Chapter 268 Scheming
Watching Yu Wanru's fleeing back, Shen Qingwu's mouth curled into a barely perceptible, cold smile.
"These women..." he scoffed in his heart, "With just a small trick, you can make them lose their composure, and then they will believe it without a doubt."
He looked around. The grandeur of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land's outer sect made him secretly marvel. The scale of this outer sect alone was far beyond what the Tianyun Sect could compare to. To sneak in, he had resorted to using a secret technique to change his appearance, even paying a certain price—but now, it seemed all worth it.
Shen Qingwu's true identity was the "adopted son" of the Shen family of Jingning City.
It was laughable. He was the son of the Shen family matriarch's personal maid. At birth, he was secretly swapped with the true Shen family direct descendant. Relying on this secret, he had lived a life of luxury and comfort, like a fish in water.
Until the truth came to light.
Fortunately, the Shen family head had a weak personality. Under the matriarch's insistence, he merely went from being a "direct descendant" to an "adopted son."
Just when he thought he was about to lose everything, fate gave him a turning point—
He found a pitch-black ring on the back mountain.
Inside the ring was the remnant soul of a being who called himself the "Heavenly Demon Senior." The two reached a deal: the Heavenly Demon Senior would help him reach the pinnacle, and after he achieved fame and success, he would help the Heavenly Demon Senior resurrect.
The first technique the Heavenly Demon Senior taught him was "Mind-Reading Penetration." This peculiar art could fabricate inner thoughts, making a specific target hear the "inner voice" he wanted them to hear. Even better, the Heavenly Demon Senior also bestowed upon him a magical treasure—
The "Mysterious Heaven Omen Book."
This ancient tome with a black cover could actually predict events that were about to happen the next day. Although each use cost a bit of his lifespan as a price, it was truly a heaven-defying object.
With these two treasures, he easily set up a scheme, causing the true Shen family direct descendant to be utterly disgraced and driven out of the family. He then took the opportunity to enter the Tianyun Sect, where he quickly thrived in a short period—
A beautiful senior sister showed him special favor; a beautiful master trusted him completely; even that exceptionally talented senior brother was framed by him and ultimately expelled from the sect...
"The Immortal Spirit Holy Land..." Shen Qingwu stroked the "Mysterious Heaven Omen Book" hidden in his sleeve, a glint of greed in his eyes, "Since it is the number one sect in Qingzhou, it must be more interesting than the Tianyun Sect."
...
The night was deep, and the outer sect disciples' quarters were silent.
Shen Qingwu sat cross-legged on his bed, his fingertips gently stroking the black cover of the "Mysterious Heaven Omen Book." His gaze was cold as the figure of the youth from earlier—Xiao Yun—appeared in his mind.
"Heh, so it's him..."
He recognized him. This Xiao Yun was the very youth he had encountered some days ago.
At that time, he had intended to kill him and seize his treasures, but his skills were inferior. When he tried to frame the other party, the useless fools of the Tianyun Sect backed down because the other party revealed his identity as a disciple of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land.
"Last time, you used the name of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land to escape disaster. This time..." a cold glint flashed in Shen Qingwu's eyes, "Watch how I drive you out of this sect."
He gently opened the "Mysterious Heaven Omen Book." Dense silver text appeared on the pages, each line foretelling a possible event for the next day.
Although the book could not predict everything, and the events it predicted were completely random, it was sufficient for him to lay his plans.
Soon, he found the information he wanted:
[Tomorrow after the morning lesson, the outer sect will announce a rest day. All members of Dormitory Bing-6 will go to the Immortal Spirit City. Yu Wanru will also leave the sect to handle matters and will request a day's leave, returning to the sect two days later.]
"Very good..." A cold smile appeared on Shen Qingwu's lips.
This was precisely the opportunity he needed.
He closed the book, his fingertips tapping lightly on the edge of the bed. A complete plan had already formed in his mind.
"Xiao Yun, oh Xiao Yun, this time, no one can save you."
Outside the window, the moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the entire outer sect was shrouded in shadow.
...
Time passed peacefully for the next two days.
At dusk, Yu Wanru returned to the sect, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
As usual, she came to Dormitory Bing-6 to check on their homework. The moment she pushed open the door, she heard a clear voice sound in her heart:
[Senior Sister looks so beautiful with her hair up today...]
Yu Wanru's hand, holding the brush, paused slightly.
This was the third time she had heard such inner thoughts—the first time praising her heroic appearance, the day before yesterday commending her patient teaching, and today...
She casually lifted her eyes, her gaze sweeping across the disciples in the room, finally landing on that slender figure.
Shen Qingwu was looking down, his jade-like fingertips nervously twisting the corner of his clothes.
Sensing her gaze, the tips of the youth's ears instantly flushed red. In his panic, he knocked over the inkstone, and ink splashed onto his plain white disciple's robe, blooming into a messy dark stain.
[Oh no... I've been discovered...]
That inner voice carried a tremor, curling up in her mind like a frightened little beast.
Yu Wanru's heart suddenly softened.
—So it really was his thoughts.
She should have realized it earlier. This youth from the Shen family of Jingning always stood quietly at the edge of the crowd, his eyelashes fluttering when he spoke, his fingertips cool when he passed over a sword manual, and he would bite his lip without daring to argue back even when being scolded.
He was completely different from her stern father and the arrogant cousins in her clan; he was more like a newborn fawn, his damp eyes filled with completely undefended admiration.
"Junior Brother Shen." She deliberately tapped the Xuan paper in front of him with her brush shaft, "You've made three mistakes copying this 'Heart-Purifying Art'."
The youth's shoulders trembled. When he looked up, his eyes were actually a bit red: "This... this disciple will recopy it..."
[Senior Sister's hand is so close... the sachet smells of cedarwood...]
Yu Wanru abruptly withdrew her hand. As her sleeve cuff passed his nose, she clearly saw the youth take a deep breath, then immediately bury his head as if he had done something wrong, even the back of his neck turning pink.
Until the evening drum sounded, as she walked out the courtyard door, she could still hear the faint, mosquito-like inner voice behind her:
[If only... I could help Senior Sister put up her hairpin once...]
The evening breeze blew past the empty clothesline. Yu Wanru looked at the bamboo pole missing a training shirt but just shook her head and smiled lightly.
Her fingers unconsciously brushed the wooden hairpin in her hair, but she suddenly felt that although she was wholeheartedly devoted to the immortal path...
Being secretly admired with such pure thoughts...
Perhaps it wasn't so bad after all.
...
Inside the room, Shen Qingwu played with the silk cloth in his hand, feeling the faint fragrance on it. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile, completely at odds with his pure and innocent appearance.
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