Going against the will of heaven, summoning strange beasts, abandoning her daughter, she is addicted

"Uh, then you need to heal my handsome face first." Dark Sixteen touched the swollen bump on his face and walked into the house pitifully.

Ruan Yu flicked her finger, and a pill slid into his mouth.

The pain has subsided, and the swelling has gone down.

An Shiliu was overjoyed. He pulled out a chair and sat down as if they were old friends, saying incessantly, "I'm a man of my word. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."

"Although An Jiu's name isn't listed very high on the list, he's one of the oldest members of the Dark Pavilion. Even An Si didn't join earlier than him."

An Sixteen sighed, "Moreover, the Lord treats An Jiu very well, always showing him deference. It doesn't feel like a superior-subordinate relationship, but rather like that of close friends who treat each other with respect. Unlike us, we can only endure the Lord's scolding, and even if we complete the mission perfectly, we still can't gain the Lord's favor."

Ruan Yu listened attentively, and she also cracked sunflower seeds with great focus, making a crackling sound.

An Shiliu's mouth was itching to eat some, and he stared at the melon seeds in Ruan Yu's hand. "Can I have some?"

"..." Although Ruan Yu was speechless, she still generously brought out a large bowl of melon seeds and ate them with An Shiliu.

"Anything else?" Ruan Yu asked.

Dark Sixteen thought carefully for a moment: "I can't think of anything right now. Oh! Also, Dark Nine is the only one among us who doesn't have to carry out missions. He also knows the Master the best."

The one who knows best...

No wonder An Jiu said those things.

Looking back now, An Jiu probably already knew the secret that the master of the Dark Pavilion was a water person.

He definitely knows more than I do. If I can get some useful information out of him, that would be great.

Let's go see Anjiu tomorrow.

Ruan Yu's eyes flickered.

"Dark Nine is very mysterious, and I can't think of anything else, because I don't actually have much contact with him. But I can tell you some things about other people, which aren't exactly secrets anymore. Want to hear it?"

Ruan Yu suspected that An Shiliu was only chatting with her on purpose so she could eat sunflower seeds.

"Listen." But it's not a bad thing to listen.

It will be easier to deal with other members of the Dark Pavilion in the future.

“Let’s talk about the top three in the Dark Pavilion. They’re in seclusion year-round, practicing the secret techniques given to them by the Lord.” Dark Sixteen paused here.

He got up furtively, went outside to look around, and when he didn't find anyone, he came back with a sigh of relief and whispered, "Once, I came back from a mission, and it happened to be the middle of the night."

"And my lodgings were located on the way past their residences. Then I saw a strange aura swirling above the main hall of the Dark Three. I initially thought it was an enemy attack or something, so I sneaked in. Guess what I saw?"

Intrigued by his words, Ruan Yu asked, "What?"

"I saw An San's body become almost transparent! Gleaming with an eerie, watery sheen!!"

An Shiliu's expression was one of both horror and shock.

It was as if the scene I witnessed that night was now replaying before my eyes.

Their bodies are transparent and shimmer with a watery sheen... Isn't this developing into water-people? Is the Lord of the Dark Pavilion turning them into his own kind?

Because she had too little information, Ruan Yu was not in a position to draw any conclusions.

She continued, "And then?"

"After that, An San's body returned to normal, and that eerie aura disappeared. I even wondered if I had hallucinated for a moment." An Shiliu smiled bitterly, "I only dare to tell you these things."

“If I tell anyone else, I’m afraid I’ll get arrested.”

Ruan Yu vaguely sensed something terrible: "Why?"

Dark Sixteen: "No one may enter the first three halls without the Lord's permission. I took it upon myself to sneak in, so..."

"Then you still dare to tell me? Aren't you afraid I'll tell everyone?"

Upon hearing this, An Shiliu smiled and said, "I'm not afraid. I believe my benefactor isn't that kind of person."

"Besides, I'll put my benefactor at ease if I tell you my secret, won't I? Now that we both know each other's secrets, we don't have to worry about the other betraying us."

It must be said that Dark Sixteen's considerations were quite thorough.

Ruan Yu was indeed very worried about An Shiliu; she felt he was too carefree and couldn't keep secrets. But now... her impression of An Shiliu has changed.

This kid is clearly meticulous and considers things more than anyone else.

"You're putting on an act for An Jiu, aren't you?" Ruan Yu stared intently into An Shiliu's eyes.

His eyes were bright and clear, without a trace of calculation.

"Well, if I don't put on this show, how will I know if An Jiu will reveal my benefactor's secret?" An Shiliu smiled slightly.

Ruan Yu did not respond.

She lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

"It's getting late, my benefactor, you should get some rest." An Sixteen rose to take his leave.

Ruan Yu also stood up and saw him out of the courtyard.

"Don't trust Dark Nine." Dark Sixteen mouthed the words but didn't speak.

Ruan Yu saw this and remained calm: "You've already taken two of my pills. Next time you come, I'll have to charge you."

Dark Sixteen pulled his finger down below his eyes and made a face: "I don't have any money right now. I'll owe you, and I'll pay you back double later!"

Late at night.

The autumn wind rustled.

Although it wasn't cold, Ruan Yu still rubbed her arms on both sides.

She strode into the house, her eyes inadvertently glancing at the huge locust tree at the courtyard gate.

The people keeping watch on him left as Dark Sixteen departed.

Ruan Yu was unsure whether she was one of An Jiu's people, nor was she sure whether what An Shiliu said was true.

In this dark chamber, she wouldn't trust anyone.

Another sleepless night.

Ruan Yu cultivated for two consecutive nights, and the results were remarkable. After all, she had broken through to the ninth level, and the cultivation she lost due to the destruction of her clone could be quickly replenished.

However, it's still a ways off from the peak.

"Master, we've found out that the person keeping watch went to An Jiu's room."

The shadow slipped in through the crack in the door, and after giving its report, it disappeared back into the shadows of the trees.

Ruan Yu opened her eyes and withdrew from her cultivation.

"Shadow, go keep an eye on Dark Sixteen." Compared to Dark Nine, Ruan Yu was more worried about Dark Sixteen.

This person always plays the fool in front of outsiders, but in reality, he's more cunning than anyone else. Is he deliberately telling her that there's something fishy going on inside the top three halls of the Dark Pavilion, trying to lure her in?

She absolutely refuses to go!

"Wait." Shadow was about to leave after receiving the order when Ruan Yu called him back.

She handed over a feathered robe.

The feather robe could better conceal one's aura, but it was no longer of much use to Ruan Yu now.

"Thank you, Master." Shadow happily put on the feather robe. He had followed the Venerable for so long and had never received a decent treasure, yet the Master had so casually given him such a precious treasure.

The shadow was deeply moved.

He's made up his mind; he's completely switched sides!