A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 538 A Wolf's Heart
Li Ruojian's pale and thin face looked even more worried and heavy under the dim light.

He walked slowly to a spot, bent down, and picked up the longevity lock from the ground there.

Under the dim light, Li Ruojian stared blankly at the longevity lock in his hand. In his early years of youth, this object had been a thorn in his side.

He stroked the longevity lock in his hand, as if he saw his younger self, that stubborn and sensitive fellow.

This longevity lock had been around Li Ruozhou's neck since he was a child, but it wasn't until he was nine years old that he learned that the longevity lock was an heirloom of the Li family and a protective magic treasure.

The day Li Ruozhou learned of this, he went to Li Ruojian to brag about it.

On that gloomy afternoon, Li Ruozhou suddenly ran into the simple courtyard where Li Ruojian lived alone and pulled her out of her nap.

He flipped up his collar, revealing the longevity lock to Li Ruojian, and shouted, "This is a family heirloom of the Li family. Only the eldest son can wear it, understand?"

Li Ruojian rubbed her sleepy eyes and curiously reached out to touch the longevity lock.

Li Ruozhou immediately slapped his hand away and shouted, "What are you touching me for? Be careful you don't hurt me!"

Li Ruozhou looked at his younger brother with disdain and said, "You don't have one! Do you know that? You're not the eldest son!"

From that afternoon onward, the longevity lock became a thorn in Li Ruojian's heart!

That thorn seemed to pin his shameful identity to that spot!

It was from that time that Li Ruojian began to formulate a plan, which gradually became clearer.

He was going to steal the longevity lock from Li Ruozhou's neck and throw it into the deep well in the yard, so that no one would ever find it again!

He thought that if Li Ruozhou lost the ancestral treasure, he would definitely be hung up and beaten by his father!

From then on, he always kept an eye on the longevity lock around his brother's neck! Even when his brother bullied him, he would stare at the longevity lock, trying to figure out its mechanism.

He occasionally saw his brother take off the longevity lock, take a handkerchief, and carefully wipe the dirt off the lock.

Several times when his older brother pinned him down and the two wrestled together, he would always take the opportunity to reach out and touch the spring of the longevity lock.

It took him three whole years to finally figure out how to open and close the long-life lock spring.

But at that time, Li Ruozhou suddenly stopped coming to his yard to bully him.

His older brother started sleeping with women when he was twelve, and from then on, he rarely bullied his younger brother.

As he grew older, Li Ruojian also realized the absurdity of his childhood obsession; a longevity lock would not change his fate at all! In fact, it might even bring him deeper misfortune!

That ridiculous plan had been forgotten by him.

But now, looking at the longevity lock in his hand, the stubborn and sensitive boy from the depths of time seemed to have returned. He examined the longevity lock with curious eyes.

A somewhat eerie smile appeared on Li Ruojian's lips.

He opened and closed the longevity lock in his hand several times in succession, as if the dream buried deep in his youthful heart had been realized in a strange way.

"Brother Li, what are you doing?" Duan Rong suddenly walked over and asked Li Ruojian.

Li Ruojian looked up, the eerie smile fading from her face. Along with the smile, the lingering dreams of her youth also vanished.

A hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

"nothing!"

As Li Ruojian spoke, she handed the longevity lock in her hand to Duan Rong. He was well aware of his own position; although he had participated in the matter, he was not in charge.

Duan Rong took the longevity lock, glanced at Li Ruozhou who was lying unconscious not far behind him, and asked, "Brother Li, are you sure this will scare away your elder brother?"

Li Ruojian walked slowly over without changing her expression and looked at Li Ruozhou on the ground.

Li Ruozhou was beaten black and blue, looking like a pig's head, but they were brothers who grew up together. Even though Li Ruozhou had been beaten into a pig's head by Duan Rong, he still recognized him at a glance. This was his older brother.

Seeing Li Ruozhou beaten up like this, Li Ruojian felt a surge of satisfaction. He was two years younger than Li Ruozhou, and when they fought as children, he had never won.

