Volume One, Chapter Nine: Who Is the Traitor

Not long after releasing a cake, Daoist Xifeng returned with her disciples. As soon as she landed, 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 only then did the Ban Yue Mound become fresh and airy.

“Master Aunt, did you find Master?” Hongkun quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.

“No. On the way, the Five-colored Stone started jumping wildly, suggesting danger at Ban Yue Mound, so I rushed back!” Daoist Xifeng spoke as she examined her junior brothers’ wounds.

“Master Aunt, Master Aunt! Who were those people with clubs and axes?” Cake hurried over as well.

“Sigh… I suppose it was them…” Daoist Xifeng exchanged a glance with Hongkun, ignoring Cake.

“This time, we really owe Cake! If not for…” Hongkun then carefully recounted the entire incident to Daoist Xifeng.

“Cackle… So it was Fatty’s fart that stank so badly…” Mo Yan, standing aside, couldn’t help but burst out, prompting laughter from everyone.

“No… It’s not…” Seeing Senior Sister Biyi’s look of disgust, Cake wished he could crawl into a crack in the earth.

“Hehe… It really was fate… I was worried these two Yin-Yang pills would cost you your life. Your stomach ache wasn’t from those radishes, but because the Yin and Yang energies couldn’t harmonize. Who would have thought, by accident, you solved it with a…” Daoist Xifeng laughed, feeling Cake’s pulse.

“But Master Aunt, why do I feel all my true energy is gone?” Cake wasn’t silly; ever since releasing that fart, he felt completely drained.

“Heaven and earth open and close, there is exhaling and inhaling—do not fret!” Daoist Xifeng’s face lit with joy.

“Oh…” Cake finally relaxed.

After healing her nephews’ wounds, Daoist Xifeng gathered everyone in the Star-chasing Hall. Today’s events were extremely strange; these three groups of enemies shouldn’t have known about the disciple-acceptance ceremony, and those who received invitations couldn’t have told them. Yet the simultaneous attack on Ban Yue Mound clearly showed prior knowledge and planning.

“There is a traitor among you!” As soon as Daoist Xifeng spoke, the hall erupted into chaos.

“Master Aunt, that’s unlikely!” Hongkun still had confidence in his brothers.

“Do you think your master would inform them?” Daoist Xifeng glanced at Hongkun, who shook his head.

“Do you think your master’s friends would tell them?” Daoist Xifeng pressed further, and Hongkun lowered his head.

“If not for someone among you leaking the news, how else would they know about today’s ceremony?” Daoist Xifeng turned and calmly interrogated the group. Everyone fell silent instantly; the Star-chasing Hall was so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard!

“Who is it? Confess now, or suffer the consequences!” Daoist Xifeng swept her gaze around, scrutinizing each disciple. When no one spoke after a while, she drew a spirit talisman from her robe.

“I’ve given you a chance; since none of you will admit it, I’ll have to find out myself!” Before the words finished, Daoist Xifeng tossed the talisman into the air, drew her sword and slashed at it a few times, shaping it into a human figure.

“A guilty mind makes weak energy! This will find the traitor!” Daoist Xifeng pointed at the spirit talisman floating above.

“I’ll ask again—who is it?” Daoist Xifeng persisted.

“Sigh… since that’s how it is…” With no response, Daoist Xifeng began chanting continuously.

The human-shaped spirit talisman suspended in the air suddenly sprang to life. It stretched lazily above everyone’s heads, then circled each disciple below. One by one, sometimes peering, sometimes tilting its head, and when it came to Cake, it circled him twice, making cold sweat drip down his face. After finishing its rounds, it soared upward, striking a pose of deep contemplation, prompting everyone to crane their necks, watching intently.

Just as Hongpeng, impatient, was about to speak, the talisman acted surprised and jumped up, then darted out through a crack in the door. The disciples below erupted in chatter, hesitated briefly, then chased after it.

Outside the hall, the talisman skimmed the ground, changing its flight patterns as if searching for something. Everyone watched in confusion, exchanging whispers. Suddenly, the talisman flew straight to the eastern wall corner. Before it arrived, a little white rabbit, limping, dashed out, desperately leaping for the wall.

“Wretched creature! Where do you think you’re going?” Daoist Xifeng flicked her sleeve and knocked the rabbit to the ground. Just as it tried to leap up, the talisman caught it, sticking to its back, and instantly the rabbit went limp, transforming into a fresh, delicate maiden in white.

“Wretched creature! How dare you leak information for others!” Daoist Xifeng stormed over, sword pointed at the maiden’s throat.

“Hmph! Yes, it was me. Too bad Ban Yue Mound wasn’t destroyed!” The maiden’s face was full of fury.

“Cultivation at Ban Yue Mound is twice as effective, and my senior brother let you train here. If you feel no gratitude, at least don’t repay kindness with betrayal!” Daoist Xifeng scolded.

“Gratitude?! Because of Ban Yue Mound, I not only lost a leg, but my cultivation decreased drastically! I was on the verge of becoming immortal, and now look at me!” The maiden glared at Daoist Xifeng, overwhelmed with grief and rage.

“Don’t talk nonsense! How could Ban Yue Mound cause your leg to become lame?” Hongkun protested.

The maiden’s almond eyes flashed angrily at Hongkun, then she turned to Cake: “It’s all because of that fat idiot! He bit my leg and crippled it!”

