Over the courtyard where Zhou Ruoxi resided, tens of meters up in the dark sky, a small drone hovered, its camera pointed at a room below, precisely Zhou Ruoxi's…
In the southern mountains, two young disciples dressed in Emei Sect attire were positioned. One held binoculars, while the other operated the drone specifically designed to monitor Zhou Ruoxi, observing Wan Yunting’s every move.
"How long has that Wan Yunting been inside?" the youth controlling the drone asked.
The youth with the binoculars pulled out his phone from his pocket, checked the time, and replied, "Ten minutes!"
Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, the youth quickly answered, speaking respectfully, "Young Master…"
"Mhm, how is it?" a man's voice inquired from the other end of the line.
The youth hurriedly responded, "Wan Yunting has been inside Zhou Ruoxi's residence for ten minutes and there's no sign of him coming out!"
"Very good. Continue to monitor him. If Wan Yunting leaves, call me immediately!"
"Understood!" the youth replied. After the call ended, the two youths resumed their surveillance of Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi.
Meanwhile, in a larger, newly constructed courtyard within the Emei Sect, built in an ancient architectural style resembling a quadrangle, the main hall was brightly lit. Master Junxuan sat in the principal seat, and to her left, in a chair, sat a middle-aged man adorned in a luxurious Taoist robe. He was the Heavenly Master Lin Yiping of Longhu Mountain!
"Dad, will you play ball with me?"
At this moment, a young man, also clad in a magnificent robe with a crew cut and delicate features, appearing to be around thirty years old, approached. His eyes were particularly pure, unlike those of a normal person that might conceal many things. On the contrary, his eyes seemed like a blank slate, easily seen through by anyone.
Lin Yiping smiled warmly, looking at his son, Lin Xiaobao, who held a ball. He said, "Xiaobao, Dad is busy right now. Go play outside."
"Oh."
Lin Xiaobao, whose intelligence was permanently stalled at the level of a three or four-year-old, pouted unhappily, clutching his ball as he turned and walked away.
Master Junxuan, seated beside them, cast an unusual glance at Lin Xiaobao. Her emotions flared uncontrollably, her hand holding the teacup trembling slightly…
Lin Yiping turned to look at her and sighed softly. "Junxuan, it's not your fault. Xiaobao has been with me since he was little, and he's naturally slow-witted and undeveloped mentally. It's normal that he doesn't recognize you."
His words brought Master Junxuan back to her senses. Her old eyes regained their former sharpness. She glanced at Lin Yiping and snorted, "You just think that my choices back then hurt you and your son, don't you?"
Lin Yiping’s expression was calm. After a pause, he asked, "So, you're having Xiaobao marry into the Emei Sect to make amends for your past choices, to compensate Xiaobao?"
Master Junxuan’s aged face was solemn. "You can think of it that way. I did wrong him back then. Having him marry Zhou Ruoxi and join the Emei Sect is also for his future."
Lin Yiping looked up, his gaze fixed deeply on Master Junxuan. After a long moment, he said, "Junxuan, I know your ambitions; you're certainly not content with just being an acting sect leader. But as Xiaobao's father, I only wish for his safety within the Emei Sect. I don't want anyone to harm him!"
These words provoked Master Junxuan. She suddenly stood up, glaring at Lin Yiping. "Lin Yiping, what do you mean? Do you think I would harm Xiaobao?"
"You are his father, but I am his mother!"
Yes, Lin Xiaobao was Master Junxuan's illegitimate son. Few people actually knew about this. Years ago, at a martial arts competition, Lin Yiping and Master Junxuan met and developed feelings for each other. They secretly corresponded and met, unbeknownst to everyone. Given the Emei Sect's extremely strict rules prohibiting disciples from marrying, Master Junxuan could only communicate with Lin Yiping privately. After a period of courtship, Master Junxuan discovered she was pregnant. She secretly gave birth to the child elsewhere, and then returned to the Emei Sect alone, leaving the infant with Lin Yiping to be raised.
Master Junxuan was an extremely determined woman who aspired to become the future sect leader of the Emei Sect. Therefore, she abandoned her newborn son, entrusting him to Lin Yiping to take back to Longhu Mountain, while she returned to the Emei Sect. It could be said that Lin Yiping raised this son with his own hands. For the first few years, Master Junxuan still wrote to inquire about her son, but gradually, she lost this concern, dedicating herself entirely to her ambition of becoming the Emei Sect leader.
However, Lin Yiping was taken aback when Master Junxuan suddenly contacted him, proposing that their son, Lin Xiaobao, marry into the Emei Sect and wed Zhou Ruoxi, the presumed sect leader! In his understanding, Master Junxuan hadn't cared for her son in over a decade, nor had she even seen him. Now, she wanted him to marry into the Emei Sect; was it a sudden pang of conscience? Lin Yiping did not believe so, as he knew Master Junxuan well. However, seeing her insistence, Lin Yiping found it difficult to say more. He stood up and said, "I hope so." With that, he left.
