Unlike Zhao Xuhe and Lu Yuanchun, Luo Wuya was not a man driven by lust, so from beginning to end, he had only been observing the scene with his spiritual sense.
However, even so, when he saw the woman who had been as cold as a snow lotus at the banquet now with her clothes in disarray, lying defeated on the bed like a ravaged flower, her exquisite face even stained with tears, the intense contrast still stirred a peculiar feeling within him.
"Junior Sister Yu."
Luo Wuya took a deep breath, then with a wave of his great hand, a brilliant light covered Yu Suzhen, which somewhat eased the awkward atmosphere between the two. Luo Wuya clearly saw a hint of relief and gratitude appear on Yu Suzhen's face. But soon, her expression turned to one of helplessness and self-mockery.
"I didn't expect to make a fool of myself in front of Senior Brother. Please, Senior Brother, do not spread this matter."
"Junior Sister Yu, you worry too much."
Luo Wuya sighed. He had watched from start to finish, and although he did not know the details, he was certain that Yu Suzhen had most likely been coerced by Lu Yuanchun.
"I will keep this matter a secret for Junior Sister."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
At these words, Yu Suzhen's beautiful face grew even more bitter, her lovely eyes reddened, like a pear blossom in the rain, and as she glanced around, it seemed as if a thousand sorrows and ten thousand grievances were brewing within. Soon, Luo Wuya had asked and learned the entire story.
"So that's how it is. Junior Sister Yu and Junior Brother Zhao were originally in love, but after Junior Brother Zhao was accepted as a disciple by the Heaven Mending Peak Master, Junior Brother Lu made trouble for you. For Junior Brother Zhao's sake, you went to reason with him, but you were tricked by him, lost your innocence, and he gained leverage over you, which is how you ended up in this state."
Luo Wuya looked at Yu Suzhen and sighed. As the second senior brother of the Three Rivers Society, he naturally knew that Zhao Xuhe was now the Heaven Mending Peak Master's designated son-in-law. How could he possibly become Dao companions with an outsider?
Without a doubt, Yu Suzhen's feelings had been deceived. At the same time, Yu Suzhen forced herself up and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, it is late now, and I must rest. Please do not take offense, Senior Brother."
"I understand."
Luo Wuya nodded. He could naturally see Yu Suzhen's predicament. He wanted to help but did not wish to be dragged into these muddy waters, so he could only sigh.
"Luo takes his leave."
After speaking, he turned and departed. Only after he had left did Yu Suzhen slowly rise and seal her cave residence. The grief and sorrow on her face quickly receded, replaced by a sheet of indifference.
"... This should be enough."
Zhao Xuhe, Lu Yuanchun, and Luo Wuya—these were the three big fish Yu Suzhen had set her sights on during this period. For this, she had even arranged three different ploys. The ploys were different for different people.
For example, with Zhao Xuhe, Yu Suzhen believed him to be an amorous person by nature, so she deliberately pretended to have fallen in love with him, willingly becoming his secret lover.
As for Lu Yuanchun, after much probing, Yu Suzhen saw that he had always been secretly jealous of Zhao Xuhe for gaining the favor of their master, the Heaven Mending Peak Master. Thus, she deliberately approached him in the guise of Zhao Xuhe's Dao companion.
One was willing to strike, the other willing to be struck; naturally, they hooked up smoothly. When it came to Luo Wuya, Yu Suzhen's approach was different again. After all, Luo Wuya was different from the first two.
He was at the Perfection of Qi Refining, his sights set on Foundation Establishment. In his eyes, the charms of women were likely no different from pink skeletons. This kind of person sought emotional value.
To put it plainly, it was like persuading a woman of the night to turn over a new leaf. If Luo Wuya truly became fixated on this, it meant he had taken the bait, and Yu Suzhen naturally had ways to handle him. If he was not fixated and truly intended to stay out of it, that was also fine.
He was just a backup, after all. Yu Suzhen would not pester him. Her fish pond was large, and she was not short of this one big fish.
She would consider all their previous interactions as building some good karma, which might have a miraculous effect someday. Prescribing the right medicine for the ailment, and serving dishes according to the person. This was Yu Suzhen's self-cultivation as a queen of hearts.
And these were just the big fish; besides them, she was also raising many small fish who were utterly devoted to her. If not for this, how could her cultivation have progressed by a thousand miles in a single day?
"Incredible, truly incredible."
Inside Skull Mountain, Lu Yang could not help but marvel at Yu Suzhen's exceptional talent and her unique path. If this continued, she might really end up hooking all the disciples.
"It's just a pity, her movements are still too conspicuous."
