Chapter 39 Part 1

Jiang Ruan didn’t dare to delve too deeply into it. She simply attributed it to a child’s possessiveness.

After all, both Lu Ning and Nan Qingyun had very few friends or family by their sides. She could tentatively be considered the person closest to them.

And now, this close person had made other friends. It was no wonder they would mind.

Yes, it had to be something like that.

After urging them to finish their meal, Jiang Ruan leisurely made her way back to her side room.

Fortunately, by that time, the two of them had returned to their usual demeanor.

The moment Jiang Ruan stepped inside, she saw Han Lin smiling at her.

For some inexplicable reason, Jiang Ruan felt that Han Lin’s smile harbored ill intentions.

She unceremoniously raised her fist toward him in warning.

Han Lin chuckled slyly before pretending to beg for mercy.

The meal passed without incident. Jiang Ruan enjoyed her food in relaxed comfort before they continued on their journey.

Along the way, she asked Han Lin if he knew anything else about the Hehuan Sect.

“This is our first visit,” Jiang Ruan said. “We wouldn’t want to accidentally offend one of their taboos.”

Han Lin thought for a moment. “To be honest, this is my first time interacting with Hehuan Sect disciples as well. They… probably don’t have many taboos. Just treat them the same way you would disciples from any other sect, and it should be fine.”

His words were a bit circuitous, but Jiang Ruan understood quickly enough.

The Hehuan Sect’s cultivation methods inevitably gave them a poor reputation. Though they were now counted among the Righteous Sects, they lingered at the bottom of the heap. There were likely plenty of disciples who, after being “tricked,” went on to curse the sect afterward.

Through all the rumors and hearsay, the Hehuan Sect’s reputation had become akin to that of Devil Cultivator disciples.

Jiang Ruan nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

Before long, they arrived in Hehuan Sect territory.

Jiang Ruan and the others descended from their flying swords.

Nan Qingyun guided her flying sword down to land, then extended her hand to Jiang Ruan. “Shizun.”

Jiang Ruan blinked in surprise, took the offered hand, and smiled. “What’s this? Afraid I’ll fall?”

Never mind that the flying sword was now hovering mere inches from the ground—even if it had been high in the air, she could have landed without a hitch.

Nan Qingyun nodded anyway.

Jiang Ruan let out a helpless chuckle. “Don’t worry. I’m not so fragile that I’ll take a tumble.”

One’s first impression of the Hehuan Sect was of “pink” and “flowers.”

Expanses of pink and blooming flowers dominated the landscape. In that initial glimpse, Jiang Ruan nearly thought of Blackwater Town’s peach blossoms.

Yet unlike the eerie atmosphere there, a thick, sweet fragrance hung in the air here, untainted by any trace of demon qi. It was a legitimate… well, more or less legitimate sect.

Many of the sect’s decorations incorporated pink as well—pink curtains, decorative pink umbrellas and lanterns scattered about, and disciple uniforms that leaned heavily toward shades of pink.

Unlike other sects, however, there were no guarding disciples at the Hehuan Sect’s entrance. A single large stone stood beside the gate, inscribed with the words “Hehuan Sect.”

Jiang Ruan and Han Lin exchanged a glance.

“Should we just head straight in?” she asked.

Han Lin took a closer look around, then let out a soft sneeze. “The scent here’s so thick. This isn’t just floral, is it?”

“It’s incense,” Jiang Ruan replied. “They’re probably using some kind of array to diffuse the fragrance throughout the entire sect.”

Han Lin shrugged. “Since they’ve left the gates wide open like this, let’s just go in.”

“You’re not worried about traps?” Jiang Ruan teased.

Han Lin paused.

But Han Lin’s mention of the heavy fragrance had sparked a reminder in Jiang Ruan’s mind.

She glanced back at Lu Ning, their eyes meeting.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lu Ning walked over.

“…You,” Jiang Ruan said.

Lu Ning simply gazed at her.

Jiang Ruan couldn’t help smiling. “I didn’t call you over. What brings you here?”

“You looked at me,” Lu Ning replied.

“Yeah,” Jiang Ruan said. “And?”

“So I came.”

Jiang Ruan laughed in fond exasperation, but afterward, an indescribable warmth bloomed in her heart.

She said, “I was just worried about you. The fragrance is so strong here—are you alright?”

Lu Ning paused, then shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Jiang Ruan nodded.

“Shall we head straight in, then?”

Lu Ning turned to survey the entrance. “Sure.”

Just as the group was still hesitating, a nearby teleportation array flared to life. A disciple clad in the Hehuan Sect’s pink uniform materialized.

“Hey, how long are you all going to chat out here at the gate? Why haven’t you come in yet?”

She wore exquisite makeup, a pink flower bindi adorning her forehead. Her clothes flowed gracefully, veiled in sheer pink gauze that teased at concealment, with golden bangles gracing her wrists.

“Seriously, did I have to come out and invite you myself?” She puffed out her cheeks. “Do you have any idea how hot the sun is today? I didn’t want to step outside at all.”

Jiang Ruan’s first reaction was: Great, she has solid sun protection awareness.

Then she immediately said, “We’re terribly sorry—we held things up.”

Jiang Ruan handed over the invitation post that the Sect Leader had prepared for her. “We’re disciples of the Mirror Moon Sect. We applied earlier to visit the Hehuan Sect and investigate a certain matter.”

The Hehuan Sect disciple lifted her gaze, her eyes sweeping across Jiang Ruan’s face.

Then she smiled lightly. “Oh, so that’s what this is about.”

