Chu Xinghui bit fiercely in different spots several times until he felt somewhat relieved, then finally let go of Xie Liufeng.

He glanced at the marks on Xie Liufeng’s neck that he had caused and belatedly felt a bit embarrassed, awkwardly looking away.

Xie Liufeng looked down at the marks on his neck and chuckled: “You bit me like this, how can I go out and face people now?”

Chu Xinghui kept a serious face and refused to admit his fault: “Next time, bite somewhere that can be covered by clothes.”

Xie Liufeng lightly tapped his head: “You still want a next time?”

Chu Xinghui glanced at Xie Liufeng’s body.

His breath still lingered on Xie Liufeng with the bite marks, which made his heart beat faster.

He actually thought a next time was very possible, but still kept a poker face: “Depends on how you behave.”

Xie Liufeng helplessly shook his head and mockingly scolded: “You really are a dog.”

He rubbed Chu Xinghui’s hair and took the initiative to apologize: “Not scared anymore, right? This time it was my fault.”

Chu Xinghui, now calm, grabbed his hand and shook his head: “Not your fault. You didn’t know I would come. It was my misunderstanding.”

Xie Liufeng sighed inwardly.

Next time when trying to get information, it’s better not to fake being dead, it easily scares the kid.

He thought that while slowly using spiritual power to erase the marks on his neck.

Chu Xinghui watched helplessly as his bite marks on Xie Liufeng gradually disappeared and felt very disappointed.

Although he knew it was normal, he still thought… next time he should find an opportunity to bite a few more times.

If really necessary, he could take off clothes and bite, so he wouldn’t worry about being seen.

Xie Liufeng noticed his predatory gaze, reached out to cover his eyes, and said helplessly: “No thinking about it.”

Chu Xinghui blinked in his palm, not wanting to agree, so he said nothing.

After they finished talking, they planned to return to their sect first.

When they walked out of the cave, Chu Xinghui suddenly remembered something and immediately tugged on Xie Liufeng’s sleeve.

Xie Liufeng looked at him: “What is it?”

Chu Xinghui reminded him: “Yue Yao.”

Xie Liufeng was stunned for a moment.

He had been so focused on comforting him just now that he nearly forgot about her.

So the two turned back and took the still unconscious Yue Yao with them.

Fortunately, she was still alive.

*

This matter was serious, so the two did not waste time and quickly returned to Beiyue Sword Sect with Yue Yao.

Except for those two strange little snakes at the end, the mission at Hanshui Marsh was completed.

Since something had happened along the way and there were many disciples with insufficient cultivation in the team, Ning Yuanzheng feared trouble and did not let them stay longer at Hanshui Marsh, leaving people to watch over and quickly brought the main force back, coinciding with their return.

Ming Xiao acted quickly and had already reported all that had happened to the sect in advance.

Xie Liufeng sent a message first, briefly explaining his situation, so the sect leader did not send people directly to rescue.

The two returned to the sect, Chu Xinghui, as a witness, had to report the situation about the two oddly patterned black snakes to the mission hall to close the task on Hanshui Marsh’s evil spirits.

Xie Liufeng went to find the sect leader to report on the black-robed man and Yue Yao.

Though these two matters were likely related, they temporarily belonged to different departments.

Thus, the two were separated in the sect for the time being.

*

In the mission hall, Ming Xiao was cooperating to draw images of the two strange little snakes.

The responsible disciple carefully asked: “About how long were those two snakes?”

Ming Xiao gestured: “About this long.”

The disciple made a few strokes and continued: “Describe the patterns more specifically, like color, shape, and position.”

Ming Xiao recalled for a moment and then struggled to describe those details vividly.

Chu Xinghui stepped forward at the right moment and said: “I brought a recording stone.”

Ming Xiao was glad to see him return safely, but hearing this, he was a bit puzzled: “When did you use it? I didn’t see.”

Chu Xinghui placed the recording stone on the table: “Used it while chasing, but one snake moved fast, so it might be a little blurry.”

The responsible disciple took it, looked, and happily threw down his brush and paper: “Enough, enough.”

Finally, no need to draw hard copies.

Ning Yuanzheng had other matters and hadn’t arrived yet, the part Chu Xinghui experienced alone was not much, so he cooperated and explained the specific situation inside the cave once, then left the mission hall with Ming Xiao.

When the two reached the door of the mission hall, they saw Qin Suyun lingering nearby.

She had been confined on Daoyuan Peak for mental abnormalities for a while.

Now that Yue Yao was seriously injured and unconscious, she naturally could no longer influence this body.

Her mind had finally returned to normal, and she was released.

However, upon seeing this person, Chu Xinghui suddenly recalled another suspicious point.

The matter of the black-robed man… they first noticed it because when Yue Yao was captured and injured by the black-robed man, she used Qin Suyun’s body to reveal some information.

This incident happened at Daoyuan Peak.

Qin Suyun was not from Daoyuan Peak, and her usual activity routes were far from Daoyuan Peak.

Moreover, Daoyuan Peak did not practice swordsmanship, it was relatively independent within the Beiyue Sword Sect. Few people would casually visit Daoyuan Peak unless there was something important.

