Chapter Ninety-One: The Sect's Situation

Receiving no response from Yun Tianxin, Chen Qi was not in the least embarrassed. He approached with a beaming smile and slowly unzipped the light blue tent.

The moment it opened, Chen Qi felt his breath hitch. Inside, Yun Tianxin sat elegantly, though her face wore an uncharacteristic frost. Her cheeks were puffed out, still tinged with a faint flush that made one itch to reach out and poke them. This ethereal sight, much like a wife waiting for a husband who had failed to return home from work, sent Chen Qi’s mind into a whirl of fanciful thoughts.

Yun Tianxin remained silent, staring back at him as if waiting for him to lower his head in submission.

"Heh! Senior Sister Yun looks so adorable like this, too."

Chen Qi obediently hung his head to apologize, even as his mind wandered far from his words. "Senior Sister, my apologies. I was delayed by an unexpected incident. Please, forgive me."

Hearing this seemingly sincere apology, the frost on Yun Tianxin’s face eased slightly. Assuming the posture of a senior disciple of the Inner Sect, she lectured, "It is good that you know you were wrong. As a disciple of the Yunhai Sect, you must be disciplined regarding time, especially during such a critical period—hey! Why are you staring at my face?"

Chen Qi watched her solemn, lecturing expression with a smile, finally goading her into a fit of shy indignation that cut her sermon short.

"I never realized before that Senior Sister looked so cute when putting on airs!"

Chen Qi did not shift his gaze. As he marveled at her internally, his expression remained one of pure admiration. His smile grew tender, soft as the morning mist clinging to the mountains. Unable to bear his intense gaze, Yun Tianxin turned her head away, yet she could not hide the rosy blush that spread from her cheeks down to her neck, all of which was perfectly visible to Chen Qi.

Finally, unable to endure the stifling atmosphere, Yun Tianxin changed the subject. "Tell me then, what exactly delayed you? I want to see what kind of excuse you'll come up with. You! Stop! Staring!"

Seeing that she was on the verge of turning her embarrassment into anger, Chen Qi withdrew his gaze and composed himself, preparing his explanation. There was nothing to hide from her. He began from his encounter with the Sixth Elder, described the fierce battle that drove back the Purple Thunder Eagle, and laid out his suspicions regarding a traitor and the source of his information.

Initially, Yun Tianxin listened with casual indifference, but as soon as he mentioned a traitor, her expression shifted to one of profound gravity, darkening further with every word he spoke.

"Such a thing is actually happening?"

By the time Chen Qi finished, her complexion was ghastly, her delicate face masked in ice as she spoke with indignation. Her expression was a complex cocktail of sorrow, fury, and disappointment, yet notably absent was any trace of doubt.

Chen Qi felt a stir in his heart and could not help but ask, "Senior Sister, you don't even harbor a sliver of doubt?"

Yun Tianxin rolled her eyes at him but explained, "In that cave atop the Miasma Demon Mountain, the moment I saw the Marquis of Yunshan, I had a vague premonition. Now, with your report, it is confirmed."

Chen Qi pressed his advantage, inching closer until he could catch the faint fragrance of her skin. "It's rare for you to trust me so completely, Senior Sister. Tell me, which elder do you suspect the most? I don't even know how many Inner Sect elders there are in the Yunhai Sect."

Feeling the encroaching warmth of his masculine presence, Yun Tianxin frowned in discomfort, yet she hesitated and did not stop him. After a long silence, seeing that he was not going to pull away, she sighed and spoke: "The Yunhai Sect has seven Inner Sect elders. The first three are in the Spirit Sea Realm, and the remaining four are in the Spirit Origin Realm."

Clearing her throat, she began the introductions. "The First Elder, True Person Yun San, is upright and incorruptible, assisting the Sect Master with administration; he cannot be the traitor. The Second Elder, True Person Yun Ji, oversees discipline and law. Although she often clashes with my mother, she joined the sect when she was very young and holds deep affection for it; it is unlikely to be her."

