core disciple rushed into the main hall, cupped his fists, and said, "Sect Master, it's... it's about Liu Yao Zhēnjūn!"
"Liu Yao?"
At the mention of that name, the Sect Master's expression immediately soured.
What nonsense had Liu Yao stirred up now?
He had originally sent Liu Yao to the arena for two reasons: first, to clear Liu Yiyi of suspicion, and second, because Liu Yao's cultivation was high—his combat strength should have been reliable.
Who would've thought he'd perform so shamefully?
Even now, other sects still mocked them about it from time to time.
"What has he done this time?" the Sect Master asked, annoyed.
It had barely been any time since the last incident. This man was nothing but trouble.
Several guesses flashed through his mind, though outwardly, he maintained a calm expression.
"Liu Yao... Liu Yao Zhēnjūn, he... he did something with a... a young boy…"
The Golden Core disciple stammered, the disturbing image from the recording still vivid in his mind. He shuddered. Liu Yao had always seemed honest and mild-mannered—who would have thought he was a beast in disguise?
"A what now?" the Sect Master frowned, visibly displeased. "Speak properly!"
The disciple gave a bitter smile, then leaned close and whispered the details.
"What did you say?!!"
The Sect Master nearly jumped from his seat, voice rising in disbelief.
"Say that again!"
He grabbed the disciple by the collar, face turning pale with fury.
"I... I saw it with my own eyes. The scene was captured on a Shadow Stone. I even made a copy. By now, it's probably in everyone's hands..."
After all, the person involved was their Nascent Soul expert, nearly on the verge of breaking through to Divine Transformation.
The Sect Master trembled with rage. He stretched out a hand. "Give me the Shadow Stone!"
"Yes, Sect Master."
The disciple handed it over.
Shua—
The projection lit up in mid-air. The next moment, the shocking footage played before them.
The Sect Master's eyes went wide as copper bells.
Wasn't that Liu Yao in the scene?
A rush of blood surged to his head, blackening his vision. He crushed the armrest beside him into powder.
His voice shook. "Are you saying... this has already spread everywhere?"
"Yes..."
The disciple hung his head. As a disciple of Wangshan Sect, this was utterly humiliating.
The Sect Master slumped into his seat, weariness washing over him.
Managing the sect's daily matters was already a burden. Now, this bombshell?
If the victim in the footage had been someone else, this could've been brushed off as a vulgar scandal. At worst, Liu Yao would face public shame, and the sect's reputation might take only a minor hit.
But the person in the video was a child. That changed everything.
Such beastly behavior—how was this different from the actions of a demon cultivator?
Now he feared Liu Yao would be labeled as a demon cultivator himself. If that happened, Wangshan Sect would be implicated. And with the disciple recruitment period just around the corner, a scandal like this could ruin everything.
"This is infuriating!"
The Sect Master slammed his desk and stood up, rage boiling.
"I'm summoning him back immediately! He must explain himself. If he refuses, the sect won't protect him!"
He took out a message talisman and shouted as he sent it off:
"Get back here at once! That scandal spreading outside—you'd better give an explanation, or don't blame the sect for cutting you off!"
But the message vanished into silence, receiving no reply. The Sect Master's fury deepened. He immediately ordered all disciples across the sect to search for Liu Yao's whereabouts.
"That bastard. Is he hiding now that things have blown up?"
As he fumed, Senior Sister Wu arrived.
"Sect Master, Liu Yiyi has also run away!
She used a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman!"
She stormed into the hall, face grim.
"What? Liu Yiyi ran too?"
The Sect Master felt like his chest was about to explode.
He'd just been thinking of asking her to contact Liu Yao, and now she had fled as well?
"Why would she run? Could she have known about this too?"
He asked with a dark look.
Senior Sister Wu nodded solemnly. "She must have. The moment I brought up the matter, she bolted like mad. She even used the Thousand-Mile Talisman, which shows just how guilty she was.
I fear... this wasn't Liu Yao's first time."
