Eavesdroppers in the corner, halt!

A purple mist appeared on the sixth floor of the Jiuchong Demon Palace. From afar, two figures, one clad in red and the other in white, approached.

Bai Wan detected their presence in advance and suppressed her aura entirely, concealing herself behind a towering green tree in the courtyard of Tianmu Cave.

“Master, Senior Brother Qiu requested that I instruct him in the art of zither playing. However, I am only proficient in the Flowing Fragrance Melody. In a few days, I shall attain the third level of the Floating Sword Technique and visit the Yixiang Tower to seek guidance from Sword Master Du Shuang. Upon acquiring additional zither techniques, I shall impart them to my fellow disciples, filling the cave with melodious sounds and fostering a vibrant atmosphere.”

Lin Qianshuang addressed Han Shengyao with a playful grin as they paused before the cave entrance.

Han Shengyao smiled silently and tenderly brushed away a few strands of Lin Qianshuang’s tangled hair.

Lin Qianshuang glanced sideways at Han Shengyao, a faint blush on her face. As she reached for the door knocker, she was surprised to find that the door opened smoothly before she could apply any force.

Her gaze shifted forward, and the smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by astonishment.

Before them lay a scene of carnage and chaos.

Two headless corpses sprawled on the ground, their blood pooling and congealing into a dark, reddish hue, indicating that some time had passed since their demise.

The heads of Qiu and Dong, the two senior brothers, had been callously discarded in separate corners. Their corpses had been brutally torn open at the dantian, and their magic cores had been plundered.

Lin Qianshuang approached the bed where the burnt-tail zither lay. Its strings and surface were stained with a gruesome mixture of black and red plasma, exuding a faint demonic aura. It was evident that the deceased had played the zither’s strings in his final moments.

According to the original plot, Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong were to be killed by Liang Jingxuan after he arrived at the Demon Palace. However, now the two senior brothers Qiu and Dong have died prematurely in the cave.

Lin Qianshuang realized in an instant that under her intervention, the plot of the entire text had begun to undergo causal changes. Han Shengyao, an important female supporting character, had deviated from the track while also modifying the fate lines of others.

Life and death were no longer as predetermined as planned by the original author.

Her eyes pondered for a moment while the hand that covered the surface of the zither trembled slightly, her shoulders rising and falling slightly from sobbing.

Raising her face again, Lin Qianshuang’s eyes were already filled with tears. Blinking, tears slid down her cheeks. Her lips trembled as she gazed at all of this and said in fear, “Senior Brother Qiu, Senior Brother Dong, you agreed to wait for me to come back to teach you to practice the zither, but why did it turn out to be like this now?”

She wiped the bloodstains on the surface of the zither with the handkerchief she carried with her a little bit. Her eyes took on the emotion of indignation. The hand holding the handkerchief slowly squeezed tightly. “Senior brothers, if I find out who hurt you guys, I’ll definitely avenge you!”

Han Shengyao squatted down to examine the corpses of Autumn and Winter coldly and solemnly. The fatal wounds at their hearts were identical. They likely did not suffer too much before their deaths. The person who killed them had a clear motive: to seize their magic cores.

Who dared to go on a killing spree in her cave?

Han Shengyao’s eyes flashed with a faint, dark light as she began searching for any lingering demonic energy. Unexpectedly, she discovered a trace of demonic cultivation in the wardrobe of her sleeping chamber.

Lin Qianshuang, noticing Han Shengyao’s discovery, followed behind her.

Han Shengyao’s steps halted at the wardrobe against the wall. With a flick of her magic, she opened the cabinet door to reveal Xia curled up inside, bearing the marks of having been scratched by magic.

Feeling a ray of light entering, Xia opened his eyes and saw Lin Qianshuang and Han Shengyao approaching. He struggled to his feet and exclaimed anxiously, “Master, Junior Sister, a woman in purple broke into the cave, killed Third and Fourth Junior Brothers, and even captured Eldest Senior Brother Ye Heng. His fate is unknown, so please hurry and rescue him!”

“A woman in purple?”