Even after he began cultivating, he never surpassed Li Ruozhou in terms of cultivation level. Li Ruozhou possessed considerable talent, and as the young sect leader of a sect, he was among the most resourceful in this world.

Li Ruojian showed no pity for Li Ruozhou, who was lying unconscious on the ground.

This older brother had bullied him since he was a child.

As for his father, he sent him to the Taiyi Sect as a hostage. Moreover, his father has been at the Taiyi Sect for three days now and hasn't asked about him at all, as if his son doesn't exist!
With such a father and brothers, what else could he possibly not let go of!
A flash of resentment disappeared in Li Ruojian's eyes. He raised his head, smiled at Duan Rong, and said, "My elder brother here is one of the best among his peers in terms of cultivation. I never expected that he couldn't even withstand a single move from Brother Duan! Brother Duan, you are indeed extraordinary! I, Ruojian, have read extensively in classics and delved deeply into scriptures, but the aura of profound meaning emanating from your entire body is truly inconceivable and unprecedented!"

Having witnessed Duan Rong's attack, Li Ruojian finally understood why he could live in a secluded valley and cultivate under the tutelage of the Taiyi Sect's patriarch. Such talent—who wouldn't admire him?!
Duan Rong's eyes widened in surprise. He said, "Brother Li, I admit you're good at flattery, but isn't the timing a bit off? I'm asking you, are you sure this will scare this guy away?"

Li Ruojian smiled, looked at Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu, and said, "Brother Duan, Miss Lü, you can rest assured! I know this brother of mine better than anyone else; he's all bark and no bite! Although he often bullies the weak, he's actually very cowardly! Once when I was young, because I broke his kite, he pinned me down in the woodshed and beat me. It was because we were making too much noise that we disturbed a nest of rats there. When those rats jumped out of the woodpile, they scared my brother so much that he screamed! Since then, I've discovered the secret: I raise a few rats. Whenever he comes to bully me, I just hold up the rat cage and scare him away. That's how I've lived peacefully for a few years."

As Li Ruojian spoke of previous years, a warm smile flashed across her face.

Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu both had slight changes in their eyes. Although it was only a few brief words, they could roughly sense the hardships Li Ruojian had endured in his childhood. Recalling how he was sent to the Taiyi Sect as a hostage, it was clear that his fate had truly been full of twists and turns.

Duan Rong looked at the unconscious Li Ruozhou on the ground and said, "Since Brother Li says so, it seems there shouldn't be any problems with this matter. However, I'd like to add fuel to the fire!"

Upon hearing this, both Lü Qingzhu and Li Ruozhou looked at Duan Rong with curious eyes.

In a secluded spot on Cuiwei Peak, there are two dilapidated houses not far apart: one is the residence of the attendants, and the other is the residence of the maids.

These two residences were the dwellings of the servants and maids on Cuiwei Peak.

However, at this moment, as it was almost the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), both houses were still dark and completely silent.

Cuiwei Peak has indeed been extremely busy these past few days.

The Dragon Fish Hall was preparing for the engagement ceremonies of two marriage alliances. Inside the Elders' Courtyard, the Taiyi Sect and the Tianyan Sect were discussing their alliance. This kept the servants and maids busy on both fronts, often not getting to rest until midnight.

At this time, it was only the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), so naturally there was no one there yet!
Duan Rong, having abducted Li Ruozhou, hid with Li Ruojian behind a tree. A moment later, a figure flew out from the maid's courtyard. The figure was slender, and the clothes fluttered in the wind. It was Lü Qingzhu.

Duan Rong sent her to scout out the maids' quarters.

Lu Qingzhu stopped in the shadows of the trees and said, "There's no one inside."

Duan Rong asked, "When you entered, did you scan it with your divine sense?"

Lü Qingzhu said, "No!"

Duan Rong nodded; it was pretty much as he had expected.

On Cuiwei Peak, whether it's the Elders' Council, Taiyi Pavilion, Dragon Fish Hall, or the manor where the Tianyan Sect members reside, all are guarded by highly skilled guards, making the defenses extremely tight.

