*Knock, knock, knock…* The sound of knocking echoed.

“Who is it?”

Bai Lian opened the door, initially seeing only the whites of a pair of eyes.

She blinked, and from that whiteness, an old face emerged. “What brings the Second Elder here?”

“Can’t this old one come to inquire after the Holy Maiden without a reason?” The Second Elder chuckled, the smile on his aged face should have been kindly, but with only the whites of his eyes showing, it seemed strangely sinister. “The Holy Maiden’s cultivation has improved greatly, truly a blessing for our White Bone Dao.”

“Not at all. Elder, you are the supporting pillar of our sect, the unbreakable foundation.”

“Hahaha. You don’t intend to invite this old one in for a seat?”

“This…” Bai Lian’s eyes showed hesitation. “After all, I am just a maiden, it wouldn’t be proper, would it?”

“This old one has watched you grow up since you were a child, you are like my own daughter, what’s improper about it?” As he spoke, the Second Elder squeezed into the room.

Looking around, he asked seemingly casually, “Why is the Holy Maiden wearing a night veil even in her own room within the sect?”

Bai Lian blinked. “Natural beauty, I must keep a low profile.”

“Hahahaha…” The Second Elder burst into laughter, but suddenly stopped. “Ouyang has returned. I can smell his scent.”

“That’s a good thing! All our painstaking efforts, sacrificing so many hidden pawns to shield him along the way, haven’t been in vain. Why hasn’t the Great Elder shown himself yet?”

“Who can fathom his thoughts?”

“If you can’t guess, I certainly don’t know.”

“Is it that you don’t know, or that you don’t want to know?”

“I don’t need to know.” Bai Lian said with a charming smile, “The affairs of the sect are for the Elders to decide. I’ll just wait for news.”

The Second Elder gave her a deep look, then turned to leave.

Before stepping out the door, he paused. “Why is the Holy Maiden so agreeable today?”

Bai Lian giggled. “What are you saying? When am I ever disagreeable? Even when I have a temper, isn’t it all for the sake of the sect?”

The Second Elder finally departed, and the oppressive feeling that had enveloped the room seemed to be cut off by the door.

…

“Perhaps this was the final test.”

Bai Lian murmured softly.

She sat quietly for a while, confirming that no one would disturb her again. Then, she activated a formation plate, opened the wardrobe, and pulled out Jiang Wang, whose eyes were tightly closed, throwing him onto the bed.

At this moment, Jiang Wang was under a five-sense seal. Only in this state could he evade those eyes that were all white.

Bai Lian made a hand seal, releasing the five-sense seal.

Jiang Wang abruptly sat up, looking at Bai Lian, his hand on his sword, silent.

Although he had been in the five-sense sealed state, unable to hear Bai Lian’s conversation with the Second Elder, he had been emptying his senses, calming his mind, and repeatedly contemplating the events of the day.

“Ask whatever you want,” Bai Lian said, walking to the table and sitting down.

“You saved me again.” Jiang Wang’s voice was strained.

Bai Lian smiled. “It’s nothing to mention.”

“This is the White Bone Dao’s den, are you one of the White Bone Dao’s people?” Jiang Wang asked.

“We are all people of the Dao,” Bai Lian said.

Knowing that arguing with her about whether the White Bone Dao belonged to the orthodox Daoist sects was pointless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I’m only asking, are you one of the White Bone Dao’s people?”

“Not I,” Bai Lian extended a jade finger, pointing at Jiang Wang. “We.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t want to tell you so soon, because your ‘transformation’ is not yet complete.” Bai Lian sighed, then asked, “But since you’re here today, you won’t give up without an answer, will you?”

Jiang Wang didn’t answer her question, but instead asked, “So, today’s arrival of Fang Heling at Niu Tou Mountain was a trap? Aimed at whom?”

“A chess piece in the White Bone Envoy’s idle game, not aimed at anyone. But whoever followed Fang Heling tonight was destined to die here. We’re abandoning this place soon anyway. You and that Dark Sentinel of the Judicial Office, you just happened to be there.”

The White Bone Dao would soon be leaving Niu Tou Mountain.

Jiang Wang keenly grasped this information, but he set it aside. He asked, “What does ‘transformation’ mean? What ‘we’?”

“The White Bone Lotus on your back, the sudden mastery of the Flesh-Born Soul Return Technique… Don’t those give you a hint?”

“You’ve always known a lot about me, perhaps it’s all been your scheme. The White Bone Lotus might have been tattooed on me while I was unconscious, the Flesh-Born Soul Return Technique might have been transmitted to me by some method… It’s impossible for me to be related to the White Bone Dao!”

“I don’t possess the divine power to alter memories.” Bai Lian suddenly chuckled. “But, I have indeed been paying attention to you, ever since you were a beggar…”

Jiang Wang was shocked!

To escape Fang Pengju’s pursuit, he had disguised himself as a beggar, living precariously in the Huanzhen Temple. That was before he had even opened his meridians. Bai Lian had been observing him since then?

