“ láo xīn zhě zhì rén ， wèi shī dāng nián zuò zhè cè zhèn táng shǒu xí de shí hòu ， kě méi yǒu xiàng nǐ zhè bān chī lì guò 。”
“劳心者治人，为师当年做这策阵堂首席的时候，可没有像你这般吃力过。”
"Those who toil in thought govern others. When I was the Chief of this Strategy Array Hall, I never had it so hard as you do now."
“ yào xué huì fàng quán 。”
“要学会放权。”
"You must learn to delegate authority."
lǐ fán zhūn zhūn gào jiè dào 。
李凡谆谆告诫道。
Li Fan advised earnestly.
rú jīn de lù xī chán nǎ lǐ hái gǎn fǎn bó ， zhǐ dé lián lián diǎn tóu chēng shì 。
如今的陆溪婵哪里还敢反驳，只得连连点头称是。
Lu Xichan, where she dared not argue back, could only nod repeatedly in agreement.
zhú wū zhī zhōng duǎn zàn de chén mò 。
竹屋之中短暂的沉默。
Silence briefly filled the bamboo house.
ér hòu lǐ fán chén yín yī fān ， shì shì zuò le shén me jué dìng 。
而后李凡沉吟一番，似是做了什么决定。
Then Li Fan pondered for a moment and seemed to make a decision.
líng kōng yī zhǐ ， cháo zhe lù xī chán é tóu diǎn qù 。
凌空一指，朝着陆溪婵额头点去。
He pointed his finger into mid-air and aimed it at Lu Xichan's forehead.
zhè běn lái jí jù wēi xié 、 rèn hé xiū shì dū huì xià yì shí fǎn kàng de zhāo shì ， jīng guò lǐ fán nà sān biān yǐ jí zhēn shí yòu guǒ de niǔ qū rèn zhī zhī xià ， lù xī chán jìng rán shì lián dīng diǎn fǎn kàng de fǎn yìng dōu méi yǒu 。
这本来极具威胁、任何修士都会下意识反抗的招式，经过李凡那三鞭以及真实诱果的扭曲认知之下，陆溪婵竟然是连丁点反抗的反应都没有。
This was an extremely threatening move that any cultivator would instinctively resist. But after Li Fan's three whips and the distorted perception of the True Result, Lu Xichan showed no hint of resistance as she bore the impact of his finger.
shēng shēng chéng shòu le lǐ fán zhè yī zhǐ 。
生生承受了李凡这一指。
Afterward...
ér hòu ……
而后……
Over a thousand array formations she had never seen before, far beyond her current comprehension, suddenly appeared in Lu Xichan's mind.
shàng qiān zhǒng cóng wèi jiàn guò de 、 yuǎn chāo tā rú jīn suǒ néng lǐ jiě de bù tóng zhèn fǎ ， dùn shí chū xiàn zài lù xī chán de nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
上千种从未见过的、远超她如今所能理解的不同阵法，顿时出现在陆溪婵的脑海中。
She hesitated for a moment before exclaiming: "Master, this..."
lèng le piàn kè zhī hòu ， lù xī chán měng dì tái tóu ：“ shī zūn ， zhè shì ……”
愣了片刻之后，陆溪婵猛地抬头：“师尊，这是……”
Her voice was weak with excitement.
yǒu xiē xū ruò de shēng yīn zhōng mǎn shì jīng xǐ 。
有些虚弱的声音中满是惊喜。
Li Fan snorted coldly. "If you continue to be so unremarkable, even if I let you study alone, you might not achieve anything until your end."
lǐ fán lěng hēng yī shēng ：“ nǐ zhè ge bù chéng cái de yàng zi ， ruò zhǐ shì ràng nǐ bì mén zào chē ， kǒng pà zhí dào nǐ yǔn luò le yě nán chéng dà qì 。”
李凡冷哼一声：“你这个不成才的样子，若只是让你闭门造车，恐怕直到你陨落了也难成大器。”
"These array formations are new discoveries of mine over the years. They have progressed significantly from when I faked my death. It's time to stop researching them."
