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Chapter 27: Gu Ling'er's Plan:
Not long after Leng Youran and her group left, Xu Ze instructed the remaining five disciples to prepare and depart in half an hour to avoid leaving at the same time as Leng Youran.
The five disciples were extremely excited.
Though they were senior disciples, their cultivation bases were still low, and they had earned their spots through other merits. Zhou Lin was the happiest among them.
"Luckily, my strength is relatively weak, so I get to be with the Holy Son. Otherwise, if the Sect Master had taken me, this trip would have been in vain." Zhou Lin murmured to herself joyfully.
As Zhou Lin left the Sect Hall, she saw a figure waving at her from around a corner.
But soon, she frowned and recognized the person as Gu Ling'er, a disciple from her dormitory.
"What is it?" Zhou Lin asked, walking toward Gu Ling'er without much thought. However, before she reached her, Gu Ling'er turned and disappeared around the corner. Zhou Lin hurried over, only to find that Gu Ling'er had vanished.
"Is she playing tricks on me?" Zhou Lin muttered, and prepared to leave.
But suddenly, she heard a whistling sound from above. Gu Ling'er leapt down from the roof and struck Zhou Lin's back.
Thud!
A dull sound echoed as Zhou Lin shuddered, and spat blood from her mouth.
"You..."
She looked at the girl in disbelief.
She never expected that a low-ranking disciple from the Heavenly Dark Sect would dare to attack her.
Gu Ling'er's expression was terrifyingly cold, a stark contrast to her usual gentle and quiet demeanor.
"Why...?" Zhou Lin gasped, her body trembling as her heart meridians shattered, leaving her beyond recovery. She couldn't comprehend why this seemingly meek girl would do such a thing.
"Why?" Gu Ling'er stepped on Zhou Lin’s throat. She then leaned down, and pulled a senior disciple's token from Zhou Lin's robe. "Because you were in my way."
Seeing the pink light in Gu Ling'er's eyes, Zhou Lin struggled briefly before falling to death. Her eyes were filled with terror even in her final moments.
"In a few days, your name will appear on the missing list." Gu Ling'er said, sprinkling corpse-dissolving powder on Zhou Lin's body. "Everyone will probably think you died on the way to the Eastern Imperial Empire with the Holy Son."
As the powder did its work, Gu Ling'er's face twisted into a sinister smile. "I told Elder Nalan I needed a month off to train outside the sect. She trusted me, thinking I was her most promising disciple, and granted my request, even giving me several treasures for protection."
"Ah, this corpse-dissolving powder is really effective. There's not even a trace of blood left." She added, picking up Zhou Lin's clothes and laughing maniacally. "Hehehe..."
"Holy Son, Ling'er finally has the chance to be by your side!"
...
"Hachoo!"
Xu Ze sneezed, feeling an odd sensation since earlier.
Could someone be thinking about him?
"Holy Son!" Xiao Lan's voice called out. She walked over carrying several large bags.
"Xiao Lan, what are you doing?" Xu Ze asked, amused. It seemed she was moving house with all those bags.
Out of breath, Xiao Lan stopped before Xu Ze. "Holy Son, you are leaving for the Eastern Imperial Empire soon, right? These are snacks I made overnight and clothes for you to change into. I'm not strong enough to accompany you, and I've heard that the royal residence in the Eastern Imperial Empire isn't as comfortable as the Heavenly Dark Sect. Please don't overwork yourself there."
Xiao Lan's eyes were filled with worry as she handed the bags to Xu Ze.
Xu Ze looked at the assortment of snacks and felt a wave of helplessness. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she had clearly been preparing this for a long time.
"Thank you, Xiao Lan." Xu Ze said warmly. He stored the items in his storage ring and patted her head. Noting the time, he decided it was time to head to the front hall.
"Holy Son, take care of yourself." Xiao Lan murmured tearfully as she watched him leave.
...
In the front hall, the five disciples were ready and gathered.
As soon as they saw Xu Ze approach, they tensed up.
Xu Ze scanned them, but when he saw the fifth person, he raised an eyebrow.
Though this person was dressed as a senior disciple, she had their face hidden under a hood, making it hard to see clearly.
Xu Ze gave her a puzzled look.
Was this disciple among the five originally?
His memory of the disciples wasn't clear, but the clothing pattern seemed familiar.
The girl's aura was also that of the Heavenly Dark Sect's authentic Elemental Jade Technique, not an outsider's.
Since the person was confirmed to be from the sect, Xu Ze decided there was no need for further attention. "Let's go to Wanjie Valley."
"Yes!" The five disciples responded in unison.
As Xu Ze turned to leave, the fifth disciple slowly raised her head.
Under the hood, her eyes gleamed with a mad pink light.
-To be continued!