An old man is sitting at a desk.
As if the incident earlier had never happened, he holds a brush and handles official documents as usual.
The Law Enforcement Elder Liu Chengzong is carefree, and even feels a bit comfortable inside.
Although the goal wasn’t achieved, but he still delights in bringing trouble to Xue Qilin. However, unlike he envisioned, there is no sense of gratification.
This is the only thing he’s dissatisfied about.
As for the resulting damage, he doesn’t take it into account. He deliberately ignores it.
… He has no choice but to ignore it.
Otherwise, he will feel guilty once again. After all, the Merak Temple is the place where he was brought up. Therefore, he can only choose to close his eyes and cover his ears, and be indifferent.
It’s something very contradictory.
But people’s hearts are inherently full of contradictions.
The annoying footsteps that he ignores deliberately continue to ring.
Liu Chengzong puckered his face and slowly raised his head.
“Pacing back and forth, have you had enough yet?”
A youth is pacing back and forth in front of his desk, looking very fidgety.
“What are you panicking for?”
After hearing Liu Chengzong’s dissatisfied rebuke, the youth stopped.
“Teacher, didn’t… How can I not panic? What do we do if the Young Ancestor finds out?”
The youth stated, his eyes shifting.
Seeing this, Liu Chengzong sneered.
“At this point there’s nothing you can do. Moreover, she has no evidence, so what’s there to panic about?”
“But… Teacher, if the Young Ancestor learns that it was you who lured Elder Zhang away…”
The old man raised his white eyebrows, feeling scornful of his disciple’s words.
“So what? Coincidence can explain many things. I just asked Zhang Ming over to discuss the repairing of the Sword Mound. Who asked Shui Yuner to go to the Sword Mound at that time? Isn’t is just a coincidence?”
After a pause, the old man carried on, disappointed: “How can you become a capable individual if you panic over every little thing?”
“Yes…”
The youth lowered his head sullenly and agreed in a low voice.
“Be calm, and don’t give yourself away. Otherwise, in addition to hurting yourself, you’ll also implicate me. At that time, things will be troublesome.”
Speaking till here, Liu Chengzong sighed “Ai…”
“Remember, as long as we keep our mouths shut or say ‘don’t know’, she’ll have nothing on us…”
“I understand…”
Although he knows that it’s somewhat inappropriate, but the youth still expressed his views.
“But I feel like the Young Ancestor won’t care about this… As far as I can tell, she’s too self-absorbed.”
Liu Chengzong wanted to slap the desk and scold his disciple, but then froze immediately after a short moment of thought.
The youth really makes sense.
Liu Chengzong couldn’t help but recall Xue Qilin rush into the Heavenly Sword Gate in her fury and kill Hua Tianji.
Will a person who went berserk after a girl she knew for a short period – a person whom she called her family – died really care about “evidence”?
Liu Chengzong doesn’t know the answer.
… A distinct impact sounded suddenly.
It’s like the sound made when a teapot touches a wooden table lightly.
“Little Zong, it looks like your disciple understands me better than you do! How nice.”
A voice full of spirit came from behind.
The air congealed suddenly.
Liu Chengzong opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
There is no need to look back.
From the reflection in the youth’s wide open eyes, Liu Chengzong can clearly see two bright yellow eyes.
They are as transparent as glass, and contain a mysterious light.
Legs crossed, half submerged in darkness, a petite lass is sitting atop the bookcase behind Liu Chengzong.
“There is a proverb – walls have ears. Ever heard of it, Little Zhen?”
Dammit, how did she come? When did she come? How much did she hear? Liu Chengzong broke out in cold sweat from his forehead. He didn’t expect that his remarks would be heard by others, let alone by the one person that he least wanted to have heard them.
Speaking of which, it’s really ironic. He just said that coincidence can explain many things.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Young Ancestor.”
Pretending to be calm, Liu Chengzong didn’t turn around, and stubbornly refused to admit the truth
He was careless.
No, this is the result of him looking down on Xue Qilin. Although much like a beacon in the dark, it’s extremely easy to perceive the aura of a Heaven Realm master, but there are stealth techniques for that.
However, in Liu Chengzong’s perception, there are still two majestic auras on the Middle Peak. Xue Qilin should still be far away on the Middle Peak.
“Little Zong, you seem surprised why someone who should be on the Middle Peak would suddenly appear in your study… Well, your Young Ancestor played a trick on you. If it wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t be able to assist this splendid self-incriminating drama!”
Xue Qilin said unhurriedly.
She didn’t say what trick she played.
But this is not important. The important thing is that she cheated Liu Chengzong’s perception and appeared here.
“That said, I really didn’t expect you to be a disciple of Little Zong…”
Xue Qilin looked at the still stunned youth standing before the desk.
“What’s your name?”
She asked the youth.
“I…”
Stammering, the youth looked at Liu Chengzong, asking for help.
Seeing the youth not answering, Xue Qilin turned her attention to Liu Chengzong who is still facing her with his back.
“Little Zong, what is your disciple’s name?”
She sounds like she’s just chatting.
“…”
Liu Chengzong didn’t answer, feeling that his disciple will likely suffer a calamity once he answers.