However, Cuiwei Peak is extremely large, and it is impossible to guard every part of it. The servants' quarters and maids' quarters are where servants live, so naturally there are no guards with high cultivation levels.

This is also why Duan Rong chose the maidservant's quarters!

Now that Lü Qingzhu had scouted the way, Duan Rong grabbed Li Ruozhou and darted out of the shadows.

"Wait for me here!" Duan Rong instructed, then moved with the agility of a ghost, leaping into the air and landing like a large bird in the courtyard of the maids' quarters.

The moment he landed, his divine sense was suddenly released. The pitch-black courtyard was then clearly revealed under the probing of his divine sense.

The huge courtyard and the several low, interconnected rooms were all empty.

The clothesline in the middle of the courtyard was covered with all kinds of clothes, including quite a few women's underpants and bibs.

Duan Rong dragged Li Ruzhou to the middle of the clothesline covered with clothes, where a dead tree stump was driven into the ground.

Two clotheslines were tied to the dead tree stump, and were attached to the wooden window frames of the two houses on the east and west sides respectively.

Duan Rong reached out and tested the wooden stake, finding it to be very sturdy. He then grabbed the unconscious Li Ruozhou and tied him to the stake. At this moment, Li Ruozhou was completely naked, with a wooden sign hanging on his chest.

Duan Rong tied Li Ruozhou up, then pulled up a blanket that was drying nearby to cover his body before slipping out of the courtyard.

He left the courtyard and stood there. Suddenly, he pulled out a stack of papers from his pocket. The night wind howled, and the stack of papers rustled as it was blown away, quickly drifting to various places on the mountainside.

After doing all this, Duan Rong immediately used his speed and disappeared near the maids' quarters.

He slipped back into the shadows of the trees, looked at Lü Qingzhu in the darkness, and said, "Everything is ready!"

In the darkness, Lü Qingzhu's eyes gleamed, and she said, "Then let's go!"

Duan Rong turned his head and saw that the Elders' Council not far away had been completely dark at some point, indicating that the alliance negotiations for the day had ended.

Several lights meandered down from there, and the faint sound of women's laughter could be heard on the night breeze.

The maids who served in the Elders' Court were about to return to rest.

Duan Rong asked, "When did the Elders' Council turn off its lights?"

Lü Qingzhu said, "It was not long after you entered the courtyard."

"The timing is perfect!" Duan Rong said. "Let's go."

The maids carrying lanterns were not far away, and their cheerful laughter grew louder and louder in the night breeze.

Just as the three were about to leave, they rose into the night sky on the wind. They had only flown a short distance when Li Ruojian suddenly said, "Brother Duan, Miss Lü, you go first. I'll go down for a bit."

Duan Rong frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"

Li Ruojian laughed and said, "Everyone has to relieve themselves sometimes. I'll go down into the dense forest to take care of it."

As Li Ruojian spoke, she moved and landed in the dense forest below.

Duan Rong hovered in the misty night sky, watching Li Ruojian's figure fall into the dense forest, his eyes deep and gleaming.

Duan Rong said, "You go back to the valley first, I'll be right back!"

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he suddenly rode the wind and flew away, heading towards the direction of Cuiwei Peak, which he had just left.

Lü Qingzhu's almond-shaped eyes flashed, and she followed. She knew that Duan Rong wouldn't go back for no reason.

Li Ruojian did not ride the wind, but instead used his body to dart through the dense forest. His lightness skill was excellent, and he quickly darted out of the forest, leaped, and rode the wind across the valley, landing not far from the maid's courtyard.

As soon as he landed in the open space, Lü Qingzhu saw him from behind the shadows of the trees.

The moment Lü Qingzhu saw Li Ruojian, she knew why Duan Rong had turned back!

Lü Qingzhu did not make a move. She knew that Duan Rong must have a plan. If she made a move rashly, it would only interfere with Duan Rong!

Li Ruojian moved like a ghost, leaping into the dark maid's courtyard in a few bounds.

The moment he landed in the courtyard, he immediately released his divine sense. There was no one in the courtyard, and his divine sense instantly locked onto Li Ruozhou, who was tied to the withered tree stump in the middle of the courtyard.

