“Bang, bang, bang.”
A low thumping sound echoed, but it wasn’t at the door—it sounded like someone was knocking on the window.
The noise interrupted Jiang Che’s meditation.
Jiang Che fumbled his way over and opened the window.
In a flash, a fluffy little creature leapt right into his arms.
It was a small white cat with black markings, and a ruff of longer fur at its neck, much like a noble Maine Coon.
From the feel of it, and the low purring sound, Jiang Che recognized it at once—Little White!
“Little White! What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be in the Shenxiao Secret Realm?”
Jiang Che walked back to his bed, while Little White playfully bounced onto his shoulder.
Then, it hopped up onto Jiang Che’s head, sniffing at his scent.
Just then, Yun Fan walked in.
“Senior Brother, I brought you something to eat. You’ve been resting all afternoon, you must be hungry… Wait, Little White?”
Yun Fan recognized Little White.
After all, Little White was an “ordinary” Ling Beast that Jiang Che had picked up years ago.
But it had been several years since they’d seen it.
After Little White awakened the bloodline of an ancient noble beast, its strength grew by leaps and bounds.
The sect had taken it away to raise as a guardian Ling Beast—perhaps even as a Divine Beast.
Yun Fan had always felt Jiang Che had been treated unfairly over this.
When Jiang Che first picked it up, everyone mocked him for bringing home a half-dead kitten.
But when it grew up, they shamelessly let the sect take it away.
Still, Jiang Che didn’t mind.
He was happy that Little White was getting stronger, but now it seemed that Little White wanted to stay by Jiang Che’s side even more.
Yun Fan brought a meal with two meat dishes and one vegetable.
Jiang Che picked up a piece of meat and offered it to Little White.
Even though Little White was used to eating Lingdan and Ling Beast meat, since it was given by Jiang Che, it happily ate it.
“Senior Brother, are you really not planning to leave?”
Yun Fan asked carefully.
“Mhm, I won’t leave for now.”
Jiang Che stroked Little White.
He hadn’t expected the little fellow to still recognize him after all this time.
He couldn’t help but feel moved.
He suddenly thought of Hu Qiao’er, wondering how she was doing now.
Jiang Che’s heart was full of excitement and joy whenever he thought of her.
“Yun Fan, those two people who were with me earlier today—how are they?”
“You mean the girl and the other boy? They’ve both been arranged temporary lodgings. The sect has built many small courtyards over the years, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Hearing this, Jiang Che sighed with emotion.
Three years had passed, and so much had changed.
“Senior Brother, did you really enter the Shenxiao Secret Realm again? I heard that this time there was a girl with a supreme single spiritual root, and then another boy who never had his spiritual root tested.”
“Then something unexpected happened, and they were both sent directly into the Secret Realm. Afterward, the Zongzhu took them away.”
“Everyone’s guessing—the boy must be either the Zongzhu’s illegitimate son, or someone of exceptional talent, a peerless genius.”
Yun Fan hadn’t just heard the rumors—he’d dug them up out of worry for Jiang Che.
As a Servant Disciple, hardly anyone bothered with Yun Fan. It had taken him a long time to find out what had actually happened.
“I did enter the Secret Realm again. Maybe because it was my second time, I didn’t get any techniques.”
Jiang Che didn’t mention the golden orb; after all, he couldn’t explain it clearly himself.
“As expected of Senior Brother! Even the Secret Realm lets you in twice!
So what will you do now? Enter the sect with a new identity?”
Jiang Che hesitated.
He had considered it.
Since Hu Qiao’er wanted to investigate his past, he wanted to stay.
He didn’t really want Hu Qiao’er to find out anything—what happened back then was too strange.
It was obvious Zhao Zi’ang had framed him.
But he could clearly feel that, back then, when he went to save that demon, the theft of the Resurrection Pill, and the murder of two junior brothers—there was no way Zhao Zi’ang could have done it alone.
And with Lingjian Peak’s current situation…
Jiang Che suspected there was a far bigger plot behind it.
What if Hu Qiao’er got involved and something happened to her?
He had to stay.
But he hadn’t had his spiritual root tested.
If he stayed with a new identity, he’d have to go through the spiritual root testing.
Should he go beg Yun Yan again?
That old guy! Always cunning as a fox!
Seeing Jiang Che silent, Yun Fan seemed to remember something and quickly said,
“Senior Brother, did you know? Zhao Zi’ang and Yuan Qingqing are back!”
“Hm? Yuan Qingqing?”
Jiang Che was startled.
He knew Zhao Zi’ang had returned; Yun Yan had told him.
But Yuan Qingqing too? That he didn’t know.
He remembered Yuan Qingqing a little.
She had average talent, an “average” figure, and a lively, active personality.
As for her looks, Jiang Che had once thought she was a very pretty girl.
She just always left her hair down and never bothered with her appearance.
She entered the sect a year after Zhao Zi’ang.
After joining, she often followed Zhao Zi’ang around, but whenever Zhao Zi’ang met with Jiang Che’s two junior sisters, she would quietly slip away.
Jiang Che often saw Yuan Qingqing staring at the sky in a low mood.
He had once wanted to talk to her, but she never responded.
Jiang Che never understood why.
And now, both of them had returned at the same time?
Jiang Che felt a faint sense of unease.
He gritted his teeth and pondered for a moment.
For now, he didn’t want Hu Qiao’er to dig too deeply into his past—he was afraid of what it might bring up.
He didn’t want Hu Qiao’er to get hurt!
He was about to ask Yun Fan to investigate Zhao Zi’ang and Yuan Qingqing, but then he remembered Yun Fan was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
If he sent him, it might only put him in danger.
Ridiculous, in such a huge sect, there were so few people he could truly trust.
Yun Fan noticed the change in Jiang Che.
He, too, had looked into Yuan Qingqing and Zhao Zi’ang.
He was certain they were both involved in what happened three years ago.
But… Senior Brother probably doesn’t want Yun Fan to take the risk.
Little White, looking just like a Maine Coon, licked Jiang Che’s fingertips, but Jiang Che said nothing.
After a while, Jiang Che told Yun Fan to take Little White back to Yushou Peak.
If the elders of Yushou Peak found out Little White was missing, they’d be as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
Little White wanted to cling to Jiang Che, but obediently followed Yun Fan out.
Before leaving, Little White jumped onto the table, tapped Jiang Che’s forehead lightly with its paw, sending a faint ripple of spiritual energy.
Jiang Che had no idea what that meant.
But Little White didn’t have an answer, either.
After Yun Fan left, Jiang Che’s room fell into dead silence once more.
To Jiang Che, this place had no meaning—he might as well be in a dilapidated temple.
There was no Feng Yaqin, no Lin Yin.
Only the heavy weight of memories.
“Cough, cough.”
A crisp cough broke the stillness.
Xu Qianlan stood at the doorway.
That was only to be expected. If Xu Qianlan could resist coming to find him, that would be strange.
“Xu Head, is something the matter?”
Jiang Che pictured Xu Qianlan in her loose, dark green robe, leaning against the doorframe, thinking how to take this little fellow back to Dan Peak.
But reality didn’t match his imagination.
Xu Qianlan was usually lazy, but when facing Jiang Che, there was always a possessive glint in her eyes. This time, she looked a bit heavy-hearted.
She wasn’t leaning against the door; she was simply standing there.
“Little Che, do you want to leave the sect?”