An Opening Scene No Different From a Dog and Cat Fight

Zhu Yao and Wang Cizhi stayed in a room on the third floor, while the others were on the second floor. Once the three of them had gone far, Zhu Yao pulled the young Wang over with a gossipy look. After casting a sly glance downstairs, she said:
"Speak up. Is there something going on between you and that girl Su Zi?"
"Sister Zhu Yao, don't misunderstand. She is merely my fellow sect sister."
Wang Cizhi quickly explained.
"Really?"
Zhu Yao remained skeptical. Why was he so nervous?
"Really. This is the first time I've ever seen her!"
Wang Cizhi grew even more anxious. With a sincere face, he raised his hand to swear:
"I swear! I don't like other girls!"
"Why are you so nervous?"
Zhu Yao pulled his hand down and said in the manner of a wise older sister:
"I have no intention of stopping you. If you like her, just pursue her. Don't worry, Big Sister will even teach you a few tricks!"
"Martial... Uncle... You... Are... Too... Much!"
Wang Cizhi's face wrinkled like an old man's as he looked at her with resentment. This expression was no different from when he was a child.
"Alright, alright! Just pretend I didn't say anything."
He was getting angry; it was best not to tease him further. Zhu Yao quickly changed the subject:
"Right, earlier I heard Su Zi call Xiao Yi 'Martial Uncle Xiao'? Has he reached Foundation Establishment?"
Although Xiao Yi had a rare treasure to conceal his cultivation, on the surface, he was clearly only at Qi Condensation.
Wang Cizhi shook his head:
"During the previous Sect Grand Competition, Venerable Feng Yi took him as a direct disciple."
The cultivation world revered strength. If they were of the same sect and the same generation, they were fellow brothers. A difference of ten levels in status meant a difference of ten layers of cultivation. However, a Soul Transformation Venerable was an exception. Everyone held immense respect for Soul Transformation Venerables. As long as one was a disciple of a Venerable, their seniority was second only to her master. Thus, even though Zhu Yao's cultivation was much lower than that of the Sect Master and the Peak Masters, her seniority was higher than theirs because she was Yu Yan's direct disciple. Xiao Yi was the same.
Zhu Yao was stunned. Taken as a direct disciple by a Soul Transformation cultivator so quickly—this was indeed the treatment of a protagonist. The plot was unfolding just like a movie: promotion, salary raise, becoming a CEO, marrying a wealthy woman, and stepping into a beautiful life!
Wait a minute! Her master had told her that Xiao Yi's rare treasure couldn't be detected even by a Soul Transformation Venerable unless they looked very closely. This meant it wasn't entirely impossible to detect. And in this world, besides her master, there were three other Soul Transformation cultivators!
So, Feng Yi...
"Sister Zhu Yao, Sister Zhu Yao! What's wrong with you?"
Wang Cizhi nudged Zhu Yao, who was sitting in a daze.
"Ah?"
A terrible conspiracy theory popped into Zhu Yao's head. If she wasn't careful, her conspiracy theory might actually come true!
"It's nothing. Right! Cizhi! That day during the competition at the Sect Grand Competition, I accidentally interfered in your match. I'm really sorry!"
"It's fine, it's fine! I know Sister Zhu Yao was worried about me,"
Wang Cizhi replied dismissively. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. He fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowing, and said hesitantly:
"Sister Zhu Yao, actually, that day, I felt something was a bit strange. The spiritual sword that Martial Uncle Xiao condensed... I felt something was off about it..."
Cultivators had extremely sharp senses, and at that moment, he had felt the breath of death. He highly suspected that if Zhu Yao hadn't intervened, he might have really...
"Don't think too much about it!"
Zhu Yao patted his head. It was best not to let him know the truth. When it came to fate and scheming, he was no match for Xiao Yi. If one tried to fight the protagonist, the outcome was never good:
"If you don't like him, just stay away from him."
Wang Cizhi nodded obediently.
Zhu Yao chatted with him for a few more minutes before returning to her room to rest.
Early the next morning, the five of them split up to gather information. But after three days of searching, the news they gathered was no different from what the innkeeper had provided. Meanwhile, another person had gone missing in the town.
Zhu Yao told everyone not to rush. They should return to their rooms to rest well and continue the investigation tomorrow. However, she didn't expect that her well-behaved Wang Cizhi would actually dare to sneak into her room at night.
...
A dark shadow stealthily entered her room. It even tried to climb onto her bed. But Zhu Yao woke up just in time, nearly mistaking him for an intruder trying to harm her.
The other party quickly covered her mouth and whispered:
"Sister Zhu Yao, it's me."
"You brat?"
She smacked him on the head:
"It's the middle of the night. What are you doing? Did you enter the wrong room? Su Zi's room is on the second floor!"
"Sister Zhu Yao, I came to discuss something with you."
Wang Cizhi pulled out a handkerchief and a paper crane from the storage pouch at his waist.
"What is this?"
Zhu Yao took the handkerchief from his hand. It was a large, bright red handkerchief. The color was incredibly vibrant, as was the peony embroidered on it.
"I found this in the room of a man who just went missing."
Wang Cizhi explained with a serious face:
"When he went missing, I sensed a trace of demonic Qi left behind, so I cast a tracking spell to pursue it. But the paper crane flew out for a day and a night without returning. I thought I had hallucinated back then. But when the paper crane returned, it brought back this handkerchief."
"You mean you've found the whereabouts of the one behind the disappearances in this town?"
Wang Cizhi nodded hesitantly:
"I can't be absolutely sure right now, but if we follow the direction of the paper crane, we might find some clues."
"Well done!"
Zhu Yao immediately got out of bed, threw on some clothes, and told Cizhi to release the paper crane:
"Let's go check it out together right now."
"Wait a moment!"
Wang Cizhi pulled out two Breath-Concealing Talismans from his robe:
"Before we left the mountain, Master gave me these Breath-Concealing Talismans. Once applied, they instantly conceal our presence. No one below the Nascent Soul stage can detect us."
They could actually turn invisible. Zhu Yao took them curiously. Suddenly remembering her own master, she let out a sigh. *Master, look at other people's masters. You should learn from them!*
Thousands of miles away, Yu Yan, who was meditating, suddenly sneezed. Confused, he looked around before closing his eyes to continue his cultivation.
Zhu Yao and Wang Cizhi followed the paper crane. They left the inn and stopped in a small forest. Looking around, there was no one in sight. Not far ahead were a few scattered thatched cottages. The lights inside were still on, likely belonging to ordinary families living here.
"It seems the owner of this handkerchief is definitely here."
Wang Cizhi parted the grass in front of him.
"Perhaps they are looking for their next target."
Zhu Yao pointed at the thatched cottages ahead:
"The target is likely in one of those cottages. Let's find a place to hide first and wait for the bait to be taken."
Wang Cizhi nodded. For now, they could only wait patiently. The effect of the Breath-Concealing Talisman only lasted for one night, so they couldn't waste it.
The two of them found a good spot to wait. Just as they were about to sit down, a commotion came from the forest.
"Sister Su, let me explain."
"I won't listen, I won't listen, I won't listen!"
*Uh... This opening line is no different from a dog and cat fight. What's going on?* Zhu Yao turned her head to look. Two figures emerged from the dark forest. It turned out to be Su Zi and Xiao Yi. Why were the two of them together? And in this desolate place? Didn't Su Zi like Wang Cizhi? Did she betray him so quickly?