Chapter 542: The Woman Who Trespassed the Back Mountain

"Who is it?"

Ye Qingran asked.

The disciple who came to deliver the message shook his head, "I don't know." After saying that, he left.

After that disciple departed, Ye Qingran stared at his back, a flash of brilliance passing through her eyes.

If she remembered correctly, the back mountain was Lu Yunfeng's territory.

Could it be that the one who invited her was Lu Yunfeng?

It was said that someone invited Ye Qingran to the back mountain, and Hong Wu and Qin Feixue reacted differently.

"Instructor Ye, do you know Lu Yunfeng?" Qin Feixue asked calmly.

Inside, she was actually quite uneasy.

Ye Qingran shook her head, "We've met before."

Hong Wu blinked, looking very surprised.

Having met only once, and then inviting her to the back mountain for a chat?

Is Instructor Ye's charm really that great?

After Ye Qingran left, Qin Feixue thought for a moment and still followed.

Seeing this, Hong Wu also went with Qin Feixue.

The Academy's back mountain, being close to the headmaster's residence, has always been tranquil.

Because Lu Yunfeng lacks a human soul and suffers severe empathy and emotional expression disorders, considering the safety of the other disciples and Lu Yunfeng's own Dao path, the headmaster Li Daoyun designated the back mountain as Lu Yunfeng's private training ground.

Except with Lu Yunfeng's permission, no one else may freely go up or down the back mountain.

Nan Yan is currently the only Academy disciple who can freely go up and down the back mountain.

When Ye Qingran came to the back mountain again, she couldn't help recalling the scene of her previous accidental intrusion.

She also learned from Qin Zixie that the back mountain cannot be freely accessed unless Lu Yunfeng permits.

But she went up last time as well, and nothing happened. That Lu Yunfeng fellow seemed a bit melancholy, yet not hard to get along with.

Thinking that, Ye Qingran went up the back mountain.

Just as she stepped up, the two emerged from a hidden spot.

It turned out to be Nan Yan and Ling Xueyao.

"This Ye Qingran, she doesn't look very smart!"

Nan Yan looked toward the direction where Ye Qingran's figure vanished, her smile scornful.

She had thought Ye Qingran would be hard to handle. Unexpectedly, after she casually set a trap, Ye Qingran took the bait—truly beyond foolish.

Having learned from the previous incident, Ling Xueyao became much more cautious; she whispered, "Nan, we must not be careless—Ye Qingran is full of schemes, we cannot underestimate her!"

Nan Yan disagreed, "Cousin, you're being overly paranoid. As soon as she steps onto the back mountain, I'll make sure she can't get away!"

"Oh? Tell me, what have you done?"

Nan Yan squinted, "Lu Yunfeng likes to play the qin and flute on the back mountain, right? He has a PhoenixTail Guqin, said to be his mother's heirloom, kept on the back mountain and cherished. If his Phoenix Tail Qin were destroyed, what would happen?"

Ling Xueyao's eyes lit up. "You destroyed that qin?"

"How could it be me? It was clearly Ye Qingran!"

In fact, just now she slipped onto the back mountain and, unnoticed, snapped the strings of the PhoenixTail Guqin.

No one knows she went up the back mountain today, yet everyone will know that Ye Qingran, without Lu Yunfeng's knowledge, went up the back mountain and destroyed the PhoenixTail Guqin!

All the evidence will point to Ye Qingran!

She knows how much Lu Yunfeng cherishes that PhoenixTail Guqin; if he learns Ye Qingran destroyed his beloved qin, he certainly won't let her go!

Ling Xueyao, after hearing, couldn't help showing a look of anticipation.

The back mountain.

Broken Cloud Peak.

This is Ye Qingran's second ascent of the back mountain.

At Broken Cloud Peak, no one was present, only the wind sound coming from the cliff below.

On a stone table by the cliff stood a guqin, covered with a piece of silver silk.

Ye Qingran recalled that last time she felt Sword Qi emanating from the mountain and, compelled by a strange impulse, climbed up.

At that time, she didn't yet know the back mountain couldn't be entered casually.

Nevertheless, even if she knew, she... would still come up.

This guqin seemed to have been there since last time.

Only this time Lu Yunfeng was absent.

He invited her to the back mountain, yet he didn't show up?

She doesn't think Lu Yunfeng is that kind of person.

Could it be that Lu Yunfeng was the one who invited her?

If not him, who else could it be?

Ye Qingran narrowed her eyes slightly, squinting at the qin before her.

She hadn't intended to touch the guqin, but her intuition told her the instrument was problematic.

She walked to the qin, lifted the silver silk, revealing the guqin.

A plainly crafted qin, exuding a heavy aura, finely made and exquisitely textured, a rare guqin.

However, three strings were broken, which was regrettable.

Because the strings are made from Tianshan Ice Silkworm Silk, they are extremely rare; even finding a single ice silkworm would take nearly ten years to produce enough silk for three strings.

Moreover, ice silkworms are elusive; ordinary people can hardly ever see their shadows.

Ye Qingran let out a light click and covered it with the silk again.

"What a waste of a fine qin."

She shook her head, let out a soft sigh, turned and went down the mountain.

At this moment, at the foot of the mountain, many disciples gathered.

"What's happening here? Why is it so lively?"

Several newly arrived Academy disciples, seeing this, asked in confusion.

It should be known that the back mountain is the Academy's most pristine place, rarely seeing any human shadows year‑round.

Yet today, dozens gathered at once.

Everyone's gaze fixed on the Stone Steps leading down, as if awaiting something.

"You've just arrived, haven't heard? Supposedly someone trespassed into the back mountain!"

"What? Who's so bold? The dean said that without Lu Yunfeng's permission, no one is allowed to trespass into the back mountain, right?"

"Who knows? Maybe some female disciple fell madly in love with Lu Yunfeng."

The crowd murmured, all extremely curious—who exactly is the one who trespassed into the back mountain?

Qin Feixue and Hong Wu also rushed over at this moment; hearing the disciples' chatter, their expressions changed.

"Isn't Instructor Ye the one invited by Lu Yunfeng to the back mountain? Why does everyone say she trespassed?"

Qin Feixue twisted her eyebrows, a dark glint flashing in her eyes.

"Someone wants to frame her!"

She lowered her voice; it was cold and deep.

Hong Wu's expression hardened.

To her, Ye Qingran's current status is no different from that of her mother.

Who would dare offend her mother? They wouldn't want to live!

"Do you know who it is?"

Qin Feixue's eyes scanned the crowd, landing on Nan Yan at the front, and uttered two words, "Nan Yan."

"Nan Yan? Why would she do this?"

"Look over there."

Following Qin Feixue's gaze, Hong Wu saw Nan Yan and Ling Xueyao.

Of course, Hong Wu didn't know Nan Yan.

But she knew Ling Xueyao.

"I see, Nan Yan and Ling Xueyao are in the same group!"

She suddenly understood.

"Sister Feixue, what should we do now? If later Instructor Ye comes down from the back mountain and everyone sees her, we won't be able to explain!"

Qin Feixue shook her head, "It's too late; let's watch and see."

As soon as the words fell, a figure appeared in view.

"Look, she's coming down!"

Everyone's gaze converged on one spot.

"Instructor Ye?"

When they saw Ye Qingran at that instant, many disciples were stunned.

The woman who trespassed into the back mountain was Instructor Ye?

In their shock, many eyes gradually turned mocking.