"Senior brother?"
A disciple standing behind him called out, bringing Xiao Chenmu back to his senses.
He put on a serious face and said, "You all go to the west cliff and investigate suspicious areas first."
"Yes."
The disciples of the Void Gate scattered at his command.
Xiao Chenmu then walked towards Gu Junshi.
Before he could get close, he saw the woman raise her bright, observant eyes. The smile had vanished from her face, replaced by a serene and casual demeanor.
His gaze froze for a moment. What should have been an interrogative tone turned into an unexpectedly polite question as Xiao Chenmu blurted out, "I am Xiao Chenmu, the eldest disciple of the Void Gate. May I ask who the immortal maiden is?"
Nine Tails, who had been standing by the window observing the situation, saw the stern and dangerous expression on the Void Gate's eldest disciple as he approached, expecting a fierce interrogation and suspicion. To her surprise, his opening words were completely out of character.
This polite and awkward beginning, it felt a bit like he was trying to pick her up.
Nine Tails' eyelids twitched; she couldn't quite understand the situation.
It must be said that Xiao Chenmu was indeed a well-mannered and civilized young man. However, his natural bone structure tended towards sharpness: long, sword-like eyebrows, and eyes that curved upward at the ends, giving him a cold and piercing gaze. If he didn't speak, he looked very much like a murderer.
Nine Tails found it peculiar and, with a few leaps, landed in Gu Yi's embrace. Her fluffy tail instinctively wound around her arm.
"This is a fool; just fool him with a few words," it telepathically communicated to Gu Yi, with a hint of malice.
Xiao Chenmu, in the middle Nascent Soul stage, naturally couldn't hear the telepathic communication of an Nascent Soul cultivator.
Gu Junshi hadn't expected the people from the Void Gate to be so polite. This was completely different from Chen Daoshan, whom she had seen before. Chen Daoshan looked upright but had a poisonous heart, whereas Xiao Chenmu, despite his fierce appearance, had clear eyes, indicating he wasn't a treacherous person.
This person was by no means a fool.
Gu Junshi inclined her head politely, "I dare not accept such praise. This woman is Gu Yi, the wife of Liu Jiang Fusheng, a disciple of the Great Evolution Sect."
Wife?
Xiao Chenmu was taken aback. She, she was already married?
A sudden, inexplicable melancholy arose within him, but he quickly composed himself and asked, "May I ask why Madam Liu Jiang is staying here alone?"
"This humble woman is not feeling well, so I have been resting in my room."
"Not feeling well?"
"Perhaps this mortal body is unaccustomed to the twenty-eight days where immortals reside, and I feel somewhat weary." Her complexion indeed looked a bit pale.
Mortal?
Xiao Chenmu hadn't rashly used his spiritual sense to probe her before, but he hadn't expected her to be a mortal.
If she were a mortal, then the person who broke into the Scripture Pavilion could not have been her, because mortals couldn't tear through barriers, let alone destroy the Xuan Guang Mirrors and flee all the way here.
Xiao Chenmu also wasn't worried about her lying, as there was no need to tell such an easily verifiable lie.
"May I ask if Madam heard or saw anything in the room just now?" His eyes, sharp as blades, fixed upon her, resembling an interrogation. Someone with a weaker mental fortitude would easily falter and reveal themselves under his gaze.
Seeing Xiao Chenmu suddenly exude an imposing aura, taking on an interrogating posture, Nine Tails became concerned about whether Gu Yi, a mortal, could withstand it.
Nine Tails' concern was entirely misplaced. Unlike Xiao Chenmu, whose fierceness was only skin-deep, Gu Junshi had once been a great villain targeted by the entire cultivation world, with all the top true masters issuing calls for her demise. In terms of wickedness, few could rival her.
Gu Junshi recalled, "Gu Yi did indeed hear some commotion just now, which woke me. However, I didn't see anything. I was planning to come out and investigate when I opened the door and found you, Young Master Xiao."
This explanation was plausible. Denying everything outright might lead to flaws. If she said she heard some commotion, others would naturally imagine the content of the commotion, such as the sound of the Xuan Guang Mirrors exploding, or other disturbances caused by the thief. But a mortal's abilities were limited, and it was easy to be appeased. Saying she saw nothing was also normal.
When Xiao Chenmu learned that Gu Yi was a mortal, he guessed that he wouldn't get any useful clues from her.
His gaze shifted to the fox in her arms, "Is this... Madam Liu Jiang's pet?"
Nine Tails stiffened under his gaze, realizing this person's intuition was quite sharp.
Gu Junshi's hand gently stroked Nine Tails' soft, clean fur, moving slowly and delicately from its ear down its spine, her movements practiced and affectionate, as if she did this often. "Yes, this is a Silver Fox, a spirit beast my husband caught."
In the cultivation world, there was indeed a spirit beast called a Silver Fox. It was a low-level spirit beast; without advancement, it couldn't speak human language and wasn't very intelligent. Simply put, apart from its attractive appearance and cuteness, it was useless, but it was favored by some female cultivators, so Gu Junshi having a Silver Fox wasn't unusual.
Xiao Chenmu had also seen Silver Foxes before, with silver-gray or pure white fur, occasionally mixed with other colors. However, he hadn't closely interacted with them. Yet, this Silver Fox's quality was better than those he had seen; its fur was lustrous, except for some areas where it was patchy and thinning...
"If that is the case, my apologies for the disturbance."
There was no reason to stay any longer. Xiao Chenmu still needed to continue searching for the culprit who broke into the Scripture Pavilion. Just as he was about to take his leave, he heard Gu Yi call out to him.
"May I request a favor from you, Young Master Xiao?"
He turned back, "What is it?"
Nine Tails found it strange. This eldest disciple of Tai Xuan seemed to be treating Gu Yi with exceptional kindness.
Gu Junshi lowered her eyes, appearing dignified and polite, "My condition has improved somewhat now, but I am concerned about my husband. As a mere mortal, I don't know the way. May I ask..."
Xiao Chenmu understood. She wanted to go to the "Small Competition" venue to see her husband.
He pondered for a moment and readily agreed, "Certainly, I will take you."
It was also time for him to report the matter to his master, the sect leader, and secondly, to verify the truth of her words.
At this moment, Nine Tails, standing nearby, finally understood. It grinned sinisterly.
Why the excessive attention for no reason? Had this fierce-faced ghost taken a liking to this mortal?
Was his eyesight failing him?
Such an ugly girl...
It raised its narrow fox eyes to look at the face close at hand. Previously, it had never paid attention to who the mortal wife of the Heavenly Spirit Root was, so it had never truly looked at her face. But this time, it realized... Gu Yi's appearance was quite dignified.
That's right, not gentle and beautiful, not a world-shattering beauty, not the alluring kind of stunner, but a kind of presence that wouldn't fade with age, clear as water, pure as a mirror. She seemed like a long story that one could repeatedly read and find endless enjoyment in.
Frankly speaking, no one would consider Gu Yi's appearance ugly.
Even someone as picky as Wei Li couldn't slander her after he got a clear look at her.
However, he muttered to himself.
Even if she wasn't ugly now, she would be in a few years.
When she got old, she would definitely be hideously ugly.
Gu Junshi was unaware of Nine Tails' silent criticisms. She assessed that it wasn't suitable to remain alone on the West Cliff of Misty City any longer. Thus, she allowed Xiao Chenmu to carry her by his artifact to the peak of the Nine Peaks. Looking at the "Small Competition" arena taking place on a nearby peak, she couldn't help but recall the events that were about to unfold in the original plot.