“I won’t hide it from Shizun. I’ve already known about it since I was at the Peach Blossom Springs.”

     In fact, he had already known about it in his previous life, but he couldn’t tell Chu Wanning the truth.

     Mo Ran laughed, “I heard Mei Hanxue and the disciples from Kunlun Taxue Palace talking about her while we were on the road. At that time, I believed that Mei Hanxue’s eyes couldn’t be wrong. After that, I carefully observed her and was even more certain that Mei Hanxue was right, and that Miss Ye was not a man.”

     “Why?”

     “Didn’t Shizun notice that she always wears clothes with her collar pulled up high? And her clothes are all the style that covers the neck; ordinary people usually only have one or two pairs of that style, while she only has that style.”

     “...I didn’t notice.”

     Mo Ran took his free hand and gestured to Chu Wanning's neck, “All the way up to here, more or less.”

     As he spoke, his fingers inadvertently touched Chu Wanning’s adam’s apple, the slight rise so fragile that he couldn’t help but linger there for a moment longer, amazed that his Shizun, so wary and aloof, would expose such a weak spot to him.

     In a daze, he forgot to look at the path ahead. By the time he heard Chu Wanning’s, “Be careful!” it was already too late to stop, and the sword crashed straight into a towering tree.

     Bam! A loud thud resounded.

     Mo Ran was completely thrown off-balance; the only thing he could think of was to hold onto Chu Wanning’s hand tightly.

     In his panic, he called out, “Wanning,” but the call was too soft, and the sound of trees breaking in his ears was too loud for Chu Wanning to hear it clearly.

     Chu Wanning nearly fainted with anger, Why did he have to ride the sword to get there?! Couldn't we have just run on the roof?! He had to show off!

     The two of them hit the ground solidly. Mo Ran hit the ground first, his back slamming into the rocky forest floor. Although it was unlikely he would be injured, the pain hit him with surprising force. But as he lay on his back, watching the stars twinkle through the branches, he suddenly felt very happy…

     Haha, fortunately he was the one who hit the ground, not Chu Wanning.

     He couldn’t help but laugh. Even though Chu Wanning had fallen on his chest and hurt his ribs, he still couldn’t help but want to laugh. His eyes curved into crescents, and he smiled, his dimples deep and full of love.

     Chu Wanning saw him laughing like that and was furious, “What are you laughing at? Have you gone stupid from the fall?!”

     Mo Ran took the opportunity to hold him in his arms and press him against his chest. Although it was inappropriate for a master and disciple, Mo Ran still wanted to lift his hand to touch Chu Wanning’s hair.

     He thought so, and so he did.

     Chu Wanning was right, he must have gone stupid.

     “Shizun.” He ran his fingers through Chu Wanning’s hair. The darkness of night seemed to have given him a key, and the box that contained his secret love was opened. The intimacy and adoration in his voice could no longer be controlled, and it overflowed.

     The call was too intimate, so hoarse that it made Chu Wanning freeze at first before panic rose in his heart. He hurriedly gathered his fierce dignity, “What are you calling me for? You can even fall while riding your sword, you sure are capable.”

     Mo Ran sighed softly, then caressed his hair again. He cleared his throat and said with a bitter smile, “Shizun, it was my fault. Please get off of me quickly.”

     However, deep down he was thinking to himself, Shizun, please lay in my arms for a little longer.

     But such words obviously couldn’t be said out loud.

     Chu Wanning’s face darkened, and he got up quickly, pulling Mo Ran up with him.

     “Are you okay?” he asked stiffly. “Does it hurt anywhere?”

     “I’m fine.” Mo Ran laughed, “I have thick skin, so I’m pretty good at taking a fall.”

     Chu Wanning was about to say something when he suddenly noticed a wilted flower on Mo Ran’s head. It must have been knocked off during Mo Ran’s fall, landing right in his hair. He narrowed his eyes and said, “Your head…”

     “Am I hurt?” Mo Ran lifted his hand and touched his head.

     “No, there's a flower.” Chu Wanning plucked the flower off of his head and passed it to him impassively.

     Mo Ran was a little embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his head shyly, his smile even brighter than before.

     “...” Chu Wanning turned around and coughed lightly, “Since there’s nothing wrong, let’s move on.”

     Mo Ran nodded, “Imperial—”

     “No.” Chu Wanning looked back, “Use qinggong!”

     “...Okay, we’ll use qinggong.” Mo Ran waved his hand, reluctantly putting the heavy sword back into his qiankun pouch.

     The deeper they went into the forest, the denser the trees became. The speed at which they could fly on the sword was actually not as fast as qinggong. Chu Wanning’s martial skill was exceptional, so they moved very quickly.

     The cool breeze brushed past Mo Ran’s face, and calmed his heart, which hadn’t been able to withstand the excitement earlier.

     Chu Wanning’s voice suddenly came from in front of him, his tone very flat, as he asked carelessly, “How did you know about the mole on Song Qiutong’s leg?”

     Mo Ran was caught off guard. With a crash, the mighty Mo-zongshi hit his head on a pine tree once again.

