The Lin family estate had long since ceased to resemble what it had been at the time of the incident. Who knew how many cultivators had come through, leaving countless traces behind.
Yet the bodies had been protected by formations set up by the cultivators of Sunset City, awaiting inspection by representatives of the Ziyang Sect.
Elder Lu was a Nascent Soul cultivator. She had spent many years in seclusion, and not long after emerging, she had been assigned by the sect to travel outside—to take a walk and clear her mind.
The moment the retrospection mirror failed to work, Elder Lu knew this trip would do nothing to ease her mind.
“What’s ahead?” A disciple suddenly stopped, staring forward. “Elder, I have an uneasy feeling.”
Elder Lu sent out a thread of spiritual power. After a moment, her brows lifted slightly. “It’s a formation.”
“What kind of formation?” the other disciples asked curiously.
Elder Lu sensed it carefully before answering, “A spacetime formation.”
She was not well versed in formations. She could only tell that this place was under the control of some array, with space and time seeming subtly distorted. As for what kind of formation it was, she had no idea.
“Why is the Lin family becoming more and more bizarre?”
“Seventy-eight cultivator corpses, thirty-six mortal corpses, lingering demonic aura, and blood-soaked mud that must have taken who knew how many deaths to accumulate—on top of a spatial-temporal formation…”
The disciples began discussing it among themselves, all feeling that there was something far more complicated at play.
“The demon clan... again, it’s the demon clan...” one disciple muttered.
Someone sent Bai Xuan a message. “Senior Sister Bai, how are things on your end?”
The woman’s voice came through, cool and composed. “We’ve been asking around at the teahouse. Everyone in the city knows that the Lin family had been preparing to hold a Foundation Establishment banquet for Miss Lin Qi. Many cultivators received invitations, but on the night before the banquet, something suddenly happened to the Lin family.”
“The surviving servants of the Lin family said they saw the steward and the Head of the Lin Family fighting. Not long after, everyone began fighting one another.”
“They were unable to escape, but then, all of a sudden, they saw a burst of white light. After that, they fell into a deep sleep and dreamed a beautiful dream.”
“When they woke, the Lin residence had become a ruin.”
“What else?” Elder Lu’s voice rang out. She did not come closer; only her voice could be heard.
Bai Xuan replied respectfully, “Some say that Miss Lin Qi caught the eye of Daojun Xuanfeng of the Wuwang Sect, who intends to take her as his disciple—his last disciple, at that.”
This was news the sect had not known before. Elder Lu asked, “Has anyone seen any members of the Lin family?”
“No,” Bai Xuan answered.
How very strange.
The Lin family had been wiped out, yet not a single body had been definitively identified.
Neither the living nor the dead could be found. All that remained were the corpses of the guests strewn across the grounds, along with countless unanswered mysteries.
“I’ll go in and take a look,” Elder Lu said, stepping into the formation.
She had followed a faint trace of demonic aura to this place. When the group arrived, all they found was a collapsed ruin. Only after using spiritual power to sweep aside the rubble did they uncover the true appearance of the hidden chamber.
With the chamber collapsed, the pitch-dark passageway—once untouched by even a sliver of light—had been exposed to the sun.
Elder Lu walked toward an open patch of ground, then suddenly vanished from sight.
The disciples waited and waited. From morning until night, they finally saw Elder Lu emerge.
“Elder!”
“You’re finally out!”
“What happened inside? We couldn’t contact you!”
Elder Lu’s expression remained calm. “How long was I inside?”
“One day,” a disciple replied.
Elder Lu looked at the sky and nodded. Only one day—not several.
“Let’s go. We still have guests to meet tomorrow,” she said, then headed back the way they had come.
The disciples followed behind her, asking what had happened inside. Elder Lu did not answer. Instead, she took out her sect token and reported to the sect.
“There is an array here that interfered with the Retrospection Mirror.”
“The Head of the Lin Family was present on the day of the incident.”
