Three days earlier.
Someone had come to seek an audience at the entrance to Situ Jian’s cave abode.
It was one of Shu Xin’s former three subordinates. If he remembered correctly, his surname was Wu.
“Dao Lord Situ, I have something of great importance to report. I beg you to see me at once.” A look of nervousness and hesitation flashed across Steward Wu’s face, but it quickly turned into resolve.
He did not want to do this either. It was simply that, after discussing the matter, his clan had decided to take this course of action. An opportunity like this would never come again once it was missed.
In the Immortal Longevity Dao Sect, how many chances could an ordinary person encounter in a lifetime?
Situ Jian waved his hand, opening the restrictions around his cave abode.
“Come in.”
Steward Wu glanced around. After making sure no one was nearby, he immediately slipped inside.
“Dao Lord Situ, have you heard about the matter that has been causing such an uproar in the sect recently?” Steward Wu glanced at Situ Jian, then lowered his voice further. “I mean the matter concerning Shu Xin, Elder Shu.”
“I’ve heard something about it.” Situ Jian nodded lightly.
“Dao Lord, thank goodness you and Shu Xin have already severed your Daoist-couple engagement. Otherwise, you might already be in the prison beneath the lake.” Steward Wu still felt a lingering fear. “You may not know this, but although the sect has issued a gag order, my clan has dealings with several prominent families. There are rumors circulating among them that the Mahayana sword cultivator this time may be Shu Xin’s backer from outside the sect. She was originally a member of a demonic sect who concealed her identity and infiltrated the sect. Perhaps she intended to free the demonic cultivators imprisoned beneath the lake.”
Situ Jian stared at Steward Wu for a moment before slowly saying, “If you have something to say, Steward Wu, you may as well say it directly.”
Steward Wu hesitated for a while, but ultimately continued. “I once worked under Shu Xin, so I knew some of the channels she used to transmit information, as well as some of the matters she inquired about within the sect. I kept records of everything that passed through my hands. Among them are quite a few sensitive pieces of information. My status is too low to submit them directly, so I ask Dao Lord Situ to convey them on my behalf.”
With that, Steward Wu dropped to his knees and held out a jade slip in both hands, wearing an expression as though he were offering up his life for a righteous cause.
“Shu Xin treated you fairly well,” Situ Jian said slowly. “How am I supposed to know whether the information in this jade slip is genuine?”
“She did treat me well. If I were alone, I would never betray her, even if it cost me my life.” Steward Wu clenched his teeth. “But this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. Dao Lord Situ, you don’t know how difficult it is for an ordinary cultivator to establish himself within the sect. With your extraordinary talent, naturally you have nothing to worry about. But people of ordinary aptitude like us cannot survive without relying on the strength of our clans and banding together.
“Now that the Lin Clan is in turmoil, they are selling off their properties everywhere to pay compensation. Even their spirit mountains are about to be taken away. Six spirit mountains have suddenly become available. As long as my Wu Clan can obtain one, we will have a foundation on which to establish ourselves within the sect!”
A spirit mountain within the sect was a symbol of status.
Only with a spirit mountain could one open shops, possess a private heavenly abode, and grow spirit herbs to refine pills.
Then the Wu Clan would no longer be a rootless family that everyone could trample on. They would be able to truly become one of the sect’s prominent clans.
If, in the future, they used the abundant spiritual energy of their spirit mountain to nurture several powerful cultivators, they could pass their clan down for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years, just like the other great families.
Such an attraction was worth taking a gamble on.
But the number of spirit mountains was limited, and they had long since been divided among the various factions.
Now that six spirit mountains had become available because of the Lin Clan, why couldn’t the Wu Clan fight for one?
The problem was that far too many people were watching those spirit mountains. Without sufficient merit, how could the Wu Clan possibly hope to obtain one? After much deliberation, they had concluded that the information concerning Shu Xin was the only bargaining chip they possessed.
Situ Jian was already a disciple of the Lin Clan, and he had also broken off his engagement with Shu Xin. To prove his innocence, he was likely the person most eager to distance himself from her.
Submitting the information to him would give them the greatest chance of exchanging it for the merit they needed.
“Too many people are watching Shu Xin’s movements. The information you’ve submitted may not even involve anything important.” Situ Jian accepted the jade slip. “But this matter is of great consequence. How many people in the Wu Clan know about it?”