Lu Yang formed a hand seal with one hand, and a round light spun behind him, reflecting countless possible events, all of which pointed to a single outcome— "What are you doing?" In an instant, the sudden voice startled Yu Suzhen, causing her to jump.
She spun her head around abruptly, and even Lu Yang, who had been prepared, swallowed hard. A young man with white hair and a youthful complexion, wearing a black and white Daoist robe and exuding an immortal-like bearing, had appeared in Yu Suzhen's cave residence without any warning.
He wore a kind smile, but his eyes were ice-cold, fixed squarely on Yu Suzhen as if they could see through a person's heart. In that instant, Yu Suzhen's beautiful face froze in place.
Not only that, but even her thoughts, her ideas, and even the feeling of fear were frozen solid, as if she had instantly been turned into a cold, hard stone statue. This was merely the aftershock. Because at this moment, the person the Heaven Mending Peak Master was looking at was not her.
The spiritual sense attached to his gaze was truly locked onto Lu Yang, who was behind her!
"Which Daoist friend dares to plot against my disciple?"
"From where did you obtain the art of Stealing Heaven's Secrets?"
Faced with the Heaven Mending Peak Master's questioning, Lu Yang's expression was calm. He was not surprised by his appearance; after all, both Zhao Xuhe and Lu Yuanchun were his disciples. Furthermore, he had obtained the art of Stealing Heaven's Secrets from Zhao Xuhe in his previous life.
But where did Zhao Xuhe get such a wondrous secret art? Considering the nature of this secret art, the answer was self-evident. It was, in fact, created by the Heaven Mending Peak Master.
Therefore, from the very beginning when he started to craft Yu Suzhen into this "Daughter of Heaven," Lu Yang was prepared to be discovered by the Heaven Mending Peak Master and be sought out. Of course, he himself could not possibly meet with the Heaven Mending Peak Master.
So he had no choice but to let Yu Suzhen suffer a little first, using her as bait to lure out the Heaven Mending Peak Master. Then, he would use her hand to meet with him.
"... A meager trick, I have made a fool of myself before Senior."
With a thought, Lu Yang activated Stealing Heaven's Secrets and directly took control of Yu Suzhen's body, chuckling lightly.
"I merely wish to discuss a transaction with Senior."
"... It's you?"
Before Lu Yang's voice had faded, the Heaven Mending Peak Master raised an eyebrow.
"On that day, it wasn't Hongyun, but you who secretly seized Daoist Master Panlong's karmic inheritance?"
Immediately after, the Heaven Mending Peak Master showed no anger, but instead smiled.
"Interesting."
"On what grounds can you make a transaction with me?"
"On the grounds of your blood relative."
Lu Yang said calmly, "Senior Brother Chen was saved by me and now possesses a sliver of hope for rebirth. Senior would not wish to see your son's soul be scattered, would you?"
"Xin'an!?"
At these words, the Heaven Mending Peak Master's expression changed instantly. He immediately began to deduce the karma, and soon, Liu Xin, who had lost the protection of the divine talisman, was unearthed by him. However, no matter how he calculated the heavenly secrets, he could not obtain any further information, nor could he grasp Chen Xin'an's current state.
This made the Heaven Mending Peak Master's heart grow even more curious. After all, to be able to block his divination of heavenly secrets meant that the other party either had a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master backing them, or they possessed a wondrous treasure of heavenly secrets.
But regardless of which it was, for this person to dare threaten him, he could be called audaciously bold. As expected of a disciple of our Saint Sect!
"... Speak."
After a moment, the Heaven Mending Peak Master finally spoke.
"What do you want in exchange for sending Xin'an back? A Foundation Establishment wondrous object? Or a Great Divine Ability..."
"I want neither."
Lu Yang shook his head.
"I plan to have Yu Suzhen use the art of Stealing Heaven's Secrets to control Xiao Shiye, but I need a senior to conceal the karma for her."
"... Oh?"
At these words, the Heaven Mending Peak Master's expression finally changed noticeably. He looked at Lu Yang with great interest.
"You want to plot against Hongyun?"
Lu Yang smiled.
"Correct!"
Xiao Shiye was Daoist Hongyun's bait. If Yu Suzhen rashly took control of him, she would surely be discovered, and he himself was incapable of concealing the heavenly secrets. Therefore, to snatch food from the tiger's mouth, the only way was to cooperate with a Foundation Establishment Daoist Master.
The Heaven Mending Peak Master was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. On one hand, he had Chen Xin'an as a hostage; on the other, the relationship between the Heaven Mending Peak Master and Daoist Hongyun was clearly not good. Of course, Lu Yang was also well aware of the risks of cooperating with the Heaven Mending Peak Master.
One careless slip, and the cooperation could very well turn into a backstabbing. This was scheming with a tiger