Senior brother, are you unaware?

"Is there a cave behind the waterfall?" Zhou Yan replied without a moment's hesitation.

Both were stunned. Lin Jiuge was shocked that her senior brother, a direct disciple of the sect leader, was unfamiliar with the sect's own topography. Zhou Yan was shocked that his junior sister knew about a cave behind the waterfall when he, who had been here all along, did not!

After a brief discussion, they decided that since they already had plenty to worry about, a little adventure would only add to the excitement. They reached a unanimous agreement: they would go exploring.

"Junior sister, let's go." Zhou Yan felt a surge of excitement. They were within the sect grounds, yet he was about to explore an uncharted location. Still, a doubt lingered in his mind: this was right outside their uncle's courtyard—could the elders really be unaware of it?

"Not yet," Lin Jiuge shook her head. "Senior brother, we can't just leave like this. We need to bring supplies."

Lin Jiuge opened a cabinet and pulled out a string of storage bags.

"Food, water, seasonings, clothing, medicine, talismans for cold and heat, array disks, and empty storage bags—all these must be prepared." Zhou Yan thought she was having second thoughts, but instead, Lin Jiuge began reciting a checklist. With every bag she pulled out, she added a new item, neatly organizing everything into a single storage pouch. The junior sister had everything perfectly planned.

"Junior sister, since we're within the sect, is it really necessary to be this well-prepared?" Zhou Yan swallowed the word "exaggerated" and replaced it with "thorough."

"One must be prepared at all times. It's best if we don't end up needing them, but what if we do? You never know whether tomorrow or an accident will arrive first." Lin Jiuge spoke with great sincerity. Just like her and Jiuci—who could have imagined she would end up here, becoming an apprentice? As she thought of this, she took a deep breath. Should she go prepare some poison?

Though he didn't quite understand her reasoning, Zhou Yan followed her lead. Once they were packed, they ran into the bored Lin Jiuci. Thinking that they were within the sect and both possessed identification badges, the risk was low, so they decided to bring her along.

"Junior sister, where exactly is the cave behind the waterfall?" Zhou Yan observed the waterfall where he had been practicing for years, truly unable to spot any sign of a cave.

"There." Handing Lin Jiuci to Zhou Yan, Lin Jiuge drew her golden sword and slashed. The waterfall parted, revealing a cave large enough for an adult, located exactly one-third of the way up.

Zhou Yan was stunned. He had been in the sect for ten years and practiced at this very spot constantly, yet his junior sister had discovered a cave he never noticed!

"How do we get in?" Lin Jiuge asked. They could not yet fly in mid-air; sword flight required one to fully transcend the mortal realm.

"Simple." Zhou Yan took Lin Jiuci back from Lin Jiuge, pulled a miniature cloud from his storage bag, and infused it with energy. The cloud rapidly expanded into a large, fluffy platform.

"Junior sister, Fuzai, come up." Zhou Yan jumped on first and beckoned the sisters.

Lin Jiuge examined it carefully; it wasn't just a model after all. Lin Jiuci, meanwhile, was fascinated by the toy turning into something so large.

"It's a real cloud!" Lin Jiuci clapped her hands happily.

"Let's go." Zhou Yan maneuvered the cloud toward the cave entrance. Lin Jiuge sat with rigid composure, while Lin Jiuci was brimming with joy.

"Junior sister, there's no need to sit so stiffly. Senior brother won't let you fall," Zhou Yan teased, sensing her tension.

"It is fine," Lin Jiuge replied woodenly. She had never realized she was afraid of heights! It wasn't an extreme phobia, but she needed time to adjust, and during that time, it was best not to talk to her!

The three of them arrived at the entrance in a tense silence. Zhou Yan used a spell to carve out a path suitable for his height, and they passed through quickly, after which the waterfall returned to its original form. Lin Jiuge marveled as she walked; she had learned yet another practical use for magic!

***

Elsewhere, the three brothers, Li Yun, sat together discussing the topic of elite disciples fulfilling sect missions.

"That girl Jiuge doesn't have the perspective of a mere child," the Sect Leader said, his tone filled with admiration and envy. As one of the only two people in the sect leader's lineage to have an apprentice, he used to be the one envied; now, he was the one doing the envying!

"Indeed, but she is truly just a girl. Her bone age is correct, and there are no signs of soul possession," Li Yun confirmed.

"I must say, even we hadn't thought of her line of reasoning," the Enlightenment Venerable remarked with a sigh.

"It must have to do with her background. Most sect disciples come from affiliated clans; those recruited from the mortal world have limited vision. Jiuge is an exception. I truly like this exception. Senior brothers, I’ve checked on our junior disciples," the Sect Leader paused.

"Their cultivation grows weaker with each generation. They only know how to seclude themselves for bitter training, their practical combat experience is terrifyingly weak, yet they make more demands than anyone else. If this continues, the sect's future is grim." A silence fell over the room.

"I will send word to the leaders of other sects and clan heads. I am wondering who exactly proposed that elite disciples should only focus on cultivation," the Sect Leader continued. What a vicious scheme. Once their generation ascended, they could clearly imagine the fate awaiting the sect.

"This game they are playing is very subtle. We were assimilated without even realizing it. But when you connect the dots, it is a grand scheme, and we have been quietly annexed by the other side," the Enlightenment Venerable grew more serious as he analyzed, even breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Regarding our enemies, we have only one response: Ten Swords drawn, great chaos begins," Li Yun said, uncharacteristically serious.

"The gathering of the Ten Swords is an inevitable trend, but the opponent has endured to lay out such a massive scheme, turning us into pawns without our knowledge." That was the most terrifying part.

"Two senior brothers, I suspect there is a mole within the sect," the Sect Leader didn't finish his sentence; he dipped his finger in water and wrote two words, which quickly vanished.

"Stay calm for now. Since the junior brother wants to spread this, let's treat it as a good deed. Someone will eventually show their true colors."

"True. Even if the mastermind doesn't appear, we can at least cut off some of their limbs," Li Yun said, his expression particularly cold.

"Our lineage is difficult to infiltrate, but the same cannot be said for the others." Because of their sect's unique techniques, their lineage was hard to compromise, but it was unclear whether the other branches had become riddled with holes.

"By the way, we've been talking for so long—Jiuge is practicing her sword, A-Yan is practicing his strikes, but where is Fuzai?" The Sect Leader asked, suddenly wondering about the toddler.

"Isn't Fuzai with Jiuge?" The mention of little Lin Jiuci softened the serious atmosphere.

"Is she at the back mountain? No, she's not," Li Yun checked with his divine sense. He scanned the rest of the courtyard—no sign of her.

"She must have gone somewhere else," the Enlightenment Venerable suggested.

"Even if Jiuge and A-Yan are out, what about Fuzai?" Li Yun asked the critical question. The toddler was only two years old, and Jiuge never took Jiuci out. So, the question remained: where was Lin Jiuci?