Ye Huohuo's heart stirred upon hearing Lu Yao's words. That's right, from an outsider's perspective, she and Lu Yao were in a life-or-death situation from the moment they met. Could that person have brought Lu Yao in beforehand just to deal with her?
How grand was this chess game? All for the sake of dealing with her?
"Why did you get yourself in here? You never said when I asked before. The things you do, though immoral, are hard to prove with substantial evidence. What exactly did you do to get arrested?" Ye Huohuo hadn't wanted to delve into it before, but now it seemed Lu Yao might have been arranged to be here. Perhaps she could find some trace of their opponent from this.
"I..." Lu Yao appeared hesitant, as if she had something to say but couldn't. Ye Huohuo's eyes had already adjusted to the darkness here, and it wasn't entirely devoid of light. By the faint glow filtering through the skylight, she could vaguely discern some of Lu Yao's expressions.
Seeing her like this, Ye Huohuo felt the matter was even more suspicious. Supporting herself with one hand, she grabbed Lu Yao's other hand, her expression somewhat anxious. "What's so difficult to talk about? We're in the same boat now. Since you were used without knowing, it means the person orchestrating things behind the scenes has exceptional schemes. You're just a chess piece in his hand.
Once I'm dealt with by him, do you think he'll keep a pawn like you to destroy evidence or eliminate witnesses?
Even if he keeps you, think about it. Being manipulated like a fool, unknowingly made to do this and that – is that a comfortable situation?
I still remember you were always so unconventional, you hated being constrained the most. In the future, you'll be put in invisible shackles, manipulated by others, and you won't even know who's pulling the strings. You..."
"Enough, don't say any more. I... I'll tell you!" Listening to Ye Huohuo's words, Lu Yao's fists clenched tighter and tighter. Finally, she took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, released her hands, seemingly making a momentous decision, and interrupted Ye Huohuo.
"The reason I'm here is to catch ghosts," Lu Yao said, then slumped against the wall like a deflated ball. That was her most guarded secret, and now she had to reveal it to her mortal enemy, naturally feeling unwilling and resentful.
"Five days ago, I received news that a shadowy ghost, close to the level of a fierce ghost, had appeared in the detention center. The shadowy ghost I previously kept was annihilated by you, and I haven't found a suitable replacement.
Upon receiving this news, I naturally couldn't pass up the opportunity. So, I designed to snatch someone's wallet, thinking I'd stay here for a few days to catch that ghost, and then have the person I robbed withdraw their complaint. That way, I could legitimately take the shadowy ghost out and train it to become a fierce ghost as soon as possible.
By then, you wouldn't be my match." Lu Yao said this with a touch of pride.
Ye Huohuo chuckled softly. The laugh tugged at the wound on her head, causing her to gasp in pain, "Hiss!" She drew a sharp breath, "Will you never give up until you defeat me?"
Lu Yao rolled her eyes at her. "When we were kids, neither your magic nor your martial arts were a match for me. I have to prove to you that you're still not my match now!
Among the Xuanmen cultivators of our generation, I must be the foremost!"
Looking at the spirited Lu Yao at this moment, the smile on Ye Huohuo's face slowly froze. "Why were you expelled from the sect back then? I don't believe you're the traitor they say you are!
I went to the Maoshan Sect to find you, but you had already left by then. I wanted to find your master to get to the bottom of things, but I was blocked at the door. They said he was in seclusion and wouldn't see anyone.
You... you're still the Lu Yao from back then, aren't you?"
Although she had been in several life-or-death situations with Lu Yao in their previous encounters, Ye Huohuo had always felt that Lu Yao wasn't as bad as the Xuanmen people described. But every time Lu Yao saw her, it was either a fight or an attempt to kill, and she never even got a chance to ask.
Lu Yao's act of extending a helping hand when she was at her most vulnerable made Ye Huohuo even more convinced that the Lu Yao before her was still the girl she remembered.
This time, being locked in the small dark room together without any outsiders became a rare opportunity. Ye Huohuo couldn't suppress her curiosity any longer and asked.
"The Lu Yao of the past is long dead. I am as you see me now, capable of doing anything for profit. Including getting rid of you. Don't think I saved you out of nostalgia. I told you, you are my opponent, and only I can kill you. That's all!" Lu Yao's previously gentle expression instantly turned sharp upon hearing Ye Huohuo's words.
It was as if a hedgehog, sensing danger, immediately bristled its quills.
But the more she acted like this, the more Ye Huohuo was convinced that there must have been another reason for what happened back then. "It is rumored in the Xuanmen world that you injured your master to practice the most sinister techniques of the Maoshan Sect, committing the grave crime of deceiving and betraying your master. Afterward, fearing accountability and the stripping of your spiritual powers, you fled Maoshan Sect overnight. Is that true?"
"..." Lu Yao did not respond for a long time.
"Your master's seclusion was because he was injured by you. Furthermore, I heard recently that your master's injuries were serious and he might not live to the end of this year. Aren't you worried about him?" Ye Huohuo sat up with difficulty, bracing herself against her waist, and used the opportunity to grab Lu Yao's hand. "Answer me, those things weren't done by you, were they?"
Lu Yao paused, then lowered her gaze to look at Ye Huohuo. Her eyes held a complex expression, as if emotions were churning beneath the surface. However, it was too dark, and her pupils were also dark, so Ye Huohuo couldn't see clearly. She still tilted her head, looking at her expectantly. "Say something!"
"You are mistaken. All of that is true. My current ghost-refining technique was learned from stolen books, but I haven't mastered it yet. Otherwise, you would definitely not be my match." Lu Yao flung Ye Huohuo's hand away and stood up with a rustle. Her strength was so great that she pulled Ye Huohuo sideways, causing her to fall directly onto her injured back, making her gasp for air for a long time.
"Don't always act like you know me so well. You don't understand me at all. You'd better recover quickly. Don't be such a weakling. When I catch the shadowy ghost here and refine it into a fierce ghost, I'll tear you into pieces and feed you to the dogs!" Lu Yao's words became increasingly harsh, but Ye Huohuo didn't believe a single word of it.
"Forget it, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Have you really found the shadowy ghost you were looking for here?" Ye Huohuo changed the topic, which Lu Yao was unwilling to discuss.
Lu Yao let out a sigh. "No. After coming here, I realized the situation isn't what I expected. If there were shadowy ghosts here, it wouldn't be so peaceful. Although shadowy ghosts aren't as fierce as fierce ghosts, we all know that shadowy ghosts are usually spirits who died unjustly and harbor heavy resentment. Their obsession is to find substitutes.
Where they are, there's always a chilling presence, and people will fall ill from the onslaught of ghostly energy.
But I've been here for several days, and I haven't seen a single ghostly shadow, nor felt any ghostly energy. I might have been deceived. That's why I just thought someone deliberately lured me here.
Could the person who lured me here want me to deal with you?"
"Who gave you the news? How could you be sure the information they gave you was true, and that you'd go to all lengths to get in here?"
Lu Yao's expression became strange. "He wouldn't lie to me. Anyone else might lie, but he never would."
"Who?!" Ye Huohuo seemed to see a glimmer of hope and was so excited she almost sat up, but the wound on her backside reminded her. After struggling for a long time, she finally gave up and lay down honestly on the mat.
"Qingfeng!" Lu Yao finally uttered two words after a long pause, as if it had taken all her strength.
Upon hearing the name, Ye Huohuo's heart suddenly jolted. A snowy white figure gradually appeared before her eyes, and a person like an immortal descended appeared in her mind.
"How could it be him?"
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