Chapter 130: Little Ling's Desperate Counterattack

Lu Jiajia glared at her, saying, "What mischief are you up to now?"

Ning Xiaoling recoiled slightly, feeling a desire to retreat, but she thought that if she didn't try harder, she would truly be "eternally separated" from her senior brother. So she bravely said, "It's just that I haven't seen Master in a long time. Tonight, I happened to run into you and wanted to… spend a little more time with you."

Lu Jiajia looked at Ning Xiaoling, thinking about the month of endless darkness they had endured. It was her dereliction of duty not to have been there to protect them. Feeling a pang of guilt, her tone softened: "How do you want Master to accompany you?"

Relieved, Ning Xiaoling secretly breathed a sigh and pressed on, "Master, actually, the more I think about it, the stranger it seems. You wouldn't just come to Senior Brother's room in the middle of the night to discuss a simple matter like this, would you?"

Lu Jiajia's expression subtly chilled. She thought, *I offered this little girl a way out, and she's grabbing a ladder to climb even higher?*

Lu Jiajia retorted, "As the Peak Master, do I need to report my whereabouts to Xiaoling?"

After asking this, Lu Jiajia felt a touch of regret. Her question seemed to betray a hint of guilt.

Ning Xiaoling pressed her advantage, asking, "Of course not, but Xiaoling has a question: As the Peak Master, shouldn't you abide by the sect rules?"

Lu Jiajia nodded. "All are equal under the sect rules, even the Peak Master."

Ning Xiaoling asked, "Then, Master, does secretly coming to Senior Brother's room count as breaking the sect rules?"

Lu Jiajia had her answer ready. "Of course not. The sect rules only forbid disciples from having private liaisons at night."

Ning Xiaoling asked curiously, "Then why is Master wearing night-clothes?"

Ning Xiaoling observed her. Dressed in a black robe, Lu Jiajia now seemed to lack some of her usual ethereal grace, her dark hair and black attire making her appear more like a quiet, mystical spirit of the moon.

Ning Xiaoling composed herself, thinking, *I need to negotiate with Master now. I must not get lost in her beauty.*

Hearing this, Lu Jiajia felt a surge of annoyance and embarrassment. She wasn't about to give Ning Xiaoling any more opportunities to ask questions. If she actually recalled that the original peak rule stated "men and women are forbidden from private liaisons at night," not just disciples, she would be truly in a difficult position. Her face immediately turned stern. "Xiaoling, do you think it was wrong for Master to confiscate your key? Or are you trying to find fault with me so I can't punish you?"

Seeing her master turn fierce again, Ning Xiaoling's heart pounded. She meekly replied, "Xiaoling wouldn't dare. Xiaoling just wanted to spend more time with Master."

Their conversation had circled back to the beginning.

Lu Jiajia said helplessly, "So, what exactly do you want to do?"

Ning Xiaoling clenched her fists. "Today, Senior Sister Lerou gave me some gifts, and I was quite bored playing by myself in my room. So I thought of inviting Senior Brother to play with me. I never expected to run into Master."

Ning Changjiu, who had been resting with his eyes closed nearby, listened to their bickering and casually asked, "What did she give you?"

Ning Xiaoling said, "I'll go get it right now! It's so much fun! Master, Senior Brother, just wait for me, okay?"

With that, she gave Lu Jiajia no chance to refuse, immediately rolling out of bed. Her figure swiftly slipped out, very skillfully, without making a sound.

Lu Jiajia sat on the bed, her arms propped against the edge, sighing weakly. She wondered if she had really lost so much of her authority that she couldn't even intimidate a fourteen-year-old girl anymore.

Ning Xiaoling sneaked out, retrieved a box from her room, and after checking that no one was around, pushed open the slightly ajar door and re-entered.

Ning Xiaoling thought to herself: *Even though I don't know all the sect rules, since Master came dressed in night-clothes, she must have something to hide. I'll stall her for a bit longer, ask some probing questions, and get her to reveal something. Then, tomorrow, I'll properly check the sect rules and find fault with Master, subtly but persistently, to get my key back legitimately!*

What Ning Xiaoling didn't realize was that the moment she stepped out, a pair of eyes in the darkness had silently fixed on her.

The person in the shadows was Lerou, who had been hiding for a long time.