Otherwise, Liu Yiyi wouldn't have reacted like that.
Senior Sister Wu was fairly certain of her judgment.
The Sect Master's face turned deathly pale.
If this had happened more than once, the consequences were unimaginable.
"This matter is too grave. I'll go consult the Divine Transformation Ancestor immediately!"
If Liu Yao really was a demon cultivator, this decision was no longer his to make.
He rushed off at once.
Senior Sister Wu frowned and left with the Golden Core disciple.
Right now, the priority was finding Liu Yao. Everything else could wait.
Within an hour, all the disciples of Wangshan Sect knew about the scandal. Heated discussions broke out. Even those outside the sect had received the message and joined the search for Liu Yao.
The entire cultivation world was in an uproar.
That disturbing scene was being circulated everywhere. Though the Hundred Ghost Gate had not yet added any "commentary," public curiosity was already ablaze.
People were speculating wildly about Liu Yao's motives.
"Tsk, who would've thought? Liu Yao always looked so honest and upright. Turns out he's a monster in human skin."
"That child looked like five or six at most! Disgusting!"
"And he even drugged the kid. Absolutely vile."
"Do you think he's just into messed up stuff, or is it..."
"You mean Liu Yao might be a demon—"
"Shh! Just a guess! Don't say that out loud! Wangshan Sect hasn't made a statement yet!"
Most who discussed the matter did so in disgust.
But there were also some with more twisted curiosity.
Some cultivators, fascinated by taboo topics, had their attention on entirely the wrong things.
"Tsk. Liu Yao looked so lean, but who knew he was all muscle underneath?"
===
Hi everyone ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
Just a small update from me: You might notice that uploads on this series may slow down a little bit in the coming days.
Lately, I've been experiencing a sudden wave of exhaustion and body aches, especially in my lower back, shoulders, and legs. My energy has been drained, and even my mind feels foggy and slower than usual. It's a weird mix of feeling super tired and yet struggling to sleep properly (;￣Д￣)
After reflecting on it, I believe this shift is tied to something more than just fatigue.
Right now, we're in a time called "Sura", the first and most spiritually intense month in the Javanese calendar. Many people here believe that Sura brings deep emotional or energetic changes, and for those who are more sensitive (like me, apparently lol), it can cause fatigue, body aches, restlessness, or emotional heaviness. Some people describe it like the world is "quieter but heavier."
On top of that, there's also an upcoming lunar eclipse in just a few days. Across many cultures, eclipses are believed to stir up natural energy in both the environment and the body, often leading to disrupted sleep, emotional waves, and a sense of heaviness. Whether you believe in the spiritual side or not — Personally, I've been feeling that impact quite strongly, even before the eclipse arrives.
In Chinese metaphysics, the moon is linked to Yin energy—the calm, quiet, emotional, and inward flow. I was born carrying strong Yin essence, described as:
"You carry a strong and quiet Yin energy, but within your heart lies a gentle spark of fire."
But during a lunar eclipse, the moon (and thus, Yin energy) becomes hidden or obstructed. For those with Yin-aligned constitutions like mine, this can feel disorienting. Almost like our inner compass gets jammed. (×_×;）
So yes, I guess I'm being extra affected by this cosmic combo.
Even though I usually work ahead and try to keep a consistent pace (I normally post 5 chapters/day), the drafts for this particular series are still quite "thin"—only about 30 chapters ready—so it's difficult to maintain that upload speed while I'm in this condition.
So, I'm slowing things down just a bit to take care of myself and let my mind and body catch up. I promise I'm not abandoning the novel! I just need to refill my energy bar (๑•́‧̫•̀๑)
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I'll still keep updates going as best I can, especially for the series that have more chapters in stock. For those with "thin" drafts, please bear with me for a few days 🙇♀️💕
Sending hugs and moonlight from my corner of the world~
With love and sleepy fox energy,
— Reiya ꒰｡•ᴗ•｡꒱