"Very well..."
A cold gleam flickered through Mo Yuan's downcast eyes. There had never been peace between the demon and human races. Song Wanníng's reaction was exactly as he had predicted.
He obediently followed behind Song Wanníng as they made their way toward Wuyuan City, situated at the border between the human realm and the demon realm.
Wuyuan City straddled the boundary of the two worlds and was a place of disorder. Though it technically had a City Lord's Manor, successive lords had all died violent deaths. No one was willing to take the position anymore, and the title had long since become meaningless.
The moment they entered the city, they felt eyes on them from all directions.
The gazes were not just curious, but aggressive. Yet when those prying eyes met the mysterious presence that was Song Wanníng, they quickly retreated. No one could gauge her cultivation, and none dared to provoke her.
Mo Yuan walked beside Song Wanníng in silence, fists clenched. Once he returned to the demon realm and reopened the Demon Sea, he would definitely ascend to Nascent Soul. Maybe even Divine Transformation.
Wuyuan City was a chaotic mix of human and demon cultivators. Most who came here were fugitives, unable to survive in either realm. They were all vicious by nature, difficult to deal with.
In her past life, Song Wanníng had tried hiding here, only to be hunted down by Mo Yuan and the forces he led. She had no choice but to flee again.
The more unbearable those days had been, the deeper the smile at her lips now grew. She chose an inn and booked two adjacent rooms before taking Mo Yuan to eat in the dining hall.
With the bamboo hat removed, her cold and striking face was fully visible. Song Wanníng suppressed her presence and sat calmly by the window, looking out at the street beyond. Though Wuyuan City was in chaos, it was a paradise for many cultivators. Here, strength was the only true authority.
Mo Yuan sat stiffly across from Song Wanníng, playing the role of a pitiful, humble wretch. Given his miserable experiences, he played the part well. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted so long at the auction house.
Song Wanníng glanced at him briefly. Her eyes held a mocking curve, though it quickly faded. Their food was served. As they ate, they kept an ear on the conversations around them.
They had hoped to hear news of the Demon Sovereign, but instead, Song Wanníng caught wind of something unexpected.
"Did you hear? The sect master of Wangshan Sect is dead!"
"What? The sect master? Wasn't he a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn? Who could possibly kill him?"
"I heard rumors he was abusing young boys. Maybe Wangshan Sect decided to purge their own?"
"Not that. Supposedly he had a private grudge with a hall master from Hundred Ghosts Gate, and that's who killed him!"
"Wangshan Sect is still fighting Hundred Ghosts Gate over the matter!"
"Tch, Hundred Ghosts Gate's getting bolder by the day. They dared to kill a sect master?"
"Exactly. Now some people are saying Hundred Ghosts Gate slandered him because of that personal grudge."
"I don't know. That hall master could've been a victim... strange how they waited until now to retaliate."
…
The inn was filled with debates and speculation. No one could say what the truth really was.
By the window, Song Wanníng paused, her hand still holding her chopsticks. In her past life, Xu Zhiyuan had also died at the hands of a Hundred Ghosts Gate hall master, but there had been no such rumors at the time.
She knew this was no coincidence. That sect master from Wangshan Sect...
That beast in human skin.
How was he any different from the Qixiezi?
A flash of cold fury passed through her eyes. "Creatures like him deserved to die."
Then she overheard someone say, "Now that the sect master's crimes are out, Liu Yao is still in hiding. Wangshan Sect's doing everything they can to track him down."
"Even the sect's old ancestor has come forward."
"For real? I thought Liu Yao was framed by Song Wanníng?"
"Come on, you really believe that? Liu Yao's probably the same kind of scum as their sect master."
"With the disciple recruitment ceremony coming up, Wangshan Sect is doomed."
At the mention of Song Wanníng and Liu Yao, the entire inn burst into laughter.
Liu Yao's shameless behavior had become common gossip across the cultivation world.
He failed at groveling, then turned around and tried to frame others. Liu Yao had become the target of near-universal disdain.
As for Mo Yuan, he felt nothing listening to this gossip.
He only knew the woman before him was the auction house owner. He had no idea she was the same Song Wanníng everyone was talking about.
Humans always claimed to be righteous and noble. They looked down on the demon race, but in truth, they were full of the same rot. They just hid behind flimsy veils of propriety.
Mo Yuan sneered. After finishing his food in just a few bites, he followed Song Wanníng upstairs. They avoided all attention.
"If you need something, call me."
Song Wanníng remained cold, tossing out the words before heading into her room.
Mo Yuan said nothing and pushed open the door to the room next to hers.
If Song Wanníng had treated him warmly, he would have been more suspicious. This aloof attitude suited someone of her status as a Zhēnjūn.
Inside her room, Song Wanníng's communication talisman stirred. She quickly activated a formation to block outside detection, then opened the message.
"Master, as you instructed, we've been monitoring Lu Nanfeng. He's been looking for someone these past few days…"
It was the voice of the auction house manager. Ever since Lu Nanfeng had brought pills to Ye Chuxue, his fate had already been sealed.
Song Wanníng had arranged for people to watch him closely and report the moment anything changed.
Now that she knew he was asking around, it was obvious who he was looking for.
Ye Chuxue must have been injured. Lu Nanfeng was probably full with worry. Unfortunately, he had no idea where Ye Chuxue was, so he was running around like a headless chicken.
Song Wanníng held the talisman, her expression unreadable.
In her past life, when he used so-called morality and righteousness to bind her, the bond between master and disciple had already been severed. He had persuaded her to die for honor, persuaded the Song family to accept slaughter. Those were the seeds he had sown.
Now, she would reap the fruit.
"Find a way to give him Ye Chuxue's location. Don't arouse his suspicion."
Song Wanníng gave the coordinates to the manager. After years of service, she trusted him to handle it discreetly.
With that done, she asked for updates about Liu Yao.
Upon hearing that even the Wangshan Sect's ancestor was scouring the land, Song Wanníng suddenly smiled. Others might not know where Liu Yao was, but she did. She had already made her move on him.
"Leak his location."
She deactivated the talisman and looked out the window.
Liu Yao.
This game…
Ends here.
…
"Big Brother, no matter what others say, I still believe in you!
Everyone in the city is talking about you. I'll figure something out!"
Liu Yiyi had left the mountain and entered the city, hoping to help her brother. But just as she stepped into town, she overheard a conversation: someone had confirmed that Liu Yao was hiding in the nearby mountains.
It was no longer a secret.
Liu Yiyi's heart pounded. She was about to turn back and warn him when a familiar figure caught her eye. It was Meng Yang—here to carry out the sect's purge.