The words had barely left his mouth when Jingcheng suddenly moved. Dozens of golden threads shot out, wrapping around Mo Xuanli’s body.
“Brother!” Jingzhan shouted in shock. Though the technique wasn’t harmful or meant to restrain, it was still extremely rude to attack without warning.
Fu Zhiyi twitched slightly, but seeing that Mo Xuanli didn’t resist, he didn’t intervene. Ao Hang merely lifted an eyelid.
Mo Xuanli looked at Jingcheng in puzzlement. “Senior, what is this?”
As he spoke, a palm-sized mirror floated out between them, slowly spinning in the air.
“The Tianyuan Sect’s Truth Mirror?” Mo Xuanli said. “If you want to question me, Senior, you could just ask directly. Are you afraid I’ll lie?”
“Brother Baili, you said you came to see Baiqing,” Fu Zhiyi said with a frown, his eyes glinting. “So what, your real purpose is Mo Xuanli?”
“Brother, what are you doing?” Jingzhan snapped.
“Quiet,” said Baili Jingcheng coolly. “I’m not trying to harm him, just to ensure his answers are valid. He can break free anytime or refuse to answer. I won’t force him.” A faint, detached smile curved his lips. “And I won’t have him answer for nothing. As long as you reply, I can, within my power, grant you one wish.”
Mo Xuanli narrowed his eyes slightly. “It seems this question is very important to you, Senior?”
Jingzhan looked at his elder brother in confusion, while Fu Zhiyi’s hand, clasped behind his back, involuntarily tightened.
Jingcheng nodded. “Yes. Very important.”
On the bed, Gu Baiqing, who had been feigning sleep, had already begun to break into a cold sweat. The Truth Mirror was essentially a lie detector; under its light, the person questioned could only speak the truth. He had already guessed Jingcheng’s intent. Although during the earlier confrontation in the main hall no one had pursued the suspicion linking Mo Xuanli to the mixed-blood rumor, for Baili Jingcheng, who harbored the deepest taboo against mixed breeds, it was impossible to simply let it go. Intelligent and by nature suspicious, he would never feel at ease until he verified it himself.
Gu Baiqing decided that it was time for him to “wake up.” Although stepping in might make Jingcheng even more suspicious, there was no other way.
But before he could move, Mo Xuanli appeared puzzled for a moment, then smiled and said, “Since it’s so important to you, Senior, I do have a request. Why don’t I state my condition first, if you agree, I’ll answer your question?”
His easy tone left Gu Baiqing momentarily stunned. Could it be… Mo Xuanli wasn’t afraid of the Truth Mirror?
“All right,” Jingcheng said, nodding. His attitude even softened slightly.
Fu Zhiyi saw what was happening. This was a psychological game. By appearing unconcerned about what Jingcheng might ask, and instead focusing more on what he could gain, proactively setting his own condition, Mo Xuanli lowered the other’s suspicion.
Fu Zhiyi wasn’t sure whether this was deliberate strategy or coincidence, but either way, Mo Xuanli had seized control of the situation. If Jingcheng refused the condition, he could no longer force Mo Xuanli to answer without losing face. And even if Mo Xuanli later refused to answer, no one could tell whether it was out of obstinance or fear.
“I hope that one day, I may borrow the fragment of the God-Slaying Sword that your sect keeps,” Mo Xuanli said with a faint smile.
The room went silent. No one had expected him to bring that up. On the bed, Gu Baiqing nearly clapped, this kid had finally calmed down, even managing to turn danger into opportunity. Of all the scattered fragments, the one kept by the Tianyuan Sect was the hardest to access.
But… if Jingcheng agreed, could Mo Xuanli really withstand the Truth Mirror’s scrutiny? Probably, based on what Gu Baiqing knew of him, Mo Xuanli never entered a battle unprepared.
Jingzhan, who had heard of Mo Xuanli’s collection of the fragments, was impressed by his boldness in making such a direct request. He gave him a discreet thumbs-up.
Jingcheng frowned slightly. While he wasn’t surprised that Mo Xuanli knew about the sect possessing a fragment, the fact that he wanted to borrow it was wholly unexpected. The fragments were only of use to Li Xiuran; to anyone else, they were meaningless.
“What do you want it for?” Fu Zhiyi asked, puzzled.
“I don’t want it permanently, just to borrow it. I’ll return it after use. I can guarantee to use it within the Tianyuan Sect grounds, or wherever you designate. You may even assign people to watch, only, you mustn’t observe how I use it,” Mo Xuanli explained. “As a cultivator, I’ve developed a secret technique of my own. Using the sword fragment to test it shouldn’t be strange.”
The words secret technique instantly stifled further questioning.
Jingcheng hesitated. Since the fragment would remain under his supervision, it wasn’t a major issue. He finally asked, “Does your master know you intend to use the God-Slaying Sword fragment?”
Mo Xuanli nodded calmly.
That seemed to settle Jingcheng’s doubts, and he agreed.
The Truth Mirror activated. Mo Xuanli stood composed under its light, waiting for Jingcheng’s question.
