After Becoming a High-Risk Master, I Flipped the Script Chapter 205

Mo Xuanli went back to look for her, but Lou Zixiao was not there. Not only was she gone, even the life-saving talisman Mo Xuanli had previously left for her was neatly placed on the tabletop, she hadn’t taken it with her.

Mo Xuanli turned and went next door, just in time to see Lou Xuan returning with a dark expression. Upon suddenly seeing Mo Xuanli there, his hand instinctively moved behind his back.

Mo Xuanli halted his steps, knowing that Lou Xuan was holding a killing move in his hand, and did not approach.

After experiencing so many upheavals, Lou Xuan naturally harbored suspicions toward everyone. “Why has the young master come here?”

Mo Xuanli composed his expression, cautiously saluted, and said, “I have an urgent matter to find Miss Lou, extremely urgent. But she isn’t in her courtyard, so I could only come here to look for her.”

Lou Xuan looked unconcerned. “You can look for her at the medicinal pool or the medicinal fields. She’s basically always in those two places. If you really can’t find her, go check the kitchen, she gets hungry easily at this time every day…” At this point, Lou Xuan paused, then said, “If she’s in a bad mood, she should be on the island’s second-tallest tree.”

Hearing this, Mo Xuanli finally couldn’t help but say, “Her poor mood is obvious to all of us. Senior, may I ask bluntly, she was raised by you, always by your side. Your bond is the deepest, together day and night. How much do you actually care about her?”

Care so little that you can strip her bones to make medicine, or care enough that others can use her to threaten you.

Lou Xuan’s gaze paused for a moment, thinking Mo Xuanli was simply standing up for Lou Zixiao. He scrutinized the young man before him. “You care a great deal about Xiaoxiao?”

Mo Xuanli was taken aback, knew Lou Xuan had misunderstood, but didn’t refute it. He said directly, “I have a bond with her, she counts as a friend.”

Lou Xuan nodded and said plainly, “That’s good. But matters between us master and disciple are not for outsiders to comment on at will.”

Mo Xuanli said no more, clasped his hands in farewell, and left without the slightest entanglement, because from Lou Xuan’s expression it could be judged that he hadn’t seen Lou Zixiao.

Could it be that he was overthinking it, that Lou Zixiao had no intention of going to her death? If that were the case, then her disappearance now, was she escaping? But Immortal Medicine Island wouldn’t open for another three days; it wouldn’t be so easy for Lou Zixiao to leave.

Mo Xuanli, weighed down with worries, was about to leave when in the next instant he sensed Ao Hang calling him through their contract. He could only make a trip to the Divine Tree first.

As Lou Xuan watched Mo Xuanli leave, he recalled what had just been said, and a moment of unease arose in his heart. Although they hadn’t found the demon race member who broke into the secret chamber last night, they could basically confirm that the demon race had indeed come to the island. But even if the demon race knew they were raising a hybrid, they shouldn’t be able to guess that it was his own disciple, so Xiaoxiao should still know nothing. Naturally, even if she was gone, there was no need to be anxious.

Lou Xuan darkened his expression and walked toward the alchemy room, but just as he took a step, he still couldn’t help forming a hand seal and sensing the master–disciple contract.

In an instant, Lou Xuan’s face changed drastically as he looked toward the direction of the secret chamber entrance.

Lou Xuan opened the secret chamber and went down. Very quickly, at the end of the chamber illuminated by spirit crystals, the sight of a petite, emerald-green figure before the desk stabbed painfully into Lou Xuan’s eyes.

Hearing the sound, Lou Zixiao slowly turned around. Tear marks on her cheeks had yet to dry, yet the corner of her mouth held a bitter smile. Holding the notes in her hand, she slowly spoke, “Master… my origin bone can cure Lou Zihan?”

Lou Xuan’s face turned slightly pale, a mouthful of metallic sweetness spreading in his throat.

“Mm.”

“Master wants to strip out my origin bone?”

“Mm.”

“Master… when you saved me and took me in back then, it was because I was a hybrid, because I had an origin bone?”

“Mm.”

Three consecutive “mm”s made Lou Zixiao burst into tears at once, nearly unable to stand steady.

“Will I die?” Lou Zixiao asked again.

“Some with weaker constitutions will inevitably die, but some can still survive.”

“Alright… I understand.”

The final sigh echoed through the secret chamber.

……

When Mo Xuanli arrived near the Divine Tree, he saw Three Bean bringing Ao Hang as they swiftly leapt down from the tree.

They had been staying here very comfortably these days. Ao Hang helped Three Bean absorb spiritual energy, and even in cat form, Three Bean had grown a bit bigger.

