340: Chapter 340: A Few Things About the Poisonous Lady and Xiao Ran

When Fairy Hehuan led Su Qinghan to a secluded courtyard, the sky had completely darkened.

The courtyard was not large; three tiled rooms surrounded a small yard paved with bluestone, and an old locust tree was planted in the corner, its branches and leaves so dense they almost covered half the roof.

The lanterns under the veranda were dark red, casting dim light that stretched the shadows on the ground quite long.

"This is where you used to live."

Fairy Hehuan pushed open the door to the main room, and a faint scent of sandalwood drifted out.

"Nothing has been moved. After you left, I had people clean it regularly, thinking that in case you came back one day, you would still have a place to stay."

Su Qinghan stood before the threshold, her gaze quickly sweeping across the room.

A wooden bed, a writing desk, and a row of shelves standing against the wall, upon which were placed a few bamboo scrolls and various bottles and jars.

A bronze mirror rested on the windowsill, its surface already somewhat tarnished.

An unfinished notebook lay spread out on the desk, the ink long since dried.

Everything was very ordinary, so ordinary that it looked like a room where someone had truly lived.

"Many thanks for your concern, Fairy."

"I often can't remember some things, but in my heart, I always felt that I had a place of belonging."

"Now that I see this place, I finally understand."

"So, my place of belonging was here all along."

Su Qinghan bowed slightly to the side, her tone carrying just the right amount of gratitude and a touch of reserve.

"This Disciple has been wandering for many years; I never expected to be able to return here."

Fairy Hehuan leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her gaze slowly sweeping over her body.

"You've changed quite a bit. You used to be talkative, chirping away, and everywhere you went there would be a trail of laughter. Now..."

She paused.

"You are so quiet, it's like you're a different person."

Su Qinghan felt a tightening in her heart, but her face remained composed: "I suffered some hardships over those years, and my temperament has been smoothed out."

"People have to grow up, Fairy."

This was said sincerely, carrying a hint of self-deprecation and exhaustion.

Hearing this, the smile on Fairy Hehuan's lips faded slightly, though she did not press further.

She turned and walked two steps toward the outside of the courtyard, then turned back: "Rest for today; tomorrow I will take you to get to know the Sect."

"Since you just returned, don't wander around. The Sect has many rules, and there are some places you cannot go."

"This Disciple will remember."

After Fairy Hehuan left, Su Qinghan closed the door. She did not light a lamp, standing in the darkness for a moment by the moonlight from outside the window.

She walked slowly to the window and pushed it open a crack.

The night view of the Eternal Night Demon Sect was not quite what she had expected.

The Sect was built in a basin surrounded by mountains. Dark red lights snaked along the surrounding ridges, like a dormant giant beast opening countless eyes.

On the highest main peak in the distance stood a tower, with a ghostly blue orb suspended from its spire.

Its light enveloped the entire area; it was not blinding, yet it made one feel inexplicably oppressed.

That was the array eye.

Su Qinghan noted the orientation in her mind and looked toward several other buildings further away.

To the west was the Council Hall, and in the southeast direction were several rows of side rooms, which looked like living quarters for Disciples.

Patrolling Disciples walked back and forth along fixed routes, with an interval of about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Each team consisted of three to five people, and the leader held a glowing token.

She stood by the window for an hour, silently memorizing the patrol routes and building layout that she could observe.

Only then did she gently close the window and sit on the edge of the bed.

The bed board was hard, covered with a thin mattress, but it was nothing to her.

She closed her eyes and re-organized the mission objectives in her mind.

Investigate the Demonic Path's activities near the Ancient Battlefield ruins, especially whether Xiao Ran was secretly preparing some major move against the Righteous Path.

But at this moment, she knew clearly that compared to those grand objectives,

the more imminent problem was whether or not Xiao Ran had actually recognized her.

That meeting in the main hall today had been too brief.

Xiao Ran's expression and tone had been impeccable, just like a Sect Master receiving a returning ordinary Disciple.

But the words he asked, that lingering gaze that was there and yet not...

Su Qinghan opened her eyes and looked at the ghostly blue orb outside the window.

For the road ahead, she would take it one step at a time.

