CH 176

Villainous Undercover (15)

Song Xu Yi, together with Gong Huan and Song Xu, extinguished the massive fire that engulfed Guo Family Manor. As she gazed upon a scene identical to the tragic state of Song Family Manor from years ago, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion, causing her eyes to well up with tears.

The obliteration of Song Family Manor remained like a thorn deeply embedded in Song Xu Yi’s heart, periodically resurfacing to inflict agonizing pain.

The massacre and complete annihilation, evident without the need for verification, clearly bore the hallmark of the Demon Sect.

Gong Huan signaled nearby martial artists in the martial world, and before long, Fu Xi Yu also returned.

“I couldn’t catch up,” Fu Xi Yu succinctly relayed, as she always did.

The other two did not doubt Fu Xi Yu’s words, but Song Xu Yi cast a glance at her. Fu Xi Yu’s lightness skill was considered impressive in the martial world, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t believe she couldn’t catch up to a member of the Demon Sect…

Why would Fu Xi Yu say that? Has she already begun her plan to secretly ally with the Demon Sect and gain their trust, as outlined in the original plot?

In that moment, Song Xu Yi felt an increasing sense of urgency in her heart.

Beside her, Gong Huan also looked at Song Xu with a worried expression. Song Xu once again immersed himself in the past, his eyes turning bloodshot and his face cold and stern. He abandoned his previous warm demeanor and became incredibly silent.

Before long, martial artists from the vicinity of Guo Family Manor also arrived.

Everyone searched everywhere, comparing the bodies of the others with people familiar with Guo Family Manor, only to discover that all the bodies were inside the manor, except for the body of the handsome man, Guo Li. No matter how they searched, they couldn’t find his body.

Is it possible that Guo Li is still alive? Perhaps the Demon Sect spared him because of his good looks…

More and more people arrived afterwards, and as they witnessed the tragic scene inside Guo Family Manor, everyone’s mood became incredibly heavy and indignant. Under the guidance of the elders, they divided into two groups: one group searched for Guo Li while the other stayed in the village to handle the funerals of the deceased.

No one expected that before long, they would find Guo Li’s body.

Guo Li’s body had been ravaged by fierce beasts in the mountains and forests, reduced to mere bones. Only the tattered clothing confirmed his identity.

But why was Guo Li’s body specifically discarded in the mountains and forests by the Demon Sect?

At that time, many people had this question lingering in their minds, but their predominant emotions were anger and outrage towards the rampant actions of the Demon Sect. They didn’t delve into the matter too deeply.

It wasn’t until three months later, when the Demon Sect killed another renowned and handsome swordsman, that everyone found his body in his chamber. There were clear signs of torture inflicted upon the man before his death.

And this was just the beginning: the third, the fourth…

Everyone became overwhelmingly furious, and the opposition against the Demon Sect reached unprecedented levels. A resounding cry emerged: A man of honor can be killed but not humiliated. Who would tolerate such trampling by the Demon Sect?

Song Xu Yi’s sense of crisis reached its peak in an instant: everything seemed to align perfectly with the original plot summary. The martial artists became increasingly hostile towards the Demon Sect, and the calls to attack the Demon Sect grew louder in the martial world.

Meanwhile, in the realm of jianghu, every handsome man began to feel a sense of insecurity. Various lists ranking handsome men gradually vanished. In such an atmosphere, even Song Xu himself was affected. He worriedly looked at his fair and handsome brother, Gong, and suggested, “Brother Gong, why don’t you try cross-dressing? Don’t worry, the rest of us won’t mock you…”

Gong Huan was taken aback by Song Xu’s proposal, finding it both amusing and absurd. Song Xu belatedly realized his blunder and was about to apologize when Song Xu Yi lightly tugged at Gong Huan’s sleeve. “Brother Gong, why not give it a try?”

Seeing the smile in Song Xu Yi’s eyes, Gong Huan understood what Song Xu Yi meant. She chuckled and turned to enter Song Xu Yi’s chamber.

Observing his sister’s and Gong Huan’s actions, Song Xu suddenly felt a pang in his heart. That bittersweet sensation resurfaced once again: Gong, his brother, actually listened to his sister’s words so readily…

Shortly after, Gong Huan changed into Song Xu Yi’s clothes and stepped out of the room, leaning against the door with a gentle smile directed at Song Xu.

