Chapter 32: Saving Oneself Without Forgetting to Watch the Drama

Low-grade transmission talismans also come in varying levels of quality, and the one Ji Yao received that day happened to be one of the finest and most advanced. The ordinary low-grade transmission talisman, after delivering its message, turns into a scrap of useless paper. While its contents cannot be traced, the recipient can sense the general aura of the sender. If the recipient is familiar with the sender, just a whiff of the aura is enough to identify who sent it.

The more advanced version, however, ignites and turns to ash the moment the message is received, leaving behind no trace of the sender’s aura. Its secrecy is therefore much higher. Among low-level cultivators, the first type is most commonly used, both for its simple craftsmanship and affordability. The second, being more secure, naturally comes at a higher price. Generally, no one would use such a high-quality low-grade talisman for trivial messages; if anyone does, it’s more to flaunt their status. At least, that’s how Ji Yao understood it.

Ask yourself, would you use such a talisman just to say, “Come to such-and-such place”? If not to hide something, could it possibly be for environmental reasons? Just by this one detail, the matter speaks for itself.

Gu Qiu turned around and bowed to Master Suwen. “Master, I have just dispatched people to take control of Chen Shaohua and that menial disciple. I believe we will have news soon.”

So that's why he just sent a message—it was to issue orders. What sharp analytical skills and decisiveness! Ji Yao couldn’t help but marvel.

Master Suwen merely nodded, as if already aware of everything. Even Mu Boyun, who stood to the side, showed no expression.

Speaking of Mu Boyun, Ji Yao felt a pang of disappointment—truly, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment, and he was the perfect example. In that tense and solemn moment, just as Gu Qiu was speaking, Ji Yao, despite not having fully cleared her own name, couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at this celebrity of the sect, simply out of the curiosity reserved for rare stars.

With just one look, Ji Yao’s expectations plummeted. It wasn’t that Mu Boyun wasn’t handsome; in fact, he was strikingly elegant, even possessing a delicate beauty reminiscent of a woman. Purely by appearance, one could say he had a face to rival any beauty.

But alas, Mu Boyun was afflicted with facial paralysis! Don’t misunderstand—this was literal, not a cultivated mask of indifference or coldness. Though he didn’t have the drooping features commonly seen in such patients, there was still a stiffness at the corners of his mouth that betrayed his condition. If he were to speak, it would likely become even more apparent.

Therefore, Ji Yao immediately judged that this was a genuine case of facial paralysis. What would have been an eight out of ten in looks dropped at least three points because of this.

In the world of cultivation, a minor ailment like facial paralysis is hardly even considered a sickness—it could be cured in a matter of moments. Yet for Mu Boyun, it was clear there was some other reason, and the affliction had not lasted long. Ji Yao suddenly felt a bit sorry for him.

What a shame for such a handsome young man! No wonder there were so many tales of his romantic exploits. If not for his current expressionless state, perhaps with just one glance, his handsome features might have stirred Ji Yao’s own heart.

Perhaps Ji Yao’s gaze lingered a bit too long, for as a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, Mu Boyun could hardly pretend not to notice. He turned to look at Ji Yao. To Mu Boyun, it was merely an instinctive glance.

But to Ji Yao, it was a glare—a warning that she had overstepped by ogling him, challenging the solemn dignity of a Golden Core cultivator. Only the presence of Master Suwen prevented him from rebuking her more harshly.

Hmph! So what if you’re a Golden Core cultivator? Even someone with a fine face can’t forbid others from looking! Ji Yao quickly lowered her head, hiding her inner complaints.

Hadn’t Master Suwen and Uncle-Master Gu both paid her direct gaze no mind? In fact, both were rather attractive themselves—she wondered if there were any rumors about them outside the sect.

Before, not knowing Uncle-Master Gu’s identity, she had treated him as just another senior brother. But now, knowing he was Master Suwen’s personal disciple and already at the Foundation Building stage, she couldn’t be so casual.

None of the three on the dais had any inkling that, in the span of a single sentence from Gu Qiu, the little girl standing below had entertained such a jumble of stray thoughts.

Master Suwen and Gu Qiu, deep in conversation, did not notice, and Mu Boyun, who happened to glance over at Ji Yao, was all the more puzzled.

Why had this little girl, who just moments ago looked so innocent and regretful, suddenly lowered her head full of grievance after a single look from him?

The truth was, they simply did not understand. They did not understand that someone with such an active imagination, completely lost in her own world, would never consider what others might be thinking.

With Master Suwen’s nod of approval, Gu Qiu returned to his place.

Now the three below stood as they had at the start, awaiting Master Suwen’s questioning.

Mo Daoyan, presiding over the Hall of Justice, had been observing the young girl of barely ten standing before them. From the moment she saluted, she had met their gazes without timidity, her posture upright and composed. Apart from the occasional flash of anger she could not suppress, this Ji Yao remained clear-headed throughout, answering every question with precision—never saying too much, never omitting anything important.

Most strikingly, even as she answered, she was constantly reflecting, her thoughts organized, quick to spot discrepancies and pinpoint the heart of a problem—much like Gu Qiu. She was indeed a promising talent!

Mo Daoyan decided to ask just one final question before letting Ji Yao go. With her abilities, he was confident new leads would soon emerge.

“Is there anything else about today’s events you wish to tell me?” he asked.

Ji Yao was taken aback—was Master Suwen seeking her own thoughts on the matter?

Ji Yao reminded herself not to be too self-important—self-absorption quickly turns into arrogance. It was better to keep a low profile.

She carefully asked the next question, “May I ask what is known so far about the situation?”

Perhaps this was the beginning of a suspect’s self-redemption.

Master Suwen’s lips curved slightly, and he nodded, instructing, “Gu Qiu, tell her.”

After hearing the outline, Ji Yao could only manage a wry smile.

It turned out that early this morning, someone had taken on a beast-hunting mission identical to Li Fanghua’s. Upon arriving at Feihong Gorge, they discovered her corpse, ravaged by a demon beast.

The body was found in a secluded spot—one that only those on a specific beast-hunting mission would visit. Li Fanghua’s storage pouch was missing; all that remained was a Lingyun Sect disciple’s waist token clutched tightly in her hand. It seemed she had tried to seek help from the sect before dying, but for some reason, she had failed.

Because of this waist token, the disciple who discovered the body immediately reported it to the Outer Sect Affairs Hall. The steward sent to inspect the corpse found that Li Fanghua had died three days prior, but not a trace of spiritual energy remained in the body, so the matter was reported to the Hall of Justice.

Ordinarily, even after three days, a cultivator’s corpse would not be completely drained of spiritual energy.

Moreover, beyond the demon beast’s claw marks, Li Fanghua’s body also bore sword wounds from fighting a person, though these had been obscured by the beast’s ravages.

There was a finger-thick hole in her dantian, hidden beneath the beast’s wounds and easy to overlook without careful examination. It showed clear signs of her cultivation being forcibly extracted.

Such a thing could only result from the methods of an evil cultivator. And since Feihong Gorge was the hunting ground for Lingyun Sect’s low-level disciples, how could such evil run rampant? The Hall of Justice immediately sealed the news and began a secret investigation.

But word had already spread, and rumors ran wild. Someone deliberately exaggerated Ji Yao’s quarrel with Li Fanghua half a month ago into a fierce conflict. As it happened, Li Fanghua had left on her mission three days prior and never returned, while Ji Yao had gone into seclusion immediately upon her return—until the body was discovered. Now people whispered that Ji Yao’s absence from the sect and subsequent seclusion were due to injuries.

As for what the Hall of Justice had really discovered, until the matter was resolved, nothing would be made public.