She had talked with Ning Xiaoling for a long time today and had somewhat changed her opinion of the girl. She thought the girl had a decent character and must be courageous and resourceful to have survived the dangers of Linhe City. However, the thought of Ning Xiaoling having such a senior brother made her uneasy.

So, Lerou decided to return to her old ways. She would first find a way to get rid of Ning Changjiu so she could comfortably bring Ning Xiaoling over to her side. *Hmph, what if Ning Xiaoling's cultivation is higher than mine? I'll still be the Senior Sister, won't I?*

That's why she deliberately gave Ning Xiaoling a gift that required two people to play.

She was certain that once Ning Xiaoling received it, she wouldn't be able to resist the loneliness and would secretly seek out her senior brother. Then, once Ning Xiaoling entered, she would report the matter to Martial Aunt Yazhu. After Martial Aunt Yazhu "caught them in the act," she would report it to Master. This way, Ning Xiaoling would likely receive a minor punishment, but Ning Changjiu, an outer disciple who had broken the rules so badly, would surely be expelled from the mountain!

Although Ning Xiaoling's Daoist Concealment Art could hide her aura, it wasn't true invisibility. While she could move through corridors without a sound, if someone was deliberately watching, she couldn't hide her presence.

Earlier, Lerou had been secretly pleased to see Yazhu go to Ning Changjiu's room, but Yazhu hadn't found any trace of Ning Xiaoling... *Hmm, it seems they are quite skilled at hiding.* No matter, the first time Ning Xiaoling went in empty-handed, and she couldn't resist again, taking the toy Lerou had given her and slipping back in...

This was the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Lerou couldn't help but admire herself, feeling increasingly cunning in her schemes and confident in her ability to manipulate a young girl like Ning Xiaoling.

She quietly plotted, planning to wait until Ning Xiaoling and her senior brother were thoroughly engrossed in their game before secretly informing Yazhu. *By then, let's see if you can still hide yourselves in time!*

Crouching in the darkness, she silently counted the minutes, fantasizing that after catching them red-handed, Master might even credit her with a meritorious deed.

Meanwhile, inside Ning Changjiu's room, Ning Xiaoling excitedly opened the box, revealing a tall tower made of numerous small wooden blocks.

"What is this?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiaoling explained, "It's a Jenga tower! You take turns pulling out one block at a time, and whoever makes the tower fall loses."

Lu Jiajia said indifferently, "What's the point of such a childish game? You're not expecting me to play this with you, are you?"

Ning Xiaoling grabbed Lu Jiajia's black robe and grumbled, "Master is willing to travel a thousand *li* to play with Senior Brother, but not with Xiaoling, who's right here. Master... are you and Senior Brother...?"

Lu Jiajia reached out and tapped her on the head, cutting her off. She said resignedly, "I'll play one round with you, then."

Ning Xiaoling quickly set up the wooden tower and softly called out to Ning Changjiu, who was nearby: "Senior Brother, come play with us!"

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "The outcome is decided the moment the first block is pulled. What's the fun in that?"

Ning Xiaoling didn't insist. She huffed and said, "Fine, don't play then. Come on, Master, let's play together."

Lu Jiajia's elegant brows furrowed slightly. She looked at Ning Xiaoling, perplexed, and asked, "Do you have some other motive?"

Ning Xiaoling smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Master, if I win, will you give my key back and let me visit Senior Brother, please?"

Lu Jiajia scoffed, "I knew you had an ulterior motive."

Ning Xiaoling declared indignantly, "Master used her authority to force me to hand over the key. I want to win it back fairly and squarely!"

Lu Jiajia listened to her skewed logic but didn't refute it. She simply asked, "And if you lose?"

"Hmm... if I lose..." Ning Xiaoling bit her finger, thinking for a moment, unable to come up with a suitable stake.

Lu Jiajia stated plainly, "If you lose, you'll listen obediently to Master from now on and diligently cultivate, alright?"

Ning Xiaoling, already at a "dead end," readily accepted this condition. She nodded, "I hope Master keeps her promise."

Lu Jiajia looked at the block tower, a faint smile on her lips. Her sword-wielding hand was exceptionally steady, and she certainly couldn't lose to Ning Xiaoling at such a childish game. If she could make the girl give up so easily and stop being difficult, she was willing.

Nearby, Ning Changjiu lay quietly, watching the rippling moonlight on the clouds, his mind as calm as water.

