Huang Ling'er was idly kicking pebbles by her feet, boredom etched across her delicate face.
Suddenly, from the nearby forest, came the faint rustling sound of approaching footsteps.
Her bright, watery eyes lit up instantly, sparkling with excitement as she turned toward the sound.
They're back!
Finally—someone had returned!
Was it Junior Brother Wen Yuan? Or perhaps the later one, Wen Shan?
It didn't really matter—so long as one of them managed to capture even a single demonic sect disciple, she wouldn't have to risk entering the secret realm in two days' time!
A sly spark glimmered in her gaze as she tiptoed forward, anticipation building in her chest.
Before long, a staggering figure emerged from between the trees.
But when she saw who it was, Huang Ling'er's smile froze on her lips.
The triumphant scene she had imagined—disciples returning with prisoners in tow—was nowhere to be seen.
The person who had returned… was Wen Yuan.
And he was alone.
His once-immaculate scholar's robe was now in tatters, soaked through with blood. Deep, ghastly wounds marred every inch of his body, some so deep they exposed bone. With each step, he left a crimson trail upon the ground.
He looked like a man who had clawed his way out of the abyss itself.
For a long moment, Huang Ling'er stood in stunned silence. Then, color drained from her face as she finally cried out:
"Senior Sister! Quickly! Save him!"
Even before her words finished echoing, a flash of white light cut through the air.
Her senior sister had already appeared before Wen Yuan.
Without a word, she extended a slender finger and pressed it gently to the center of his brow. Her lips moved silently, uttering some ancient incantation.
A soft white glow rippled outward from her fingertip, enveloping Wen Yuan's entire body like waves of moonlight.
Under the radiance, the hideous gashes that covered his flesh began to knit together at a visible speed. Within moments, his wounds were gone—vanished without even a scar to mark their existence.
A warm current surged through his veins, washing away the bone-deep pain that had tormented him.
With a long sigh of relief, Wen Yuan collapsed to his knees, trembling but alive. Gratitude shone in his eyes as he bowed weakly.
"Thank you, Senior Sister… for saving my life."
The woman did not reply. She merely stared at him in silence, waiting.
It was clear she expected an explanation.
Huang Ling'er hurried over, her expression filled with concern. "Junior Brother Wen Yuan, what happened? How did you end up like this?"
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "I… I had just crossed into the demonic sect's territory when one of their cultivators found me. His strength far surpassed mine—I fought with all I had, but I was no match for him. If I hadn't fled with my life, I'd have been a corpse already."
As he spoke, fear crept into his eyes, the memory still fresh and raw.
He had never imagined that demonic cultivators could be so ruthless—attacking without warning, without a word, killing as though human life meant nothing.
That man's cultivation had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, one level higher than his own.
If not for a speed-enhancing verse he had memorized during the trial, he wouldn't have escaped at all.
Huang Ling'er's expression softened with sympathy. She patted his shoulder gently. "It's all right, Junior Brother. You did your best. Those from the demonic sect are treacherous by nature. The fact that you made it back alive is miracle enough."
"Yes… yes, you're right," Wen Yuan nodded gratefully. Warmth spread through his chest at her kind words.
He sat down upon a clean rock and crossed his legs, closing his eyes to regulate his breath and restore his depleted spiritual power.
But then—
A cold voice sliced through the still air.
"What are you waiting for?"
Wen Yuan froze, blinking in confusion. It was his senior sister—the one who had just saved his life.
He couldn't understand her tone or her meaning. "Senior Sister… I—I'm not waiting for anything…"
"Then why haven't you left?" Her voice carried a hint of displeasure.
He stared at her blankly.
Was she… ordering him to continue the mission? To go back into the demonic territory?
His body trembled. He looked down at his bloodstained robes. Surely she didn't mean that?
He opened his mouth to protest—but when he saw the icy gleam in her eyes, the words died on his tongue.
Thankfully, Huang Ling'er spoke up first. "Senior Sister! Look at him—he's barely standing! You can't send him back out there! If something happens to him, that would be on us!"
Encouraged, Wen Yuan nodded rapidly.
But his senior sister's expression remained unmoved. Her brow furrowed slightly as she replied, cold and sharp:
"His wounds are healed, are they not? Then he should keep moving. Until the time runs out, he has no reason to stop. What use is a disciple who surrenders before the task is done?"
Wen Yuan's jaw dropped. He was utterly speechless.
Was this truly how righteous cultivators thought?
Surely not all of them were this heartless—right?
At least Huang Ling'er was on his side… or so he thought.
Because at that exact moment, Huang Ling'er clapped her hands and nodded earnestly. "Senior Sister's right! It's too early to give up now! Junior Brother, hang in there—I believe in you!"
Wen Yuan stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
Just moments ago she had been pleading for him… and now she was cheering for him to march to his death?!
Of course, he didn't know what was going through Huang Ling'er's mind.
Her senior sister's words had reminded her of something very important—if Wen Yuan could complete the mission, he would earn the right to enter the secret realm instead of her.
But if he failed… then she would have to go in his place.
And there was no way—absolutely no way—she was setting foot in that deadly place!
In the end, under the pressure of both senior sisters, Wen Yuan had no choice but to rise once more, staggering to his feet and preparing to leave.
But before he could take even a single step, the sound of footsteps echoed again—this time, from the forest ahead.
The sound was different now. It wasn't one person.
It was many.
Huang Ling'er's eyes widened with joy. "Could it be…?"
Her senior sister moved before anyone else. The instant the first figure stepped from the shadows, she was already there, standing in front of him.
In her hand was a small wooden carving—one she had "taken" from the newcomer's grasp.
Upon it was etched a familiar mark: the mountain seal she had given Wen Shan.
One by one, more figures emerged from the trees.
One… two… three…
Huang Ling'er stared, speechless. "It can't be… Are all these people—demonic cultivators Wen Shan captured?"
Her senior sister's voice was calm but certain.
"Yes. Each of them bears Wen Shan's mark."
"There's no doubt about it. They're all his."