Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 332 Hidden Story

He Qingyun looked at the situation before him, his chest heaving violently.

He is not willing!

Just as his eyes hardened, preparing to launch a forceful attack regardless of everything—

"Meow--"

A soft, meowing sound came from inside the shop behind Qi Lan.

Immediately afterwards, a round orange cat, with elegant steps, squeezed out from Qi Lan's feet, walked into the moonlight as if no one else was there, stretched out a big yawn, and then squatted down at Qi Lan's feet. Its amber cat eyes curiously looked at the group of uninvited guests outside the door, and then it meowed.

The meow strangely eased the tense atmosphere a little.

Qi Lan lowered her head and gently nudged the orange cat with her toe, her tone regaining a touch of laziness: "Look, you've woken up our 'Yuanbao'." She raised her head, her eyes under the brim of her hat sweeping over He Qingyun, "Fellow Daoist He, please leave. If you really want to investigate, produce proper procedures and evidence. I, Qi Lan, am always ready. But like tonight..." She paused, her tone turning cold, "...this is not to be repeated."

After saying that, she stopped looking at anyone, turned around, bent down to pick up the orange cat from the ground, hugged it in her arms, took a step back, and disappeared back into the darkness inside the door.

"Squeak—"

The door slowly closed behind her, shutting out the blinding red light of the compass and all the complex and varied gazes outside.

He Qingyun turned to Daoist Tianbao with a dark expression. "Uncle-Master Tianbao! You are the head of the Maoshan Sect, and Fellow Daoist Qi Lan is also an elder of Maoshan! The compass is pointing in the right direction! Are you also going to protect your own people and watch the demoness who harmed my master go unpunished?!"

Master Tianbao's old face was scrunched up in a bitter expression. He looked at the tightly closed shop door, then at the compass in He Qingyun's hand, whose red light had not yet faded, and then at the crowd around him with their various expressions, especially the disapproving looks from Feng Wenyuan and Jiang Yan, and Shen Zui's expression that looked like he was about to cry.

He sighed heavily. "Junior Nephew Qingyun! Did you see that? Everyone in Maoshan knows Qi Lan's temper. She dares to speak like that. Even if there really is a rat hiding in the shop, she's definitely not the kind of witch you're thinking of! Come on, let's not waste time here, it's embarrassing!"

"Uncle-Master Tianbao!" He Qingyun turned his head sharply, his eyes bloodshot. "Don't you want to avenge my master?! You saw the compass's reaction with your own eyes! Qi Lan avoided the topic and acted arrogantly; she's clearly guilty!"

"Feeling guilty, my foot!" Master Tianbao also got angry, raising his voice, "If she were really in cahoots with the cult, she should have silently let you break down the door just now, and then turned around and complained to the Maoshan headquarters, saying that Longhu Mountain was bullying the weak and slandering the elders! Then Longhu Mountain would be in a real mess! She's got guts! Do you understand?!"

He Qingyun's tone softened slightly, "Elder Qi Lan just said that there was a warrant from your Maoshan Sect Leader..."

"I didn't bring it!"

"..."

Shen Zui quickly squeezed between the two, bowing repeatedly: "Master, Fellow Daoist He, please calm down! It's really too late tonight, everyone is tired, and it's inevitable that we're emotional. How about... how about we do as Senior Jiang and Senior Feng suggested, and discuss this further tomorrow?"

Master Tianbao's blunt "I didn't bring it" and Shen Zui's desperate attempts to mediate were like two buckets of cold water, temporarily extinguishing He Qingyun's impulse to forcefully break down the door.

The night breeze swept through the streets, carrying the faint murmur of the distant night market, which only amplified the heavy, suffocating silence here. The crowd gradually dispersed as security personnel quietly urged them to leave, but many curious glances still lingered in the distance, mingled with whispers.

Feng Wenyuan walked to He Qingyun's side, his voice low but clear: "Nephew He, let's stop here tonight. Forcibly breaking down the door in front of everyone is unreasonable and will damage the reputation of your Longhu Mountain. As Fellow Daoist Qi Lan and Young Friend Chen said, if there is truly irrefutable evidence, we can convene all sects tomorrow to formally agree on the procedures before investigating. At that time, no one can escape responsibility."

Jiang Yan nodded and said, "Brother Feng is absolutely right. Nephew Qingyun, everyone shares the desire for revenge, but righteous actions require reason, evidence, and restraint. Don't let grief and anger cloud your judgment and allow you to be exploited by the truly wicked."

He Qingyun's chest heaved, his face alternating between pale and flushed in the moonlight and neon lights. He knew that tonight's "surprise attack" had failed.

He closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths of the cold night air, and when he opened them again, the mania in his eyes was forcibly suppressed, leaving only a bottomless sorrow and coldness.

"Alright." He Qingyun's voice was hoarse and dry. He put away the compass, and slowly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Feng Wenyuan, Jiang Yan, Chen Anran, and the other representatives of various factions. "Tonight... it was Qingyun who acted rashly. In my eagerness for revenge, I acted inappropriately, disturbing my fellow cultivators and offending Fellow Daoist Qi Lan." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed door of "Meow Immortal Abode." "However, the hatred between master and disciple is irreconcilable, and heaven and earth bear witness to this! The sensations of this 'Soul-Chasing and Spirit-Stabilizing Compass' are not unfounded! Tomorrow, Qingyun will formally request a public discussion among all parties to thoroughly investigate this place! At that time, I urge everyone... to uphold justice and not let my master die with resentment!"

Having said that, he stopped looking at anyone, turned around abruptly, and shouted to the group of disciples and elders from Longhu Mountain behind him, "Let's go!"

Although the people from Longhu Mountain were unwilling, they could only glare at "Miaoxianju" and Chen Anran and the others after He Qingyun spoke. They then left silently and quickly, their figures soon disappearing into the night of the resort.

Even after the main character left the stage, the atmosphere didn't lighten much.

Master Tianbao sighed heavily and said to Shen Zui, "What are you standing there for? Let's go, let's go back." He glanced at Chen Anran, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just waved his hand irritably, put his hands behind his back, and swayed away.

Shen Zui looked distressed and bowed to Chen Anran, Feng, Jiang and the others: "Fellow Daoist Chen, Senior Feng, Senior Jiang, tonight... it was really... alas, if there is a public discussion tomorrow, I hope you all..." He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

Chen Anran nodded slightly: "Shen Ke, you've worked hard. We'll discuss tomorrow's matters again tomorrow."

Seeing this, the other representatives also stepped forward to take their leave, their words mostly conveying a sense of reassurance and observation. Soon, most of the crowd dispersed.

In the end, only Chen Anran, Feng Wenyuan, Jiang Yan, and Han Bailian remained standing outside the "Meow Fairy Residence".

Han Bailian's face had already regained the expression of a kind elder. He sighed and said gently to Chen Anran, "Young friend Chen, I'm sorry that you and the Yunyin Sect suffered tonight. Nephew He's situation is also understandable. I hope that this matter will not damage the harmony with Longhu Mountain. Tomorrow, during the public discussion, I will certainly mediate and strive for fairness."

Chen Anran cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your trouble, Elder Han."

"Of course, of course." Han Bailian smiled, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the still-dark window on the second floor of "Meow Immortal Abode". "Well... I'll take my leave first, you all should rest early."

Watching Han Bailian's figure disappear around the street corner, Feng Wenyuan snorted coldly and muttered, "Old fox."

Jiang Yan shook his head and looked at Chen Anran: "Young friend Chen, what do you think of this matter? He Qingyun's actions tonight seem impulsive, but in reality... I'm afraid he has other plans."

Chen Anran stared calmly at the "Meow Immortal Abode" sign for a moment before turning to Feng Wenyuan and Jiang Yan, bowing respectfully, "Thank you both for speaking up for me tonight."

Feng Wenyuan waved his hand: "We're family, so let's not be so formal. If the Yunyin Sect is truly confirmed to be involved with a cult, our Feng family won't be able to escape responsibility either. Moreover," he paused, his voice lower, "the matter of Mo Han is probably inextricably linked to this. He Qingyun... may not be entirely innocent either."

Jiang Yan also said seriously, "Young friend Chen, you must be careful. What about Fellow Daoist Qi Lan..."

"Fellow Daoist Qi Lan knows what he's doing," Chen Anran said. "Please, both seniors, return now; it's late."

"Alright, you should also return to the mountain soon. Sect Leader Su is probably waiting for news as well." Feng Wenyuan patted Chen Anran on the shoulder and left with Jiang Yan.

The street fell completely silent. Chen Anran stood alone outside the "Meow Fairy Residence" and waited quietly for a few more minutes until she was sure no one was watching before sending Qi Lan a text message.

A short while later, a soft "click" came from inside the door, and the lock opened.

Chen Anran pushed open the door and entered. The shop was completely dark, with only the faint green light from the emergency exit illuminating the blurry outlines of the furniture. The air was filled with the faint scent of catnip and coffee beans, just like any other day.

Qi Lan didn't turn on the light. She was still holding the orange cat, leaning lazily against the handrail of the stairs leading to the second floor. Only her vertical pupils, which glowed slightly in the darkness, indicated her location.

"Have they all left?" she asked, her voice regaining its weary calm.