“A member of the demon race appeared here.”
“Beneath the ruins, I discovered a secret chamber. The Retrospection Mirror showed a mass of white light, seemingly a gigantic bird.”
“The surviving servants of the Lin family said that they saw a mass of white light. After seeing it, they fell asleep and had beautiful dreams. This reminds me of the ancient divine bird—the Mirage Bird.”
“The Mirage Bird went extinct a hundred thousand years ago. If the Lin family truly possesses the Mirage Bird’s bloodline, it should belong to our sect.”
The Lin family were cultivators of Sunset City, a city in Taihua Province—and Taihua Province lay within the territory of the Ziyang Sect.
“There’s word that the Lin Family has won the favor of Daojun Xuanfeng of the Wuwang Sect and persuaded her to take their seventh daughter as a disciple. Their daughter didn’t establish her foundation until she was seventeen. With talent like that, she was never qualified to become Daojun Xuanfeng’s disciple.”
“The Lin Family must have offered up some priceless treasure.”
“Sect Leader, that mirage bird may be real.”
At last, Elder Lu gave his assessment.
The Sect Leader’s voice came through the token. “Very well. Thank you for your hard work, Elder Lu. Continue the investigation.”
“Understood.” The token was put away.
The disciples following behind were stunned. “Elder, what did you see in there?”
“A mirage bird?”
“What is a mirage bird?”
Nangong Yu was curious as well. What exactly was a mirage bird?
“There’s nothing here for a mortal like you. Get lost!” Wang Hezheng glared disdainfully at the mortal girl who had followed them.
Night had fallen. Chen Zhi and the other two returned to the inn, where they met up with Bai Xuan’s group and Elder Lu.
Nangong Yu had initially gone her separate way from them, but who would have thought that the moment they entered the inn, she followed right in after them.
The main hall was spacious, and the cultivators of the Purple Sun Sect had gathered there, exchanging information.
Nangong Yu chose a nearby table and ordered a pot of tea, a bowl of noodles, and two dishes. As she ate her dinner, she listened in on their conversation.
When she heard mention of a secret chamber, white light, and a mirage bird, she could no longer hold herself back. She trotted over to stand behind Xie Jinyue and listened in.
“The worse your cultivation, the nastier your temper.” Nangong Yu leaned on Xie Jinyue’s shoulder and gave him a huff.
Her playful remark drew stifled laughter from several disciples who did not know the full story.
Wang Hezheng’s face darkened. “You! You’re courting death!”
“Immortal Master, I suggest you learn from the other immortals. Don’t keep saying things like ‘Mortals, get lost’ or ‘You’re courting death.’” Nangong Yu popped a spirit fruit into her mouth. “It only makes you look like you think you’re so impressive.”
She shifted her gaze. “Look at your elder—he’s far more powerful than you, isn’t he? Has he even spared me a glance? I’m just a mortal. Why can’t you simply ignore me?”
Wang Hezheng was so angered that he wanted to flare up again, but he could not do so. His neck turned red as he held it in.
Seeing his expression, the disciples were all taken aback. “Senior Sister Xie, who is she?”
How had a mere mortal managed to infuriate a cultivator to this extent?
Xie Jinyue glanced back and smiled. “Her name is Little Yu. A bowl of wild vegetable and egg soup she made helped me break through to the next minor realm.”
The crowd was astonished and hurriedly offered their congratulations.
“Congratulations, Senior Sister Xie.”
“Congratulations, Junior Sister Xie.”
“Is there any of that soup left? Bring me a bowl too.”
The group chatted and laughed, all assuming that Nangong Yu was here because Xie Jinyue had brought her along.
“Hah!” Wang Hezheng gave a cold laugh. “Senior Sister Xie has already fallen for their scheme. You’d all best be careful too!”
The others were baffled. “What do you mean by that?”
Weren’t they recruiting disciples outside the city? What on earth had happened? Why did it sound so complicated?
