"I see. Many thanks for your guidance, Peak Lord."
"From now on, be sure to treat Mo Yue with proper respect."
"Rest assured, Peak Lord. You need not worry about that. We all hold great respect for Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ's strength."
Meanwhile, Jian Dan had returned to Mo Ying Peak and was now seated beneath the peach blossom trees outside her residence, having already dispelled the defensive formation.
Her four sharp-eyed attendants quickly approached, offering fresh spirit fruits and newly brewed peach blossom tea.
"Zhūnzhǔ, do you require anything else?"
"No. Is Gong Yi around?"
"Zhūnzhǔ, I am here."
Gong Yi appeared and saluted respectfully.
"What are your instructions, Zhūnzhǔ?"
"For this upcoming mission to the Ming Valley, have the personnel been finalized?"
"Yes. Twenty volunteers from Mo Ying Peak will accompany you. All are at late-stage or peak Nascent Soul, and their responsibilities have already been reassigned."
This time, when Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ returned, her killing aura was more restrained, far less terrifying than before.
"As for the cultivators from the Tang clan and their affiliates who will be accompanying us, Mo Zhang Zhūnzhǔ has stated, 'Let them survive by their own ability.' You need not concern yourself with them specially."
Jian Dan tapped the table lightly, signaling that she understood.
"Very well. Got it."
"Zhūnzhǔ, Mo Yi has come to see you."
"Let him in."
The attendant acknowledged her order, and shortly after, Mo Yi was brought in.
"Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ, this was sent by order of the Palace Master. It is a defensive immortal artifact bestowed upon you by Mo Yàn Zhēnzūn."
He presented a box carved from obsidian, roughly thirty centimeters wide and fifty long, holding it with both hands as he offered it to her.
Jian Dan didn't open it. She simply waved her hand and stored it away.
"Understood. I'll thank the Palace Master personally."
Once Mo Yi had left, Jian Dan returned to the topic she'd been discussing with Gong Yi.
"This time, the entire 'Gong' unit will accompany me into battle. Any objections?"
A flicker of joy crossed Gong Yi's fierce features.
"None at all. We will follow your command."
"Good. Go report to the Black Robe Guard, restock your supplies, and be ready to depart at a moment's notice."
"Yes, Zhūnzhǔ!"
After Gong Yi left, Jian Dan suddenly recalled something and turned to her attendants.
"Where's Ying Luo?"
The four exchanged looks. The eldest, Ying Fěi, stepped forward and answered.
"Zhūnzhǔ, Ying Luo resigned from the position of chief steward after receiving punishment. He then returned to his clan."
Jian Dan didn't look surprised. She hadn't forced him to bear the guilt for his daughter and had even spared his life. That was mercy enough. Still, with the rift now between them, continued cooperation would have been difficult.
"That won't do. A peak as large as Mo Ying can't be without a chief steward."
"Zhūnzhǔ, the new Ying Luo steward has already arrived."
"Summon him. We haven't met yet."
"Yes. Right away."
Not long after, the new steward of Ying Luo hurried in to greet her.
"Subordinate pays respects to Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ!"
Jian Dan looked him over. The new steward was a composed middle-aged man, cultivation at peak Nascent Soul and nearly at Divine Transformation. His stern expression suggested reliability and competence.
"You've worked hard."
"It's already been a full day since I returned, yet why hasn't Mo Ying Peak handed me any affairs to deal with?"
The question was light, even casual, but for a moment, the air itself seemed to freeze.
Everyone present had the same thought ringing in their minds:
"When has our Peak Lord ever handled peak affairs?"
Jian Dan noticed the silence and pointed at one of the attendants.
"You've been with me the longest. You answer."
Ying Fěi stammered for a while before squeezing out a sentence.
"I have followed Zhūnzhǔ the longest, and since you took up this position, I have not once seen you manage any peak affairs..."
He immediately stepped back and dared not say more.
Jian Dan touched her nose and fell into brief contemplation. She did recall, vaguely, that after assuming leadership of the peak, she had completely replaced the staff like harvesting weeds. After that, she'd simply let them run things while she reaped the results. Come to think of it, she really hadn't handled a single affair herself.
"Looks like I have a discerning eye. By appointing the capable, each of you has fulfilled your role, which lets me, as Peak Lord, relax."
"Zhūnzhǔ is wise."
"Ying Luo, has anything troublesome cropped up lately?"
"Reporting to Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ, everything is functioning smoothly. There are no pressing issues at the moment."
"Good. Then continue your efforts. I'll be taking Gong Yi and the others on a sect mission soon. Prepare the escorting personnel in advance."
"Yes, I'll see to it."
With everything arranged, Jian Dan spent a leisurely afternoon beneath the peach blossoms, sipping tea and listening to music played by her attendants. For once, she allowed herself a moment of genuine relaxation.
The Next Day, Main Hall of Tianmo Peak
As Jian Dan stepped into the hall, she could immediately sense that the atmosphere was off.
A male cultivator with a rather bland face stood in the center. The moment he saw her enter, his gaze turned condescending.
Jian Dan ignored him completely, instead offering a calm salute to Palace Master Mo Lié. She didn't speak, clearly waiting to see who would break the silence first.
It was Mo Lié who eventually opened his mouth.
"Mo Yue, this is Tang Shouye of the Tang clan, at Void Refinement. He has long heard of your name and wanted to witness your magic weapon's power. He meant no harm when he blocked your path. It was simply a misunderstanding."
Tang Shouye frowned slightly at the Palace Master's words, then gave Jian Dan a perfunctory cupped-hand salute.
Jian Dan gave him only a fleeting glance. She didn't even bother to return the gesture. Her voice was soft and sweet, but her words made both Mo Lié and Mo Zàng furrow their brows.
"I see. If it was just a misunderstanding, then we can clear it up. If he wanted to see what my magic weapon could do, he should have just sent me a challenge letter."
As she spoke, a black battle invitation with the Manjushahua sigil, unique to Mo Yue, floated lazily toward Tang Shouye.
He reached out to take it, but at the same moment, a second invitation appeared—one etched in deeper black: a life-and-death challenge.
"You may as well accept this 'life-and-death challenge' too."
Jian Dan's voice was cold and flat. This time, she didn't bother concealing the killing intent radiating off her.
That brutal aura she had accumulated in the Ming Valley now centered entirely around Tang Shouye. It was so concentrated it almost took physical form, like thin blades scraping against his skin.
Only now did Tang Shouye feel the danger. He tried to raise his defensive barrier, but it was too late. He could already sense that near-invisible blade pressing against his throat.
"Mo Yue Zhūnzhǔ, I haven't accepted your challenge yet!"
"I know. It wasn't meant for you anyway."
Jian Dan looked at his disheveled appearance with clear satisfaction and withdrew her killing intent.
"What is the meaning of this? Are you toying with me?"
"Just sending a message. Kindly deliver these two invitations to the Unity-stage elder who ambushed me that day. Tell them that Mo Yue awaits them at any time and welcomes their guidance."
"You—"
Tang Shouye was stunned. He hadn't expected her to see through the deception. Now he couldn't think of a better excuse.
"Your Tang clan is amusing. You provoke me for no reason. But fine, if you want to be enemies, so be it. That said, shouldn't you at least learn who I am before picking a fight?
I despise those who attack from the shadows. If you have the strength, then face me head-on. No matter which of you accepts these invitations, I'll be waiting.
But I don't like being constantly targeted by others, so..."
With a flick of her fingers, Jian Dan tore a gash through space itself.