Qing Xuan's expression changed upon hearing this. She hadn't expected her Senior Sister to find out, and she was utterly ashamed. She lowered her head, not even daring to look up.
Seeing this, Qing Ming knew Qing Xuan was admitting it. In fact, even if Qing Xuan denied it, it wouldn't matter, as she had already been discovered.
"How can you be so base? How could you get involved with that boy?" Qing Ming roared, furious. No wonder her junior sister had been afraid to speak up. With this kind of situation, how could she dare to confess? It would be utterly humiliating.
Qing Xuan was overwhelmed with shame, but being berated by her Senior Sister made her angry. "No matter how base I am, I'm not as base as you!" Qing Xuan retorted.
"You dare speak to me like that? You've gone too far!" Qing Ming was almost choked with rage.
"What? Is it not true?" Qing Xuan said coldly. "Senior Sister, do you think I haven't noticed? When that boy was injured and unconscious, you were constantly worried. Ask yourself, are you not involved in this?"
As soon as she said this, it was Qing Ming's turn to panic. She hadn't expected Qing Xuan to see through her. She had truly shot herself in the foot.
The two sisters fell silent.
At this point, Qing Ming said, "There's no need to beat around the bush. It's all Yun Fan's fault!"
Seeing her Senior Sister give her an out, Qing Xuan seized the opportunity. "That's right, it's all that boy's fault. Senior Sister, just tell me what we should do now!"
Qing Ming was quite troubled. The situation had indeed become difficult. After a moment of silence, she said, "Forget it, Junior Sister. Let's find an opportunity to be honest with them!"
"Or perhaps we can wait a bit longer? I'm not ready yet!" Qing Xuan voiced her reservations directly.
Qing Ming nodded. "Alright, we can stall for a month. Let's see what happens after that!"
"Okay!"
At this point, there was nothing else they could do. Resenting Yun Fan now was pointless.
Just then, as they walked out, they saw Linglong and Wangyou approaching with displeased expressions.
"My two disciples, what's wrong?" Qing Ming asked.
"Nothing. We're going to find our junior brother!" Linglong asked, "Masters, have you seen our junior brother?"
"No!" Qing Xuan asked curiously, "Why are you looking for him?" In truth, she had a bad feeling at this moment, as Linglong had already witnessed her entanglement with Yun Fan. Therefore, she suspected Linglong was going to question Yun Fan. If that happened, and Wangyou was involved too, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. She glanced at Qing Ming, her meaning clear: she needed Qing Ming's help to defuse the situation.
Qing Ming understood. She hadn't intended to help Qing Xuan, who had dared to encroach on her territory. But she was afraid! She feared Qing Xuan would expose her as well. If Qing Xuan couldn't face Linglong, it didn't mean she could face Wangyou. Therefore, she immediately said, "I know where he is!"
"Where is he?" Wangyou asked, puzzled.
Qing Ming said, "His injuries haven't fully healed, so he's in seclusion to recuperate. If you have something important to ask him, I can convey it for you, but you shouldn't disturb him now!"
Hearing this, the two women realized the seriousness of the situation and didn't press further.
After the two women left, Qing Xuan and Qing Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
...
After the two women left.
"Don't you think our two Masters are acting a bit strange?" Wangyou voiced her doubts.
"What's strange about it?" Linglong hadn't caught on, not knowing what aspect of their behavior Wangyou found unusual.
Wangyou said, "Logically speaking, Yun Fan seems to have a close relationship with us. When did our Masters start caring so much about Yun Fan? You know, they should be the ones who hate Yun Fan the most right now!"
Upon hearing this, Linglong immediately understood. "That's right, it is a bit strange!"
"Do you think the figure you saw might be one of them?" Wangyou made a bold conjecture.
