Midnight.

Qilian Mountain.

The forest that had been razed to the ground was also the burial place of Zhenyang Sect’s elder, Zheng Shengmo.

Now it was a desolate and lifeless wasteland.

Even the moonlight hid behind the clouds, unwilling to illuminate this dead land.

And it couldn’t illuminate the figure standing in the darkness.

She had a gentle demeanor, a graceful figure, but her face was filled with endless coldness as she looked up at the sky, muttering:

"An Isolation Array?"

Wei Wan made a gesture, and the Qingbo Sword flew to her feet, carrying her slowly into the air. Her hand gently brushed through the air, feeling the residual traces of an array, and she suddenly opened her eyes:

"It’s not an Array Talisman!"

Some simple arrays could be painted by an Array Master onto Talisman Paper and then crafted into an Array Talisman by a Talisman Master.

According to Lin Qingchou, Zheng Shengmo had deceived her into coming here, used force against her, and to cover his tracks, Zheng Shengmo had used an Array Talisman to create an Isolation Array, which made sense.

However, Lin Qingchou never mentioned the Isolation Array at all.

Yet Wei Wan discovered traces of an array here.

And after a recent inspection, Wei Wan also confirmed that this array was not created with Talisman Paper, but was painted by an Array Master.

Zheng Shengmo was not an Array Master, so if he wanted to create an Isolation Array, he would have definitely used Array Talisman Paper.

The current circumstances could only indicate one thing—there was a third person here at the time.

Wei Wan raised her hand to draw a Tracking Array, attempting to trace the presence of the array’s creator from the residual traces at her feet.

Boom!

The Restoration Array shattered, and the visual disappeared.

A thin stream of blood trickled from the corner of Wei Wan’s mouth, her face showing astonishment.

"My array was countered? Someone had already set up an Array-Breaking Array here in advance! There really was a third person!"

Who was it?

Wei Wan knit her brows finely, falling into deep thought.

Regarding the death of Zheng Shengmo, Wei Wan had many suspicions in her heart.

She didn’t fully believe Lin Qingchou’s words, and even the process of hunting down the Red Flame Fox that night seemed suspicious to her.

That was why she had stealthily come to the scene to investigate under the cover of night.

As expected, there was another person besides Zheng Shengmo and Lin Qingchou at that time.

This person was the crux of the entire incident.

Zheng Shengmo is dead, and the reputation of Zhenyang Sect is damaged—was that person’s purpose achieved?

Wei Wan wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth, her cheeks pale.

"Zhenyang Sect is my father’s lifework; I can’t let anyone destroy it!"

...

...

In a picturesque valley, a young Wei Wan kneeled before a middle-aged man who said to her:

"Daughter, you are twenty years old now; you can leave this valley."

Wei Wan lifted her head, her childish face laced with a hint of fear:

"Father, what is the outside world like?"

The middle-aged man smiled, his gentle hand caressing her head:

"Daughter, outside there is your brother and me; you don’t need to fear. Just remember, always protect your family, protect the secret."

Being treated with such rare kindness by her father, Wei Wan was momentarily stunned, quickly nodding her head:

"Father, I will remember!"

The middle-aged man nodded with satisfaction: "Your brother’s name is Mo Sha; I will take you to find him."

Wei Wan was taken aback: "Name? Father, what is a name?"

The middle-aged man chuckled: "A name is everyone’s code, making it easy for others to remember. Since you’ve been in this valley without needing to meet anyone, you haven’t needed a name. But now you do."

Wei Wan was a bit happy and promptly asked: "Father, then what is my name?"

The middle-aged man still wore a smile on his face, though his eyes were devoid of emotion: "Your name will be Mo Ling."

...

Spirit Corpse Mountain.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Mo Sha was furiously swinging the God-piercing Whip, lashing it fiercely over Mo Ling’s body, Mo Ling clothed in black, her back facing Mo Sha.

Her clothing was shredded to ribbons, revealing a back covered in fresh wounds, yet her expression remained calm—or rather, numb—letting Mo Sha rain down lash after lash upon her.

"For stopping me from capturing that slut, for your presumptuousness, I’ll beat you to death, you wretch!"

"That woman is a disciple of Xiyue Peak; I know her."

"So what? I beat you up, a slut, as I please. What difference does it make if I’m capturing a woman you know?"

During the Northern Wilderness Trial of the Three Great Sects, a female disciple of Zhenyang Sect got lost, and Mo Sha wanted to capture her and refine her into a Spirit Corpse, but was stopped by Mo Ling.

Thus, filled with rage, Mo Sha had dragged Mo Ling into his room upon his return, using the God-piercing Whip to beat her mercilessly.

The whip, lined with sharp barbs, dug deep into flesh, pulled out savagely, and then struck again.

This brutal abuse was not the first time, but Mo Ling always endured it silently.

Because she always remembered her father’s words to protect her brother. If she retaliated after a few lashes, her brother would die.

Her father and brother were her only family; she could not lose them.

"Brother, father said not to act rashly towards members of the sect."

"Brother?"

Hearing her words, Mo Sha laughed heartily, then struck another heavy blow, Mo Ling’s body trembled, yet she still did not resist.

Mo Sha stepped in front of her, kicking her to the ground, stomping on her face, his voice full of derision:

"You slut, do you really think you’re my sister?"

Mo Ling was taken aback, confused as she looked up at him: "Brother, what are you saying?"

Mo Sha slapped her face, his eyes full of disgust:

"Father only valued your talent, killed your parents, and took you, raised you to be an obedient tool for me, and you dare defy me! You wretch!"

Mo Ling was dumbfounded: "Brother, I don’t understand what you’re saying."

"I can’t stand your submissive demeanor, thinking such behavior will make father favor you more? Slut, damn slut!"

Filled with rage, Mo Sha kicked her in the stomach, then proceeded to beat her relentlessly.

Blood splattered incessantly.

"Bastard, shameless wretch! I’ll beat you to death, beat you to death!!"

Ah!!

Wei Wan suddenly sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, her eyes darting around in fear until she realized where she was.

She was in the guest yard of the City Lord of Zhenlian City.

She wasn’t in that desolate valley.

Nor in Spirit Corpse Mountain.

Her brother was already dead; she could never return to Spirit Corpse Mountain again.

Even though her brother wasn’t very kind to her, he would sometimes call her sister; aside from their father, he was the closest person to her.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to protect him.

Wei Wan clutched her head, silent for a moment, before slowly getting out of bed, taking a set of fresh clothes, and leaving the room to head for the bath.

The recent nightmare had left her entire body drenched in sweat, sticking to her as if the barbs of the God-piercing Whip were embedded in her flesh, uncomfortable.

Wei Wan looked around, drawing an Isolation Array with her hand, before stepping to the bath filled with hot water, removing her green gown, then her undergarments.

In the next moment, a graceful and fair body appeared in the lamplight.

But this beautiful body was covered with countless hideous scars, like ugly crawling creatures wriggling across what was once a pure form.

At this moment, a pearl flew out from Wei Wan’s clothing, emitting light.

Wei Wan hastily donned her clothes, kneeling respectfully.

Quickly, within the light, that enormous cave shrouded in immortal mist appeared once again.

A man sat in front of a waterfall, his back to Wei Wan.

"Father," Wei Wan called respectfully.

The man asked indifferently, "How did Zheng Shengmo die?"