This world was clearly not as simple as she had perceived.
These matters were not mentioned in any novels. The world in the book followed the protagonist, Nian Zhenzhen, as its main thread, detailing how she rose to prominence and acquired nine handsome men.
After leaving the county office and returning to her home in Rong Wan Alley, Nian Jiaojiao sat alone in the dim courtyard, lost in thought.
There was something she had overlooked all along. She looked down at her own palm, which was as translucent and fair as jade.
Could this be normal?
And her outrageously immense strength, Gao Zhang's death…
These clearly could not be explained by conventional reasoning…
Nian Jiaojiao looked up at the crescent moon hanging diagonally in the sky. It seemed as bright as in her previous life, yet it also seemed veiled in a layer of mystery.
...
The next day.
With no clues other than the name "Black Lotus Sect," Nian Jiaojiao could only mount her horse and set off back to Fengcheng.
The streets of Shanshui Town were already bustling with activity.
Nian Jiaojiao switched from riding to leading her horse as she passed through the street.
Amidst the crowd, Nian Jiaojiao sensed something and looked towards a teahouse on the second floor diagonally opposite.
Father-in-law?
Nian Jiaojiao saw a middle-aged man, whose appearance was remarkably similar to Yu Chuan's father, sitting by the teahouse window. After their eyes met, the teahouse window seemed to be closed by someone else.
Without minding the horse she was leading, Nian Jiaojiao immediately rushed towards the second floor of the teahouse.
By the time she arrived, the person who had been by the window had already vanished.
Nian Jiaojiao stepped forward and touched the cup, its water still warm.
The person had just left!
She then searched the teahouse thoroughly, both inside and out, but found nothing.
At this moment.
Not far from the teahouse.
Three men stood behind a wall corner.
"Young Master, I want to…"
Father Xu hesitated to speak.
"Xu Ji'an! Have you been staying at the Xu manor for too long that you actually think you are a member of the Xu family?"
The speaker was the man on the far right, around 20 years old. His skin was tanned, and his eyes exuded a sharp gaze.
Father Xu… no, Xu Ji'an, his face was pale blue at this moment, and his clenched fist tightened.
Meanwhile, "Uncle Xu, I heard you have a son remaining at the Xu manor. Is he doing well?"
The person speaking stood in the middle, his entire body wrapped in black gauze, revealing only his somewhat narrow and charming phoenix eyes.
Upon hearing the man's words, a flicker of panic flashed in Xu Ji'an's eyes. He quickly said,
"Young Master, he married many years ago and I have had no contact with him. He truly knows nothing about our sect's affairs."
After speaking, Xu Ji'an looked pleadingly at the man referred to as "Young Master."
Oh?
"Young Master" looked at Nian Jiaojiao, who was currently searching the teahouse, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
This woman, whose father-in-law was from a concubine and had no connection to her, could still be so anxious to find him.
He had not missed the anxiety in her eyes.
But he refused to believe that a selfish woman would truly worry about her father-in-law. This woman must have some ulterior motive. He would wait and see how to tear off her hypocritical facade.
Like this…
"Young Master" curled his lips. This way, the son of Uncle Xu could also be brought into the sect.
Having decided to recruit fresh blood for the sect, "Young Master" said to Father Xu,
"Since that is the case, you don't need to meet your son. Uncle Xu, you have worked hard to infiltrate the Xu family for so many years. You and your subordinates should return to the sect first. I have some matters to attend to."
Hearing the "Young Master's" words, Xu Ji'an felt relieved.
The two subordinates gave a disciple's salute to the young master of the Black Lotus Sect and retreated.
...
"Giddy up!"
Nian Jiaojiao sped on her horse, eager to return to Fengcheng quickly. However, on the road, there were some reckless individuals. After dealing with two groups of bandits, she encountered an "old acquaintance."
Nian Jiaojiao squinted at the man lying in front of her horse, his face filled with shock.
What a coincidence! Wasn't this the man she met the first time she went to Fengcheng, seeking help at the temple on a rainy night?
But… what was with this increasingly perfunctory method?
Why did you fall in the middle of nowhere, and yet specifically in front of my horse? Are you treating me like a love goddess or underestimating my intelligence?
The man did not recognize Nian Jiaojiao. He was secretly delighted to have encountered such a beautiful and spirited woman.
With her appearance and temperament, she was clearly not an ordinary person. However, even if her family was poor, he would be willing to pay…
Just as the man was displaying an infatuated expression, Nian Jiaojiao's horse leaped directly over his head, galloping away.
The man was startled and sat on the ground with a pale face for a long time without speaking.
Jun Ye, the young master of the Black Lotus Sect, had seen this scene from afar.
He knew then that this woman had been faking it earlier.
As the man was pondering where he had gone wrong, a figure blocked the light above his head.
"Do you now know that all women are heartless? Join the Black Lotus Sect and kill all heartless people in the world."
Following the sinister voice, the man looked up and saw Jun Ye, dressed in black gauze, and rolled his eyes:
"Are you crazy!"
Since there were no women here, he didn't need to pretend to be weak anymore. He stood up, dusted off the dirt from his clothes, and turned to leave.
Zheng—
With a sword's hum, the man clearly saw his body fall.
Huh?
Why is my body so far away?
Before he could ponder, the man plunged into darkness.
Jun Ye gently wiped his soft sword with a handkerchief, completely disregarding the man whose body was now separated.
...
Fengcheng.
"My Lord, I never imagined you would be so young. Our manor has prepared a meal and awaits your arrival."
The Deputy City Lord Wang, who had been waiting at the city gate for a long time, finally welcomed the important figure from Qingzhou.
Her face, full of flesh, had two folds of wrinkles from her smile.
Qing Ruo frowned and subtly distanced herself from the other party.
"Lead the way."
...
Ying Manor.
"Aunt, what should we do? The people from Qingzhou have already gone to the Wang manor!"
Tan Tang no longer felt like joking. She was pacing back and forth with worry.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked at City Lord Ying again, saying,
"Aunt, regarding your letter earlier, did you say it had been sent to Qingzhou?"
City Lord Ying's mood was also somewhat heavy at this moment.
She had not expected the people contacted by Deputy City Lord Wang to arrive so quickly.
"It has been sent, but it shouldn't have arrived this soon."
Seeing the somber atmosphere, Tan Tang could only force herself to cheer up and say with a strained smile,
"Let's just hope the adult we contacted takes this matter seriously. After all, someone who completes transcendence at the Tong Sheng stage is rare even in the entire Da Yue."
City Lord Ying sighed.
She could only hope that everything was not too late…
...
Fengcheng.
After entering the city, Nian Jiaojiao noticed the significant change in the city's atmosphere.
There were almost no stall owners setting up their stalls along the streets, and many shops had not opened. Most importantly, there were very few pedestrians on the road. The vast street looked somewhat desolate.
What happened?
Nian Jiaojiao led her horse and walked for a long time until she found a huddled beggar on the street corner. She handed him one or two taels of silver and asked,
"Has anything major happened in the city?"