Chapter 2: Night Investigation of Taishang, Encountering Injustice

Changyun Peak towers into the clouds, and there are many natural caves on the peak; the Taishang Sect utilizes these works of nature to establish the sect.

The sect begins at the one-third mark, with the Martial Practice Platform, Guest Reception Hall, and Enlightenment Room set on the mountainside; further up are the Deliberation Hall, Internal Affairs Department, Library Pavilion, Treasure Pavilion, and other sect buildings.

It must be said that Lieyang Zhenren truly had a good eye when choosing the site to build the sect back then: the clouds and mist lingering all year round adds a touch of immortal aura.

Lingxiang, however, sneered at this: she would be afraid of damp evil entering her body if she lived in such a place year-round.

Yet, it cannot be denied that Changyun Peak is indeed a good place to establish a sect; although being located on a high peak is inconvenient for ordinary people, it yields twice the result with half the effort when cultivating, and once one reaches Qi Refining, these harsh conditions actually become an aid.

Moreover, the Spirit Qi between the peaks is abundant, which is also of great benefit to the cultivation of mental techniques.

But this is also where the trouble lies.

Such abundant Spirit Qi indicates that there is more than one spirit vein between these peaks, and with the Spirit Qi swirling about, unable to be traced, trying to find the location of Chonglou is by no means an easy task.

It happened that the Taishang Sect had recently taken in some new Inner Sect Disciples, and Lingxiang found it quite interesting to watch them practice martial arts every day.

Having stayed for two days, she was, of course, not without a purpose.

Taking advantage of the daytime to either wander around or chat, she figured out the general layout of the sect, and just as night fell, she quietly snuck out.

She had received news earlier that there was a Peiyuan Cave on the western peak of the Taishang Sect, where it was said that small insects and snakes gathered all year round.

Places like this are the most likely to be spirit veins.

Snakes, ants, rats, and insects either like to gather in the shady parts of mountains or linger in places with abundant Spirit Qi all year round.

Lingxiang bypassed the guards and groped forward cautiously; she was still some distance from Peiyuan Cave when the hissing sound could be vaguely heard, showing that a great many crawling creatures had gathered.

Although she had sprinkled realgar and other insect repellents on her body beforehand, such a large number might not be deterred.

Moreover, these creatures nourished by Spirit Qi, although lacking in cultivation, had the ability to absorb Spirit Qi and distinguish Spirit Power.

Lingxiang pinched a seal with her left hand to hide her aura, and immediately took a Calm Spirit Talisman from her Universe Bag with her right hand and stuck it on her body.

Not long after climbing, the hissing sound became clearer, and she could feel a flow of Spirit Qi more intense than usual.

After walking quickly for a few steps, she heard heavy footsteps; it seemed like someone was arguing, or perhaps someone was doing some heavy labor.

Lingxiang hurriedly found a large rock to hide behind, opened her Spirit Vision and Spirit Hearing, and observed carefully.

"Isn't it bad for us to do this? If someone is missing from the sect, it will always be discovered. What if someone finds out?" a voice that sounded quite young whispered.

"What are you afraid of? I already inquired; there are many poisonous creatures here. By the time someone finds him, he will be unrecognizable, and if it takes longer, he might just turn into a pile of white bones!" This was the other person, who also sounded like he was eighteen or nineteen.

"But this is a human life after all. If we do this, aren't we killing someone?"

"So what if we kill someone?! Do you want the people in the sect to know what we've done?!" The older one suddenly said fiercely: "If that really happens, given my family's status and position, it might not necessarily matter, but you? Heh heh..."

The younger one was perhaps frightened by that cold laugh, and after hesitating for a while, replied: "Then... alright..."

Immediately, Lingxiang heard a sound like a heavy object hitting the ground.

"Now you just pretend you got up to relieve yourself and go back to sleep!" the older voice said.

"Get... get up to relieve myself?... O-okay..."

After the footsteps of the two gradually faded away, Lingxiang walked out from behind the large rock.

They seemed to have mentioned killing someone just now, so what was thrown must undoubtedly be a corpse.

She walked along, sprinkling realgar and other things, and before long, she saw something wrapped by several long snakes, looking eerily strange under the moonlight.

Walking closer, she saw it was indeed a person.

This person was wearing a Taishang Sect Inner Sect Daoist Robe, with sword-like eyebrows reaching into his temples, a straight nose, and thin lips; he was quite handsome.

It was just that his limbs and body were all wrapped by long snakes, and there was even a long worm at his neck sucking on him, while the rise and fall of his chest proved that this person was still alive.

