“Fairy Xiao.”

Qi Yuan offered a faint, elegant smile and stepped forward to greet her. However, before he could say more, a streak of escaping light tore across the distant horizon, descending rapidly to land right in front of the Resting Mist Courtyard.

As the light dissipated, it revealed a female cultivator dressed in colorful robes, her hair styled in a high bun and her sleeves billowing like clouds.

She possessed a striking appearance—vermilion lips, a powdered face, and a nose as straight as a blade. Between her brows lingered a heroic, martial spirit, and the aura surging around her was fierce and chilling. She was impressively at the peak of the Soul Formation realm.

But what truly grabbed everyone’s attention was the object in her hand: a young man, hog-tied like a dumpling and dangling helplessly. To add insult to injury, he was wearing a ridiculous green hood that obscured most of his face.

Upon seeing this woman, Xiao Yueni was momentarily stunned. “Martial Uncle Huo? What brings you here?”

Thud!

The cultivator surnamed Huo casually tossed the man onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. She bowed respectfully to Xiao Yueni.

“Holy Maiden, while patrolling the outer perimeter of the mountain gate, I discovered this fellow sneaking through the forest in a ghostly manner. The moment he saw me, he turned tail and fled. Clearly, he is a lecher with ill intentions.”

She cast a disdainful glance at the figure on the ground. “After capturing him, I found he possessed no invitation for the Grand Ceremony. I intended to drag this thief to the Enforcement Hall for a thorough interrogation, but he desperately claimed to be the Senior Brother of the Supreme Mystery Holy Scion.”

“To avoid a diplomatic incident, I brought him here for verification.”

Hearing this, the disciples of the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary exchanged bewildered glances before collectively turning their eyes to the bound man.

Damn. It couldn’t actually be Lu Changfeng, could it?

Qi Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He squinted at the dusty, disheveled figure rolling on the ground. Despite the dirt and the absurd green hood, the silhouette was painfully familiar.

It really is him.

The personal disciple of the Supreme Mystery Sect Master, caught red-handed creeping around the woods of an all-female sect like a common pervert. If word of this got out, the sect’s reputation wouldn’t just take a hit; it would be nuked from orbit.

Under the scorching gaze of the crowd, the man struggled to sit up. The green hood slipped slightly, revealing a face flushed with shame. Lu Changfeng looked as if he wished the earth would crack open and swallow him whole.

“Fairy Xiao…” Lu Changfeng laughed dryly, his voice trembling. “What a coincidence… you’re here too…”

Xiao Yueni sighed, a look of helplessness crossing her face. She waved her hand dismissively. “Martial Uncle Huo, thank you for your hard work. Since it’s a misunderstanding, please release him.”

“As you command.”

Martial Uncle Huo flicked her sleeve, and the spiritual ropes binding Lu Changfeng dissolved. However, she didn’t step back immediately. Instead, she reached into her sleeve and produced a recording talisman, handing it to Xiao Yueni with a grave expression.

“Holy Maiden, although I have released him, I must warn you—this fellow clearly harbors impure thoughts toward you. Look, I confiscated this from his person…”

Holy shit.

Qi Yuan’s pupils constricted.

Isn’t that the [Private Portrait of the Exquisite Holy Maiden] he bought at the Joyous Union Tea House?!

Qi Yuan felt his brain short-circuit. He looked at Lu Changfeng with a gaze that was equal parts horror and awe.

Good heavens!

This Lu Changfeng is truly a warrior!

He actually carried that soft-core fanfic material into the Exquisite Sanctuary? And now, it has fallen into the hands of the subject herself? The sheer awkwardness of this scene is enough to kill a man!

What was about to happen next… Qi Yuan didn’t even dare to imagine.

Watching the recording talisman pass into Xiao Yueni’s hands, Lu Changfeng’s facial muscles twitched violently. He looked like he wanted to lunge forward and snatch it back, but facing a peak Soul Formation elder, he had no courage. He could only offer a dry, desperate defense.

“Fairy Xiao, please, listen to my explanation! It’s not what you think! I’m innocent! I—”

Xiao Yueni ignored him completely. With a calm expression, she injected a trace of Divine Sense into the talisman.

The next moment, her delicate body stiffened.

