Chapter 31: The Name of the One in Black

The side hall of the Steward Pavilion was noticeably quieter than it had been days before. The trial at the Sword Abyss had ended, and the returning disciples lined up here, weariness etched on their faces, mingling with joy or worry as they handed in their findings and exchanged them for contribution points.

The air was tinged with the faint scent of blood, dust, and a silence that followed the ordeal.

Bai Yue Ning stood midway in the line, head lowered, breath concealed, blending into the stream of disciples like a drop of water into a brook, utterly unremarkable.

Even the longsword wrapped in gray cloth across her back was silent and still, appearing as nothing more than ordinary iron.

“Tsk tsk, look at this lot—each one looks like they’re returning from a disaster,” Ye Ming’s voice sounded in her mind, carrying the lazy satisfaction of one well-fed and rested.

“We’re the real winners here: ate well, slept well… well, I didn’t sleep, but I’m in top form anyway!”

Bai Yue Ning didn’t reply, simply observing her surroundings in silence.

Her gaze swept over familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, listening to their conversations, especially fragments about their experiences in the valley.

That cold, watchful gaze she’d felt in the stone cave still lingered in her mind, leaving her uneasy.

The line edged forward slowly, with whispers from disciples ahead drifting back intermittently.

“…Such bad luck. Just found a Three-Sun Grass and it got snatched away by a Wind Fiend…”

“Be grateful you made it out alive. I heard several died in the Beta Zone, and even more in the Gamma Zone…”

“That’s right. Senior Brother Wang’s team ran into an Iron-Devouring Ant swarm, barely got back…”

“By the way, did any of you see Senior Brother Zhu? He went into the Beta Zone too, and he looked pretty grim when he came out. Did he come out empty-handed?”

The mention of “Senior Brother Zhu” made Bai Yue Ning’s ears twitch slightly.

She recalled that among the inner disciples, few bore the surname Zhu.

Those disciples continued their hushed conversation, voices dropping lower, tinged with caution.

“Hush… not so loud. You dare discuss Senior Brother Zhu Yu?”

“You know how he is—his heart’s as narrow as a needle.”

“Seeing his sour expression, he must’ve had a tough time in there. If you cross him now, you’re asking for trouble.”

“That’s true… But with his strength and background, who could possibly make things difficult for him?”

“Who knows? Maybe he just didn’t find what he was looking for.”

“He’s got high standards. Ordinary things don’t interest him, especially with his uncle…”

The rest of their words faded, hinting at topics best left unspoken.

But words like “Zhu Yu,” “narrow-minded,” “background,” and “uncle” sketched a rough outline.

Zhu Yu. Bai Yue Ning silently repeated the name in her heart.

Was it him? The dark-robed inner disciple who watched from outside the stone cave?

“It's almost certainly him, no doubt about it!” Ye Ming instantly followed her train of thought, his tone exuding distaste. “Judging by their description and his sneaky behavior before, he’s definitely no good!”

It was Bai Yue Ning’s turn at the counter.

The steward disciple behind the counter was the same tall, slender youth as before. He took her identity jade token and the materials she handed over—several decent but unremarkable beast parts and ores.

The good stuff had all been consumed by Ye Ming; these materials were what she’d gathered along the way.

The steward counted everything, skillfully credited her with two hundred contribution points, and paused briefly, asking in a routine manner:

“Did your trial go well, Sister Bai? Nothing out of the ordinary?”

Her heart tensed, but her expression remained calm. “Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. It went well enough—just encountered some common beasts, escaped by luck.”

The steward nodded, asked nothing more, and handed her jade token back.

As Bai Yue Ning took the token and turned to leave, her peripheral vision caught a figure passing the screen at the entrance to the inner hall.

Black inner disciple robes, tall and lean, with a hard, cold profile. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, Bai Yue Ning instantly recognized him as the one who’d watched from outside the stone cave.

He seemed to be speaking quietly with a steward inside, brows furrowed, a trace of impatience and gloom in his expression.

“It’s him!” Ye Ming tensed. “That’s him—I’d recognize that sneaky look anywhere, even if he were reduced to ashes!”

Bai Yue Ning quickly pulled her gaze away, never breaking stride, acting as though she’d seen nothing, walking calmly outward.

She sensed a cold gaze linger briefly on her back, scrutinizing, but not overly interested.

A mere outer disciple—hardly enough to draw his attention, at least on the surface.

Stepping out of the Steward Pavilion, the afternoon sunlight was sharp, but Bai Yue Ning felt no warmth.

She didn’t return to her lodgings, instead circling behind the pavilion to a secluded corner of the stone terrace where disciples often rested.

She sat down quietly, appearing to meditate but in truth listening intently.

This was a prime spot for gathering information, as disciples often exchanged news here.

As expected, within moments, familiar voices began whispering nearby, quickly turning to the just-ended trial and its notable figures.

“…Senior Brother Zhu Yu seems truly angered this time. He went straight to the inner hall, probably investigating something.”

“What else could he be looking for? Must be that ‘item’ he wanted. He said before entering Sword Abyss that he was determined to get it.”

“What could be so important to him?”

“No clue, but it must be something extraordinary. Too bad for anyone who accidentally took it—won’t end well for them.”

“Who’d dare? But then, Senior Brother Zhu’s uncle is Elder Zhu from the Discipline Hall, and Zhu himself is an elite of the inner academy—who would risk provoking him?”

“If he sets his sights on you, life in the inner sect won’t be easy…”

The nephew of a Discipline Hall elder, an inner academy elite, narrow-minded and vengeful, searching for an item he’s determined to possess.

Fragmented information began to coalesce.

Bai Yue Ning slowly opened her eyes, calm within, but with a cold gleam flickering in their depths.

Trouble had come, and not small trouble.

“A Discipline Hall elder’s nephew? No wonder he’s so arrogant!” Ye Ming spoke with sudden realization, then grew spirited: “But who cares! We didn’t steal or rob—he was the one who sent the item right into our bowl!”

“He wants it? Let him cry into a pile of rocks—we’re not afraid of him now.”

Bai Yue Ning rose, dusted off her clothes, and walked down the mountain.

Ye Ming’s bravado could not dispel the heaviness in her heart.

Zhu Yu, with his deep background and sinister temperament, had clearly begun to suspect the unusual events in the valley.

He might not yet focus his attention on her—just a “common” outer disciple—but if his investigation turned up nothing, he could well revisit every suspicious clue.

A storm was brewing.

She needed to grow stronger, and to be even more cautious.