The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 464 - 270 Ambush_2
As soon as their feet touched the ground, the door of the small building squeaked open on its own. Instantly, the room was brightly lit, and Ning Xiaoxian was sitting on a chair, delicately sipping clear tea, but Qi Zai was nowhere to be seen, as were his swarm of Ding Ning Bees.
This young girl sat upright all by herself. The Luminous Pearls on the wall shone brightly, casting a very long shadow of hers on the ground, emphasizing her petite and solitary figure. She placed the tea cup down on the table slowly, her face a bit pale and her chin pointy, exuding a somewhat pitiable charm. Even the four cultivators present couldn’t help but feel a tinge of pity upon seeing her for an instant. They thought to themselves, what kind of heroes would Nascent Soul/Golden Core cultivators be if they bullied such a frail young woman?
However, Old K had a more resolute Dao Heart and merely drifted momentarily before quickly regaining his senses. He turned his head to see the three sect members beside him gazing dazedly at the young girl up front, their eyes showing sympathy and reluctance. His expression darkened instantly, and he reprimanded lightly, "This woman dares to employ Sorcery!"
His voice carried the force of his Divine Skills, immediately awakening the three cultivators from their stupor. The three looked at each other with flushed cheeks, silently admonishing themselves for falling for the ruse of a young girl.
Ning Xiaoxian sighed inwardly, "The time to comprehend was too short, and the skill was not yet mastered. Otherwise, just this trick alone would have sufficed to deal with them here." However, she refused to admit defeat and retorted sharply, "The path of cultivation is upright and honorable, yet you few violated Guangcheng Palace’s prohibition order. Skulking about in the dead of night, stealthily sneaking into a woman’s room—what is the meaning of this!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
What she had just used was not some low-level Bewitching Technique, but a combination of "Seeing the micro and knowing the macro" and Confusion Technique. "Seeing the micro and knowing the macro" came highly recommended by Changtian because it could not only identify the weaknesses in an enemy, but also be applied to oneself, a tactic of showing vulnerability to one’s opponent.
Displaying one’s strengths as weaknesses to lure the enemy into attack, this Secret Technique indeed had such an effect. However, Ning Xiaoxian had just met Bai Qing that evening, and the state of "Scenery Follows Heart" achieved by the latter lingered in her mind. As she absorbed the Moonlight earlier, she kept contemplating this matter.
Although she could not use the surroundings to her advantage as genuinely as Bai Qing, by employing small tricks and arrangements, she could turn the situation more favorable for herself. Additionally, with the use of Confusion Technique, she indeed managed to disturb the minds of these cultivators!
The original suggestion by Old K to come here had not passed without dispute, as two people had voiced opposition. In the end, they only somewhat reluctantly agreed to come, out of respect for him as the team leader. Now that Ning Xiaoxian spoke up like this, those two with prior objections immediately thought, "Indeed, us creeping up on a young girl in the dead of night, if seen by others, the prestige of Tianlan Courtyard would be in tatters!"
Old K was sharp and, seeing the discomfort on the faces of his junior brothers, quickly transmitted a message, "Quickly take down this woman, just be careful not to alarm others!" The two thought about it and agreed, steeling their resolve.
In the perception of Ning Xiaoxian’s Divine Sense, the bodies of these individuals tensed, and their eyes flickered restlessly, clearly ready to make a move at any opportunity. With a sigh, she softly asked, "I really want to know, why are you so convinced that your sect’s secret treasure was stolen by me?" Giving you one last chance—if you don’t seize it, don’t blame Granny.
Before Old K could respond, another Golden Core cultivator barked, "We received news on the road that after the Mountain Protection Array was breached, a thief entered and stole the Treasure of the Sect! If not your accomplice, then who else would know that our sect’s Protection Array was incapacitated?"
Ning Xiaoxian blinked, "And you too!" This left the Golden Core cultivator at a loss for words. Old K and the others then saw the girl extend her slender, white fingers, pointing at them one by one, "And you, and you, and you. As well as everyone in Tianlan Courtyard, from the Sect Leader to the janitors. Are they not all living loudspeakers, megaphones that have likely all heard about the failure of the Protection Array? How could you pin it on me leaking the news?"
Old K was momentarily speechless with anger, snapping, "Demoness, you speak with cunning eloquence!"
"Xian Yiren!" Ning Xiaoxian took over for him, then sternly said, "Old K, oh no, respected Daoist, I genuinely don’t want your sect to wrongly accuse someone while letting the real culprit roam free. That would be truly agonizing for the innocent and delightful for the enemy. Ever since you injured me, I have been traveling westward to this place. Calculate the timeline yourself, how could I possibly have returned to your sect to steal things?"
Old K knew her words had some merit, but he had just lost his only son in the battle to protect the treasure, and he needed to vent his rage on someone. His expression fluctuating, he said, "Within our sect, only the image of your White Bird appeared in the Karma Mirror, showing that it has infiltrated our sect’s Great Formation. You are welcome to argue, and if you wish to prove your innocence, you may, but you must surrender yourself so I can take you to the Master of Tianlan Courtyard for questioning!"
These people wouldn’t rest until they dragged her to the God Demon Prison. Ning Xiaoxian bit her lip and said, "If I surrender myself, will you ensure my safety? Will I not ’unexpectedly’ die on the way?" Her words deeply resonated, causing the faces of those behind Old K to subtly change, but Old K was delighted to say, "If you agree to come back with us, we will ensure your safety!"
Ning Xiaoxian bowed her head, and after a long moment of decision, her shoulders sagged, and she murmured, "Alright then, to prove my innocence, I will go back with you." She sighed softly, closed her eyes, and extended her wrists forward, seemingly resigned to her fate.
Old K thought to himself that this woman knew quite a bit, aware of the existence of the sect’s Golden Shackles that, when clasped on the wrists, could seal a cultivator’s entire cultivation base. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation tickets and Monthly Tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