“Please rest assured, Dao Lord. Only the clan patriarch and I know about this. If this succeeds, my Wu Clan is willing to enter into a ten-thousand-year alliance with you. Whatever you require of us in the future, we will carry it out even at the cost of our lives!” Steward Wu immediately began to bow.
“Good.”
Steward Wu’s face lit up with joy. He was just about to raise his head when he heard the sound of something rupturing within his dantian.
He lowered his head and saw large blossoms of blood spreading across his chest.
Why... why?
Shouldn’t Situ Jian be the person most eager to cut ties with Shu Xin right now?
That question would remain forever unanswered.
In the next instant, his corpse was burned to ashes.
“Patriarch of the Wu Clan.” Situ Jian strode out of his heavenly abode, his figure vanishing in an instant.
The patriarch of the Wu Clan was dead.
But no one cared.
After all, the Wu Clan was merely an insignificant family within the Immortal Longevity Dao Sect. The entire clan did not even possess many powerful cultivators.
The day after news of this spread, every member of the Wu Clan would face the predation of the other clans.
Yet at that moment, Situ Jian had already left the sect.
“You came to see me, so no one noticed, right? Especially the Lin Clan. If they knew you had come to send me off, they’d probably be so furious they wouldn’t be able to sleep.” Shu Xin wore a sly grin. “Things aren’t going well for them right now, are they?”
Situ Jian nodded seriously. “Indeed. They’ve lost half of their spirit mountains and still have to compensate Ning Weixuan for his physical injuries. It will be difficult for them to recover their strength within a hundred years.”
“Wow, the Immortal Longevity Dao Sect is even more shameless than I imagined. They can actually pin Ning Weixuan’s injuries on the Lin Clan? It seems the days ahead won’t be easy for any of these prominent families. I managed to get away at just the right time.” Shu Xin was somewhat astonished, but after thinking about it, she felt it was only natural.
The Immortal Longevity Dao Sect had suffered such a humiliating loss. Naturally, they had to find someone to vent their anger on.
Since they could not find her, they could only target the members of the Lin Clan.
Who could blame them? The Lin Clan had brought this upon themselves by sticking their necks out.
As these prominent families grew larger and larger, they became nothing more than fat sheep in the eyes of the sect. Once a sheep had been fattened, it was slaughtered. In any case, the foundations of these clans lay within the sect, and they had nowhere to flee. Even if one Lin Clan fell, countless others would rise in its place. There was no reason to feel sorry about bleeding them dry.
Situ Jian went on to tell her about the sect’s current measures, the changes within the Lin Clan, and the various opinions circulating throughout the sect.
Shu Xin had spent the past few days recuperating at Luo Huannian’s place, so she had no way of inquiring into such detailed information. Now that Situ Jian had filled her in, the weight in her heart eased somewhat.
“That’s good.” Shu Xin finally let out a sigh of relief. “The Lin Clan doesn’t currently have the energy to come after me. After suffering such a setback, they’ll certainly do everything they can to cultivate you. In their eyes, you must be even more eager to distance yourself from me now.”
If people viewed one another solely in terms of benefits, their conclusion would have been entirely correct.
But they had forgotten that what made people human was that, beyond pure reason and self-interest, there was also such a thing as emotion.
Shu Xin and Situ Jian had known each other for a hundred years. They had met even before joining the sect, and had weathered countless life-and-death crises together. Their understanding of each other ran so deep that they could communicate without words. How could they possibly sever their ties so easily?
“After a hundred years, there will be no Lin family left,” Situ Jian replied calmly.
Just look at him. He truly was a worthy successor to my teachings. He could say something so sinister and still sound perfectly righteous.
The Lin family had provoked Situ Jian. Their misfortune was well deserved.
No—more accurately, from the very beginning, Situ Jian had chosen the Lin family from among all the great clans because they were relatively easy to manipulate while still carrying sufficient weight.
Shu Xin felt that Situ Jian had truly surpassed his teacher.
“Conflict among the great clans is bound to bring danger, but it also presents you with an opportunity to rise,” Shu Xin said after thinking it over. She still reminded him, “Just remember this: share the credit with everyone, and whenever something goes wrong, let someone with powerful connections take the blame. That way, nothing major will happen. You still have a long road ahead before you can earn the Longevity Dao Sect’s genuine trust.”
