Chapter 247: The Mysterious Bandit

Time passed, though no one knew how long.

Distant, faint animal howls and crow caws drifted in:

“Caw—caw—caw—”

“Aowuu…”

Lu Yan’s spiritual sense gradually stirred, a splitting headache flooding his mind; his once-vast qi sea was now completely sealed by an unknown technique, and he could barely even struggle against the bindings around his body.

Sensing something was wrong, Lu Yan snapped fully awake—his first thought was that some unknown demonic Daoist titan had captured him, intending to refine his soul or possess his body.

But he was the second-most powerful figure under the Sect Master; even his own Sect Master brother could not have snatched him away without a sound…

Who in the world had done this…

Had the Corpse Ancestor emerged from seclusion…

…

Though his heart trembled, Lu Yan quickly calmed himself; sensing his meridians were sealed, he resorted to the ancient method of reconnaissance—listening closely.

Papatap…

Distant crackling of a bonfire reached him; faintly, he caught the scent of roasting meat.

Where in the world was this place…

Was this some demonic Daoist den, roasting captives alive…

Clearly, the unknown titan who captured him had sensed his movements; soon, a voice sounded nearby:

“Awake?”

The voice was hoarse, genderless.

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

“Who are you, sir?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter. Answer my questions truthfully, and I won’t harm you.”

“… ”

Lu Yan had been snatched at random, his life entirely in the other’s hands—he would never believe such nonsense. After a moment’s thought, he replied coldly:

“Kill me if you must. I’ve slain countless demons in my life—I’ve already repaid my debt. Don’t expect me to hand over any information about the righteous path.”

The other let out a dry “Hehehe~” and replied:

“You’re merely the second-in-command of the Divination Sect. What secrets concerning the survival of the righteous path could you possibly know? I’m not asking about that. I only want to know: why were you in Lizhoucheng the night before last?”

“?”

Lu Yan frowned at this.

After all, he’d spent the entire day arguing with Xie Jin over this very matter—he hadn’t revealed anything outright, and Xie Jin couldn’t press him… then he got ambushed and bundled up at night…

Could it be Xie Jin who set this trap…

No wonder this kid hunts killers like a god—behind the scenes, he’s so ruthless and dishonorable. How could he fail to find clues?

But Xie Jin himself certainly couldn’t have pulled this off…

Lu Yan paused, then asked:

“Are you a senior of Xie Jin’s Hidden Immortal Sect? A respected elder of the righteous path, secretly resorting to thug 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; even someone as powerful as Shang Lianbi dared not dismiss him lightly.

But the stranger showed no fear, replying directly:

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

Lu Yan frowned slightly; whoever this was had effortlessly subdued him and wasn’t even intimidated by Huang Lin’s name—he must be a titan of transcendent cultivation.

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

Lu Yan weighed his words, then asked:

“What if I refuse to answer?”

“Then I’ll use the Soul-Dissecting Shadow-Revealing Technique to scan your recent memories. You know the consequences—it’s extremely difficult to restore a damaged soul.”

“According to righteous path rules, this technique may only be used against obstinate demonic cultivators. Sir…”

Huhuhu~

Before he finished speaking, a surge of qi echoed outside the sack; an inexplicable force tugged at his spiritual essence.

?!

Lu Yan realized it was truly the Soul-Dissecting Technique—his face paled instantly, and he hastily replied:

“I have no ties to demonic cultivators. I went to Lizhoucheng the day before last because I suffered a setback in Huofeng Valley—I went to discuss it with my Sect Master. Our court has spies in the south; my Sect Master learned Xie Jin had come north, but didn’t know his exact location, so I searched for him in Lizhoucheng.”

Lu Yan’s words were true—he’d returned from the southern frontier and immediately reported his experience to Huang Lin Pavilion; his Sect Master said nothing at the time, but soon after sent him news of Xie Jin.

In his view, the Sect Master must have used the Northern Zhou imperial court’s intelligence network to find this—though such misuse of public resources was strictly forbidden; he’d never dare mention it unless he’d been kidnapped.

Outside, silence fell for a moment—whether the explanation was accepted, no one knew—then came another question:

“Have you ever investigated the Chiwu Cult?”

Lu Yan looked puzzled, then replied:

“The Ministry of Rituals investigated. All clues pointed to Empress Dowager Guo and the Guo clan, but higher-ups declared it slander, and no other leads emerged—it remains unresolved.”

“Do you think Empress Dowager Guo is suspicious?”

“…”

Lu Yan fell silent on this.

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

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

She merely claimed she’d studied under a transcendental master—no government office dared probe her childhood, so her origins were indeed suspicious.

The Chiwu Cult’s false accusations gained traction precisely because her background was so mysterious.

But Lu Yan didn’t believe she was a demonic infiltrator—she’d held power for years; if she were a demonic cultivator, Northern Zhou would have collapsed long ago, not now shown signs of revival. “Her origins are suspicious, but she’s not connected to the demonic path.”

“A century ago, the Northern Zhou Female Martial God achieved transcendence, leaving behind vast treasures for the Guo clan and the court. Are these relics stored in the Celestial Pavilion?”

“?”

Lu Yan thought the unknown titan outside had a scattered mind—questions came randomly, like random hammer blows.

But since he was captive and the questions weren’t too sensitive, he replied:

“To prevent theft, our state’s most sacred artifacts are indeed stored in the Celestial Pavilion of Yongshou Palace. But the place is riddled with traps, guarded tightly by the Imperial Guard, with Chen Chi stationed in the capital. If you’re thinking of stealing our national treasures, you’re dreaming—Northern Zhou still has elders standing guard.”

