“Senior Li… I’ve always… always…” Her mind overwritten with uncontrollable lust, Zhi Rou’s hot breath landed on Li Muchen’s face.

Her floral scent overpowering his nose, he looked at the glazed eyes with a hint of helplessness. Even in her current state, Zhi Rou was his equal in cultivation, and with nothing weakening her the strength she gained from strong emotions was terrifying.

So, to avoid the lips that sought his innocence, Muchen covered her mouth with his right hand.

“Mmph!” Her hot tongue slide across his palm, sending a chill down his spine

“You are moving a bit too fast for my taste. At least ask me out on a date before.” He flipped her to the ground, holding her down with force.

The hand did more than hold her at arm’s length. The pill hidden in his palm slipped into the mouth of the woman thrashing with passion. Understanding that it would be harder to make swallow in her current situation Li Muchen had made the pill in a way that it dissolved when touched with saliva.

It took but a few moments for the medicine to slide down Zhi Rou’s throat and spread throughout the body from the stomach. Given the half-conscious state, the pill had been programmed to follow the Qi pathways from the stomach to other meridians and eliminate the poison that had taken root.

“She’s finally calm.” He took his hand away from Zhi Rou’s mouth as her heavy eyelids lowered.

Now pacified, Li Muchen placed on the hay mattress and covered her with the blanket. The blackness of the Plum blossom on her forehead started to recede by a hair’s width a moment. According to his calculations, the process would take at least twelve hours.

During that time, he couldn’t leave as the antidote had to be administered every half an hour. Since the poison had stayed in her for a while, the chance of her going out of control remained high.

Even after preparing everything in advance, there is still a chance for things to go awry. Li Muchen gazed at Zhi Rou’s pale skin.

Opening her mouth slightly he could see the cuts in the lower lips and tongue made from her resistance against the poison.

One of the reasons he came to Heaven’s Pond around this time was to meet Gu Yingyue and save Zhi Rou.

In the future, Zhi Rou couldn’t get the antidote in time and the Peach Blossom blackened completely. In that state the poisoned was reduced to a mindless animal, in that moment they can’t identify between friend or foe such was the common point of all Black Blossom variants.

To avoid killing Yingyue in her craze, Zhi Rou chose to end her own life.

They only got her because they went after Yingyue. Incriminating their Sect on the side to keep them busy on all ends. And from there, Purple Cloud Sect’s true downfall began.

However, Li Muchen had dampened the effect of the initial plan. And with this, he had taken another step to prevent more cracks from emerging in the monument called Purple Cloud Sect. What was left was to bring the antagonistic relationship between Azure Sky Sect and Purple Cloud Sect to an end, thus strengthening the relations between the Four Major Sects of the Continent.

Two more… Two more steps and it will be achieved. Li Muchen could take care of the third step, but Wang Yang was the only one who could handle the fourth.

Like the sun tailing the night, he waited for Zhi Rou to recover. The tar-like blackness waned, one petal at a time before the center faded into her skin.

Muchen could hear the roosters from the village when Zhi Rou’s long eyelashes fluttered. She appeared to be in a daze, but it wasn’t like the one before.

“Arhhhhhhhhh!” She shot out of the bed, kicking her blanket. Her scream loud enough to rouse the village if it wasn’t for the concealment formation.

“S-S-Senior Li… T-T-That wasn’t me I swear!” Her voice cracked, not a hint of calmness on her red face.

“What are you talking about?” Muchen tilted his head.

“Y-You know… last night…” Even in that state, Zhi Rou remembered what she had done. Such a scandalous act was too much for her normal self to fathom.

“Did something happen last night?” However, Li Muchen acted dumb for her sake.

“…Nothing happened last night?” She asked, her voice meek as a little child.

“Nothing happened.” He said.

“You aren’t lying?”