"It shouldn't be!" Linglong immediately dismissed the idea, thinking it was too outrageous. However, she couldn't be completely certain because she also had a similar suspicion. After all, the person had slipped away right under her nose without her seeing their face. This proved the person's strength. In the Taishang Dao Sect, only her two Masters could possibly be stronger than her. Even Wangyou couldn't match her, as Wangyou was still far behind.
"If it really is them, what will you do?" Wangyou was both annoyed and amused. Initially, only Linglong was interested in Yun Fan, but now? Linglong hadn't even gained anything yet and was already facing so many problems.
"We're not mentioning this again. Without evidence, we can't make wild guesses!" Linglong warned immediately. Wangyou said nothing more, but she felt that something was not simple.
...
At this moment, Yun Fan was in seclusion but was unexpectedly disturbed by Qing Ming.
"Senior, why have you come?" Yun Fan asked, bewildered. Unbeknownst to him, calling her "Senior" repeatedly made Qing Ming very uncomfortable.
Qing Ming said to Yun Fan, "I don't think you should stay in the Taishang Dao Sect right now!"
"Why?" Yun Fan was dumbfounded. It seemed she was trying to expel him. However, this was understandable. Given Qing Ming's cold demeanor, she was perfectly capable of doing so without any emotional involvement.
Qing Ming said, "I know about your scandal with Qing Xuan!"
"What?" Yun Fan was startled. It seemed he was in trouble. Since it was known, Qing Ming would definitely not let him off. At this moment, he didn't know how to explain. After all, what he had done was already a done deal.
Qing Ming asked, "Are you scared now?"
"A little!" Yun Fan answered honestly.
"Hmph!" Qing Ming said coldly, "You truly are a menace. Not only did you harm two disciples, but you've also implicated my sister and me!"
"Ah?" Yun Fan was greatly surprised. He accepted that he had caused Qing Xuan to face a love tribulation, but when had he ever harmed Qing Ming? He had inadvertently gotten involved in something he didn't understand.
"You're not going to admit it?" Qing Ming rebuked.
"I admit it!" Yun Fan quickly replied. Although he didn't know what was going on, given Qing Ming's attitude, it was better to admit it sooner to avoid physical suffering. He would bear this burden.
At this, Qing Ming's expression softened slightly. She said to Yun Fan, "I've also encountered a love tribulation, and it's yours!"
Yun Fan stood there, questioning his life. When did love tribulations become so common? He had already guessed the reason; it was likely because he had sacrificed himself to save Qing Ming. This also proved the power of love tribulations. A spark could ignite a prairie fire. This was incredible.
Qing Ming continued, "Right now, the two disciples are looking for you to question you about Qing Xuan, but I've managed to fend them off! However, this is not a long-term solution. It's not safe for you to stay here, so I've arranged a place for you!"
Yun Fan agreed with Qing Ming's suggestion. Staying here was indeed not safe, even though the truth would eventually come out. But it couldn't be now. So, he cooperatively asked, "Senior, where have you arranged for me to go?" He had intended to return to the secular world, but the Zen Master's lineage had sealed all the passages. Breaking through would attract the attention of a half-step Mahayana expert. The situation was not optimistic.
Qing Ming said, "The Fire God Palace!"
"That's a good place!" Yun Fan nodded. After all, he had an agreement with Zhu Wanjian. Going to the Fire God Palace wouldn't be rash, and the old fox Zhu Wanjian would protect him.
"Alright, it's settled!" Qing Ming reminded Yun Fan, "I'll transfer you out secretly later. We need about a month to be honest with the two disciples about this matter. So, before then, you are not allowed to see them, understand?"
"Completely understand!"
...
That day, Yun Fan was secretly transferred out by Qing Ming. Unexpectedly, this transfer helped the Taishang Dao Sect resolve its crisis. The reason was that after recovering from his injuries, Tian Chan, the second-ranked among the Seven Blessed Ones, led his men to the Taishang Dao Sect and stated his purpose directly.