Bai Lian quickly explained, “The choice of your group of beggars to settle down in Huanzhen Temple was done under our guidance.”

Her voice was ethereal. “Huanzhen Temple is a very meaningful place, a place chosen by the Honored Deity. As early as when Zuo Guanglie died in battle, I was curious. So many beggars died, why were you the only one to survive? Was it merely a coincidence?

Why did your cultivation improve so rapidly after you returned to the Daoist Academy?

You must have noticed it too, right?

After opening your meridians, your cultivation speed surpassed ordinary people.

Most importantly, you can devour White Bone Dao seeds, you can perfectly adapt to White Bone Dao secret techniques, you know the Flesh-Born Soul Return Technique! You are not ordinary, you are a Child of the White Bone Dao!”

Bai Lian finally said, “Later I realized that your appearance in Huanzhen Temple was precisely an arrangement by the Honored Deity.”

“No, that’s not right!” Jiang Wang shook his head. He believed that his cultivation came from the Mirage of the Void, and had nothing to do with any Child of the White Bone Dao. But the Mirage of the Void was his greatest secret, and he couldn’t use it to argue.

“I fear that you say it’s not right, but are secretly weeping in your heart.”

“What Child of the Dao!” Jiang Wang took a step back. “I’ve said it before, I can never forgive the White Bone Dao’s actions. I can never associate with you, we are not the same kind of people!”

“That’s because you haven’t seen the truth of this world yet, haven’t completely erased your hypocrisy, haven’t found your true self.”

“I know very well who I am, I don’t need you to remind me.” Jiang Wang tried his best to control his emotions, so that he could calmly think.

“What is this White Bone Dao seed you speak of?” he asked.

“It’s a very precious thing, I only had one. It can absorb the nutrients of the parasitized and grow, finally perfectly controlling the parasitized. But unexpectedly, you devoured it… So you see, the Dao seed of course wouldn’t work on a Child of the Dao!”

Jiang Wang looked at her coldly. “You tried to parasitize me?”

Bai Lian’s eyes rarely showed a hint of apology. “At that time, we weren’t familiar…”

“We’re not familiar now either. You make me feel very unfamiliar!” Jiang Wang said coldly, “There’s no need to say more! I will never believe that I am some Child of the White Bone Dao. Even if it’s true, I will never collude with you beastly fellows!”

An “even if” showed his determination, but also indicated a wavering.

Bai Lian wasn’t eager to make a fuss about this. Instead, she asked, “Is it more beastly to raise ferocious beasts, disregarding the lives of the common people, or to extract the Dao veins of aquatic creatures to refine Meridian Opening Pills?”

“Don’t even think about using words to shake my Dao Heart!” Jiang Wang’s voice was firm, as if only by doing so could he resist the pressure he was enduring.

He tried to steady his breathing, confirming his determination. “Bai Lian, since our paths are different, then let’s part ways. I said, my life was saved by you, you can take it back now.”

Bai Lian’s eyes were very beautiful, seeming to be both resentful and loving, filled with amorous feelings. She used those eyes to stare at Jiang Wang.

“How could I bear to kill you?” Her voice softened, and she said gently, “However, as long as you cooperate, I can erase your memories of tonight. Just pretend that none of this ever happened. You will only remember tonight’s events when you are fully awakened.”

“Hiding your head in the sand?”

“No, it’s just that the time isn’t right.”

Bai Lian got up and leaned in, pressing Jiang Wang onto the bed before he could react.

“Look into my eyes,” she said. “I don’t have the divine power to manipulate memories. I’m just using a secret technique to temporarily seal this short period of memory, so you must relax your mind and body, and fully cooperate. If anything goes wrong, at best you’ll become mentally unstable, at worst your soul will scatter.”

Jiang Wang knew very well that this was the best option.

Tonight, he had mistakenly entered Niu Tou Mountain, stepping into a den of thieves, and his end should have been death.

Bai Lian’s various deceptions had already saved his life. But under no circumstances would she allow him to bring the secrets of the White Bone Dao back to Fenglin City.

And he would rather die than collude with the White Bone Dao.

Now he could delay the choice he had to face and not have to die.

Jiang Wang completely opened his mind, allowing his consciousness to be submerged by countless lotus petals.

He felt a warmth and tolerance, and a sense of attachment.

Then, in this boundless sea of lotus petals, he saw a lotus bud floating towards him.

It grew taller and taller, until it was level with Jiang Wang’s line of sight.

Then the lotus bloomed. The very center of the bloom wasn’t pistils or stamens, nor did it bear lotus seeds.

But… a black candle!

…

…

PS: It will be officially on shelves at twelve o’clock tomorrow noon. I have already said the words on the shelves last week, so I won’t say it again. In short, please be sure to support the subscription. The first order is very important for this book, it can be said to be the last chance for this book. If the subscription ratio is good, then there will still be recommendations. Whether this book can go on with quality assurance, in addition to my efforts, also requires everyone’s efforts!

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