Chapter 217 : Little Shadow
Jiang Mo noticed her Senior Sister's low spirits but couldn't figure out the cause.
According to the system, she had been unconscious for three days after they were ambushed. During those three days, she and her Senior Sister were separated, so she didn't know how long Senior Sister had been unconscious or what she had experienced—the room where Senior Sister had been kept was clearly quite different from the tiger's cell. Judging by Senior Sister's spirit and attire, she didn't seem to have suffered any indignities, but what exactly had happened remained puzzling.
After holding back for several days, Jiang Mo finally couldn't contain herself any longer. She reached out with her chubby little hand and tugged at her Senior Sister's clothes. When Yun Qingyue turned to look at her, she uncomfortably curled into a ball and asked timidly: "Senior Sister, what have you been thinking about these past few days?"
Yun Qingyue had a cool but forthright personality. Usually when the Little White Tiger asked her something, as long as it wasn't something that couldn't be discussed, she wouldn't conceal it. However, this time when faced with the Little White Tiger's inquiry, obvious hesitation appeared on her face, and her beautiful willow-like eyebrows furrowed even tighter. In the end, she didn't say anything, just shook her head slightly and lowered her gaze again.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Mo grew increasingly concerned and curious, like an itch she couldn't scratch. But since her Senior Sister wouldn't speak, she obviously couldn't force the issue, so she could only ask the system in her heart: "System, what's wrong with Senior Sister?"
The system pondered, stroking its nonexistent chin, before finally answering: "I don't know."
Jiang Mo was speechless and couldn't be bothered with it anymore. With nothing else to do, she secretly peeked outside the Innate Space—outside was naturally still the place they had entered from, the room where her Senior Sister had been confined. Originally, because she had pushed Ziqi away and knocked over the dressing table, the room had been in disarray, and during her previous peeks, no one had cleaned it up. But this time the room had been tidied, as if everything had returned to normal.
Noticing this, Jiang Mo brightened and turned to gently tug at her Senior Sister's clothes again. Yun Qingyue patiently looked over once more, her glassy eyes gazing at her with resignation, as if asking "what is it now?"
As a transformed white tiger, the toddler's eyes were golden, now gleaming brightly: "Senior Sister, the room outside has been cleaned up. It seems they've given up looking for us."
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue finally perked up and after some thought said: "Then let's go out and take a look."
Jiang Mo naturally had no objection. In fact, facing her Senior Sister in this toddler form was very stressful for her. Even though Senior Sister paid little attention to it, and even though days had passed, she still felt uncomfortable. So she immediately agreed: "I'll go out and check first. Senior Sister, don't rush to come out. If there's any problem, I can return more quickly by myself."
The toddler spoke seriously and methodically, but in truth, she could also quickly pull people into her Innate Space when needed. However, in the past when Senior Sister was injured and came to her Innate Space to recover, she had always moved her carefully, treating her like fragile porcelain.
Hearing her speak this way, Yun Qingyue naturally didn't want to insist and nodded: "Be careful."
Jiang Mo nodded and leaped out of the Innate Space. The moment she left, she transformed back into that majestic Little White Tiger. After landing, she instinctively shook her fur, feeling more comfortable in this form—heaven knows she had only been a tiger for just over two years, yet had lived as a human for over twenty years, how could she have developed such a strange feeling?!
This reflection flashed through her mind, but the Little White Tiger didn't dwell on it, as she had been influenced by this body many times before. According to the system, this had something to do with the Way of Heaven, which was subtly integrating her with her current identity.
Setting these thoughts aside, the Little White Tiger quickly examined her surroundings and confirmed that the room had indeed just been cleaned, with no traps set, which eased her anxiety somewhat. Still, she remained vigilant and didn't dare let her Senior Sister come out. She crept to the door, listened for a moment, and only after confirming there was no movement outside did she push the door open a crack.
The corridor outside was quiet, with sunlight streaming through the open windows, adding a touch of serenity.
The Little White Tiger carefully observed, and for safety, also had the system scan once more. Finally, the system said: "Don't worry, Host. There's no problem outside. Those demonic cultivators seem to have given up, and the guards on patrol are just like before."
Hearing the system say this, the Little White Tiger relaxed a bit more, though she still didn't dare lower her guard completely. After all, these demonic cultivators were strange—despite having a completely different energy system, they could somehow block the system's signals on this magic vessel. If they had other methods to hide people or set ambushes, it wasn't impossible that they could also deceive the system.
So after leaving the room, the Little White Tiger still moved cautiously, passing several guards without being discovered. Until she saw the sunlit deck ahead, she felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of escape.
Just then, the system suddenly spoke: "Host, you still have a kill mission. Have you forgotten?"
The Little White Tiger's step faltered. Having abandoned the mission once before, abandoning it a second time seemed much easier. She continued forward cautiously while responding to the system in her heart: "Senior Sister is still in my Innate Space. I need to ensure her safety. Besides, when can't we kill Chu Yang? As the Young Master of Nine Abyss Sect, he probably won't die so easily."
