Yao Ranran watched Pei Xianqiao's troubled expression, debating inwardly whether she should help the heroine out of her predicament. But as the villainous supporting character, would her interference backfire and make Pei Xianqiao dislike her even more?
"I know, I know… I know that Fairy Yao Ranran knows!" Tang Xiangyin felt all eyes on her and quickly swallowed, shrinking behind Yao Ranran.
The gazes of these people were terrifying, as if they were about to devour her!
"Yao Ranran, do you know why Master Mingzhi did this?" Han Huijun asked sternly.
"So what if she know? Does knowing mean she have to tell you?" Nie Rong blocked Yao Ranran, his face filled with smug pride.
Han Huijun's expression darkened. "She is a disciple of Wuxiang Sect. Naturally, she must answer when this Sect Master questions her!"
"I won't say, I won't say… If you have the ability, try prying it from us with spirit stones!" Nie Rong crossed his arms arrogantly.
Yao Ranran silently approved. This guy hadn't wasted all his time in Longyin Village; he still had some sense of strategy!
"Nie Zhang, I can't control you, but you think you can control a little girl? Yao Ranran, as a disciple of Wuxiang Sect, has no right to bargain with me!"
Han Huijun unleashed his spiritual power, instantly sending Nie Rong flying from in front of Yao Ranran.
"Tell me, what exactly does Master Mingzhi want by doing this?" he demanded sharply.
The girl in front of him, however, remained calm, her eyes like still water.
Yao Ranran lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. "Sect Master Han Huijun, I returned today to leave Wuxiang Sect and become a loose cultivator."
"…What did you say?" The anger in Han Huijun's eyes was doused by the steady calm in her gaze. He stared at her in shock.
"I said I want to leave Wuxiang Sect and become a free loose cultivator."
"Ha ha ha… ha ha ha… are you joking with this Sect Master?"
Han Huijun laughed. Countless people would give anything to join Wuxiang Sect. Even being an outer disciple was far better than joining a third-rate sect. And today, someone says she wants to be a loose cultivator?
This is the same Yao Ranran who once clung to Shen Yuefu and schemed to become his Dao companion.
How could Han Huijun not laugh?
"This is no joke. I want Elder Shen to return my storage bracelet. If the Sect Master allows me to leave Wuxiang Sect, I will reveal everything about Master Mingzhi."
Han Huijun stopped laughing, his gaze now burning as he stared into her eyes.
Her eyes were calm, without a hint of emotion. Her high, elegant brows and pure gaze were like a snow lotus growing among cliff stones, indescribably beautiful.
Han Huijun paused. A cold, clear voice rang out like a long sword being drawn.
"Are you threatening us? Because you happened to save them and know Master Mingzhi's secret, you are trying to coerce us into letting you stay?"
Shen Yuefu did not draw his sword, yet his voice was as sharp as a blade, piercing her heart.
But Yao Ranran had no such intention.
She pressed her lips together. "Elder Shen, this is not a demand nor a threat. It is an exchange. I remember Wuxiang Sect has a rule: if a disciple achieves great merit, they may receive one promise from the Sect Master.
The secret I hold about Master Mingzhi is surely of great merit to stir the Sect Master, so I proposed an exchange."
Shen Yuefu's brows twitched lightly, his pale blue eyes growing colder.
How could he believe this woman's words? What kind of seduction was this?
"Do you really intend to use this as the exchange?" Han Huijun asked solemnly.
Yao Ranran's expression did not change. "Yes."
It was well known that supporting female characters involved with the main leads rarely ended well.
She just wanted to save her own life!
"Master, if you leave Wuxiang Sect, what about me?" Nie Rong widened his eyes.
Should he also take this chance to leave?
Han Huijun seemed to see through his thoughts and shouted, "Think of it as taking a wild master. Whether she is in Wuxiang Sect makes no difference to you. You are not a stable one. Just follow her and go!"
The words startled him awake.
Nie Rong suddenly understood. "Exactly. When I took her as my master, I knew nothing—only her name and residence. Whether she is in Wuxiang Sect makes no difference to me!"
"You dared to apprentice without knowing anything? I really do not understand what you saw in her. If it were not for her looks, no one would believe it!"
Han Huijun gave him a peculiar glance but swallowed the urge to scold him.
First, he needed to resolve the matter at hand.
"Are you truly certain? I will not keep you if you are not!"
The gifts from Yu Weifeng had already been received, and the person had been summoned back. Whether she remained in Wuxiang Sect no longer concerned him.
"Certain," Yao Ranran replied calmly.
Han Huijun's gaze shifted repeatedly. In a tone of authority, he said, "This Sect Master cons—"
"The storage bracelet is gone."
Shen Yuefu's cold voice interrupted.
Han Huijun looked shocked. "How could it be gone?"
A trace of odd color passed through Shen Yuefu's eyes. He said indifferently, "That day I entrusted the bracelet to Hall Master Sun for safekeeping, but by the next morning, it was gone."
He had suspected someone was secretly helping Yao Ranran. After investigating her background, it was clear the bracelet thief had nothing to do with her.
"Then… how about we replace the storage bracelet with another treasure?" Han Huijun smiled, recommending alternatives.
Yao Ranran furrowed her brows, staring intently at Shen Yuefu. "How could the bracelet be gone? Elder Shen, did you hide it?"
Shen Yuefu had indeed handed the bracelet to Hall Master Sun as in the original story. But after returning to Central Continent, the treasury was repaired and Hall Master Sun returned the bracelet to him.
According to the story, she had delayed in Yan Family Fortress for several days, so the bracelet should have been with Shen Yuefu.
Yet he claimed it was stolen, naturally arousing her suspicion of a lie.
Shen Yuefu seemed slightly provoked by her doubtful gaze, and a cold gleam shot from his eyes.
"Yao Ranran, if you wanted to attract this elder's attention, your former gentle demeanor might have had some effect.
Now… you have gone too far. This elder has no reason to hide your inferior bracelet. If you want it, I can give you several."
Yao Ranran's temper flared. "Elder Shen, you have been in a high position too long. What do you mean by 'inferior bracelet'? Do you know how many disciples Wuxiang Sect has? How many have only a single storage bag? This 'inferior' bracelet is a treasure we have longed for for years!"
Her words fell, and the hall became silent, needle-drop quiet.
Han Huijun's eyes lit up. He clapped his hands.
Suddenly, he found this girl more appealing. Previously, she had been seen as calculating. Today, she understood some of the struggles of a cultivator, and it pleased him greatly.