Chapter 151: Lost Contact

Lin Lin Bu Fan was fairly satisfied with his life at Jiushan Sect.

There was no fighting, killing, or hiding in fear, and he could even eat cheap Yellow Sprout Rice, making his life much more comfortable than before.

Early in the morning, he walked out of the small courtyard where Zheng Fa used to live and headed toward the valley.

His newly acknowledged Young Master, Zheng Fa, was now staying at Zhang Shijie's home.

But since Lin Lin Bu Fan was originally from the Mo Sect, living at Zhang Shijie's house would easily invite gossip, so Zheng Fa had placed him in this courtyard instead.

He felt this was quite good; living alone in a courtyard was more comfortable.

On the way, he encountered those patrol disciples who had previously chased him; the looks they gave him were rather strange—subtly guarded, yet not without apprehension.

Being guarded was only to be expected.

After all, he had previously been a member of the Great Zizaimo Sect.

But as for that apprehension...

Lin Lin Bu Fan couldn't help but glance in the direction of Zhang Shijie's courtyard; it was all because of his new master, surely.

The longer he stayed at Jiushan Sect, the more he understood the influence of the name Zheng Fa within the sect.

Come to think of it, he had truly latched onto a powerful backer; at least within Jiushan Sect, no one dared to bully him openly anymore.

For him, this was already enough—as a captive who had surrendered his soul seal, with life and death no longer in his own hands, what else could he expect?

Lin Lin Bu Fan's most extravagant dream nowadays was simply to live well, cultivate diligently, and seize any opportunity to avenge his uncle.

As for other matters.

Ever since his uncle died.

And after he realized that Jiushan Sect was no paradise.

Lin Lin Bu Fan felt he shouldn't expect too much.

Especially regarding Zheng Fa...

When Lin Lin Bu Fan arrived at Zhang Shijie's home, Zheng Fa was in Zhang Shijie's study, holding a brush and drawing back and forth on paper.

On the table, there was also a small, shallow round dish.

The dish contained fresh blood.

Zheng Fa's eyes flickered with silver light, immersed in the fresh blood within the dish.

Lin Lin Bu Fan's mood was somewhat complicated.

After all, the fresh blood in that dish was all his own...

This was also the reason he felt he shouldn't expect too much from Zheng Fa—this person was even more like a Mo Sect disciple than he was.

Lin Lin Bu Fan stood silently in the corner of the study, saying nothing.

After a long while, Zheng Fa slowly raised his head, looked at Lin Lin Bu Fan, nodded, and said, "You're here? Earlier, while you were recovering from your injuries, I didn't have time to ask you. What exactly is the situation with the Great Zizaimo Sect?"

Lin Lin Bu Fan fell silent for a moment before opening his mouth to say, "Actually, I can't explain it clearly myself."

"Hmm?"

"I grew up in a village where everyone had the surname Lin..." Lin Lin Bu Fan had no intention of hiding anything; after all, he had already submitted to Zheng Fa, and concealment would bring no benefit: "At that time, I knew nothing about the Great Zizaimo Sect."

"So you joined the Great Zizaimo Sect later?"

"Yes, after I reached Foundation Establishment, someone came to the village and brought my uncle and me to serve the Young Master... that is, Lin Yangtian. Only then did I learn about our reputation here in the Xuanwei Realm."

Zheng Fa nodded.

"So, you don't know where you grew up?"

"Correct; when I left, I had no consciousness. Later, I heard that the place where I grew up was a secret ground of our clan."

"... Then what about the strength of the Great Zizaimo Sect?"

Lin Lin Bu Fan shook his head again and said, "My cultivation level is too low; it's difficult for me to understand the true strength of the sect. I haven't even been to the real Great Zizaimo Sect. However, Lin Yangtian once said that only upon reaching the Golden Core Stage does one count as a formal disciple of the Holy Sect."

