When Lu Li said he intended to investigate the Dan Ding Pavilion alone at night, Gu Qingying immediately panicked and said,
“Master… wouldn’t it be too dangerous for you to go to the Dan Ding Pavilion by yourself? How about letting your disciple accompany you…”
“If we, master and disciple, act together, we can look out for each other.”
Lu Li resolutely refused,
“No. The situation inside the Dan Ding Pavilion is uncertain, and the formation inside is strange, which means there must be a powerful expert stationed within.”
“Besides, Qingkong, your cultivation is still shallow. If something unexpected happens, I fear I won’t be able to protect you fully. Instead, I would be restrained.”
“So you staying here is the best way to be looked after.”
Hearing this, Gu Qingying’s heart sank.
She knew her master’s words were reasonable.
After all, although she was protected by the Cognition Modification System, in her master’s eyes she was just an ordinary Qi Refining disciple.
If she followed him, it would indeed make him feel restrained.
But… how could she feel at ease letting her master venture alone into the Dan Ding Pavilion, a mysterious force full of uncertainties that didn’t even exist in her previous life?
The regret and helplessness of failing to protect her master in her past life instantly gripped her.
However, even if she was unwilling in her heart, how could she convince her master to take her along?
She couldn’t risk exposing her identity by telling her master she actually had a system, could she?
Even if she wanted to, the system might not agree with her plan.
“But, Master…”
Gu Qingying tried to argue once more, a barely noticeable plea in her voice.
“Enough! This matter is not up for discussion.”
Lu Li’s tone was firm and decisive.
Then, with a serious expression, he told Gu Qingying,
“Stay here and cultivate peacefully. Wait for me to return.”
Looking at her master’s unusually serious back, knowing she couldn’t persuade him, Gu Qingying lowered her head and pretended to comply.
“Yes, disciple obeys.”
But as she spoke, a flash of determination suddenly flickered in her lowered eyes.
Since Master won’t let me go with him, then I’ll follow him secretly without letting him notice, that solves it!
Don’t worry, Master!
This life, I will never watch you face any danger alone again!
Even if my strength is still weak now!
I will risk my life to protect you!
That night, the moon was dark, and the wind howled.
Lu Li changed into a set of night clothes, his aura retracted like a stubborn stone, silently blending into the darkness as he hurried toward the Dan Ding Pavilion.
Not long after Lu Li left, Gu Qingying opened her eyes in the adjacent guest room.
She took a deep breath and whispered silently in her heart,
“System, activate cognition modification, maximum power!”
“Target: anyone who can perceive my existence!”
[Ding! Cognition modification activated!]
With the system’s prompt sounding in her mind, an invisible wave, imperceptible to the naked eye, quietly spread outward from her as the center.
Gu Qingying quickly changed into dark clothes suitable for nighttime movement, hid her Spirit Sword close to her body, and, like a shadow in the night, silently trailed far behind Lu Li.
The system’s power lowered her presence to an extremely low level, making it difficult even for Lu Li’s Divine Sense to detect her.
Lu Li was completely unaware of this.
He silently moved across rooftops of various residences throughout the city, all his attention focused on the Dan Ding Pavilion not far ahead.
After a moment, Lu Li lightly landed like a falling leaf in the shadow of a building opposite the Dan Ding Pavilion, his sharp gaze sweeping the pavilion’s back gate.
As he searched for the right moment to sneak in, a cattle cart loaded with sacks suddenly stopped slowly at the back gate.
The cart driver, with a special rhythm of three light knocks followed by two heavy ones, tapped the gate.
Immediately, a creaking sound followed as the door was gently pushed open from the inside just a crack.
Then, several figures dressed as laborers but moving with exceptional agility streamed out one after another.
They looked around cautiously.
Next, the laborers started unloading the heavy, writhing sacks from the cart, carrying them one by one inside.
Lu Li’s pupils contracted sharply at the sight.
In his mind, he silently connected the missing children case with the Dan Ding Pavilion, suspecting that the sacks might contain those missing children.
Just as he thought this, the laborers swiftly carried the sacks through the back gate and disappeared inside.
The back gate silently shut again, as if nothing had just happened.
Seeing the back gate return to silence, Lu Li no longer hesitated.
His figure flashed like lightning as he quickly climbed over the high wall of the Dan Ding Pavilion’s backyard, using the thick night shadows to successfully slip inside.
Almost simultaneously, as Lu Li landed and concealed himself behind the backyard rockery, Gu Qingying, using the system’s concealment and the experience accumulated from her previous life, safely infiltrated the Dan Ding Pavilion alongside Lu Li.
At this moment, she was like a shadow, silently landing on the other side of the courtyard wall, hiding behind a dense cluster of Spirit Plants, her heart pounding fiercely from nervousness and worry.
Her gaze locked tightly on Lu Li not far away.
But Gu Qingying had no idea that what she thought was a clever “mantis stalking the cicada” was actually being watched by a cunning sparrow behind her—a sparrow that had already taken in the entire scene in the courtyard.
***
In the Dan Ding Pavilion’s underground secret chamber,
Gong Shangyu lazily leaned back in a soft chair lined with mink fur, listening to the wails of the hideous living corpses trapped in the surrounding prison cells.
Her fingertips lightly traced the surface of a floating glass mirror before her.
Within the glass mirror, the real-time scene of the Dan Ding Pavilion’s backyard was clearly reflected.
Every blade of grass and tree was visible, even the dust particles floating in the air.
Gong Shangyu’s gaze, like gentle moonlight, lingered tenderly on the tall figure behind the rockery.
Though he wore night clothes and a mask, showing only a pair of calm, sharp eyes, Gong Shangyu recognized him at once without doubt—it was her deeply longed-for master, Lu Li.
“Hehe… Master, I knew it~ With your personality, you would definitely come back.”
Gong Shangyu murmured softly, a sweet yet sly smile playing at her lips, resembling a poisonous spider hidden deep in the night, watching the carefully laid net finally lure in the desired prey.
“Hmm… I need to think carefully about how exactly to meet my master later~”
Humming a little tune, Gong Shangyu sketched out in her mind the scene of their reunion.
Looking at the image in the glass mirror, her thoughts tangled like spun sugar, weaving a romantic future for master and disciple reunited.
However, just as her gaze reluctantly shifted slightly away from Lu Li’s figure, the corner of her eye caught something off.
Near the rockery where her master was hiding, close to the dense “Mist-Hiding Spirit Plants,”
The light seemed to warp momentarily—like a drop of ink falling into clear water, diffusing for an instant before quickly returning to normal, so fast Gong Shangyu almost thought it was an illusion.
Her smile stiffened slightly.
Hmm?
What was that?
Gong Shangyu immediately focused, manipulating the glass mirror to zoom in on that area.
The light on the mirror flickered as the image magnified, clearly showing the swaying branches and mottled shadows on the ground.
Hmm?
Why… there’s nothing there.
The momentary distortion had vanished without a trace, as if it was just eyestrain from staring at the artifact too long.
“Hmm?”
Gong Shangyu gently furrowed her brows, reaching out with slender fingers to rub her forehead,
“Maybe… I’ve been too exhausted studying antidote formulas these past few days?”
Having said that, Gong Shangyu regained her composure and once again cast her nearly lovesick gaze through the magical mirror, fascinatedly studying her master.
“Ah~ Ah~ Master, I can’t wait to see you~”
Gong Shangyu cupped her cheeks with both hands, a faint, inexplicable blush rising on her face.