Huadian Lane.

At number thirteen, the lights are just starting to shine!

"Why are you only coming now?" Yue Mei’Er looked at Mrs. Qiao being brought in by Yue Shisan, her tone filled with deep dissatisfaction.

"Miss, Si Miaoxue is in seclusion to recover from her injuries. I’m handling all the affairs at Huaye Tower, and I really can’t get away during the day..."

"Did you get the item?"

"Reporting to Miss, it’s already in hand." Mrs. Qiao placed the crystal-clear bottle that Chun’Er had given her on the desk.

Using a colorless glass bottle to store the "Human Skin Mask" is indeed quite fitting.

Yue Mei’Er has spent years at the Moon Worship Sect Headquarters, naturally knowledgeable and worldly. This kind of colorless glass, though fairly precious in her eyes, isn’t particularly rare. In Yue Country, there are mines of colorless glass, much more common than in Da Li.

"Have you tried it?"

"Reporting to Miss, your maid dare not." Mrs. Qiao quickly shook her head and replied solemnly.

"Better to not dare." Yue Mei’Er merely played with the glass bottle containing the Human Skin Mask in her hand, without eager to take out the mask inside, "How is she?"

Mrs. Qiao understood that "she" in Yue Mei’Er’s words referred to Si Miaoxue.

"Chun’Er says she only ate a little at noon, and merely drank some soup at night, lacking even the strength to speak." Mrs. Qiao slightly bent to reply.

"Did she send an eagle message for help to her master?"

"She did, sent on the first day back at Huaye Tower, but your maid doesn’t know the contents of the message. She still had strength then, handling everything herself, Chun’Er doesn’t know either."

"Hmm, understood. You may go back first." Yue Mei’Er gave a faint command.

"Go back, Miss, she’s already like this, it’s the perfect time to take her place?" Mrs. Qiao asked impulsively.

"Not the time yet." Yue Mei’Er smiled faintly, dimples shallow, with captivating charm, evoking pity.

"Yes." Knowing Yue Mei’Er’s temperament, Mrs. Qiao dared not speak further, slightly bent and swiftly left.

"Thirteen!"

The ice-cold faced Yue Shisan appeared in front of Yue Mei’Er.

"Was that woman’s eagle message intercepted?" Yue Mei’Er asked casually.

Yue Shisan’s gaze paused slightly, then took a thin bamboo tube from his bosom and handed it over without a word.

Yue Shisan wasn’t mute; he’s just been this way since childhood, preferring not to speak much, even when he does, he uses the most concise language.

"Indeed, she sought help from her master Long Po, but unfortunately, Long Po will never receive this message." Yue Mei’Er took out the brief letter from the bamboo tube, glanced at it, and sneered disdainfully.

"Thirteen, our plan can start now, let’s go." Yue Mei’Er waved her hand, giving an order.

Yue Shisan merely slightly bowed and followed behind.

...

After finishing his small lesson, Lin Miao changed his clothes, returned to Lin’s residence, entered the secret tunnel, and met with Si Miaoxue.

"After dusk, she donned men’s attire and went to Huadian Lane thirteen."

"She really knows how to hide, choosing such an unlikely place, I truly hadn’t thought of it." Si Miaoxue sneered coldly.

"Will she certainly come tonight?" asked Lin Miao, uncertain.

"Though we haven’t seen each other for ten years, I’m still quite familiar with her nature: crafty, suspicious, but also quite arrogant. She will surely come to see me before I die and proudly flaunt herself." Si Miaoxue said with a smile.

"Is it really that important?" Lin Miao was puzzled.

Si Miaoxue giggled: "Mr. Lin, you still don’t understand women. We women are hardly narrow-minded. When she was young, for every little achievement, she’d boast to us. Her character likely hasn’t changed over these years."

"Do you two have such deep-seated hatred?"

"Ten years ago, just after I turned sixteen, she connived to make me noticed by the Sect Leader." Si Miaoxue responded through gritted teeth.