Situ Jian said nothing more. He simply handed her another storage pouch.
“You still have spirit stones?” Shu Xin asked in shock.
“If you’re going to wield your sword, your consumption of spirit stones will inevitably be enormous.” Situ Jian shook his head. “When the Lin family sold off its businesses, those two people you sent also secretly bought some of the assets. They made quite a profit.”
Two? Shouldn’t it have been three?
Hearing Situ Jian say that, Shu Xin’s thoughts turned, and she more or less understood what he meant—and what he had done.
“It must be… Old Wu, right? Of the three families, only the Wu Clan had the greatest ambitions.” Shu Xin sighed. “I’ve never thought ambition was a bad thing, but they truly lacked the necessary luck.”
Since Old Wu and the others had chosen to betray her, they could only blame themselves for the consequences.
“This also includes the Wu Clan’s accumulated wealth over the years.” Situ Jian nodded slightly and changed the subject. “The Wu Clan rose because of you, so it should fall because of you as well.”
Shu Xin smiled.
In truth, she was still somewhat saddened.
At the very least, she had thought the Wu Clan would be a little smarter.
“The Seeking Deity Sect will arrive here in another two hours.” Situ Jian glanced at the sky and cupped his hands slightly. “From this day onward, the sky is high enough for birds to fly, and the sea broad enough for fish to leap. There will surely come a day when Sister Shu’s name resounds throughout the world.”
“The Great Dao stretches endlessly. There’s no need to speak of what lies ahead.”
A trace of reluctance appeared on Shu Xin’s face, but it soon vanished without a trace.
People came into this world alone, and they left it alone as well.
To have an old friend see her off was already more than enough.
Shu Xin took a deep breath and waved at Situ Jian.
Only then did Situ Jian turn and leave.
[Actually, staying in the Longevity Dao Sect is more dangerous for him than leaving is for you.] The Sword Spirit thought for a moment before speaking. [If you’re willing to take him with you, then once I recover, I can help him avenge any grudge he has, no matter what it is.]
“Some grudges have to be avenged with one’s own hands,” Shu Xin said, disagreeing. “And some things must be done personally before one’s Dao heart can become truly clear.”
[Your Dao heart is already far too clear. All you need is to bully the weak.]
“That’s called being cautious,” Shu Xin retorted. “Unlike you, who can’t even swing a single sword without exhausting yourself. What if enemies came at us wave after wave? Wouldn’t that just be courting death?”
[Find me more fiends and I’ll be able to recover sooner. Also, when do you plan to break through and become a cultivator of the Dongtian Realm?]
“Of course I’ll wait until I’ve formally become his disciple before breaking through. I need to display my master’s wisdom and painstaking guidance first.” Shu Xin gave a perfectly clear answer. “Think about it. I’ve cultivated in the Longevity Dao Sect for so many years without breaking through, yet the moment I arrive at the Seeking Deity Sect and take Xu Guan as my master, I immediately break through into the Dongtian Realm. Wouldn’t that be incredibly impressive? The Seeking Deity Sect would have to put me on a pedestal!”
The essence of currying favor was, naturally, giving one’s superior exactly what he liked most.
And what Xu Guan had always dreamed of was nothing more than humiliating the Longevity Dao Sect and strengthening the reputation of the Seeking Deity Sect.
If she solved both of his problems in one stroke, how could he possibly treat her poorly?
[The twists and turns of you humans are truly endless!]
Shu Xin neither agreed nor disagreed. The Sword Spirit’s choice of words was far too unpleasant. What it called “twists and turns” was actually called “seeing through people” and “strategizing with foresight.”
At that very moment, Xu Guan was leading his disciples toward the Seeking Deity Sect.
“Master, do we really not need to wait a little longer for Shu Xin?” The eldest disciple was also Xu Guan’s chosen successor as the future sect master of the Seeking Deity Sect, so he knew more than the others.
Now that they had left the territory of the Longevity Dao Sect, the eldest disciple was willing to explain the deal between Shu Xin and the Seeking Deity Sect to his junior brothers and sisters.
Only then did Xu Guan’s disciples learn that their master had planned to accept Shu Xin as his disciple from the very beginning.
“She sent word to me earlier, so I imagine she only wanted a legitimate reason to leave the Longevity Dao Sect. Now, she should have found a better destination and no longer needs to come to us.” Xu Guan recalled that earth-shaking sword strike and truly wanted to ask Shu Xin whether she could introduce him to the Mahayana sword cultivator behind it.
