Chapter 209: Secret Message

Jiang Yu responded by trying to open the door, but Senior Sister Gu blocked her at the doorway and said to everyone, "Stranger."

The spiritual senses of more than ten people in the room all glanced toward the door, and Xia Bing said, "Everyone, please identify whether she is my Heavenly Origin cultivator."

"We don't recognize her," the crowd replied unevenly, but all were certain they had never seen her.

Wen Qian of Dongzhou, speaking last, said, "The jade ornament at the waist comes from the largest refining shop in Panxing City, Dongzhou."

"Dongzhou cultivator? Jiang Yu, I'll go with you." Lin Yuan stood up, but Xia Bing pressed him down, "Your injury hasn't healed; Junior Brother Tao, you go."

"At our own doorstep, nothing can go wrong."

Under the concern of a group of senior brothers and sisters, Jiang Yu could only obey and go out together with Tao Wenché.

When the door opened, she saw two male cultivators; she did not notice any signs of disguise, but upon close observation of their forms she could make some guesses, especially the one whose cold gaze was clearly that of Senior Brother Xing.

Thus, she turned to the slightly taller one and said, "Comrade Min?"

"Comrade Jiang, good eyesight; here's your letter." Min Chi Yuan, having been summoned, was explicitly revealing his identity to her.

Jiang Yu looked at the maple leaf handed over by the other party, hesitated slightly, and asked, "In the cave heaven, can we send messages now?"

"It's just a dedicated secret device; if you're afraid it's poisonous, you can avoid touching it." Senior Brother Xing glanced at her.

Consequently, Jiang Yu nodded and said, "Please, Comrade Min, activate it."

Min Chi Yuan hesitated, "The two of us, let's cast a barrier."

Jiang Yu gladly agreed, but the barrier she cast enveloped all four of them.

Jiang Tu, lying in the cave heaven, complained, "What's so impressive? This messaging tool is probably something the old man of Xuantang Xingjun obtained in the cave heaven."

Jiang Yu focused on the maple leaf and saw Min Chi Yuan channel spiritual energy, after which rows upon rows of characters appeared on it.

She and Tao Wenché grew increasingly alarmed as they read, and finally seized the maple leaf to reread, "May I reply?"

"The Elder Ancestor said it's unnecessary; you can go directly."

"He also told you to remember, this time you owe him a favor, so we will take our leave first." Min Chi Yuan pulled back the leaf, unwilling to participate.

Jiang Yu had no desire to continue the conversation, so she dismantled the barrier and headed toward the tent where the Jiedans were holding a meeting.

"Comrade Jiang, consider us, and go later," Senior Brother Xing intercepted swiftly, not wanting to be questioned again by the Jiedans.

Min Chi Yuan also blocked Tao Wenché, "She has been placed within a high‑grade formation; even a Nascent Soul cannot approach it directly."

Jiang Yu clenched her fists, suppressing anxiety, and bowed to the two, "Apologies, and thank you both."

Having said that, she abruptly turned and went back; Tao Wenché glanced at the two and said, "Rest assured, fellow cultivators, we will arrange everything and will not see you off."

Xing and Min saw him turn away, then leisurely returned to their quarters.

The two sent a message to each other, "Alas, the Elder Ancestor not only refrains from killing Jiang Yu, but also helps her."

"Fifth junior brother, if she were not a Heavenly Origin cultivator, I would suspect she is also of our clan."

"She bears the legendary auspicious dragon‑turtle, and the Elder Ancestor likely values that." The cultivation world also places great importance on luck, sometimes beyond envy.

Just then, Wen Qian caught up from behind and sent a message, "Both of you wait a moment; I want to inquire whether anyone has seen a cultivator named Cheng Zigui."

They turned around and saw Cheng Zigui's junior sister; evidently she did not recognize them wearing the thousand‑illusion mask, Senior Brother Xing frowned, but still halted his steps and waited for her.

Putting aside how they brushed off Wen Qian, Jiang Yu returned to the tent, her complexion normal, and told everyone, "If you're looking for me, you want to trade a formation array."