“ zhè xiē zhèn fǎ nǎi shì wèi shī zhè xiē nián xīn de shōu huò ， bǐ qǐ dāng nián jiǎ sǐ zhī shí ， yòu yào jīng jìn bù shǎo 。 gòu le yán jiū yī zhèn le 。”
“这些阵法乃是为师这些年新的收获，比起当年假死之时，又要精进不少。够了研究一阵了。”
Lu Xichan knew the value of these array formations and felt a surge of joy and gratitude. She quickly bowed in thanks: "Thank you, Master for your gift."
lù xī chán zì rán shì zhī dào zhè xiē zhèn fǎ de jià zhí de ， xīn zhōng dùn shí yǒng qǐ yī zhèn xǐ yuè yǐ jí gǎn jī ， lián máng xiàng lǐ fán kòu shǒu bài xiè ：“ duō xiè shī zūn shǎng cì 。”
陆溪婵自然是知道这些阵法的价值的，心中顿时涌起一阵喜悦以及感激，连忙向李凡叩首拜谢：“多谢师尊赏赐。”
"Xuan Sushe..." Li Fan ignored Lu Xichan and turned his gaze toward Xuan Sushe.
“ xuán sù shang ……” lǐ fán méi yǒu lǐ cǎi lù xī chán ， ér shì zhuǎn tóu kàn xiàng xuán sù shang 。
“玄素裳……”李凡没有理睬陆溪婵，而是转头看向玄素裳。
"Lady, I am here," Xuan Sushe replied hastily.
“ wǎn bèi zài 。” xuán sù shang lián máng shuō dào 。
“晚辈在。”玄素裳连忙说道。
"Your matter..." Li Fan began slowly.
“ nǐ liǎng zhī shì ……” lǐ fán huǎn huǎn kāi kǒu 。
“你两之事……”李凡缓缓开口。
Both Xuan Sushe and Lu Xichan's breaths paused as they listened.
xuán sù shang yǐ jí lù xī chán wén yán ， hū xī jù shì dùn shí yī zhì 。
玄素裳以及陆溪婵闻言，呼吸俱是顿时一滞。
"Now that the situation is set in stone, since you two are mutually attracted, I cannot stop it."
“ rú jīn mù yǐ chéng zhōu ， nǐ men yòu shì liǎng qíng xiāng yuè ， wǒ yě bù hǎo zǔ zhǐ 。”
“如今木已成舟，你们又是两情相悦，我也不好阻止。”
"Xichan has a naturally lazy nature. Without someone to urge her on, she might still end up with the same fate..."
“ xī chán tiān xìng xiè dài ， ruò shì shēn biān méi yǒu rén biān cè 、 jiān dū ， kǒng pà rì hòu hái shì nán táo tóng yàng de mìng yùn ……”
“溪婵天性懈怠，若是身边没有人鞭策、监督，恐怕日后还是难逃同样的命运……”
Li Fan handed over a golden whip formed from divine soul energy: "This whip is for you. Whenever you find Xichan slacking off, use it as punishment in my stead!"
lǐ fán shuō zhe ， jiāng shǒu zhōng nà gēn yóu shén hún lì liàng zǔ chéng de jīn sè zhǎng biān líng kōng dù le guò qù ：“ cǐ biān jiù shǎng cì gěi nǐ ， rì hòu fán shì fā xiàn xī chán yǒu xiè dài zhī shí ， jiù dài tì wǒ lái xíng fá ！”
李凡说着，将手中那根由神魂力量组成的金色长鞭凌空渡了过去：“此鞭就赏赐给你，日后凡是发现溪婵有懈怠之时，就代替我来行罚！”
"Xichan, do not resist! Do you understand?" Li Fan stared directly at her.
“ xī chán ， nǐ bù kě zǔ dǎng ！ kě zēng míng bái ？” lǐ fán shuāng mù zhí shì 。
“溪婵，你不可阻挡！可曾明白？”李凡双目直视。
Lu Xichan's body trembled again and she whispered: "Disciple understands."
lù xī chán shēn qū zài dù wēi wēi yī chàn ， dī shēng dào ：“ tú ér míng bái 。”
陆溪婵身躯再度微微一颤，低声道：“徒儿明白。”
Xuan Sushe took the dark golden whip with both hands. She was stunned but also excited.
xuán sù shang shuāng shǒu jiē guò àn jīn sè zhǎng biān ， liǎn shàng yǒu xiē lèng zhù 、 yòu yǒu xiē jīng xǐ 。
玄素裳双手接过暗金色长鞭，脸上有些愣住、又有些惊喜。
She secretly glanced at Lu Xichan, unsure what to think as a flush appeared on her cheeks.
tōu tōu kàn xiàng lù xī chán ， bù zhī dào xiǎng dào le shén me ， liǎn jiá yòu fú xiàn yī mǒ hóng sè 。
偷偷看向陆溪婵，不知道想到了什么，脸颊又浮现一抹红色。
Finally, she bowed in gratitude after being reminded by Li Fan.
