Chapter 764: Return to the Deep Mountains and Old Forests to Linger?

On Qingguang Mountain, an old man in an entirely white Daoist robe walked at a leisurely pace.

He clearly had not used any movement technique, yet the entire sect's restrictions were as nothing to him, and the disciples coming and going did not notice him in the slightest.

Only when the old man had already walked to the great hall's entrance, in the instant they brushed past each other, did the crane boy standing at the hall door seem to suddenly come back to his senses, and abruptly looked behind him.

It froze for a moment, then hurriedly bowed and said, "This boy pays respects to Lingxu Daxian!"

"Mm."

The old man merely uttered a single word without emotion, his steps never pausing as he headed straight into the hall.

The crane boy's voice reached the inside of the hall a step ahead, and the reactions of those within varied.

In the seat of honor, Master Qingguang slowly opened his eyes. Looking at Youyao's questioning gaze, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, and he gently shook his head, signaling there was no need for concern.

His Yan Shidi Lingxu, though also a disciple of the Chengshangqing Sect's Sect Master, had no other skills worth praising besides this technique of concealing his presence and gathering his Qi.

His temperament was just like that technique — nicely put, it was quiet and reserved; in truth, you couldn't beat a single muffled fart out of him with three sticks.

The one whose emotions fluctuated most in the hall was, on the contrary, True Person Master Yun Miao, who sat behind Youyao. Upon hearing Lingxu Daxian's honored name, his face changed drastically, and he hurriedly sprang up from his chair, calling out loudly, "This disciple did not know of Master's return and did not wait at the gate. I beg Master to forgive me!"

The next moment, the old man in the pure white Daoist robe quietly stepped into the hall.

He silently looked toward the spot where True Person Master Yun Miao was, and the faint weariness in his eyes deepened by several degrees.

After returning to Lingxu Cave and not seeing the figure of his eldest disciple, he had already known that the rumors spreading among the disciples were most likely true.

The dignified eldest disciple of Lingxu Cave had actually lowered himself to throw in with Youyao, greatly boosting the prestige of Qingguang Cave's chief disciple.

Seeing it with his own eyes now, a nameless sorrow welled up in Lingxu Zi's heart.

He could actually accept his disciple's mediocrity — after all, he himself was hardly a standout in the sect — but that was only after putting in the effort, finding the task impossible, and then choosing to step back.

Not having just descended the mountain, having suffered not the slightest setback, and then directly hiding beneath another person's wings, unwilling to taste even a bit of hardship.

What's more, the one spreading those wings to shelter him was likewise merely a junior… How could the gap between them be so vast?

Lingxu Zi ignored his own eldest disciple and strode straight ahead.

"Uncle-Master Lingxu, please."

True Person Youyao welcomed Lingxu Zi to the second seat, then quietly retreated to her original place.

"These past few years, your cultivation has indeed improved greatly."

Lingxu Zi forced a smile at this Miss. This great tribulation seemed to have been raised precisely for juniors like her — in such a short time, she had already shown faint signs of catching up to their group of old fellows.

"Many thanks for Uncle-Master's praise." Youyao cupped her fists in salute, not showing the slightest hint of pride.

Seeing this, the smile on Lingxu Zi's face gained a few shades of admiration.

"The Great Dao is vast and myriad, each person's path is different, each has their own future. Yan Shidi, do not be too fixated."

Master Qingguang offered a light word of comfort: "Master Yun Miao has also been of considerable help to Youyao of late."

True Person Master Yun Miao, who had already sensed his Master's displeasure and was somewhat flustered, finally heard someone speak up for him and hurriedly cupped his fists in gratitude: "Uncle-Master is too kind with his praise."

But the moment he raised his head, Master Yun Miao sensed something was off. He saw that his Master's face, which had still been barely holding a smile, now showed a few hints of barely suppressed sullenness.

On closer reflection, wasn't that remark essentially saying that the Daoist path of Lingxu Cave was suited only to running errands for Qingguang Cave, spending a lifetime bowing and scraping…

"This is only proper. After all, Youyao is in charge of investigating the Puti Sect, and my disciple Sister Ling Su has a share in it as well. As the senior disciple, Master Yun Miao ought to do his part."

The weariness Lingxu Zi had when he came was precisely because, after receiving the news, he had also been inquiring about that group of Monks in recent days.

