Later that evening, I was finally permitted to leave my room and join Xiao Delun and Li Yao. The servants led me through a series of quiet corridors and out onto a broad patio that wrapped around the sprawling inner courtyard of Ruan Yanjun's estate.
Dozens of small sect leaders and their companions were already seated, dining under the open sky. Lanterns hung from intricately carved wooden posts, swaying gently in the breeze, casting warm pools of amber light across polished stone pathways. The quiet hum of low conversation, clinking bowls, and soft laughter mingled with the distant chirping of insects, creating an atmosphere of strange and delicate peace.
Xiao Delun and Li Yao spotted me immediately and waved me over with cheerful grins. Their faces lit with visible relief, as though simply seeing me safe had dispelled the unease of the past hours. I joined them at a table near the edge of the courtyard beneath a large flowering tree, its pale petals drifting down like soft flakes of snow.
A servant arrived promptly, laying out steaming plates of roasted duck, spiced pork, dumplings, and a fragrant pot of tea. The rich aromas filled the air, momentarily easing the knot of tension in my chest as I poured myself a cup.
As we ate, Xiao Delun leaned forward, lowering his voice just enough to keep our conversation private. His eyes gleamed with mischief.
"So, Luo Fan," he began, "is it true?"
I paused, puzzled. "Is what true?"
Li Yao smirked beside him, barely hiding his amusement. "That you're Sect Leader Ruan's lover."
I nearly choked on my tea, coughing and setting the cup down abruptly. For a moment, I could only stare at them. "No," I said firmly, regaining my composure. "I am the priest people have been gossiping about, yes—but whatever else they're implying is absolutely false."
To my quiet relief, they seemed to accept the answer, though Xiao Delun's grin refused to fade entirely.
"But honestly," he said, glancing sideways, "I think Sect Leader Ruan has a thing for you."
I frowned, my voice dry. "And why would you think that?"
Xiao Delun sat up straighter, his expression animated. "Back when that snake Yin Wu attacked you—he saved you without hesitation. He looked furious. And then, after he slammed Yin Wu into the ground, he practically threatened to destroy him if he so much as looked at you again. You don't protect someone that fiercely unless they matter to you."
"You were there?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"We were hiding behind the wall," Xiao Delun admitted sheepishly.
"Hiding? I was looking for the two of you!" I exhaled, exasperated.
Li Yao rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. "They ordered everyone to clear the area. But… well, we stayed hidden and watched. It was worth the risk."
Xiao Delun's eyes gleamed. "We've never seen Sect Leader Ruan fight before. It was unreal. He moved so fast we could barely track him."
Li Yao added, awe softening his voice, "For a man of his size to move like that—it was like watching lightning strike. Fast, lethal, and terrifying."
I nodded quietly. "That's what level nine means," I said softly. "He moves beyond the limits of most cultivators. That's why so many fear him. And why many others resent him."
Xiao Delun's expression grew thoughtful as he leaned back. "But the small sect leaders gathered here tonight—they seem to respect him."
"Small sects often do," I explained. "To them, he's an unreachable ideal—a reminder of what could be achieved if one rises high enough. But once they gain enough power, that admiration turns into envy. They stop seeing him as a model to strive for, and instead see him as a barrier to their own ambitions."
Li Yao nodded slowly. "So it's jealousy," he said quietly. "They know they'll never reach his level, and while he exists, they could only ever be second to him. So instead of accepting it, they want to destroy him."
"Exactly," I murmured. My gaze drifted across the courtyard, where clusters of sect leaders dined and chatted beneath the lantern light. Beneath the surface of their smiles, ambition simmered.
Xiao Delun suddenly leaned closer, his smile turning sly. "But Luo Fan, you seem very protective of Sect Leader Ruan. He must be really good to you."
I let out a small laugh, trying to brush it off. "Didn't you see how he ignored me before?"
"We did," Li Yao replied, his grin persistent. "And we're still trying to figure out why. But then, when you were in danger, he rushed to your rescue and even wiped the blood from your mouth. That doesn't look like indifference to me."
Heat rose unbidden to my cheeks at the memory, and I instinctively averted my gaze. My reaction only made the two of them exchange knowing glances before bursting into laughter—mischievous children reveling in their own amusement.
"You two are impossible," I muttered, shaking my head, though a faint smile tugged at my lips despite myself.
"What else would you expect us to think after what we've seen?" Li Yao teased.
I sighed softly, lowering my gaze to my tea. "The thing about him is… he's unpredictable. His moods shift without warning. Sometimes he's cold and distant. Then other times, he does these odd things—awkward things—that leave me completely unsettled." My voice faltered as I recalled the many confusing moments I had shared with Ruan Yanjun. "That's just how he is… and after all these years, I still can't figure him out."
Xiao Delun leaned in again, his grin widening as if he had made some grand revelation. "You've traveled with him for years and still can't figure him out? Well, we've figured him out after only a few minutes."
I raised a skeptical brow. "Oh? Do enlighten me."
"Sect Leader Ruan likes you," he declared, as if stating the most obvious truth in the world. "Simple as that."
My face flushed instantly. My heartbeat stumbled, and I struggled to maintain a mask of disapproval. "How can you say something so absurd? I'm not a woman."
That had always been my pathetic fallback whenever anyone implied something between me and Ruan Yanjun. It never worked, but I didn't know how else to deflect.
Li Yao gave a quiet chuckle, his expression somewhere between amused and sympathetic. "Luo Fan, I've traveled across the Wun and Xianru empires for years. I've seen men fall for each other plenty of times. Some even got married."
Married?
The word struck me with unexpected force, freezing my thoughts.
Could two men truly… marry? Was it even allowed? Acceptable?
I quickly shook my head, banishing the thought before it could take root. I hadn't even come to terms with my own feelings—why was I already entertaining the idea of marriage?
Sensing my discomfort, Li Yao graciously shifted the topic, leaning in conspiratorially. "There's something else I heard tonight. About Yin Wu."
At the mention of that name, my posture stiffened. "What about him?" I asked, my voice sharpening.
Li Yao glanced around, lowering his voice further as if sharing something scandalous. "There's a rumor that years ago, Yin Wu tried to dual-cultivate with Sect Leader Ruan. Apparently, he drugged him. But before anything could happen, Sect Leader Ruan woke up and nearly beat him to death."
I froze, my thoughts racing as pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked into place. Yin Wu's grudge… Ruan Yanjun's mocking comment about the mole… it all made sense now.
"So… are you saying he's not into men after all?" Xiao Delun asked, glancing between us with playful curiosity.
"Probably not. Or maybe Yin Wu just wasn't his type." Li Yao turned to me, his gaze gleaming with mischief. "But when it comes to someone like Luo Fan—elegant, beautiful, and infuriatingly oblivious—it seems even his ninth-level cultivation is powerless to resist."
"I second that," Xiao Delun chimed in gleefully.
The two of them burst into laughter again, practically leaning on each other, utterly delighted at my expense.
My face burned. "That's enough," I snapped, waving a hand as if to shoo them away. "You two are giving me the shudders."
But my protest only fueled their laughter, the sound echoing brightly through the moonlit courtyard.
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