Huang Xian'er's words made Su Yimei's aunt turn pale, her face as white as a sheet. She tightly hugged Tingting, her voice trembling as she asked, "Why would such a mysterious sect target our family?"
This question was one that everyone in the room wanted an answer to.
If the Three Yin Sect were seeking revenge on me, that would seem like a massive overreaction. However, at this point, I decided to be honest with Su Yimei's aunt and told her about the offenses I had committed against the Three Yin Sect.
While being honest, I also did some analysis. It seemed that they had calculated that I would break the returning dragon and provoke a backlash, but even so, it didn't seem like they were targeting me directly.
After hearing this, Su Yimei's aunt trembled slightly. The look she gave me now carried a hint of reproach.
"Aunt, my second uncle and I are both in this line of work…"
I started to apologize, since if it weren't for me, my second uncle might never have gotten involved with Su Yimei's aunt.
But before I could finish, Su Yimei's aunt interrupted me. "I knew what your second uncle was doing long ago. I've been prepared for this, and I'm willing to walk this path with him. But you should never have kept things from me."
"If I had known, at least I could have been prepared, kept my guard up."
As she spoke, her face remained pale and her hands trembled, but her eyes were firm.
I knew this was a woman who dared to love and hate, a brave woman.
Our actions, however, had been somewhat flawed. Sometimes, what we consider protection can end up becoming a disservice, even making us accomplices.
I held Xiao Cui's hand and made a mental note: from now on, no matter what I'm doing, I'll always tell her clearly before leaving the house.
To put it simply, if she knows the dangers I face, she won't let strangers in so easily.
Of course, after Huang Xian'er returns, I would keep Xiao Cui by my side at all times.
Maybe my strength isn't enough to protect her, but when danger comes, I would risk my life to save her.
That would be the greatest security I could offer.
Huang Xian'er saw my guilt and noticed I was silent, looking down. She exhaled a puff of smoke and stood up. "We need to wait for your second uncle to return before we can know exactly why the Three Yin Sect is targeting us. Li Yang, take me to where you destroyed the shadow."
It was already bright, and the returning dragon was still in progress. However, Xiao Cui had purified all the foul energy, so all we needed to do was wait for the returning dragon to end.
Huang Xian'er and I went outside, and Su Yimei's aunt followed us.
When we reached the spot of last night's battle, I hadn't yet spoken when Huang Xian'er stopped.
She took a deep puff of her cigarette and slowly exhaled.
The smoke curled up in the air, swirling once, then sank, spreading out across the ground and lingering for a long time.
After a moment, patches of green light appeared in the mist.
They looked like fireflies in the night.
I pulled out the Blood Sting and gently poked one of the glowing objects. However, as soon as I moved it out of the smoke Huang Xian'er had released, it disappeared without a trace.
That's when I realized—the shadow wasn't actually invisible after being torn apart. It only manifested in a specific environment.
Huang Xian'er took another drag of her cigarette, and as the smoke dispersed from the ground, the green spots disappeared.
"This is Night Hidden Grass," she said, "It grows in the middle of the Ten Thousand Mountains."
"Fifty years ago, a group of thirty sorcerers entered the Ten Thousand Mountains. They were many and strong, but only five made it out, carrying something with them. It seems likely that these people were from the Three Yin Sect, and one of the things they took with them was the Night Hidden Grass."
Huang Xian'er's explanation was clear. In her lifetime, the only people she had seen leave the Ten Thousand Mountains were those five. Moreover, that group of sorcerers had only reached the middle of the Ten Thousand Mountains. This shows just how terrifying the mountains truly are.
I couldn't help but glance at Xiao Cui. Could she really be the Mountain Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountains?
Huang Xian'er continued, "Anything that comes into contact with the juice of Night Hidden Grass becomes transparent and colorless, blending into the surrounding environment, making it nearly impossible to see with the naked eye."
"Li Yang, you can drop some of your wife's blood in your eyes, and the Night Hidden Grass won't be able to hide."
She whispered these words in a voice that only I could hear.
Xiao Cui's blood?
I quietly asked, "Does it have to be her blood?"
Huang Xian'er nodded.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Drawing a small amount of blood from Xiao Cui's finger with a needle would be acceptable. But anything else? I truly couldn't bring myself to do it.
Xiao Cui, with her sharp hearing, noticed us talking about her. Her big eyes filled with curiosity.
Looking at her small, delicate nose and slightly upturned lips, I felt a dryness in my throat.
If there weren't other people around, I'd be tempted to lean forward and kiss her.
And... when we get back, I'll have to let her get familiar with my "big treasure."
I thought mischievously for a moment before asking Huang Xian'er, "Sister Xian'er, have you ever seen a member of the Three Yin Sect? Can you tell what kind of technique they are using now?"
Huang Xian'er shook her head. "When that group entered the mountains, I only dared to watch from a distance."
I felt a chill in my heart.
Huang Jiu had mentioned that his wife had once had the head of a man over fifty years ago, which meant that at that time, Huang Xian'er's strength was enough to overpower Liu Changxuan.
In comparison, I now had a better understanding of the strength of that group of thirty-plus people. They were certainly no ordinary individuals.
After a moment, Huang Xian'er recalled, "But the techniques they used weren't like those of Daoist magic, nor were they evil arts."
I asked, "Could it be a technique from the East Sea?"
Huang Xian'er nodded. "It's possible. If that's the case, then they may be using ancient techniques."
"Ancient techniques?"
That was something from legend.
It was said that in ancient times, a group of people from the sea arrived in the Nine Provinces. They were experts in strange arts, and when they appeared, they amazed everyone and became guests of honor at the courts of the ruling dynasties.
The strange arts they used were known as Fang Shu.
These people were referred to as Fang Shi (Fang Masters).
Fang Shi pursued immortality and the path to becoming an immortal, which was very different from the Daoist pursuit of the Dao.
Of course, among Daoists, there were some who were deluded enough to dream of achieving immortality. However, most of them ended up going astray and eventually joined evil sects.
The disappearance of the Fang Shi was also a mystery. At a certain point, they vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.
Several years after the disappearance of the Fang Shi, the practice of "cultivation" became popular across the Nine Provinces.
Some people believe that Daoist magic is actually an evolution of the ancient Fang Shu.
But history always likes to conceal the truth, leaving behind only endless speculation and conjecture.
I'm not a historian, so I can't investigate this part of history.
But now, I really need to find some time to meet with Director Qian—he should know about this hidden past.
Only by tearing away the mysterious veil of the Three Yin Sect will we know how to deal with them.
Just then, two cars drove up outside the villa. The first was Su Yimei's aunt's SUV.
I went to meet them and saw through the windshield that my second uncle was driving. Only then did the weight on my heart finally lift.