Volume One, Chapter Nine: Who Is the Traitor

As soon as Yi Bing released the cake, Daoist Xifeng returned with her disciples. The moment she touched down, she wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell, and the female disciples hurriedly covered their mouths and noses.

"...What is that smell..." Daoist Xifeng quickly waved her long sleeves, and the Banquet Terrace was instantly refreshed with a clean breeze.

"Master Aunt, did you find Master?" Hong Kun hurried forward to salute.

"No. On the way, the Five-Colored Stones began jumping wildly. I thought something dangerous had happened at the Banquet Terrace, so I quickly turned back!" Daoist Xifeng replied as she checked the injuries of her fellow disciples.

"Master Aunt, Master Aunt! Who were those people wielding clubs and axes?" Yi Bing rushed over, eager for answers.

"Sigh... It must have been those people..." Daoist Xifeng exchanged glances with Hong Kun, ignoring Yi Bing.

"This time, we truly owe it to Yi Bing! If not for..." Hong Kun proceeded to tell Daoist Xifeng everything, explaining each detail clearly.

"Giggle... So it was Fat Dun's foul fart!" Mo Yan, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh, triggering a round of laughter from everyone.

"No... No..." Seeing Senior Sister Bi Yi's expression of disgust, Yi Bing wished he could disappear into the ground.

"Heh... It really was fate... I was worried that the Yin-Yang dual pills would cost you your life. Your stomach ache wasn't caused by those radishes, but because the Yin and Yang energies couldn't harmonize. Who would have thought, by sheer accident, it would be resolved by..." Daoist Xifeng laughed as she checked Yi Bing's pulse.

"But Master Aunt, why do I feel like all my vital energy is gone?" Yi Bing wasn't foolish; ever since that incident, he felt completely drained.

"Heaven and earth ebb and flow; have patience!" Daoist Xifeng's face showed a hint of joy.

"Oh..." Yi Bing let out a sigh of relief.

After healing the disciples, Daoist Xifeng gathered everyone at the Star-Chasing Hall. Today’s events were highly unusual—the three waves of enemies should not have known about the Apprenticeship Gathering, and those invited were unlikely to have informed them. Yet, they attacked simultaneously, clearly aware and prepared.

"There is a traitor among you!" Daoist Xifeng’s declaration sent a wave of shock through the hall.

"Master Aunt, that seems impossible!" Hong Kun still trusted his fellow disciples.

"Do you think your master would inform them?" Daoist Xifeng looked at Hong Kun, who shook his head.

"And do you think your master's friends would tell them?" She pressed further, causing Hong Kun to lower his head.

"If none of you leaked the information, how could they know about today’s gathering?" Daoist Xifeng turned and calmly questioned the crowd. Silence fell so heavy that a dropped pin would echo in the hall.

"Who is it? Step forward now, or face harsher consequences!" Daoist Xifeng scanned every disciple with care. Seeing no response, she drew a talisman from her robe.

"You’ve had your chance. If you won’t confess, I’ll find the culprit myself!" With that, Daoist Xifeng tossed the talisman into the air, drew her sword, and slashed a few times, shaping the talisman into a human figure.

"A guilty mind weakens the spirit! This will find the traitor for me!" Daoist Xifeng pointed her sword at the floating figure.

"One last time—who is it?" she demanded again.

"Sigh... If that's how it must be..." With no one speaking up, Daoist Xifeng began to chant softly.

The human-shaped talisman suddenly sprang to life, stretching above everyone’s heads, then circling each disciple. It would peer around, tilt its head, and when it came to Yi Bing, it circled him twice, making him break out in cold sweat. After inspecting everyone, it floated high above, striking a thoughtful pose that prompted everyone to crane their necks in suspense.

Impatient, Hong Peng was about to speak when the human-shaped talisman suddenly leapt in mock surprise, then darted out through the door crack. The disciples erupted in confusion but quickly chased after it.

Outside, the talisman hovered close to the ground, shifting its flight patterns as if searching for something. The disciples exchanged puzzled whispers. Suddenly, the talisman darted toward the eastern wall corner. Before it arrived, a small white rabbit limped out, desperately trying to escape over the wall.

"Vile creature! Where do you think you’re going?" Daoist Xifeng swept her sleeve, knocking the rabbit to the ground. As the rabbit tried to rise, the talisman stuck to its back, and instantly, the rabbit collapsed, transforming into a fresh-faced young maiden in white.

"Vile creature! How dare you betray us!" Daoist Xifeng’s sword tip pointed straight at the girl’s throat.

"Hmph! So what if it was me? Too bad I didn’t destroy this Banquet Terrace!" The girl’s face was full of anger.

"Banquet Terrace accelerates cultivation; our senior let you train here out of kindness. How could you repay good with evil?" Daoist Xifeng scolded.

"Kindness? Because of this Banquet Terrace, not only did I lose a leg, but my cultivation suffered drastically. I was about to ascend to immortality, but now look at me!" The white-clad maiden’s face was twisted with bitter resentment.

"Don’t talk nonsense! How could the Banquet Terrace cripple your leg?" Hong Kun grew anxious.

The maiden glared fiercely at Hong Kun, then turned to Yi Bing: "It's all because of that fat fool! He bit my leg and crippled me!"

"What?" Yi Bing was dumbfounded, his mouth agape. "When did I ever bite your leg?"