Her slender fingers brushed the invitation post, but instead of taking it, they touched Jiang Ruan’s wrist.

Jiang Ruan: ?

Before she could react, the pink-painted nail tapped gently against her skin.

Jiang Ruan’s hand twitched instinctively.

Yet the female disciple’s finger trailed downward in a feather-light caress, slipping around the back of her hand and forward. As it lightly scratched her palm, she finally took the invitation post.

Jiang Ruan: !

Her ears turned red.

The oddity drew everyone’s attention at once.

Nan Qingyun’s dark eyes darkened. She instinctively stepped in front of Jiang Ruan, her hand tightening on the hilt of the Nine Nether Sword. Out of regard for inter-sect relations, she didn’t draw the blade but held the entire sword out in front of her, her expression frosty.

“What did you just do?”

Lu Ning also raised her pale eyes to look over.

The Hehuan Sect disciple—Shan Hu—curled her lips into a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I didn’t do anything. I just took the invitation post.”

Nan Qingyun’s face remained cold as she pressed her lips together.

Jiang Ruan patted Nan Qingyun’s shoulder. “It’s fine. This must be… their sect’s unique way of saying hello.”

It helped that the one doing the “seducing” was a girl, so Jiang Ruan’s tolerance was decent enough.

And since she was from the Hehuan Sect? Well, that bumped her tolerance up even higher.

Shan Hu smiled. “You’re pretty interesting.”

Her gaze shifted. “But that’s not actually how we greet people in the Hehuan Sect.”

Jiang Ruan wasn’t about to tempt fate by asking what it was like. She took a step forward, ready to steer the conversation back on track, only for Han Lin beside her to blurt out, “Then what is it like?”

…

Jiang Ruan averted her eyes.

Shan Hu let out a soft hum. “I don’t like you, so no greetings for you.”

Han Lin didn’t back down. “Then who do you like?”

Shan Hu: “All three of them. I like them all.”

…

Chen Xu whispered from behind Han Lin, “Master, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

Han Lin ground his teeth. “What about you? Not embarrassed? Don’t tell me you think you’re one of those three.”

Shan Hu’s light laughter cut off their bickering.

“Alright, come with me.”

Everyone trailed after her as they headed deeper inside.

Jiang Ruan asked, “Doesn’t the Hehuan Sect have anyone guarding the gate?”

Shan Hu: “Of course not. The sun’s out during the day—who’d want to stand around in it?”

As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeve to show off her snow-white arm to Jiang Ruan. “See? Skin this pale can’t handle the sun. Oh, and by the way—no one’s out there at night either.”

Jiang Ruan curved her lips. She could definitely relate. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Shan Hu’s eyes crinkled.

Which was exactly why she preferred girls.

She turned to Jiang Ruan. “Not curious why no one’s out at night either?”

Jiang Ruan: “Mm, bedtime, right?”

Shan Hu grinned slyly. “Nope. At night, we do some special stuff. Want to know what?”

Jiang Ruan inwardly cursed herself for catching on so fast.

She coughed lightly, her earlobes flushing red. “I don’t.”

Shan Hu didn’t press, just covered her mouth and chuckled.

Han Lin had taken a hit to his pride, Lu Ning and Nan Qingyun weren’t the chatty types, and Chen Xu didn’t dare speak up. So the burden of small talk fell squarely on Jiang Ruan.

Poor thing—a borderline social recluse forced to play extrovert.

She said, “I’m Jiang Ruan. And you are?”

Shan Hu: “Shan Hu.”

Jiang Ruan nodded, her eyes landing on the hairpin nestled in Shan Hu’s hair. Sure enough, it was the same style.

Shan Hu shook her head lightly. “What? See something you like? I can give it to you.”

Jiang Ruan: “No, that’s not it.” She didn’t rush to reveal the real reason for their visit. Instead, her gaze flickered. “I was wondering who our point of contact is.”

Shan Hu: “Point of contact?”

Jiang Ruan: “We’ve come to investigate something at your sect. We can’t just roam around on our own…”

Shan Hu nodded. “That’s me.”

Jiang Ruan arched a brow slightly.

It wasn’t that she doubted the girl—the way she acted and talked came off a bit childish and naive.

But Jiang Ruan knew better than anyone in the cultivation world: judging by appearances was a fatal mistake.

If this girl said she was their contact, then there was no need to hold back.

She took out that hairpin from her bosom.

Shan Hu was stunned. “This is a hairpin belonging to one of our Hehuan Sect disciples.”

Jiang Ruan narrowed her eyes slightly. “You didn’t know about it beforehand?”

They were supposed to rendezvous with them, so she ought to have some idea why they had come. Then why had she been so surprised upon seeing the hairpin?

Shan Hu blinked her eyes and deliberately fell silent.

Jiang Ruan leisurely tucked the hairpin away.

Shan Hu halted her steps. “Tell me quickly, or I won’t take you there.”

Jiang Ruan glanced at her and smiled faintly. “That would delay the important business, but we’re in no rush.”

Shan Hu pondered for a moment.

She sidled up to Jiang Ruan, but this time, before she could get close, Nan Qingyun and Lu Ning blocked her path together.

Shan Hu eyed the two women before her. “What are you doing?”

Nan Qingyun’s expression was icy. “Go back.”

Her gaze flicked to Shan Hu’s hand. “If there’s a next time—”

She rested her hand lightly on the hilt of the Nine Nether Sword.

Shan Hu smiled and appraised Nan Qingyun’s cultivation. “Your realm is even lower than mine. You think you can stop me?”

Nan Qingyun’s grip tightened on her sword.