Chapter 511 475: Liyuan and Junior Sister Nangong, Who Is Deceiving Me?

Further behind, Nangong Jin walked at a slow pace. Dressed in robes whiter than snow, her expression was so placid it was almost hollow, like a walking jade sculpture.

'Senior Sister, Ah Han... and Nangong Jin.'

She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to rush over and throw herself into Ah Han's arms.

'I'll sneak up on Ah Han and give him a surprise!'

Ye Liyuan quietly formed the hand seal for a Concealment Technique. Her figure dissipated like smoke, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance in her wake.

Meanwhile, Lu Ruoxi tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping the area, but she didn't spot Ye Liyuan.

'She knew at once. That mischievous junior sister of hers must be hiding somewhere, preparing to jump out and startle Pei Yuhang.'

She suppressed a smile, pretending to have noticed nothing. She continued walking alongside Pei Yuhang, ready to play along with Junior Sister Ye's prank.

However, when Lu Ruoxi saw the terrifyingly calm look in Pei Yuhang's eyes, her smile quickly faded, replaced by a hint of anxiety.

Pei Yuhang hadn't said a word since they disembarked. His eyes were as deep as a Cold Pool, and a palpable tension seemed to hang in the air around him.

Lu Ruoxi furtively studied his profile and noticed his lips were pressed into a tight line. His jaw was set, cold and hard. He seemed to be encased in an invisible layer of frost.

—just like when she first met Pei Yuhang.

Back then, Pei Yuhang had just been brought to the Dao Sect by their master. He seemed to have endured some terrible ordeal, for he was withdrawn like a caterpillar in its chrysalis, keeping an almost apathetic distance from the world around him.

And now, that long-absent sense of alienation had returned.

'This change in Junior Brother Pei... it seems to have started after he met with Junior Sister Nangong.'

'Junior Sister Nangong... What in the world did she say to him?'

Lu Ruoxi's fingers curled slightly as a sliver of unease crept into her heart.

'She had a feeling that something was spiraling out of control...'

STEP—

Suddenly, Pei Yuhang stopped in his tracks.

He deftly sidestepped. An invisible figure seemed to lunge at empty air, letting out an adorable, "Whoops!"

Ye Liyuan deactivated her Concealment Technique. She looked at Pei Yuhang with a pitiable expression, pouting her pink lips. "Honestly, Ah Han, if you sensed I was there, you should have just played along and pulled me into your arms~"

"You didn't even hug me! You just dodged like a block of wood. You're making me so mad!"

As she spoke, she discreetly glanced at Nangong Jin out of the corner of her eye—the woman in snow-white robes with the apathetic expression.

'This is the perfect chance to put her in her place!'

'I have to make that loser Nangong Jin see the true love between us Dao Companions!'

'Let that girl Nangong Jin see just how lovey-dovey we are now that we're together!'

Ye Liyuan's eyes danced as she shot Pei Yuhang a suggestive look. She expected him to gently wrap his arm around her waist, just like he always did, so they could put on a grand display of affection for Nangong Jin.

But she was met with only a stifling silence.

"Ah... Ah Han?"

Ye Liyuan called out his name tentatively, but Pei Yuhang remained motionless.

His gaze fell upon Ye Liyuan, but his eyes, once brimming with tenderness, were now like a frozen lake—hollow and distant. It was as if he'd lost focus, as if he were looking at a stranger.

"Ah Han, what's wrong?"

Ye Liyuan's voice trembled. For reasons she couldn't explain, a chill shot up her spine, coiling around her heart like a venomous snake.

It became difficult to breathe. The metallic clang of dragging chains seemed to echo in her ears—a distant, bizarre sound originating from the depths of her Sea of Consciousness.

*Brother Pei... Brother Pei... My Brother Pei...*

*Why are you so cold to me... Did someone... tell you some nonsense?*

"You—"

"Junior Sister Ye, congratulations on returning to the Divinity Transformation realm!"

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Lu Ruoxi suddenly stepped in front of Ye Liyuan, taking her hand and congratulating her cheerfully.