He didn't interfere in the dispute between master and disciple. He merely turned his head occasionally, gazing at the serious profiles of Ning Xiaoling and Lu Jiajia. The girl was pretty and charming, the woman as pure and ethereal as a celestial being. At that moment, bathed in the gentle breeze and moonlight, it truly was a beautiful scene.

Ning Xiaoling and Lu Jiajia's "duel" had begun. As the junior challenging her senior, Ning Xiaoling was much more nervous; her hand often trembled uncontrollably as she pulled out blocks. Lu Jiajia, however, exuded a calm confidence. Her hand was both swift and steady, without a tremor, and when she removed a block, the tower barely wobbled, as if only losing an insignificant tile.

Although Ning Xiaoling had also reached the Immortal Realm, the gap between her and Lu Jiajia remained vast, and she was naturally at a disadvantage in this game.

Ning Changjiu grew bored of looking at the moon and turned his head to watch them intently for a while. Many blocks had been removed from the tower's periphery, as if it had been stripped bare, leaving the entire structure like a hollow frame exposed to the wind from all sides.

Ning Changjiu suddenly spoke softly, "This is somewhat like a Divine Realm."

"Hm?" Lu Jiajia looked slightly puzzled.

Having experienced the formation and destruction of Fengdu, Ning Xiaoling could roughly understand her senior brother's meaning.

Ning Changjiu explained, "Each of these surrounding blocks represents an external component of a Divine Realm. Once most of the outer blocks are removed, what remains is the true core of the Divine Realm: its mythological logic. All external phenomena and internal laws are either self-interpretations of this mythological logic or results decreed and promulgated by the Divine Realm's master. Like Fengdu back then, the Divine Realm was only truly destroyed when its mythological logic collapsed. And it wasn't until Lady Bai's death that Fengdu, as a domain stripped of its divinity, truly ceased to exist."

Lu Jiajia understood some of it but found it meaningless. She said, "Divine Realms exist beyond this world. Even if we cultivate to the Five Paths, we might never be fortunate enough to see one. What's the point of thinking about these things?"

Ning Changjiu looked at the bright moon outside the window and said softly, "Perhaps the legendary Divine Realms are right before us, but we simply cannot see them."

Lu Jiajia said, "How could something as immense as a Divine Realm be concealed from human eyes? Do they perhaps have something similar to a Peach Veil?"

Ning Changjiu smiled. "How would I know? I just feel they're not far from us."

Lu Jiajia smiled faintly. "The Year of Empty Hunt is almost over. After the Month of God's Abandonment comes the Year of Sinful Sovereign. The Year of Sinful Sovereign is not a good year; many historical calamities have occurred during it. We should be more careful next year."

Ning Xiaoling wasn't listening closely to their conversation, but with the intention of further distracting her master, she seemingly earnestly asked, "Oh, right, Master, you promised to tell me the stories of the twelve Divine Realm Masters last time. Who came after Tianji that day?"

Lu Jiajia calmly pulled out a block. Looking at the tower, which seemed ready to topple at a touch, she said, "After Tianji came Yuanjun, Jufu, Suzaku, and Mingzheng... We were fortunate enough to glimpse the Suzaku God in the Imperial City, and although it certainly wasn't Suzaku God's true form, it should have some connection to the legendary Suzaku."

Ning Xiaoling's focus, however, was on a different question: "The Sovereign of the Underworld, the Sinful Sovereign, and Yuanjun—all three have 'Sovereign' in their names. Won't they fight?"

Lu Jiajia explained, "Legend has it that the Sovereign of the Underworld died long ago. It's said that the Sinful Sovereign and Yuanjun divided his authority between them."

Ning Xiaoling gritted her teeth, nervously pulling out a small lower block. She watched with wide eyes as the wooden tower wobbled slightly before finally settling. She let out a long sigh of relief and casually lamented, "That great Sovereign of the Underworld is truly pitiable... Oh, right, Master, you said earlier that the Sovereign of the Underworld was one of the primordial deities. Who else was among the primordial deities? Since most of them are dead, it should be fine to talk about them, right?"

Lu Jiajia gazed at the tower, examining it repeatedly, her expression growing a little tense. As she chose a block, she replied, "Those are ancient matters from old almanacs. How would a humble Peak Master like me know? It's just rumored that among the current twelve Divine Realm Masters, a few are primordial deities who never perished. They have lived until now and attained new divine positions..."