Sword cultivators were notoriously difficult to train, and no one had heard of a sword cultivator reaching the Mahayana stage in several thousand years.
Xu Guan did not believe it was a coincidence that Shu Xin had already struck a deal with him to transfer to his sect, then voluntarily abandoned her right to defend herself and entered the Law Enforcement Hall, only for one bizarre piece of news after another to follow.
The cultivators from outside who had originally come merely to attend a banquet had ended up watching the entire spectacle unfold.
Even someone as heartless and treacherous as Qin Rushan had been summoned by the Longevity Dao Sect to help calm the situation. That alone showed how enormous the sect’s reaction had been.
If anyone claimed that Shu Xin had nothing to do with that Mahayana sword cultivator, Xu Guan would be the first to disbelieve them!
It was just a pity about those hundred thousand spirit stones.
They had originally agreed that Shu Xin would pay the Seeking Deity Sect a hundred thousand spirit stones as a discipleship fee upon joining. Now, it seemed that money would be lost.
Xu Guan glanced at his well-behaved and sensible disciples, wondering where he could earn some more spirit stones.
As for Shu Xin, the temple of the Seeking Deity Sect was simply too small to accommodate such a towering Buddha.
Xu Guan was just about to give his disciples a few instructions when his extended divine sense suddenly detected a familiar figure waiting ahead in the distance.
Hm?
Xu Guan’s disciples felt the world spin around them. Their master had taken them all into his sleeve dimension and was using the Shrinking Earth into Inches technique to hurry along.
What was going on?
Hadn’t their master just said that this technique consumed too much spiritual energy, and that they should travel on foot to temper their minds?
As for why Xu Guan had suddenly resorted to using the technique, it was naturally because of Shu Xin.
“As expected of a great cultivator of the Wugou Realm. You were so far away, yet you arrived in the blink of an eye.” Shu Xin praised him sincerely. “Why hasn’t Master released my junior brothers and sisters yet? This is the perfect opportunity for us to meet formally and get to know one another.”
Hearing Shu Xin call him Master made Xu Guan feel even more perplexed.
“You’re calling me Master?”
“Of course, Master Xu.” Shu Xin replied as though it were only natural. “Didn’t we agree on this already? Once I left the Longevity Dao Sect, I would become a disciple of the Seeking Gods Sect. I’ve been waiting here for ages. Oh, right, Master—this bag contains one hundred and one thousand spirit stones. The extra thousand are for treating my junior brothers and sisters to drinks.”
Xu Guan released his divine sense and surveyed the surroundings once more, discovering that there truly was no one nearby.
No—that couldn’t be right. How terrifying was the power of a Mahayana cultivator? Even if someone were standing right beside him, he certainly would not have noticed.
“Master, what are you looking at?” Shu Xin asked, an innocent smile appearing on her face. “There’s only me here. No one else.”
“Poor Daoist does not possess the qualifications to be your master.” Although Xu Guan was tempted by the storage pouch of spirit stones Shu Xin had handed him, he also knew that with the abilities Shu Xin possessed—and her talent for attracting trouble—the tiny Seeking Gods Sect could never withstand the consequences.
“Master, what are you talking about?” Shu Xin exclaimed in great surprise. “We have written proof, don’t we? Besides, when we were inside the Longevity Dao Sect, you personally promised in front of everyone that I could become your disciple. Surely you aren’t planning to go back on your word now, Master?”
“You clearly have a better master, and—”
“Master, you believe those rumors too?” Shu Xin protested, looking utterly wronged. “That Mahayana sword cultivator really isn’t my backer, much less my master. If I had a Mahayana master, would I have been bullied to this extent? I swear to Heaven—I truly have no other master.”
“No need.” Xu Guan stopped her and continued, “Fellow Daoist Shu, our little temple truly cannot accommodate a Buddha as mighty as you.”
With that, Xu Guan turned to leave.
“Master, do you really think the Longevity Dao Sect will leave you alone simply because you don’t provoke them?” Shu Xin called after him in a quiet, eerie voice. “How can anyone tolerate another person snoring beside their bed? The Seeking Gods Sect never provoked the Longevity Dao Sect either, but with Qin Rushan around, the two sects will never be able to return to peaceful coexistence. Besides, where is the fairness between the strong and the weak?”