ér hòu hái shì zài duì fāng de tí xǐng xià ， zhè cái xiàng lǐ fán kòu shǒu xiè ēn 。
而后还是在对方的提醒下，这才向李凡叩首谢恩。
"Having settled this matter, I will depart first."
“ cǐ jiān shì le ， wǒ jiù xiān xíng lí qù le 。”
“此间事了，我就先行离去了。”
---
“ zhì yú zhè zhú hǎi zhōng de làn tān zi ……”
“至于这竹海中的烂摊子……”
"About the mess here..."
bù děng lǐ fán kāi kǒu ， lù xī chán jiù lián máng shuō dào ：“ shī zūn fàng xīn ， wǒ zì huì chǔ lǐ 。”
不等李凡开口，陆溪婵就连忙说道：“师尊放心，我自会处理。”
Lu Xichan hurriedly said without waiting for Li Fan's permission: "Master, rest assured. I'll handle it."
dùn le piàn kè ， lù xī chán yóu yù le huì ， zhè cái xiǎo shēng shuō dào ：“ cǐ qù shī zūn xiǎo xīn ……”
顿了片刻，陆溪婵犹豫了会，这才小声说道：“此去师尊小心……”
After a brief pause, Lu Xichan hesitated and whispered: "Be careful on your journey, Master..."
lǐ fán xiào le xiào ， xià yī kè shēn yǐng yǐ jīng chū xiàn zài tiān kōng zhī shàng 。
李凡笑了笑，下一刻身影已经出现在天空之上。
Li Fan smiled as his figure appeared in the sky.
“ qū qū wēi xiǎo jié nàn ， yòu qǐ néng shāng dào wǒ ？”
“区区微小劫难，又岂能伤到我？”
"A mere minor tribulation cannot harm me?"
“ bù guò tú ér xīn yì ， wèi shī dǎo shì xīn lǐng le 。 hā hā hā ……”
“不过徒儿心意，为师倒是心领了。哈哈哈……”
"But my disciple's intentions are appreciated by this teacher. Hahaha..."
yǔ bì ， qì xī yǐ jīng xiāo shī zài zhè zhè piàn zhú hǎi dòng fǔ zhōng 。
语毕，气息已经消失在这这片竹海洞府中。
With that said, his presence vanished from within the bamboo forest cave.
xuán sù shang hé lù xī chán zhēng zhēng de kàn zhe tiān kōng 。
玄素裳和陆溪婵怔怔的看着天空。
Xuan Sushe and Lu Xichan stared at the sky, their minds still reeling from what had just happened. It felt like a lifetime in an instant.
zhè tū wù zhī jiān fā shēng de shì qíng ， zhǐ rú mèng huàn 。 bú dào yī tiān de shí jiān ， liǎng rén jiù xiàng shì guò qù le xiǎo bàn bèi zi zhè me jiǔ 。
这突兀之间发生的事情，只如梦幻。不到一天的时间，两人就像是过去了小半辈子这么久。
Their gazes met for a long time before Xuan Sushe spoke: "Since we've made our choice, there's no use regretting it now."
liǎng rén mù guāng jiāo zhī ， liáng jiǔ zhī hòu ， hái shì yóu xuán sù shang kāi kǒu ：“ jì rán yǐ jīng zuò chū jué zé ， rú jīn hòu huǐ yě wú yòng le 。”
两人目光交织，良久之后，还是由玄素裳开口：“既然已经做出抉择，如今后悔也无用了。”
"But..."
“ bù guò ……”
“不过……”
"The dispute over the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror might not affect us at all."
