Chapter 143: Secret War

The moment the Woman in Red touched Nalan Xiner’s wrist, she understood immediately. Despite Nalan Xiner’s outward appearance of being completely fine, she was actually facing a severe and potential threat.

With his piercing gaze, Mobai instantly caught the subtle shift in the Woman in Red’s expression and secretly exchanged a look with her. Being exceptionally clever, the Woman in Red smiled at Nalan Xiner and said, "Xiner, you should be fine, but could you tell older sister what exactly happened just now and where you were struck?"

Remembering the incident brought a wave of frustration to Nalan Xiner. Pouting her lips, she muttered, "When we came back tonight and were just about to sleep, I suddenly caught a whiff of floral fragrance and unknowingly drifted off. When I woke up, I heard the sounds of a fight outside the room. I rushed out immediately and saw Brother Mo in a chaotic skirmish, so I knew he was fighting someone. When I looked back, I spotted a figure in black outside the wall and immediately gave chase, while shouting a warning to Brother Mo. As soon as that person saw me pursuing, they turned and fled. I pressed on relentlessly, and just as I was about to catch them, they suddenly turned around and struck me with a palm strike. Instinctfully, I unleashed the Nalan family's Purple Eyes, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit me, and I was struck by that person. However, I am certain that that person was also hit by my spiritual art! Hmph, if she hadn't launched a sneak attack, I wouldn't have been hurt at all!" At this point, the little enchantress wore an expression of intense defiance.

Mobai thought to himself that although the little enchantress had obtained Master Wuzui's spiritual arts, her experience was still lacking after all.

The Woman in Red also nodded and said, "Xiner, would you let older sister examine the place where you were injured?"

The little enchantress's face flushed red, and Wu Luohua and Mobai immediately understood what was going on. The two of them stepped out of the room, and Wu Luohua suddenly spoke up, "Big Brother Mo, don't you think some of what Xiner said matches our analysis, yet certain parts remain unclear?"

Mobai nodded. "Indeed. According to Xiner, that person was indeed struck by her. But what is strange is why Xiner said the person was outside the wall and only turned to run after being seen. Based on my fight with that person, she should have fled directly instead of pausing outside the wall. Could there really have been two people?"

Just as Wu Luohua was about to speak, the Woman in Red came out from the room. Her expression was less than favorable; clearly, she had already examined the little enchantress's injury and was likely very familiar with that kind of scar, otherwise she would not have emerged so quickly. The Woman in Red exchanged a glance with Mobai, and the two quietly left the courtyard.

Standing in the courtyard, Mobai asked somewhat anxiously, "Lady Red, what on earth happened to Xiner?"

The Woman in Red said with a trace of helplessness, "Mobai, I truly feel sorry about this matter. The palm technique that struck Xiner is indeed an art belonging to our Yi Flower Sect. However, this technique is even more difficult to master than the Yi Flower Determination; there are very few people in the entire Yi Flower Sect who possess such cultivation. When brought to its absolute peak, this technique can damage a person's spiritual gates, which is precisely why Wu Luohua was recommended to come to our Yi Flower Sect to help him open his spiritual gates."

"You mean—" Mobai furrowed his brow, "Xiner looks fine on the surface, but her spiritual pathways have been injured!"

The Woman in Red could only tell the truth: "Indeed, Xiner’s life is not in any danger, but her spiritual pathways have indeed been harmed. I am afraid this will have a significant impact on her future spiritual cultivation."

With a wave of his left hand, Mobai unleashed a fierce surge of spiritual energy directly into the ground, blasting a deep crater into the earth. The Woman in Red advised, "Mobai, this is ultimately the responsibility of the Yi Flower Sect, yet I am powerless to help. The little girl's injury is not entirely hopeless, though. Her spiritual foundation is very profound, unlike young master Wu Luohua who possesses no spiritual energy at all. Therefore, as long as she takes a certain medicine in time, her spiritual injury can be cured, and she will fully recover within three days. However, this medicine..."

Mobai's brow suddenly relaxed, and he said firmly, "Just tell me where I can find this medicine."

The Woman in Red replied, "This medicine can be found in the back mountains of Fengshan, in a place called the Flower Ice Pool. Growing within the freezing pool water is a seven-leaf lotus. As long as you can pluck a single lotus leaf, I can tell you how to formulate the medicine and completely cure Xiner's spiritual injury. However, the water in that cold pool is extremely frigid; ordinary people would shiver all over just approaching it, let alone entering the water." Changing her tone, the Woman in Red added, "Fortunately, there is one person who can help you with this—my seventh junior sister, Xiao Xue."

Before the Woman in Red could finish speaking, Mobai let out a wild laugh. "Mobai fears everything except cold water. Just tell me where that cold pool is, and I will go right now."