     Chu Wanning: “...Are you night-blind?”

     “Oh, no,” Mo Ran said. “Sorry, I’m just a little distracted today.”

     Chu Wanning frowned slightly. Then, as if he had figured something out, he became furious, “Is the mole on Song Qiutong’s leg distracting you? It’s important for cultivators to have a clear mind and heart. If you’re so shaken by a beauty, what’s the point of cultivating?”

     Mo Ran was speechless for a moment. He felt that what Chu Wanning said made sense, except that he had also made a mistake; the beauty he was lusting for was not Song Qiutong, but the man in front of him, who had a fierce temper and roared like a snow leopard.

     He sighed and looked at Chu Wanning with gentle eyes, “Shizun, I don’t like Miss Song’s looks. You’re thinking too much. I heard there was a mole on her leg from the people of Xuanyuan Pavilion. I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so don’t be angry.”

     “What is there to be angry about? Just let me ask you; since Ye Wangxi is a woman, why didn’t Song Qiutong have any cinnabar left on her wrist? This shouldn’t be a coincidence.”

     “You’re right, it’s not a coincidence,” Mo Ran replied. “Shizun, do you still remember the bracelet I gave Song Qiutong?”

     Chu Wanning was silent for a moment, before he hummed, “Mm.”

     “I created a spell for that chain.” Mo Ran paused, “It took four days to make, and it’s not very good, but in a short period of time, as long as Song Qiutong wore that bracelet, it would be able to conceal the cinnabar mark placed by Cold Scale Sacred Hand.”

     “...” Chu Wanning didn’t say anything, but his expression was rather unsightly.

     He felt that Mo Ran was hiding something from him.

     After all these years, Mo Ran had changed a lot. He had lost seventy percent of his meddling nature, but the so-called meddling could be the same as “helping out” when observing an act of injustice. Still, to go through so much trouble, even to the point of creating a spell to expose one’s true face and prevent her from marrying into Rufeng Sect, was a bit too much. Unless Song Qiutong and Mo Ran had a great grudge, or Ye Wangxi had some great relationship with Mo Ran, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.

     In the silence, Mo Ran could also sense Chu Wanning’s emotions. He moved up behind Chu Wanning and said, “Shizun.”

     “What’s wrong?” Chu Wanning asked indifferently.

     Naturally, he couldn’t speak of matters from his previous life, but Mo Ran didn’t want to make Chu Wanning feel uncomfortable. He thought for a moment, then decided to tell Chu Wanning half of his true feelings, “Shizun, Ye Wangxi is a very good person. She spent a lot of money at the Xuanyuan Pavilion to save a woman she didn’t know. You also know this.”

     “Mm.”

     “But Ye Wangxi likes Nangong Si. Can Shizun see that?”

     “...I saw it tonight.”

     “It’s good that Shizun saw it. Since I already knew of Miss Ye’s true identity, I have always understood her feelings. As for Song Qiutong, she didn’t know that Ye Wangxi was a woman, so she only revered her and didn’t feel threatened; she had no reason for evil intentions. But if she marries Nangong Si, then Rufeng Sect might not keep this secret from her anymore. And Given Song Qiutong’s nature, she would certainly view any woman who also loves Nangong Si as a thorn in her side.”

     Mo Ran paused. He thought of his previous life, when Song Qiutong sensed his secret love for Chu Wanning. She was so jealous that she took advantage of his absence from the palace to pull all ten of Chu Wanning’s fingernails.

     What would happen if Ye Wangxi fell into her hands? The answer was obvious.

     The evil deeds that Song Qiutong would commit were all like pulling fingernails. They weren’t so evil that they were sensational; they were just insignificant enough to hide behind the greater evil deeds of others.

     In this world, doing good and doing evil always resulted in the same ending. The tallest person would always fall from the heavens to the ground. The first to be crushed to death would be the most kind-hearted, such as Chu Xun, who would be pushed out by pairs of weakling hands to be a sacrifice. The first to be crushed to death would also be the most vicious person, such as Taxian-Jun, who was targeted by the whole world, and would be killed by tens of thousands of people.

     However, if it weren’t for the accumulation of small evil deeds one after another, if it wasn’t for those not-so-evil people slicing and scarring Mo Ran’s body… then would Taxian-Jun have ever really been born in this world?

     Chu Wanning said, “Meddling in such a matter… aren’t you afraid of inviting trouble for yourself?”

     Mo Ran also knew that he had shown too much of himself this time.

     However, in his previous life, he had dragged Ye Wangxi into a sea of blood.

     In this lifetime, even if the rise and fall of Rufeng Sect had nothing to do with him, he still owed Ye Wangxi a life. Therefore, even if he overstepped his boundaries and aroused suspicion, he did it without hesitation. Not only did he want to give Chu Wanning a better life, he also hoped he could atone for his sins towards the other people he had mistreated in his previous life.

     “I am afraid,” Mo Ran said. “But since I know the truth, I want to have peace of mind.”

