Chapter 624 - 631: Gong Ye Is Scheming Again

A silence fell after Leng Qingzhu finished speaking.

In the end, Song Wanning cut off the Communication Talisman. Her mood soured, her displeasure written all over her face.

Liu Xingzhi looked at her, unsure how to offer comfort. He could only hope the matter was concluded.

After that, the two began searching for monsters, slaying any they found without hesitation.

Meanwhile, at Luo Hantian’s urging, many other factions had joined the effort.

The monster extermination campaign raged on, gaining massive momentum.

The monster population plummeted.

Everything seemed to be returning to normal, except that the Eldest Senior Uncle and Gong Ye had yet to surface.

Another half-year flew by. Song Wanning and Liu Xingzhi had spent nearly all their time hunting monsters.

Now, with the monsters mostly dealt with, they were preparing to head back.

Over this time, Song Wanning and Liu Xingzhi had become close friends who could talk about anything.

A single glance was all it took for them to understand each other and react in perfect sync.

They were perfectly in sync!

As they grew closer, Song Wanning started to get a little gossipy.

On the way back, she asked curiously, "Do you miss your disciple?"

Jiang Cen had once said that Liu Xingzhi and his disciple would end up in a romantic relationship.

In the past, she would never have interfered with Liu Xingzhi’s choices.

But now that they were good friends, she didn’t want him to go down the wrong path. At least in the Spirit Realm, such a relationship was unsuitable.

"Hmm?"

Liu Xingzhi didn’t immediately understand, looking at Song Wanning with a bewildered expression.

Since they had grown close, he had stopped putting up a front around Song Wanning and was no longer so cold.

He genuinely didn’t understand what she meant.

Seeing his confusion, Song Wanning just smiled, the look of a gossip-monger on her face.

"I heard you treat that young disciple of yours in a special way, so I just had to ask."

She was being blunt, never one to beat around the bush.

Liu Xingzhi froze again, clearly still processing her words.

When he finally understood what Song Wanning was implying, his expression instantly darkened.

’What is she even talking about?’

His face tensed as he said firmly, "She is just my disciple. She’s a child I raised as my own daughter."

"No matter what happens, she will always be my daughter!"

He spoke with absolute conviction, a hint of anger in his voice at whoever was spreading such baseless rumors.

’I can’t imagine what kind of sick person would spread nonsense like that!’

Seeing how serious he was, Song Wanning burst out laughing.

She knew Liu Xingzhi well enough by now.

His eyes were clear, without a trace of evasion. He was clearly telling the truth.

At that moment, she recalled Jiang Cen’s inner thoughts from back then.

’So, the information those invaders have might just be an illusion fabricated by the Wooden Sculpture World Heavenly Dao to trick them into taking certain actions.’

’If that’s true, the Wooden Sculpture World Heavenly Dao is a real bastard!’

’And the invaders are completely oblivious, thinking they’re some chosen ones when they’re nothing but cannon fodder.’

’They’ll just be discarded in the end.’

’No, from the moment they were chosen, they were already sacrifices.’

"What are you thinking about now?"

Liu Xingzhi’s voice cut through Song Wanning’s thoughts. His expression was still sour.

He felt helpless, after all, being the subject of such rumors.

Song Wanning smiled. "The innocent have nothing to fear. I believe you!"

She patted Liu Xingzhi on the shoulder. "I’m sure you know what the best choice is."

A master-disciple romance was taboo. It could ruin not only yourself but the other person as well.

Liu Xingzhi grunted in agreement, his expression slowly softening.

’Maybe I should keep more distance from my disciple from now on,’ he thought, ’or maybe take on another one.’

’But as it is, I already feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. With a prodigy like her around, it feels like no amount of effort is enough.’

At this thought, Liu Xingzhi gave a wry smile.

’Comparing myself to Song Wanning is just asking for trouble.’

He looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with soaring ambition.

’The only one I need to surpass is the me of yesterday!’

...

"Let me go!!!"

Li Qingya, her hands and feet bound, was locked in a stone chamber. She roared at the figure lurking in the shadows.

The figure slowly emerged. It was Gong Ye.

The Gong Ye of today had long since lost his former dashing and spirited air.

He had to be cautious everywhere he went; after all, those Mahayana cultivators were hunting for him.

He was now just one step away from ascension, yet he couldn’t seem to take it.

The Soul Revival Pearl had fallen into that bitch’s hands, and he still hadn’t found a substitute.

He watched Li Qingya, his mood foul, a cold sneer playing on his lips.

"So, are you still not going to tell me where the rest of the monsters are?"

Gong Ye drew closer to Li Qingya, step by step, and reached out to caress her cheek.

His eyes, seemingly full of deep affection, bore into hers.

Li Qingya blushed slightly at the scent of the man so close to her.

For the past two months, this man had pulled the same move on her every single day.

At first, she had been completely unaffected.

But as Gong Ye’s gaze grew more affectionate, Li Qingya found her own feelings beginning to shift.

’Perhaps my charm is enough to make even Gong Ye fall for me!’

But the moment she heard the word "monsters," her expression became unnatural for a split second, and she instantly denied everything.

"I’ve told you countless times, I don’t know what you mean by ’monsters’!"

"Why did you capture me? Let me go! If the Ancient Cold Sect finds out about this, they won’t let you get away with it!"

Li Qingya tried to use the Ancient Cold Sect as a threat. She was a True Disciple, after all; the Sect couldn’t possibly abandon her.

But Gong Ye looked as if he’d just heard a joke. With a mocking glint in his eyes, he leaned in close, his hot breath washing over her face.

Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red.

Gong Ye was very pleased with her reaction.

"The Ancient Cold Sect killed Song Que just to protect its reputation. Do you really think they care about you?"

He chuckled softly. "If I were you, I’d start looking out for myself. Now that Song Que is dead, you can’t possibly bear this burden alone. Why not switch partners? You might find it surprisingly rewarding. Don’t you agree?"

Gong Ye was brimming with ambition. He could fulfill the dream that Song Que had failed to achieve.

And this woman, who could tame the monsters, would be an invaluable asset.

He had been searching for more monsters when he’d stumbled upon this woman training them. It had been a delightful surprise.

He knew then that his chance had come.

"My master may have been killed, but the Sect doesn’t know I was involved. Do you really think they’ll believe a word you say?"

A sarcastic smile played on Li Qingya’s lips, but she was already tempted.

’There’s no guarantee the Ancient Cold Sect isn’t already suspicious of me,’ she thought. ’If I go back and get caught, it’s all over.’

’And Gong Ye... not only is he powerful, but he’s also devastatingly handsome...’