Mortal: I am the young sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect

Chapter 45 Wang Chan's First Setback

Seeing Yan Ruyan stand up, Su Mixin also stood up and stepped aside to move the tea table away from her.

"Senior brother, lower your head a little."

The girl's voice was soft and gentle, tinged with a hint of shyness.

She moved gracefully closer, tiptoed slightly, and carefully reached her delicate, slender fingertips to his ear, wanting to brush away the hair stuck in his temples and remove his mask.

The two were instantly brought extremely close, their noses almost touching.

The evening breeze wafted through the window, carrying her delicate fragrance, which lingered around Su Mixin.

Yan Ruyan focused intently on the edge of the mask, her breathing slowed gently, her warm breath lightly brushing against his chin, her delicate fingertips occasionally brushing against his earlobe, a ticklish sensation that was exceptionally clear.

The girl was completely focused, her body swayed slightly, and she almost lost her footing.

Su Mixin's gaze darkened slightly, a gentle warmth spreading across her eyes. She raised her hand and precisely covered the girl's slender, supple waist, gently pulling her close and firmly holding the swaying girl in front of her.

A cool, strong hand steadily supported her waist, and the girl's slender, soft body suddenly pressed close. The soft touch could be clearly felt through her thin clothes; her figure was slender and graceful, and could be grasped in one hand.

The next moment, he gently and restrainedly caressed her supple waist with his palm. The movement was tender and affectionate, without a trace of frivolity, yet it carried an alluring warmth. The delicate touch spread along her clothes, striking straight to her heart.

Suddenly embraced and gently caressed, Yan Ruyan froze instantly. She tiptoed and landed lightly on her feet, nestled in his arms.

A burning blush instantly spread from her cheeks to her ears and neck, even her slender shoulders flushed. The action of removing his mask just now completely stopped, her hands froze in mid-air, her fingertips slightly curled, completely unsure of where to put them, and she was so shy that she was almost at a loss.

Su Mixin paused slightly, but did not immediately let go. Her palm remained gently on Su Mixin's waist, and the tender caress slowly stopped, the force restrained and precious.

He looked down at her flushed eyes, a faint smile playing in his eyes, his voice low, magnetic, and intoxicatingly gentle: "Junior sister, be careful, stand firm."

As soon as he finished speaking, he freed his other hand, calmly raised it, and gently peeled off the edge of the mask with his fingertips.

The mask fell off, revealing a handsome, gentle face with clear features.

Moonlight streamed through the window, falling on his brows and eyes, stripping away his feigned aloofness and coldness, leaving only the pure, clean, gentle, and handsome features of a young man.

Yan Ruyan looked up in a daze, her eyes unexpectedly meeting his deep and gentle gaze.

My heartbeat suddenly became erratic, the pounding almost drowning out the evening breeze outside the window.

She was tense all over, not daring to move an inch, clearly feeling the lingering warmth on her waist. The faint warmth from the caress spread through her veins to her limbs and bones, making her feel hot all over, yet she craved this moment of peace and intimacy, unwilling to pull away even a little.

This intimate and warm touch made them both feel a little unable to resist.

The girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a light mist rose in her eyes. She was too shy to look directly into his deep eyes.

Su Mixin took in her adorable appearance, her ears turning red with shyness, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Her palm still lightly held her slender waist as she softly said, "I still look too ugly with the mask on."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyan nodded gently after a long while, her voice barely audible, with a slight, soft tremor: "Mmm... Senior Brother is very handsome."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that she had been too blunt and had lost her composure. She lowered her head even further, her cheeks burning, and she almost buried her face in her chest, feeling so ashamed that she wanted to disappear.

Su Mixin chuckled softly, her eyes filled with tenderness. She didn't tease her awkwardness, but slowly released her arms from her waist. She almost couldn't resist raising her hand to her nose to smell it, but thankfully she managed to hold back in time.

He picked up the tea in front of him and took a small sip, concealing his embarrassment and slightly toning down the lingering, ambiguous atmosphere from before. He softly instructed, "Tonight, there are undercurrents in Yanling Fortress. Wang Chan has already entered the fortress and will formally meet with your Yan family patriarch tonight to discuss matters."

"You are staying in the Shuyu Pavilion, protected by a high-level formation. Remember to stay inside and do not go out unnecessarily."

When the clan's important matters were mentioned, Yan Ruyan quickly suppressed the shyness surging in her heart, raised her eyes and nodded seriously, her eyes obedient and earnest: "I remember, the ancestor and Brother Xuan Ye have already instructed me that I will stay quietly in Shuyu Pavilion and will never go out to cause trouble."

Su Mixin felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at her well-behaved and sensible appearance.

His gaze swept over the furnishings in the room, and he slowly asked, "Junior Sister, do you have a Go set here?"

Yan Ruyan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, calmed the ripples in her heart, shook her head gently, and replied softly, "I'll have Zhiyan fetch a set."

"Then let's play a game of chess."

Su Mixin looked up at the deep night outside the window. "I feel a little down and don't want to go back. Can I stay here with my junior sister?"

The girl's heart skipped a beat, and a lingering sense of shyness slowly welled up inside her.

Yan Ruyan's eyes softened even more, and she responded softly.

Suddenly, a glint flashed in her eyes, revealing a hint of embarrassed confusion, and she stammered softly, "Senior brother... I actually don't know how to play chess."

Seeing this, Su Mixin's smile suddenly brightened, and she gently comforted her, "It's alright, then I'll teach you a simple new way to play, called Gomoku."

He spoke gently and patiently, explaining in detail: "The rules are simple and easy to understand. There's no need to comprehend complicated strategies. You just need to connect five pieces of the same color to win. It's the simplest and easiest game to learn, perfect for tonight's entertainment."