     Although Chu Wanning still felt that Mo Ran’s actions were too rash, after hearing this, he didn’t think too much about it. Just then, a strong sweet smell carried through the wind ahead of them, along with a strong spiritual aura.

     Before Chu Wanning could react, Mo Ran’s face changed color, and he whispered, “Not good. It’s the Zhenlong Chess Formation.”

     “It’s in that direction.”

     The sweet wind filled the thick darkness, and there were already ghosts crawling from the crack in the sky. Five pillars of light shot up from the ground—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—exactly the same as the incident in Butterfly Town.

     Chu Wanning’s eyes went cold, “It’s him.”

     Mo Ran naturally knew who he was talking about. Jincheng Lake, the Peach Blossom Springs, Butterfly Town…

     He had stopped for five years, and now he had returned—the man who had been hiding behind the scenes all along, the fake Gouchen!

     But Mo Ran had a vague feeling that this Zhenlong Chess Formation was completely different from the previous ones; it was done without any concealment or disguise… That person seemed to feel that he had a victory in hand, that he was going to win.

     The birds in the forest were startled, fluttering their wings and fleeing in all directions. Mo Ran sprinted forward with Chu Wanning, one in front and one behind, towards the crack in the sky. When they got closer, they saw evil spirits and ghosts rolling out from the crack. Mo Ran muttered, “The infinite hells… it’s a Heavenly Rift to the infinite hells…”

     This time, it was the same as five years ago in Butterfly Town. It was the same infernal hell.

     Mo Ran turned around in a panic and grabbed Chu Wanning’s wrist, “Shizun, don’t go over there!”

     “...Don’t be silly.”

     Mo Ran also knew it was silly, but in his two lifetimes, he had already seen the Heavenly Rift twice, and the aftermath of both times lingered like a nightmare. Now that he was seeing it a third time, how could he not be worried?

     But what was the point of saying “I don’t want you to go.” For someone like Chu Wanning, even if he was given a thousand, or even ten thousand chances to turn away in the face of disaster, he still wouldn’t run. And it was extremely difficult to change a person’s nature.

     Mo Ran looked at Chu Wanning, not knowing what to say.

     Chu Wanning looked at him and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

     When he finished speaking, he raised his hand to summon Tianwen. Golden light flowed between his slender fingers, sparks flashing in all directions. Mo Ran gazed at Chu Wanning for a long time and finally sighed. A dazzling light rose from his hand as well, the fiery red light of Jiangui and the golden light of Tianwen reflecting each other as the two weapons met after a long time apart.

     “...Alright, I understand. I won’t try to stop you. Whatever Shizun wants to do, I will accompany you.”

     The bright spiritual light shone in their eyes, the blazing red burning the resplendent gold and dying it red.

     “I’ll go with Shizun.”

     Chu Wanning felt warm and helpless at the sight of Mo Ran wanting to fight alongside him. Mo Ran’s eyes were filled with too many emotions, some even seemed to have gone beyond the feelings between master and disciple, but he wasn’t sure what those other feelings were.

     So, he only raised his hand and poked Mo Ran’s forehead, “There’s no reward.”

     Mo Ran froze for a moment, stunned. Then, he pulled Chu Wanning’s hand down and held it gently in his palm, trying his best to restrain himself from kissing it. He smiled and said, “Well, if there’s no reward, then there’s no reward. Let’s go.”

     Like a celestial shadow in the night, the light from the holy weapons shone a resplendent golden-red, and reached the heart of Xiaoyue Hunting Grounds in an instant.

     Ganquan Lake.

     Chu Wanning and Mo Ran concealed their auras and hid in the orange grove to take a look. The flow of spiritual energy that had been supporting the lake was cut off, and a thick layer of ice formed on its surface during the freezing night. Four pillars were surrounding the lake in a formation, each with a holy weapon embedded within.

     Chu Wanning whispered, “Four holy weapons of different elements?”

     Mo Ran stared for a moment, then said, “He really was responsible for the theft of holy weapons over the past five years...”

     “But back in Butterfly Town, he was clearly using the heart of a living person. How come he suddenly changed the formation?”

     Mo Ran was about to reply when Chu Wanning raised a finger and stopped him, “Be quiet, look over there.”

     Following his gaze, Mo Ran saw a group of Rufeng Sect guards walking slowly across the surface of the lake in the distance. The young cultivators who had gone to hunt in the dense forest earlier were also among them.

     A steady stream of spiritual energy was being drawn from their chests, converging towards the four holy weapons around the lake. This powerful and pure spiritual energy made the holy weapons shine brighter and brighter until the light shot straight up and tore a huge crack in the night sky, opening a path to the infinite hells.

     Mo Ran’s eyes widened, “What are they doing?”

     “It seems that these guards have lost themselves; they are being controlled by the Zhenlong Chess Formation.” Chu Wanning frowned with a dark look on his face. His gaze swept across the crowd and stopped abruptly, his face suddenly turning pale. Unusually, he tightly grasped Mo Ran’s shoulder, his fingers trembling.

     “What’s wrong?” Mo Ran turned his head, and a moment later, he saw a familiar figure walking amongst the group.

     “Xue Meng?!”