Furthermore, once Zhao Honglan and Qu Tingquan returned to the Qinghong Sword Sect and explained the sequence of events to Zhao Rong, the sect would surely prepare in advance.
Zhao Rong hadn’t become the Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance for nothing. While he wouldn’t necessarily have the Alliance target this matter too aggressively, he would certainly invest more attention into it.
The food was delivered, and after the two finished eating together, night had already fallen.
Lian Li walked to the window and glanced outside, discovering that the moon was exceptionally bright tonight.
In the cities of the modern world, one might not feel it, but since coming here, if the lamps weren’t lit at night, one couldn’t even see the road clearly.
Tonight, however, the moon was so bright that the path was visible.
Just as Lian Li was feeling sentimental—noting that it wasn’t even the Mid-Autumn Festival yet, yet the moon was already so large and round—he suddenly heard the sound of a flute.
In an instant, his mind went blank. He lifted his foot, intending to walk outside.
Alarm bells rang in his head. He raised his hand and gave his own cheek a vicious pinch. The sharp pain snapped him back to his senses instantly.
At that moment, Yun Huizhou arrived at his side, his hand already resting on Lian Li’s shoulder, preparing to wake him.
Seeing that Lian Li had pinched himself awake, Yun Huizhou’s gaze fell upon his cheek.
Lian Li hadn’t held back with that pinch, fearing he wouldn’t be able to wake himself up. Consequently, his right cheek was not only red but also showed visible streaks of blood.
Clearly, that pinch had caused the capillaries to bleed; by tomorrow, there would likely be a purple bruise on his face.
Lian Li didn’t care at all about what he had done to himself. He turned to look at Yun Huizhou and said, “Something’s wrong.”
Yun Huizhou nodded and grabbed his wrist, saying, “Let’s go. Hide first.”
Lian Li didn’t struggle or refuse. Following behind Yun Huizhou, he asked, “What about you? Your injuries haven’t healed yet; you’re not thinking of going out, are you?”
Yun Huizhou paused for a moment and said, “Brother Zhao and Miss Qu are still here. For the time being, it’s not an injured person’s turn to take the stage. Besides, Senior Uncle is here. For this person to dare strike at the people in this courtyard, isn’t that provoking Senior Uncle directly? Presumably, they feel they can trade blows with Senior Uncle. She will handle it.”
Hearing this, Lian Li knew that although Yun Huizhou hadn’t said it explicitly, he intended to hide together with him.
Yun Huizhou pulled him along, heading nowhere else but toward the East Island Matriarch’s small courtyard.
Just as they reached the entrance, they saw the courtyard doors wide open. The East Island Matriarch was sitting on a stone stool, drinking from a wine jar.
Looking at her eyes, she seemed somewhat tipsy.
“Senior Uncle,” Lian Li called out, a bit worried that she might suffer a loss in this state.
Yun Huizhou patted his shoulder lightly, signaling him with a look to rest easy.
The East Island Matriarch waved her hand and said, “Stay here. If they dare enter my courtyard, I’ll go and overturn their nest.”
After saying this, the East Island Matriarch took the wine jar and flew off in the direction of the flute music.
Lian Li watched her departing figure and asked Yun Huizhou, “Is it the Spirit Cult? It shouldn’t be, right? Weren’t their Great Elder and Cult Leader already driven back by Senior Uncle before? Their injuries shouldn’t be healed yet. Are they not afraid of being killed by Senior Uncle if they come again?”
Yun Huizhou replied, “It’s not the Spirit Cult. If the Spirit Cult had someone of this caliber, we wouldn’t have lasted until Senior Uncle arrived.”
Lian Li: “Then it’s…?”
Yun Huizhou’s expression was serious, and his tone was somewhat grave. “I’m not entirely sure, but if it’s the party I suspect, I’m afraid the Martial Arts Alliance is going to be very busy soon.”
Lian Li blinked, beginning to recall his fragmented memories of the book.
Combining them with the plot he had experienced so far, he felt that although some events had occurred, they felt more like foreshadowing; it was all a bit too calm.
The main event should be coming up next—it was very likely approaching a climax in the plot.
Thinking of this, he suddenly realized he had previously fallen into a misunderstanding.
He had always worried about Yun Huizhou falling victim to a hidden hand, causing his martial arts to regress and preventing further progress, so he had been on guard everywhere.
But he had overlooked the most important point: the previous events could only be considered the early stages and foreshadowing of the plot. Yun Huizhou was a very important supporting male character; how could such a significant event happen so early?
Even if it didn’t happen at the very end, it would definitely occur during the climax of the story.
In other words, his extreme caution back at the Su Mansion had been completely unnecessary, because it simply wasn’t the time for Yun Huizhou to be sabotaged yet.
At this thought, Lian Li’s hands felt a bit numb. He asked in a trembling voice, “Who do you suspect it is?”
Yun Huizhou: “The Demonic Sect that was driven out of the Central Plains fifty years ago.”
Yun Huizhou knew a little about the Demonic Sect, but not much. After all, when the Demonic Sect was driven out, let alone him, even his parents might not have been born yet.
It was only when the South Island Lord took him to the grasslands to catch horses that they traveled a bit further west to find better steeds, and the South Island Lord told him some things about the Demonic Sect.
However, that era was truly too far removed from Yun Huizhou. Although the South Island Lord had experienced it personally, changes were inevitable after so much time.
Lian Li thought about those classic tropes and asked, “Could it be that the Demonic Sect is preparing to make a comeback?”
“Yes.”
Yun Huizhou answered without the slightest hesitation. This surprised Lian Li; he only suspected it because he knew this was a book, and usually, when a Demonic Sect is driven away, there is bound to be a plot about their return to power.
But Yun Huizhou didn’t know this was a book. Furthermore, he had been with Yun Huizhou all year; logically, he should know everything Yun Huizhou knew. How could he not see any signs of the Demonic Sect’s return during this time?
Thinking this, he asked again, “You’re that certain?”
“Of course,” Yun Huizhou said. “The one playing the flute—I’ve crossed paths with him before. He is a member of the Demonic Sect.”
Lian Li: “…”
He never expected such a reason. Now that this person had appeared and both the East Island Matriarch and Yun Huizhou had seen him, didn’t that mean the Martial Arts Alliance knew the Demonic Sect was coming back?
Didn’t this mean they had seen through the Demonic Sect’s conspiracy in advance!?
Thinking of this, Lian Li said with some excitement, “Then let’s send the news to the Martial Arts Alliance as soon as we get back! We’ll stop the Demonic Sect from making a comeback!”
By seeing through the conspiracy early and nipping it in the bud while it was still a tiny sprout, all would be well!
Seeing his excited look, Yun Huizhou’s hand itched with the urge to pinch his cheek.
After repeatedly warning himself to mind the boundaries of his interactions with Lian Li, he suppressed the urge to pinch him and spoke: “The Martial Arts Alliance already knows.”
“Eh?” Lian Li was puzzled. “They know?”
“Yes,” Yun Huizhou said. “Do you remember Double-Bladed Steel, who went to cause trouble in Fengyi City?”