As expected, Jingcheng met his eyes and asked, “Are you a mixed-blood?”
Everyone’s hearts clenched at once.
“No,” Mo Xuanli replied firmly, gaze steady and sincere.
The Truth Mirror remained utterly still, proof that he was telling the truth.
Jingcheng’s expression wavered. The hostility and suspicion in his eyes gradually faded. Retracting the golden threads and the mirror, he didn’t say another word, he had truly come just for that one question.
The matter had begun abruptly and ended even more so. Even Gu Baiqing didn’t have time to react.
Jingzhan, realizing what had just happened, burst out angrily. “Brother! I thought you had something serious to ask, how can you still be hung up on that?”
“Just taking precautions,” Jingcheng said, letting out a long breath. Looking at Mo Xuanli, he sighed. “Don’t blame me. I meant no harm, I’ve just been jumpy ever since… certain things.”
Mo Xuanli’s eyes flickered, but he smiled. “It was only one question. As long as you don’t forget your promise, Senior, that’s fine.”
“Don’t worry,” Jingcheng said. “If you need it, you may come to Tianyuan Sect anytime.”
Having said that, he didn’t linger. After exchanging farewells with Fu Zhiyi, he left with Jingzhan.
Jingzhan, still indignant, muttered his goodbyes and hurried after him, arguing all the way down the corridor. Clearly, he was displeased, after all, accusing a cultivator of being mixed-blood was a serious insult.
“Brother, wasn’t that going too far? Just because someone said so, you start doubting my friend?” Jingzhan said irritably.
“I didn’t mean to… but…” Jingcheng hesitated, then murmured, “Don’t you think he resembles someone?”
“Who?” Jingzhan asked, confused.
Jingcheng gave him a long look. “Our little uncle.”
Jingzhan’s face changed instantly. “Brother, what are you saying? That’s impossible.”
He knew how deeply his brother revered their little uncle, the legendary Immortal Baili Jin, who possessed the strength of an immortal even before ascending to the Celestial Realm. The greatest cultivator in history, unmatched before or since. What had happened to their uncle was the lifelong wound Jingcheng could never heal and the reason he loathed the very idea of mixed-bloods.
“When Zong Ziming slandered him as a mixed-blood,” Jingcheng said coldly, “I suddenly thought Mo Xuanli looked a little like him. I couldn’t help but think too much. But now that I’ve confirmed otherwise, it’s over.”
On this side, however, Fu Zhiyi did not leave the room. He stayed in silence for a while, until Mo Xuanli brewed him a cup of tea.
Fu Zhiyi’s expression turned slightly serious. “Xuanli, were those words you said earlier true?”
Mo Xuanli’s hand paused mid-motion. Looking at the man known as the “smiling tiger,” he knew all too well that when the smiling tiger stopped smiling, that was when trouble began. Of everyone in Zixiao Sect, if anyone were to suspect his true identity first, it would surely be Fu Zhiyi.
“Martial Uncle also suspects me? Even the True Mirror result from Tianyuan Sect isn’t convincing?”
Fu Zhiyi gave a faint smile. “The True Mirror is powerful, but not without loopholes. The instant Baili Jingcheng took it out, you recognized it. That proves you’ve studied it before. You’re our Zixiao Sect’s little prodigy, researching how to crack it wouldn’t be difficult for you.”
Mo Xuanli’s heart gave a sudden thump. As expected, he couldn’t hide things from his own people. He didn’t argue back; dealing with one’s own sect was, in some ways, more troublesome than dealing with outsiders.
“Martial Uncle, what are you trying to say?” Mo Xuanli asked solemnly.
Fu Zhiyi glanced toward Gu Baiqing on the bed, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “Mo Xuanli, I wish to cultivate you as the next heir to the sect leader’s position of Zixiao Sect.”
Mo Xuanli froze, lifting his head in astonishment. From Fu Zhiyi’s eyes, he could see the man was serious.
“But the premise,” Fu Zhiyi said slowly, “is that your identity must be beyond question. Zixiao Sect may be protective of its own, but there are certain principles we cannot cross. If there’s a problem, find a way to solve it. If it can’t be solved, then hide it carefully. If it must be dealt with… I hope it won’t have to be by our own hands. The world is vast, speaking as your elder, I hope you live well. Otherwise, Baiqing would be heartbroken.”
After these cryptic words, Fu Zhiyi didn’t wait for Mo Xuanli’s response. He simply patted the young man’s shoulder and walked out.
Meanwhile, beneath the bed curtains where no one could see, Gu Baiqing slowly opened his eyes. It seemed Fu Zhiyi had already guessed something. Choosing not to dig deeper was, in its own way, a form of second senior brother’s quiet kindness.
When Mo Xuanli came back to his senses, his expression softened slightly. He wasn’t sure whether Fu Zhiyi was certain or not, but he understood the man’s meaning.
Fu Zhiyi was implying: if nothing is wrong, accept the sect’s training with confidence. But if there is something wrong, the sect won’t move against you, just be careful not to expose yourself. And if one day exposure is inevitable, then flee far away, so the sect won’t be forced into a corner.