"She was only ten, already knew how to scheme, could someone have been directing her?"

"Even if someone directed her, some things were indeed spoken by her."

"Why did she act this way?"

"I was her greatest rival because I had the best relationship with the Saint Heir. Besides the mute servant, the Saint Heir was most attached to me. Unless I was ousted, how could she replace my position?"

Lin Miao became silent in thought.

"Could it be that the Sect Leader’s favorites in the past ten years were chosen from your former sisters?"

"Some were, some were collected from outsiders."

"Why not select purely from women within your sect?"

"I don’t know; perhaps they have their own methods of selection. I’m not aware..." Si Miaoxue was quite young back then; how could she understand such matters, especially after leaving for ten years, she is now uninformed about many current situations in the sect.

"Let’s not talk about this. If they come tonight, what do you plan to do?" Lin Miao asked.

"I’ll handle Yue Shisan, you just need to delay Yue Mei’Er for a while." Si Miaoxue said confidently.

"Where will you two fight? At Huaye Tower?"

"Of course, not at Huaye Tower, attracting the court’s attention would be troublesome. I plan to lure them outside the city to resolve this."

"Can the city defenses of Dongshan City really allow you to come and go freely?"

"Dongshan City hasn’t seen war for years; its military equipment has long been lax. When martial artists resolve their grudges, as long as they don’t fight inside the city and accidentally hurt civilians, they usually take it outside, and it’s generally not intervened. Didn’t my master and Bai Feng have a fight outside at the Ten-Mile Bridge, and it was you who saved my life!" Si Miaoxue explained.

"What about me? What’s the cultivation level of that Yue Mei’Er?"

"She should be of Lower Grade Blood Fusion Realm. You should be able to handle it. Besides, with Miss Liansuo helping you, capturing her alive shouldn’t be a problem..."

"You just want to have a fight with Yue Shisan, don’t you?" Lin Miao saw through her. This demoness, having recovered, her cultivation greatly improved, wants to take personal revenge.

"Such a good opponent, how could I let this chance slip away? Besides, he almost killed me before. I need to take this opportunity for revenge, don’t you think?"

"Si Miaoxue, are you out of your mind, or do you think I can save you every time? I’m telling you, when you can use your brain, never resort to force. If you make too much noise, sooner or later traces will be exposed. Aren’t you afraid people will realize there’s a hidden demonic disciple from the Moon Worship Sect lurking in Dongshan City?" Lin Miao sternly jabbed her forehead with his finger, scolding her without mercy.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Have you forgotten what I do?" Lin Miao glanced at her coldly.

"You’re a doctor, a healer and a Physician."

"And what else?"

"You also make some strange things, like colorless glass, and crystal sugar..."

"Medicine. I also make medicine." Lin Miao rolled his eyes at her, taking out a bamboo tube from his chest, inside which there was incense.

"This is a sedative incense I made. Once lit and inhaled, it paralyzes the nerves, making inner energy unusable. Only my antidote can counteract it. All you need is to hold the antidote in your mouth in advance, and you won’t be affected..."

"That’s amazing! But that sly lass, won’t she be prepared?" Si Miaoxue said in surprise.

"She had an insider steal your human skin mask. I don’t believe you didn’t do something to it?" Lin Miao chuckled.

"You even know this?" Si Miaoxue pouted, "I did hold a backup plan just in case the mask was lost, and someone appeared as Qin Yanran to take over Huaye Tower, so my master procured a strange liquid from the Southern Wilderness. Soaking the mask in it maintains its flexibility for a long time, but the drawback is that it must be evenly coated with another liquid before use, or once worn, it can’t be removed, and will damage both the mask and the wearer’s face if forcibly taken off."

"I thought so. Otherwise, why did you agree immediately when I suggested Chun’Er give them the mask? Clearly, you were already prepared."