"I'm leaving for now." Chen Anran walked up to her. "He Qingyun won't let this go. There will definitely be a public discussion tomorrow."

"Let's have a public discussion then." Qi Lan shrugged indifferently, and the orange cat purred comfortably in her arms.

Qi Lan put the orange cat in her arms on the ground. The fat cat "Yuanbao" rubbed against her ankle, meowed, and wiggled its butt and disappeared into the shadows around the corner of the stairs.

"Let's talk upstairs, it's not convenient to talk here."

Just as they were about to go upstairs, the basement door opened.

The basement door slid open silently a crack, and a warm yellow light flowed out, spreading out in a hazy trapezoidal pattern on the floor.

Lingdang leaned against the door frame, standing in that patch of light.

She looked thinner than a few days ago, and her face was still pale. She was wearing the loose pajamas that Qi Lan had prepared for her, barefoot, with her long hair loosely draped over her shoulders.

After a few seconds of silence, Lingdang spoke softly, her voice somewhat hoarse: "He...is gone?"

"For now." Qi Lan turned and walked towards her, casually grabbing one of her own coats from the nearby coat rack and draping it over Lingdang's shoulders. "Didn't I tell you to rest quietly for the next few days and not to use your spiritual power recklessly?"

Lingdang tightened her coat around her shoulders, not answering Qi Lan directly, but murmuring, "With Zhang Nanshan taking on such a good disciple, how can I sleep?"

Lingdang gritted her teeth, "My symptoms are probably his doing too. And that 'Soul-Stabilizing Plate' that supposedly counters my evil arts—to hell with it! That treacherous bastard who betrayed his master!"

Chen Anran looked at Lingdang standing at the basement door and could understand her anger.

He Qingyun knew about his three senior sisters' situation when Shi Haisheng attacked their Yunyin Sect back then, and he may have already harbored inappropriate thoughts at that time.

I never imagined that, in order to seize my three senior sisters from the Cloud Hidden Sect, they would even kill their own master...

Lingdang's breathing quickened, her chest heaving violently. Qi Lan quickly stepped forward to support her, placing her palm on her back and channeling a gentle stream of spiritual energy into her.

"Don't get agitated, the restrictions within your body have just stabilized." Qi Lan's voice was unusually stern. "Sit down and talk."

Chen Anran quickened her pace and dragged a chair over from the side.

Lingdang was helped to sit down by Qi Lan, and she tightly gripped the coat draped over her shoulders.

"He Qingyun..." She closed her eyes, her voice filled with hatred and regret, "Zhang Nanshan treated him like his own son, yet he..."

Warm light from the basement seeped through the crack in the door, casting a half-light, half-shadow on her pale face. Chen Anran pulled up another chair and sat down, not urging her, but simply waiting quietly.

Qi Lan went to the counter, poured a glass of warm water, and placed it in Lingdang's hand. The warmth calmed Lingdang's trembling fingers slightly. She took a small sip, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes again.

After a long while, she raised her head, her eyes slightly red, but there were no tears, only a frozen hatred and pain.

"He knew all along." Lingdang's voice was soft. "Zhang Nanshan and I... he always knew what we wanted to do. Zhang Nanshan wanted to guide the Crimson Spirit Sect back to the right path, and he didn't just talk about it. We've been secretly planning for a long time, cleaning out those truly incorrigible scoundrels in the sect, restraining the followers, and looking for a suitable opportunity... to be honest with the righteous path, even if it comes at a price, to end this centuries-old conflict."

She forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "How naive, isn't it? Two old folks who've lived for almost five hundred years, still believing in this."

Chen Anran listened in silence without interrupting.

"He Qingyun..." Lingdang murmured the name, as if she were chewing on something dirty. "He was Zhang Nanshan's first disciple. He was talented and hardworking, and Zhang Nanshan had high hopes for him. He didn't hide many things from him. Including... my true identity, and our plan... I should have realized it was him a long time ago, but I just couldn't believe it."

After listening, Qi Lan asked, somewhat puzzled, "But why would he do that? Killing his own mentor and framing you—what good would that do him?"

After thinking for a moment, Lingdang shook her head and said, "That's what I don't understand either."

As the bell's sound faded, a brief silence fell over the first basement level.

Qi Lan crossed her arms, her fingertips unconsciously fidgeting with the cuff of her hoodie, her brows slightly furrowed. She glanced at Lingdang's pale yet stubborn face, then at Chen Anran, who remained silent.

Chen Anran's gaze fell on the wilted green plant at the corner of the stairs. He was focused on how to deal with the various factions' opinions tomorrow and did not say a word about the question raised by Lingdang.

Don't miss out: Chapter 332, the full story, is available here. Click to read.