In the darkness, a sinister smile flashed across Li Ruojian's face.

"Brother, do you know? The only way I can forgive you is to kill you with my own hands! If there is an afterlife, may we never meet again in the mortal and spiritual realms!"

In the darkness, Li Ruojian drew her long sword, and with a flash of cold light, she aimed it at Li Ruozhou's heart.

Duan Rong had scattered all of Li Ruozhou's energy, and he was still unconscious. If Duan Rong were to strike him with his sword, he could take Li Ruozhou's life.

Just as Li Ruojian unleashed her sword, a figure suddenly leaped into the night sky from behind the houses on the east side.

In the dark night sky, a plum blossom afterimage suddenly bloomed beside Duan Rong's hand, and a phosphorescent crystal needle, with a flash of cold light, pierced straight into Li Ruojian's brow.

Li Ruojian was greatly alarmed and swung her sword.

With a "ding!" Duan Rong slapped the flying needle away and leaped up, his white glove grabbing the phosphorescent crystal flying needle that Li Ruojian had slapped away!
Li Ruojian was greatly alarmed!

He knew very well what it meant that Duan Rong could catch the flying needle he had suddenly swatted away.

The instant he swung his sword to deflect the needle, Duan Rong had already predicted its trajectory based on the sword's movement, and thus was already waiting there. Based on this alone, the difference in their martial arts skills was immediately apparent!
Duan Rong, holding the flying needle, said coldly, "Brother Li, I expected you to have this trick up your sleeve! This move of yours is not very honorable!"

Li Ruojian glanced sadly at the center of the courtyard, knowing that Li Ruozhou was tied up there.

The moment Duan Rong appeared, he knew that his carefully planned opportunity to turn his life around had been lost.

There is absolutely no way Duan Rong would allow him to kill Li Ruozhou!
In the darkness, Duan Rong had already leaped onto the wall. He looked at Li Ruojian, who was standing there dumbfounded in the courtyard, and said, "Aren't you leaving?!"

Li Ruojian sighed, turned around and left with Duan Rong, leaping out of the maids' quarters.

As soon as the two left the maids' quarters, Lü Qingzhu came to greet them. At this moment, the maids carrying several lanterns were only a few feet away.

Lü Qingzhu glanced at Li Ruojian, then looked at Duan Rong and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

Duan Rong said, "It's alright! Let's go!"

The three of them used their speed to dart into the dense forest. After darting through the forest for quite some time, they suddenly rode the wind and rose into the night sky, heading towards the deep valley.

In the night sky, Duan Rong's divine sense remained locked on Li Ruojian the entire time.

Li Ruojian could also feel Duan Rong's divine sense enveloping her. If it were before, Duan Rong's actions would have been extremely offensive, but after what had just happened, Duan Rong was only using his divine sense to lock onto her, which was already extremely polite to him.

When Duan Rong first found Li Ruojian, he already knew that she was dangerous.

Especially when planning, Li Ruojian gave his all without holding back. If he hadn't taught Lü Qingzhu how to open and close the mechanism of the longevity lock that Li Ruozhou wore around his neck, Duan Rong wouldn't have been able to beat Li Ruozhou so badly!
But Duan Rong had been wary of Li Ruojian all along! His use of Li Ruojian was a double-edged sword!

If Li Ruojian killed Li Ruozhou in the maid's quarters just now, then the blame would fall on Lü Qingzhu!
After all, it was Lü Qingzhu who invited Li Ruozhou out.

In order to protect Duan Rong, Lü Qingzhu would risk her life and take full responsibility for the crime!

In this way, Li Ruojian can also get away unscathed! After all, if Lü Qingzhu were to spit him out, Duan Rong would also be implicated.

With Li Ruozhou dead, he is the first choice to succeed as the young sect leader of Tianyan Sect.

Li Ruojian dared to make such a move because she had accurately predicted Lü Qingzhu's thoughts!

"This person is truly a wolf in sheep's clothing!" Duan Rong thought to himself. "People who have suffered greatly often resort to any means necessary. We must be especially careful of such people!"

(End of this chapter)