……

At midnight, in the main hall of Feiyun Pavilion, the highest point in Yanling Fortress, Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, sat arrogantly in the guest seat, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

Behind him stood two green-robed monks. One had white hair and a wrinkled face, as if he were already very old. The other had red lips and white teeth, and wore his hair in two buns, looking like a child.

Yan Yan, the patriarch of the Yan family with flowing red hair, slowly stepped into the hall. His gaze swept across the room and he immediately saw several of his own guards lying haphazardly in the center of the hall. His expression instantly darkened.

Both being young masters of major demonic sects, Wang Chan was far more arrogant and domineering than Su Mixin, who had visited a few days earlier and was so humble and polite. He looked down on everyone.

Su Mixin's previous assessment of Wang Chan now seems to have been accurate.

Yan Yan's gaze swept over the Li brothers behind Wang Chan, his heart unmoved. After all, Su Mixin had already given him a heads-up a few days ago that Wang Chan would be accompanied by two Core Formation stage protectors, which he had anticipated.

Seeing Yan Yan staring at them with a cold expression, the Li brothers were not afraid at all. Instead, they looked smug and chuckled softly.

Yan Yan raised his hand and clapped his hands lightly. Several black-clad servants immediately entered from outside the door and silently dragged all the unconscious guards off the hall.

Once the hall was quiet, Yan Yan looked up at Wang Chan and said in a detached tone, "So you are Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect?"

Beneath the mask, Wang Chan paused slightly, inwardly surprised: This remote little family in Yue Kingdom has actually heard of my name? A haughty smile curved his lips as he cupped his hands and replied, "This junior is indeed Wang Chan."

Yan Yan's expression grew increasingly cold: "The Ghost Spirit Sect has come from afar, specifically requesting to see me. What is their purpose? Please speak frankly."

"Since you're so straightforward, then I won't beat around the bush."

Wang Chan sat leisurely in the guest seat, looking directly at Yan Yan standing in front of him. He didn't move an inch, displaying absolutely no manners befitting a junior.

It should be noted that he was sitting in a guest seat, not the head seat, and therefore did not have any air of superiority.

"My father asked me to deliver a letter, and there were two words he wanted me to say to my elders in private."

Yan Yan frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny: "I have never met your father. The Yan family and the Ghost Spirit Sect are thousands of miles apart, and have never had any contact with each other. Even a letter is kept secret, let alone a private message. Are you deliberately playing a trick on me?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chan stood up, took out a jade slip from his storage bag, slowly stepped forward, and handed it over with one hand.

Yan Yan glanced at the other party's outstretched right hand, a cold smile playing on his lips. He reached out and took the jade slip, his tone still distant: "I'll read the letter later. Let's talk about those two words first."

Wang Chan sighed softly, then activated her divine sense to quietly transmit two sentences into Yan Yan's ears.

Yan Yan was stunned when he finished speaking.

Seeing his expression, Wang Chan assumed that he was shocked by the secret she had revealed, and felt quite pleased with herself.

Little did he know that Yan Yan's thoughts were churning at that moment, and he was experiencing a completely different situation.

"The Ghost Spirit Sect is indeed rotten to the core; the spies of the Thousand Illusions Sect have already infiltrated this place thoroughly."

Yan Yan pondered to himself, "Su Mixin had already anticipated all of Wang Chan's trump cards and tactics revealed today a few days ago, without the slightest error."

"He pretended to be cautious, thinking he could control me by using the name of the Yan family's ancestor. It's ridiculous."

"As Su Mixin said, the Ghost Spirit Sect was already ranked last among the six demonic sects. It was constantly vying for interests with the Spirit Control Sect and had offended the powerful Thousand Illusions Sect. The Blood Slaughter Sect was also watching it covetously."

"The sect is likely rife with internal conflicts, and its intelligence defenses are practically non-existent."

"This sect, so precarious in the face of adversity, is like a wrecked ship riddled with holes; its decline and eventual demise are only a matter of time. My Yan family must not be bound to it at this moment, lest we seek our own destruction."

Yan Yan composed himself, his face remaining impassive. He turned and sat down in the main seat, pretending to carefully examine the jade slip in his hand.

After a moment, he raised his head and spoke, his tone steady: "I understand the Ghost Spirit Sect's intentions. They want to recruit the Yan family and then arrange for Ruyan to become your Daoist partner and cultivate together. This matter concerns the survival and future of the entire Yan family, and it is not something I can decide alone. Tomorrow I will gather all the core members of the clan to discuss it, and then I will give you an answer."

"Besides, Ruyan has not yet returned to the fortress. Ultimately, her marriage will depend on her own consent."

Wang Chan was taken aback upon hearing this, her heart filled with impatience. The Yan family was still putting on airs? With the armies of the six demonic sects fully prepared and war imminent, how dare the Yan family make excuses and feign concern?

"Senior Yan, this matter cannot be delayed!"

Wang Chan's tone became more stern, "Our Demonic Alliance is already poised to strike, and the Yan family has very little time left to relocate and make a decision."

"I know the situation perfectly well," Yan Yan said without changing his expression. "But how can I make such a decision on a matter concerning the fate of the entire clan? We'll discuss everything after tomorrow's clan meeting."

Wang Chan stared intently at Yan Yan, and after a few breaths of confrontation, seeing that the other party's attitude was resolute and there was no room for him to back down, the expression under the mask became increasingly ugly.

"In that case, I, Wang, will come again tomorrow."

Having said that, Wang Chan said no more, turned around and strode towards the palace gate.

The Li brothers quickly followed behind. Before leaving, the strange man who looked like a child turned back and glared fiercely at Yan Yan. After letting out a cold snort, the group left Feiyun Pavilion completely.