Zheng Fa nodded, his tone containing some speculation: "Then what cultivation technique do you practice?"

"My main practice is a technique called 'Mysterious Nether Art'; it is a Water-element cultivation technique," Lin Lin Bu Fan explained. "Additionally, we must also cultivate a secret transmission of the sect called the 'Zizai Sutra'."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa looked at the talisman paper covered in symbols and diagrams, saying, "So, the 'Zizai Sutra' is the fundamental cultivation technique of the Great Zizaimo Sect?"

"Yes," Lin Lin Bu Fan nodded. "Rumor has it that the 'Zizai Sutra' can communicate with the Holy Ancestor to aid our cultivation. The deeper one's bloodline, the more miraculous the 'Zizai Sutra' becomes. There are also many secret methods—'Heavenly Demon Shadow Severing' is recorded within the 'Zizai Sutra'."

Zheng Fa pressed his lips together, looking at the talisman diagrams on the desk, seemingly lost in thought.

"Can I see the 'Zizai Sutra'?" Zheng Fa asked.

"Of course, though I only possess the portion covering up to before Foundation Establishment."

Lin Lin Bu Fan said respectfully.

"Young Master!"

A voice interrupted Zheng Fa's reverie; looking up, he saw Han Qi and the other two approaching.

Zheng Fa glanced at the three who had just entered, then suddenly said to Lin Lin Bu Fan, "The spiritual talismans in this blood have dissipated; give me a little more later."

"... Yes."

Lin Lin Bu Fan twitched the corner of his mouth and lowered his head.

It was still the same old story; he had already surrendered his soul seal.

What else could he expect?

Just staying alive was enough.

Han Qi walked into the study and said to Zheng Fa, "Young Master, we've brought this month's spirit stones for you—twenty-five in total!"

Lin Lin Bu Fan could sense that as the three approached, they each cast a glance at him.

There seemed to be a subtle hint of rejection.

These three were the ones within Jiushan Sect who disliked him the most.

Lin Lin Bu Fan sneered inwardly; if it weren't for survival, who would care to acknowledge Zheng Fa as their master?

Zheng Fa nodded and took the spirit stone Han Qi handed him.

He thought for a moment, then took out three spirit stones and handed them to Han Qi and the other two: "You've worked hard."

Han Qi and the other two smiled as they accepted the spirit stones, looking quite accustomed to it.

Lin Lin Bu Fan, standing nearby, silently lowered his head.

"By the way," he suddenly heard Zheng Fa say; "Take this."

"?"

Lin Lin Bu Fan looked at the two spirit stones Zheng Fa was offering, somewhat dazed.

"Selling blood... no, nutrition..." Zheng Fa thought again, finally changing his words: "Just consider it your monthly allowance."

Lin Lin Bu Fan raised his head, glanced at Zheng Fa, and there was some emotion in his eyes.

He did not reach out his hand.

As if he dared not, or perhaps as if he was unaccustomed to it.

"What? Never received a monthly allowance before?"

"... No," Lin Lin Bu Fan said in a low voice: "When we were in the village, we farmed, gathered spiritual plants, or mined, and still had to pay tribute to those above... After joining Lin Yangtian, we only lived and died for him; resources... all had to be seized from other cultivators."

"Now you have some. Also, I cannot tolerate killing others to seize their treasures within the Jiushan Sect..."

Hearing Zheng Fa's words, Lin Lin Bu Fan lowered his head, took the two spirit stones, gripped them tightly, and finally began to understand the rejection Han Qi and the other two felt.

Just as his heart was filled with mixed emotions, a transmission light flashed from afar, landing directly before Zheng Fa.

Lin Lin Bu Fan knew this was a transmission talisman from that Zhang Wuyi.

The Young Master exchanges messages with her every day; I wonder what there is to talk about.

Zheng Fa took the transmission talisman, gently closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them and walked out of the study.

"Young Master?"

