Chapter 247: The Mysterious Bandit

Time had passed for an unknown duration.

Distant, faint growls of beasts and cawing crows reached him:

"Caw—caw—"

"Howl…"

Lü Yan's spiritual sense gradually revived, and a splitting headache surged into his mind; his once raging qi sea was completely sealed by an unknown technique, and he could barely even struggle against the bindings around his body.

Sensing something was wrong, Lü Yan snapped fully awake—his first thought was that he'd been captured by some unknown demonic cultivator intent on soul-burning or possession.

But he was the number one under the Zhang Sect leader; even his own Zhang Sect elder brother could not have kidnapped him silently and without a trace…

Who could have done this…

Could the Corpse Ancestor have emerged from seclusion…

…

Though his heart trembled, Lü Yan quickly calmed himself, realizing his meridians were sealed—he resorted to ancient methods of reconnaissance—listening closely.

Puff-puff~

In the distance, the crackling of a bonfire reached him; he could faintly smell roasted meat.

Where was this place…

Could this be some demonic cultivator's den, roasting captives alive…

The unknown giant who had captured him clearly sensed his movements—soon, voices came from nearby:

"Awake?"

The voice was hoarse, genderless.

Lü Yan could hear the voice, yet felt no presence at all—his heart sank:

"Who are you, venerable one?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. Just answer my questions truthfully, and I won't harm you."

"…"

Lü Yan had been snatched at random by this person, his life entirely in their hands—he would never believe such nonsense. After a moment's thought, he replied coldly:

"Kill me if you will. I've slain countless demons in my life—I've already repaid my debt. Don't expect me to reveal any information about the righteous path."

The other chuckled "Heh-heh-heh~" several times, then replied:

"You're merely the second-in-command of the Divination Sect—what knowledge of the righteous path's survival could you possibly possess? I'm not asking about that. I only want to know: why were you in Lizhou the night before last?"

"?"

Hearing this, Lü Yan frowned.

After all, he had just spent the day in heated debate with Xie Jinhuan over this very matter—he hadn't revealed anything outright, and Xie Jinhuan couldn't press him—and then he got ambushed and bundled up at night…

Could this be Xie Jinhuan's doing…

No wonder this brat hunts killers like a god—behind the scenes, he's so ruthless and dishonorable—how could he fail to find clues?

But Xie Jinhuan himself certainly couldn't have such power…

After a brief pause, Lü Yan asked:

"Are you Xie Jinhuan's master from the Hidden Immortal Sect? A senior of the righteous path, yet you resort to such underhanded tactics—dare you reveal your identity? My senior uncle is True Person Huang Lin—you must know him…"

True Person Huang Lin was famed alongside True Person Qixia—a Daoist immortal; even someone as powerful as Shang Lianbi dared not dismiss him lightly.

But the stranger showed no fear, responding directly:

"I already said—my identity doesn't matter. Answer truthfully, and I'll leave immediately, without troubling you."

Lü Yan frowned slightly—he realized this person had subdued him effortlessly and wasn't even intimidated by True Person Huang Lin's name; they must be a transcendent giant.

But what kind of peak cultivator would devise such a ridiculous tactic as a surprise ambush and sack-kidnapping? That's the move of a street thug…

Lü Yan paused, then asked:

"What if I refuse to answer?"

"If you refuse, I'll use the Soul-Dismantling and Shadow-Revealing Technique to examine everything you've seen in recent days. You know the consequences—this technique severely damages the soul, and recovery is nearly impossible."

"According to righteous path rules, this technique may only be used against obstinate demonic cultivators—you—"

Huh-huh~

Before he could finish, a rush of spiritual energy sounded outside the sack—he felt an inexplicable force tugging at his spiritual soul.

?!

Lü Yan realized it was truly the Soul-Dismantling Technique—his face turned pale, and he quickly replied:

"I have no connection to demonic cultivators. I went to Lizhou the night before last because I suffered a setback at Fire Phoenix Valley—I specifically consulted with my Zhang Sect elder brother about it. The imperial court has spies in the south; my Zhang Sect elder brother learned that Xie Jinhuan had come north, but didn't know his exact location—so I searched for him in Lizhou."