Her expression turned sorrowful as she continued, "The Third Elder, True Person Yun Ye, is the father of the senior sister who traveled with us. He is in charge of internal affairs and the exchange of contributions. His daughter may have already... met with misfortune... it is basically impossible for him to be the traitor."

Seeing the mood darken, Chen Qi took the opportunity to stretch out his arm and, mimicking a gesture he’d seen for comforting others, patted her back, which drew another glare of annoyance from her.

"The Fourth Elder, Chen Fei, is reclusive and prefers to walk alone. If there is a traitor, he is a possibility."

Before she could finish, Chen Qi interjected, "What about the Fifth and Sixth Elders? I found the Sixth Elder a bit strange; he didn't seem like a good person."

Playing on his preconceived notions, he whispered into the ear of the Sect Master's daughter, much like a villainous character in a play.

Yun Tianxin rolled her eyes and said sternly, "A lowly Outer Sect disciple like you should not casually badmouth Inner Sect elders. The Fifth Elder, Fu Qing, and the Sixth Elder, Duan Hai, joined the sect together. Although they are a decade apart in age, they share a bond like brothers. If one is a mole, what is the other? Surely they wouldn't both be traitors?"

"Perhaps there really are two? Seeing how far they've gone to support traitors, it seems the Yuyang Imperial Court is desperate to wipe out our Yunhai Sect," Chen Qi muttered, his mind drifting elsewhere. He had only mentioned the Sixth Elder to keep the conversation going; while the elder’s gifts were odd, he had shown no malice and had fought the Purple Thunder Eagle fiercely.

To his surprise, Yun Tianxin reacted strongly, as if he had touched a raw nerve. She pushed herself up, ignoring the violent tremors caused by her weakened state. She turned to face him, her expression one he had never seen before, and replied through gritted teeth:

"Of course they want to! The Yunhai Sect has faced several crises of annihilation in its history, all caused by the Yuyang Imperial Court. The most recent was four years ago. Just as Old Master Chi was at the critical moment of breaking through to the Profound Realm, the Supreme Elder Yang Cheng of Yuyang somehow found out and appeared at our doorstep. The result was that Old Master Chi’s breakthrough failed; he suffered severe internal damage and has yet to fully recover."

She fell silent for a moment, her beautiful eyes dimming with sorrow. "If it weren't for Grand Uncle-Master Shoujing holding things together, our sect would have fallen long ago... But he is already over two hundred and thirty years old. Who knows how much longer he can endure?"

Her eyes welled with tears, and her voice choked with emotion. "Two months from now is the assessment for the Eastern Barbarian Academy. If I had successfully broken into the Spirit Origin Realm, I could have been accepted as a direct disciple. With the Academy's protection, the Yunhai Sect would have been safe, but..."

A soft sobbing sound came from before him. Chen Qi could hardly believe that this dignified, intellectual Senior Sister could have such a fragile side, appearing like nothing more than a young girl.

Yun Tianxin could no longer maintain her composure. She forced herself to finish, her voice thick with pain: "But... now... I have swallowed the spirit vortex... my path in martial arts... is likely at an end."

The silence stretched on, and just as Chen Qi thought she was finished, she added in a hollow, emotionless voice: "Unless I turn into a mindless beast. But even then, I believe I would still protect the Yunhai Sect!"

Chen Qi remained silent, listening to her outpouring. With only the strength of an Outer Sect disciple, these power struggles seemed far beyond his reach.

"Two months, is it?" Chen Qi chewed on this critical timeline and then made a bold move.

"Eh? What are you doing?"

Yun Tianxin’s body trembled violently. Her tear-streaked face suddenly let out a soft, confused whimper. Seizing the moment she was off-guard, Chen Qi had firmly grasped her small hand and pulled her closer.

As he stroked her jade-like palm with his fingers, he leaned in close to her eyes and whispered with deep affection: "It's alright, Senior Sister. I will always be here to help you."