The system had already learned to be lazy from its host, but unlike its thoroughly lazy host, it had the main system and loan payments pressuring it from behind, so occasionally it had to stir itself to action. It immediately said: "But Host, the target is right in front of you. Are you sure you don't want to collect?"
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Chu Yang's attendant found it miraculous. His Young Master's seemingly disjointed instructions had somehow proved prescient—the scouts had watched for several days and indeed discovered the Crimson Blood Sect Leader leaving her magic vessel, and alone at that!
Their Nine Abyss Sect's cultivation technique was very special—the more they cultivated, the less human presence they emitted, which was quite useful for surveillance at times.
The Crimson Blood Sect Leader hadn't detected Nine Abyss Sect's surveillance, or perhaps she had but didn't care. The scouts naturally didn't dare follow a sect leader and could only watch helplessly as she disappeared from view. However, following the Young Master's earlier instructions, they immediately reported back, and within less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Chu Yang knew.
Upon hearing the news, Chu Yang's eyes lit up. He struck his left palm with his right fist, then stood and walked out: "The Crimson Blood Sect Leader avoids me, so today I shall meet her in person. None of you follow."
Hearing this, the attendant instinctively stepped forward: "But Young Master, the scouts didn't dare follow, so we don't know where Sect Leader Zhu went?"
Chu Yang didn't look back, simply waving his hand: "I know, I know..."
As he spoke, he was already out the door and far away. The attendant could only follow to the doorway, then watch helplessly as the Young Master flew away alone. Strangely, he seemed to be heading toward the righteous sects' spirit ships... Putting aside whether the righteous sect disciples would attack upon seeing a demonic sect's Young Master, the direction he was heading was completely different from where the scouts had reported Sect Leader Zhu going!
Chu Yang was well aware of this, but he clearly had more confidence in his own judgment. Besides, he wasn't truly reckless enough to storm the righteous sects' vessels—that would be asking for trouble. So after leaving the magic vessel, he quickly concealed himself.
Of course, the excited Chu Yang didn't know that two little shadows had silently followed him.
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The righteous and demonic paths faced each other across Mount Mingzong, with each side's vessels faintly visible from the other's bow. However, the distance wasn't actually close—the towering Mount Mingzong range separated them, with one side to the north and the other to the south.
Halfway there, Chu Yang changed his cultivation method and concealed himself—he was truly a genius who had cultivated two sets of techniques from the beginning, one from the righteous path and one from the demonic. When he activated his righteous path cultivation, he became a complete Daoist cultivator, able to suppress all his demonic energy without a trace, and vice versa. This was how he had so easily infiltrated Xuanqing Sect in the past.
Now Chu Yang activated Nine Abyss Sect's technique, and his presence suddenly diminished, even evading the divine sense of most people. He became like an inanimate object, silently slipping past the righteous disciples standing guard and approaching Xuanqing Sect's spirit ship.
What was he planning to do?
The Little White Tiger, following behind Chu Yang, tilted her head in confusion and looked at her Senior Sister, who had already been released from the Innate Space.
But how would Yun Qingyue know? However, watching Chu Yang approach Xuanqing Sect's spirit ship, her expression grew increasingly grim. The Little White Tiger guessed she was recalling Chu Yang's various offenses against Xuanqing Sect, new grudges and old hatred, and may have developed killing intent toward him.
Thinking of this, the Little White Tiger immediately placed her paw on her Senior Sister's hand.
Yun Qingyue's eyes indeed flashed with killing intent, but it subsided after the Little White Tiger pressed her hand. She looked back, and the Little White Tiger transmitted: "Senior Sister, you don't need to act when the time comes. Leave this person to me."
Her clear glassy eyes flickered: "Why?"
The Little White Tiger didn't even think about it, saying matter-of-factly: "Of course because your injuries haven't healed yet, Senior Sister. It's not worth risking yourself for him. Besides, I've already advanced to the Void Crossing stage. Taking care of an Element Soul stage Chu Yang will definitely be a piece of cake!" The system was right—this was a head that had delivered itself. Now that they had left the magic vessel, she had no reservations; she could claim it whenever she wanted.
Yun Qingyue looked at the Little White Tiger's proud stance and inexplicably felt a surge of irritation—this irritation wasn't directed at the Little White Tiger, of course, but at Chu Yang, who was now approaching Xuanqing Sect's spirit ship.
By now, Chu Yang was extremely close to Xuanqing Sect's vessel, close enough that if the Little White Tiger shouted, three Peak Masters would immediately rush out to deal with him. However, the Little White Tiger, eagerly waiting to complete her mission and earn points, had no intention of alerting the Peak Masters. If Fusion stage cultivators acted, there would be nothing left for her, a Void Crossing stage tiger, to do.
But before the Little White Tiger could sneak over to strike, she suddenly saw a ghostly figure drift out from somewhere. She didn't even have time to see who it was before the figure had already fled into the distance.
Soon after, Chu Yang also followed that figure, forcing the Little White Tiger to pursue as well.