Han Shengyao pondered this and her face relaxed slightly. She nonchalantly retracted her fierce aura and said with a leisurely expression, “I recall promising to select ten Cauldrons for Ruan Qianmei. She must have mistaken my disciple for one and captured her by accident. But this is fine. It saves me the trouble of making a selection for her.”

Lin Qianshuang felt a chill and a hint of disappointment at Han Shengyao’s indifference.

Is life so worthless? Even if a cat or dog spends some time with a person, they will still develop feelings.

Furthermore, the four senior brothers had served Han Shengyao for such a long time.

Lin Qianshuang sighed inwardly, but she herself didn’t care much about Chun’s life or death. Having read the original article, she categorized these four teenagers as destined to die from the start. So, after seeing Qiu and Dong, her senior brother, die tragically, she was only mildly surprised that the timeline had been advanced.

However, given her present identity and basic human decency, as their junior sister, she had accepted their support and favors. If she refrained from rescuing Chun, she would clearly undermine the image she had painstakingly cultivated, and her conscience would not allow it either.

With this in mind, Lin Qianshuang turned to Han Shengyao, her eyes filled with grief and indignation. “Master, perhaps my senior brothers are inconsequential in your eyes, but to me, they have been nothing but kind and are my close companions.”

Watching Han Shengyao remain unmoved, Lin Qianshuang gritted her teeth and tugged at the hem of her clothing until it became misshapen. Feeling lost, she said, “If Master is unwilling to save Senior Brother Chun, I will go myself.”

Seeing Lin Qianshuang about to leave after summoning Xia, Han Shengyao felt a twinge of envy toward Chun. Despite being a mere pawn, she had earned the affection of her disciple.

In a flash, she reached Lin Qianshuang and embraced her tightly.

Han Shengyao’s brows furrowed slightly with concern as she spoke, “It’s not that I refuse to save my eldest disciple. I merely worry that if Ruan Qianmei gets into trouble with you over this matter, your position will become increasingly precarious in the future. Bai Wan holds a favored position with the Demon Emperor, and Ruan Qianmei is expecting once more. You are alone in your role as Left Protector, and with Master absent, you alone will bear the brunt of this peril.”

“Master, I never provoke others unless they provoke me first. Even if I can avoid her for now, can I avoid her forever? As the Left Protector, I will have to confront these people sooner or later.”

The innocence in Lin Qianshuang’s blue eyes vanished momentarily, as if she had suddenly grasped something. She approached and asked, “Master, are you leaving me and going far away?”

Han Shengyao was slightly taken aback. She had planned to leave alone under the pretense of a retreat without informing Lin Qianshuang. She couldn’t help but speak softly, “Shuang’er, Master is not trying to deceive you.”

“I understand everything. Master doesn’t want me to worry, fearing that I will be lost and confused because of this.”

Lin Qianshuang looked at Han Shengyao with trust and warmth in her eyes. She gently caressed her cheek and smiled softly, saying, “I am bound by many constraints, and Master’s situation is also perilous. I cannot spend my entire life sheltered from the elements under Master’s protection. Master, I assure you that when you return, I will not let myself perish easily. I also ask Master to swear that you will come to my side safely and peacefully.”

As she spoke these words, the disciple’s face displayed resilience and fortitude, and her eyes turned slightly red, which was deeply moving.

Han Shengyao seized the hand that Lin Qianshuang had placed on her face, bestowing a tender kiss upon its back. She then kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her pale lips.

Lin Qianshuang responded to the gentle kiss that graced her lips, nibbling at her lip and teasingly thrusting her tongue into her mouth, preventing her from withdrawing. Her gaze shifted from Han Shengyao’s shoulder to the Demon Emperor, who had inexplicably appeared at the cave’s entrance. He held Han Shengyao’s communication talisman in his hand, seemingly in a hurry, but he had not yet announced his presence.

As if punishing her for her inattention, the tip of her tongue was accidentally bitten.

Lin Qianshuang’s senses returned, and Han Shengyao’s lips grazed her ear as she embraced her waist and enveloped her entire being. Her voice was enchanting yet bewildered as she whispered, “What consumes your thoughts?”