The Destiny Villainess Wants Me To Work!

Chapter 290: Wu Haruto’s Promise!

Wu Haruto’s gaze shifted toward Su Mo.

"What about you?"

Su Mo smiled faintly, his expression remaining calm and polite.

"My thoughts are the same as Qingxi’s."

The answer was expected.

In truth, neither of them had any interest in joining a sect like the White Moon Sect. From Su Mo’s perspective, the only thing here that had managed to attract even a trace of curiosity was the existence of the Pishachas. Aside from that, there was little worth paying attention to.

Once he dealt with the person hiding in the shadows and resolved the matter of the mysterious attacker, he intended to take Ye Chen and leave this place together with Yang Qingxi. There was no reason for him to remain here any longer than necessary.

Wu Haruto’s expression darkened ever so slightly.

As the Sect Master of the White Moon Sect, he had personally extended an invitation, yet both of them had rejected him without hesitation. No matter how calm he appeared on the surface, it was difficult not to feel that he had lost face.

For a fleeting moment, the urge to simply throw the two of them out of the sect flashed through his mind.

Fortunately, reason prevailed.

The Ancestor needed these two.

Compared to the sect’s future, his pride was insignificant.

Wu Haruto had not reached his current position by allowing emotions to dictate his decisions.

After a brief silence, he nodded.

"Fine. I respect your wishes."

Song Meilin couldn’t hide her surprise.

She had expected Wu Haruto to continue persuading them. At the very least, she thought he would make another attempt to recruit such talented young cultivators.

Instead, he had backed down immediately.

That alone felt unusual.

Wu Haruto continued speaking.

"However, you are still guests of the White Moon Sect."

His tone gradually became colder.

"And you were attacked within our sect’s territory."

A trace of fury appeared on his face.

"This matter is not only an attack against you. It is also a slap in the face of the White Moon Sect."

His voice grew heavier.

"And a slap in my face as Sect Master."

Despite the anger visible in his eyes, he appeared to be suppressing it deliberately.

Looking at Su Mo and Yang Qingxi, he spoke with certainty.

"I promise that I will find the attacker and bring you justice."

Neither Su Mo nor Yang Qingxi particularly cared about his grand declaration.

Whether justice was served or not was secondary.

The important thing was finding the culprit.

Still, Wu Haruto’s offer only worked in their favor, so there was no reason to reject it.

Yang Qingxi nodded.

"Thank you, Sect Master Wu."

Su Mo also cupped his fists.

"Many thanks for your assistance."

Wu Haruto accepted their gratitude with a stoic expression.

"Please follow me. I may have a method of tracing the attacker."

The moment those words were spoken, both Su Mo and Yang Qingxi looked at him.

Their surprise was quickly followed by suspicion.

Yang Qingxi spoke first.

"If you have a way to find the attacker, why do we need to come with you?"

Wu Haruto immediately understood the source of their caution.

After everything that had happened, it would be stranger if they trusted him without question.

"It involves one of the White Moon Sect’s inherited treasures."

His voice remained calm.

"I cannot reveal the details, but there are certain requirements for activating it."

Su Mo glanced toward Yang Qingxi.

The latter immediately understood what he was asking.

A familiar notification sounded in her mind.

[Ding! Consumed 10 Luck Points!]

[Hostility Index Activated.]

[Target: Wu Haruto.]

[Hostility Level: 5.]

[Comment: He is somewhat displeased that you rejected his invitation. However, the sect currently needs your help, so he has no intention of driving you away. He sincerely wishes to help you locate the attacker and use this favor as leverage when requesting your assistance later.]

Yang Qingxi silently read the information.

A hostility level of five was practically harmless.

It was little more than mild annoyance.

If Wu Haruto truly intended to harm them, the value would have been much higher.

After a moment, she gave Su Mo a reassuring look.

Seeing her reaction, Su Mo relaxed slightly.

At least on the surface, nothing seemed wrong.

Yet the strange uneasiness lingering in his heart refused to disappear.

His Insight ability had been warning him since earlier.

The sensation was vague.

Difficult to describe.

Almost like a faint itch that couldn’t be scratched.

Was the warning related to the hidden attacker?

That seemed to be the most logical explanation.

After all, there was already someone secretly targeting them.

If his instincts sensed danger, it was natural to associate it with that person.

