Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Title

Ye Qingshang turned and entered the room. The inside was as quiet as ever but was too silent, creating an odd atmosphere.

If the steward was under the control of the speech-stopping technique, his earlier remarks about passing by were all excuses. It seemed there was some kind of barrier or spell set up inside the room, and as soon as Ye Qingshang and Mu Huaiyun stepped in, the steward became aware of them. The reason he led them out might have been to keep the secret of the room hidden from them.

Ye Qingshang pondered, “The lingering spiritual power of the cultivators is confined and only lasts for a short time. Could it be that they used a high-level concealment technique to hide the spiritual power detection…”

Before she finished speaking, Mu Huaiyun leaned closer, his long fingertips grasping her hand, adding a bit of spiritual power as he slowly raised her hand. “No need to guess; we can just try.”

As Mu Huaiyun moved, the spiritual power within her gathered at the point where their hands connected, shining brightly. Together, they created ripples around them, and within moments, a formation appeared, encompassing the entire inner chamber.

As the formation manifested, the empty bed began to change, and finally revealed the figures of two people lying there, eyes closed, fully clothed. They were Qiu Huayi’s parents.

The two elders appeared peaceful, isolated from the outside by the formation, so they hadn’t noticed anything earlier. Mu Huaiyun noticed something strange about the formation, released Ye Qingshang’s hand, and said, "This is…"

"It’s the Illusionary Net Formation." If the earlier speech-stopping technique pointed to someone from the Frostbite Sect, this flawless Illusionary Net Formation basically confirmed the caster’s identity—a name Ye Qingshang least wanted to hear.

The Illusionary Net Formation was a Frostbite Sect spell, specifically created by Ning Jiwei. It was said he devised it when first ascending to master, gathering spiritual power to make a space look as the caster wished—a type of illusion.

This formation hid spiritual power perception, so after entering the room, Ye Qingshang and Mu Huaiyun couldn’t sense any spiritual energy.

Being Ning Jiwei’s unique creation, the formation blended his cultivation method’s traits and could only be learned by his disciples. Such a perfect Illusionary Net Formation here could only be cast by Ning Jiwei himself, Ye Qingshang, or Mu Rongyan.

As a master and Ye Qingshang’s teacher, Ning Jiwei had no reason to visit the Qiu family personally, so the caster had to be…

Ye Qingshang clenched her fingers, closed her eyes, and spoke with anger. "We return to the Frostbite Sect at dawn."

*

That afternoon, a breeze drifted through. A young disciple carried a food box down a corridor, stopped outside a door, and knocked gently. "Senior sister, are you there?"

Rustling sounds came from inside before someone opened the door, fair face showing surprise. "It’s you." She paused upon seeing the food box. "What’s this?"

The young disciple smiled shyly. "I noticed you hadn’t eaten at noon, so I brought food from the kitchen. I hope it’s alright."

Since returning from the Qiu family, Qiu Huayi had been restless, staying in her room past noon. Touched that a disciple remembered her missed meal, she forced a small smile to appear less downcast. Taking the box, she said, "Thank you, junior brother. That’s thoughtful."

The young disciple nodded, hands behind his back, gaze awkward. "Senior sister, I wanted to say… whatever happens, please take care of yourself. Don’t be like today…"

His voice faded until Qiu Huayi couldn’t hear clearly. "What?"

Flustered by her question, he stammered without finishing a sentence. Finally giving up, he blurted "Take care, senior sister!" and dashed off, leaving Qiu Huayi baffled.

But he ran too fast, not watching his path. At the corridor’s end, he nearly collided with someone when a barrier snapped into place. The impact made him see stars, nose stinging.

Once his vision cleared, the two figures walked past without a word. The one in front tossed a medicine bottle he fumbled to catch, while a cool, authoritative voice transmitted: "Watch your step next time."

The young disciple stared at their retreating backs, gulping. He wondered, *Who’s that extraordinary person? Which sect immortal is she?*

Meanwhile, Ye Qingshang—called an immortal—felt no relief, especially seeing Qiu Huayi.

"A’shang, Young Master Mu, what brings you?" Qiu Huayi’s gaze darted away.

Her overly anxious, deliberate avoidance was obvious. Ye Qingshang shook her head, voice bleak. "You don’t want me here? Or never want to see me again?"

Puzzled, Qiu Huayi took Ye Qingshang’s hand as usual. "How could that be? You must’ve misunderstood. Why today—"

"Huayi." Ye Qingshang cut in coldly. "Tell me what truly happened days ago in Ningchuan. At the Qiu family."

"A’shang, I already said—nothing happened. Really."

Even now, Qiu Huayi denied the truth. Remembering their past life, Ye Qingshang’s anger boiled, words gritted out. "Huayi! After all this, you still lie?! I went to the Qiu family. An Illusionary Net Formation was set there. If nothing happened, what did I see?"

"We’ve known each other since we were ten! Ten years of friendship and sisterhood—can’t you give me one truth?! Qiu Huayi, I ask one last time: what happened in Ningchuan?"

Ye Qingshang’s icy glare cut deep. Qiu Huayi stepped back, releasing her hand. Tears instantly filled her eyes as she met Ye Qingshang’s gaze pitifully. "It was Senior Brother Mu Rongyan…"

"He threatened my parents’ lives… forced me to… drug you after the master’s crowning ceremony…"

When Qiu Huayi entered the Qiu family’s main room, she saw Mu Rongyan holding her mother’s favorite jade hairpin. With her parents’ lives at stake, she had no choice but to obey.