The Impostor

A blue flame flew forth, incinerating the demonic fox. Caught off guard and unable to evade, the demonic fox bore the full brunt of Senior Brother’s technique. Quick as lightning, it used its fur to shield itself. Seeing this, Senior Brother halted his hand and commanded, "Begone."

The demonic fox bristled with anger at the sneak attack, yet upon beholding the handsome Lun Peng, its expression softened. "I merely stand here, guarding and protecting the young girl," it purred.

Senior Brother’s face remained impassive. "A demonic fox cultivating with dark magic, yet claiming to protect a young girl?" he questioned.

Though its sore spot had been touched, the demonic fox maintained its cordial demeanor. "I protect the young girl solely for your sake, my lord," it cooed.

Senior Brother strode towards the demonic fox, nearing the window where she sat. With a casual flick of his wrist, he drew the curtain, then instructed her, "Cover your ears, lest you fall under its spell once more."

She obeyed, covering her ears and huddling into a corner. A moment later, a hand parted the curtain. Lun Peng, seeing her safe, beckoned, "Come here."

He then offered her a bell. "Take this. Should any danger arise, ring it. I apologize for only now giving it to Junior Sister. All this is due to my oversight."

She accepted it, gazing at the intricately carved bronze bell. After handing it to her, Senior Brother turned to leave. Recalling Master’s words, she asked, "Senior Brother, where is Master?"

"Master has gone on a distant reconnaissance. Junior Sister need not worry."

In but a fleeting moment, a gust of wind arose, and Senior Brother was nowhere to be seen.

Having waited for everyone for too long, she had drifted off to sleep. A cold wind blowing into the carriage stirred her uncomfortably awake. As she reached to close the curtain, Hao Qian was suddenly seated beside her. His complexion was strangely pale. Startled, she asked, "Why are you here? You should be in the other carriage, shouldn't you?"

His eyes, dark as night, stared unblinkingly at her, wide and round. A chill ran down her spine. The elder brother she usually saw now felt strangely unfamiliar. Hao Qian’s voice was cold. "I worried something might befall you, so I came over."

She felt something was amiss: *No, that's not right. He would never disobey Master and venture out to such a dangerous place. Stepping outside the barrier, he would be torn to shreds by demonic beasts in mere moments.* She began to choose her words with greater caution.

"Is that so? With you here, I feel less afraid."

The wind made the curtain flutter, allowing the moonlight to softly caress Senior Brother Qian's sharp, cold face.

Hao Qian suddenly leaned closer to her, causing Wan Ru to flinch and instinctively recoil. Yet, he merely drew nearer, pulling out a steamed bun. "Are you hungry, Junior Sister?" he asked.

"No, I am not hungry."

Hao Qian’s expression turned unpleasant. "Have we eaten anything at all throughout this journey?" he pressed.

She thought: *Isn't this forcing someone to eat? I cannot eat it; there must be something suspicious about it.*

"You need not yield to me, Senior Brother. You should eat it yourself."

Hao Qian stated resolutely, "I am not hungry."

She was, however, compelled to accept it. "Very well, I shall eat it, but I am not hungry at the moment. I will give it to Senior Brother later."

Hao Qian’s eyes glared fixedly at her. A sharp *swish* tore through the night, and Hao Qian’s illusory form dissipated into thin air. Senior Brother, his hand firmly grasping his sword, looked at her and commanded, "Discard it."

She swiftly obeyed Lun Peng’s words, throwing the bun away. Lun Peng entered the carriage, followed by Master.

Master entered, looking around intently. "No traces left behind?" he questioned.

Surprised that Master had also entered the carriage, she exclaimed, "Master!"

"Are you alright, child?"

She shook her head, and Master, reassured, departed.

Senior Brother drew the curtain, saying, "Let us proceed." Lun Peng turned to her, reminding, "Next time, do not casually accept things from strangers."

She retorted defiantly, "Junior Sister only did so because she saw Senior Brother nearby, didn't she?"

Senior Brother, helpless yet amused, chuckled, letting the matter pass. "Still fond of provoking enemies, are we?"

She shrugged. "Who told him to try and harm Junior Sister first?"

Though she spoke thus, she harbored her own thoughts: *Who was that? Where did he come from? Why did he wish to harm me?*

The sun slowly ascended, as if a fire was beginning to ignite.

They had arrived at Zheng Sha Fa.

The sky, tinged with a faint golden hue, rendered the place ethereal and enchanting, with moist waters and gentle mountains. The gentle breeze brought a sense of relaxation and peace to all who arrived.

Qing Xun’s radiance pierced through a shimmering brown jade, making it sparkle endlessly. She exclaimed, "This place is so beautiful. Truly, it is beautiful enough to stir one's heart."

Hao Qian, also astonished by the beauty of the place, remarked, "Had it not been for Junior Sister’s schemes, we would not have been able to reach this place."

She giggled, looking around. The layout featured a central arena, and in the distance stood an ancient temple known as Zi Xin Temple, along with ten lodging areas for the ten main sects. She knew that she, Master, and her Senior Brothers did not belong to a major sect, and thus only dared to stand near the judgment platform.

A few smaller sects, like theirs, passed by and greeted them warmly. Master turned to them and instructed, "I shall go find my old friends. Do not stray too far from this spot, understand? Lun Peng, you must also keep an eye on these two."

She waved goodbye to Master. Wan Ru spotted a pillar nearby where she could rest her feet. Hao Qian, seeing her inclination to sit there, asked, "Junior Sister intends to sit there, does she?"

"Indeed. Will you join me, Senior Brother?"

"No. Senior Brother and I are going to socialize. Would you like to come?"

Seeing the scorching sun, she declined. "No, Junior Sister will not go. I shall go rest by the flagpole near that tree."

Senior Brother reminded her, "Do not cause any trouble, alright? One should be cautious with their words here."

She nodded. "Junior Sister understands. Senior Brother need not worry."

Wan Ru went alone to the area near the flagpole, by the ancient tree's canopy. She sat on the ground, looking at the enormous tree whose canopy spread over a wide area. She observed the bustling hall, where everyone moved about busily.

She currently felt a bit drained from the incident with the impostor Hao Qian.

Wan Ru now realized the gravity of her departure from the mountain area. While on the mountain, only creatures filled with malevolent aura approached her; upon leaving its territory, someone immediately sought to harm her.

Wan Ru, in a somber mood, pondered: *I truly do not know who intends to harm me. Could it be related to the jade bracelet incident? And given the strict secrecy of my departure from the palace, only someone within the palace could know and harbor ill intentions. But who could it be? No, I shall not think about it now; I will consider it later.*

She relaxed, stretched out her legs, and closed her eyes tightly. Then, a foot tripped over hers. She immediately opened her eyes, retracted her leg, stood up, and bowed, saying, "My apologies, this humble girl was too careless."

As she lifted her head, she was immediately kicked in the stomach, her head slamming into the flagpole, leaving her momentarily dazed. A boy, roughly her age, his face contorted with displeasure, snapped, "Which sect does this girl belong to? How dare she be so disrespectful to me?"