Lu Ning had calculated every possibility, but she never imagined her plain appearance would still draw the other woman’s attention.
Furthermore, the other party’s reasoning was incredibly “justifiable.”
Trespassing into a forbidden area, suspicion of hiding stolen treasures, and conducting a body search.
This entire sequence of events seemed perfectly reasonable, leaving no room for complaint.
“Fairy, I… I really don’t have anything on me.”
Lu Ning tried her best to make her expression look sincere and innocent.
“Whether you have anything or not isn’t for you to decide.”
The corner of Hua Lingyue’s mouth curled into a sly arc.
She didn’t believe Lu Ning’s words for a second.
How could an ordinary rogue cultivator be tainted with the scent of so many top-tier spiritual herbs?
This woman was definitely hiding a massive secret.
At that thought, curiosity began to sprout wildly in Hua Lingyue’s heart.
She wasn’t actually interested in so-called opportunities or treasures.
What truly intrigued her was Lu Ning herself.
“Senior Sister, are we really taking her back?” one of the Hundred Flowers Valley disciples nearby asked in a low voice, a hint of worry on her face.
“According to the valley rules, outsiders who trespass into forbidden areas should be handed over directly to the elders of the Hall of Discipline.”
“Yes, Senior Sister. If we take her away privately and the elders find out, I’m afraid—”
“What is there to fear?”
Hua Lingyue waved her hand dismissively.
“I am the Sect Leader’s personal disciple. My Master will settle such a small matter for me.”
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Lu Ning once more.
“Besides, I’m only taking her back for ‘questioning,’ not to do anything to her. Once I’ve cleared things up, I’ll naturally hand her over to the Hall of Discipline.”
Hua Lingyue spoke with such confidence that although her juniors were still uneasy, they didn’t dare say more.
After all, Hua Lingyue held a special status in Hundred Flowers Valley as Sect Leader Su Yuexi’s most beloved disciple. Even when she caused trouble in the past, she was always let off with a light warning.
“Alright, you girls head back first,” Hua Lingyue said, waving them off.
“I can handle things here on my own.”
“Yes, Senior Sister.”
The disciples didn’t dare disobey.
They bowed to Hua Lingyue and turned to leave.
Soon, only Lu Ning and Hua Lingyue remained in the quiet valley.
Watching the retreating backs of the disciples, Lu Ning’s heart sank.
She knew she was likely doomed this time.
“Alright, now no one will disturb us.”
Hua Lingyue clapped her hands and walked toward Lu Ning with a smile.
She circled the bound Lu Ning, her lively eyes filled with scrutiny.
“Speak, Miss Lu Fan. Who exactly are you? What is your purpose in coming to Hundred Flowers Valley?”
“I… I really am just a rogue cultivator who wants to abandon the sword to pursue medicine.”
Lu Ning gritted her teeth and stuck to her story.
“Is that so?”
Hua Lingyue clearly didn’t believe her.
She reached out a slender finger and lightly tapped Lu Ning’s body.
A strange, fresh fragrance of vegetation instantly entered Lu Ning’s nostrils.
In the next moment, Lu Ning felt her entire body go limp.
She couldn’t even stand steadily and collapsed directly onto the ground.
Under the influence of that strange scent, the true essence within her body became even more sluggish, as if it had been frozen.
“What… what did you do to me?”
“Nothing much.”
Hua Lingyue knelt down, a look of innocent mischief appearing on her pretty face.
“Just making sure you stay well-behaved for a while. My ‘Drunken Immortal Incense’ is refined from over 100 types of calming spiritual herbs. Even a Soul Transformation stage cultivator would have to submit after smelling it. You’re just a little Foundation Establishment cultivator; don’t waste your energy.”
As she spoke, she reached toward Lu Ning’s waist.
Lu Ning’s heart plummeted. She instinctively tried to dodge, but her body refused to obey.
“Don’t be nervous.”
Hua Lingyue seemed to see through her thoughts and let out a light laugh.
“I just want to see if you’re hiding any storage treasures.”
Quickly, Hua Lingyue pulled an inconspicuous grey cloth bag from Lu Ning’s waist.
It was the low-level storage bag provided by the system as a reward for a previous quest.
Hua Lingyue opened the storage bag and swept her divine sense inside, only to find it completely empty.
This made her even more puzzled.
She didn’t know that to be safe, Lu Ning kept all her good items in the system space and wouldn’t put them in a storage bag at all.
However, Hua Lingyue was convinced that Lu Ning was hiding a greater secret.
A brilliant smile bloomed on her face.
She stood up and hoisted the limp Lu Ning over her shoulder like a sack of grain.
“I’ll take you back first, then I’ll slowly study your secrets.”
With that, she walked out of the valley with light steps.
Being carried like that with her head hanging down, Lu Ning felt the world spinning.
She was currently beyond any help, and could only pray fervently in her heart, ‘I hope this weirdo doesn’t do anything excessive to me.’
However, her prayers clearly had no effect.
Hua Lingyue didn’t take her back to the main hall of Hundred Flowers Valley, nor did she hand her over to the Hall of Discipline.
Instead, she brought her directly to an extremely secluded hidden cave.
The cave was hidden behind a massive waterfall, its entrance covered by a powerful restriction.
Without a specific method, it was impossible to enter.
Inside the cave, it was an entirely different world.
All sorts of exotic flowers and rare herbs that Lu Ning couldn’t name were planted in different sections, emitting a thick medicinal fragrance.
Deep within the cave, there was also a large medicinal pool filled with a thick, glowing liquid that shimmered with five colors, looking incredibly eerie.
Hua Lingyue brought Lu Ning to the edge of the pool and tossed her onto the ground.
Then, she began to mix potions with great enthusiasm.
Lying on the cold floor, Lu Ning watched the woman who was giggling at a pile of spiritual herbs, her heart filled with despair.
After an unknown amount of time, Hua Lingyue clapped her hands in satisfaction.
She turned around and walked toward Lu Ning with a grin.
She knelt down and pinched Lu Ning’s cheeks, which looked rather plain due to her disguise.
“What… what do you want to do?”
Lu Ning’s voice carried a hint of a tremble.
“What do I want to do?”
The light of excitement flickered in Hua Lingyue’s eyes, as if she had discovered a new continent.
“I’m going to properly ‘interrogate’ you, of course.”
As she spoke, she began to unfasten Lu Ning’s clothing.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I’m just very interested in your body. Especially…”
Her gaze lingered on Lu Ning’s chest for a moment, her lively eyes filled with pure curiosity.
“Why would a female sword cultivator wrap herself up so tightly like a man? Does practicing the sword go faster that way?”