“ tiān xuán jìng zì shēn zhī zhēng ， shuō bù dìng zuì zhōng yě yǐng xiǎng bú dào wǒ men 。”
“天玄镜自身之争，说不定最终也影响不到我们。”
Lu Xichan nodded: "But let's not spread this incident outside..."
lù xī chán diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ bù guò fā shēng zài zhè lǐ de shì qíng ， hái shì bú yào wài zhuàn cái hǎo ……”
陆溪婵点了点头：“不过发生在这里的事情，还是不要外传才好……”
Her gaze fell on the whip in Xuan Sushe's hands. Her breathing became slightly erratic.
tā de mù guāng piē xiàng le xuán sù shang shǒu zhōng de zhǎng biān ， qì xī dǒu rán yòu biàn dé yǒu xiē wěn luàn qǐ lái 。
她的目光瞥向了玄素裳手中的长鞭，气息陡然又变得有些紊乱起来。
---
……
……
Outside the bamboo forest, Li Fan released his subordinates and companions who had been subdued, and they set off towards the location of the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror's incarnation.
zhú hǎi zhī wài 。
竹海之外。
However, both Lin Ling and Baihua Dao Ren looked at him with a strange expression.
jiāng yuán běn yǐ jīng zhèn yā de pú cóng nǚ xiū ， yǐ jí shuò fēng quán dōu fàng huí ， lǐ fán yī xíng zhèng cháo zhe tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn suǒ zài dì gǎn qù 。
将原本已经镇压的仆从女修，以及朔锋全都放回，李凡一行正朝着天玄镜分身所在地赶去。
Only Little Brother Tianyang remained unaffected as usual.
zhǐ shì bǎi huā dào rén yǐ jí lín líng kàn xiàng lǐ fán de mù guāng ， yǒu xiē gǔ guài 。
只是百花道人以及林灵看向李凡的目光，有些古怪。
They had seen everything that happened in the bamboo house.
wéi yǒu xiǎo shī dì tiān yáng ， bù yǐ wéi qí 、 yī rú cóng qián 。
唯有小师弟天阳，不以为奇、一如从前。
The commotion was so great that it would have been hard to ignore even if they tried.
zhú lóu zhōng fā shēng de nà yí mù mù chǎng jǐng ， zì rán bèi tā men kàn zài yǎn zhōng 。
竹楼中发生的那一幕幕场景，自然被她们看在眼中。
"If this kind of power were on me... " Lin Ling's fear for Li Fan deepened.
shì shí shàng ， nà me dà de dòng jìng ， jiù suàn tā men xiǎng yào bù zhù yì ， yě shì yǒu diǎn kùn nán 。
事实上，那么大的动静，就算她们想要不注意，也是有点困难。
"Worthy of being a High Messenger, both manipulating hearts and governing subordinates are at their peak. No wonder he caught the True Immortal's attention. Among those who survived in the various realms back then, none had such abilities." Baihua Dao Ren thought to herself.
“ ruò shì zhè děng shǒu duàn ， luò zài wǒ de shēn shàng ……” lín líng xīn zhōng duì lǐ fán de wèi jù gèng tiān jǐ fēn 。
“若是这等手段，落在我的身上……”林灵心中对李凡的畏惧更添几分。
Li Fan paid no mind to their speculations.
“ bù kuì shì shàng shǐ ， wú lùn shì wán nòng rén xīn 、 hái shì yù xià zhī shù ， dōu yǐ rán dēng fēng zào jí le 。 nán guài néng bèi zhēn xiān kàn zhòng ， dāng nián zhū jiè xìng cún de nà qún rén zhōng ， yě méi yǒu zhè bān de ba 。” bǎi huā dào rén zé shì àn zì gǎn tàn zhe 。
“不愧是上使，无论是玩弄人心、还是御下之术，都已然登峰造极了。难怪能被真仙看中，当年诸界幸存的那群人中，也没有这般的吧。”百花道人则是暗自感叹着。
What he did was merely leaving a contingency plan behind.
lǐ fán méi yǒu zài yì zhè liǎng rén de hú sī luàn xiǎng 。
李凡没有在意这两人的胡思乱想。
After all, Xuan Sushe and Lu Xichan held significant positions within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Even if they couldn't compare to Law Transmitters, they were certainly high-ranking officials.
tā gāng gāng suǒ wèi ， bù guò shì wèi le liú gè hòu shǒu bà le 。
他刚刚所为，不过是为了留个后手罢了。
But Li Fan wasn't truly aligned with the True Heaven Sect or Mok Rabin. He had his own unique secrets.
bì jìng xuán sù shang yǐ jí lù xī chán ， zhè liǎng wèi nǚ xiū zài wàn xiān méng zhōng de dì wèi zhe shí bù suàn dī 。
毕竟玄素裳以及陆溪婵，这两位女修在万仙盟中的地位着实不算低。
It was better for certain matters to have a separate path.
