Chapter 105: Deep‑Hearted Male Four

"I can't tell you yet; let me find a few clues first, then I'll tell you." Yuan Yao gently shook her head.

Seeing Yuan Yao unwilling to reveal the truth, Cang Li's curiosity grew stronger: "What exactly is going on? Why are you hiding it from me?"

Yuan Yao didn't answer his question; she just put her finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture to tell Cang Li to stop pressing.

"All right." Cang Li sighed helplessly, but obediently closed his mouth and stopped asking.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "If you really have some secret trouble or want to do something bad, you must tell me beforehand! No matter what, I'll stand by you and face it together."

Hearing Cang Li's words, Yuan Yao froze for a moment, then nodded with a smiling expression.

The two chatted as they headed toward the bamboo hut.

Yuan Yao suddenly asked, "Third Senior Brother, what kind of person do you think Jade Master Uncle is?"

Cang Li replied, "Did you see Jade Master Uncle today?"

Yuan Yao nodded.

"We're not very close to him either." Cang Li said, "I think Jade Master Uncle is a solitary person who doesn't talk much and doesn't like to engage with others."

Saying that, Cang Li seemed to recall something, tilted his head and looked at her: "I still remember you crying when you first saw Jade Master Uncle, scared by him. Are you still afraid of him now?"

"Not anymore."

Cang Li: "Do you want to learn more about Jade Master Uncle?"

"Yes."

"Actually, I don't know much either. We've also asked Master about Jade Master Uncle, but Master always avoids the topic, unwilling to mention his past. So I suspect… Jade Master Uncle must have suffered a setback, which is why he ended up as a task‑hall steward in the Carefree Sect."

Yuan Yao asked, "Master won't say either?"

Cang Li stroked his chin: "Master said, unless Jade Master Uncle wishes it, he will never bring it up. We all feel Jade Master Uncle's identity is mysterious—after all, anyone who could be a fellow disciple of our Master is certainly no ordinary person."

Yuan Yao became even more curious about Jade Master Uncle's identity.

However, Jade Master Uncle clearly doesn't want to talk about the past; asking him directly would surely be annoying.

Yuan Yao could only suppress her curiosity.

After Cang Li saw Yuan Yao to the bamboo hut, he left.

Yuan Yao returned indoors and took out the sound stone.

She sent her spiritual power into the sound stone, waited a moment, and then heard Shiziwen's voice coming through.

"Senior Sister Lu."

Immediately followed by Lu Xiangxiang's voice: "Junior Brother Shi, did you manage to buy the detox pill, the crimson secret pill, and the one‑qi heart‑protecting pill for me?"

"Yes, I took advantage of yesterday's day off to leave the sect and bought these pills for you." After a pause, Shiziwen's voice sounded again: "Don't worry, I'm wearing a mask; no one recognizes me. Here are the remaining spirit stones—I'm returning them to you."

Lu Xiangxiang seemed to have accepted them all.

"Thank you, Shiziwen." Her voice was soft and grateful.

Listening to it made one feel involuntary pity.

Shiziwen's voice suddenly turned hesitant: "This crimson secret pill… is a poison pill, Senior Sister Lu. What do you intend to use it for?"

"If I say… I want to poison her, would you think I'm a ruthless, vicious person?"

Shiziwen seemed to remain silent for a long time.

"She deserves it."

Lu Xiangxiang: "After the Ninth Province sect grand competition ends, I won't stay in the Carefree Sect anymore. Will you leave with me?"

Shiziwen: "Where to?"

Lu Xiangxiang: "The Seventh Province."

Shiziwen: "... All right."

He added: "If the poisoning is discovered, you needn't hesitate—just insist you knew nothing. I'll take the blame."

"Shiziwen, I…" Lu Xiangxiang seemed to have cried, her voice sorrowful and pitiful.

"Yuan Yao is a venomous-hearted woman who constantly targets you; she deserves to die." Shiziwen's tone was sinister.

At that moment, Yuan Yao heard this and realized they were plotting to poison her; she couldn't help but laugh.

She listened to the rest of the conversation.

Lu Xiangxiang decided to poison herself during the Ninth Province sect grand competition.

At that time, she has her own means of escape.

Yuan Yao tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her gaze turning deep and mysterious.

What is Lu Xiangxiang's escape method?

If she really killed herself, what makes her think she can escape Master's pursuit?

Unless… someone stronger is protecting her…

She asked, "250, will the male lead of the original novel appear during the sect grand competition?"

Unlike before, this time the 250 system gave a definite answer: 【Yes, host.】

"Who is the male lead?"

【Sorry, host, you still cannot unlock the male lead's information.】

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao's lips curled slightly upward.

That means everyone she has seen so far is not the male lead.

"What role does Shiziwen play in the original novel's plot?"

【Deep‑hearted male supporting character number four.】 The 250 system gave the answer.

Yuan Yao hadn't expected the system to give such an easy answer this time—Shiziwen is actually… the deep‑hearted male supporting character number four.

This shows that he holds a pivotal role in the original novel's storyline.

The 250 system detected the strong killing intent emanating from Yuan Yao's body and was about to issue a warning.

"I want to kill him." Yuan Yao said.

【Host, the target person Shiziwen is irreplaceable; you cannot kill him. You can pursue him.】

Pausing for a moment, the 250 System added: 【No matter what kind of pursuit method.】

It compromised.

Since the host is unwilling to pursue the target person with her own 'Truth, Goodness, Beauty', then let her have her way.

As long as we can increase the Awakening Value, that's enough.

Yuan Yao gave a light smile, carrying a hint of danger.

…

In the coming days, aside from cultivating, Yuan Yao kept a close watch on Lu Xiangxiang.

And Lu Xiangxiang seemed to notice that Yuan Yao was secretly monitoring her, so she temporarily cut off contact with Shiziwen.

Lu Xiangxiang also investigated Yuan Yao's movements in return, but discovered that Yuan Yao not only practiced swordsmanship by day, but also cultivated at night.

For several dozen days, nothing major occurred on Heavenly Martial Peak.

There was still half a month until the Ninth Province Sect Grand Competition.

That day, Yuan Yao was cultivating with her Third Senior Brother on the back mountain when her identity jade tablet suddenly received a message:

— Seven days later, gather at the sect's main gate and set out for the Heaven and Earth Domain.

"Heaven and Earth Domain?" Cang Li also received the message, he raised his eyebrows, "Every time something major happens in the Ninth Province, they go to the Heaven and Earth Domain. This time the sect grand competition's location is also the Heaven and Earth Domain."

Before Yuan Yao could speak, the 250 System's voice came: 【Host, the system detects that there will be over thirty thousand target persons appearing in the Heaven and Earth Domain; please go to the Heaven and Earth Domain to complete the pursuit mission.】

Over thirty thousand target persons?!

That many people?

【Host, your current lifespan days reach as high as thirty-six days.】

Yuan Yao, upon hearing this, fell into thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Cang Li saw her dazed and asked.

Yuan Yao raised her head, smiled, and said, "I'm wondering, in my first sect grand competition, what rank I could achieve on the disciple list."