Chapter 258: The Heavenly Society Is Dead

In the western wing of the Inner Court of the Heavenly Book Academy, before the main hall of the Administration Office.

Zuoyang, Lord of Zizai Hall, and Chaihu, Lord of Changsheng Hall, sat upon the upper seats, with three Elders from the Elder Council flanking them on either side.

The three Administrators of the Administration Office stood before a wooden board covered with reports from outside the Academy and records of Dou Yuan Kong's recent rumors.

The scattered fragments could not be assembled into coherent sentences, leaving people baffled.

The demonic seed is merely a dried corpse of the Yi Clan, with no distinct markers—its origin is even harder to trace. The only lead we have is Dou Yuan Kong. Over these past days, we've been investigating along Sanli County, trying to confirm where he might have been before his disappearance. We're beginning to get some clues.

Qin Rong hung a map on the board: "The area around Sanli County is barren, not a place for leisure. But farther out lie several major cities, relatively prosperous. An Yuan City is famous for its wine houses—Dou Yuan Kong was fond of wine and women; he may have passed through there."

Zuoyang, after listening to Qin Rong, pondered for a moment before speaking: "Where was the corpse of Dou Yuan Kong's old servant found?"

Qin Rong pointed to another location on the map: "The body was discovered in Bai'ai County, Nan Hong Prefecture, Qingzhou—just west of Wanhe County."

"Far enough apart, but still a clue. Add An Yuan City to the list and continue searching along these three locations."

"Understood."

After further discussion, the Administration Office immediately mobilized upon receiving imperial orders, while Zuoyang and Chaihu departed the Administration Office.

Yet on the mountain path back, Chaihu couldn't help frowning slightly: "Brother, do you truly believe this matter is connected to Qiling?"

Zuoyang tucked his wide sleeves behind his back: "Too similar. Back then, the demonic seed appeared suddenly as well."

"If so, what is their purpose?"

"Naturally, the ancient immortal arts within the ruins."

Chaihu disagreed slightly: "Everything within the ruins opposes the Dao of Heaven. It's impossible to remove them—even if removed, Heaven's Dao would obliterate them. How could anyone scheme for them?"

Zuoyang furrowed his brow: "The immortal arts within the ruins do oppose Heaven's Dao, but that doesn't stop greed. What if someone, like the elder of the Zheng family, seeks to defy Heaven and ascend through the ruins?"

"If such a grand scheme were underway, it couldn't possibly escape our notice. Yet the Administration Office has already checked—the ruins remain sealed, and other Immortal Sects confirm the same."

But though the Seven Immortal Sects appear harmonious on the surface, they're actually pursuing their own interests. Some reports can be trusted, but not all. The temptation of immortal arts is immense—no mere sect, not even the great clans, would remain unmoved.

The delicate balance across Qingyun Realm had endured for centuries: Immortal Sects on top, followed by millennium-old clans, then century-old clans.

This stability suited some, but for those with ambition, it was a chain.

Indeed, since the Qiling incident, the Seven Immortal Sects have all been wary of one another, each suspecting another secretly sowing chaos—hence why the Dan Sect rushed to ally with the Heavenly Book Academy.

And the rumors of chaos originated from this.

What is chaos?

A world without rules, without law.

If that day arrives, the first thing shattered will be the balance among the Seven Immortal Sects.

In Zuoyang's view, each of the Seven Immortal Sects wields a sacred artifact to dominate the realm—only they themselves possess the power to break such a balance.

Meanwhile, Ji You had returned from Kuangcheng's residence.

Due to the demonic seed outbreaks, the Niu Ma Office where Old Kuang worked was extremely busy.

Ji You didn't detain him long, merely warned him to be cautious and not to act rashly even if he uncovered anything.

For in his view, matters involving Heaven's Dao were beyond human control.

But Kuangcheng, raised on classical texts and brimming with righteous fervor, was easily swept up—he feared Kuangcheng would be drawn into something dangerous.