It was both a kind reminder and a grave warning, either way, the weight of it pressed on Mo Xuanli’s shoulders like a mountain, reminding him how precarious his situation was.
As Mo Xuanli pondered, the artifact God Nine Transformations on his wrist shifted slightly. The person on the bed finally stopped pretending and, as if timing it perfectly, feigned just waking up.
“Master.” Mo Xuanli immediately stepped forward. “How are you feeling? Are you all right?” He was still deeply worried, given how much spiritual energy his master had exhausted earlier.
Gu Baiqing sat up lazily, about to speak, when his eyes suddenly widened. Behind Mo Xuanli, eighteen Demon-Dissolving Nails floated in the air. The scene shifted from calm to nightmare in an instant. His pupils contracted sharply. His mind had no time to think why those nails were here, his body simply moved. He grabbed Mo Xuanli, pulling him onto the bed, holding him tightly in his arms, shielding him with his own body from the poised-to-strike nails. Morning Snow responded to his command, floating defensively before them.
“Mas… Master…” Mo Xuanli’s voice came out strangely.
He was dazed by Gu Baiqing’s sudden series of movements, but the airtight sense of protection wrapping around him made his chest ache, after facing two trials alone, that warmth nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Before his mind caught up, his arms had already circled his master’s waist, returning the embrace. The faint plum fragrance in the air filled his head, soothing his turbulent heart though tinged with helpless sorrow.
Gu Baiqing, however, remained on alert, eyes fixed on the floating scene above, mind full of confusion.
In the few seconds of standoff with the “Demon-Dissolving Nails,” he finally noticed something off.
Those eighteen nails looked similar to the ones seen in the great hall earlier, but upon closer inspection, the color and pattern were different: silver-white, etched with… the markings of God Nine Transformations!
Realization dawned. Loosening his grip on Mo Xuanli, Gu Baiqing exclaimed, “That’s… God Nine Transformations?”
Only then did Mo Xuanli lift his head from his master’s embrace. “I’m sorry, Master. I startled you. I just accidentally unlocked the ninth transformation of God Nine Transformations…”
Gu Baiqing was speechless, nearly scared half to death. God Nine Transformations seemed to realize it had frightened someone too; the eighteen nails wobbled apologetically.
Morning Snow, detecting no danger, huffed in displeasure, dispersed the eighteen copies of God Nine Transformations, and turned into a hairpin, sliding back into Gu Baiqing’s dark hair.
“You really are… full of ideas,” Gu Baiqing muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching as he looked at the weapon that had nearly given him a trauma. Remembering his earlier fluster, he felt a bit awkward and was about to get out of bed when Mo Xuanli suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“Master…” Mo Xuanli called softly.
Gu Baiqing didn’t particularly want to face him right now especially since the base of his tongue was still sore.
But Mo Xuanli didn’t press the issue. Instead, he got off the bed and knelt beside it.
Lowering his gaze, he said solemnly, “Thank you, Master, for protecting me.”
Back in the great hall and just now again, his master’s instinctive protection, even if it was a misunderstanding, had made Mo Xuanli’s heart stop for a beat.
He’d been wondering how he should express his gratitude or apology once his master woke, but when the moment came, words failed him.
He kept realizing, unintentionally, just how good Gu Baiqing was to him. Once, that would have filled him with joy but now, it only made him feel an aching helplessness.
Gu Baiqing thought he was referring to the great hall incident, and said, “That’s what a teacher should do. After how they treated you, how could I still have any face if I didn’t step in? So don’t take it to heart. Get up.”
Mo Xuanli, however, did not get up. Gu Baiqing didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but it felt as though Mo Xuanli had let out a silent sigh.
“Master, please don’t be so good to me,” Mo Xuanli said quietly. “I’ll… misunderstand.”
Gu Baiqing froze. “Misunderstand what?”
But the moment he reflexively asked the question and met Mo Xuanli’s upturned gaze, he wanted to smack himself on the head. No emotional intelligence at all, what else could he mean by “misunderstand”?
Mo Xuanli didn’t answer. He simply looked at Gu Baiqing with eyes heavy with emotion, silently saying: If I mistake this as you liking me again… what am I supposed to do?
How was he supposed to stay calm and keep his distance from his master like this? He wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.
Gu Baiqing felt increasingly uneasy under that gaze, as if he were digging his own grave. He even caught a trace of reproach in his disciple’s eyes, yet he still tried to defend himself, saying helplessly, “It’s only natural for a teacher to protect his disciple. Everyone does the same. Does that really count as being ‘good’ to you?”
Mo Xuanli seemed to answer through gritted teeth, “…It counts.”
Gu Baiqing was at a loss for words. For the first time, he realized his little disciple wasn’t so easy to talk to.
Then he heard the young man murmur softly, “I’d rather… you weren’t so good to me.”
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get 10 or more chapters of After Becoming a High-Risk Master, I Flipped the Script right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
