134: Chapter 134: Plan and plan, draw the snake out of the hole

"Brilliant!"

Yun Qinghan clapped her hands in praise, the look of satisfaction in her eyes growing even more intense. "Using yourself as bait, weaving the illusory with the real so truth and falsehood are indistinguishable—this can not only win the enemy's trust but also firmly grasp the initiative. Your thoughts are meticulous, and your layout is exquisite."

Looking at the Disciple before her, she felt an even deeper sense of satisfaction. With peerless talent, a steady Heart-Nature, and surpassing wisdom, she had truly picked up a peerless and fine Disciple.

"We shall follow your plan then." Yun Qinghan made the immediate decision. "The two of us, Revered Master and Disciple, shall join forces to act out this play."

"Later, Revered Master will arrange a task for you, allowing you to examine the Sect's ancient texts and maps in a justified manner. You only need to wholeheartedly 'research' the traces of the Secret Realm and put on a full act. Leave the rest of the layout to Revered Master."

"This Disciple obeys!" Zhao Ruoan bowed to accept the order, blood surging slightly in his heart.

Joining forces with an Immortal Emperor Revered Master to lay out a trap and fish out the Sect's inner ghost—such a game of wits was far more exhilarating and full of anticipation than a frontal clash.

"Go." Yun Qinghan waved her hand lightly, her tone carrying a hint of guidance. "Remember your current persona: a newly-risen lucky person who accidentally obtained a heaven-shaking secret treasure, feeling fearful and uneasy inside, thirsting for the Secret Realm Opportunity while simultaneously dreading being coveted and plundered."

"This Disciple understands."

Zhao Ruoan's lips twitched slightly. Revered Master's demand truly tested one's acting skills. He bowed to take his leave, walking steadily out of the grand hall.

Watching the back of him leaving, all the warmth in Yun Qinghan's eyes receded, leaving behind only bone-chilling coldness.

Her slender fingers gently tapped against the edge of the cold jade bed, her gaze profound and icy.

"Shadow... Ice Marrow Jade..."

A figure wearing the attire of a Disciplinary Hall Elder, with a rigid and stern expression, clearly surfaced in her mind.

"Elder Liu Changfeng... Hopefully, it is not you."

"If it truly is you, this Seat will surely let you know what it means to wish you were dead."

In the days following, Zhao Ruoan returned to the appearance of an ordinary Disciple, keeping a regular schedule, neither arrogant nor impetuous, and traveling daily between Qinghan Peak and the Sect's Main Peak.

The place he visited most often was the Sect's Scripture Pavilion.

The Qingxuan Sect Scripture Pavilion was divided into seven levels, housing the vast foundation of Cultivation Techniques, secret arts, ancient miscellaneous notes, mountains and rivers maps, and Secret Realm legends accumulated by the Sect over ten thousand years.

The first three levels were open to all Inner Sect Disciples, while the fourth level and above required high-level clearance and a massive amount of Sect contribution to enter.

Relying on the status of Yun Qinghan's Personal Disciple, coupled with the great merit of this mission, Zhao Ruoan easily obtained reading clearance for the fifth level.

Every day at dawn, he would enter the Scripture Pavilion and stay for the entire day, yet he never flipped through profound Cultivation Techniques or Secret Manuals. Instead, he solely concentrated on studying ancient texts and fragmented maps related to Cang Prefecture's geography records, ancient legends, and Secret Realm ruins.

In every action, he was extremely cautious and careful.

Every time he entered the pavilion, he would first look around and probe the surroundings. When reading, he specifically picked the most secluded corners and even intentionally set up a simple sound-insulating barrier to mask his own movements.

Every word and action perfectly matched the persona set by Revered Master—obtaining a heaven-shaking Opportunity, hiding the secret in his heart, both thirsting to explore and terrified of exposure, dreading others' covetousness.

Such unusual behavior naturally quickly attracted the attention of those with ulterior motives.

"Have you heard? Senior Brother Zhao has been soaking in the Scripture Pavilion every day recently, and everything he flips through are ancient texts and miscellaneous notes on ancient ruins."

"Looking at his mysterious appearance, could he have really obtained an ancient treasure map in the Black Wind Mountain Range?"

"Shh! Keep it down. How can such a deep secret be discussed casually!"

Rumors quietly spread, fermenting quietly both inside and outside the Sect.

At the same time, Yun Qinghan's maidservant "unintentionally" chatted at the outer peak, spreading an even more specific secret: "I heard that an Elder recently authenticated an ancient animal skin map for Senior Brother Zhao, saying that if it is true, it would be enough to shake the entire Cang Prefecture..."

As soon as these words fell, a single stone stirred up a thousand waves, and the news swiftly reached the ears of many high-ranking officials within the Sect, prompting everyone to speculate endlessly.

Within the gloomy and solemn grand hall of the Disciplinary Hall,

an old man wearing black Elder attire, with a rigid face and sinister eyes, sat upright in the main seat, listening to the low reports of the Disciple below.

This person was precisely one of the governing Elders of the Disciplinary Hall, Elder Liu Changfeng.

"...Now everyone up and down the Sect is spreading that Zhao Ruoan possesses an ancient Secret Realm treasure map, and his garrisoning of the Scripture Pavilion recently is precisely to track down the location of the Secret Realm."

The Disciple finished his bow-reporting, lowered his head, and quietly awaited instructions.

Elder Liu Changfeng was expressionless, his fingertips tapping slowly against the armrest at a slow rhythm, hinting at deep thought.

"Groundless rumors are not necessarily without cause."

His voice was hoarse and deep: "Zhao Ruoan has boundless Luck; it is not surprising that he could obtain such an adventure in the Black Wind Mountain Range."