jiù suàn bǐ bù shàng chuán fǎ zhě ， què yě jué duì néng suàn de shàng gāo céng tǒng zhì le 。
就算比不上传法者，却也绝对能算的上高层统治了。
---
dàn lǐ fán bì jìng bú shì zhēn de xuán tiān jiào fǎ wáng 、 gēn mò rú bīn yī tiáo xīn ， hái zhēn zài shēn 、 tā yǒu zhe zì jǐ dú tè de zhū duō mì mì 。
但李凡毕竟不是真的玄天教法王、跟墨儒斌一条心，还真在身、他有着自己独特的诸多秘密。
Through those three whips, Li Fan believed that even if there were flaws in the lie of the True Result, it could be temporarily overlooked due to this highly impactful event.
yǒu xiē shì hái shì yǒu zì jǐ dān dú de tú jìng wèi hǎo 。
有些事还是有自己单独的途径为好。
Whenever she thought of Master Li, the first thing that would come to mind would be those three whips...
tōng guò gāng gāng nà sān biān ， lǐ fán xiāng xìn jiù suàn zhēn shí yòu guǒ biān zhī de huǎng yán yǒu lòu dòng ， yě néng zài zhè jí jù chōng jī de shì jiàn yǎn yìng xià 、 zàn shí hū lüè guò qù 。
通过刚刚那三鞭，李凡相信就算真实诱果编织的谎言有漏洞，也能在这极具冲击的事件掩映下、暂时忽略过去。
Given Lu Xichan's nature, she couldn't possibly remain calm.
zhǐ yào huí xiǎng qǐ lǐ fán zhè wèi shī zūn ， nǎo hǎi zhōng shǒu xiān fú xiàn de shì qíng jiù shì nà sān biān ……
只要回想起李凡这位师尊，脑海中首先浮现的事情就是那三鞭……
The reason for teaching her over a thousand array formations was merely to increase the credibility of the fabricated memories and to give punishment while offering comfort.
yǐ lù xī chán de xìng gé ， jué duì shì wú fǎ xīn píng qì hé de 。
以陆溪婵的性格，绝对是无法心平气和的。
As for later giving the golden whip to Xuan Sushe...
ér zhī suǒ yǐ yòu jiāng shàng qiān zhǒng zhèn fǎ chuán shòu gěi tā ， bù guò shì wèi le zēng jiā biān zào jì yì de kě xìn dù ， yǐ jí dǎ gè bā zhǎng 、 gěi gè hóng zǎo ， yǐ zuò ān fǔ bà le 。
而之所以又将上千种阵法传授给她，不过是为了增加编造记忆的可信度，以及打个巴掌、给个红枣，以作安抚罢了。
It was both to monitor their every move as it was an alternative form of his presence.
zhì yú hòu lái bǎ jīn sè zhǎng biān cì yǔ xuán sù shang ……
至于后来把金色长鞭赐予玄素裳……
Additionally, it would help delay the moment when this lie was eventually exposed.
yī shì wèi le jiān shì èr nǚ de yī jǔ yī dòng ， bì jìng zhǎng biān shì yòng tā de shén hún lì liàng huà chéng ， děng tóng yú lìng lèi de fēn shēn 。
一是为了监视二女的一举一动，毕竟长鞭是用他的神魂力量化成，等同于另类的分身。
Li Fan knew exactly what would happen after Xuan Sushe received that golden whip and had the authority to supervise and punish her.
èr lái ma ， yě shì wèi le jǐn liàng tuō yán huǎng yán zuì zhōng bèi chuō pò de shí xiàn 。
二来嘛，也是为了尽量拖延谎言最终被戳破的时限。
She would surely be enamored by it and find no joy in anything else.
lǐ fán zěn me kě néng bù zhī dào ， dāng xuán sù shang dé le zhè jīn sè zhǎng biān zhī hòu ， tā gēn lù xī chán liǎng rén zhī jiān huì fā shēng xiē shén me ？
李凡怎么可能不知道，当玄素裳得了这金色长鞭之后，她跟陆溪婵两人之间会发生些什么？
For quite some time, these two female cultivators would have to stay within this bamboo forest.