On his way back, he saw another large group of Administration Office disciples leaving the Academy.

He'd just heard from Instructor Cao that when the demonic seed first appeared, the Heavenly Book Academy had already dispatched some Administration Office disciples; now another batch was leaving—apparently expanding the search.

Ji You did not linger in the Outer Court but walked straight back to the Inner Court and entered his courtyard.

Since leaving last summer and returning this summer, roughly a year had passed—no one had lived here.

Yet the Administration Office disciples were diligent, often cleaning—so it was far from desolate.

But due to months of relentless rain, his clothes and bedding were thoroughly damp.

Ji You had spent an entire day drying his bedding when he received several invitations.

Invitations from He Lingxiu and Xiao Hanyan, as well as from some aristocratic youths from the capital—some known, some not.

Actually, the meals weren't the point—for them, the point was to see whether Ji You was still a Tongxuan cultivator…

As Ji You flipped through the invitations, a vast spiritual sense suddenly swept down from the distant mountains.

It enveloped him, scanned him several times, then quietly retreated.

At that moment, Ji You couldn't help raising his head, gazing toward the direction the spiritual sense had come from.

That spiritual sense must have come from one of the Five Immortal Halls—apparently even the Hall Lords of the Heavenly Book Academy were curious about his entry into the Hall of Sages without breaking through.

But the following days grew quiet—no more invitations, no more banquets.

Only Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu frequently visited him; Lu Hanyan occasionally returned to pay respects and express her desire to continue learning swordplay—after that, few others disturbed him.

This was likely because everyone had confirmed Ji You's current realm—interest in a Tongxuan cultivator had faded; they now saw him merely as a fallen cultivator stuck in a bottleneck.

Attention turned again to the demonic seed matter.

During this time, Ji You received a letter from the Dan Sect.

Yuan Caimei had heard he emerged from the Hall of Sages, then learned from outside travelers that he'd returned to the Heavenly Book Academy, so she wrote specifically to ask after his well-being.

In truth, the news of his failure to break through affected her too.

Previously, rumors had spread across Qingyun Realm that she favored Ji You and wished to marry him.

Neither her father nor the ruling Elders had ever intervened—essentially turning a blind eye.

But since this rumor spread, her father and the Elders had been subtly urging her to change her mind.

Yuan Caimei remained vital to the Dan Sect—partly due to her extraordinary elixir talent, partly because she could influence the future Patriarch Yuan Chen's decisions.

Yet Yuan Caimei didn't mention any of this in her letter; she only told him about recent events in the Dan Sect, her own situation, and Yuan Chen's.

She also betrayed Yan Shuyi, saying that after he entered the Hall of Sages, she and "Sister Yan" went to Fengzhou.

These girls are clever—they know how to head home.

But the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain seemed clumsy—her mouth denied it, yet her body was honest.

She even sneaked back home while I was in the Hall of Sages.

Ji You pursed his lips, then picked up his brush and wrote Yuan Caimei a long, detailed reply about his past half-year.

Logically, since Yuan Caimei knew he'd returned, the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain should have known too.

Yet until Yuan Caimei received his reply, no letter came from Lingjian Mountain—so Ji You wrote one himself and sent it to Lingzhou.

Lingjian Mountain had grown calmer recently: new disciples showed excellent talent, and due to the influence of a certain actor, all had been assigned to Xuanjian Peak.

To boost her prestige among the disciples, Yan Shuyi appeared three times—cold, elegant, beautiful, her aura like a celestial immortal, inspiring deep admiration.

The more she embodied this image, the more people struggled to imagine who could possibly be the beloved of such a celestial being.

When Ji You's letter arrived, Yan Shuyi was listening to Zhuo Wanqiu's report on the demonic seed matter.

During the Qiling disaster, she had personally investigated the Zheng family manor and seen the demonic corpses locked in cages—so she'd always harbored her own concerns.