“I am not.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Li Muchen’s unfaltering smile made Zhi Rou question if her mind had played tricks on her. She could’ve sworn she remembered pushing him down. But now it all felt like a fabricated memory, one born out of her drugged state.

“Come now, take a seat so I can monitor your situation. Yingyue is probably worried sick.” He said.

“Understood, also I am really thankful for your help.” Zhi Rou’s face returned to seriousness, still maintaining a healthy blush.

“You can save that for later.” With the poison and the antidote gone from her body, Muchen examined her physical state in detail to administer extra medicine. But he had some questions that she needed to answer so he could understand the situation.

“So, how did Gu Yingyue, a successor for the Abode Head fall into a situation where she only had one bodyguard with no contact from the Gu Family?” He asked.

“About that…” Zhi Rou hesitated.

“You don’t have to tell if you can’t.” He reassured her.

“It’s not like I can’t tell Senior Li, rather if I do you may get in trouble too with how the Purple Cloud Sect is.”

“The Azure Sky Sect may be at odds with Purple Cloud Sect but I have a good relationship with your Abode Head, Gu Yue. If I leave her disciple in trouble and something happens, that woman won’t let me rest in peace.” Muchen said.

“…...That does sound like her.” Zhi Rou smiled a little, that was all the joy she could find in that moment.

Rather than a collective organization like Azure Sky Sect where all the Peak Masters were the disciples of the Sect leader. The Purple Cloud Sect was more of a collection of five major and twenty small families that came together to form a single sect, one of them being the Gu Family.

The Sect had no Sect Leader, rather the patriarch of each major family participated in the council that overlooked the Sect while also maintaining the tug of war under the table.

The second strongest in the Purple Cloud Sect was Gu Yue, the current matriarch of the Gu Family.

Both Muchen and her were from the same generation and held considerable power in their respective sects. Their numerous encounters had forged a strong friendship between them.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“You shouldn’t stand on ceremony with me. It isn’t like you are a stranger to me either, I have seen you grow up.” Muchen patted Zhi Rou’s shoulder with a gentle smile.

“When you pull that argument, I have no choice but to comply…” Zhi Rou fell silent for moment to gather her thoughts before continuing, “Senior, do you remember Gu Changge? He’s back.”

“Wasn’t he executed? Could it be someone using his name and identity?” Li Muchen tried to give a sound assumption one would make. “After all, he was executed 20 years ago for using a Demonic Cultivation Method and went on a rampage.”

The execution of Gu Changge was done in secret and only people trusted by the Gu family’s head knew about the truth. To the rest of the world, a rising star simply died on a journey because of Demonic Cultivators along with his group. Li Muchen had heard the news straight from the one who carried out the punishment.

“That did happen, he may have been Lady Gu Yue’s older brother but she didn’t shrink from her responsibility as the matriarch. I helped her bury his body in the Shan mountains because they couldn’t let a demonic cultivator rest in the ancestral mountain.” She said.

“So, did you go check the burial site?” He asked.

“Yes, we had to after the letter in his name arrived at the Family’s main house. He promised that he would destroy the family who did him wrong. Only the direct family knows of the estate’s location so it caused a stir. With the unrest caused in the Purple Cloud Sect by the recent events, only a few people could take on this task. Thus, it fell on Lady Gu Yingyue and me.”

“So, after putting the sect in peril he spread the manpower thin before sending a provocation, knowing the number of people who could follow up was limited. It seems like a deliberate move to bring out the current successor of the Gu Family.” Li Muchen looked at her with an indifferent expression. “But his target wasn’t Yingyue in the end, was it?”

“He has always disliked me, no it is better to say he dislikes anyone with more talent than him. But there is a bigger purpose here. Steward Han was killed last month when he left to gather Xingqin fruit for Lady Gu. There was an attempt on Lord Gu Jun’s life two weeks ago while he was returning from the Purple Cloud Sect. He is still receiving treatment for his fatal wounds. And then the attack on me using Lady Yingyue…” Zhi Rou stopped speaking.