Bringing this matter up now could be considered giving Master Yun Miao a way out.

"You are too courteous, Yan Shidi. Our two branches have always been on good terms. So long as Master Yun Miao is diligent, Youyao will not treat him poorly."

Master Qingguang leaned back calmly, while Lingxu Zi's hands clenched slightly — clearly struggling to suppress the anger in his heart.

Just this one matter, and it could be brought up to nag about for a lifetime.

In the hall, True Person Master Yun Miao was already trembling with fear, but even at this point, he still refused to step forward and distance himself from Qingguang Cave.

He had to consider that, since descending the mountain, he had gained a much deeper understanding of the current Beizhou.

The situation was completely different from what he had originally imagined — not every cultivator who had reached the realm of Ninety-Nine Transformations could be allocated a sufficient Daoist site.

North of Shenzhou, apart from the dead land caused by the great drought, there were a total of twenty-nine prefectures.

The disciples of the various branches had carved up sixty percent among themselves, one piece here, one piece there. The remaining ten-plus prefectures were firmly held in the hands of three people — Youyao being one of them.

Several senior disciples at the same realm as himself could only occupy a single prefecture, and Master Yun Miao suffered the further disadvantage of having descended the mountain too late.

Even though the Puti Sect matter had recently freed up quite a few Daoist sites, they were all quickly taken over by fellow disciples. Those of slightly lower cultivation had all tightly banded together, one branch pulling along another.

If he were to charge in blindly like a headless fly, ignorant of the details within, it would be easy to invite a swarm of attacks.

In other words, what Youyao had initially promised was very likely already the best outcome he could obtain after fighting for his life.

True Person Master Yun Miao truly could not bear to let go.

Fortunately, Uncle-Master Qingguang finally stopped dwelling on the matter and changed the subject: "Have you heard the recent rumors in the sect about the Chief of All Immortals?"

"Zhu Shixiong jests. How could such a thing be something I could hope for?"

Lingxu Zi forced the corners of his mouth, and though he spoke thus, his gaze fixed on the void flickered uncertainly.

Admittedly, if the Sect Master truly intended to select twelve Jin Xian to preside over the affairs of Sizhou, it would never be his turn no matter what.

But the current situation was very clear — even among Jin Xian who had transcended both realms, a ranking of precedence still needed to be determined, and this ranking likely involved how much of the post-tribulation incense and offerings each branch could take.

Given Lingxu Cave's current situation, it was probably the very edge of the edge.

Lingxu Zi did not seek to climb higher, but how could he be willing to sink directly to such a state?

"I still have matters to instruct the disciples, so I shall not intrude further."

He slowly rose, exchanged courtesies with his Zhu Shixiong, and then walked toward the outside of the hall with a desolate expression.

True Person Master Yun Miao hurriedly cupped his fists toward the seat above, then hastily chased after his Master.

Master Qingguang watched the master and disciple pair walk into the distance, calmly lowered his hands, and looked at Youyao: "What was it you wanted to say just now?"

"It's nothing."

True Person Youyao gently shook her head. After Lingxu Zi's interruption, she still chose to conceal the matter of Master Shu Yu.

After all, this junior brother's every action had never once considered his master's sterling reputation; suffering this calamity is only fitting.

Besides, she herself had no evidence right now, it was all just speculation, and on top of that Beizhou already had monks causing trouble — if she spoke up it would instead make her look incompetent, as if she couldn't handle the Puti Sect, unable to save face, as though she were pushing the blame onto some soft persimmon of a cultivator with negligible cultivation.

Better to handle the matter properly, bring back that madman's head, and then give her master an explanation.

……

The two of them, one in front and one behind, returned to the Lingxu Cave in silence just like that.

They arrived at the Half-Falling Cliff.

Lingxuzi stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the cliff's edge; before he could turn around, True Person Master Yun Miao had already dropped to his knees with a thud one step ahead, kowtowing again and again: "Master, please calm your anger, this disciple truly had no other choice!"

"……"

Lingxuzi's expression was cold and hard; he still did not look at the other party, and said blandly: "Tell me, in what way did you have no other choice?"

He did want to know — what matter in this Beizhou could force a great cultivator at the peak of third-rank to shamelessly defect to a peer of his own generation.