“Senior Brother Chen, you tell them.” Wang Hezheng did not want to speak, turning instead to Chen Zhi.
Chen Zhi hesitated for a moment.
There were too many people here, and he had yet to decide whether he should say anything.
He had originally intended to report to Elder Lu, but they had been unable to contact her. Now that they had finally met up, he had not yet had the chance to make his report.
After all, compared with the clues surrounding the Lin family’s massacre, the demon clan, the mirage bird, and the like, Nangong Yu’s appearance was truly a minor matter.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” a gentle voice asked. It was Elder Lu.
She was a Nascent Soul cultivator with an immense divine sense. Even without looking or listening, she could not miss the slightest movement around her.
She had heard Nangong Yu’s remark: “Let’s go see your elder.”
“Elder, this is what happened. The two junior disciples and I were recruiting new students outside the city…” Chen Zhi began explaining.
Since the elder had asked, he naturally told her everything from beginning to end.
He did not embellish the story, but he glossed over his own actions and those of Wang Hezheng.
The crowd immediately began looking at Nangong Yu with displeasure.
“An evil cultivator?” Elder Lu looked over.
Her gaze carried a faint pressure. Nangong Yu clearly felt as though she could hardly breathe, and inwardly labeled Elder Lu as an intermediate boss.
Her body had been fused with phoenix bone, flood-dragon blood, rock-monster skin, and other things. She had even had her skull replaced with titanium alloy in the City of AI.
Any monster capable of putting pressure on her was, at the very least, the boss of an intermediate dungeon.
“I’m not,” Nangong Yu replied.
Elder Lu naturally knew she wasn’t. With meridians clogged throughout her body and her aura impure and turbid, she was nothing more than an ordinary mortal.
Seeing that she hadn’t been frightened into kneeling and trembling, Elder Lu praised her. “You have a firm mind.” She withdrew her pressure.
Nangong Yu raised her eyes and glanced at her. “I didn’t harm either of the two Immortals, but they may indeed have been injured because of me.”
Just giving them a heads-up. If someone suddenly exploded in the future, they couldn’t blame her.
“Oh?” Elder Lu raised an eyebrow.
Nangong Yu said seriously, “Sometimes, when people harbor ill will toward me, they suffer the consequences.”
Chen Zhi and Wang Hezheng’s expressions darkened at the same time.
They were dignified cultivators, yet they had actually harbored ill will toward a mortal. This was practically a stain on their reputations!
“You’re talking nonsense!” Wang Hezheng slammed his hand on the table.
Nangong Yu swiftly equipped the title: [What are you looking at? Never seen someone scavenging before?]
In an instant, she took it off again.
“Ah—!” Wang Hezheng had not been prepared for it. Her eyes suddenly felt as though they had been pierced by needles, and she let out a scream, covering them with both hands.
Chen Zhi immediately drew his sword, but did not dare look at her. “Elder, she—”
Elder Lu looked at him, then at Nangong Yu, and finally at the disciples around them.
There was no second victim.
“How interesting.” Her voice was gentle as she raised a hand. A soft breeze slowly enveloped Nangong Yu.
Nangong Yu sensed the probing gaze.
Without the slightest panic, she equipped the title [You're Just Being Paranoid].
[You're Just Being Paranoid]: While wearing this title, any being who looks at you will dismiss their suspicions of you in their heart.
(Note: This title has no effect if the being in question has no heart.)
Clearly, Elder Lu was not some heartless monster.
She quickly withdrew her probing gaze and asked Nangong Yu, “What’s your name? Where do you live? What about your parents? Why are you here alone? Who told you to come to the Ziyang Sect and seek admission as a disciple?”
Nangong Yu had spent the entire day with Chen Zhi and the others, yet they still knew nothing about her identity or background.
That was also why Chen Zhi and Wang Hezheng suspected that something was wrong with her.
Both of them waited for her to make excuses.
