CH 172

Villainous Undercover (11)

As Lu Dun entered the mountain gate, he once again sought out Fu Xi Yu.

At that time, Song Xu Yi was looking for Fu Xi Yu to seek guidance in martial arts. Lu Dun walked in with a solemn expression, gesturing for Song Xu Yi to step aside.

10 years had passed, leaving traces on everyone, but Lu Dun remained as graceful and handsome as ever. Aside from the faint crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, betraying his age, Lu Dun appeared no different from a young man at first glance.

A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in Song Xu Yi’s heart. She looked at Lu Dun’s paler complexion than usual and pursed her lips.

As instructed, Song Xu Yi walked outside the gate, her palms involuntarily sweating. She had an inkling that many mysteries in her heart would be unraveled on this day, and with the help of the system, Song Xu Yi heard pieces of information she shouldn’t have known—

“The villain’s tone was eerily calm as she told Lu Dun that the third junior brother was dead.”

“Holy… sh*t!” The system suddenly burst out with profanity, taking a few sharp breaths before continuing, “Lu Dun said he killed the person and even chuckled while asking the villain, ‘Didn’t you already suspect it?'”

Song Xu Yi’s breath caught in her throat. Even though she had a faint psychological preparation in her heart, she never expected Lu Dun to be capable of such cruelty, willing to lay hands on a disciple he had raised for over 10 years.

And what about Fu Xi Yu? Why was she helping Lu Dun in regulating his disrupted true qi?

“The villain accepted it with an unnervingly calm demeanor, maintaining that poker face, and asked Lu Dun when it all began…” The system’s voice trailed off, its tone drifting away.

“Lu Dun said the faster, the better… He said he absorbed the true qi of the villain’s third junior brother, and his own true qi was in extreme disarray, unable to hold on for much longer… He said it would be best to start tomorrow…”

The system’s voice became stuttering and increasingly faint, clearly shaken. “Lu Dun even hypocritically asked the villain if she wanted to find a cauldron to extract the chaotic true qi from her body. The villain declined, and then Lu Dun said that this time was different, after all, the villain was his only child, and he couldn’t bear to let… let the villain die. The villain said she had her own plans, and Lu Dun… Lu Dun snorted in anger and said, ‘Treat yourself, I’ll come back tomorrow!’ And then…”

The system fell silent because Lu Dun had already left.

He was originally going in a different direction but, upon seeing Song Xu Yi in this direction, he narrowed his eyes and walked up to her.

Song Xu Yi respectfully stood up and greeted, “Master,” exerting all her efforts to maintain composure.

Lu Dun stood by Song Xu Yi’s side, and she could feel his gaze scanning her, his eyes fixed like a hawk targeting its prey. Song Xu Yi felt her scalp tighten, and a thin layer of sweat formed on her back.

For a while, until Fu Xi Yu walked out of the room and called out, “Master,” Lu Dun responded with a soft “Hmm” and walked off in another direction.

It was only when Lu Dun’s figure disappeared from view that Song Xu Yi let out a sigh of relief. After regaining her composure, she felt her knees go weak, her entire body tense like a taut string. The system in her mind trembled as it hesitantly spoke, “Xu Yi, the way Lu Dun looked at you… it was truly terrifying! What does he intend to do to you? I can’t believe he’s Fu Xi Yu’s father! He… what kind of demon is he…”

Song Xu Yi pressed her lips together.

In fact, that conversation just now had also been jarring for Song Xu Yi. She knew that Lu Dun was not ordinary, but she never imagined that he would practice the Immortal Annihilation Tribulation…

Upon careful reflection, everything actually had hints all along.

Lu Dun had escaped from Yu Rudi’s hands back then, so perhaps he had already learned the forbidden technique of Immortal Annihilation Tribulation from Yu Rudi. Thinking about how Lu Dun’s cultivation abruptly became incredibly powerful after his escape, Song Xu Yi even suspected that the previous Taiji Sect’s Sect Leader and Lu Dun’s martial brother, Mo Wen, had died at Lu Dun’s hands. That would explain how he successfully inherited the leadership of the Taiji Sect…

No wonder Lu Dun trusted Fu Xi Yu so much—because Fu Xi Yu was Lu Dun’s daughter. They both practiced the same forbidden technique, naturally making them allies.

But there were still some puzzling aspects, such as Fu Xi Yu’s mother.

Fu Xi Yu was already in her 20s now, so who could her mother be…

As Song Xu Yi connected the dots, considering Fu Xi Yu’s eventual affiliation with the Demon Sect, her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly thought of a possibility.

Unbeknownst to her, Fu Xi Yu had also approached Song Xu Yi.

“Let’s go!”

Fu Xi Yu’s voice remained as calm as ever.

Over the years, the two of them had developed an understanding: Whenever Lu Dun appeared in front of Fu Xi Yu, it meant that Fu Xi Yu would soon be going to the Medical Valley for treatment.

Song Xu Yi felt that Fu Xi Yu must have known that she had some understanding, yet the two of them had silently agreed never to bring up the matter.

Upon careful consideration, 10 years had passed, and Fu Xi Yu seemed unchanged as a whole, except for a mature and alluring charm that had emerged at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, reminiscent of a grown woman. She remained as cold and indifferent as she had been back then.

She lived in this world, but it seemed like she was merely existing. It was akin to everyone making New Year’s wishes each year, yet Fu Xi Yu always smiled without ever expressing any hopes for the future.

Song Xu Yi had initially thought she was familiar with Fu Xi Yu, but now she realized that she didn’t really know what Fu Xi Yu was thinking…

Song Xu Yi understood even more: Fu Xi Yu would never speak up proactively.