"Anyway, I no longer care for the identity of Qin Yanran. If this could make her disappear completely, it wouldn’t be a bad thing." Si Miaoxue stated.

"Do you want Yue Mei’Er to die in your stead?"

"Mm, if she dies wearing Qin Yanran’s mask, I achieve two goals at once: both Qin Yanran and Si Miaoxue would be dead, but I..."

"You want to replace Yue Mei’Er?"

"Then find an opportunity to make Yue Mei’Er and Yue Shisan vanish in Longchuan Canyon as well." Si Miaoxue nodded, erasing all traces of her existence in this world, planning to reappear by Lin Miao’s side with a new identity.

"Are you sure you’ve left the Moon Worship Sect, and what about your Master Long Po? Aren’t you concerned about her?"

"My master is a Protector of the Moon Worship Sect, even without me, she can do just fine, anyway, I have no intention of going back to that place." Si Miaoxue said.

"Executing this plan won’t be easy. Without your identity, what about Huaye Tower?" Lin Miao asked.

"I intend to transfer Huaye Tower under your name."

"Transfer it to me under what pretense? Everyone knows I have a mortal enmity with Qin Yanran?" Lin Miao questioned.

"That’s why, after we take down Yue Mei’Er and Yue Shisan, in the identity of Yue Mei’Er using Qin Yanran’s identity, I’ll find a chance to squander away Huaye Tower, then, I’ll disappear in Longchuan Canyon as Yue Mei’Er, and finally come back to your side under a new identity."

"Sounds feasible, but if any part of this goes wrong, wouldn’t it fall apart completely? Have you considered that?"

"No, just taking it step by step. Without trying, how will I know it won’t work," Si Miaoxue replied, "After all, that’s how I’ve gotten by all these years."

The bell in the secret passage suddenly rang three times.

It was a signal from Liansuo, indicating someone was coming.

Si Miaoxue quickly returned to the pavilion, went up to the second floor, continuing to feign illness, lying on the soft couch.

She lit the sedative incense Lin Miao gave her, holding the antidote in her mouth. The scent was faint, indistinguishable from the calming incense she usually used.

In a lady’s room, burning incense was standard practice. Besides, the room wasn’t sealed, so generally, no one would expect someone to light a sedative incense inside their own room, waiting for people to come.

This incense wouldn’t knock people out directly, but once inhaled, it makes inner energy unusable...

"Miss, why aren’t you..." Seeing Yue Mei’Er, also dressed as a man, Mrs. Qiao was immensely surprised. She assumed Yue Mei’Er would appear as "Qin Yanran."

This way, she could directly take over Huaye Tower. After all, Si Miaoxue was currently in the small pavilion in the backyard, and no one except Mrs. Qiao and Chun’Er had seen her true face.

"Take me to see her," Yue Mei’Er interrupted Mrs. Qiao, instructing.

"Yes, young master, this way please." Mrs. Qiao led Yue Mei’Er and Yue Shisan along a corridor, walking at a leisurely pace, but this scene fell into Liansuo’s sight.

As soon as they entered the backyard.

Yue Shisan suddenly halted, glancing at the roof ridge where Liansuo was.

The ridge obscured Liansuo’s presence. Unless Yue Shisan’s eyes could see through, he wouldn’t be able to see her.

However, Yin Shisan was so keenly sensitive, he could feel her presence despite her restrained aura; this meant his cultivation not only surpassed hers but his senses were exceedingly sharp.

This was the first time Liansuo came across such a formidable person since descending the mountain, making her nervous. Without her sister, she feared she wasn’t a match for him alone.

Fortunately, the woman inside seemed to have regained her cultivation. Although her realm was unknown, it shouldn’t be lower than his.

And the young master, although younger than her, appeared like a neighboring little brother, yet might be even more ruthless than she imagined.

Why would I use the word "ruthless"? Probably because of the swordsmanship he taught her and her sister, which felt much more ruthless than what they practiced before.