The Woman in Red was momentarily stunned, but recalling how Mobai had brought numerous surprises and breakthroughs ever since she met him, perhaps things were just as he claimed. She drew a rough map for him, and after expressing his gratitude, Mobai returned to the room to give Wu Luohua a few brief instructions. Then, pivoting sharply, he headed straight toward the cold pool according to the Woman in Red's directions.

With Mobai gone, the Woman in Red knew she could no longer return to her own quarters. Given the current responsibilities—Wu Luohua possessed no spiritual energy, while Nalan Xiner was nursing an injury—not a single mishap could be allowed to happen now. Otherwise, she would fail both the Yi Flower Sect and Mobai. With these thoughts in mind, she stepped back into the house and happened to encounter Wu Luohua coming out.

Little Hua softly asked, "Older Sister Red, I wonder if it is convenient for me to ask a few questions."

The Woman in Red smiled, assuming Little Hua wanted to inquire about Ganyu, and nodded in agreement. Instead, Little Hua asked, "Older Sister Red, this is originally an internal matter of the Yi Flower Sect, and I shouldn't pry too much. But given what has happened to Xiner, I hope you won't blame this younger brother for being overly inquisitive."

Seeing that Wu Luohua's expression was grave and vastly different from his usual playboy demeanor, the Woman in Red realized that this young man was no ordinary person and must harbor his own insights. She solemnly nodded.

With the Woman in Red's consent, Little Hua cautiously asked, "Is your esteemed sect planning to select a new sect master in the near future? And are there internal struggles revolving around this position of sect master?"

The Woman in Red nodded helplessly and sighed, "Alas, this is a natural law every sect must face, especially the larger ones where it has practically become a vicious cycle. Indeed, although my master is still relatively young compared to the leaders of other spiritual sects, women are, after all, not as enduring as men, and she has recently contemplated stepping down. However, because of the incident in Guihai City, Master decided to wait three years before evaluating whether to pass the position of Yi Flower Sect master to our generation of disciples. Even so, following the successful resolution of the Guihai City affair, Master decided to select a few successors to focus on nurturing over the next few years, which naturally prompts certain people to harbor ambitions."

Little Hua nodded. This largely aligned with the analysis he and Mobai had made. He pursued the questioning further: "Among the successors, are there Senior Sisters Yuzhi and Yuqiu?"

Appreciatively eyeing Wu Luohua, the Woman in Red replied, "Indeed, those two are hailed as the most promising candidates to inherit the sect master position. However, besides the two of them, there are myself, fourth junior sister, seventh junior sister, and several disciples of our other martial uncles. Even if these individuals do not become the sect master of the Yi Flower Sect in the future, they will still hold important roles and high status within it. Therefore, Master cultivating these candidates is also for the future development of the Yi Flower Sect." At this point, the Woman in Red seemed to grasp something and immediately asked, "Could it be... could Young Master Wu suspect that Xiner was attacked because someone intends to use you all to contend for the position of sect master?"

Wu Luohua nodded helplessly. "I only hope we haven't been dragged into this rivalry. Perhaps our arrival was simply ill-timed, coinciding unfortunately with Senior Sisters Yuzhi and Yuqiu."

Recalling what had transpired at the pavilion, the Woman in Red sighed, "Alas, if that truly is the case, it can only be called a misfortune for the sect." As the senior-most eldest disciple of the Yi Flower Sect, the Woman in Red naturally bore her own responsibilities, and she was well acquainted with the personalities of her junior sisters. Third Junior Sister Yuqiu possessed an unappealing appearance matched by a dark, brooding heart, single-mindedly pursuing spiritual cultivation to seize the highest authority, yet she happened to have a rival like Yuzhi. Over the years, although Yuzhi rarely cultivated within the inner confines of the Yi Flower Sect—not only cleverly avoiding Yuqiu's harassment but also broadening her own horizons—her intended avoidance unexpectedly turned her into the most crucial external figure of the Yi Flower Sect, steadily elevating her status until she stood shoulder to shoulder with Yuqiu.

Offering a helpless smile to Wu Luohua, the two fell silent, keeping watch over the little enchantress who had fallen back asleep, each lost in their own thoughts.

After crossing several peaks, Mobai spotted the ancient tree marked by the Woman in Red, followed by a creeping chill in the air. Far from making him uncomfortable, this coldness brought a faint sense of familiarity.

Turning a mountain bend, Mobai beheld a massive cave opening. If his guess was correct, this should be the cold pool mentioned by the Woman in Red. As Mobai moved to glide toward the entrance, a sudden blast of icy wind surged out from the cave. Initially, Mobai thought it was merely the natural aura of the cold pool, but just as the chill neared him, he abruptly sensed it was actually a spiritual attack. With a perplexed smile, he unleashed a wave of spiritual energy to disperse the incoming assault. From within the cave came a startled exclamation, followed by a woman's voice shouting, "Who goes there? You are not a member of the Yi Flower Sect, yet you dare approach the Flower Ice Pool! Have you a death wish?!"