Su Mo could only suppress his doubts for now.

Whatever the truth was, following Wu Haruto seemed to be the fastest way to uncover it.

Just as everyone prepared to leave, Wu Haruto suddenly turned toward Song Meilin.

"Elder Song."

Song Meilin looked over.

"I need you to assemble all the elders in the sect hall."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I don’t want anyone absent."

Song Meilin was visibly surprised.

Normally, such tasks would be handled by the Sect Master’s personal guards.

There was no reason to involve her.

Seeing her confusion, Wu Haruto explained.

"We don’t know who the attacker is."

His expression remained serious.

"If news spreads that we’re gathering everyone to investigate the culprit, the attacker may become alerted and escape."

He paused briefly.

"You are the person I trust most not to betray our guests."

"Therefore, it is best if you handle this matter."

Su Mo nearly rolled his eyes.

There were so many flaws in that explanation that he didn’t even know where to begin.

Anyone with half a brain could tell what Wu Haruto was really doing.

The man simply didn’t want Song Meilin accompanying them and had hastily created an excuse.

Whether the excuse was convincing or not apparently wasn’t important.

Fortunately, Su Mo didn’t care.

Song Meilin’s presence or absence wouldn’t significantly affect the situation.

Her cultivation was still too low.

Even if things truly went wrong, she wouldn’t be able to influence the outcome much.

Unless she somehow broke through to the Golden Core Realm overnight.

More importantly, Su Mo had already determined Wu Haruto’s cultivation.

Golden Core Level Nine.

The same level as Yang Qingxi’s granduncle.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, he should be capable of dealing with him.

Song Meilin also understood the hidden meaning behind Wu Haruto’s words.

Her eyes sharpened.

"It doesn’t need to be so complicated, Sect Master."

She spoke calmly.

"The messengers can simply inform everyone that unusual activity has been detected among the Pishachas."

"The meeting can be declared mandatory."

Wu Haruto’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had not expected Song Meilin to reject his arrangement so directly.

A trace of displeasure flashed across his face.

His original intention had been simple.

He didn’t want Song Meilin learning about the Ancestor.

Unfortunately, this woman seemed much more stubborn than he had anticipated.

After several moments of silence, Wu Haruto finally nodded.

"Very well."

"We’ll do it your way."

A nearby guard was summoned.

Wu Haruto issued the necessary instructions and ordered the meeting notices to be delivered.

Song Meilin understood perfectly well that she had offended the Sect Master.

Under normal circumstances, she would have been far more cautious.

Today, however, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

What happened last night had shaken her deeply.

For the first time in years, she found herself questioning the people around her.

The powerful figures she had worked alongside for decades no longer felt trustworthy.

More importantly, Su Mo and Yang Qingxi had been entrusted to her care.

If something happened to them while they were under her protection, how could she face Qingyun in the future?

The thought alone made her unwilling to compromise.

Without wasting further time, Wu Haruto led everyone toward the study.

Upon entering, he walked directly toward a bookshelf and activated a concealed mechanism.

A low rumbling sound echoed through the room.

The floor slowly shifted.

A hidden staircase emerged beneath the study.

Song Meilin’s eyes widened.

She had entered this room countless times over the years.

Yet she had never discovered the existence of such a secret passage.

A strange feeling rose in her chest.

The White Moon Sect was a place where she had lived for decades.

And yet, at this moment, it suddenly felt unfamiliar.

How many secrets had been hidden from her?

How many things existed beneath the surface that she knew nothing about?

Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Wu Haruto.

The Sect Master remained expressionless as always.

Su Mo and Yang Qingxi were also somewhat surprised, though neither of them paid it much attention.

What truly caught Su Mo’s attention was something else entirely.

As the hidden staircase opened, a dense wave of energy drifted upward from the darkness below.

His eyebrows rose slightly.

Extreme yin energy.

The concentration was astonishing.

It felt as though the depths beneath the White Moon Sect concealed something soaked in countless years of cold and death.

The sensation immediately put him on guard.

Wu Haruto stepped toward the entrance.

"Follow me."

His voice echoed softly into the darkness.

"And watch your steps."

Without hesitation, he descended the staircase.

The others exchanged brief glances before following behind him.

One after another, they disappeared into the hidden passage beneath the White Moon Sect.