Chapter 1656: Night Walk

The others were also startled and looked towards Yun Jianyue, their gazes turning somewhat unfriendly. They had felt from the beginning that Peng Wuyan's ruthless methods didn't resemble those of a righteous sect. Could it be...

Zu An also looked at Peng Wuyan on stage in surprise. No wonder she had always felt familiar; could she really be someone he knew? He stared closely at her face, but unfortunately, he couldn't find any revealing signs.

Yun Jianyue's heart also skipped a beat, but she remained composed. "Twenty years ago," she stated calmly, "we discovered a group of demonic sect disciples stealthily appearing near Kongming Island. We eliminated them and found they were escorting a blade – this very Crescent Demonic Blade."

Ding Tianle had disappeared a century ago, and this demonic blade hadn't been seen since. So, she could simply make up any story she wished.

As expected, upon hearing her reply, everyone visibly relaxed and praised her, saying, "Elder Peng is a heroic woman! Demonic cultists are monsters, and everyone has the right to eliminate them!"

Yun Jianyue narrowed her eyes, firmly memorizing the appearances of those who spoke, planning to settle accounts with them later.

Wang Wuxie frowned, but finding no evidence, he could only say, "Miss Peng's moves are exceptionally ruthless, unlike those of a righteous person; she must have been influenced by this demonic blade. She is a legitimate successor of the Daoist sect, and if it gets out that she uses a demonic weapon, the entire Daoist sect will become a laughingstock."

Zu An smiled. "I don't agree," he said. "Whether a blade is demonic or not depends on the wielder, not the blade itself. When it comes to killing, what's the difference between a righteous sword and a demonic blade? If demonic cultists steal righteous weapons and use them to commit atrocities, does that same weapon become evil? Conversely, if a righteous person uses a demonic blade to uphold justice and save lives, then that blade is not demonic."

Yan Xuehen nodded subtly, thinking that this young man actually possessed some insight and wasn't merely a womanizer.

Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei's eyes sparkled with laughter. "This little thief's views truly align with ours," they thought.

Wang Wuxie was displeased. He said in a deep voice, "This blade is different from ordinary ones. It belonged to the great demonic overlord Ding Tianle. It's unknown how many masters' blood it drank over the years, and as a Heaven-rank weapon, it already possesses sentience. It will subtly influence the wielder's mind, and Niece Peng's ruthless moves are clear proof of this."

The sect leaders nodded slightly, acknowledging that such a possibility indeed existed.

Yun Jianyue snorted coldly. "Our Kongming Island naturally has ways to refine this blade's demonic nature," she said. "No need for Elder Brother Wang to worry."

Wang Wuxie wanted to say more, but Yun Jianyue couldn't help but sneer, "What? Could it be that Elder Brother Wang is a sore loser and wants to find some other excuse to back out of this fight?"

Wang Wuxie's expression changed. She had put it so bluntly, so how could he possibly say anything more? As the Imperial Tutor and currently the foremost figure among the Nine Daoist Sects, and with Yan Xuehen watching, how could he possibly act like the others and try to renege?

"I was just concerned that Niece Peng might go astray," Wang Wuxie said faintly. "Since your island is well aware of the matter, I won't say any more." He then casually congratulated the Kongming Island disciple on her victory.

The other sect masters secretly admired his demeanor.

Soon, the assembly dispersed, and disciples from various sects eagerly discussed today's matches, truly acknowledging Peng Wuyan's strength for the first time. She was a contender whose raw strength was no less than that of Wu Xiaofan or Wan Guiyi, not merely relying on tricks as everyone had thought.

Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei had originally discussed whether to secretly seek out Zu An. After all, only the final match of the grand competition remained, and even if they were exposed, the impact wouldn't be as great as before. However, people from other sects kept approaching them to socialize, leaving the two of them with no time to themselves. They could only respond with forced smiles.

Zu An descended from the Golden Summit and found an opportunity to go to the separate courtyard to find Yan Xuehen. However, before he even got close, he saw Yan Xuehen, dressed in white, emerge.

"Shh! Chu Yan is meditating and cultivating inside. Don't disturb her," Yan Xuehen said, as if she had been waiting inside all along and came out early upon sensing his arrival.

"Oh," Zu An couldn't help but ask curiously, "When exactly is her match with the Demonic Sect Saintess?" The Daoist grand competition here was almost over, but Qiu Honglei was nowhere to be seen; only Chu Yan was diligently practicing by herself. He had heard them say earlier that Chu Yan would only qualify for the Daoist secret realm if she won, and the other thirteen disciple slots had already been determined.

