I have the face of a great demon.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the herb garden, Liu Qingfeng stood quietly at the edge of the crowd, his gaze as sharp as a blade, coldly scrutinizing He Taichou's every move.

As an outstanding disciple of the Zixiao Sect, Liu Qingfeng has always been known for his calmness and insight, but tonight's events have filled him with doubts.

He Taichou's appearance was not only suspicious in terms of timing, but his appearance as if he had just hurriedly climbed out of the bathtub also made people wonder.

It is illogical for a sect leader to arrive late when a major event occurs in the sect.

Moreover, his wet hair and disheveled robes revealed a sense of haste and panic.

Liu Qingfeng's gaze swept over He Taichou. He noticed the water stains on He Taichou's robe and the misbuttoned buttons, but these were not enough to explain his doubts.

However, when a gentle breeze blew by, carrying the faint, unusual scent emanating from He Taichou, Liu Qingfeng raised an eyebrow slightly.

"The smell of excrement?" Liu Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat.

He turned to look at the medicinal herb bushes that had been drenched in manure, lost in thought.

A look of understanding flashed in Liu Qingfeng's eyes; he seemed to have pieced together these scattered clues into a complete picture.

He Taichou's lateness, his disheveled appearance, and the strange smell on him all pointed to one possibility—He Taichou was inextricably linked to tonight's events.

Based on the previous incident where He Taichou was asked for favors by Liu Xingchen, he quickly came to a conclusion.

The intruder tonight is most likely He Taichou; he clearly wants to cause trouble for Liu Xingchen and the others.

However, the fact that a great expert in the Golden Core stage was completely outmaneuvered by two Foundation Establishment stage and one Qi Refining stage juniors, even with the help of formations, made Liu Qingfeng have to look at them with more respect.

These disciples are quite intelligent. It's good that they've fallen out with He Taichou; they might be able to recruit them to the Zixiao Sect if the opportunity arises.

The bloodlines of the two witch clans are still quite attractive.

Although Liu Qingfeng was aware of everything, he chose to remain silent. He planned to observe the situation and wait until the two sides were at each other's throats and Liu Xingchen and the other two were expelled from the mountain gate before he could invite them.

As the elders gradually dispersed, the herb garden finally returned to the tranquility of the night.

Liu Xingchen, Tie Zhu, and Ye Sisi stood in the garden, watching He Taichou's hurried departure, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Did you see He Taichou tonight? It's hilarious!" Tie Zhu laughed so hard he couldn't stop, his hearty laughter echoing in the quiet herb garden.

Ye Sisi couldn't help but smile, a mischievous glint in her eyes: "Indeed, he was covered in poop by Xingchen and didn't dare to make a sound, it's absolutely hilarious."

But Liu Xingchen didn't laugh; his expression was even more somber than the night: "Don't be too happy yet. He suffered a great loss tonight, and he will definitely retaliate even more."

Upon hearing Liu Xingchen's words, Tie Zhu and Ye Sisi's smiles gradually faded, and they became worried.

“That’s right, He Taichou holds grudges and will definitely find a way to get revenge. Xingchen, why don’t you stay here? We can all stay in the spirit herb garden. With Xiucai watching over us and the formation protecting us, I believe he can’t do anything about it.”

"Yes, yes, Brother Xingchen, let's stay in the herb garden. We have everything we need here."

Liu Xingchen shook his head: "No, passive defense is never a good solution. He Taichou knows he can't do anything to us in the Spirit Herb Garden, so he'll definitely come up with other underhanded tricks."

"I have to take the initiative and cause him some trouble so that he won't have time to deal with us."

Tie Zhu scratched his head and asked curiously, "Brother Xingchen, what should we do?"

Liu Xingchen smiled mysteriously and patted Tie Zhu on the shoulder.

"Leave this to me. You just wait and see what happens."

He Taichou hurried back to his residence, his face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

He slammed the door shut with such force that the windows shook.

Tonight's humiliation was an unprecedented blow to him.

He stood in the empty room, trembling with anger, his wet hair and the water stains on his robe seeming to mock his defeat.

He Taichou gritted his teeth, his anger erupting like a volcano, almost consuming him entirely.

"Tiezhu, Ye Sisi, Liu Xingchen, you just wait!" He Taichou roared, his voice echoing in the room, filled with rage and a vow of revenge. "I will definitely kill you all!"

As the sect leader, He Taichou knew he couldn't rush things.

Liu Xingchen and the other two were protected by an array in the spirit herb garden, so he really couldn't do anything about them.

But he is the sect leader, and he has the power to mobilize the sect's resources. One day, he will find an opportunity to get them out to do things.

Then he can properly "deal with" them.

However, He Taichou also knew that now was not the best time to take action.

If Liu Xingchen and his two companions were infiltrated right after leaving the Spirit Herb Garden, and then something happened to them immediately afterward, it would inevitably arouse suspicion and lead to unnecessary speculation.

He needs to wait, he needs the right time, a time when he can act without arousing suspicion.

He Taichou took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He began to plan in his mind, searching for the perfect moment.

This game has only just begun, and He Taichou will definitely not be a loser.

As time passed, the Tianhe Sect returned to its former tranquility.

The incident at the Spirit Herb Garden seems to have become a thing of the past, without causing any further ripples.

Liu Xingchen continued his daily routine, frequently visiting the library, like a student eager for knowledge.

Since he was allowed to set foot on the fourth floor and come into contact with those more precious books, he was like an explorer who had discovered a new continent, filled with curiosity and desire for every piece of knowledge.

On the fourth floor of the Sutra Repository, rare and precious books accumulated by the sect over the generations are stored, each containing the secrets of cultivation and the wisdom of predecessors.

He devoured various cultivation methods, from basic breathing techniques to profound cultivation manuals, from simple talisman drawing to complex array formations; each one broadened his horizons.

The people in the Tianhe Sect had become accustomed to their daily routine. Tie Zhu and Ye Sisi never went out and stayed in the Spirit Herb Garden, while Liu Xingchen only went to the Scripture Pavilion to study during the day.

This routine led to a peaceful and uneventful life, and no major events occurred in the Tianhe Sect.

A month passed, and on a dark and windy night, the Tianhe Sect was struck by trouble again.

Night had fallen, and the Tianhe Sect was quiet, save for the occasional chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

As the night watchman for tonight, Zhao Wuji is shouldering the important responsibility of inspecting the sect.

He walked through every area of ​​the sect, inspecting all the activity around him.

As he walked along a path in the sect, his ears suddenly caught a faint sound.

He immediately stopped and turned around, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, but he couldn't see a single person in sight.