Mo Xuanli caught Three Bean who came rushing over and looked around.

Ao Hang spoke, “Don’t look around. Li Xiuran and Ji Chuling were here just now and have already left.”

“Left?” Mo Xuanli was puzzled.

Three Bean hurriedly explained, “Because they saw an old man who claimed to be the Valley Master talking with a little girl called Lou Zihan, they hid and eavesdropped. After that, they followed them. We didn’t have time to talk to them, so we called you over.”

Hearing this, Mo Xuanli roughly understood that they had discovered something.

“Why did you call me here?” Mo Xuanli asked.

“The Spirit-Gathering Formation has had an issue,” Three Bean said hurriedly.

Mo Xuanli’s expression changed slightly. “Didn’t you say before it was a damaged, old Spirit-Gathering Formation and wouldn’t cause problems?”

“It was broken, but recently someone repaired it. I just sensed a trace of fluctuation from the Spirit-Gathering Formation,” Ao Hang said coldly. “What should we do? I can pull up the Divine Tree for you and completely destroy the Spirit-Gathering Formation.”

“So demons really have infiltrated. For the demon race to repair the Spirit-Gathering Formation, they must get close. Didn’t you feel it?” Mo Xuanli frowned.

Ao Hang shook his head.

Even a true dragon hadn’t sensed anything. Last time, they had also lost their trail, as if they had vanished into thin air. What kind of demon race was this, to be so formidable?

Before the Spirit-Gathering Formation was activated, it was safe. Even if it were activated, there was no need to rush, since the demon race would still need to gather many elements before it could take effect. There was still time. Mo Xuanli planned to discuss it with Li Xiuran and the others first.

So he instructed Ao Hang and the others to continue watching. Before long, Mo Xuanli found the two lying in ambush on the rooftop of Lou Zihan’s courtyard.

As soon as Mo Xuanli landed behind them, Li Xiuran noticed and pulled him down to eavesdrop together.

Inside the room, the grandfather and granddaughter were arguing again.

“Zihan, stop making trouble. The situation is critical right now. Let’s treat your illness first.”

“I don’t want to. I want to get married first. I want Lou Zixiao to see me marry Lou Xuan. If she dies, wouldn’t that be too much of a pity! She stole so much of Lou Xuan’s attention. I want her to suffer first, then die!” Lou Zihan sat in her wheelchair, so agitated that the chair was nearly unsteady.

“You’re threatening Lou Xuan like this. He’s already very displeased. You must know that the only one who can save you is him.”

“For my parents’ sake, he won’t abandon me.”

“But if he doesn’t agree, do you really plan to expose it? Have you gone mad? Do you have no regard at all for dragging down our Immortal Medicine Valley?” The Valley Master was already very unhappy. “This matter will follow my decision. We’ll treat the illness first.”

“Grandfather!”

The Valley Master no longer paid Lou Zihan any attention and went straight out, instructing his subordinates outside, “Notify those who have come to the island that the Divine Tree blessing event will be held ahead of schedule tomorrow!”

For Lou Zihan’s safety, and for everything to go smoothly, the plan had to be moved up.

Mo Xuanli thought that hearing this was enough, but unexpectedly, Li Xiuran suddenly pressed down on his wrist, signaling toward God Nine Transformations he wore there, then swept his gaze toward Lou Zihan inside the room.

Mo Xuanli’s expression changed. He immediately and stealthily used God Nine Transformations to sense.

At first, God Nine Transformations showed no reaction, but as time passed, the little red cord began to writhe, as if sensing something.

Mo Xuanli’s heart jolted.

But at that moment, people from Immortal Medicine Valley still discovered that someone was lurking. Although they retreated swiftly, their traces were still found. Fortunately, Mo Xuanli lured the pursuers away and then used the Void Spirit Space to flash away, finally shaking them off.

Returning to Lou Zixiao’s courtyard, the three of them finally gathered together.

Ji Chuling asked in confusion, “What exactly were you doing just now? You stayed up there for so long and even got discovered. Won’t that make our next actions even more difficult?”

Ji Chuling was utterly baffled. When they previously ran into that grandfather and granddaughter, they heard them talking about Lou Xuan and Lou Zixiao and became very curious, so they eavesdropped. After that, Li Xiuran’s expression changed and he insisted on following them.

Just now, they were eavesdropping on someone else’s roof again and did hear some strange things. Why did it involve Lou Zixiao’s life or death? She still hadn’t figured it out yet. She had planned to come back and discuss it, but the two of them just stayed up there and wouldn’t leave.