"...Could it be... you were that rabbit that day?" Daoist Xifeng suddenly recalled.

"You remember now?" The maiden’s brows were set in stubborn defiance.

"To think a single bite caused such harm..." Daoist Xifeng spoke with remorse. "Dun’er, she was the rabbit you carried in your mouth when you burrowed underground that day; I came to rescue you."

"Ah?!" Yi Bing could barely believe his ears. This maiden was the little white rabbit he nearly ate! He’d only bitten lightly—he had no idea that, at the moment when Yin and Yang energies converged and his body surged with vital force, that bite was devastating.

Daoist Xifeng understood. She sighed and turned to Yi Bing: "Kneel and apologize—now!" Her voice was so loud that Yi Bing dropped to his knees with a thud.

"It truly was your fault! Your vital energy was overflowing, and that bite was too much! Sigh, I should have realized sooner and healed her." Daoist Xifeng felt guilty.

"Hehe... You immortals never care about the little folks’ lives!" The maiden sneered. Daoist Xifeng, knowing she was at fault, said nothing.

"Miss, it’s my fault, I truly didn’t know! Please accept my apology!" Yi Bing’s heart was in turmoil, deeply regretting his greed that ruined her cultivation. He knocked his head on the ground several times.

"Tch! What good is that? If you’re truly sorry, renounce your own cultivation!" The maiden spat, unmoved.

"Hey! Enough! He never meant you harm, he’s apologized, why won’t you let it go? This is fate! Because of your resentment, heaven let you suffer this calamity. Don’t you understand?" Daoist Xifeng was genuinely annoyed.

"..." The maiden paused, then began to sob. She knew Daoist Xifeng spoke truth, but couldn’t swallow her anger.

"Sigh... Everything has its cause; being a traitor is not entirely your fault, so I’ll spare your life. I’ll revert you to your original form so you can cultivate anew." Daoist Xifeng glanced at Yi Bing.

"Haha... In the end... just kill me!" The maiden burst into laughter.

"It’s not up to you!" Daoist Xifeng replied angrily, raising her hand to cast a spell. Suddenly, a chubby little hand tugged at her sleeve.

"Master Aunt! Please forgive her! If not for me, she would have ascended long ago. It’s all my fault... Please spare her!" Yi Bing knelt, pleading desperately.

The maiden was taken aback: "Who asked you to plead for me?"

A faint smile crossed Daoist Xifeng’s face. After a moment’s silence, she sighed: "Very well. I won’t strip her cultivation, but she can’t go unpunished. Since you caused it, you must take responsibility. From now on, she’s under your supervision. Any mistake she makes is your fault. Whether she can ascend depends on fate!"

"What?" "What?" The maiden and Yi Bing exclaimed in unison.

Daoist Xifeng ignored them, pulling a collar from her sleeve and tossing it at the maiden; before she could react, it fastened around her neck.

"One word from me and the collar tightens, causing unbearable pain. You can’t die either!" Daoist Xifeng warned, making the maiden’s face turn ashen.

Daoist Xifeng then whispered the incantation to Yi Bing.

"Master Aunt, please spare her..." Yi Bing begged again.

"Have you memorized it?" Daoist Xifeng paid him no mind.

"Yes... I have..." Yi Bing replied, crestfallen.

"This too is part of your cultivation!" Daoist Xifeng grew increasingly fond of the chubby boy.

"Alright..." Though Yi Bing was reluctant to supervise the little white rabbit, seeing that Master Aunt had made up her mind, he could only accept his fate.

"Clean up, everyone! Be vigilant for more enemies! I’m off to find your master!" Daoist Xifeng instructed Hong Kun.

"Thank you, Master Aunt!" Hong Kun quickly led everyone in a respectful farewell.

Only when Daoist Xifeng’s rainbow-colored auspicious clouds faded from sight did the crowd realize the maiden had vanished. They were about to search for her, but Hong Kun stopped them, ordering everyone to focus on cleaning up and preparing for possible enemies. Yi Bing didn’t mind—if she ran away, it would save him trouble.

"Senior Brother, who were those people anyway?" Yi Bing couldn’t help but ask Hong Kun as they cleaned.

"Who? Bad people, all of them!" Hong Kun replied angrily. Yi Bing stuck out his tongue and fell silent. Looking up, he saw Hong Peng signaling him, so he quietly moved over.

"Ignore him; Senior Brother is upset," Hong Peng comforted Yi Bing.

"I should at least know who Master’s enemies are!" Yi Bing explained, feeling aggrieved.

"Sigh..." Hong Peng sighed, exasperated. "Enemies? The first group with bent bows was... Yi Bing, move that chair inside first..." Seeing Hong Kun approach with a stern face, Hong Peng quickly changed the subject.

The Master Aunt who went searching for the Master was gone for seven or eight days, and the Banquet Terrace, which had returned to peace, became restless again. As everyone speculated, Senior Sister Fei Xue returned with a letter, informing them that Master Aunt had searched all the mountains but found no trace of the Master.

"Did she check the Moon Palace?" Hong Peng finally couldn’t hold back, and all eyes turned to Fei Xue.

"...She did... Nothing... It left Master in a terrible situation..." Fei Xue looked gloomy, recalling the questioning: "She traveled a thousand miles for her husband, but what are you doing?" She felt sorry for the Master.

"Oh..." Everyone knew better than to ask further.