“Our guide, Martial Uncle Lu, is a progeny disciple of Punishment Peak. Why don't we tell him directly?”
Jiang Yao wiped his eyes, his voice choked with uncontrollable sobs.
He didn't know why his emotions were so overwhelming.
He simply couldn't stop thinking about his parents who had died on the battlefield, and the Emperor’s face as he discarded them after they had served their purpose, hunting them down to the last man.
He felt heartache for his friend, but also for the injustice and pain he had suffered himself.
It was like that plate of cold bitter melon on the night the news of the disaster reached the border.
Bit by bit, the bitterness spread from his mouth to his heart.
He no longer had parents.
Just like the royal death-sworn who had been lying in wait around the Jiang Manor—they had disguised themselves as enemy soldiers and slipped into the estate under the cover of night.
The capital was at the Emperor’s feet; how could there have been so many enemy soldiers?
They could disguise their clothes, but they couldn't hide the martial skills of royal death-sworn.
Because those death-sworn had been trained for the Emperor by the Jiang family for generations.
Treachery reigned while loyal officials fell.
There were inescapable shadows and endless pursuits.
There was no longer any place for him in the mortal realm.
He propped his right elbow on the table, covered his eyes with his palm, and let out a trembling breath.
“I have two better candidates in mind.”
Mu Chenze pressed Jun Luo back into his seat and handed Jiang Yao a handkerchief.
“Perfected Person Shen and Perfected Person Shu are secretly escorting us by the sect's order. The matter of that old Daoist concerns our safety for the rest of the journey, so we must inform them. They are both at the Golden Core stage, so their cultivation and experience are far beyond ours, and they know many powerful cultivators within the sect.”
“Most importantly, according to Ningyun, that old Daoist’s cultivation is unfathomable and his identity is unknown. Although Martial Uncle Lu is a progeny disciple of Punishment Peak, he hasn't been cultivating for very long and is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. If we tell him, there’s a chance we might end up dragging him into this. The two Perfected Persons are right here with us; it’s better to tell them directly. Not only can we explain things more clearly than through a transmission, but we can also hear what Golden Core experts think.”
Gu Ningyun’s emotions had stabilized significantly. She sat up from Wen Xuan’s embrace. “That would be more appropriate.”
The group calmed themselves and used the Cleaning Technique to tidy their appearances.
Once everything was ready, Gu Ningyun used her divine sense to access her identity jade token. She first added Shen Banxi and Shu Ziming from the sect directory to her friend list, then sent a message to Shen Banxi.
Though she didn't know which corner the two were hiding in, they were certainly nearby.
Gu Ningyun of Qixia Peak: Senior, is it convenient for you and Perfected Person Shu to come to Cabin 16? We have something important to ask, and it concerns the safety of our journey.
Gu Ningyun of Qixia Peak: Or, if you tell us where you are, we can come to you.
Shen Banxi was already monitoring his identity jade token, keeping an eye on the aftermath of the Missing Person Notice.
He saw Gu Ningyun’s message as soon as it arrived.
Shen Banxi of Spirit-Attuning Peak: Don't panic. We're coming over now.
Not long after the message arrived, there was a knock at the cabin door.
Gu Ningyun opened it to find two Foundation Establishment cultivators standing there. Their features were so ordinary they lacked even a single distinguishing trait; no matter how hard one looked, it was impossible to remember them.
One of the cultivators winked at Gu Ningyun, and Shen Banxi’s voice rang in her ears, “You’re not seeing things. These two plain-looking Foundation Establishment guys are us.”
Gu Ningyun then stepped aside to let them in.
After she closed the door, the spirit energy around the two men fluctuated for a moment, and they returned to their original forms.
Seeing the children’s wide eyes, Shu Ziming didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
“This is a disguise technique that can mask a person’s appearance and aura. Your seas of consciousness have only just opened and are too fragile. No matter how much you admire it, you can't learn it yet.”
Who was admiring it?
The five were speechless.
However, Shu Ziming’s joke lightened the atmosphere in the cabin considerably.
Jiang Yao’s expression also softened, and he managed a smile.
Shu Ziming and Shen Banxi shared a subtle look, both breathing a sigh of relief.
Shen Banxi then spoke slowly, “What happened?”
Gu Ningyun recounted the experience she had shared with her friends and informed them of her plan to report it to Punishment Peak.
As soon as she finished, Shu Ziming nodded repeatedly. “You did the right thing. I know Martial Nephew Lu fairly well. Don't be fooled by his carefree exterior; he’s actually very responsible and values loyalty deeply. If someone offends someone he cares about, he’ll charge in with his sword regardless of the enemy's strength. People call him the Stubborn Donkey Sword Cultivator. He is your guide and holds you in high regard. If he knew about this, he would likely ignore the elders' warnings and personally involve himself in the investigation. This matter sounds incredibly deep; it’s best to keep it from him.”
Shen Banxi spent a few moments working with his identity jade token. “I have reported this to Punishment Peak. The Peak Master, Daoist Lord Yi Kong, takes this very seriously and will lead the investigation herself.”
Only a cultivator at the Soul Transformation stage could be honored with the title of Daoist Lord.
Daoist Lord Yi Kong was the Peak Master of Punishment Peak, one of the Four Great Main Peaks of Xiaoyao. Her strength was well-known, being at the late Soul Transformation stage. Aside from those reclusive experts and supreme elders, someone of her strength was one of the few top-tier existences in the entire cultivation world. Among the Peak Masters and elders of the 108 floating peaks of Xiaoyao, her strength ranked in the top three.
Gu Ningyun was stunned. “To think this would trouble Daoist Lord Yi Kong to take action herself!”
Since Gu Ningyun was directly involved and the other four were witnesses, Shen Banxi decided to reveal a little more after some thought.
“Not just anyone knows how to perform a spirit root transplant. The methods of this old Daoist resemble someone the sect has been tracking. Whether it is actually him still needs to be verified in secret.”
Seeing the five growing more confused, Shen Banxi went silent for a moment and didn't explain further.
“Ningyun, the relevant high-level members of the sect have taken over this matter. If there is news about your background or a decision regarding the Gu family of Yanlin Town’s plot against you, Punishment Peak will notify you first. This matter runs deep, and that old Daoist might be involved in a great conspiracy. You are only at the Qi Refining stage right now and can't do anything, so do not go looking for trouble yourself.”
He glanced at the other four in the cabin. “And that goes for the rest of you little ones too. Do you understand?”
Only when the five nodded repeatedly, clearly taking his words to heart, did Shen Banxi’s expression soften.
He patted Gu Ningyun’s bald head, which had grown a bit of stubble, and spoke in a gentle tone.
“Children shouldn't worry about so much. Ningyun, what you need to do now is cultivate well and grow up well. No matter what happens, no matter what grievances you suffer, the sect is behind you. The sect will always have your back, do you understand?”
Gu Ningyun felt a warm current flowing through her body, making her heart feel heavy and sour.
It was only when Wen Xuan squeezed her left hand that she recovered.
“I understand, Senior.”
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