Believe it or not, the senior brothers and sisters didn't ask further, after all Tao Wenché entered with an ordinary expression.

A quarter hour later, Jiang Yu sent a message to Xia Bing, recounting the previous events in this manner.

Xia Bing gave Tao Wenché a look, and he immediately found an excuse to leave; a moment later, he summoned the Chongdao Real Person who was in the meeting.

With the room full of Grand Void Sect disciples, Wen Qian, with a knowing look, took her leave.

Jiang Yu recounted the details of the maple leaf, and only then did everyone realize that their own team of fellow sect members had been ambushed and soul‑devoured by Jiedan cultivators.

"Damn it!" the hot‑tempered Senior Brother Cao smashed a table on the spot.

Other disciples quickly voiced, "Elder, I will go with you to fetch Senior Sister Wu."

"Is that the Jiedan possessed by a demon?" Lu Chenxia exclaimed, hitting the point directly.

Snap!

The sound of Jiang Yu slapping herself halted the whole room's uproar.

"You fool!" Lu Ruochan lunged forward, pinning her hand.

"Elder, it's my fault, that Yuan Real Person is…" she didn't finish, but Jiang Tu cut her off in time.

Jiang Yu paused, "Please, Elder, swiftly take me to find Senior Sister Wu." Three fellow sect members had died! Among them was Senior Brother Qian, whom she was most familiar with; recalling his past care for her, Jiang Yu was filled with self‑reproach.

And just now, having been asked by the two messengers, they had delayed for a quarter hour.

Jiang Tu sent a message to Jiang Yu: "What does it have to do with you? Even if that monster doesn't attach to her, it will still target other Jiedans."

"When we rescued her she was still a cultivator and did no harm, but now she is no longer herself."

Lu Ruochan, turning her head, glared fiercely at Lu Chenxia, "Don't be too clever right now."

The girl probably guessed Jiang Yu's self‑blame, saying that rescuing someone surnamed Yuan was a mistake, but fortunately Jiang Tu interrupted.

"If you must blame someone, blame the Demon King; it didn't give a warning, struck suddenly, and didn't kill the monster." Lu Ruochan knew Jiang Yu had few friends, and that Senior Brother Qian and Senior Sister Wu both practiced the same technique with her, making their bond closer than others.

The others glanced at each other, thinking it was fortunate to be with the Elders.

Jiang Yu stared directly at the Chongdao Real Person, "Elder?"

"Jiang Yu, Wenché, Jiang Jin, Gu Bingwen…" the Chongdao Real Person named a few uninjured disciples, "The others should stay behind the gates to recover their injuries and must not discuss this matter externally."

After a pause, he scanned the group again and said, "Xia Bing, see to everyone."

"If anything arises, report immediately to Elder Qian and Elder Lin."

Having said that, he left with a few disciples; a moment later, he informed all Jiedans that Yuan Real Person had begun ambushing cultivators.

As for how the information was obtained, the answer is that Xuantang Xingjun had visited.

Those Jiedans who learned that their own disciples had also perished, regardless of their thoughts, always sent at least one person to go together.

Over two thousand li is indeed not far for a Jiedan Real Person, especially when using a Cloud‑Sailing Boat; in just over two hours they could reach the location.

"Senior Sister Wu?" Jiang Yu saw the mark written on the transmitting maple leaf, jumped off the flying boat and rushed over.

Thump—, unsurprisingly, she broke into the defense array.

"Jiang Yu." The kneeling Senior Sister Wu heard the movement, saw it was an ally, and hurriedly waved the formation tablet to start the array.

The others followed into the array, saw more than twenty cultivators' corpses still lying in place, unmoved.

Jiang Yu ran toward Senior Brother Qian; he was the only corpse whose soul had not been drawn out.

Senior Sister Wu reported to True Immortal Chongdao and True Immortal Cao, "That senior elder of Xuan Hall preserved the massacre scene, saying it was left for everyone to look for clues."

After speaking, she ran back to Senior Brother Qian's side, "Jiang Yu, he did it to save me."

Jiang Yu stared blankly, "Jiang Tu, Senior Brother Qian seems different from the others."