Ruyi was drawn back by the surging demonic energy erupting from the Qingqiu Pavilion.

By the time he led Luo Fuchun and Sang Luojiu back, the demonic energy in the Qingqiu Pavilion had already dissipated.

The boat in the lotus pond had capsized, and the lake water had dried up.

He saw Feng Rugu as before, his upper body naked, revealing the lotus tattoo covering half his body. He was kneeling on one knee by the lake, holding his sword, grasping a handful of stone dust and ashes, rubbing it in his palm, deep in thought.

Luo Fuchun rushed over from behind. Seeing a few spots of blood on Feng Rugu's body, and clearly seeing the secret hidden beneath his tattoo modifications, his mind buzzed and he cried out in a shrill voice: "...Master!"

Feng Rugu didn't even raise his head: "What are you crying about, I'm not dead."

Luo Fuchun had never seen Feng Rugu undressed.

Last time in Wenshi Mountain, when everyone saw his cyan lotus tattoo, it was only because Feng Rugu's clothes were wet, and they could see it through his clothes, but not clearly.

Now seeing the full picture of his master's entire tattoo, he was stunned, and his heart almost wrenched up in pain: "Master, what happened to your body..."

Feng Rugu raised his hand, wiped the blood from his shoulder, and tilted his head slightly: "Ah, this is not mine."

But he quickly thought of something and muttered to himself incoherently: "...Yes, why isn't it mine?"

With that, he was about to stand up.

But as soon as he stood up, his body seemed to collapse, swaying and losing consciousness, falling forward.

Although Ruyi was also shocked by his scars, he still reacted in time. Grabbing Feng Rugu's shoulders with one hand, he let him lean against his chest. With his other hand, he took off his monk's robe to cover Feng Rugu's scarred body and then caught the sword that had nearly slipped from Feng Rugu's hand.

Sang Luojiu quickly stepped forward: "Master Ruyi, thank you, please take Master..."

"...Junior Martial Uncle?"

Hai Jing's voice from upstairs interrupted Sang Luojiu's words.

Sang Luojiu suddenly looked up, and due to his extreme shock, he couldn't even hide the sharp light that flashed in his eyes.

Luo Fuchun was even more dumbfounded, completely unaware of how Hai Jing, who had one hun and one po taken away, could wake up.

The newly awakened Hai Jing stared blankly at the destroyed boat and lotus pond, then looked down at the three people staring up at him with strange looks in their eyes, and for a moment couldn't figure out the situation, so he could only ask timidly: "...What happened?"

In a flash, Sang Luojiu had figured it all out.

Master deliberately broke the seal and took Hai Jing's hun and po to hide them, in order to divert them.

Master... wanted to use the loss of hun to break the situation and directly draw out the mastermind behind the Feng character blood brush to confront him.

Sang Luojiu originally thought that Master was a bit foolish for not knowing how to conceal the traces of breaking his protective barrier.

He didn't expect that Master was far more foolish than he had imagined.

What if the mastermind had an ambush early on, or had superior strength? How would Master deal with it?

The apprehensive Sang Luojiu turned his gaze to Ruyi, wanting to welcome Master back and take good care of him.

If he could figure it out, how could Ruyi not?

He stared at Hai Jing for a moment, then waved his hand. Sang Luojiu instinctively reached out to catch, only to find that what he had caught in his arms was Hai Jing's wooden sword.

Ruyi bent down, picked up Feng Rugu horizontally, and quickly entered the building.

Luo Fuchun figured out a few key points, but still didn't quite understand. Seeing Ruyi carrying Master away, he called out "Master" in a daze again. Seeing no response, he became even more anxious, grabbed Sang Luojiu's arm, and quickly followed, dragging Sang Luojiu stumbling along the way.

Feng Rugu was unconscious for a short time. When he was placed on Hai Jing's bed, which still had some warmth left, he vaguely regained consciousness and murmured, "...Smoke."

Even though he was anxious and flustered, Luo Fuchun couldn't help but laugh and cry.