In that moment, Song Xu’s heart skipped a beat as he stared blankly at Gong Huan, momentarily forgetting to blink… Gong Huan, being watched by Song Xu in such a manner, blushed more and more.

Song Xu Yi watched her silly brother’s demeanor and knew that Gong Huan probably understood Song Xu’s feelings by now. It wouldn’t be long before Gong Huan confessed her true identity as a woman to Song Xu and stopped being a third wheel. Pulling Fu Xi Yu along, Song Xu Yi quietly left the room.

Over the next two days, Song Xu Yi noticed that Song Xu became somewhat bashful in front of Gong Huan. Song Xu Yi didn’t expose the situation, hoping to make Song Xu realize his own feelings as soon as possible. Song Xu Yi became increasingly affectionate towards Gong Huan, deliberately keeping a distance from Song Xu. However, she didn’t notice that whenever she spoke with Gong Huan, Fu Xi Yu’s gaze became incredibly dark…

Even though they had agreed to go on a journey, for some unknown reason, Fu Xi Yu began practicing diligently day by day. She even proposed changing the travel route to quieter and more remote places, following Song Xu Yi’s suggestion.

At first, Song Xu Yi was deeply conflicted. She knew that Fu Xi Yu was going to those places just to facilitate her training. However, the better Fu Xi Yu became, the stronger Song Xu Yi’s desire to face Lu Dun together with her grew. But if Fu Xi Yu didn’t train, she might not be able to withstand Lu Dun in the future…

As the influence of the Demon Sect grew stronger day by day, Song Xu Yi was afraid that if Fu Xi Yu stayed in bustling places, her connection with the Demon Sect would become even stronger. In the end, they changed their route.

The four of them first went to the coast, staying in a small cabin by the sea. In the evening, Gong Huan changed into women’s clothing and confessed her true identity as a woman and her admiration for Song Xu, who was drinking in pain. Song Xu was stunned, thinking he was dreaming, and couldn’t help but kiss Gong Huan…

Upon awakening from the alcohol, the atmosphere between them visibly became ambiguous…

After giving Gong Huan the idea, Song Xu Yi took Fu Xi Yu and boarded a fishing boat, sailing out to sea with the fishermen.

The fishing boat set sail in the evening and returned.

Fu Xi Yu would not refuse any suggestion from Song Xu Yi.

It was only after boarding the boat that Song Xu Yi noticed that Fu Xi Yu seemed a bit seasick. Her face turned pale, and she wore a hood to shield herself from the fishy smell of the boat, standing firmly on the deck.

As the sun set in the west, the orange sunlight bathed the sparkling sea. Fu Xi Yu wore a long hood, and the wind swayed the veil, revealing the unscarred half of her face. She looked like a fairy about to be carried away by the wind, exuding a serene and lonely aura…

That feeling of Fu Xi Yu being an exquisite beauty emerged once again.

Song Xu Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and after regaining her composure, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret. Fu Xi Yu was the child of Lu Dun and Yu Rudi. Setting aside Lu Dun’s character, both he and Yu Rudi were incredibly attractive individuals. If Fu Xi Yu’s face had not been injured, she would undoubtedly be a stunning beauty…

As Song Xu Yi looked at Fu Xi Yu’s slender figure, a feeling of guilt also arose within her. She had been busy matchmaking Song Xu and Gong Huan, trying to help them avoid unnecessary detours, but it seemed that she had neglected Fu Xi Yu. Fu Xi Yu was already a quiet and reserved person, and upon reflection, Song Xu Yi realized that Fu Xi Yu had hardly spoken a few words during this time.

Song Xu Yi’s sense of remorse and concern grew stronger, and she couldn’t help but step forward and embrace Fu Xi Yu’s arm. “Senior Sister, look at how beautiful the sea is! This time, we only had a hurried glimpse of the scenery. After we eliminate the Demon Sect, we’ll come back and enjoy it properly. It will be just the two of us, without bringing along our brother and sister-in-law, alright?”

So, in Xu Yi’s heart, was she more important than her brother and sister-in-law?