“Essentially, he wants to isolate Gu Yue. Going in order of people who found out about his Demonic Cultivation Method, the people she trusts the most.” Li Muchen smiled at the pattern. “He might be coming for me sometime in the future too.”

“Unlikely, only I and Matriarch Gu know that you have this information. And we won’t divulge it to anyone to get you involved.” Her voice turned firm.

“What are you talking about? I am already involved, aren’t I?” He chuckled, he wouldn’t step away even if they asked him to.

“…My apologies.” Zhi Rou’s voice deflated.

“Don’t worry about it. If the Gu Family is weakened then the balance in Purple Cloud Sect will collapse. In turn power shifts will happen on a major scale across the Twelve Minor Sects eyeing the position. When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman gains. So, ignoring this is detrimental to my sect too.” Muchen was already involved in the whole fiasco, now he’d simply get into it officially.

“You are once again looking at the bigger picture. Lady Gu was grateful for your consideration in the ambush cases too….” Zhi Rou’s sparkling eyes turned to him. “If someone like you was in Purple Cloud Sect, we would’ve become a monolith sect by now.”

“Give it up.”

“Come on, Matriarch Gu Yue is a great match for you, everyone thinks so.” She insisted, her face turning a deeper hue of red. “…But if you prefer me then…”

“Come to think of it, what were you asking about last night?” He faced her head-on.

“Please forgive me for I have been immature!” She bowed immediately.

“Apology accepted. Now, go meet the kid before she grinds her feet walking in circles.” He nodded to himself, finally acquiring a card to counter her pestering.

“Ruthless as always.” She muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, I’ll go now!” Zhi Rou rushed down the stairs at breakneck speed.

Exiting the door on the first floor she saw Yingyue walking in circles thirty steps away from house chewing her fingernail.

Like a gust of wind, she arrived behind the troubled youth. A soft smile on her lips as a pang of guilt pierced through her heart. Wondering what would’ve happened if Li Muchen didn’t meet them.

“Lady Yingyue.” But now wasn’t the time to think about what could’ve been.

Zhi Rou’s voice froze her in place like someone had hit her on the head with a rod. She turned around slowly, making sure to see the woman in front of her.

“Haven’t I told you not to chew your nails? That’s very unladyli-”

Yingyue interrupted the sermon with a hug. However, Zhi Rou didn’t have it in her to chide the trembling girl in her arms.

“I… am glad that you are safe, aunt.” Yingyue choked but still got her words out in her chest.

“What is this? Aren’t you the one who normally wants me to get out of your hair?”

“I swear… I’ll never say that again.”

“Then, I’ll keep bothering you till I am all wrinkly.” Zhi Rou spoke with an impish smile.

“…Isn’t that a bit too much?” Yingyue said after a pause.

“Tsk Tsk, so you are all talk after all. I should’ve known.”

Yingyue smiled at the obvious teasing, her eyes started to water at the thought of never hearing them again.

Li Muchen walked over on the banter and let them be. He couldn’t sense Wang Yang and Kexin in the village. Since the token failed to tell their location, they should be at Heaven’s Pond with Sun Lingling.

“Before I take you to a safe place, I need you two to understand two things.” Li Muchen got Zhi Rou and Yingyue’s attention away from the reunion.

“First, contact the Gu Family and report Zhi Rou dead and contain the news within the main family for now.” He set up the first task.

“That’s a good plan. Lady Gu has recently had doubts about a leak.” Zhi Rou understood the benefits in an instant.

Yingyue had something to say but decided to comply for now.

“Second, not a word about the place I am about to take you to.” He stressed this point.

“Don’t worry, we will keep it a secret for the rest of our lives.” Zhi Rou assured him with a smile.

A few minutes later…

“There is no way someone can keep this place a secret!” Her voice echoed in the cavern when she faced the Heaven’s Pond.

The unfathomable treasure had them wide-eyed.