The following day.
Jiang Hao stuck to his daily routine, visiting the Spirit Herb Garden in the morning and returning home by evening.
Today was uneventful; he didn’t encounter even a few basic bubbles.
Nobody came asking for spirit herbs either.
Senior Sister Yun Ruo didn’t make an appearance, but he did overhear some rumors during the day.
It seemed that there were traitors within the sect, and many had already been discovered.
A purge was underway.
"Luckily, I have nothing valuable here, otherwise traitors would surely risk everything to come here," Jiang Hao thought with a sigh of relief as he returned home.
He had no desire to become a traitor, nor did he want to be involved in capturing them.
Both sides were to be avoided.
The Heavenly Sound Sect was part of the Demonic Sect, and in the cultivation world, the Demonic Sect was something everyone wanted to destroy. One day, it would be wiped out.
The last thing he wanted was to deal with a traitor who might be a valuable asset to the righteous sects and end up being targeted.
It would be hard to clear his name, with no hope of redemption.
He shook his head and attended to the spirit herbs in his yard.
They were just ordinary healing spirit herbs, meant to add a bit of spiritual energy to the yard, hoping they might attract some bubbles.
Unfortunately, valuable spirit herbs were out of his reach economically and administratively.
"My cultivation level is too low, but rising too quickly would draw unwanted attention," he thought.
"Perhaps I should devise a plan to unexpectedly advance by claiming some fortuitous encounter?"
"Or maybe, never come back once I leave?"
"None of these ideas seem very good." Jiang Hao shook his head.
Leaving was dangerous enough, claiming fortuitous encounters repeatedly wasn’t a long-term solution, and betraying the sect was even more perilous.
The Heavenly Sound Sect had no tolerance for traitors. Not long after he joined, he heard of a disciple who had been influenced by the Immortal Sects, and the Heavenly Sound Sect ignored it initially. Yet, a decade later, when that disciple ventured out, the sect eliminated them, showing their patience in dealing with traitors.
Lost in thought, Jiang Hao felt overwhelmed and finally focused on tending the spirit herbs instead.
The immediate priority was continuing to grow stronger, building more cards up his sleeve.
He planned to slowly enhance his Vital Qi and basic strength as they didn’t pose a problem, while also acquiring more Divine Abilities.
Shortly after, he finished tending the spirit herbs and prepared to return to his room to cultivate.
But just as he began to step away, he heard someone calling from behind.
"Junior Brother." The voice was soft and feminine.
Turning around, he saw the slightly pale face of Senior Sister Yun Ruo.
Seeing her, Jiang Hao's heart sank.
Usually, they met at the Spirit Herb Garden, but this time she had come specifically to his place.
It couldn't be good.
"Senior Sister Yun, do you need spirit herbs?" Jiang Hao asked calmly.
"Could we talk inside?" Yun Ruo smiled sweetly at him.
No way, Jiang Hao refused in his heart, but he dared not voice it, unwilling to alert her.
"Please, Senior Sister." He gestured for her to enter.
Inwardly, he was on guard, his intuition screaming that something was wrong. Letting his guard down would surely lead to trouble.
Inside the room, Senior Sister Yun Ruo's serene face turned serious as she fixed her gaze on Jiang Hao and said,
"Junior Brother, can I trust you?"
Then she shook her head, immediately correcting herself:
"No, it should be, I can only trust you, Junior Brother.
I've observed you for years and am certain you aren't one of the demonic sect people."
Her words startled Jiang Hao. Was she suspecting him as an undercover? Or was it a ploy to get him to confess?
Feigning panic, he quickly lowered his head and explained,
"Senior Sister, I grew up in the Heavenly Sound Sect. I have no other affiliations."
"I know. I just think you shouldn't remain in the Demonic Sect; your nature doesn't suit it here. You should be in an Immortal Sect.
For instance, the Falling Sunset Sect, known for its millennia-long heritage and revered by all." Yun Ruo looked at Jiang Hao earnestly.
"I know you aspire to goodness, and wish to leave the Demonic Sect to join an Immortal Sect. This is the best opportunity I found for you. It's a chance to move from darkness to light, once and for all."
"S-Senior Sister, are you saying..." Jiang Hao was a bit confused as he spoke.
He was indeed surprised; it turned out Senior Sister Yun Ruo was truly a traitor.
And she wanted to drag him along.
"Yes, I'm a True Disciple of Falling Sunset Sect, here on a mission.
My mission is complete now, but I was discovered at the crucial moment and had no choice but to seek your help. Help me hide what I've obtained and send it to my sect.
You'll also get a chance to join Falling Sunset Sect.
My rewards will also go to you. I know this is a suicide mission for me." Yun Ruo spoke with a resolute air of someone prepared to sacrifice themselves.
At this moment, she seemed ready to lay down her life, only asking Jiang Hao to take the items out.
Her genuine gaze moved Jiang Hao. She wasn't lying, but he still didn't want to get involved.
What if it was a trap?
"I understand your hesitation, Junior Brother. How about this, I'll leave the items with you.
If I die, you can choose whether or not to report me. I've already been discovered, so it won't harm you either.
After all, it wouldn't benefit me at all." As she spoke, Yun Ruo pulled out a jade pendant containing mysterious symbols, clearly not an ordinary artifact.
Seeing this, Jiang Hao furrowed his brows. Accepting it would entangle him in trouble, but refusing, would she silence him?
Would a righteous sect disciple be as ruthless as a demonic sect one?
This left Jiang Hao uncertain, but the scent around Senior Sister Yun Ruo was quite alluring.
"Junior Brother?" Yun Ruo bit her lip, looking at him with an endearing vulnerability.
For a moment, Jiang Hao felt she could be trusted.
As he reached out to accept the jade pendant, rationality warned him there might be a trap.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
Immediately, he initiated the Divine Appraisal Technique through his Daily Appraisal ability.
"Appraise Senior Sister Yun Ruo."