"Elder, shall we immediately make a move to investigate?" the Disciple below probed and asked.

"No rush."

Elder Liu Changfeng slowly shook his head, a flash of eerie light sweeping across the depths of his eyes: "Send people to closely monitor Zhao Ruoan. Every word and action of his, the texts he reads, and the people he comes into contact with must be reported in full, without missing a single fraction."

"Yes!" The Disciple acknowledged the order and bowed out.

The grand hall was empty, leaving only Elder Liu Changfeng behind.

He raised his hand to take out an ice-blue jade talisman suffused with chilly mist—it was a communication jade talisman made from the extremely rare Northern Region Ice Marrow Jade.

A wisp of subtle Divine Sense was injected into the jade talisman, and the encrypted message quietly transmitted outward:

The Black Wind Mountain Range matter failed, and Li Jiuyou has fallen. Qingxuan Sect's Zhao Ruoan is suspected of obtaining an ancient Secret Realm treasure map and is wholeheartedly investigating the traces of the Secret Realm. Quickly investigate its value and await my instructions to act.

Transmission completed, Elder Liu Changfeng put away the jade talisman, greed and ruthlessness churning in the depths of his eyes.

How precious was an ancient Secret Realm Opportunity? If the news was true, this piece of fortune must never be handed over to those demonic people of the Blood Fiend Sect.

He was already secretly calculating in his heart to seize the Opportunity and monopolize the Opportunity.

Qinghan Peak, the courtyard of the annex.

Zhao Ruoan lazily lay on a rocking chair, sipping the spirit tea personally brewed by Xiamo, with Qiuyin standing by his side, gently massaging his shoulders and neck.

"Young Revered Master, you've been soaking in the Scripture Pavilion every day these past few days; you're almost turning into a bookworm." Xiamo pouted her little mouth, her tone spoiled and naive.

"What do you know." Zhao Ruoan closed his eyes, leisurely and carefree. "Your Young Revered Master is handling a big matter here."

His Divine Sense was like an all-pervasive invisible net, covering the entire Qinghan Peak and even a hundred miles around.

Just now, he clearly captured a spiritual power paper crane flying out from the Disciplinary Hall, hovering and investigating for a moment at the foot of Qinghan Peak before quietly turning back. Inside the Scripture Pavilion, several covertly peering Divine Senses were also all detected by him.

These peerings seemed covert, but before his formidable immortal soul—comparable to the Late Stage of Nascent Soul—they had nowhere to hide, acting like fireflies in the dead of night, glaringly obvious.

"The fish have already caught the scent of blood."

Zhao Ruoan sneered inwardly, yet he was not satisfied.

Right now there was only probing, which had not yet provoked the other party into making a full-strength move. The bait still needed a few more parts added to it.

He suddenly sat up, looked at the two women, and said in a deep voice: "Pack your things; tomorrow we are going out again."

"Ah? Going out again?" Xiamo looked astonished.

Qiuyin quickly asked: "Where does Young Revered Master intend to go this time?"

Zhao Ruoan took out a simple, self-drawn map with messy and indistinguishable patterns, waved it in front of the two, and deliberately emphasized his tone: "After days of reviewing ancient texts, I have locked onto the general location. This place is most likely near Luoyun Marsh, three thousand miles east of the Sect. Tomorrow we shall head over to scout the path."

Although the two women did not understand the deep meaning behind it, they still obediently answered: "Yes, Young Revered Master."

Zhao Ruoan's mouth curved up slightly. He knew that the words he had just spoken had already entered the ears of the peepers in the shadows, down to the very last word.

Early the next morning,

Zhao Ruoan brought Qiuyin and Xiamo to pilot a small flying boat, slowly driving away from the Qingxuan Sect's mountain gate. The escape speed was neither fast nor slow, just right for a Golden Core Cultivator to easily track without losing them, nor would it appear deliberate.

On top of the flying boat, he intentionally laid down a layer of Restriction that isolated Divine Sense, yet secretly left several flaws so that anyone with slightly higher cultivation could easily pierce through the Restriction and hear the movements inside the boat clearly.

Inside the boat, the three of them deliberately acted out a clumsy dialogue.

"Young Revered Master, are we really going to Luoyun Marsh? I heard that Yao Beasts run rampant there, poisonous miasmas are dense, and it is extremely dangerous."

"Wealth and honor are sought amidst danger! If we can find the ancient Alchemy God's Immortal Cave here and snatch the Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill, the path of cultivation in the future will be smooth sailing!"

"The Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill? That is a supreme divine medicine capable of bringing the dead back to life and putting flesh on bones!"

"Quiet! Wealth should not be flaunted; once leaked, you will inevitably be coveted by others, making it hard to preserve your life!"

The dialogue was deliberately lowered in volume, yet it could be completely captured by the pursuers behind.

Several hundred miles behind the flying boat, two figures followed closely from afar, guarding against each other and not interfering with one another.

One faction consisted of several Disciples wearing Disciplinary Hall attire, with the leading person being Elder Liu Changfeng's confidant; the other faction consisted of people in black clothes with gloomy, evil auras and faint bloody scents all over, obviously lurking scouts of the Blood Fiend Sect.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Yet they were completely unaware that while they thought they controlled the overall situation, they had actually long fallen into the hunter's trap, all of them being cicadas waiting to be caught.

At the peak of Qinghan Peak, clouds and mist surged.

Yun Qinghan stood quietly at the edge of the cliff in a suit of white clothes, her gaze penetrating three thousand miles of the Void Realm, taking in all the movements along the way.

An icy arc quietly climbed onto the corners of her lips.

"The fish has already taken the bait."

"Elder Liu Changfeng, Blood Fiend Sect..."

"This Seat would like to see what kind of good show the two of you can put on."