"Greetings Senior Sister Li," Ji Wuye's voice was calm yet respectful as he slightly inclined his head, cupping his hands in a formal greeting.

His sharp eyes studied the slender figure before him - Li Rong, the Inner Disciple who was ever-present at Elder Qiao's side. He recalled her icy stare from their previous encounter, her gaze piercing like shards of frozen jade.

Li Rong met his greeting with stony silence, her porcelain features an inscrutable mask betraying no emotion. The delicate arch of her brows furrowed ever so slightly as Ji Wuye raised his head, undeterred by her lack of response.

"Of course not, Senior Sister," he began politely explaining, each word measured and precise.

"Then why do you insist? My Master warned you not to-" Li Rong's voice was as chilly as her demeanor, but her reprimand halted abruptly. Her eyes, dark, as deep forest pools, narrowed as she noticed the coachmen lingering nearby, their curious gazes fixed upon the unfolding interaction.

As if awakened from a trance by Li Rong's piercing stare, the coachmen snapped to attention, swiftly cupping their hands. "Greetings, hero of Kunlun," they murmured in unison, their tones laced with a reverence bordering on awe.

Ji Wuye remained unfazed, meeting Li Rong's icy countenance with an impassive expression of his own. "What choice do I have then?" he pressed on, undaunted. "Did Elder Mu send you here? Then I guess Senior Sister would take my position if I 'agree' perhaps?" His words carried a subtle edge, challenging yet politely veiled.

Suddenly…

A sharp staccato of approaching footsteps shattered the tense silence, heralding the arrival of Song Jia from within the village.

"Yo-you, I-I don't mean-" Her brow furrowed in a hardened expression as she neared, only to falter when she noticed the imposing figure of the Inner Disciple.

Her words caught in her throat, eyes widening briefly before she composed herself, cupping her hands with a slight bow. "Greetings Senior Sister."

Li Rong's severe mien melted into a warm smile, transformed by the presence of her Junior. "What a surprise. Greetings Junior Sister Song."

Her tone, once frigid towards Ji Wuye, now brimmed with warmth and cordiality. With a fluid gesture, she beckoned Ji Wuye to follow, distancing them from prying eyes and ears. "Please wait a moment, I need to discuss something with Junior Brother Ji."

Song Jia could only nod, a fleeting puzzlement flickering across her delicate features. Yet as her gaze found Ji Wuye's composed countenance, her lips pressed into a taut line, eyes hardening before she exhaled a long, breath.

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"Sigh, I cannot understand that man..." Song Jia murmured under her breath, eyes following Ji Wuye's retreating figure.

Her Master's words echoed in her mind - that men were simple creatures. Yet the man before her seemed anything but, his every action and utterance an intricate puzzle ensnaring her thoughts in a bewildering labyrinth.

Meanwhile…

Ji Wuye and Li Rong walked in terse silence, distancing themselves from the gathered coachmen until they reached the edge, where the grassy expanse of the plains unfurled before them. If one were to descend, they would find themselves on the main road leading away from this secluded hamlet.

Li Rong came to a halt, her lithe form silhouetted against the vast, verdant vista stretching out behind her.

As she crossed her arms, her unbending posture unconsciously accentuated the alluring curves hidden under her long flowing white martial robe.. Yet her expression remained as frosty as the winter's bite, those eyes glinting with a malcious intent that seemed to chill the very air around them.

"Yes I will. Then what will you choose?" Her words sliced through the silence, sharp and uncompromising, leaving no room for equivocation.

Ji Wuye's crimson gaze drifted briefly to take in the breathtaking panorama before settling on Li Rong's unyielding countenance.

"There is no need for additional explanation," he responded evenly, unhurried footsteps carrying him to stand beside his Senior Sister, seemingly unfazed by her glacial demeanor as he too savored the splendor of this pristine day.

"I will keep the mission. Please send my thanks to Elder Qiao for worrying about me," Ji Wuye continued, his tone one of respectful finality as he reaffirmed his resolve.

There was no cause for wariness on his part, not when this pivotal decision aligned so wholly with the newfound purpose burning within him. 'Even if there is actually a mysterious background about me,' he mused inwardly, unable to entirely suppress a fleeting curiosity.

Why now? As far as his recollections stretched, no such peculiar circumstances had arisen in that previous timeline.

He nearly scoffed at the notion, recalling Elder Qiao's cryptic words - until the mounting evidence, coupled with an Inner Disciple's willingness to assume his task, rendered denial increasingly implausible.

"Yo-you! Are you under-" Li Rong's biting reprimand faltered as she truly looked upon him, that unyielding crimson stare betraying not a shred of hesitation nor doubt.

With a disdainful snort, she clicked her tongue in clear vexation. "Fine then! I've done what my Master told me to do! Hmph!"

…

And with that curt dismissal, the tense confrontation reached its conclusion. Before long, Ji Wuye and Song Jia found themselves ensconced within the gently swaying horse carriage, descending from the lofty heights of Kunlun Qiuxiu Village.

"Woah...this is so refreshing..." Song Jia breathed, her eyes sparkling with wonder as they drank in the vast, verdant expanse of rolling grasslands beyond the carriage window. Unlike his previous journey, Ji Wuye had opted to sit inside rather than accompanying the driver.

"Is this your first mission?" he inquired, voice with subtle amusement.

Song Jia's wide-eyed reverie was broken as she turned to face him, features scrunching in an expression of such obvious disbelief.

"Of course this is my first mission," she stated, tone tinged with exasperation, as if the question itself were utterly absurd. "I just joined the sect, so everything is new to me."

"Right," Ji Wuye murmured, already anticipating her response from the telling expression that had so endearingly crossed her face.

Without awaiting her affirmation, his knuckles rapped against the wooden partition separating them from the driver's bench. "Uncle, please head to Tianmu Village instead," he called out, his casual redirection immediately capturing Song Jia's undivided attention.

Her brows knitted in a mixture of bewilderment and incredulity, eyes silently pleading for an explanation even as her lips parted, trembling with the weight of unvoiced questions.

Yet Ji Wuye's calm countenance offered no clarification, only leaving her to stare and marvel at his inscrutable motives.

"Understood," drifted the driver's succinct reply, utterly unperturbed by this sudden change of plans.

While the carriage bore the two disciples towards their mysterious new destination, distance away atop the lofty heights of Kunlun Qiuxiu Village, a solitary figure observed their departing shadows with an inscrutable gaze.

Li Rong, now watched in brooding silence as the carriage conveying her began to move, falling in behind Ji Wuye's trail.

"Let's go, Uncle. Just follow them quietly," she intoned, features etched into a deep frown that bespoke her utter displeasure at Ji Wuye's defiant choice. Yet an underlying resignation colored her words, as if already anticipating the futility of her pursuits.

"What choice do I have?" The weary sigh slipped unbidden from her lips, equal parts frustration and resignation. "Sigh..."