The neighborhood was filled with more people now than a few minutes ago. It was amusing how quickly word spread, and everyone, especially the men of Lake Valley, gathered around in joyous expectation of the fall of this odious, daring man.

"Look at that, the esteemed cultivators are at the door."

"Even heaven collects their debts eventually."

"Heh! I said it from the start, that kind of luck doesn’t come without a price."

"I knew he was a fraud! You might have outsmarted Lady Sui, but you can’t outsmart the Peach Blossom Sect!"

Amidst the chattering crowd was a face with a silken complexion and cerulean eyes.

She thought to herself as she studied the commotion stealthily.

’What is Sui Rong thinking? Demanding that I come to a fraud like this to heal myself.’

She stood silently, her gaze still lingering on the compound, on the graceful man who stood opposite the disciples of the Peach Blossom Sword Sect.

’Still... she said her pain is gone. If he could heal Sui Rong’s pain that had existed longer than mine, maybe I should give this a try.’

She gritted her teeth silently, looking at the disciples who were troubling the Benefactor Leader.

’What are inner court disciples doing confronting a common man? What exactly are those elders doing? This must be the Clan Patriarch’s fault. That old fool — he’ll get an earful when I get back.’

She continued to observe the situation, wondering if she should intercept. But intercepting it would mean risking her own identity. At the same time, she didn’t want to lose an opportunity to be treated.

The man had no profound aura around him, which meant that he was a non-cultivator, yet he arrogantly spoke to the inner court disciples. Even she found this to be quite offensive.

And she knew that although Hei Jun was seen as a kind and gentle disciple, he was nothing but a pretender, always acting like a fox to win the favor of people. However, he was a promising cultivator who had managed to master three steps from the unique Blossom Sword technique.

She sighed and looked at the young man, shaking her head.

’I looked forward to testing his famed heaven-given skills. It’s a pity.’

As she turned to walk away from the crowd, she suddenly froze.

Her eyes trembled, and a bead of sweat rolled down her face.

’What is this? Demonic Qi?!’

It was hard to keep her trembling body still while existing beneath such an overwhelming aura. It loomed like the sky... but a tenebrous one, filled with a boundless, atavistic hostility.

’What in the heavens...’

She shuddered once more and slowly turned back to look at the compound. The people were obliviously chatting away and gossiping, unaware that a despicable existence as threatening as an elder from the Demonic Factions could very well be standing before them.

’Weakness is bliss.’

She focused on both the young man and the disciples. Hei Jun was now standing far back from the man, startling the people who had gathered around. Even the boy who cared so much for his reputation had moved on instinct, which showed that Hei Jun was strong enough to sense the unmatched hostility in the man’s Qi.

’What should I do? I can’t let them engage...’

Hei Jun was young. Even though he sensed the fear, he didn’t truly understand it. One needed to have faced an elder from a Demonic Sect to truly understand the suffocating weight of this Demonic Qi. He was an ambitious kid, bound to get a little reckless, and that recklessness might cost him his life.

’As much as I don’t want to be involved in this... he’s a promising talent of the sect at the end of the day.’

She sighed.

’A Demonic Qi that causes even me, a level 9 Spirit Realm expert, to shake in fear... that’s not common.’

She vanished from the crowd and, at the same time, appeared in the compound. A second before she appeared — the moment she vanished from the crowd — Wei Shi Lan sensed a profound Qi and suppressed his anger, withdrawing his overwhelming Dark Qi.

His eyes were indifferent as the cloaked lady appeared between him and the disciples. She cupped her hands toward Wei Shi Lan, and watched him from the hood of her black cloak.

"I heard of a man with the skill of heaven... is this a bad time to visit?"

Shi Lan studied her for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the disciples of the Peach Blossom Sect.

The lady among them snarled.

"Did you not hear that we are about to apprehend this man for a crime committed?"

She turned back slightly, peeking at the cloaked lady with cold blue eyes.

Hei Jun caught her eyes and also the profound aura that surrounded her. He got a familiar feeling from the nature of the Qi itself, and that scent of blue mountain lily could not escape his notice.

’This...’

His eyes widened as he realized it, and quickly his mind put everything together.

’Perhaps the Matriarch has come to look into this matter personally? If the Matriarch had to come herself, then this man here is not an ordinary criminal that we can handle. I see... the Matriarch is saving our lives, wanting to deal with the criminal herself.’

"Disciples of the esteemed Peach Blossom Sect, is it a problem if you come another day?"

The two disciples glared.

"You dare? State your name!" the lady yelled, her sword ready.

But immediately she felt a piercing glare from Hei Jun and shook, a flicker of unease crossing her face.

Hei Jun cupped his hands toward the cloaked lady.

"No, it is no problem. We shall choose another day to return and deal with this stranger."

He turned to look at the goon among them. The man shivered as Hei Jun’s piercing gaze fell on him, and he lowered his head to the ground.

Quickly, he began to pick up the coins that had been thrown on the ground, trembling and sweeping them into the pouch with his bare hands.

Hei Jun and the disciples bowed to the cloaked lady before stepping away and leaving the neighborhood.

On their way back, the disciples could not understand and questioned Hei Jun.

"Senior Brother, that man was weak. We could have taken him and shown him the might of the Peach Blossom Sect! And why did you give in so easily?!" Disciple Feng Shui spoke, sounding bitter.

"Yes, Senior Brother, you even backed away from him, making it seem as though the Great Peach Blossom Sword Sect is afraid of some unknown stranger. Senior Brother, would you grant us insight into why you behaved like this?"

Hei Jun bit the inside of his mouth, ripe with spite toward that young man. He breathed, managing to calm himself, and said:

"That man... is an elder of the Demonic Sect. There’s no way we could have dealt with someone like that. Why do you think the Matriarch herself had to step in?"

They shuddered and halted, the two of them looking at their senior brother with wide eyes.

"The... Matriarch?"

Hei Jun scoffed proudly.

"You fools, failing to recognize Mount Tai, and speaking rudely to the Matriarch who had come undercover to deal with the demonic elder."

Their faces paled, especially Yue Xin, who had spoken to the cloaked lady rashly. She fell to her knees, crying to the heavens and begging for forgiveness.

Hei Jun shook his head.

"You’re doomed."

He scoffed again and walked away.

Of course, he did not know if that young man was a demonic sect elder. In fact, he looked far too young to be one. But he didn’t care. This way, he had saved face among his junior disciples. And they would only speak of how he was able to recognize Demonic Qi while they couldn’t.

’Hmm, the results are not so bad. Let me go and report it all to the Patriarch.’ 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

He continued walking, smiling.

Meanwhile... the so-called Matriarch had managed to enter Wei Shi Lan’s bedroom.