"This whole matter began at Qingguang Cave."

True Person Master Yun Miao, while kowtowing, skillfully flung all the responsibility outward with practiced ease, saying with a belly full of grievances: "It was they who wanted to meddle in the affairs of Da Nanzhou, and as a result that insect-demon disciple luckily escaped over here. Martial Uncle Qingguang was unwilling to take responsibility and sent that Crane Boy to our Lingxu Cave… You were not at the mountain gate, how would this disciple dare to brush aside Martial Uncle's face?"

"Reluctantly keeping that insect-demon disciple, the result was this person's ambition was considerable, not content with a single cave dwelling at all. After discussing with junior sister, we could only split off part of Tashan for him."

"But this boy had no idea what it meant to be satisfied, and openly and covertly tried to push junior sister out, which led to junior sister going out to relax her mind and falling victim to the Puti Sect's evil schemes."

"Master Yun Miao, as the senior disciple brother, was burning with the desire for revenge, but relying on myself alone truly felt powerless. In order to seek justice for little junior sister, I was forced to borrow strength from Qingguang Cave — I beg Master to see clearly!"

Speaking to here, Master Yun Miao's eyes were already slightly red; on one side Qingguang Cave, on the other the Puti Sect, as if he were truly caught in the middle, torn between both sides, single-handedly and bitterly holding things up.

"Sigh."

Lingxuzi finally turned around unhurriedly, lowered his gaze, and sized up this disciple.

He gave a bitter laugh in his heart.

If Master Yun Miao were not someone he had raised with his own hands, and he did not understand the other's nature so well, he might truly have believed this explanation.

"Please rest assured, Master. Since this disciple has already entered the world, I will absolutely not allow others to look down on our Lingxu Cave."

Master Yun Miao, seeing his master's attitude soften somewhat, immediately raised his head and said: "My own dao-field matters are secondary; what weighs on my heart is all junior sister's great vengeance. That group of monks has left no trace for the moment, but that insect-demon disciple from Nananzhou drove junior sister away, and upon learning of her death, was even more impatiently erecting an Immortal Shrine."

"How can junior sister's Tashan fall into the hands of such a despicable little person? With that sort of temperament, he still has the gall to dream of taking a seat beneath Master's tutelage. This disciple has already made an appointment with Senior Sister Youyao — in a few days we will strike and completely drive this wretch away!"

Looking at the indignant, unable-to-calm-down, oath-swearing Master Yun Miao before him.

Lingxuzi, however, felt thoroughly a touch of heart-dead ash. If it truly were as the other claimed — that it was that Nananzhou cultivator who had driven Sister Ling Su to her death — then Master Yun Miao, as the senior disciple brother, dealing with a cultivator whose realm was far below his own, still had to borrow another's hand.

This sort of temperament, in ordinary times one couldn't tell anything from it, even seemed obedient and sensible, but once encountering a great calamity like this, immediately revealed its true colors — utterly unreliable.

"Suit yourself. If you want to do something, then go do it."

Lingxuzi waved his sleeve, wearily turned around, and continued gazing into the distant rosy clouds.

"Thank you for your understanding, Master."

Seeing this, True Person Master Yun Miao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Of course he could see the disappointment in his master's eyes, but at least he had passed this hurdle first; he could slowly make up for it later, it wasn't too late.

Regardless of everything, seeking justice for junior sister was never wrong.

Thinking of this, the figure that disgusted him surfaced once more in his mind — disciple of an insect-demon, overbearing and rude… His appointment with Youyao was false, but Youyao's strike against the Kaiyuan Prefecture was real.

Under a heaven's pride who shook all of Beizhou like this, that Taixu Danhuang was probably just like his own master — a dead bug, unable to hop around for many more days.

……

Shenzhou, Imperial City.

Within a quiet, secluded deep garden, Ye Lan, led by a maidservant, quietly arrived at that wine pool.

The man had his entire body buried in the pool, only a head showing, lazily leaning against a pebble, while beside him stood my lord Lin Shuya of the Immortal Department, waiting with hands at his sides.

Ye Lan had seen such a great personage before, but still felt somewhat constrained.