Lin Lin Bu Fan and Han Qi and the other two behind him exchanged glances and hurriedly followed him outside.

Zheng Fa moved very quickly, as if time was insufficient, constantly slapping armor-horse talismans onto his body.

The four behind him, fearing something had happened, chased with great difficulty.

Lin Lin Bu Fan and the other three followed Zheng Fa into the market district, saw him rush into the small building, and hurriedly followed him inside.

"You all go out first."

Zheng Fa said to the market disciples inside the small building.

Those senior brothers glanced at each other, somewhat puzzled, but still left one by one.

Only Zheng Fa, Senior Sister Yuan, and Lin Lin Bu Fan and the other three remained in the building.

"Junior brother, what's wrong?"

Seeing Zheng Fa's expression was off, Senior Sister Yuan hurriedly asked.

Zheng Fa said nothing, simply tossed a few illusion talismans and silence talismans around, shielding the sounds and movements within the building.

"Senior sister, has Senior Sister Zhang ever contacted the market district?"

"Yes, every three days, I send her the market's information, and she replies to me."

"Bring them, let me see."

Senior Sister Yuan, still puzzled, took out several transmission talismans; Zheng Fa examined them carefully, then took out a pile of transmission talismans from his chest, comparing their contents side by side.

The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed.

"Junior brother?"

Senior Sister Yuan was even more puzzled.

"Senior Sister Zhang is in trouble."

Zheng Fa suddenly spoke.

"Ah?"

Hearing these words, even Lin Lin Bu Fan was startled—

The importance of Zhang Wuyi to the Jiushan Sect was something even a newcomer to the Jiushan Sect understood.

"How do you know?"

"I correspond and chat with Senior Sister Zhang every day."

"Wait! You correspond every day?"

Senior Sister Yuan suddenly raised her palm.

"Yes."

"I sent her a message before, and she ignored me... even said she was very busy and told me not to disturb her without good reason?"

Senior Sister Yuan stared at Zheng Fa, her expression bewildered.

"..."

The building instantly fell into silence.

"Ahem," Zheng Fa coughed lightly and said: "Shall we talk about Senior Sister Zhang's trouble instead?"

"Serves her right!" Senior Sister Yuan said angrily: "You speak!"

"During our correspondence, Senior Sister Zhang liked it when I gave her a math problem; the next day, she would give me the answer."

"..."

The building fell silent once again.

"Continue..." After a long while, Senior Sister Yuan said dryly.

"In the messages Senior Sister Zhang sent these past two days, both problems had some issues."

"What issues? Did she answer wrong?"

"No, the answer is correct," Zheng Fa stated with certainty. "But the method is too clumsy... it doesn't match Zhang Shijie's level."

"..."

"Someone must be impersonating her."

Shijie Yuan suddenly sighed and said, "Meeting the two of you, this person isn't having an easy time."

Nearby, Lin Lin Bu Fan, Han Qi, and the third person nodded silently.

"I discovered this problem two days ago," Zheng Fa said, frowning. "Yesterday, I posed another question."

"Did he use the clumsy method again?"

"No, this time he seemed to have improved a bit and answered very seriously," Zheng Fa shook his head. "It's just... I've asked this question to Zhang Shijie before. She should be too lazy to answer again and would reply by scolding me."

Nearby, Lin Lin Bu Fan's expression was extremely bewildered.

He looked over at Han Qi.

Han Qi sighed and said, "Don't look at me. Ordinary Jiushan Sect, oh no, Immortal Gate disciples, don't have such perverted hobbies."

"If the Zhang Shijie who sent the message back is fake, but when she told me about the market or the General Affairs Pavilion..." Shijie Yuan looked somewhat puzzled. "There were no flaws at all."

"That is the problem..." Zheng Fa said in a deep voice. "This person knows our Jiushan Sect too well."

Shijie Yuan's expression suddenly turned ugly.

"Are you saying that among us in Jiushan Sect, someone is a traitor?"