Chapter 16: This misunderstanding is brilliant!

Lin An had always believed that his greatest advantage was the resilient worldview and strong acceptance ability of a transmigrator.

He had to be strong, after all—something like transmigration had actually happened to him.

When he first encountered this world, he thought it was just an ancient period of a parallel world.

Until one day, he saw the county yamen runners chasing a thief on the street.

Walls five or six meters high—the thief just leaped up there.

That was when he realized cultivation was possible in this world.

However, he later gradually understood that the Mortal Realm he lived in and the Cultivation World were completely separate worlds.

Not to mention the Demon Extermination Assembly—he had only looked it up after hearing Gu Yingge mention it.

“There’s such a thing? I really don’t know.”

Lin An admitted straightforwardly.

Qu Hongling’s white mist was very thick, but he wasn’t naive enough to think she fully trusted him.

It was better to admit it openly than to hem and haw and arouse her suspicion.

Mu Qinghan was right behind her; even if she wanted to make a move, she wouldn’t do it now.

If the mist around her changed drastically, Lin An would go straight to Lu Mingyue.

At worst, he’d blow everything up together.

Hearing this, Qu Hongling’s brow furrowed slightly, but she immediately relaxed it.

The Holy Son had only joined a few years ago.

The Demon Extermination Assembly was held once every ten years.

Unless someone specifically brought it up, it was normal not to know.

“Alright. I’ll tell you about it later when there’s a chance. For now, go back and hide. Time is almost up.”

Lin An’s heart stirred slightly.

He didn’t know what she was thinking, but his face remained calm.

He nodded and turned to leave.

Just then, Mu Qinghan came looking.

She found only Qu Hongling.

“Where is he?”

Her voice was as cold as ever.

“Oh?”

Qu Hongling raised an eyebrow.

“Who?”

“You know who I mean.”

Mu Qinghan shot her a sidelong glance.

Qu Hongling covered her mouth and chuckled, as if she had discovered something extraordinary.

She asked with a look of surprise:

“Has the sun risen in the west? Our ice-cold Chief Mu is actually taking the initiative to ask about a man?”

A hint of coldness appeared in Mu Qinghan’s eyes.

Her relationship with this junior sister wasn’t particularly good or bad—just a normal competitive rivalry, with her currently holding the upper hand.

“Stop with the sarcasm. I’m asking you—where is he?”

Seeing that she seemed a bit angry, Qu Hongling decided not to tease her further.

“You mean Junior Brother Lin? The little lord went back to work. I told him he didn’t have to bother with these chores, but men—they all want to save face. He’s probably moving boxes by now.”

Mu Qinghan had already guessed as much.

The reason she was wasting words with Qu Hongling was that she needed to confirm something.

“Junior Sister, did he say anything to you?”

As she said this, Mu Qinghan had already prepared for the worst.

She couldn’t kill him to silence him now, but she had to find a way to shut Qu Hongling’s mouth, no matter the cost.

Qu Hongling narrowed her eyes, a mysterious smile hanging on her lips.

She didn’t know anything—Lin An hadn’t said a word, and she hadn’t dared to ask—but that didn’t stop her from using this to leverage the situation.

“Senior Sister, I never would have guessed. You and the little lord have that kind of relationship, hmm?”

Mu Qinghan wasn’t stupid.

She could see through the bluff at a glance.

“Enough of that. Did he say anything to you or not?”

Seeing that she wasn’t taking the bait, Qu Hongling felt a bit bored and waved her hand.

“Senior Sister, you’re no fun. He didn’t say anything. I only used Heart Charm to bewitch him and make him fall for me. Do you have to meddle in that too?”

Mu Qinghan carefully judged the truth of her words and found that she really seemed to know nothing.

A heavy sigh of relief in her heart, she then spoke:

“Junior Sister, I can’t hand this person over to you. Remove the Heart Charm immediately.”

Qu Hongling looked displeased.

“Why should I? I saw him first. Why should I give him up to you?”

She didn’t show Mu Qinghan any face because of the dress she was wearing.

Her attitude was very direct.

“You’ve taken a fancy to him too?”

“That’s right, so Junior Sister, stop now.”

Such a swift admission caught Qu Hongling off guard.

At that moment, she suddenly remembered how complicated the Holy Son’s expression had been when he mentioned Mu Qinglan earlier.

Instantly, a story of the incompatibility of righteous and demonic, of love and hatred, flashed through her mind.

‘No wonder the Holy Son managed to crack this iceberg. She’s actually willing to protect him regardless of status and punishment.’

‘I never thought my senior sister would be such a lovesick fool. Heh, how amusing.’

As a demon cultivator, she always put herself first.

She couldn’t understand such romantic entanglements.

“No can do. I like the little lord too.”

Qu Hongling stepped forward until their chests touched.

“So, Senior Sister, I can’t let you have him.”

She certainly hadn’t fallen for Lin An—she was simply carrying out orders.

“You…”

Mu Qinghan’s brows knitted tightly.

She had read that Heart-Confusing Sword Art.

It was clearly a sword technique, but all its effects were mental.

Not control, but altering perception—much more sophisticated.

Either way, she didn’t like it.

Lu Mingyue hadn’t passed it on to her back then.

Now things were troublesome.

Lin An hadn’t said anything yet, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future.

“In that case, Junior Sister, don’t let this disrupt your cultivation. I’ll be going back first.”

Finding no way through here, she chose to change her approach.

Left alone, Qu Hongling was stunned by Mu Qinghan’s behavior again.

‘What? You’re giving up that fast? Not going to argue anymore?’

‘Senior Sister, are you really the type to give up so easily?’

‘Where’s the love-hate struggle? I was hoping to watch the show!’

…

…

On the other side, Lin An returned to his room.

With an attack imminent, why would he still be working?

He had just taken out the pouch Gu Yingge had given him, intending to see if there was anything useful inside, when the artifact over his heart received a message.

To be safe, from now on, even when we’re alone, don’t say anything about our identities.

Understand?

Walls have ears.

Huh?

Lin An blinked and checked again to make sure he hadn’t misread.

Right now, Mu Qinghan thought he was under Qu Hongling’s control and had mistaken her for Mu Qinghan herself.

So she said this to prevent him from blurting out anything incriminating?

That had to be it.

Qu Hongling must have said something to her.

That was the only explanation.

‘Senior Sister Qu is really something else. Too bad she’s a demon cultivator…’

Got it, Senior Sister Qu.

After sending that message, he couldn’t help but curl his lips.

He had finally handled the situation for now.

As long as Qu Hongling was around, Mu Qinghan probably wouldn’t make a move on him.

But the problem now was how to keep Qu Hongling on his side.

‘I’m really not the Holy Son of the Demon Sect.’

Life is ironic—solving one problem only creates another.

Just as he was thinking about this, the room began to shake violently.

No—the entire airship was shaking violently.

Lin An tightened his grip on the pouch, his eyes turning cold.

‘Here they come… the Demon Soul Sect.’