However, in this world, there would always be someone who knew Fu Xi Yu’s thoughts…

Song Xu Yi watched Fu Xi Yu’s figure, her lips slightly pressed together.

……

That night, the light in Fu Xi Yu’s room remained on the entire time, and Song Xu Yi didn’t sleep a wink.

The next morning, when Song Xu Yi saw Fu Xi Yu about to leave, she couldn’t help but call out to her, “Senior Sister!”

Song Xu Yi took a deep breath and exclaimed, “My brother said that he will soon take me on a journey outside the mountain, and I’d like to invite you to come along—”

Perhaps because Song Xu Yi was usually very obedient and rarely made requests, Fu Xi Yu seemed somewhat astonished. She looked up and glanced at Song Xu Yi. After seeing Song Xu Yi’s hesitant gaze, she seemed to suddenly understand something. A faint smile appeared on her tensed face.

“Sure,” Fu Xi Yu softly replied.

In that instant, Song Xu Yi’s heart involuntarily quickened its pace. She didn’t know why, but despite the scars on her face, Fu Xi Yu could be considered ugly and frightening. Yet, Song Xu Yi often had a feeling that Fu Xi Yu was incredibly beautiful. Just like at this moment, as Song Xu Yi gazed at Fu Xi Yu’s smile, she was almost mesmerized by it.

Over the years, Song Xu Yi had taken on the role of teaching the morning lessons to the disciples after Qian He’s retirement. After training the disciples, Song Xu Yi would usually practice her own cultivation. However, on this day, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t gather her focus. Instead, she packed her belongings and waited on the sides of the road leading to the gate, having made prior arrangements for a carriage from the Medical Valley to pick them up.

Lu Dun was an incredibly cunning person. He knew that Fu Xi Yu’s condition couldn’t be concealed from others every year, so he twisted the truth and claimed that Fu Xi Yu had old ailments. He would state that he needed to adjust her true qi each year to sustain her life. The other disciples believed him without question, even praising him for his compassionate heart. But only Song Xu Yi understood that Lu Dun was the true culprit behind Fu Xi Yu’s illness.

As time gradually passed, night fell, and suddenly, there was a commotion ahead on the road. Qian He’s voice, tinged with a sob, came through, “Senior Sister, you mustn’t have any mishap. Third Junior Brother just encountered an unforeseen incident. If anything were to happen to you… I simply couldn’t bear it…”

Song Xu Yi’s heart tightened, and she hurried forward. Fu Xi Yu’s face was pale as paper, with traces of blood around her lips. The situation was more critical than ever before.

Song Xu Yi gritted her teeth, recalling the needle technique for saving lives that Master Song, the head of the Medical Valley, had taught her. Regardless of Lu Dun’s presence, she immediately took out a silver needle and sealed several crucial acupoints on Fu Xi Yu’s body.

“Master,” after administering the needles, Song Xu Yi, fueled by an unknown courage, took a deep breath and knelt before Lu Dun.

“Senior Sister’s body is frail, and she needs a period of relaxation and recuperation. Disciple earnestly implores Master that if Senior Sister recovers this time, I beseech you to grant her permission to accompany me down the mountain for a journey to restore her health.”

Unlike his previous frail and exhausted state, Lu Dun now emitted a lazy aura, akin to a satiated wild beast after a feast. His internal energy had also grown even deeper, making it difficult to fathom.

At this moment, several disciples and a few leaders had gathered nearby. Song Xu Yi knew her words would displease Lu Dun, but it was the best opportunity she could find. Judging from Lu Dun’s usual display of magnanimity, he would not refuse.

She had to find a way to separate Fu Xi Yu from Lu Dun! Fu Xi Yu’s body had already been severely depleted, and another encounter would undoubtedly disrupt her internal energy, giving rise to inner demons.

Lu Dun gazed at Song Xu Yi with a heavy expression. It was only then that Song Xu Yi noticed the striking resemblance between Lu Dun’s eyes and Fu Xi Yu’s. For a brief moment, she sensed a terrifying aura within Lu Dun’s gaze, but he soon curved his eyes and smiled, “Of course, she has indeed worked hard over the years, Xu Yi.”

“However, Xu Yi,” Lu Dun raised his fan, and the smile on his lips deepened, “you are now 16, and it’s time for you to come under my tutelage. When you return from your journey, I will test and evaluate you…”

In that instant, Song Xu Yi felt like a small prey being targeted by a ferocious beast, and a chill ran down her spine.

She vaguely knew what the potential outcome of receiving Lu Dun’s teachings could be. Her Third Senior Brother, whose inner energy had been drained dry, was a living demonstration right before her eyes…

But at this point, Song Xu Yi had no choice but to accept. She couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.

In the end, Song Xu Yi mustered a smile and bowed deeply to Lu Dun. “Thank you, Master.”

Fu Xi Yu’s condition was extremely perilous this time.

It wasn’t until the next evening that Master Song pushed open the door of the bamboo house.

“Her life has been saved!” Master Song sighed. “But if she continues like this…”

Song Xu Yi looked at the exhausted face of Master Song and felt a hint of hesitation in her heart. She swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. But it seemed that Master Song knew that Song Xu Yi had questions to ask, so she invited Song Xu Yi to her room and poured her a cup of tea.

“I know what you want to ask,” Master Song’s eyes carried a palpable sorrow as she sighed. “Each time, Xi Yu endured Lu Dun’s harm because she has had the thought of sacrificing herself alongside Lu Dun since a long time ago…”

“I called you here because I wanted to request something from you: Perhaps even Xi Yu herself hasn’t realized it, but you are different to her. If there is anyone in this world who can persuade Xi Yu to change her mind about sacrificing herself with Lu Dun, it can only be you, Xu Yi…”