yóu qí shì tā huán gěi le míng zhèng yán shùn de “ jiān dū 、 chéng fá ” zhī quán 。
尤其是他还给了名正言顺的“监督、惩罚”之权。
"The less they are seen at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, the lower the risk of exposure."
dìng rán shì shí suǐ zhī wèi 、 lè bù sī shǔ le 。
定然是食髓知味、乐不思蜀了。
This was Li Fan's calculation.
rú cǐ yī lái ， jiē xià lái xiāng dāng zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān ， liǎng wèi nǚ xiū dōu yào zài zhè zhú hǎi zhōng dù guò le 。
如此一来，接下来相当长一段时间，两位女修都要在这竹海中度过了。
All other matters were not as they seemed on the surface.
“ yuè shǎo zài wàn xiān méng zǒng bù ， lòu xiàn de fēng xiǎn jiù yuè xiǎo 。”
“越少在万仙盟总部，露馅的风险就越小。”
His attention returned to Xuan Sushe's transmission regarding the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror's incarnation.
zhè jiù shì lǐ fán de suàn jì 。
这就是李凡的算计。
"Taking on a human form and traveling through the Heavens and Earths."
qí tā zhǒng zhǒng ， jiē bú shì biǎo miàn kàn shàng qù de nà bān 。
其他种种，皆不是表面看上去的那般。
"Changing appearances and identities endlessly, finding it delightful."
sī xù shōu shù ， lǐ fán de zhù yì lì yòu jí zhōng zài le xuán sù shang chuán dì yǒu guān tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn de xìn xī shàng 。
思绪收束，李凡的注意力又集中在了玄素裳传递有关天玄镜分身的信息上。
"Suspecting it of enlightenment..."
“ huà shēn fán rén ， biàn yóu xuán huáng 。”
“化身凡人，遍游玄黄。”
"Interesting."
“ měi měi biàn huàn róng mào 、 shēn fèn ， lè cǐ bù pí 。”
“每每变幻容貌、身份，乐此不疲。”
Li Fan's eyes sparkled as he sped up towards the location where the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror's incarnation had appeared recently.
“ huái yí shì zài wù dào ……”
“怀疑是在悟道……”
In Flowing Light State, a human city named Wei Du.
“ yǒu yì si 。”
“有意思。”
Soon enough, they arrived at their destination.
lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng ， jiā kuài sù dù ， cháo zhe tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn zuì jìn chū xiàn de dì diǎn fēi qù 。
李凡目光闪动，加快速度，朝着天玄镜分身最近出现的地点飞去。
"The Demon-Devil Fog lives up to its name. I've only heard of it before; I never saw it with my own eyes."
liú guāng zhōu ， yī zuò míng wèi wēi dōu de fán rén chéng chí 。
流光州，一座名为威都的凡人城池。
"Now that I'm here, the mere sight fills me with disgust," Baihua Dao Ren sighed.
"Those who toil in thought govern others. When I was the Chief of this Strategy Array Hall, I never had it so hard as you do now."
"You must learn to delegate authority."
Li Fan advised earnestly.
Lu Xichan, where she dared not argue back, could only nod repeatedly in agreement.
Silence briefly filled the bamboo house.
Then Li Fan pondered for a moment and seemed to make a decision.
He pointed his finger into mid-air and aimed it at Lu Xichan's forehead.
This was an extremely threatening move that any cultivator would instinctively resist. But after Li Fan's three whips and the distorted perception of the True Result, Lu Xichan showed no hint of resistance as she bore the impact of his finger.
Afterward...
Over a thousand array formations she had never seen before, far beyond her current comprehension, suddenly appeared in Lu Xichan's mind.
She hesitated for a moment before exclaiming: "Master, this..."
Her voice was weak with excitement.
Li Fan snorted coldly. "If you continue to be so unremarkable, even if I let you study alone, you might not achieve anything until your end."
"These array formations are new discoveries of mine over the years. They have progressed significantly from when I faked my death. It's time to stop researching them."
Lu Xichan knew the value of these array formations and felt a surge of joy and gratitude. She quickly bowed in thanks: "Thank you, Master for your gift."
"Xuan Sushe..." Li Fan ignored Lu Xichan and turned his gaze toward Xuan Sushe.
"Lady, I am here," Xuan Sushe replied hastily.
"Your matter..." Li Fan began slowly.
Both Xuan Sushe and Lu Xichan's breaths paused as they listened.
