“…Hm?”
Lin Yuhe was momentarily stunned by the scene, but upon hearing Shen Mu’s teasing, she quickly snapped back to reality.
She retorted stubbornly, “I didn’t use cheats! Don’t slander me…”
Just used them a few times…
“Heh… whether you did or not, you know in your heart.”
Shen Mu chuckled lightly, shrugging, then walked toward the unconscious red-clad loli in the shallow pit, crouching to carefully examine her injuries.
Thankfully, this corpse ghost was a hoarder in life, obsessed with treasures. Otherwise, she’d likely have been swallowed whole this time.
“Who is she?” Lin Yuhe joined him by the pit, looking at the unfamiliar, youthful face with curiosity.
“You’re clearly someone who doesn’t pay attention to details.”
Shen Mu gently pulled back her collar, revealing the delicate, still-developing collarbone of the young loli.
At the same time, a vivid crimson rose mark was clearly visible beneath her collarbone.
As expected…
“Her outfit is predominantly red, adorned with dark red rose patterns, and she has a bright crimson rose mark at her collarbone.”
“Clearly, she’s from the Blood Spirit Demonic Sect, and her status isn’t low.”
In truth, the moment Shen Mu saw the rose mark at her collarbone, he had already confirmed her identity.
This girl’s status wasn’t just “not low”…
She was Ye Mingxue, the daughter of the Blood Spirit Demonic Sect’s leader and the future saintess of the sect.
She was also the demonic heroine whom the male protagonist only wins over with maxed affection in the late game, becoming one of his harem members.
A massive, unpredictable trouble he couldn’t handle.
“Blood Spirit Demonic Sect…”
Prompted by Shen Mu, a spark of realization flashed in Lin Yuhe’s mind as she recalled information about this demonic faction.
“I remember now. That sect is a top-tier force in the demonic path, right?”
“Mm. We just don’t know why this girl came here. If she’s just traveling without ulterior motives, that’s easy to deal with.”
“But if she has other intentions…”
Shen Mu hesitated, unsure of what to do.
After all, his Wind Spirit Immortal Sect was a righteous faction, inherently at odds with demonic sects like the Blood Spirit Demonic Sect.
Letting her go risked her having some hidden agenda.
If the Blood Spirit Demonic Sect suddenly acted against them, he’d likely be branded as colluding with demonic forces.
But keeping her captive, given her special status in the sect, could spark an unnecessary conflict between the righteous and demonic paths, accelerating certain events.
And he’d likely be caught in the center of that vortex, unable to escape, becoming a “sacrifice” quietly eliminated by some big shot.
Truly, neither option led to a good outcome.
“What? If she has other motives, are you planning to tie her up and drag her back to the sect to claim credit?” Lin Yuhe gave him a look that said, “I’ve seen through your plan.”
“Get lost. You think I’m like you? I don’t want to attract too much attention from the big shots.” Shen Mu snapped back irritably.
As a “triple-nothing” cultivator—no background, no strength, no talent—drawing too much attention from any major figure in this situation would be bad for him.
Wait!
If he used a different alias to deal with this girl, wouldn’t that keep everything separate from his true identity?
Inspired by plots from certain novels, Shen Mu came up with a seemingly reliable solution.
But…
If he went through with this, the key issue would shift to Lin Yuhe.
Shen Mu turned his gaze to her, asking seriously, “By the way, did you ever show your true face to her?”
“No, when I arrived, she was already lying in that pit.”
Lin Yuhe seemed to catch on, raising an eyebrow at him. “Oh~ Are you planning to use a new alias to deal with this demonic sect girl?”
“Your brain catches on quick. Read a lot of web novels, didn’t you?”
“No choice. I was pretty bored on my own back then. Just reading novels, watching videos… playing games, occasionally lurking in group chats to pass the time.”
Recalling her uneventful life in her original world, Lin Yuhe felt a wave of boredom.
“So you were a shut-in, huh.” Hearing that her life lacked social outings, Shen Mu could pretty much picture what she was like.
“What? Got a problem with me being a shut-in?” Lin Yuhe shot him a “friendly” look, her tone tinged with displeasure.
Seeing this, Shen Mu raised an eyebrow and quietly stood up. “Nope, it’s great. At least you don’t go looking for trouble. Perfect for the cultivation path.”
“Hmph~”
Lin Yuhe snorted lightly, barely satisfied with his cautious response.
“Back to business. Since you understand my plan, you’ll need to stay far away later so she doesn’t sense your presence.”
“After all, demonic cultivators are… pretty sensitive to us righteous sect folks.”
“…”
Lin Yuhe stood, looking at the demonic sect loli for a moment, her lips slowly curving as a mischievous idea bubbled up.
If she didn’t stir things up now, how could she completely change her fate?
Besides…
This would make the story a bit more interesting.
“How about… I also create a new alias?”
“Huh?”
***
Half an hour later.
“Mm… mm…”
Ye Mingxue let out a soft hum from her nose, her eyelashes trembling as her crimson eyes slowly opened, hazy with confusion…
“Where is this…” She gazed at the cloudless, azure sky, hearing the gentle trickle of a stream nearby, her eyes filled with puzzlement.
“Outside Lingjue Village.”
A cold, steady male voice suddenly rang out, causing Ye Mingxue to quickly turn toward its source…
She saw a black-clad man wearing a veiled bamboo hat, arms crossed, leaning against a giant tree in the shade, his cultivation aura completely concealed, exuding an air of mystery.
“…May I ask who you are?”
Unable to sense even a trace of his cultivation, Ye Mingxue, lying on a bluestone, asked cautiously.
“…”
The bamboo-hat man didn’t answer, remaining silently leaned against the tree.
“You’re always so dramatic. Don’t scare her.”
Accompanied by a clear, water-like female voice approaching, a white-clad woman with a veiled bamboo hat, graceful as an immortal, stepped out from beside a stream…
Each step was natural and dignified, exuding the air of a refined lady.
Shen Mu, under his bamboo hat, glanced at her uncharacteristically poised gait, inwardly grumbling: Hmph, and you say I’m dramatic? You’re the real poser.
“His name is Yan Xiao, a wandering cultivator traveling with me.”
“Not long ago, we passed through here, noticed a ghost causing harm, and dealt with it, saving you in the process.”