The next morning.

Fairy Hehuan arrived as expected, bringing with her a young girl wearing a goose-yellow short shirt.

"This is Xiao Chan, who used to live next door to you. Do you remember her?"

Fairy Hehuan patted the girl's shoulder.

Xiao Chan looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old, with a round face and bright, sparkling eyes.

She sized up Su Qinghan for a few moments, then grinned, revealing a small canine tooth: "Sister Qingyan! You've returned! I thought you had died out there!"

Su Qinghan: "Uh..."

This was said bluntly, but the tone revealed a genuine sense of joy.

Su Qinghan was slightly stunned, then revealed a somewhat awkward smile: "Xiao Chan, long time no see. You've grown quite a bit."

"Of course! I'm already at the Soul Transformation Stage Middle Stage!"

Xiao Chan puffed out her chest and leaned in a step closer, lowering her voice.

"Sister, where have you been all these years? Everyone said you encountered a Yao Beast at the border and died, and some even said you defected to the Righteous Path side. I didn't believe it!"

Fairy Hehuan gave a light cough: "Alright, don't go dragging people into idle chatter first thing in the morning."

"Qingyan just returned; you take her around to various places to get to know the way first. I'm going to handle some matters."

"Alright!"

Xiao Chan responded crisply and reached out to pull on Su Qinghan's sleeve.

Fairy Hehuan turned and walked a few steps, then turned back to look at Su Qinghan once more, something flashing across her gaze.

But she said nothing and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Xiao Chan was quite lively, chirping non-stop along the way.

She talked about everything from the layout of the Hehuan Sect encampment to the recent interesting events in the Sect, from which Senior Sister had taken a new Cauldron to how the kitchen auntie's cooking was getting saltier.

Su Qinghan listened quietly, occasionally responding with a word or two.

However, her gaze was unconsciously engraving the location of every path passed and every building into her memory.

The Hehuan Sect encampment was located on the east side of the Eternal Night Demon Sect's mountain gate, a group of independent courtyards.

With pink walls and dark tiles, and pink gauze curtains hanging from the eaves, it appeared out of place amidst the Demon Sect, which was full of black stone and giant rocks.

Xiao Chan said that this was a location Fairy Hehuan had spent a lot of effort to secure back in the day, as it was close to the main hall, making it convenient for handling matters.

"That over there is the Council Hall; the Alliance Master and the others usually hold meetings there."

Xiao Chan pointed to a magnificent black palace ahead.

"The path on the right leads to the Library Pavilion, but you need a token to enter. The left side is the Martial Arts Arena; there are many people during the day, but no one at night."

Su Qinghan looked one by one in the direction of her finger, asking casually.

"What level of token do you need to enter the Library Pavilion?"

"Inner Sect Disciple level or above should be fine." Xiao Chan thought for a moment.

"However, some restricted book areas require special permission from an Elder or the Alliance Master. Sister Qingyan, do you want to go read?"

"Just asking casually." Su Qinghan smiled.

The two walked along a bluestone path through a bamboo forest; the bamboo leaves rustled, blocking out half the daylight.

Xiao Chan suddenly stopped and pouted toward the front.

"Eh, Senior Poison Lady."

Su Qinghan looked up.

At the fork in the road ahead stood a woman wearing a dark green robe. She was tall, with her long hair tied into a neat braid hanging over her shoulder.

Her face was thin, her cheekbones slightly high, and her narrow eyes were like two thin blades as she walked out from the depths of the bamboo forest at a leisurely pace.

Her gaze landed on Su Qinghan.

For that brief moment, Su Qinghan felt that gaze like a fine needle, gently pricking her skin before being withdrawn.

Poison Lady said nothing and did not pause her steps, walking straight past them.

The hem of her dark green robe brushed across the ground, stirring up a cool breeze.

Xiao Chan shrank her neck, and only after Poison Lady had walked far away did she whisper: "This one is not to be trifled with. She is someone by the Alliance Master's side, specifically in charge of punishment. Even just looking at her is terrifying."

"Although we are both in the Soul Transformation Stage, our statuses are vastly different."

"And, I heard that she and the Alliance Master..."

The rest of the words were understood without being said.