After all, she was different from Shen Yi — having grown up in the Sanxian Sect since childhood, how could she not recognize one of the Six Sovereigns, the supreme of heaven and earth? This was the Sovereign Lord who governed the mortal world, the foremost of all living beings.

"Your Majesty, a letter has come from afar."

She stood far away, did not pass it through the maidservant's hand, but directly wrapped the letter paper in tribulation-force and sent it to the side of the Human Sovereign.

Shen Yi had instructed — this letter could only be passed between three people; even the nominal superior of the General Who Pacifies the South, the head of the Immortal Department, was not permitted to come into contact with it.

Lin Shuya silently stared at that envelope.

He could not understand how a cultivator who had gone off alone, utterly disregarding the lives of common folk, could still continue to occupy those intelligence channels the imperial court had exchanged lives for.

"You lot, step out first." The Human Sovereign smacked his lips.

Lin Shuya was stunned for a moment, a few complicated emotions welling up in his eyes, but he did not say anything more, and led the maidservant in turning to leave the place.

Ye Lan watched this happen with her own eyes, and felt equally somewhat astonished in her heart.

As everyone knew, the Immortal Department was the agency the Human Sovereign trusted most, and Lin Shuya was the person in the world closest to this Sovereign Lord — yet at this very moment, in the Human Sovereign's eyes, Shen Yi's letter was actually far more important than my lord Lin?

The Human Sovereign watched them leave, and after a moment, suddenly shook his head and laughed.

Even that Restorer of the Realm had his day of misjudgment. He had originally thought that the youth he had personally picked up from among the corpses of the great drought-stricken lands of Beizhou, after personally experiencing the immortal might of gods and buddhas, would be the person under heaven most able to understand him — never expected that now it seemed, perhaps that was not quite the case.

Only, things having come to this pass, he, as Human Sovereign, had become a trapped dragon, unable to even leave this shallow pool; it was too late to swap people out.

It didn't matter anyway.

After all, the situation was already set; with Lin Shuya's meager abilities, he couldn't even stir up the slightest ripple — truly inconsequential.

The only thing worth regretting was losing someone who could sit and have a heart-to-heart talk with him.

Fortunately, he had recently found new amusement.

A person whose path was utterly different from his own, the two of them completely unrelated, whatever either did would not affect the other, yet they always maintained contact.

It could help the Human Sovereign relieve some of the pent-up frustration in his heart.

The man slowly unfolded the letter paper.

"Is he… is he doing alright?" Ye Lan knew this was an act of great disrespect, but still couldn't help asking aloud.

Fortunately the Human Sovereign was also a very easygoing sort. After reading the contents on the paper, he raised an eyebrow: "He should be dying soon."

A fugitive being hunted by Nan Xumí, yet after arriving in Beizhou, he still won't settle down.

Can someone who dares not reveal his identity even think of meddling in that Dao Hall dispute?

"What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?" Ye Lan's face turned instantly pale.

"You're asking me for advice?" The Emperor rolled his eyes, turned to stare at the girl, and casually flicked the letter in his hand: "Tell him my only advice is to go back and hide in Huishan at once. Day after day, where does he get such audacity?"

All living beings in the world struggle for life and death, yet here is one who doesn't have to labor or fret—and he doesn't value it at all.

In the end, he will surely achieve fame and glory anyway; why rush for these fleeting days? How much could a mere Kaiyuan Prefecture shorten the time until he becomes a Buddha, a Patriarch?

"He won't listen to me…" Ye Lan finished, biting her lip tightly. She had even been gentle—Shen Yi didn't just ignore her; once he made up his mind, even the Emperor's words were nothing but wind.

Hearing this, the man clearly had no words. He looked at Ye Lan, then at the letter in his hand.

After much hesitation, as if unwilling to lose the only amusement he had.

He frowned, waved his hand, and tossed Ye Lan a plaque: "Send this along too. If he's in danger, and it doesn't involve the lives of those great generals, they may save him once—only once. After all, his identity as General of the South is exposed; he can't stay in Beizhou anymore. When that happens, go find yourself a remote mountain and hide."

Ye Lan nervously took the plaque. The Emperor knew Shen Yi's cultivation level—and the so-called generals who could save his life were none other than the Second-Rank National Protecting Great Generals, whose bodies bore the imperial qi of the realm!

"Thank you, Your Majesty…"

(End of Chapter)