“Hehehe… Master praised me!”
“Ah… Master just said I’m beautiful~”
Inside the young lady of the Zhou family’s boudoir, Gu Qingying, completely intoxicated by Lu Li’s earlier compliments, sat proudly in front of the mirror with a foolish grin, occasionally humming off-key tunes.
From a distance, Lu Li watched his young disciple’s wildly contrasting moods and the cheerful humming as if she were heading to a Yuanhui instead of embarking on a dangerous mission.
His brow furrowed slightly as doubts resurfaced in his mind.
Hiss… Qingkong, why has this child’s reaction suddenly become so cheerful?
Logically, even if he reluctantly agreed for the greater good, he shouldn’t be so excited, right?
Frowning, Lu Li sensed something strange and an utterly bizarre new thought uncontrollably emerged from deep within.
Hmm?
Qingkong, could it be… that the stimulation from cross-dressing was too intense, causing a rebound effect that awakened some strange preference?
Like, a love for wearing women’s clothes or something…
At that thought, Lu Li shivered involuntarily, his gaze toward his disciple growing more complicated.
But he quickly shook his head, trying to banish that terrifying notion.
Alas… a sin, a sin~
How could I think so poorly of my own disciple!
It must be me overthinking…
Yes!
It must be Qingkong’s strong sense of responsibility and understanding of the mission’s importance that makes him so proactive!
That’s it for sure!
Lu Li forcibly convinced himself and redirected his focus back to the ambush plan, addressing Gong Shangyu beside him.
“Master Shang, although our plan this time mainly involves setting a bait and then feigning a retreat to make that Demon Sect Thief believe he’s successfully abducted my disciple…”
“Only then can we track him using the mark. But this plan isn’t foolproof. We cannot pin all our hopes on it.”
“After all, Qingkong is still only at the Qi Refining Stage.”
Finishing, Lu Li’s eyes swept sharply across several spots in the Garden suitable for hiding or launching a surprise attack, continuing to give instructions to Gong Shangyu.
“We need a backup plan. All existing defenses and ambushes must not be withdrawn but strengthened. When that Demon Sect Thief appears, whether or not he attempts abduction, we must immediately unite to encircle and strike with full force, trying to capture him on the spot.”
“If we can catch him right there, that would be the best outcome, saving us many future risks.”
“But if we cannot hold him…”
Lu Li suddenly paused, his gaze tightening.
“If indeed we cannot detain him, we should not force it. We proceed as originally planned and adapt accordingly.”
“No matter what, in that thief’s eyes, the young lady of the Zhou family whom Qingkong is disguising as must be under our strict protection!”
“So every reaction of ours must prioritize protecting Qingkong as bait. We cannot reveal any deliberate leniency to outsiders.”
“To avoid alerting the thief, making him suspicious and hesitant to show himself, or worse, devising other tricks.”
After hearing Lu Li’s analysis, a hint of approval flashed in Gong Shangyu’s pink eyes as she lightly tapped her feather fan, nodding in agreement.
“Senior Lu’s plan is well thought out. That Demon Sect Thief is extremely cunning. If he senses we’re holding back, our plan will fail.”
“Only by making it look like we are desperately guarding but barely able to hold on can we lure the snake out of its hole.”
She paused, then added casually,
“I’ll order our pavilion’s experts to ambush key points around the Garden according to last night’s plan, keeping close watch on the movements inside the room.”
“If the situation changes, these guest cultivators will immediately form a trapping formation, ensuring the Demon Sect Thief cannot easily escape the Garden…”
“At the very least, the thief must not think he can freely slip away from here.”
Lu Li nodded heavily.
“Good, that’s best.”
The two exchanged a look, seeing solemn determination in each other’s eyes.
At that moment, a night breeze swept through, carrying a chill.
It also brought the last trace of calm before the storm.
Lu Li and Gong Shangyu then led the Dan Ding Pavilion guest cultivators to thoroughly inspect the Garden, ensuring nothing was amiss.
Once assured, Lu Li exchanged a brief glance with Gong Shangyu.
They then silently concealed themselves in pre-arranged hiding spots, their presences vanishing without a trace.
As Lu Li and Gong Shangyu left the Garden, Gu Qingying’s boudoir instantly fell silent.
Only the faint crackle of Candlelight remained, along with the Dan Ding Pavilion cultivators disguised as Zhou family maids, all holding their breath.
Taking a deep breath, Gu Qingying slowly approached the Embroidered Bed and sat down, feigning unease as she nervously twisted the corner of her Shu Brocade Ruqun, her eyes scanning the surrounding shadows sharply like a hawk.
The Moon hung high, deepening the night’s darkness, and the Garden outside was utterly still.
Playing the fragile young lady, Gu Qingying silently cursed Gong Shangyu’s eighteen generations of ancestors using the most “refined” vocabulary in her mind, all the while focusing intently on waiting for the big fish to bite.
Meanwhile, Lu Li and Gong Shangyu hid behind the shadow of an artificial hill in a corner of the Zhou family Garden, suppressing their breaths to the utmost.
Lu Li’s gaze and divine sense fixed tightly on the carved window glowing with dim Candlelight and the seemingly helpless childlike figure inside.
Time slipped by bit by bit, the night dew growing heavier, and the chill in the Garden deepened.
Holding his breath, Lu Li’s divine sense wove an intricate spiderweb throughout the Garden, unwilling to miss even the slightest stir.
Gong Shangyu folded her fan, her eyes free of the usual playful mockery, replaced only by focused vigilance.
Just as everything fell into silence, a thick black mist suddenly drifted in from somewhere, dense and impenetrable.
The mist was strange, silent; at first just a faint wisp, but swiftly spreading like ink spilled over the Moonlight, shrouding the Garden in darkness and bringing a damp, chilling stench of decay that dimmed the lanterns’ glow.
A chill ran through Lu Li’s heart as he silently thought,
“It’s here!”
He subtly signaled Gong Shangyu to remain still with the Dan Ding Pavilion cultivators, hiding in their spots and observing.
The guest cultivators on ambush also sensed something amiss; an unspoken tension filled the air.
The black mist did not spread further but slowly condensed at the Garden’s center, thickening as it outlined a vague shape.
The shadow drifted weightlessly.
Once formed, the black figure did not rush but stood silently, its head seemingly turning toward the boudoir, as if carefully observing and sniffing.
Though Lu Li and the others couldn’t discern its face, they felt a cold, greedy gaze fixed unwaveringly on the prey inside the window.
After a moment, the shadow seemed assured and suddenly moved.
It did not walk but floated forward like a ghost.
Wherever it passed, a thin layer of bluish-black Frost condensed on the ground, radiating bone-chilling cold.
Ignoring all the Garden’s obvious and hidden guards, the black shadow headed straight for the boudoir window.
As it drew nearer, almost touching the window frame, Lu Li knew he could wait no longer and shouted sharply to the cultivators around him,
“Attack!”
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