Most importantly, that day Qin Suyun had accepted a mission to go to Hanshui Marsh, and the incident occurred when the meeting time was very close. She had no reason to go to Daoyuan Peak.

Was this matter really an accident or a coincidence?

If it was not an accident… was it Qin Suyun, or Yue Yao, or perhaps someone else?

Ming Xiao saw him lost in thought and nudged him with his arm: “What’s wrong?”

Chu Xinghui suddenly asked: “Does your Daoyuan Peak… have any connection with Bihai Taohua Island?”

Ming Xiao was stunned for a moment: “Huh?”

That was totally unrelated.

Seeing that Chu Xinghui’s expression was not joking, Ming Xiao became serious and answered: “As far as I know, there shouldn’t be. But I haven’t been a disciple long, if you want to know, I can ask my master.”

Chu Xinghui nodded: “Thanks.”

He thought of suspicious points others might not think of, but just to be safe, asking more couldn’t hurt.

Meanwhile, Qin Suyun wandered around the doorway and had already seen the two of them.

Her eyes lit up, before Chu Xinghui left, she immediately chased after him and greeted him enthusiastically: “Senior Brother, you’re back!”

Chu Xinghui politely replied: “Cultivator Qin.”

Qin Suyun skillfully started inviting Chu Xinghui, trying to get close to him.

Chu Xinghui felt a headache and quickly interrupted her, cautiously asking: “I heard Cultivator Qin had some problems recently. Are you better now?”

Qin Suyun smiled gently: “Senior Brother, don’t worry, I have fully recovered.”

Chu Xinghui continued probing: “I heard Cultivator Qin kept murmuring the words ‘Bihai Taohua.’ I wonder if you have any connection to Bihai Taohua Island?”

Qin Suyun glanced at Ming Xiao, who had been pretending to be mute.

That person was present when “she” went mad and likely told Chu Xinghui.

Ming Xiao pretended not to see her glance.

Qin Suyun secretly cursed Yue Yao and Ming Xiao repeatedly in her heart, rolled her eyes, and lied on the spot: “It’s like this, Senior Brother once mentioned the name ‘Yue Yao’ to me… To understand you better, I looked up that name and found it belonged to the saintess of Bihai Taohua Island. So I casually looked up some information about Bihai Taohua Island. That’s probably why I murmured those words when I was unconscious.”

Chu Xinghui observed her expression.

She seemed to truly know nothing.

Qin Suyun thought he was finally attracted by her carefully done appearance today. Under his gaze, she nervously and shyly adjusted her hair and sweetly asked: “Senior Brother, what’s wrong?”

Chu Xinghui immediately withdrew his gaze and shook his head: “Nothing.”

Obviously, everyone else had progressed quite far, but Qin Suyun still stayed in place, unaware of any outside changes, persistently stuck on her or his original goal. This was indeed a kind of skill.

It was just unknown whether it was real or feigned.

After probing, Chu Xinghui did not waste more time, quickly said goodbye to Qin Suyun, and pulled Ming Xiao away.

*

On the other side, Xie Liufeng had already gone to find the sect master and told the whole story from start to finish.

After finishing, he pondered for a moment and remembered something else: “Oh, right, we also brought back that saintess of Bihai Taohua Island. She is still injured but not dead yet. Remember to make arrangements.”

Yue Yao should know a lot of things. Since she had fallen onto their turf, she had to provide some useful information.

Fang Yan nodded: “Alright.”

Xie Liufeng reviewed everything again, made sure all the necessary things were said, and planned to take his leave.

As he turned, Fang Yan suddenly saw something and called out to him: “Wait!”

Xie Liufeng turned back, puzzled: “What’s wrong?”

Fang Yan’s gaze drifted behind his neck, and he lightly cleared his throat: “Uncle Shi, you… should pay a bit more attention to your appearance.”

Xie Liufeng did not quite understand what he meant: “Hmm?”

Fang Yan blushed a little and stammered for a long time without saying anything useful. He could only cover his face and repeat: “I mean… your looks.”

Xie Liufeng was puzzled for a moment, tidied up his already neat clothes, and politely thanked him: “Thanks.”

Fang Yan: “…”

When Xie Liufeng walked out, he bumped into Xue Heng, who came to report about Qin Suyun.

Xue Heng glanced at him, originally not intending to greet him, but saw something strange.

He immediately asked: “Who bit your neck?”

Fang Yan choked on the water he had just drunk.

It had to be Senior Uncle Xue—seeing something, he said it, there was nothing he wouldn’t dare to say.

Xie Liufeng was stunned for a moment.

He hesitated and touched his neck, finally discovering the problem.

There was a bite mark, somewhat towards the back, and not very deep. Neither he nor Chu Xinghui had noticed it and had casually brought it out like that.

Xie Liufeng had lived for so many years and felt for the first time that his face wasn’t thick enough.

He calmly used his spiritual power to erase the mark and firmly said: “Senior Brother Xue must have seen wrong.”

After saying that, he quickly left the place.

Xue Heng looked at Xie Liufeng’s back with mixed feelings and snorted.

Last time he even clarified it wasn’t a Dao companion relationship, and now this?

 

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