After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

Hearing the noise, he opened his eyes and was taken aback when he saw Lin Fengmian. Then a complex expression appeared on his face.

"Young Master Lin? What brings you here?" He struggled to get up, but aggravated his injuries, letting out a muffled groan as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Lin Fengmian quickly stepped forward and helped him up: "Sect Leader Fu is injured, there's no need for such formalities. It was I who took the liberty of visiting you."

Fu Qingyun gave a bitter smile, gestured for Lin Fengmian to sit down, and sighed, "I am ashamed... Her Majesty the Empress entrusted the Jueling Sect to me back then..."

He also mentioned in a telepathic message that Young Master Lin was an absolutely trustworthy person.

"But I am incompetent and have failed in my duty, even the sect's foundation is in ruins... Alas!"

"Sect Leader Fu, what exactly happened? I sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere in the sect as soon as I entered the mountain."

What about Qingge and Yuwei?

"Why can't I sense their presence?" Lin Fengmian asked directly, concerned for the two women.

Fu Qingyun's face showed even more shame. He coughed twice, his chest heaving violently, before slowly saying:

"This is a long story, and it's also because I, Fu, am not strong enough... Not long after the spiritual energy recovered, a group of rogue cultivators of unknown origin but with formidable strength forcibly broke into the sect under the pretext of joining because of their reputation."

The leader was named Wang Hu, whose cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage. He was ruthless and had several skilled Golden Core cultivators under his command. "I... am no match for him."

Pain and anger flashed in his eyes:

"They nominally joined, but in reality they quickly sidelined the elders, won over the disciples, and seized control of key areas. Within just half a month, the mountain gate, the herb garden, the scripture pavilion, and the alchemy room all fell into their hands."

Wang Hu was even more arrogant and domineering. He had long coveted the beauty and talent of Fairy Gu and Fairy Cang, and had made many frivolous remarks with ill intentions.

Fu Qingyun leaned back on the couch, his face ashen. He coughed a few times before slowly continuing his story.

"Wang Hu and his gang were extremely cunning."

When they first arrived, they adopted an extremely humble attitude, claiming they had come to join them in upholding the seal.

I was secretly pleased at the time, thinking that although the Soul-Slaying Sect was in a dangerous place, at least some like-minded people were willing to come to its aid. Who knew... we would invite a wolf into the house.

A flicker of regret crossed his eyes, and he clenched his fists tightly around the thin blanket on his knees.

"They had only been in the sect for half a month when they used the excuse of 'reorganizing the disciples and unifying their command' to transfer the sect's original elders from key positions."

They then used the excuse that "strengthening the seal requires spirit stones" to take over the sect's treasury. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was too late.

Wang Hu's cultivation level is at the late Golden Core stage, and he has four Golden Core experts under his command. I am only at the mid-Golden Core stage, and my old injuries have not yet healed. I am no match for him at all.

He paused, his voice growing even lower.

"The two fairies—Fairy Gu and Fairy Cang—arrived later."

They said they came to the Extinction Gate to assist in guarding the seal on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress.

Wang Hu was initially quite polite to them, arranging for them to live in a separate cave in the back mountain.

But not long after, he began to test the waters frequently. First, he sent people to deliver cultivation resources, but the two fairies refused to let him in.

Later, under the pretext of "discussing important sect affairs," he repeatedly invited the two to banquets in the front hall, but they were all firmly refused.

Fu Qingyun took a deep breath, a deep sense of guilt appearing in his eyes.

"The two fairies were of strong character and refused firmly. They stayed in their caves and rarely went out, relying on the sect's secret realm for cultivation, which is why they were safe for the time being."

I can only try to maintain things secretly and barely keep them in check.

Wang Hu, mindful of the two fairies' special status and the Empress's formidable reputation, dared not openly make a move. But I could tell he was waiting for an opportunity.

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengmian frowned, and the cold light in his eyes grew stronger.

"I just walked through the entire sect and didn't find any trace of the two of them." His voice was low, and every word seemed to be chilled by ice.

Fu Qingyun suddenly looked up.

"What? The two fairies aren't at the sect? How could that be?"

His expression changed drastically, and he struggled to get up from the bed, his pale face filled with horror and anxiety.

He paced back and forth a couple of times, his body swayed, and he almost fell over. He managed to stand up by holding onto the edge of the table.

"This...these past few days, Wang Hu and his gang have been making frequent moves, always using the excuse of 'reinforcing the seal of the Demon Abyss' to mobilize many disciples to take turns guarding the seal. Could it be...that he must have found a reason to send the two fairies to the outer perimeter of the Demon Abyss as well!"

Fu Qingyun's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely concealed terror.

"This is terrible! The formation there is unstable, and demonic energy is leaking. It's extremely dangerous! Is he trying to use someone else to do his dirty work, or to coerce or bribe him?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengmian suddenly stood up.

The chair slid backward several feet, scraping the ground with a screeching sound.

He stood there, his figure as straight as a sword, but his aura suddenly became heavy.

Beneath that calm face, something terrifying seemed to be awakening. A pair of eyes, dark and menacing, revealed a murderous intent, like the sky before a storm, devoid of any light.

"Wang Hu, is this Demon Abyss?"

He spoke, his voice eerily calm, each word deliberate and strained, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Good, good, very good."

With each "good" uttered, the air in the courtyard grew colder.

A thin crack silently appeared on the bluestone floor beneath his feet, spreading outwards.

That chilling killing intent emanated from his body, as if it had solidified into a tangible form.

He turned his head and looked at Fu Qingyun.

"Sect Master, please take good care of your injuries."

He took out a warm, smooth jade bottle from his storage bag and handed it to Fu Qingyun.

The elixir in the bottle was pure white, faintly shimmering with light. A rich and pure medicinal fragrance wafted from the bottle's opening, and just one whiff was enough to invigorate the spirit.

"This bottle of pills might be helpful for your injuries. As for the two fairies, let me handle that."

Fu Qingyun took the jade bottle with both hands, subconsciously uncorked it and glanced at it, then froze.

His eyes widened, his lips trembled, and his hands shook uncontrollably.

The spiritual energy and medicinal potency of the elixir in that bottle far exceeded anything he had ever seen in his life!

Let alone healing his injuries, it would probably be more than enough to help him break through his bottleneck!

"This...this..."

He looked up abruptly, wanting to say something, but Lin Fengmian was nowhere to be seen.

That tall, imposing figure in a blue robe had already vanished from the spot like a ghost.

Only a faint chill remained in the air, along with the withered leaves still falling softly from the old locust tree in the courtyard.

Fu Qingyun stared blankly at the empty courtyard for a long time before she came back to her senses.

He looked down at the heavy jade bottle in his hand, and recalled Lin Fengmian's calm yet chilling tone just now.

He couldn't help but let out a long breath and murmured:

"No wonder he's the husband the Empress has chosen... This time, that bastard Wang Hu is definitely going to be in big trouble."