On Xiao Xiao Peak, the silence was heavy and suffocating.
The treasures bestowed by the Sect Master lay quietly on the stone table in the courtyard. The "Purple Qi Dawning Robe" flowed with a faint, noble light, its defensive runes subtly shifting like constellations in a night sky. Beside it, the "Soul-Guarding Serenity Pendant," carved from a single piece of ethereal jade, pulsed with a gentle warmth that calmed the spirit.
To any other disciple in the Tianxuan Sect, these were symbols of supreme glory, a dream they wouldn't dare to imagine.
To Lin Fan, they were a death sentence.
He circled the stone table like a caged animal, his face a mask of profound despair. His usual lazy demeanor was gone, replaced by a frantic anxiety that made him look ten years older.
"This isn't a robe," he muttered, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and terror. "It's a target! A giant, shimmering, purple target that screams to the entire world, 'Look at me! I have treasures! I have status! Come and plot against me!'"
He pointed a shaky finger at the pendant. "And this thing! A 'Soul-Guarding Serenity Pendant'? More like a Soul-Binding Surveillance Device! The Sect Master's aura is all over it. From now on, every move you make, every breath you take, will be under his watch!"
Yue Qingqian, still dressed in the magnificent purple robe that felt more like a suit of armor, stood by, at a loss. She had returned in a daze, and now, seeing her Senior Brother's extreme reaction, her heart was filled with a growing sense of dread.
"But... Senior Brother," she said tentatively, her voice barely a whisper. "The Sect Master said... this is for protection. The Disciplinary Hall will now ensure my safety. Isn't this... safer than before?"
"Safer?" Lin Fan stopped pacing and stared at her, his eyes wide with disbelief, as if she had just asked if fire was cold.
"Junior Sister, you've completely missed the point!" he explained, his voice low and urgent. "The danger from the Blackwater Serpent Demon was an 'active' threat. It's visible, tangible. We see it, we deal with it, we hide from it. It's simple!"
"But this!" He waved his hand frantically at the treasures and the title she now bore. "This is a 'passive' threat! It's invisible, insidious! It's the jealousy of your peers, the schemes of the elders, the political games of the different factions! From this day forward, you are no longer an insignificant disciple from the Ninth Peak. You are a pawn, a valuable chess piece on the Sect's grand board! Every action you take will be scrutinized and interpreted. Do you understand? We've traded the freedom of being ignored for the gilded cage of being 'protected'!"
His words hit Yue Qingqian like a physical blow. She finally understood. The Disciplinary Hall's protection wasn't a gift; it was a leash. The title of "Quasi-Saintess" wasn't an honor; it was a spotlight that they could never turn off.
Her face turned pale. "Then... then what do we do, Senior Brother? Can I... can I refuse it? Give the treasures back?"
"Refuse?" Lin Fan let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Do you think you can refuse a 'gift' from the Sect Master? That would be an act of defiance, an insult! It would only bring us more trouble, more scrutiny. No... the die is cast. The script written by the damned Heavenly Dao has forced us into this corner."
He fell silent, his mind racing, processing every variable, every possible outcome. The despair in his eyes slowly receded, replaced by the familiar, cold, calculating light of a master strategist forced into a corner.
"We cannot retreat," he said, his voice regaining its composure. "So, we must adapt. The plan has not failed; it has simply evolved to a much higher difficulty level."
He walked over to Yue Qingqian and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Listen to me very carefully. From this moment on, your 'Dao-Obsessed Child' persona is no longer a temporary performance. It is your life. It is your only shield."
He began to lay out the new, upgraded strategy.
"First, embrace the role completely. You are not acting like a Dao-Obsessed genius anymore. You are one. You must live it, breathe it. Your interest in anything other than your esoteric 'Dao of Harmony' is zero. People, politics, treasures... they are all just boring 'ingredients' in your eyes. This eccentricity will be your best defense. It will make you unpredictable and difficult to scheme against."
"Second, utilize these shackles. Wear this robe and this pendant at all times. They are indeed powerful defensive treasures. Let them be our first line of physical defense while your 'acting' serves as our social defense. Let everyone see that you are so lost in your own world that you don't even comprehend the value of what you're wearing."
"Third, and most importantly, the 'Wool-Harvesting Plan' must change." Lin Fan's eyes gleamed with a cunning light. "Before, we could make subtle requests. Now, every request you make will be under a microscope. So, we do the opposite. We make our requests bizarre. Your need for materials must not stem from logical丹方 (dan fang - alchemy recipes), but from sudden, inexplicable flashes of 'inspiration' and 'enlightenment'."
He started to pace again, but this time with purpose. "For example, you won't ask for 'Thousand Illusion Orchid' to build an array. Instead, you will stare at a cloud for three days and then suddenly declare to your Master Liu that you have realized the 'color' of the cloud's harmony is missing, and only by 'listening' to the scent of the Thousand Illusion Orchid can you complete your new 'symphony of scents'! Your requests must be so abstract and nonsensical that no one can refute them, because they can't even understand them!"
This was a high-risk, high-reward strategy. It relied entirely on everyone, especially Liu Changqing and the Sect Master, being completely convinced of her unique nature.
Lin Fan stopped in front of her once more. His expression was a mixture of grim determination and a teacher's hope.
"The game has changed, Junior Sister. We are no longer hiding in the shadows. We are now hiding in plain sight, under the brightest spotlight. Your performance must be flawless."
Yue Qingqian looked at the purple robe, at the jade pendant, and then at her Senior Brother's determined face. The fear in her heart slowly transformed into a steely resolve.
She was no longer just a disciple learning to survive. She was the lead actress in the most dangerous play in the world, with the fate of their quiet life resting solely on her shoulders.
"I understand, Senior Brother," she said, her voice firm and clear. "I will not fail."