Lü Yan's words were true—he had returned from the southern frontier and immediately gone to Huang Lin Pavilion to report his experience there; his Zhang Sect elder brother had said nothing at the time, but soon after sent him information about Xie Jinhuan.

In his view, the Zhang Sect had uncovered this information by leveraging the Northern Zhou imperial court's intelligence resources—but this was misuse of public authority; had he not been kidnapped, he would never have dared mention it publicly.

Outside, there was a moment of silence—whether the person accepted his explanation or not, they suddenly asked again:

"Have you ever investigated the Chiwu Sect before?"

Lü Yan looked puzzled, then replied:

"The Ministry of Rituals investigated—it all pointed to Empress Dowager Guo and the Guo clan, but higher-ups declared it slander, and no other leads emerged—we've yet to clarify anything."

"Do you think Empress Dowager Guo has problems?"

"…"

Lü Yan fell silent on this.

Empress Dowager Guo had been abruptly installed years ago as the daughter of the Guo clan.

Though the Guo clan accepted this claim and produced ample evidence, given her ability and status, she could never have remained unknown for the preceding decade.

Empress Dowager Guo merely claimed she had studied under a transcendental master—no government office dared probe her childhood origins, so her true origins were indeed suspicious.

And many still believe the Chiwu Sect framed him, precisely because Empress Dowager Guo's origins are indeed mysterious.

But Lu Yan did not believe Empress Dowager Guo was a secret agent planted by the Demon Daoists; after all, she had held power for years—if she were one of them, Northern Zhou would have collapsed long ago, and could not now show signs of revival. "Empress Dowager Guo's origins are certainly suspicious, but they have nothing to do with the Demon Daoists."

"A hundred years ago, the Northern Zhou Female Martial God achieved corpse liberation and ascended to heaven, leaving behind vast treasures for the Guo clan and the imperial court—could these treasures be hidden within the Celestial Pavilion?"

"?"

Lu Yan felt this unknown powerhouse outside was thinking in erratic leaps, asking questions haphazardly.

But now he was at their mercy, and the questions weren't overly taboo, so Lu Yan could only respond:

"To prevent national treasures from being stolen, the kingdom's most sacred artifacts are indeed stored within the Celestial Pavilion of Yongshou Palace. But that place is filled with intricate traps, heavily guarded by the Inner Guard, and overseen by Chen Chi in Jingcheng. If you're scheming to steal our nation's treasures, you're dreaming—Northern Zhou still has elder masters standing guard."

The person outside fell silent. Moments later, a sound came from above:

Whoosh—whoosh—

Then the entire world fell silent, and no sound could be heard again.

??

Lu Yan was stuffed inside a sack, unaware of his location, and could only ask:

"Are you still there? Hey?... Hey?"

There was no further response...

——

The next day.

Dawn brightened, and morning light spilled onto the window paper.

In the western annex of the Princess's mansion, Lin Wanyi stood before a bronze mirror, helping Xie Jinhuan adjust his robes; her cheeks still flushed beneath her golden-rimmed spectacles, her eyes curious:

"You stayed at Flower Heroine's place half the night?"

Xie Jinhuan had gone in the afternoon to teach Bu Yuehua a Martial Path cultivation technique; after shrinking, nothing much happened, and when night deepened, he returned home.

Seeing Wanyi start gossiping about his master, Xie Jinhuan dared not speak carelessly, and after thinking, explained:

"I just went to visit and taught some Martial Path cultivation techniques—nothing else."

Lin Wanyi felt her master's secret identity and reckless behavior would eventually cause a major disaster, but since nothing was confirmed yet, she couldn't say much. After finishing his robes, she urged:

"Enough, go out already—the Princess is waiting. Today Zisu is going to Yanjing Academy with us; I have to watch her so she doesn't cause trouble—I won't be accompanying you to visit the Altar of Heaven and Earth."

Xie Jinhuan smiled faintly, adjusted his robes, leaned down, and gave his lips a soft peck before stepping out of the room.

It had snowed last night; the courtyard was blanketed in white, and paw prints shaped like bamboo leaves dotted the snow—clearly Meiqiu had wandered around during the night, playing here.

Xie Jinhuan arrived at the nearby courtyard and saw that Seeing Mo Mo had already left; no one was in the yard, but several small snowmen stood piled up.