Master Junxuan watched Lin Yiping depart, snorted in anger, and sat back down. Her decision to have her son marry Zhou Ruoxi and join the Emei Sect stemmed from her desire to compensate for the years of neglect she had shown him.
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"Ruoxi, I cannot interfere with your choice!" Wan Yunting said, his gaze meeting Zhou Ruoxi's autumnal eyes with gentle warmth. "I also understand your current predicament. Elder Junxuan of your Emei Sect is making things difficult for you, which is why you've chosen to marry a disciple of Longhu Mountain to quickly assume the position of Emei Sect leader!"
"But Ruoxi, this matter is surely not as simple as it appears. Therefore, I think you shouldn't be too hasty!"
Zhou Ruoxi turned her face away, no longer looking at the man who stirred such confusion within her. Whenever she saw Wan Yunting, she couldn't help but recall the moments they were trapped beneath the valley in the Kunlun Mountains…
"This is my business, and it's also the Emei Sect's business. I don't need an outsider to tell me how to make choices!" Zhou Ruoxi said resolutely, her tone cold.
Seeing that the woman was unyielding, Wan Yunting raised an eyebrow and stared deeply at her. Zhou Ruoxi continued, "Abbot Wan, please leave my residence now. If you wish to stay for my wedding feast, you are welcome. But if you intend to cause trouble, I advise you to leave the Emei Sect immediately!"
Wan Yunting's expression was complex. Looking at Zhou Ruoxi speaking to him with her back turned, he knew he had indeed hurt her in the past, and this situation had only exacerbated her distress. Thus, Wan Yunting understood that no amount of persuasion would make Zhou Ruoxi change her mind now.
"Alright, get some rest early."
Wan Yunting sighed faintly, said no more, and turned to leave.
Zhou Ruoxi remained silent, her back still to him. Only after hearing Wan Yunting step out of the door and close it did she slowly turn. Her determined autumnal eyes were red-rimmed and glistening. The ache in her heart made her delicate frame tremble slightly. Biting her trembling red lips, her emotionally complex eyes, through the carved openings of the door, watched Wan Yunting's retreating figure. The heartbreak caused the tears she had held back to finally fall.
Jiang Tingxia, residing in the adjacent room, had been waiting by the door. Seeing Wan Yunting emerge from her senior sister's room, she immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. "How did it go? Has Senior Sister changed her mind?"
Wan Yunting shook his head. "She's too angry right now; she won't listen to anything I say."
Jiang Tingxia's pretty face stiffened. She immediately pulled her arm away from Wan Yunting, saying angrily, "Wan Yunting, are you an idiot? I thought you were quite eloquent before, but now you can't even persuade Senior Sister. Are you deliberately trying to infuriate me?"
Wan Yunting, with a slight frown, tilted his head to look at the dim, dark sky above. Although the drone's sound was faint, Wan Yunting, with his superior hearing, detected it. He flicked a small pebble with his foot, caught it with his left hand, and without hesitation, flicked it towards the drone in the sky.
In the southern mountains, the youth operating the drone vaguely saw Wan Yunting through the blurry screen. However, due to the darkness and the drone's altitude of tens of meters, he couldn't see Wan Yunting flicking the pebble.
"What's going on?" Suddenly, the screen went black, and the drone lost control, plummeting down.
Wan Yunting watched the drone fall. He pulled Jiang Tingxia into his arms. With a 'bang,' the drone landed precisely where she had been standing. Startled, Jiang Tingxia shrieked, "What was that?"
Wan Yunting released her, bent down, and picked up the shattered drone. Looking at the surveillance camera, he said expressionlessly, "A drone specifically used to monitor you!"
"Monitor us?" Jiang Tingxia’s almond-shaped eyes widened. She snatched the drone from Wan Yunting's hand and examined it. "How could our Emei Sect have something like this? I've never seen anyone play with drones before…"
Wan Yunting's eyes flashed with fierce light. Without a word, he went directly to the southern courtyard wall, jumped lightly, and clasped the wall with his hands, peeking his head out to gaze at the dark mountain forest to the south.
Wan Yunting's pupils flickered with two green lights, like a snake's eyes, allowing him to see through the darkness and clearly spot the figures of the two Emei disciples in the forest.
"Could it be out of battery?" The two Emei disciples stared at the remote control for the drone. The screen displaying the drone's camera feed was unresponsive. The youth operating the drone frowned. "That's strange; I just replaced the battery. It couldn't have run out so quickly…"
The other youth, holding the binoculars, was still observing Zhou Ruoxi's courtyard. "Wan Yunting still hasn't come out!"
The other youth, holding the remote control, stood up. "You keep watching. I'll go back and get another drone."
"Mhm, hurry up." The youth with the binoculars nodded and continued his vigil. However, he didn't notice Wan Yunting peeking over the courtyard wall, his eyes locked onto him. He also saw the other youth leaving, which made Wan Yunting ponder.