Lingxiang hurriedly used medicinal powder to drive away the poisonous creatures, only to see that the man's neck was abnormally black and purple, the tooth marks of the poisonous creatures clearly visible, and the same was true for other exposed skin.

She hurriedly checked his pulse; the deep sleep was due to some low-grade drugs, but the snake venom had entered his body, and if she had discovered him any later, he might have truly breathed his last.

She immediately took silver needles from her Universe Bag, fixed the major meridians around his body to prevent the poison from spreading deep, and fed him an Anti-Poison Pill.

But this poison could not be cleared immediately.

Different snake venoms have different antidotes, and the same poison has different symptoms in different people, so the methods of treatment are not the same.

Moreover, it would be best to suck out some of the poison first.

Forget it, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda; considering you are so handsome, this young lady will just have to make a sacrifice!

To prevent being discovered, Lingxiang secretly brought the Inner Sect Disciple to her own room, and went to find some leeches to suck out the poison for him; only when the poisonous blood was mostly sucked out did she remove the silver needles.

After about two hours, the man began to run a fever, and blisters grew around the wounds, which were signs of the snake venom taking effect.

An Inner Sect Disciple of the Taishang Sect had gone missing recently; it was reported that this disciple had good aptitude, but he had not shown up for roll call for three consecutive days, which panicked several Elders who intended to take him as a True Inheritor Disciple.

Xunfeng Daoren was also anxious to the point of burning up; not to mention the repeated urging from several Elders and Peak Masters, he was truly satisfied with this disciple himself: he was in the Qi Refining Second Realm at a young age and had extremely high comprehension. When he took him as a disciple back then, the Sect Leader also thought highly of him.

Now that the Sect Leader was away and the person was nowhere to be found, without even a single trace, he had the highest cultivation in the entire sect, but it was only the Golden Core Second Realm, so he could not perform those deductions.

Just when Xunfeng Zhenren did not know what to do, a young attendant came to report: Lingxiang from Youran Abode in Guyang City requested an audience.

To tell the truth, even if it were a top-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill, he had no mind to deal with it at the moment. But since someone had come to the door, it would not be good to turn her away, so he would just find an excuse to dismiss her first.

Just as Lingxiang finished her salute, Xunfeng Daoren tried to dismiss her on the grounds that he was feeling unwell.

But Lingxiang sat down.

Feeling unwell? Was he coaxing a child! As the Manager of a dignified sect with Golden Core cultivation, immune to all diseases, how could he be unwell.

"Zhenren, you aren't confused by the many affairs of the sect, are you? This junior is also a practitioner. With your cultivation, Zhenren, all diseases and evils are removed and there are no taboos, so where does this talk of being unwell come from?"

Xunfeng Zhenren was startled, thinking: Oh no, I forgot that this little girl has also entered the Daoist Sect.

Before Xunfeng Zhenren could speak, Lingxiang stated her purpose directly: "I know what is troubling you, Zhenren, and I have come specifically to relieve your worries."

This made Xunfeng Daoren feel interested. Looking at this girl who appeared to be sixteen, he had heard that she already possessed the power of Foundation Establishment at the age of ten, but she was still only at Foundation Establishment even now; how could she relieve his worries? She was a child after all, lacking experience and not knowing the gravity of the situation.

Lingxiang seemed to see through Xunfeng Daoren's thoughts, but she was not annoyed: "Cultivation is like that; when the opportunity has not arrived, what can anyone do?"

"Hahahaha, you are quite open-minded, child. Then how do you intend to relieve my worries?"

"I heard your sect lost someone?" Lingxiang's words were a double entendre; she both stated her purpose and resolved the anger of being looked down upon just now.

Hearing this, Xunfeng Daoren felt his face lose its composure: this child was truly blunt, yet what she said was also the truth; he could neither be angry nor not be angry, feeling truly stifled.

"In the current age, Spirit Roots are scarce, and those who enter the Dao are even fewer, with those of superior aptitude being fewer still. Is it not a major matter for your honorable sect to have lost such a person?"

"This... how did you know? Could it be that you..." Xunfeng Daoren said with a serious expression.

"By a stroke of luck, I saved an Inner Sect Disciple of your honorable sect; I presume he is the reason for the True Person's current inconvenience?" Lingxiang toyed with the tassel of her Universe Bag, "It is just that this person is currently injured and cannot be moved; if the True Person wishes to know if it is indeed him, he can only accompany me to the guest room to see for himself."