Li Xiuran looked at Mo Xuanli, and Mo Xuanli gave a slight nod.

Only then did Li Xiuran speak. “I sensed the fragment.”

Ji Chuling exclaimed in shock, “How is that possible? We already searched that area thoroughly before—there was nothing there. Oh, I know. Could it be that Lou Zihan is carrying the fragment on her?”

Li Xiuran said in a low voice, “It is indeed being carried on her.”

“Then should we steal it?”

“We can’t steal it, because it’s inside Lou Zihan’s body.”

“What!” Ji Chuling cried out in alarm.

Mo Xuanli explained, “I already thought Lou Zihan’s body was very strange before. She looks just like those medicine peoples, she should already be dying, yet she’s still barely holding on. There’s no technique in this world that can truly prolong a person’s life. At first, I thought it was the power of the Divine Tree. Now that I think about it, it has nothing to do with the Divine Tree. It should be that Lou Xuan used the God-Slaying Sword fragment to hold Lou Zihan’s life in place.” Many things were only clear to Mo Xuanli just now.

Ji Chuling was so shocked she couldn’t speak. “Even though the fragment’s power is great, it can do something like this?”

“Of course it can’t sustain it indefinitely. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need to raise a hybrid,” Li Xiuran said. “I think Lou Zihan’s body can no longer withstand the fragment’s power. This is just a delaying method. To truly cure her, they still need the hybrid’s origin bone.”

Ji Chuling suddenly said, “Then does that mean the fragment will be taken out? Will they hand it over?”

Li Xiuran shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.

“They deliberately mentioned the Divine Tree’s blessing just now. I think it also has to do with Lou Zihan no longer being able to hold on. Maybe they want to use the Divine Tree’s blessing and all of us who came to the island to do something and also…” Mo Xuanli recounted the information he had just learned.

Both Li Xiuran’s and Ji Chuling’s expressions changed.

“This… this is way too complicated. Do they just want to cure her illness, or are they really colluding with the demon race?” Ji Chuling said anxiously. “And they kept mentioning Lou Zixiao just now—what does that mean? Are they going to kill her? Then we have to save her. No matter what, we’ve known her for a while. We can’t just ignore it.”

Li Xiuran and Mo Xuanli exchanged a glance. Both of them knew that the situation was now urgent and that some things could only be spoken plainly.

“Lou Zixiao is missing, but her master doesn’t seem to know,” Mo Xuanli said.

“Ah?” Ji Chuling was dumbfounded.

Li Xiuran said directly, “I think Lou Zixiao is the hybrid they raised to prepare to cure Lou Zihan. Only then do all their conversations and arrangements make sense.”

With that single sentence, Li Xiuran completely stunned Ji Chuling.

“Y-you… what did you say?”

Li Xiuran said, “Lou Zixiao should be the hybrid who was raised.”

Ji Chuling froze completely. She probably had never imagined that someone would raise a hybrid properly, raise her into a healthy, cheerful young woman who even formed ties with them. Given more time, she might even have become their friend.

For a moment, Ji Chuling truly couldn’t accept it.

Mo Xuanli and Li Xiuran gave her time to process it, and the two of them began to discuss matters.

Before they could reach any conclusion, someone came to the small courtyard to notify them that the timing of the Divine Tree blessing had been changed.

The two exchanged a look. Instead of trying to track down who had been lurking in their courtyard, those people had prioritized arranging the Divine Tree blessing. It seemed that, compared to the unknown factor hidden in the dark, the people of Immortal Medicine Valley cared more about Lou Zihan’s life and death.

It was already evening, and there wasn’t much time left. Immortal Medicine Valley, the fragment, the Divine Tree, the Spirit-Gathering Formation, the missing Lou Zixiao, and the hidden demon race, these were all urgent issues pressing down on them.

Even Li Xiuran couldn’t help but grow irritable. “This situation is too troublesome. Can we only react as things happen?”

“After all, we’re on someone else’s territory. At least we’re in the dark and already know everything in advance. If they change, we can still seize the initiative,” Mo Xuanli said. But as he spoke, he suddenly felt something was off. Although they had been talking in the courtyard with their voices shielded, the servant who came to inform them of the schedule change had called out loudly.

Why… did no one come out?

It was one thing if Yuxin had been driven off. But what about Master?!

Mo Xuanli’s heart jumped as he instantly rushed toward the room.

He flung open the door and there was no sign of Master inside.

He had clearly told him to wait for him. Why was he gone again?!