...As soon as he woke up, he wanted to smoke. Master's elegant illness was really incurable.

He knelt by the bed: "Master, it's not too late to smoke after you recover."

Feng Rugu squinted at him and snorted, then turned over and ignored him.

Luo Fuchun was stunned for a moment: "Master?"

Feng Rugu ignored him, but his shoulders were trembling slightly.

Luo Fuchun finally remembered the nonsense he had said before he left in a huff, and guessed that he had hurt his master's feelings. He panicked: "Master! It was this disciple's improper words and actions, spouting nonsense, that angered Master. If Master is too angry to bear it, you can beat this disciple or scold him, just... just beg Master not to be angry, lest it harm your health..."

Feng Rugu remained unmoved.

Luo Fuchun was both anxious and sad, and was about to cry. His mind turned and he noticed the smoking pipe that Feng Rugu had casually placed on the table. He immediately took it, knelt down and offered it up, his voice already choking with sobs: "Master, don't be upset anymore, this disciple will serve you smoke..."

Feng Rugu secretly opened one eye, and there was clearly a cunning smile in the bottom of his eyes.

He turned back, casually rubbed Luo Fuchun's hair, and praised: "Good boy."

To everyone watching, even Hai Jing who knew nothing of the situation, Luo Fuchun seemed quite pitiful, tricked by his master until he was teary-eyed, and in the end still having to be grateful and tearful.

Ruyi, who was standing to the side, said nothing, pretending that it wasn't him who had carried Feng Rugu up, and only took Hai Jing's sword and looked at it carefully.

After a while, he threw the sword into Hai Jing's arms and also gave him a note.

"It's tainted with demonic energy and is unclean. Remove the filth on it."

Ruyi had been harmed by the demonic way since birth and had no good feelings towards it.

Feng Rugu, who was leaning on the bed, glanced at the note from afar, and it was unknown whether he had read the contents on it clearly or not. He only smiled slightly, and no special emotions could be seen.

Hai Jing woke from a deep sleep to find the sun already high in the sky. Before he had time to tidy himself up, he saw that the atmosphere among the crowd was strange, as if something important had happened.

But since Ruyi had instructed him to do something, Hai Jing didn't dare to say much. He squatted quietly in a corner of the room, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures to dispel the demonic energy on the sword, while at the same time pricking up his ears, wanting to figure everything out.

Everyone had countless questions in their minds, but the scars on Feng Rugu's body were too horrifying. Even Luo Fuchun, who was the most carefree, didn't dare to ask about it easily. For a moment, the room was silent.

It was still Sang Luojiu who asked first: "Master, is the mastermind a person from the demonic way?"

Feng Rugu had a smoking pipe in his mouth and mumbled, "Maybe."

This answer was vague, but Luo Fuchun had already made up his mind: "The sword is tainted with demonic energy, of course it has something to do with the demonic way! Those demons are truly unrepentant, still haunting Master even now!"

Luo Fuchun felt quite indignant on Feng Rugu's behalf. Sang Luojiu also rarely agreed with his senior brother's judgment: "Back then in 'Forgotten World', Master killed many of them. The people of the demonic path hate Master to the bone, so setting up this chain of poisonous schemes to force Master out of seclusion is understandable."

As the smoke went in and out, some color returned to Feng Rugu's lips.

His crimson lips opened and closed, focused on inhaling and exhaling the smoke, but not speaking.

Luo Fuchun thought this made a lot of sense, but there was still one thing he didn't understand.

He turned to Feng Rugu: "Master, you wanted us to leave in order to lure out the mastermind to deal with you. You could have told us clearly beforehand. Why did you have to deceive us too?"

"Tell you clearly beforehand?" Feng Rugu smiled ambiguously. "I trust Luojiu, but if I had told you in advance, would you and the great monk have had the heart to bully me like you just did?"

As soon as the word "bully" came out, Luo Fuchun's face instantly flushed bright red. Ruyi also looked away unnaturally.