All outside travelers in the north had been dispatched to investigate Dou Yuan Kong's disappearance, but so far, only fragmented, low-value reports had returned.

At this moment, Ding Yao ascended the mountain, holding a letter, and stepped onto the Cloud Summit Pavilion of Xuanjian Peak.

"Mirror Master, the Young Master has sent a letter."

Yan Shuyi turned her head: "So he really came out of the Hall of Sages. What did he say?"

Ding Yao handed her the letter: "Just four words: I'm back."

The Little Mirror Master glanced at the letter, and a flicker of sword qi rose in her eyes. Since returning from the Heavenly Dao Assembly, her Dao heart had been unsettled by unknown matters; to dispel her fear of the unknown, she secretly went down the mountain and bought a secret manual on bloodline cultivation—but reading it only made her more confused.

The pants and shirt she changed into after bathing the night before were always replaced the next morning.

Now, holding the letter from the culprit, she felt a surge of shame and anger.

She was no longer the old Lingjian Mountain Mirror Master—her mind now held far more knowledge; she understood exactly how a mere Heavenly Book Academy disciple intended to torment her.

Though in reality she hadn't been tormented yet, in her dreams she'd already suffered it many times—so she now settled old and new scores against him, fiercely.

She then ordered Ding Yao to bring paper and ink, and began writing with brushstrokes like swords.

Ding Yao stood in the hall, observing the Mirror Master's expression.

She had already heard of Ji You's return from the Sacred Ground without breaking through—she was deeply puzzled, unable to understand why.

She truly wanted to know the Mirror Master's thoughts, but the Mirror Master had never discussed it with them, so they dared not ask.

In truth, Yan Shuyi knew Ji You was on the Body Refinement path—she understood that though he hadn't broken through, he was no longer the same man who entered.

Yet the more she knew this, the more the Little Mirror Master felt flustered.

She finished writing, folded the letter, and handed it to Ding Yao.

In truth, she and Ji You didn't need such complicated communication—they could simply meet in the Void Mountain.

But Yan Shuyi now dared not go.

The Void Mountain could solidify spiritual thoughts into colored qi—many thoughts there could not be hidden, no matter how much one lied.

Before Ji You returned to the Heavenly Book Academy, she'd tried several times—each time, the qi was yellow…

Ji You received the reply three days later—but it wasn't quite a letter, for inside the envelope was another stick-figure drawing.

A female stick-figure with long hair held a forty-meter-long sword, piercing the male stick-figure with short hair through the heart and skewering him on the blade.

Last time there was a similar drawing—over the demon princess's tail—but this time it wasn't that.

He'd spent half a year inside the Hall of Sages—how could he have met any other woman?

After much thought, he felt Yan Shuyi still harbored a mixed feeling—hoping he'd return, yet wishing he'd return slowly—hence this reply.

Holding Yan Shuyi's reply, Ji You's mind filled with a swarm of mischievous stick-figures—he wanted to draw them and send them to her.

For example: I have a forty-meter-long staff too—one thrust into the belly, its techniques shifting endlessly whether sitting, standing, or lying.

But after much thought, Ji You decided that if he truly sent such a letter, he'd likely be beaten black and blue upon their next meeting.

Then he noticed a small line of writing on the letter: Stranger, our fate is ended. May we forget each other in this world—never meet again in this life.

Tsk.

Afraid of pain, she even gave up her husband altogether…

Afterward, news from outside the capital constantly arrived in Shengjing.

The Immortal Supervisory Office had largely eliminated demonic seeds capable of causing chaos across the Nine Provinces; those not eliminated were placed under strict surveillance.

Yet the Supervisory Office still found no clues regarding their origins.

Although the results of the Seven Immortal Sects' investigation into Dou Yuan Kong's whereabouts were not made public, rumors about them kept returning to Shengjing.

Cultivation was dull and tedious; such news was naturally captivating.

The first to uncover a lead was Shanhai Pavilion.