An inexplicable anxiety rose in Mo Xuanli’s heart. With the situation changing so rapidly and no way for him to sense where Master was, how could he possibly be at ease?

Could it be that his earlier stance had been too obvious and scared him, so he ran away?

They had just gone through something like that together. How could he simply disappear like this? Had he been abandoned?

Or could it be…

“What’s wrong?” Li Xiuran said as he pulled the dazed Ji Chuling along to follow. “Is Young Master Bai not here?”

Mo Xuanli was just about to speak when suddenly Ji Chuling shuddered, as if coming back to her senses. “Strange… there’s a very faint trace of demonic aura in this room?”

Among them, Ji Chuling was the most sensitive to demonic aura. The moment she said this, Mo Xuanli rushed into the room, focused, and released his spiritual sense. He could indeed sense a faint demonic aura, but there was no trace at all of Master’s presence.

If Master had activated his spiritual power, he would definitely have sensed it. So why hadn’t he used his spiritual power to fight when encountering the demon race? Was it to conceal his identity, or… did he have no spiritual power?

Impossible. Last night, they had been like that… according to Master himself, he should have stored up a great deal of spiritual power.

“Could it be that the hidden demon race captured Big Brother Bai!” Ji Chuling cried out in alarm.

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Li Xiuran suddenly said sternly. “Xuanli, don’t blame me for being overly suspicious, but this Young Master Bai is indeed rather strange. And now there’s demonic aura left in the room like this, could he be…”

What Li Xiuran said was the most reasonable inference. Ji Chuling also began to doubt in an instant.

But Mo Xuanli suddenly spoke. “No.”

Li Xiuran frowned, about to retort. He felt that Mo Xuanli’s attitude toward Young Master Bai was unusual, he was being emotional.

But before Li Xiuran could speak, Mo Xuanli could not hide the anxiety on his face and said, “He is my Master. I’m going to find him. He may have run into trouble!”

The two of them were immediately stunned and couldn’t recover for a moment. When they saw Mo Xuanli about to go out, they quickly grabbed him.

Li Xiuran no longer had time to be shocked. He felt that Mo Xuanli’s emotions were a bit unstable. “Xuanli, wait, don’t rush. If what you say is true, he is Immortal Lord Luofeng. Think about it. Even if everyone on this island were added together, they might not be able to make something happen to him, right?”

But Mo Xuanli couldn’t listen at all. His heart was in turmoil. Clearly, not long ago, Master had been right in front of him, within reach, and now he had disappeared without a sound. Even if he wanted to calm down, he couldn’t.

“There must be some reason he left. Calm down first. Right, don’t you have a master-disciple bond? Try to sense it?”

“No, Master hid both the master-disciple bond and the spirit beast bond. We can’t sense them. I can’t find him…” As Mo Xuanli said this, he couldn’t help reaching out to touch the ring on his chest. Suddenly, his expression changed, as if he had thought of something.

Do I gamble once?

Gamble that Master also holds me in his heart?

At this moment, Gu Baiqing was waking up from the unfathomable depths underground. All around were spirit stones emitting spiritual energy, illuminating the cave.

He was currently lying on the ground, with a large piece of soft white fur padding spread beneath him. When he moved his hands and feet, he could feel himself bound by iron chains, the other ends of the four chains deeply embedded into the ground.

The faint rustling sound of clothes rubbing against each other was heard. At this time, Yuxin was sitting beside Gu Baiqing, unhurried, as if unwrapping a gift box, stripping off Gu Baiqing’s clothes piece by piece.

Thick demonic qi, accompanied by the stench of decay, made Gu Baiqing feel extremely uncomfortable.

Gu Baiqing turned his head expressionlessly to look at Yuxin and said, “So you are a real man-eating demon. You went to so much trouble to capture me just to eat me?”

Yuxin cast a flirtatious glance, licked her lips, and although her eyes were full of greed, she was still full of charm. Paired with her red eyes, she did not lose at all to the allure of a succubus.

“You’re quite perceptive. Of course, it’s to eat you. You have no idea how fragrant you are. You’re about to make me starve to death. Luckily, I made a sudden return. That brat wasn’t around, so catching you was much easier. Otherwise, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have had the time to slowly savor such a delicacy.”

“Is that so?” Gu Baiqing said with a half-smile. “Then can you answer me one question first?”

“What?” Yuxin was in a wonderful mood as she untied the sash of Gu Baiqing’s last layer of inner clothing.

“Why is your body stained with so much hybrid aura? Is it… are there other hybrids here as well?” Gu Baiqing’s sharp gaze swept around, but he didn’t see what he wanted to see.

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