Chapter 128: Schemes and Calculations

"Huh?"

Why was it that whenever people in the Southern Wasteland heard her reveal her background, they showed no shock or awe at all? Everyone acted so strangely.

"Are all the people in the Southern Wasteland like this?" Fan Xuanyue turned back and asked Cui Ya, pouting.

Cui Ya had already guessed the temperament of the pretty young girl before her. She lowered her head slightly and said, "People here rarely see those from the Demon Subjugation Bureau or the Monster Capture Bureau, so they are naturally a bit skeptical when you introduce yourself."

"Why have you become so distant?"

Fan Xuanyue took a step forward, but Cui Ya bowed her head, hunched her shoulders, and stepped back.

Cui Ya did not look up at Fan Xuanyue's face, merely saying in a low voice, "From what you said earlier, even knowing the words the King of the Southern Wasteland spoke when having an audience with the Emperor, your background must be noble. I am nothing more than a common criminal of the Southern Wasteland. There is an unbridgeable chasm between us from birth; we could be master and servant, but we can never be friends."

"As it stands, I already have a master, so even a master-servant relationship is impossible. The best choice for us is to remain strangers. Still, I am grateful for your help. If there is ever anything I can do for you in the future, I will not hesitate to give my life."

"Well, I have one thing right now that I need your help with!" Fan Xuanyue's indignant voice rang in Cui Ya’s ears.

Cui Ya looked up at Fan Xuanyue, whose apricot-shaped eyes were wide with annoyance, and asked, "What is it?"

"Let’s be friends!" Fan Xuanyue said, righteously extending her delicate right hand toward Cui Ya.

Cui Ya was stunned and murmured, "You might not have heard me clearly—it is impossible for us to be friends."

"You’re going back on your word already? Didn't you say you wouldn't hesitate to give your life? It’s just making friends, not asking for your life. Besides, what's this about criminals or no criminals? We are all subjects of the Ancient Qin; the Twelve Provinces are one family." Seeing Cui Ya remain motionless, Fan Xuanyue took the initiative and grabbed Cui Ya's right hand.

Cui Ya sighed softly, "You..."

"I'm talking to you!" Fan Xuanyue pinched Cui Ya's thin cheeks and said fiercely.

Cui Ya helplessly let Fan Xuanyue knead her face and whispered, "You should go get some rest."

"Then you should rest well, too."

Satisfied, Fan Xuanyue nodded. After letting go and giving Cui Ya a final instruction, she hopped and skipped away down the corridor, completely ignoring the young Daoist boy with twin buns who had just walked by.

The boy, with his bright eyes and white teeth, stared blankly at Fan Xuanyue as she shook her head and hopped toward the Daoist monks' living quarters.

Those rooms were for the monks, not for guests.

"Pardon me, little Daoist, is there something you need?" Cui Ya crouched down and asked the dazed boy.

Before the boy could speak, a commotion broke out, shattering the quiet night, followed by shouting, cursing, and the clashing of weapons.

But then, a flash of blue light illuminated the darkness, and the temple returned to silence.

The boy ignored the crouching Cui Ya, muttered something under his breath, and turned to leave the corridor. Cui Ya did not feel awkward; she simply stood up and returned to her room.

Beneath the pines, the moon shone bright, and the clear spring flowed over the stones.

Shadows flickered among the pines and cypresses, and the flowing water reflected the figures of several Daoists in robes of various colors and patterns, their faces twisted with ferocity.

"That brat is going too far!" the Daoist in a green robe with a qilin pattern and a traditional headscarf shouted, venting his anger by slicing a granite boulder in half with his sword.

Beside him, another Daoist, disheveled and barefoot with his robes unfastened, addressed Daoist Yin, "Senior Brother Yin, if we don't show that girl some real trouble, how will our Fufeng Temple ever maintain its footing in Nanxi County? If this gets out, everyone will laugh at us!"

"Junior Brother Si is right. Not to mention that she broke into the temple at night, she even forced her way into our living quarters and disturbed our meditation. She is in the wrong first; we are not to blame," another Daoist in red robes embroidered with dragons and phoenixes added slowly from the right.

Daoist Lu chimed in, "Look, Senior Brother, it’s not just me—all the junior brothers agree. Even if she is from the Imperial Court, she can’t just sit on our heads and do as she pleases, can she?"

"So what if she's from the Imperial Court?! When the previous governor of Nanxi County came to Fufeng Temple, he had to kneel and bow, treating us with the utmost respect!" the green-robed Daoist brandished his sword and roared.

"Junior Brother Pu, you don't understand. That girl is from the official circles in Zhonghe Province. I hear she’s a Demon Subjugation Guard from the Demon Subjugation Bureau. It’s only natural for Senior Brother Yin to have some reservations," Daoist Lu said, hurrying to soothe the green-robed Daoist.

"The heavens are high and the Emperor is far away. The government offices of the Southern Wasteland can't reach us, so how could some person from Zhonghe Province turn things upside down? As the saying goes, a powerful dragon doesn't bully a local snake. If Senior Brother Yin is afraid, I will go find our master myself."

Daoist Lu shouldn't have tried to persuade the green-robed Daoist; his attempt only made the man's eyes glare with fury, and he marched off toward the other side of the Wufeng Mountain forest with his sword.

Daoist Yin, holding a whisk, closed his eyes to regain his composure and said calmly, "Are you the head of Fufeng Temple, or am I?"

"This place is practically being torn apart by that girl! What use is it for you to be in charge?!" Daoist Pu didn't even look back, continuing to stomp toward the forest.

*Hisss.*

The white strands of the whisk in Daoist Yin's hand spread like a spider web, binding Daoist Pu tightly until he looked like a silkworm cocoon.

"Our master is in deep meditation within his cave dwelling. If you rashly disturb his peace, the consequences will be more than a simple apology can remedy." Daoist Yin slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the temple. "We shall resolve this ourselves first. If we truly cannot handle it, it won't be too late to trouble him."

"Senior Brother Yin, it's not that we’re troubling him, but we already used various Daoist arts, swords, and axes in the living quarters, and we couldn't even break through that girl's protective light. Instead, with a single flash of her light, our spells were broken, and our weapons were all disarmed," Daoist Si, in the dragon-and-phoenix red robe, sighed as he looked at Daoist Yin.

Daoist Yin's eyes deepened. "Just because we are helpless against her doesn't mean we are helpless against others."

Daoist Lu's eyes lit up; he had guessed Daoist Yin's thoughts. "Could it be that you intend to use that little maid from the Cui manor? She does seem to be quite close to that girl."

"I expect the Chief Clerk Cui won't mind the life or death of a mere maid," Daoist Yin said calmly.

Daoist Si stroked his chin and murmured, "I'm just afraid that if this girl isn't actually that close to the maid and doesn't care about her life, then if she turns her hand against us, we’ll be in real trouble."

"Junior brothers, speak no more nonsense. What does this have to do with us?" Daoist Yin waved his whisk, and the white silk binding Daoist Pu fell away. He said calmly, "We are merely... investigating."

"Then..."

Daoist Si wanted to say more, but suddenly, the sound of eerie winds echoed from all around the forest, rustling the leaves incessantly, while deep within the woods, the roars of beasts rose and fell in a rhythmic, haunting chorus.

Dark clouds obscured the moon.