Lu Jiajia steadily pulled out the block and set it aside. Although the tower didn't wobble, anyone could see that it was now a precarious structure. At this point, removing any block would very likely cause the entire tower to collapse.

Ning Changjiu watched them, finding it somewhat amusing. The master and disciple chatted and joked lightheartedly, yet their hands remained tense and unyielding in their "duel." Their master-disciple relationship seemed almost too real.

Ning Xiaoling listened to Lu Jiajia's words, curious and astonished by the stories of the deities, but the current situation didn't allow her to be distracted.

She pursed her lips and gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed to slits as she meticulously examined the "collapsing Divine Realm." She was certain that if she succeeded this time, it would be her master's turn next, and no matter how steady her master's hand was, it would be absolutely impossible to keep the tower balanced.

Ning Xiaoling hesitated for a long time, finally extending her hand slowly. She probed several times but didn't dare touch the block.

"What are you thinking about, Xiaoling?" Lu Jiajia urged.

Ning Xiaoling held her breath. She simply closed her eyes and instinctively activated the Daoist Concealment Art, as if wishing the block wouldn't notice her...

Lu Jiajia looked at Ning Xiaoling, whose aura was peculiar, and let out a soft "Oh?" She was certain that what Ning Xiaoling was performing was not the sect's own cultivation method. Feeling puzzled, she glanced at Ning Changjiu. Ning Changjiu sighed, thinking, *How can this little girl hide nothing?*

Ning Xiaoling had been very nervous, but for some reason, with her eyes closed and facing the darkness, her heart suddenly calmed down. It was so calm that she couldn't even grasp the emotion of calmness.

Her spiritual sense slowly spread out, touching a glimmer of the wooden tower in the darkness. Her heart suddenly became extremely tranquil, and her body's aura seemed to sink into a swamp. She grasped both sides of the block and silently pulled it out.

The wooden tower swayed gently, then settled into stillness.

Ning Changjiu looked at Ning Xiaoling, feeling that something seemed off, but it wasn't a premonition of danger. Rather, it was a profound and subtle sensation, much like... the symmetrical opposite shore of Fengdu.

Ning Changjiu looked at the wooden tower and suddenly understood. This tower indeed shared many similarities with Fengdu. No matter how many blocks were removed, relative balance had to be maintained on both sides from the center to prevent the tower from collapsing.

But ordinary houses in the world sit firmly on the ground and would never topple just because people of different cultivation levels were inside... Could it be that all Divine Realms are mere castles in the air?

Ning Changjiu found the nearly collapsed wooden tower increasingly interesting. Of course, at this moment, observing Lu Jiajia's expression was even more entertaining.

When Ning Xiaoling opened her eyes and saw the still-stable wooden tower frame, the breath she had been holding finally escaped.

Lu Jiajia, however, frowned deeply, the moonlight falling on her cheek like a swirling frost that solidified the light in her eyes into uneasy ice. She felt some regret; she had been too careless earlier, believing her incredibly steady hand would ensure victory. She hadn't realized that in some situations, no matter how steady one's hand, it couldn't change the outcome.

Her heart had sunk when Ning Xiaoling pulled out that block. Now, the tower was barely standing; even a slight breeze could blow it over. How could it withstand any further movement?

Ning Xiaoling, confident of victory, breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled, "Master, why aren't you moving?"

A faint flush of annoyance crossed Lu Jiajia's face. She knew that losing would not only mean breaking sect rules and returning the key to Ning Xiaoling, but also, as a master, being defeated in such a simple game was incredibly humiliating.

What's more, someone else was watching. She could almost picture Ning Changjiu's subtle, teasing expressions whenever he forged swords for her in the future.

Without a word, Lu Jiajia finally identified a potentially safe block and slowly reached out her hand.

Ning Changjiu sighed softly. He knew perfectly well that removing that block would inevitably upset the balance. But suddenly, his heart tensed, and he sharply looked towards the door.

"Who is it now?"

Just as Ning Changjiu muttered, a knock sounded at the door.

Lu Jiajia and Ning Xiaoling exchanged glances. They had been so engrossed that they hadn't noticed someone standing outside the door.

Ning Changjiu went to open the door. His gaze dropped slightly, and he saw Lerou, petite and dressed in a skirt, a mocking smile on her face. He stood in the doorway, blocking the unwelcome guest, having guessed the reason for her presence. He calmly asked, "Can I help you?"