After Rebirth, the Love-Struck Cannon Fodder Woke Up - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Undercover

◎ Sect Master’s Revelation, Demon Sect’s Mole ◎

The auction ended, and the cultivators quickly dispersed.

Gu Xianzi left the ninth floor of the pavilion and swiftly approached Du Lianxin.

She intended to hug the girl before she could react, but was blocked by Shen Anlan.

“Since Junior Sister Gu openly likes women, it’s more appropriate to maintain a proper distance from Junior Sister Du.”

Hearing this, Gu Xianzi immediately retorted: “Then what about you, Senior Sister Shen? Although I’ve never heard that Senior Sister has ever loved anyone, my intuition tells me that Senior Sister also likes women, and you should also keep your distance from Junior Sister Du.”

Shen Anlan responded lightly: “I have never behaved inappropriately, but Junior Sister Gu is not so. Every action is highly deliberate and has an obvious purpose.”

Gu Xianzi raised an eyebrow, ready to argue, but in the next instant, she realized a crucial point and immediately retorted with a smile: “What authority does Senior Sister Shen have to prevent me from approaching Junior Sister Du?”

Shen Anlan slightly frowned. “Regardless of authority, Junior Sister Gu’s previous actions were inappropriate.”

Gu Xianzi’s smile remained unchanged, and she continued: “Junior Sister Du hasn’t said anything from beginning to end. Isn’t Senior Sister being meddlesome?”

Hearing this, Shen Anlan’s cold gaze looked directly at the girl beside her, seemingly waiting for her response.

Du Lianxin felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and spoke haltingly: “Two Senior Sisters, I only wish to focus on the Dao path in this life and will not consider matters of romance. If Senior Sister Gu came for this reason, I can only apologize to Senior Sister and wish that Senior Sister finds someone sincerely devoted soon.”

Hearing these words, the smile on Gu Xianzi’s face faded significantly.

“Junior Sister Du is not even twenty yet. Why do you have to seal your heart and lock away love?”

“I only long for longevity and freedom. Matters of love are ethereal and unpredictable. I only wish to keep my distance.”

Gu Xianzi sized up the girl for a moment, then asked suspiciously: “Junior Sister Du, have you suffered a heartbreak before?”

Beside them, Shen Anlan heard this and, for some reason, felt a little nervous. Her usually cold eyes were tinged with a depth that others could not understand.

Du Lianxin felt a moment of trance upon hearing these familiar words.

Many days ago, Senior Sister Ye had asked the same question.

Senior Sister Ye had not yet returned to the sect. She wondered when the jade pendant would be returned.

Thinking of this, she composed herself and slowly shook her head. “I joined the sect from a young age and have never experienced romantic matters in this life.”

Hearing this, the confusion on Gu Xianzi’s face deepened. “Then why, Junior Sister…”

“Senior Sister, just assume that my nature is inherently cold. I am undeserving of this deep affection, and I am ashamed to accept it.”

Gu Xianzi pouted: “There is no such thing as a person born with a cold nature in this world. Those who claim this have seen through worldly affairs and no longer wish to be entangled in the mundane world. At Junior Sister’s age, it should not be so. I’ll take this as an excuse Junior Sister found to reject me. I will not give up easily!”

As soon as she finished speaking, a golden talisman suddenly flew toward the three from a distance, finally hovering in front of Shen Anlan.

The moment she saw the golden talisman, a look of surprise appeared on Gu Xianzi’s face.

“That’s the Sect Master’s summons!”

Shen Anlan accepted the golden talisman and listened.

A moment later, the talisman slowly dissipated.

She turned to the girl beside her. “It’s the Sect Master’s sound transmission. It didn’t mention the specifics of the matter, only telling the two of us to go to Welcoming Immortal Peak together.”

Du Lianxin was a little surprised. “The Sect Master is calling for me too?”

“That’s right.” Shen Anlan nodded in response: “I suspect the matter of Donglin Town has reached a conclusion.”

