Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 420 Elder Liao

The moonlight is hazy.

Only ashes remained amidst the barren mountains and weeds, scattered by the wind and disappearing into the dark night, along with the scattered traces of blood.

Zhu Wuyao calmly and unhurriedly dealt with the crime scene.

This person has low cultivation and weak strength; killing him won't take much effort.

If Zhu Wuji hadn't repeatedly spoken rudely, his malice blatantly obvious, it would have been more swift and decisive to end things with a single sword strike.

She had thought that the person who stole the original owner's Ascension Token was probably not a good person, but she never expected that Zhu Wuji would be so unpopular.

He kept saying that the original owner was a pampered young lady, but now it seems that he himself has become the most foolish person.

Zhu Wuyao retrieved the Wufeng Sword.

She picked up the sword that Zhu Wuji had left on the ground, hung it behind her, covered her face with the Thousand Image mask, disguised herself as Zhu Wuji, and walked down the mountain.

It is now late at night.

It has to be said that Zhu Wuji's unlikable personality actually made things easier for her.

He didn't have any close friends within the sect. Although Elder Liao was his master and disciple, he hadn't personally guided him many times.

The probability of being discovered is almost zero.

Zhu Wuyao moved quietly and tiptoed back to his residence in the Qingyun Sect.

She gently closed the door and was about to turn around when a voice suddenly came from behind her:

"Where have you been so late?"

Zhu Wuyao froze, his turning motion faltering as he recognized the voice as belonging to Elder Liao.

She did not hide her panic.

He slowly turned around and smiled ingratiatingly at Elder Liao:

"Master, it's so late...why aren't you meditating..."

Elder Liao's gaze was like lightning, sweeping over "Zhu Wuji" as if he could see right through the person in front of him.

Under such scrutiny, Zhu Wuyao even began to doubt whether his identity had been exposed.

But then I thought about it——

Putting aside the fact that she wasn't exposed when she was impersonating Wu Guihong using Qianxiang, now that a wisp of Zhu Wuji's soul has been incorporated into Qianxiang, and given that the two are from the same clan, there should be no flaws.

I hope Wuyao can calm down.

They guessed that Elder Liao had come for today's matter, but they discovered that Zhu Wuji was not there.

What bad luck...

Under Elder Liao's intense gaze, she still had to make a choice: being exposed was a big deal, while having Zhu Wuji's actions revealed tonight was a small matter.

"It's...it's Senior Wu from the Juque Sect. He knows that I have a connection with Zhu Wuyao and that we are from the same clan, so he sent me a telepathic message to arrange a meeting..."

"Master, I have not lied about what I said!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Liao let out a light snort, seemingly expecting it but displaying utter disdain.

"When his men committed wrongdoings and were wiped out when they met a tough opponent, he suddenly put on airs like an elder."

"I don't think it's embarrassing at all."

After making that sarcastic remark, Elder Liao glanced at Zhu Wuji, a hint of disdain in his eyes, and asked:

"He asked you to go, so you went?"

"Have you forgotten that you are a disciple of the Qingyun Sect, not a member of the Juque Sect?"

It's clear that Elder Liao really looks down on Zhu Wuji.

But the one using the identity of "Zhu Wuji" now is her, Zhu Wuyao. If Elder Liao's favorability towards her drops to the extreme, it might cause her a lot of trouble for no reason.

This is also why, when the four factions gathered, she spoke up for him as Wu Guihong.

Ultimately, isn't it all about making life more comfortable for oneself?

With this in mind, Zhu Wuyao decided to try and win over this "master" a little. She gritted her teeth and said, as if she were going all out:

“My senior classmates always compare me to her, and I do feel resentful.”

"But in the end, they are still family members."

"Upon hearing that she had been possessed, I was filled with mixed emotions. I thought of the sibling bond we had when we were young, and I wanted to seek justice for her, which is why I acted in this way."

Elder Liao's expression softened slightly, but the suspicion and disdain in his eyes remained.

Zhu Wuyao knew that these words alone could not completely change Elder Liao's opinion of Zhu Wuji.

Zhu Wuji didn't want to seek justice for Zhu Wuyao.

His malice toward Zhu Wuyao stemmed from the fact that everyone regarded him as a "low-class counterfeit".

It was clearly his own fault for being unworthy of the title "sword cultivator," yet it seemed as if all the misfortunes stemmed from Zhu Wuyao's existence.

It's as if he could ascend to the position of Sword Immortal just because Zhu Wuyao is gone.

Therefore, regardless of whether Zhu Wuyao had been possessed or not, he hated him and wished him dead.

Elder Liao continued:

"I don't want to say much about how the Ascension Token came about. After all, our four sects only recognize tokens, not people. This is a rule that was set long ago."

"But since we are master and disciple, I will remind you one more time—focus your mind on your sword and stop thinking about those crooked and evil methods."

This is a fair point.

This must be the first time Elder Liao has reminded Zhu Wuji. If he had listened, he wouldn't have harbored such resentment and spent his days comparing himself to others.

Zhu Wuyao nodded repeatedly, making it seem like the words went in one ear and out the other.

A little embarrassment will suffice.

If the change were too drastic, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. She followed Zhu Wuji's original temperament and said:

"Master is right!"

"This disciple will definitely turn over a new leaf, practice swordsmanship diligently from now on, and spar more with fellow disciples!"

Upon seeing Zhu Wuji's stubborn and incorrigible nature, Elder Liao's newly arising intention to impart knowledge and skills was immediately dampened, as if doused with cold water.

Stop it!

Everyone has his own life.

But then Elder Liao thought again, it seems that Senior Brother Qian has been selecting some of the top-ranking disciples in the Sword Trial Realm these past few months to explore the secret realm discovered by the Zhu family.

Who knows what kind of trouble this kid might cause?

He put on a stern face and said:

"Still sparring with fellow disciples?"

"You still haven't changed your habit of not being able to stand others being better than you. Ultimately, the greatest enemy of a sword cultivator is himself."

"And you, when you encounter the weak, you become complacent and think highly of yourself; when you see the strong, you feel jealous and resentful, thinking that others have used underhanded means."

"I think you won't need to spar with your fellow disciples after you go back."

"Stay in your own courtyard and seclude yourself for three months to cultivate yourself."

Zhu Wuyue instinctively agreed without being invited:

"Yes!"

Then, realizing what Elder Liao had said, he quickly added:

"no!

"Master, I also want a fair chance to compete!"

Zhu Wuyao's eyes widened in disbelief; he never expected things to develop this way.

If only she had known... if only she had known, she would have continued to try and save face for Zhu Wuji...

When she looked up, she met Elder Liao's unquestionable gaze. The words she wanted to say were swallowed back, and she could only swallow the bitter pill.

Elder Liao indeed ignored him completely.

The conversation turned to the main topic of why he had come to see Zhu Wuji that evening, and he asked:

"I guessed that Wu Guihong would come looking for you."

"I came to find you tonight to ask if you noticed anything unusual during our conversation?"

Zhu Wuyao lowered his head, narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this, and tentatively asked:

"I don't know... which part of what Master said is wrong?"