Two snowmen stood side by side; one had two small wooden sticks stuck at its waist as weapons, and a tiny snowball beside its feet—unmistakably, the three of them: him, Seeing Mo Mo, and Meiqiu.

But strangely, not far away, another snowman lay on its back, its chest exaggeratedly large, and beneath it, a cozy little bed had been carefully piled—clearly meant to represent some sleepy, large-breasted neighbor...

?

Xie Jinhuan saw this and found it amusing; he thought if Wanyi saw this snowman later, she'd definitely confront Seeing Mo Mo.

But he wouldn't dare tamper with Seeing Mo Mo's snowmen; after glancing a few times, he headed to the front courtyard.

Today's plan was to join the envoy's party and visit the Altar of Heaven and Earth to observe Northern Zhou's sacrificial rites; the landlady was still dressing, while the accompanying personnel were already ready, waiting beside the luxurious carriage.

Linghu Qingmo stood before them in a crisp white dress, sword in hand, listening attentively.

Fei Ji stood below the steps, holding his blade with a serious expression, saying:

"After Jinhuan went to the Ministry of Rites yesterday, the Princess ordered me to monitor the movements of Northern Zhou's Daoist sects. This morning, I noticed many Daoists coming and going near Lu Yan's residence—all frowning, tight-lipped. If I'm not mistaken, Lu Yan is planning something big—and it might be specifically aimed at Jinhuan..."

Yang Dabiao, clad in the red robe of the Chi Lin Guard, heard this and remained skeptical:

"Fei Ji, I'm not saying I don't trust you—but can you really detect the movements of the Divination School?"

Fei Ji pointed to his eyes, utterly confident:

"You don't know these eyes of mine? One glance tells me everything—there's definitely something wrong with Northern Zhou's Daoist sects..."

Linghu Qingmo knew Fei Ji's vision was exceptional; after thinking, she asked:

"Can you tell what Lu Yan's plan is?"

Fei Ji shook his head for this:

"I don't know. These people are extremely tight-lipped; Lu Yan hasn't shown himself at all—whether he's slipped out secretly due to his high cultivation, or stayed indoors, he's definitely planning something major..."

Xie Jinhuan, walking over, heard this and felt deeply puzzled.

After all, Lu Yan and he were both public figures; they had already agreed on a solution at the Ministry of Rites. Why would Lu Yan suddenly act behind the scenes? Wasn't that handing him a knife?

And given Lu Yan's cultivation level, if he were secretly scheming, how could Uncle Fei detect even a trace...?

This wasn't because Uncle Fei was incompetent—it was because Lu Yan, as Northern Zhou's second-highest Daoist authority, had terrifying cultivation and status. If he truly intended to strike at him, his actions wouldn't be this sloppy...

So something else must have happened...

Since it didn't directly concern him, Xie Jinhuan didn't dwell on it; he walked forward with a smile:

"Let's focus on our own business. When soldiers come, send generals; when water rises, build earthworks. We act openly—if Lu Yan doesn't want to give people reason to talk, he won't rashly strike from the shadows."

"Oh, Jinhuan's here..."

"Did you eat breakfast? There's a stall at the corner selling hulu tou—it's absolutely delicious. I ate seven bowls this morning; the Shopkeeper was stunned and waived my fee..."

"Really?"

Linghu Qingmo, standing nearby, noticed Xie Jinhuan's arrival but said nothing; instead, she adopted the cold, elegant heroine's expression, gazing elsewhere, and gave a light huff.

Xie Jinhuan understood—he'd returned last night and was immediately hugged by Lin Wanyi and couldn't leave, so he hadn't seen Seeing Mo Mo at all.

Now seeing Seeing Mo Mo was upset, after greeting her, he stepped closer, glanced around, and tried to take her hand.

Zizzzz—

The result was like touching a Pikachu—he jolted with a shock.

Xie Jinhuan didn't mind either; he still boldly held her hand secretly to help warm it.

As it turned out, Seeing Mo Mo was indeed frugal; finding she couldn't pull it back, afraid of being discovered in public, she dared not move too much. After secretly twisting him a bit, she let him hold on, while carefully looking left and right, full of stealthy vibes...

(End of this chapter)