Unfortunately, as soon as Ren Yuanhao finished speaking, a cluster of silver-like hair wrapped around the monkey and Han Ling Shuang’s ankles.
"Brother Bao! Why did you follow me in? This place is~"
Han Ling Shuang struggled to draw the sword from her waist, but as soon as she had this thought, the old woman's hair, as if possessing a spirit, instantly entangled her hands.
"Let me go! You old monster!"
Han Ling Shuang seemed somewhat afraid of this old woman, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"Oh? You must be the granddaughter of the True Person, the Sect Master of Chaoyang Sect, then?" the old woman's voice carried a chilling laugh.
Han Ling Shuang continued to struggle, and the monkey, chattering noisily, was immediately pulled by the old woman's hair, slamming into the wall and falling unconscious.
"You old hag, you won't even let a monkey go!"
Han Ling Shuang looked at the motionless, unconscious monkey, thinking the old woman had killed it.
The old woman turned around silently with a cold smile. Han Ling Shuang closed her eyes tightly, as if afraid of being scared by the old hag's appearance.
However, when she turned around, the candlelight suddenly flared. Ren Yuanhao, bathed in the light, saw only an old woman with preserved beauty. Although her face was covered in wrinkles, her outline vaguely revealed her past appearance. Her clothes, though worn, showed no dirt on her skin, giving her a gentle and kind look, except for the man-eating ferocity in her eyes.
"Senior must have been a stunning beauty in her youth."
In this world, only flattery never stinks. Ren Yuanhao never hesitated to offer praise to such a distinguished expert. Moreover, judging by her words, she seemed to know Senior Dongfang Ji, so a compliment was not unwarranted.
"Brat, how many women have you fooled with your smooth talk? Tell me, how did Dongfang Ji die?" Although the old woman's voice was strained, one could still detect a hint of amusement in her tone.
Ren Yuanhao recounted the events truthfully. When she heard about the Chixiao Sect, her expression became even more complex.
"Chixiao Sect! Then you must have met Fang Moyu!"
Ren Yuanhao laughed heartily, "Of course, I even drank and talked with him, competed in Qinggong and swordsmanship, it was exhilarating!"
"Indeed, at that time, he and Mo Qiancheng were known as the Twin Heroes of Chixiao. If he hadn't been so enamored with nature, he would have long since become the Sect Master of Chixiao Sect. It all seems to be fate."
As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman's hair finally shortened and retracted. Han Ling Shuang and Ren Yuanhao gasped for breath. Han Ling Shuang, inexplicably humiliated on her own territory, was naturally displeased and immediately drew her long sword, its tip tracing a pattern as she prepared to thrust it at the old woman!
"Shuang'er, do not be rash!"
Just as Ren Yuanhao was about to mobilize his internal energy, he felt a sudden sweetness in his throat and spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Brother Bao!" Han Ling Shuang immediately stopped her move, turning to steady Ren Yuanhao, who was about to fall backward.
The old woman frowned slightly and extended another silver strand to Ren Yuanhao's wrist. As she took his pulse, her brow furrowed.
"Little one, the internal energy within you is extraordinary. It's just a shame that your body seems to have some problem, preventing you from perfectly channeling this energy."
Ren Yuanhao chuckled foolishly, "It is my fate, I have long been accustomed to it."
"Not necessarily. I have a secret manual here called the 'Qingxin Jue'. If you practice it diligently, suppress the fire-attribute internal energy within you, and sever its connection with the earth-attribute internal energy, I believe your body can hold on for a while longer. Of course, this is only temporary."
As the old woman spoke, she took out a somewhat dog-eared manual from the table.
"Senior, life and death are predetermined, wealth and honor are bestowed by heaven. Rather, we have disturbed Senior's peaceful cultivation, and we deserve punishment. I cannot accept this secret manual."
Seeing that the old woman was kind and not some monstrous hag, Han Ling Shuang immediately sheathed her sword and leaned close to Ren Yuanhao's ear, saying, "Are you foolish? I've heard my grandfather mention the Qingxin Jue. It's a rare method for regulating internal energy. If you don't want it, I'll take it for you."
"Interesting, little girl, weren't you just trying to take my life?"
A faint smile played on the old woman's lips as she casually tossed the manual into Han Ling Shuang's hand.
"Junior thanks Senior. Everything that happened just now was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. If anyone is to blame, it's that碑文 (inscribed tablet) that made me inexplicably nervous."
Han Ling Shuang steadily caught the manual, and Ren Yuanhao also cupped his fists in thanks.
"Alright, you two had best leave quickly. This truly isn't a place you should be. We cannot let that thing absorb too much of the aura of the living. Hurry along."
The old woman's complexion turned somewhat pale again.
Ren Yuanhao and Han Ling Shuang spoke in unison, "Senior, what do you mean by 'that thing'?"
"In short, it's something very bad. Don't ask. This is a forbidden area of Chaoyang Sect. Your trespassing is already inexcusable. If Han Yan finds out, you two will be in deep trouble. Even if you are his granddaughter, you will not be spared punishment."
At this very moment, the nearly collapsed ancient building suddenly emitted a series of extremely strange tremors. Ren Yuanhao's senses, far surpassing those of ordinary people, immediately heard the sound of chains shaking!
Dust kept falling from the ceiling beams. Strangely, despite such violent shaking, the entire structure did not show any signs of collapse. However, the sound of chains shaking and being pulled grew more alarming, with faint sounds of wind and thunder clashing!
"Not good! Did you fall into that underground pit?"
The old woman exclaimed in alarm, and with a sudden clap of her left hand, a crimson longsword was unsheathed!
"It's all this damned monkey's fault, I, I~" Han Ling Shuang knew she had caused a great mess, drew her sword, and looked as if she was about to fight alongside the old woman. "Senior, this is due to my recklessness. Whatever happens, I will bear full responsibility!"
The old woman looked at Han Ling Shuang, and Han Yan's face suddenly reappeared in her mind's eye. Her gaze shifted instantly from sternness to gentleness. "Good! Worthy of being Han Yan's granddaughter, well raised! And you don't need to keep calling me Senior, Senior. I am the Saintess of Chaoyang Sect, Yang Ziyan!"
"Yang Ziyan! So the Saintess wasn't missing after all! Junior pays respects to the Saintess of our sect!"
Han Ling Shuang was so excited that her body trembled slightly. Yang Ziyan was said to have disappeared 40 years ago. She never imagined that she would be here, in the unknown ruins of Chaoyang Sect!
"No need. Since you are the Sect Master's granddaughter and it was a monkey's intrusion that awakened that thing, I believe this matter is absolutely not a coincidence, but destiny!"
The old woman, with her kind eyes and holding a long sword, looked exactly like the portrait in the ancestral shrine. Legend had it that Yang Ziyan, in her youth, wore crimson robes and was as graceful as an immortal.