Based on the location where Dou Yuan Kong's old servant was found, they searched eastward and discovered he had once drunk at a city named Anfeng.

It was said he had summoned three singing girls and spent the night with them.

When these three singing girls were questioned, they were interrogated in excruciating detail—every garment worn, every item carried, every song sung that night was meticulously recorded.

This was not surprising, for in idle chatter, Dou Yuan Kong might have casually dropped a clue.

For instance, had he mentioned where his next stop would be, or where he wished to go, or whether he had met anyone along the way?

These three singing girls were mere mortals; they could not withstand immortal interrogation and immediately revealed everything.

They even said Dou Yuan Kong had only managed thirteen thrusts with one of them before finishing, then insisted on asking whether she had been comfortable.

As for the other two singing girls, they had sat idly the entire time, utterly helpless.

Other details spread little, but this story spread everywhere, drawing repeated murmurs of disbelief.

"There's actually something like this? I love hearing it."

"If Dou Yuan Kong were still sane, he'd probably drop dead right now…"

"True—if it were me, I'd just die out there. What's the point of living?"

"Dou Brother probably never imagined so many people would be tracking his every move."

"No matter—he's already lost his mind, so he doesn't need face anymore…"

"Honestly, the moment I saw him wet his shoes while urinating, I knew Dou Brother was done for. Who'd have thought…"

Among the young nobles of the capital, discussions ran rampant; when speaking of their former friend, their faces showed traces of melancholy.

But Dou Yuan Kong did not stay in Anfeng for just one day—he stayed seven days, during which he visited another tavern.

Again he drank, but this time, the young master Dou summoned five singing girls.

As soon as this news spread, countless people immediately labeled him "incompetent but insatiable."

He wasted two out of three last time; now he dared to summon five? Was he fooling others—or himself?

Yet this investigation did yield results—not merely how many thrusts Dou Yuan Kong could manage, but his pattern of behavior.

When Dou Yuan Kong had been forced to leave the capital, he had simply wandered aimlessly.

According to the three singing girls, each time he visited a tavern, he was hosted by local friends.

This explained why Dou Yuan Kong, despite being a weakling, always summoned three or five girls.

Because when traveling, face was something you gave yourself.

But if one considered it differently, Dou Yuan Kong's route might well have been a quest to visit friends—then his path could be traced.

Of course, many found it puzzling that the Seven Immortal Sects were investigating Dou Yuan Kong's movements with such meticulous care.

Though many among them genuinely enjoyed hearing stories about how many thrusts Dou Yuan Kong could manage before collapsing, they felt the Seven Immortal Sects shouldn't be this bored.

"Dou Yuan Kong bears wounds inflicted by demonic seeds, and lately demonic seeds have been appearing across the Nine Provinces—could there be more to this demonic seed incident?"

"Judging by the Seven Immortal Sects' current actions, this is no natural disaster—it's man-made. Otherwise, why investigate so thoroughly, stripping Dou Brother of every shred of dignity?"

"If it's man-made, what could the purpose be?"

"Perhaps it's connected to Qiling—after all, the last demonic seed outbreak occurred the same way?"

"If it truly relates to Qiling, this could be enormous—last time many died. Who knows what will happen this time…"

The noble families had their own sources of information and were not truly foolish; they easily sensed something amiss.

After all, the appearance of demonic seeds was easily linked to the Qiling incident.

This was not a good thing, for matters involving the Dao of Heaven and the Dao of Immortals could easily trigger chaos across Qingyun's realm—especially since the barbarian and beast tribes still watched from beyond the borders.

Thus, the major immortal sects gradually began suppressing news of this matter.

Yet even so, many noble families fixed their eyes on Dou Yuan Kong's case and secretly dispatched their own young members to the Qingzhou region.

It felt just like when rumors once spread of a divine opportunity appearing at Qiling—everyone rushed there, unwilling to be left behind.

(End of Chapter)