Visible to the naked eye, a flush of crimson shot up from her neck to her cheeks, turning her face the color of a ripe tomato.

It’s over.

It is absolutely, thoroughly over.

Seeing this reaction, Lu Changfeng went limp. His face drained of color, replaced by the hollow expression of a man who had lost the will to live.

After a long, suffocating silence, Xiao Yueni’s phoenix eyes slowly narrowed. The corners of her lips curved up, not in a smile, but in an arc as cold and sharp as a jagged blade. Her voice dropped to a temperature that could freeze magma.

“Lu… Chang… Feng.”

“Where exactly did you get this?”

Crackle.

With a flex of her slender hand, the recording talisman turned to fine dust, scattering into the wind.

Hearing the sound of grinding teeth in her voice, Lu Changfeng knew he was doomed. He hung his head low, abandoning all dignity as he confessed.

“I… I bought it at the Joyous Union Tea House! But I swear to the Heavens, I bought it for investigative purposes! I was going to keep it as evidence to report them later! I never looked at the contents with a lecherous eye! I never did anything weird with it!”

“The Joyous Union Sect…” Xiao Yueni whispered, her jade-like face covered in frost. “Good. Very good.”

The murderous aura radiating from her was thick enough to choke on.

At this critical juncture, Martial Uncle Huo, displaying a spectacular inability to read the room, turned her suspicious gaze toward Qi Yuan.

“So,” she asked bluntly, pointing at the shivering Lu Changfeng, “is this person a disciple of your Supreme Mystery Sanctuary or not?”

This woman really knows how to open the pot that doesn’t boil!

Qi Yuan cursed internally. If you don’t know how to speak, just shut up!

Faced with this lethal question, Qi Yuan coughed awkwardly. He straightened his back, adopted his most righteous, dignified expression, and looked Martial Uncle Huo dead in the eye.

“I have examined him closely.”

He paused for effect.

“Our Supreme Mystery Sanctuary has no such person!”

Before Lu Changfeng could react to the betrayal, Qi Yuan shot a sharp glance at Song Cheng standing behind him.

“Hall Master Song! This person dares to impersonate a disciple of our Holy Sect. He must have ulterior motives! Take him to the backyard immediately and interrogate him strictly. Do not let him go until he confesses everything!”

Song Cheng, a seasoned veteran of bureaucracy, froze for only a split second before understanding the assignment perfectly. He nodded gravely.

“Understood!”

Song Cheng, a Void Refinement powerhouse, stepped forward like a grim reaper. He grabbed the still-dazed Lu Changfeng by the collar.

“You little thief! How dare you tarnish the reputation of the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary? Who sent you? Talk!”

“Hall Master Song?! It’s me! Don’t you recognize me?!” Lu Changfeng wailed, struggling futilely. “Holy Scion! Save me! I’m your Senior Brother! I really am!”

“Silence, spy!”

Song Cheng didn’t give him a chance to drag everyone down. With a swift motion, he sealed Lu Changfeng’s vocal cords and dragged the flailing man toward the backyard as if hauling a sack of garbage.

Lu Changfeng’s silent screams echoed in everyone’s hearts as he disappeared around the corner.

It took a long time for the courtyard to return to tranquility.

Xiao Yueni took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain her composure. She turned to Martial Uncle Huo.

“Martial Uncle, you may return. Remember… do not mention this matter to anyone.”

“Your subordinate obeys.” Martial Uncle Huo bowed hastily, sensing she had witnessed something she shouldn’t have, and retreated quickly.

Once the outsider was gone, Xiao Yueni smoothed her expression and walked slowly toward Qi Yuan. Her voice was calm, though a hint of residual frost lingered.

“Fellow Daoist Qi, did you not say you had a matter to discuss with me?”

“Yes, yes.” Qi Yuan nodded quickly, gesturing toward the main hall. “Let us speak inside. Please, Fairy.”

Xiao Yueni nodded and followed Qi Yuan into the main building of the courtyard.

The door closed, shutting out the world.

As soon as they were seated, Qi Yuan poured a cup of tea, his expression turning solemn and mysterious. He leaned forward slightly.

“Fairy Xiao, the matter is like this…”

He paused, looking her in the eye with profound seriousness.

“I have a friend…”