“What?” Cake was stunned, his mouth agape. He thought, “When did I ever bite your leg?!”

“…Could it be you were that rabbit that day?” Daoist Xifeng suddenly remembered.

“Now you recall?” The maiden’s brows were set with stubbornness.

“I never imagined a single bite could injure you so…” Daoist Xifeng spoke apologetically, “Dun, she was the little white rabbit you held in your mouth when you fled underground and I came to rescue you!”

“What?!” Cake could hardly believe his ears. This maiden was the white rabbit he had wanted to eat! He only gave it a gentle bite! He had no idea that, at the time, his Yin and Yang energies were surging, and that bite was extremely powerful.

Daoist Xifeng understood. She sighed, turning to Cake, “Kneel and apologize!” Her voice was so loud that Cake dropped to his knees instantly.

“It’s indeed your fault! That day, your energy was overflowing, and your bite was formidable! Sigh, I blame myself for not realizing sooner; I could have treated you earlier!” Daoist Xifeng felt remorseful.

“Heh… You immortals never care for us little folk!” The maiden sneered. Daoist Xifeng, knowing she was at fault, remained silent.

“Miss, it’s my fault, I truly didn’t know! I offer you my deepest apology!” Cake was in turmoil, regretting his gluttony more than ever. He knocked his head several times.

“Tch! What good is that? If you’re truly sorry, give up your own cultivation!” The maiden spat, refusing his apology.

“Hey! Enough! He meant you no harm and apologized sincerely; why persist? This is fate! It’s because of your narrow heart that Heaven let you suffer this calamity! Can’t you see?” Daoist Xifeng was genuinely annoyed.

“…” The maiden paused, then began sobbing. She knew Daoist Xifeng spoke truth, but she couldn’t swallow her resentment.

“Sigh… Everything has its cause. I won’t blame you entirely for being a traitor, so I’ll spare your life. I’ll return you to your original form; you may start your cultivation anew!” Daoist Xifeng glanced at Cake.

“Haha… Say what you will… Just kill me!” The maiden laughed bitterly.

“That’s not up to you!” Daoist Xifeng snapped, raising her hand to perform a spell. Suddenly, a chubby little hand tugged at her sleeve.

“Master Aunt! Please spare her! If not for me, she would have become immortal already. All her training was ruined by me… Please forgive her!” Cake knelt, pleading desperately.

The maiden was taken aback: “Who asked you to plead for me?!”

Daoist Xifeng’s face softened with a slight smile. After a moment’s silence, she sighed, “Very well! I won’t strip her of her cultivation, but I can’t let her go unpunished! Since this began with you, you must take responsibility. From now on, she is in your care; all her mistakes, big or small, are yours! Whether she becomes immortal is up to fate!”

“What?” “What?” The maiden and Cake exclaimed in unison.

Daoist Xifeng ignored them, took a collar from her sleeve, and tossed it to the maiden. Before she could react, it fitted snugly around her neck.

“A single spell will tighten the collar, causing unbearable pain. And don’t think you can die to escape!” Daoist Xifeng stared at the maiden. Her face turned ashen.

Then Daoist Xifeng turned to whisper a secret incantation into Cake’s ear.

“Master Aunt, please spare her…” Cake pleaded, unwilling to give up.

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

“Yes… I’ve memorized it…” Cake’s face was full of disappointment.

“This too is part of your cultivation!” Daoist Xifeng was ever more fond of the little fatty.

“Oh…” Though Cake was reluctant to care for the white rabbit, seeing Master Aunt’s resolve, he could only accept his fate.

“Clean up now! Be vigilant for more enemies! I’ll go search for your master!” Daoist Xifeng turned and instructed Hongkun.

“Thank you, Master Aunt!” Hongkun quickly led everyone to bow in farewell.

Only when Daoist Xifeng’s rainbow cloud vanished did they realize the maiden was gone. As they prepared to search, Hongkun stopped them, telling them not to worry about her but to clean up and guard against further attacks. Cake hardly cared; if the maiden really ran away, he’d be relieved.

“Senior brother, who are these people?” As he helped tidy up, Cake couldn’t resist asking Hongkun.

“What people? Anyway, none of them are good!” Hongkun grumbled. Cake stuck out his tongue and kept quiet. Looking up, he saw Hongpeng motioning him over, so he quickly shuffled across.

“Don’t mind him, senior brother’s just angry,” Hongpeng comforted Cake.

“I ought to know who our master’s enemies are!” Cake explained, feeling wronged.

“Sigh…” Hongpeng sighed. “What enemies? The first group with the bow… Cake, move that chair inside…” Seeing Hongkun approaching with a stern face, Hongpeng hastily changed the subject.

The Master Aunt who went searching for their master hadn’t returned in seven or eight days, and the once peaceful Ban Yue Mound became restless. As everyone speculated, Senior Sister Feixue returned with a letter, saying their Master Aunt had searched every mountain but found no trace of their master.

“Did she check the Moon Palace?” Hongpeng finally couldn’t hold back.

Immediately, everyone’s gaze shifted to Feixue.

“…She went… No… It left Master in a terrible situation…” Feixue’s expression dimmed, remembering the questioning: “You searched a thousand miles for your husband, but what are you doing here?!”—she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Master.

“Oh…” Everyone knew better than to ask further.