A summons from the Sect Master could not be delayed. The three quickly set off and returned to the sect.

Half an incense stick later.

Clear River Sect, Welcoming Immortal Peak.

Du Lianxin and Shen Anlan arrived inside the Grand Welcoming Immortal Hall and saw the Sect Master, Shuhua, standing with her hands clasped behind her back.

She was wearing a flowing black dress that swept the floor, her dark hair half-up, secured only by a wooden hairpin.

Sensing their arrival, Shuhua turned around. After they paid their respects, her gaze fell upon Shen Anlan, and she said concisely: “Junior Niece Shen, you previously reported to me that Wang Qing, a disciple of Wuxia Peak, might have an issue. It has now been confirmed that this person is a mole planted by the Demon Sect in our sect.”

Hearing this, Shen Anlan subconsciously frowned.

“So, the matter of Donglin Town was the work of the Demon Sect?”

Shuhua nodded in response: “I performed soul-searching. The one who gave Wang Qing the orders was the Right Protector of the Asura Sect, the leader of the Demon Sect. The Donglin Town incident was the work of this sect. Unfortunately, Wang Qing did not know much, so I couldn’t uncover more information.”

At this moment, Du Lianxin was deeply shocked.

Feng Ruo, known as the Demon Sect Saintess, was precisely from the Asura Sect.

If this woman had known the truth all along, why would she have been injured in the illusion formation in Donglin Town?

Was it a tactic to gain trust through injury?

Du Lianxin couldn’t figure it out. Feng Ruo’s reactions at the time, her every move, seemed genuine. If it was all an act, her cunning was likely unimaginable.

At this moment, she suddenly recalled that after the illusion formation was broken, this woman had received a sound transmission.

At that time, the other party’s expression changed for a moment.

Perhaps there was another possibility: Feng Ruo did not know the truth initially. That sound transmission was not what the other party claimed—a friend in danger waiting for rescue—but contained entirely different content, very likely sent by the high-level members of the Asura Sect…

Inside the Grand Welcoming Immortal Hall, Shuhua looked at the girl with lowered eyes and said softly: “Junior Niece Du, when I soul-searched Wang Qing, I found that some of this person’s memories were intermittent and contained some strange elements. A few of those images were related to you, Junior Niece Du.”

Hearing this, Du Lianxin instantly felt a jolt.

At this moment, all kinds of conjectures flashed through her mind. The most likely one was that Wang Qing was also a reincarnator.

In her past life, this person was killed by her. Did the Sect Master see the relevant memory?

For a moment, Du Lianxin didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing this, Shuhua looked at the purple-clad woman nearby. “Junior Niece Shen, please withdraw first. There are some things I would like to discuss with Junior Niece Du alone.”

Shen Anlan looked at the girl with a worried expression, then respectfully agreed and withdrew from the hall.

After she left, Shuhua formed a hand seal with one hand, setting up a soundproofing restriction around the Grand Welcoming Immortal Hall.

“In Wang Qing’s memory, I saw this person violate sect rules, being exiled to the mine to perform hard labor, and eventually dying by Junior Niece Du’s sword. The relevant memory is very real and does not seem to be his own delusion. Does Junior Niece Du know the reason?”

Seeing the girl’s hesitant expression, Shuhua continued: “Now only the two of us remain in the hall. If Junior Niece has anything to say, please speak plainly. Wang Qing was originally a mole planted by the Demon Sect in our sect. Junior Niece killing him was acting on behalf of the heavens. I am not here to investigate this matter, but only to clarify the circumstances to prevent the Demon Sect from secretly causing mischief.”

Du Lianxin had originally not intended to tell anyone the secret of her rebirth, but now she had no choice but to speak, otherwise she couldn’t explain clearly.

She did not consider fabricating a lie to deceive the Sect Master.

Shuhua had governed the Clear River Sect for a thousand years. She had seen all kinds of people and would know if someone was lying the moment they spoke.