"In a few days, I suppose," Yan Xuehen replied, also sounding puzzled. "Logically, they should have arrived by now; I don't know why we haven't seen them yet."

Zu An was startled. "The competition venue is here?" he exclaimed. "This place is full of righteous masters; aren't they afraid of being torn apart by them?"

Yan Xuehen rolled her eyes. "You know we are a righteous sect, so how could we act like the demonic cult?" she retorted. "However, despite that, I do somewhat admire that demonic woman for daring to suggest holding the competition here. Many righteous men couldn't match that kind of spirit."

Zu An's heart stirred. "Sister Yun suggested holding the match here?" he asked.

"Of course," Yan Xuehen replied. "We discussed the venue several times at first, and neither side was satisfied. Then, in a fit of pique, that demonic woman simply said to come directly to our home ground, and that's how it was settled. But rest assured, we sent people to check the surroundings beforehand, and there's no unusual demonic cult activity. She probably did this deliberately to raise her prestige within the demonic cult. But we, as a renowned righteous sect, would never do anything underhanded just to please her."

Zu An frowned slightly. He felt that Yun Jianyue wouldn't act without reason. Considering the rebel group from Twin Dragon Mountain he had encountered earlier had also received news in the greenwood and were moving in this direction, there was clearly some plan afoot. But after much thought, there was too little information to make a judgment. He would just wait to see Yun Jianyue and ask her directly.

Now, the Purple Mountain was filled with disciples from various sects, making it difficult for the two of them to find a secluded spot and avoid people. So Yan Xuehen told him to walk ahead while she followed far behind, ensuring people wouldn't see them together and become suspicious. Zu An thought to himself that this woman carried quite an idol burden, but since he was asking for her help this time, he couldn't say much.

Walking alone ahead, he could hear "Immortal Yan" being called out repeatedly from behind, realizing just how popular she was within the Daoist sect. Finally, after reaching halfway up the mountain where there were far fewer people, Zu An found a quiet spot and immediately summoned his Wind-Fire Wheels. He waved to her, saying, "We need to speed up; we won't make it at this slow pace."

Yan Xuehen's face reddened. "I can fly by myself now," she said. When she was injured before, he would hold her as they flew on the Wind-Fire Wheels, but naturally, that wouldn't do now. Zu An regretfully withdrew his hand. It had just been a habitual gesture, and truth be told, he genuinely missed that soft, boneless waist from before.

Then the two of them soared into the sky, one after the other, flying straight towards Yi City. Along the way, Zu An tried to strike up a conversation with Yan Xuehen intermittently, but her expression was cold. "I'm only helping you this time as part of a transaction," she said. "There's nothing else worth talking about with you."

Zu An's face darkened. "We were clearly friends when we were with the demon race," he said. "Why do you feel more and more distant?"

Yan Xuehen replied, "Our identities dictate that we are not suited to be friends."

Zu An opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, and the two immediately fell into an awkward silence.

Outside Yi County City, it was getting dark. Zu An found a place to land and said, "Let's change our clothes before we go in." With that, he didn't avoid her and immediately began changing into his Embroidered Uniform Guard clothes.

Yan Xuehen's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her body away.

"Aren't you changing?" Zu An asked, seeing that she remained still. "You don't want the people from Prince Yan's Manor to know that Master Yan of White Jade Capital visited, do you?"

Yan Xuehen was a little embarrassed. "I didn't bring any," she said. She actually had some clothes in her storage bag, but their style was too distinctive; anyone would immediately recognize them as hers.

Zu An then remembered that given her personality, she usually didn't need to do anything sneaky. So he took out a set of night-walking clothes from the Lapis Lazuli Orb and handed it to her. "I have some here," he said. "Go change into them."

Yan Xuehen took it and instinctively felt a slight dislike for the black color. Then she suddenly asked, "Why do you carry women's clothes with you?"

"I know your personality," Zu An replied. "I prepared them specifically for you."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xuehen's usually cold lips couldn't help but curve into a slight upward arc. She quickly took the clothes and hid among the trees. "If you dare to use your spiritual sense to peek, you're dead!" she warned.

Zu An looked helpless. "You're a Grandmaster," he said, "you can clearly create your own spiritual sense barrier."

Yan Xuehen's heart skipped a beat. *Why did I subconsciously overlook that option?* she wondered. Feeling a little flustered, she quickly changed and came out.

Zu An's eyes lit up. An immortal truly was an immortal; even in night-walking clothes, it didn't conceal her beauty in the slightest. Instead, it highlighted her perfect figure even more than her usual white robes.

Yan Xuehen felt completely uncomfortable in the outfit. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed another slender figure beside Zu An, and her expression immediately changed. "How did you change her clothes?" she demanded.