"Tian Chan, please leave. My Taishang Dao Sect does not have the person you are looking for!" Qing Ming said coldly. Although Tian Chan was the second most powerful among the Seven Blessed Ones, with unparalleled combat prowess, far surpassing her own, this did not mean she feared him.
Tian Chan refused to leave. He had already sent people to investigate and confirmed that the person was within the Taishang Dao Sect. He had now blockaded the sect, making it impossible for the Taishang Dao Sect to transfer the person out. This was why he was so confident. He could use this opportunity to take down the Taishang Dao Sect in one fell swoop. As long as he found evidence, he would have an excuse to take over the Taishang Dao Sect.
"Dao Venerable, this individual is a demon. Do you know the consequences of harboring a demon?" he asked, pressing her.
"If my Taishang Dao Sect does not have this person, what will you do?" Qing Ming said confidently. Yun Fan had already been transferred out, so his arrival now was too late.
Tian Chan said, "If this is just a misunderstanding, I will personally apologize!" The Taishang Dao Sect was different from other sects; its strength should not be underestimated. Of course, with his power, he could suppress it. However, this involved too many complications. First, if the Taishang Dao Sect fought to the death with him, it would be a costly and unrewarding endeavor. Second, the Taishang Dao Sect had connections with the Fire God Palace and the Water God Palace. If there was no evidence, acting rashly would likely provoke these forces, and before the Zen Master emerged from seclusion, resolving these issues could only be done gradually.
"A mere apology might not suffice!" Qing Ming was not about to let it go.
"Then what does Dao Venerable require?" he asked Qing Ming. In his opinion, Qing Ming was merely trying to cover up her guilt. He had already discovered that Linglong of the Taishang Dao Sect and Yun Fan both hailed from the Ghost Valley, and Yun Fan must be hiding within the Taishang Dao Sect. His subordinates had followed the scent and found that Yun Fan's aura had disappeared within the Taishang Dao Sect.
Qing Ming said, "If this person is not here, shouldn't you provide some compensation to my Taishang Dao Sect?"
Hearing this, Tian Chan directly asked, "What compensation do you need?"
"The Imperial Seal!" Qing Ming said directly. The Imperial Seal was under Tian Chan's control. While she was not interested, Yun Fan might be. After all, it was the only weapon that could deal with the God of Slaughter.
Tian Chan did not expect Qing Ming to have such a large appetite, even daring to covet the Imperial Seal. However, in return, if Qing Ming were not guilty, why would she demand such great compensation? In his view, Qing Ming was doing this because she feared he would find Yun Fan. Therefore, he readily agreed, "Alright, if I don't find the person, I will give you the Imperial Seal!"
"Please, proceed!" Qing Ming turned away.
Tian Chan led his men to search.
At this, Qing Xuan asked, "Senior Sister, what if they find him?"
"Don't worry, they won't find him!" Qing Ming said confidently.
As expected, Tian Chan and his men searched the entire Taishang Dao Sect but could not find Yun Fan. Even if Yun Fan had disguised himself well, he couldn't have escaped his notice. At this point, he realized he had been tricked.
"Have you found him yet?" Qing Xuan asked impatiently.
Tian Chan said, "It seems it was a misunderstanding. I said, how could the Taishang Dao Sect possibly hide someone?"
"Let's go!" Tian Chan said, preparing to leave with his men.
"Wait!" Qing Ming said, "A bet is a bet. You, the renowned Tian Chan, one of the Seven Blessed Ones, with unparalleled strength, surely won't renege on your word, will you?"
Qing Xuan also said, "If this gets out, it might damage your reputation!" Since they had completely offended him, the two sisters had no reservations.
Tian Chan had not expected the two women to be so insistent. He said, "Of course, I'm a good sport!" With that, he handed over the Imperial Seal. Seeing this, the two women realized it was real and accepted the Imperial Seal.
"My belongings are not easily taken. One day, I will personally reclaim it!" he threatened the two women. But they did not take his threat seriously, only thinking about how to give the Imperial Seal to Yun Fan, thus helping him out.