During this time, Fu Xi Yu didn’t know what had come over her. Watching her junior sister smile at Gong Huan and Song Xu, wholeheartedly dedicating herself to them… she couldn’t help but feel extremely uncomfortable. Even though she tried to focus on cultivation, avoiding looking and listening, images of her junior sister would involuntarily surface in her mind…

However, at this moment, as she listened to her junior sister’s words, the pent-up frustrations that had been lingering in her heart seemed to dissipate somewhat. Her heart gradually filled with joy, and Fu Xi Yu couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Song Xu Yi. The young girl had a fair and clear complexion, and her eyes were filled with anticipation…

Fu Xi Yu’s eyes curved, and a trace of longing suddenly arose towards the future that Song Xu Yi depicted.

Time flew by.

The four of them traveled slowly from the coastal areas towards the inland, experiencing the joys and challenges of life, creating their own unique adventures.

There were places to go, but at the moment, there were more important matters at hand. Song Xu Yi pondered for a moment and decided to continue heading north with Fu Xi Yu.

During this time, Fu Xi Yu found herself spending more and more time in meditation…

Song Xu Yi felt defeated in her heart, realizing that Fu Xi Yu was not swayed by her words. However, she also understood Fu Xi Yu’s stubborn determination to kill Lu Dun, and in order to increase their chances of success, Song Xu Yi decided to contact the Imperial Court to join forces against Lu Dun.

Although the Imperial Court’s control over the southern region was not strict, recently the old Emperor had passed away, and a new Emperor or had ascended the throne. It was rumored that the new Emperor was extremely wise and would not allow the lawlessness of the Demon Sect to continue, causing harm to the people.

Song Xu Yi had already inquired about it and learned that there was a high-ranking Imperial Physician in the court who had a deep hatred for evil. This official liked to drink tea at a certain teahouse. Song Xu Yi bribed the storyteller at the teahouse, who, while telling stories, explicitly mentioned the chaos caused by the southern Demon Sect…

Sure enough, the disciple of the Imperial Physician secretly visited Song Xu Yi’s residence and extended an invitation.

Fu Xi Yu was unaware of Song Xu Yi’s actions.

For the past few days, she had been staying in the chamber, diligently practicing to digest the chaotic inner qi transmitted by Lu Dun. She faintly contemplated a method to overcome Lu Dun and felt a surge of joy in her heart–

Unable to contain herself, she pushed open the door and came face-to-face with the so-called Imperial Physician’s disciple, Fu Xi Yu.

Fu Xi Yu narrowed her eyes, and the joy in her heart vanished instantly.

She gripped the sword at her waist. However, Fu Xi Yu didn’t want to alert the enemy prematurely. She forcefully expelled a mouthful of blood, turning pale in an instant. Leaning on the handrail, she weakly called out, “Xu Yi…”

Song Xu Yi was startled by Fu Xi Yu’s appearance, forgetting about the Imperial Physician’s disciple and disregarding the awkward expression on his face. She quickly rushed upstairs to check on Fu Xi Yu’s condition.

Fu Xi Yu kept insisting that she was fine, even though when Song Xu Yi checked her pulse, she found that her condition wasn’t severe. However, Song Xu Yi couldn’t shake off her worries and stayed by Fu Xi Yu’s side for the entire afternoon.

Unbeknownst to Song Xu Yi, during the daytime, Fu Xi Yu, who pretended to have disordered inner qi, secretly brought her sword with her at night. Silently and unnoticed, she sneaked into the residence of the Imperial Physician’s disciple. After gathering information about Song Xu Yi’s every move from the disciple, she faced the unbelieving eyes of the disciple and swiftly ended their life.

Lu Dun had also planted spies in the court, and this disciple was one of them! Fearing that Song Xu Yi might contact the Physician and draw the Emperor’s attention to the south, Lu Dun intended to eliminate Song Xu Yi as a potential threat. However, he never anticipated that Fu Xi Yu would take action and kill the disciple.

In the end, Song Xu Yi managed to establish contact with the Imperial Physician.

And Fu Xi Yu’s worst fears finally materialized:

Fu Xi Yu received a personal letter from Lu Dun, instructing her to bring Song Xu Yi back to the Taiji Sect within the next half month.