“Really, you won’t even tell me your name. In any case, I’ve received your ‘care’.”
She deliberately emphasized the word “care”.
All of a sudden, the study filled with silence.
The lights sway gently.
A sound of clothes rustling ripped open the curtain of silence as Xue Qilin switched the position of her delicate porcelain legs.
“Have it your way.”
She leaned forward, placed her elbows on her knees, prepped her head up with her hands, plastered an enigmatic smile on her face, and looked at youth from above.
“Leave, I have something to discuss with Little Zong.”
“But…”
The youth glanced at his Teacher and hesitated.
Sigh – Xue Qilin sighed in disappointment.
“I didn’t expect that even a mere little disciple won’t take me seriously.”
“In this case, I might as well tell you who I am.”
Gently, she waved her sleeve.
With just this, a strong wind kicked off in the study.
“Woah!”
The youth cried out, and was swept out the door by the sudden gust of wind. It became quiet again.
His aura still exists. He shouldn’t be mortally wounded. He probably just fainted.
Finally unable to hold back, Liu Chengzong slammed the desk and got up.
“Xue Qilin, don’t go too far!”
“Did I go too far?”
Xue Qilin raised her head slightly and asked back, her eyes blinking.
“You…”
So brazen! Trembling all over, Liu Chengzong pointed at Xue Qilin.
“I don’t have a name now? What you?”
With a “heave-ho”, Xue Qilin jumped down from the bookcase, landed in front of Liu Chengzong, and looked up at him with her hands on the waist.
“Let’s not beat around the bush, are you here for Shui Yuner? Say, what do you want?”
Liu Chengzong said gloomily with a deadpan face: “To kill me?”
“Little Zong, you actually understand me well…”
Listening to Xue Qilin’s words, Liu Chengzong hand secretly headed for the sword resting on the desk.
The face of Xue Qilin who has her head tilted suddenly became expressionless.
“If you dare touch it, I will rip your head off.
She looked at Liu Chengzong with a blank expression, and her cold eyes penetrated deep into his heart.
As if the cold of winter struck him, Liu Chengzong feels a chill climb up his back.
She isn’t kidding! Liu Chengzong’s instincts told him that Xue Qilin will separate his head from the rest of the body the moment he draws his sword.
He couldn’t help stop his action. His instinct are roaring, preventing him from moving his hand further.
“Good.”
Satisfied, Xue Qilin crossed her arms and nodded, and a smile appeared on her face once more.
“Come, let’s calculate Little Yun’s account. How do you think she should be compensated?”
“…”
Liu Chengzong stared at Xue Qilin fiercely, silent.
“It seems that you have no intention of talking.”
Xue Qilin shook her head, disappointed.
“Fine, it doesn’t matter if you don’t speak. I’ll just squash the head of the person lying outside.”
Anger rushed into Liu Chengzong’s throat, and then broke out.
“You dare!”
… A loud bang sounded.
Xue Qilin stomped on the floor abruptly, and the floor caved in in a flash.
“Do you think I don’t dare?”
The lass looked at Liu Chengzong coldly. The killing intent contained in her gaze prompted Liu Chengzong to step back and knock into the desk.
Death is staring him in the eyes.
He has never been so close to death – not since 5 years ago.
“Let me say this, Liu Chengzong, if it wasn’t for Little Seven’s pleading, if it wasn’t for the sake of Little Qing’s [1] memory, I would have minced you and fed you to the dogs!”
True qi leaking out of Xue Qilin stung Liu Chengzong’s skin.
“Who do you think you are? Law Enforcement Elder? Sorry, but I don’t care about that. I know that you are the one behind the Shadow Gate incident. But I let it slide, because I know you hate me. You hate me because I buried Luo Qing in that place.”
Xue Qilin grabbed Liu Chengzong by the collar and pulled him to in front of her.
“However, grievances and debts should be settled with the respective parties. Why did you hurt Little Yun? Why did you use her to retaliate against me?”
Liu Chengzong can clearly see the suppressed rage and killing intent in Xue Qilin’s eyes.
“I don’t mind if you hate me, and I don’t care if you want to kill me. However, you had to harm someone close to me.”
She exhaled gently and restrained the burning fire in her eyes.
“I will only say this once – if there’s another incident like this, you will die a horrible death.”
With that, Xue Qilin pushed Liu Chengzong violently, and he knocked against the desk.
Regardless of Liu Chengzong’s reaction, the lass bypassed him and walked towards the door.
“… you won’t kill me?”
After hesitating for a while, Liu Chengzong called at the petite back in a complicated tone.
Ever since the youth roused him previously, Liu Chengzong had a realization – Xue Qilin won’t let him off if she learns that he planned everything from behind the scenes.
However, reality proved him otherwise.
The doubt in his heart compelled him to speak.
Xue Qilin stopped, but she didn’t turn back.
“Little Seven had a word with me and asked me to let her deal with you.”
“The Temple Master…? What did she say?”
Don’t let Senior Sister Disciple Luo’s [2] sacrifice be for naught – Xue Qilin left this sentence behind and left.
Only Liu Chengzong remained in the study, a dull expression on his face.
[1], [2] – Luo Qing, the girl who effectively committed suicide in Volume 1