"Congratulations, Senior Sister Ye."

Nangong Jin also nodded in congratulations.

Her expression, however, remained as indifferent and lifeless as ever, showing no sign that she was happy for Ye Liyuan.

Pei Yuhang, who had seemed dazed and confused, finally appeared to snap out of it upon hearing Lu Ruoxi and Nangong Jin's voices, as if waking from a nightmare.

He wearily rubbed his forehead, then forced a familiar, gentle smile at Ye Liyuan.

"I'm sorry, Liyuan. I was just exhausted and a little out of sorts... I made you worry."

As he spoke, he reached out, took Ye Liyuan's hand, and pulled her into his arms.

Feeling his familiar, warm embrace and inhaling the calming scent of cool pine, the panic in Ye Liyuan's eyes gradually subsided. The bizarre sound of chains in her Sea of Consciousness faded away as well.

She pouted, whispering, "Ah Han... honestly. Don't suddenly be so cold to me like that again. You scared me to death..."

Pei Yuhang didn't say anything, only held Liyuan a little tighter.

Nangong Jin quietly watched the two embrace. Pei Yuhang sensed her gaze and looked up, meeting her eyes for a brief moment before quickly looking away.

An hour ago, Nangong Jin had whispered something in his ear. Even now, remembering her words felt like being trapped in a nightmare.

*Brother Pei, be careful of Ye Liyuan... She's nowhere near as innocent as she seems.*

*All those senior and junior sisters who tried to get close to you over the years... Brother Pei, have you heard anything about any of them since?*

*Have they all... just vanished without a trace?*

...

...

"Ah Han? Ah Han?"

A soft voice, like a gentle breeze brushing past his ear, brought Pei Yuhang back to his senses.

He blinked his dry eyes, his gaze slowly focusing on the person before him.

They had long since bid farewell to Lu Ruoxi and Nangong Jin and returned to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion. Ye Liyuan was standing before him, wrapped in a pure white bath towel.

She tilted her head slightly, her dark brows knitted with concern. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with worry, and her soft, pink lips were pouted in displeasure. "Honestly, you've zoned out again."

Pei Yuhang's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He forced a smile.

"Sorry, Liyuan. I'm just... a little tired."

"Really?"

Ye Liyuan took a step forward. The hem of her towel swayed with the movement, revealing a glimpse of her long, fair ankles.

She tilted her face up to look at him, her eyes shimmering. "Ah Han, I can't shake the feeling... ever since we reunited today, you seem to be avoiding me."

"Are you hiding something from me? Can you tell me what it is?"

She cautiously drew closer, her slender fingers tentatively reaching out to touch his sleeve. Her fresh, clean scent, mixed with a familiar hint of gardenia, wafted to his nose.

Pei Yuhang's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly, but he didn't pull away.

When her warm, soft body settled into his arms, he instinctively tightened his embrace, only to slacken his grip the moment his hands touched her skin.

"Liyuan, you're overthinking things."

"How could I ever hide anything from you?"

he said softly, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

"Really?"

Lying against her beloved Ah Han's chest and listening to his heartbeat, Ye Liyuan extended a fingertip and slowly traced it across Pei Yuhang's collarbone.

"Then how about we bathe together now?"

"I've been in seclusion for so long. I missed you so much... Ah Han, let me serve you~"

she said, planting a gentle, teasing kiss on his fingers.

Pei Yuhang felt his Dao Companion growing restless in his arms, and his heart was a tangle of emotions.

'No matter how he looked at her, Liyuan was still the same Liyuan. Her cute, playful nature hadn't changed one bit. How could she possibly be the terrible person Nangong Jin described!'

'Could it be... that Nangong Jin is deceiving me?'

'But Nangong Jin has already cultivated the Forgetfulness Dao to the Mahayana realm. Under its code of absolute rationality, she should have no reason to dwell on her past grudges with Liyuan and frame her, right?'

'Who... is the one lying?'

'Who is deceiving me? Whose heart... is truly black?'