Thinking this, Du Lianxin composed herself and responded respectfully: “Sect Master, to be honest, I have been reborn. The matter you just mentioned truly happened in my past life.”

Shuhua was experienced and knowledgeable. She had already guessed this and silently confirmed her suspicion upon hearing the girl’s words.

In the six major realms of cultivation, reaching the Great Vehicle Stage allows one to grasp the power of laws.

Among the three thousand laws, Time is paramount.

If a powerful being who had grasped the power of the Law of Time were to emerge in this realm, performing a spell to reverse time and space could indeed cause all beings to return to the past.

However…

No matter how formidable a cultivator was, they were still not immortals. The backlash from rashly intervening in the destiny of all beings was unimaginable.

Shuhua did not know why that powerful being did this, but she knew that those who could fully retain their past life memories must have a very close relationship with that powerful being—either a family member or a lover.

As for those whose memories were incomplete, they were those entangled in karmic ties of life and death, such as enemies.

Thinking of this, Shuhua looked at the girl before her and continued to ask: “Junior Niece Du, are your past life memories complete and intact?”

Du Lianxin nodded: “That is indeed the case. The events that occurred in my past life are now clearly visible.”

Receiving this answer, Shuhua was even more certain of her conjecture.

“Did Junior Niece Du know the final situation of the Demon Sect in your past life?”

“Reporting to Sect Master, the Demon Sect existed until my death in the past life. Their overall strength was not significantly different from now.”

“Then did the Demon Sect have any major movements?”

Du Lianxin responded truthfully: “Yes. The Asura Sect, in order to eliminate Senior Sister Shen, designed a siege. The Saintess, Feng Ruo, even disguised herself as a rogue cultivator, seizing the opportunity to gain Senior Sister Shen’s trust, and critically injured Senior Sister at a crucial moment, resulting in her Dantian being destroyed, her eyes blinded, and all her meridians severed.”

As she spoke the last part, the relevant scene subconsciously flashed in her mind. For a moment, her thoughts became extremely complicated.

Shuhua, upon hearing these words, instantly felt a powerful surge of killing intent.

Of course, it was not directed at Du Lianxin, but at the Demon Sect members.

Since ancient times, the Dao and Demon factions have been irreconcilable. If a genius cultivator emerges in the Dao Faction, the Demon Sect will always try every means to destroy them to hinder the development of the Dao Faction.

Since Shen Anlan began cultivating the Dao, she had encountered no less than ten major and minor assassination attempts. The reason she was safe until now was partly due to her own powerful strength and partly due to the sufficient protection provided by the sect.

Shuhua quickly calmed her mind, looked at the girl standing quietly in the hall, and continued to ask: “Then what happened next? Did Junior Niece Shen perish?”

“No.” Du Lianxin shook her head and explained: “Someone performed a forbidden technique, Carving the Core and Exchanging the Meridians, to heal Senior Sister Shen. After surviving this great calamity, Senior Sister’s cultivation leaped forward after recovery. When I died, Senior Sister had already reached the Soul Transformation stage.”

Shuhua noticed a subtle change in the girl’s expression. With her keen insight, she seemed to understand something at that moment and sighed softly.

“The person Junior Niece mentioned who saved her… I presume it was Junior Niece yourself?”

Du Lianxin raised her head in astonishment.

She then heard Shuhua continue: “The forbidden technique that can restore a person with completely ruined meridians and Dantian requires the performer to pay an extremely high price. It can be said that it is exchanging one life for another. Junior Niece Du’s death in your past life was likely because you performed this technique?”

At this point, denial was meaningless.

Du Lianxin nodded: “Sect Master has sharp insight. The facts are indeed as you say.”

At the same time, Shen Anlan, who had already left the Grand Welcoming Immortal Hall, returned to Falling Cloud Peak and took out the Secret Scroll fragment acquired from the auction.

Gazing at the item, she observed it for a long time. For some unknown reason, an extremely familiar feeling gradually arose in her heart…