Chapter 613 - 620: The Shocking Result

He sighed helplessly and took the Elixir Bottle in his hand.

Jiang Wentian was his master, so it was perfectly normal for Song Wanning to have such concerns.

He couldn’t expect others to trust him unconditionally.

Still, a part of him was disappointed. He had thought their relationship was different from the others.

Liu Xingzhi pressed his lips together. Noticing Song Wanning was still studying him, a hint of unease crossed his face.

"I’m sorry. I wasn’t in a good mood just now."

He said to Song Wanning.

Song Wanning was even more surprised to hear this. She laughed. "It’s fine. It’s just rare to see you show any other emotions, so I was a little curious."

"I was also in the wrong for what I said earlier."

She knew her words had been a bit too blunt, and even hurtful.

’But she didn’t want to pretend.’

With both of them having apologized, the atmosphere in the cave finally eased.

They looked at each other and both broke into laughter.

This was the first time Song Wanning had ever seen Liu Xingzhi laugh, and her own mood brightened considerably.

Her gaze drifted toward the empty space before her as she began to look forward to the person behind the scenes finally revealing themselves.

...

Meanwhile, Liu Lan Yi and Leng Qingzhu were still leading their people, rushing to the designated locations.

But before they arrived, people had already been stationed at two of the locations.

However, those disciples had no idea what the Sect’s true intentions were. They only knew the Sect had ordered them to watch for any monster appearances.

The two groups waited and waited. Finally, a large number of monsters appeared at one of the locations.

The disciples lying in wait realized something was wrong, retreated immediately, and sent a communication to Luo Hantian.

When Luo Hantian received the news, his entire demeanor changed.

He had been holding onto a sliver of hope, wishing he could rule out one of his own people as the suspect. But now...

The facts proved it: there really was a mole within the Sect.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they held nothing but a cold, sharp glint.

Luo Hantian took out a Communication Talisman and immediately sent a notification to Liu Lan Yi and Leng Qingzhu.

Both of their expressions changed. They quickly composed themselves and informed the others that Song Wanning had moved.

"Elder Liu Xingzhi found the Spiritual Medicine! He’s already left with Wan Ning, so we don’t need to worry!"

Leng Qingzhu put on a look of relief and smiled.

Hearing that Song Wanning was safe, everyone else also relaxed and happily started heading back.

It was the same on Liu Lan Yi’s side. No one suspected a thing. After all, with Liu Xingzhi present, it stood to reason that Song Wanning would recover.

And so, everyone turned back, including Jiang Wentian, who was in Liu Lan Yi’s group.

「Several hours later」

The groups returned to the Ancient Cold Sect. Leng Qingzhu and Liu Lan Yi didn’t dare go see the Sect Master right away. Instead, they communicated privately using their Communication Talismans.

"What? It wasn’t Jiang Wentian?"

Liu Lan Yi asked, her voice filled with astonishment.

’Logically speaking, Jiang Wentian holds a grudge against Song Wanning. It’s impossible that he would be so concerned about Wan Ning.’

Hearing this, Leng Qingzhu’s heart sank, and a terrible premonition washed over her.

"Sect Master, are you saying... the leak didn’t come from the other group?"

After a long pause, Luo Hantian’s reply came through. "Mm..."

His confirmation plunged the three of them into a long silence.

For Liu Lan Yi and Leng Qingzhu, the news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving them completely stunned.

The people in Leng Qingzhu’s group were all people incredibly close to them.

’That was their master, their senior sisters, and their senior brothers...’

’If the traitor was really among them...’

Leng Qingzhu couldn’t bear to imagine it, her fists clenched so tightly they turned red.

Unlike Liu Lan Yi, she had been with her sect-mates for a very long time and had extremely deep bonds with them.

’And now she was being told there was a traitor among them?’

’A traitor who was trying to kill Wan Ning?’

Leng Qingzhu’s body swayed, suddenly unsteady on her feet.

Liu Lan Yi also pressed her lips shut, desperately hoping it was all just a coincidence.

The faces of her sect-mates flashed through her mind one by one. She found it truly difficult to imagine a traitor existed among them.

After a long while, Luo Hantian spoke again. "Should we tell Wan Ning now?"

The situation had now become even more difficult.

"Yes, we must tell Wan Ning!"

Leng Qingzhu’s voice was icy. No matter what, Wan Ning’s life could not be put in danger.

"Alright. But as for the investigation that follows..."

Luo Hantian asked hesitantly, choosing to be considerate of their feelings.

Leng Qingzhu’s voice was filled with resolve. "Sect Master, you don’t need to hold back on our account. We will cooperate fully to find the culprit as soon as possible!"

"That’s right! We will cooperate with all our strength!"

Liu Lan Yi’s attitude was just as firm, a sharp glint in her eyes.

’Whoever it is, they must be caught. We can’t let them endanger the entire Cultivation World.’

"Good. Wait for my word!"

Luo Hantian felt a sense of relief at their words. After ending the communication, he immediately relayed the news to Song Wanning.

When Song Wanning heard the news, her expression froze.

A flicker of shock passed through her eyes.

Liu Xingzhi was also stunned. His master’s name had now been cleared, but he couldn’t feel the least bit happy about it.

He looked at Song Wanning’s expression and, seeing her fall silent, felt his own heart grow heavy.

"Are you—"

Liu Xingzhi wanted to say something to comfort her, but he didn’t know where to begin. He could only open his mouth and then close it again.

"How could this be...?"

As the reality sank in for Song Wanning, her mood plummeted.

The news reminded her of her past betrayal by Bai Yang and the others.

It was her closest sect brothers and sisters all over again. History was repeating itself, and a chill spread through her heart.

The light in her eyes died down, and her expression grew inscrutable, hiding her true emotions.

In that moment, Song Wanning’s entire aura changed.

Liu Xingzhi glanced at Song Wanning with some worry but said nothing, simply continuing to sit by her side in silent companionship.

After a long time, Song Wanning finally let out a soft sigh and replied to Luo Hantian.

Now that they had a direction for the investigation, they had to pursue it with all their might. Only by dragging out the person pulling the strings could they find the true source of the monsters.

After they finished communicating, Song Wanning stood up, looked at Liu Xingzhi beside her, and gave a bitter smile.

"Let’s go. If they dare to betray the Sect, they have to pay the price. We need to lure the snake out of its hole!"

’They couldn’t just sit back and wait for death. Only by taking the initiative could they seize control.’

"Mm."

Liu Xingzhi nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he couldn’t help but offer a word of comfort, "Don’t be too sad."

"Sad?"

Song Wanning raised an eyebrow at his words. "A setback like this isn’t enough to make me sad."

She had endured far worse experiences. This was just... disappointing.

She waved her hand dismissively and led Liu Xingzhi out of the cave.

The surrounding monsters had been cleared away, so now that they were out of the cave, their path was unobstructed.

Now, they needed to find a safe place to draw out the person behind all this!