There Is Still a Master Who Is Not

Cui Hao couldn't help feeling pleased seeing Donggua being so cooperative.

Xigua might be cleverer than Donggua, but in this world, intelligence alone doesn’t dictate outcomes—especially when half a Xigua could hardly sway Donggua’s decisions.

Cui Hao didn’t linger; his point had been made. Many things only required planting a seed in someone’s mind.

Different people had different logic—just give them a starting point, and they’d close the loop themselves.

“Since Fellow Daoist Donggua understands, I’ll do my best to arrange the next steps.”

Cui Hao glanced at Donggua with a hint of respect, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the jade slip in Donggua’s hand.

Though Cui Hao didn’t know its contents—Donggua had retrieved it personally, leaving him no chance to examine it—he knew exactly who had provided it.

After all, the organization now had Donggua surrounded.

This was precisely why Cui Hao had come—to use Donggua as bait and lure out something lurking deeper in the shadows.

With a faint smile, Cui Hao took his leave, nodding slightly at Xigua as he passed.

He could only hope this half a Xigua wouldn’t be too clever—or that Donggua would be a little more foolish.

Xigua’s half-dead face forced a strained smile in return.

As their figures crossed, Xigua turned to watch Cui Hao’s retreating back, a sliver of sunlight casting an almost ceremonial glow over him. His emotions were tangled, his gaze dark and unreadable.

Before Xigua could steady his thoughts, Donggua’s calm voice cut through:

“Cui Hao has his merits. What he said holds some truth. If we blindly follow orders as they stand, even your remaining half will be lost here.”

Xigua’s voice turned icy. “Cui Hao is trouble.”

“Who isn’t?” Donggua scoffed, eyeing the half a Xigua. “Did you think he joined us for the sake of our kind? He’s after his own gains.”

“Besides, the problem lies with people, not methods. Isn’t Cui Hao’s proposal exactly what we need?”

Xigua’s gaze sharpened. “This is a divide-and-conquer tactic. Once you follow his plan, you won’t be able to report the truth to those above. You can’t just see the benefits and ignore the risks.”

Donggua lowered his eyes and tossed the jade slip to Xigua.

Xigua caught it, channeling his spiritual sense into it. Before he could process its contents, Donggua’s voice came again—calm, yet laced with resignation:

“I want to live… at least this once.”

A heavy silence followed. Then, Xigua handed the jade slip back.

“Understood.”

With that, he flew toward the gate, putting distance between them.

He didn’t look back at Donggua’s expression.

No one wanted to die. But he had his mission—and someone far more important to protect.

---

Silentbone Forest

Wen Zuo watched with unease as Li Xingtian lounged in his demonic den of a room, lips quirking in a half-smile while exchanging pleasantries with the righteous Lin Luoyu.

Though he knew they were martial siblings, Wen Zuo couldn’t shake the feeling they were seconds away from drawing blades.

Having witnessed Li Xingtian’s overwhelming bloodlust before, the sight of them sitting together felt surreal—like a grotesque parody of harmony.

Li Xingtian was well aware his smiles carried menace. But to appear approachable, he’d mastered the art of a slight, controlled curl of the lips.

“Fifth Junior Brother’s demands are… unconventional,” he said smoothly. “But given his temperament, it’s no surprise. Still, he knows his limits and gets the job done. No need for undue concern, Junior Sister.”

Lin Luoyu shook her head. “There’s little to worry about now. The surroundings are secured—Donggua’s been led astray by Cui Hao’s sweet talk, and San Dong’s intelligence might not be as lacking as we assumed.”

“Still, we’ll need Second Senior Brother’s cooperation this time.”

Li Xingtian waved a dismissive hand. “We’re of the same sect. No need for formalities. Elder Zhang Miaoyu will arrive in a few days, per Senior Sister’s message.”

Lin Luoyu nodded, her eyes briefly scanning the room’s sinister decor—oddly fitting for Li Xingtian’s aura. She decided against commenting and instead asked:

“Any word from Master?”

“Some. He’s investigating something with Daoist Yuyang. The specifics aren’t clear to me.”

Before Li Xingtian could finish, Cui Hao’s buoyant voice rang out:

“Senior Sister! It’s done!”

Lin Luoyu turned to see Cui Hao striding in, grinning triumphantly.

“Mission accomplished. Donggua folded like a sand melon.”

Lin Luoyu hadn’t left everything to him—she’d monitored the situation and vetoed his riskier schemes. Cutting to the chase, she asked:

“What about the half a Xigua? Did he buy it too?”

Cui Hao cleared his throat.

"Probably not many would believe it, but Xigua likely won’t be able to sway Donggua’s stance. We just need to stay vigilant in case Xigua has some extra tricks to leak information."

"If word does get out, we’ll have to trouble Eldest Senior Sister again—have her dangle a truly massive benefit. That should make Donggua’s superiors start doubting Xigua’s motives."

Lin Luoyu’s face finally betrayed a look of admiration:

"As expected of Fifth Junior Brother—you really aren’t afraid of getting beaten to death by Eldest Senior Sister."

Naturally, Lin Luoyu had gone through the list of demands Cui Hao had presented to Li Yingling.

It was essentially dumping all his problems onto her lap.

Just reading the list, if she were the one handling the support, she’d make sure to deliver a set of Haoran Fists to Cui Hao after completing each request—just to loosen up his joints.

Cui Hao subconsciously scratched the back of his head, his tone lacking confidence:

"Well… this is a major task assigned by Master. Isn’t it normal for Eldest Senior Sister to fully support me…?"

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly turned eager as he looked at Li Xingtian and added:

"Second Senior Brother, you’re the most righteous in the sect. Don’t you think there’s some logic to what I’m saying?"

Li Xingtian met Cui Hao’s desperate, pleading eyes and could only calmly raise his empty teacup for a sip.

"Second Senior Brother! I’ve always seen you as my own elder brother!" Cui Hao’s expression was pitiful, but his tone dripped with affection. "You know how hard it is for me to pull this off, right?"

In the end, Li Xingtian couldn’t withstand Fifth Junior Brother’s shameless assault and finally spoke:

"Your efforts are clear to everyone. Besides, Eldest Senior Sister has always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside…"

At this point, Li Xingtian seemed to reconsider—given Li Yingling’s temperament, she definitely wouldn’t let Cui Hao off lightly. No point lying to his junior brother. So he shifted gears:

"Besides… there’s always Master to fall back on."

Cui Hao sighed faintly, his expression turning solemn.

He’d roughly calculated the timing—Donggua would likely make his move in just a few days.

In about ten days, he’d probably have to face Eldest Senior Sister head-on.