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

Shhhhlalala…

Then the entire world fell utterly still—no sound remained.

??

Trapped in the sack, Lu Yan had no idea where he was—he called out:

“Are you still there? Hey? … Hey?”

No response came from anywhere…

—

The next day.

Dawn brightened, sunlight spilling onto the window paper.

In the western wing of the Princess’s mansion, Lin Wanyi stood before a bronze mirror, tidying Xie Jin’s robe; her cheeks still flushed beneath her golden spectacles, her eyes curious:

“You stayed with Flower Heroine half the night?”

Xie Jin had gone to teach Bu Yuehua martial arts in the afternoon; after shrinking, nothing much happened—he returned home as night fell.

Seeing Wanyi start prying into his master’s affairs, Xie Jin couldn’t lie outright—he thought a moment and replied:

“I just went to visit, taught her some martial arts—nothing else.”

Lin Wanyi feared her master’s secret identity would eventually cause disaster, but since nothing was confirmed, she held her tongue; after finishing his robe, she urged:

“Enough. Go out—Princess is waiting. Today Zisu is going to Yanjing Academy; I have to go with her to keep her from causing trouble—I won’t accompany you to the Altar of Heaven and Earth.”

Xie Jin smiled faintly, adjusted his robe, leaned down, and kissed her lips softly before stepping out.

Snow had fallen overnight; the courtyard was blanketed white, with paw prints shaped like bamboo leaves scattered across the surface—clearly, Meiqiu had wandered around during the night, playing.

Xie Jin reached the nearby courtyard and saw MoMo had already left; no one was in sight, but several small snowmen stood piled up.

Two snowmen stood side by side—one had two small sticks stuck at its waist as weapons, a tiny snowball at its feet; unmistakably, it was him, MoMo, and Meiqiu as a family of three.

But oddly, not far away lay another snowman, its chest exaggeratedly large, with a tiny bed neatly piled beneath it—clearly meant to represent some sleepy, large-breasted neighbor…

?

Xie Jin found the sight amusing—he figured Wanyi would hunt down MoMo for this when she saw it.

But he wouldn’t dare tamper with MoMo’s snowmen; after a few glances, he headed to the front courtyard.

Today’s plan was to join the envoy delegation and visit the Altar of Heaven and Earth to observe Northern Zhou’s sacrificial rites; the landlady was still dressing, while the attendants waited by the luxurious carriage.

Linghu Qingmo stood before them in a crisp white gown, sword in hand, listening intently.

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

“After yesterday’s visit to the Ministry of Rituals, Princess instructed me to monitor Northern Zhou’s Daoist movements. This morning, I noticed numerous Daoists coming and going near Lu Yan’s residence—all frowning, silent as tombs. If I’m right, Lu Yan’s planning something major—possibly targeting you specifically…”

Yang Dabiao, clad in the crimson robe of the Chi Lin Guard, half-skeptical:

“Fei Ji, I’m not doubting you—but can you really tell what the Divination Sect is up to?”

Fei Ji pointed to his eyes, utterly certain:

“You know these eyes of mine? One glance tells me everything—there’s definitely something wrong with Northern Zhou’s Daoists…”

Linghu Qingmo knew Fei Ji had excellent eyesight, and after thinking for a moment, he asked:

“Can you tell what Lü Yan is planning?”

Fei Ji shook his head at this:

“I don’t know. These people are extremely tight-lipped, and Lü Yan hasn’t shown his face at all—whether he’s slipped out secretly due to his high cultivation or stayed indoors, I can’t say, but something major is definitely happening…”

Xie Jin heard this as he walked by, and his heart filled with suspicion.

After all, both he and Lü Yan were public figures; they had already agreed on a resolution at the Taichang Temple. Why would Lü Yan suddenly act behind his back? Wasn’t that handing him a knife?

And given Lü Yan’s cultivation level, if he were scheming in secret, how could Fei Shu have caught even a trace of it…

This wasn’t to say Fei Shu was incompetent—rather, Lü Yan, as the second-in-command of the Northern Zhou Daoist sect, had a cultivation and status so terrifying that if he truly intended to strike against him, his actions wouldn’t be this sloppy…

So something else must have happened…

Since it didn’t concern him directly, Xie Jin didn’t dwell on it. He walked up with a smile:

“Let’s focus on our own matters. When soldiers come, send generals; when water rises, pile up earth. We act openly. As long as Lü Yan doesn’t want to give others grounds for gossip, he won’t rush to strike from the shadows.”

“Oh, Jinhuan’s here…”

“Have you had breakfast? There’s a stall at the street corner selling hulu tou—it’s absolutely delicious. I ate seven bowls this morning, and the shopkeeper was stunned, so he waived my fee outright…”

“Really?”

…

Linghu Qingmo stood aside, noticing Xie Jin’s arrival. She said nothing, instead adopting the cold, elegant heroine’s expression, gazing elsewhere and letting out a light huff.

Xie Jin understood—he’d returned last night and been immediately hugged by Lin Wanyi, who wouldn’t let him go, so he hadn’t seen Mo Mo at all.

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

Zilalaa~

The result was like touching Pikachu—he jolted as if shocked…

Xie Jin didn’t mind. Still bold-faced, he quietly held her hand, warming it.

Mo Mo, being frugal with her energy, realized she couldn’t pull away, and fearing exposure in public, dared not make large movements. After giving his hand a slight twist, she let him hold it, all the while glancing furtively left and right, the whole thing brimming with stolen intimacy…

(End of Chapter)