"Now that the situation is set in stone, since you two are mutually attracted, I cannot stop it."
"Xichan has a naturally lazy nature. Without someone to urge her on, she might still end up with the same fate..."
Li Fan handed over a golden whip formed from divine soul energy: "This whip is for you. Whenever you find Xichan slacking off, use it as punishment in my stead!"
"Xichan, do not resist! Do you understand?" Li Fan stared directly at her.
Lu Xichan's body trembled again and she whispered: "Disciple understands."
Xuan Sushe took the dark golden whip with both hands. She was stunned but also excited.
She secretly glanced at Lu Xichan, unsure what to think as a flush appeared on her cheeks.
Finally, she bowed in gratitude after being reminded by Li Fan.
"Having settled this matter, I will depart first."
---
"About the mess here..."
Lu Xichan hurriedly said without waiting for Li Fan's permission: "Master, rest assured. I'll handle it."
After a brief pause, Lu Xichan hesitated and whispered: "Be careful on your journey, Master..."
Li Fan smiled as his figure appeared in the sky.
"A mere minor tribulation cannot harm me?"
"But my disciple's intentions are appreciated by this teacher. Hahaha..."
With that said, his presence vanished from within the bamboo forest cave.
Xuan Sushe and Lu Xichan stared at the sky, their minds still reeling from what had just happened. It felt like a lifetime in an instant.
Their gazes met for a long time before Xuan Sushe spoke: "Since we've made our choice, there's no use regretting it now."
"But..."
"The dispute over the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror might not affect us at all."
Lu Xichan nodded: "But let's not spread this incident outside..."
Her gaze fell on the whip in Xuan Sushe's hands. Her breathing became slightly erratic.
---
Outside the bamboo forest, Li Fan released his subordinates and companions who had been subdued, and they set off towards the location of the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror's incarnation.
However, both Lin Ling and Baihua Dao Ren looked at him with a strange expression.
Only Little Brother Tianyang remained unaffected as usual.
They had seen everything that happened in the bamboo house.
The commotion was so great that it would have been hard to ignore even if they tried.
"If this kind of power were on me... " Lin Ling's fear for Li Fan deepened.
"Worthy of being a High Messenger, both manipulating hearts and governing subordinates are at their peak. No wonder he caught the True Immortal's attention. Among those who survived in the various realms back then, none had such abilities." Baihua Dao Ren thought to herself.
Li Fan paid no mind to their speculations.
What he did was merely leaving a contingency plan behind.
After all, Xuan Sushe and Lu Xichan held significant positions within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Even if they couldn't compare to Law Transmitters, they were certainly high-ranking officials.
But Li Fan wasn't truly aligned with the True Heaven Sect or Mok Rabin. He had his own unique secrets.
It was better for certain matters to have a separate path.
---
Through those three whips, Li Fan believed that even if there were flaws in the lie of the True Result, it could be temporarily overlooked due to this highly impactful event.
Whenever she thought of Master Li, the first thing that would come to mind would be those three whips...
Given Lu Xichan's nature, she couldn't possibly remain calm.
The reason for teaching her over a thousand array formations was merely to increase the credibility of the fabricated memories and to give punishment while offering comfort.
As for later giving the golden whip to Xuan Sushe...
It was both to monitor their every move as it was an alternative form of his presence.
Additionally, it would help delay the moment when this lie was eventually exposed.
Li Fan knew exactly what would happen after Xuan Sushe received that golden whip and had the authority to supervise and punish her.
She would surely be enamored by it and find no joy in anything else.
For quite some time, these two female cultivators would have to stay within this bamboo forest.
"The less they are seen at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, the lower the risk of exposure."
This was Li Fan's calculation.
All other matters were not as they seemed on the surface.
His attention returned to Xuan Sushe's transmission regarding the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror's incarnation.
"Taking on a human form and traveling through the Heavens and Earths."
"Changing appearances and identities endlessly, finding it delightful."
"Suspecting it of enlightenment..."
"Interesting."
Li Fan's eyes sparkled as he sped up towards the location where the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror's incarnation had appeared recently.
In Flowing Light State, a human city named Wei Du.
Soon enough, they arrived at their destination.
"The Demon-Devil Fog lives up to its name. I've only heard of it before; I never saw it with my own eyes."
"Now that I'm here, the mere sight fills me with disgust," Baihua Dao Ren sighed.