Xu Guan stopped walking.
He turned around. The kindness had vanished from his face, replaced by the expression he had worn when he first entered the Longevity Dao Sect. His gaze was so cold it seemed capable of killing.
“Master feels much safer when you’re being serious,” Shu Xin remarked, completely unfazed by his sudden change in attitude.
After all, if Xu Guan had accepted her so easily, then the Seeking Gods Sect truly would have been beyond saving.
“Someone like Qin Rushan has always put himself first. The moment the two sects live together in peace, there will no longer be any place for him. So, for his own sake, he will do everything in his power to suppress the Seeking Gods Sect. More importantly, Sect Master Xu, you know very little about the people and affairs of the Longevity Dao Sect, while Qin Rushan knows your sect inside and out.”
At this point, Shu Xin pointed back at herself. “But things are different with me. I regard the Longevity Dao Sect as my own home. How could anyone fail to understand their own home?”
Hearing this, Xu Guan nearly laughed at her.
The Sword Spirit also expressed its disgust in Shu Xin’s mind.
[The Longevity Dao Sect is truly blessed to have you. You can actually say something that shameless with a straight face?]
Xu Guan looked at Shu Xin warily. This time, she finally seemed willing to discuss the matter seriously.
“What exactly do you want?”
“I want somewhere to take shelter. At the very least, I want to shed the status of a rogue cultivator,” Shu Xin said without hesitation. “But I don’t want to be bound by too many restrictions. At the same time, when the critical moment comes, so long as I haven’t violated the Heavenly Dao, I hope the sect will do its best not to abandon me. I searched for a long time before finding the Seeking Gods Sect—a place that meets all my requirements.”
“I’m afraid our Seeking Gods Sect hardly deserves such praise,” Xu Guan said coolly.
“No, quite the contrary. In my opinion, despite being neighbors with the Longevity Dao Sect for many years, the Seeking Gods Sect has still managed to preserve its own tradition. The only thing of value you have left is a little backbone.” Shu Xin smiled. “If it were any other sect, it would probably have surrendered long ago and become just another mountain peak under the Longevity Dao Sect.”
If Shu Xin had not wanted to join the Seeking Gods Sect, those few words alone would have been enough for the sect to honor her as a distinguished guest.
The Seeking Gods Sect had only this small bit of backbone left.
Yet in a world like this, that backbone had brought them no benefit at all. Instead, it had forced Xu Guan to lead his disciples from place to place, never daring to leave a single one of them behind.
Xu Guan remained silent for a long time before finally saying flatly, “That alone is not enough to make me feel comfortable accepting you as my disciple.”
“I’ll be challenging the Grotto-Heaven Realm very soon, and I’m absolutely certain I’ll succeed. Of course, to outsiders, I’ll say that I only broke through after becoming your disciple—that my long-standing illness suddenly vanished and my path to the Great Dao became possible once more. I believe that would greatly enhance the reputation of the Seeking Gods Sect.”
Xu Guan’s heart was truly moved, though he still stubbornly replied, “Not enough.”
“I’m not boasting, Master. Your current disciples do have decent aptitudes, but they’re all flowers you’ve carefully sheltered and cultivated. Do you really think they can strengthen the Seeking Gods Sect, rather than be devoured by the people of the Longevity Dao Sect?” Shu Xin wore a teasing smile. “Or are you planning to protect them for the rest of your life, until the day you die and your cultivation dissipates?”
Xu Guan’s expression hardened, and the look he gave Shu Xin turned somewhat hostile.
“Accepting me would do nothing more than give the Longevity Dao Sect one more reason to deal with the Seeking Gods Sect. But rejecting me might mean turning down the only opportunity you have to change the sect’s fate.” Shu Xin spoke with shameless confidence. “I have faith in myself. The only question is whether you’re willing to take the gamble, Master.”
“What a joke. The Longevity Dao Sect has stood for ten thousand years, with an Earth Immortal still guarding it. It is a colossal force throughout the entire cultivation world. Do you really think you can deal with it?” Xu Guan felt as though he were listening to a joke.
No matter how hostile Xu Guan was toward the Longevity Dao Sect, he knew that if the Seeking Gods Sect went up against it, it would be nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot—utterly helpless.
The only thing he could do was preserve their strength, wait for generation after generation of disciples to pass down the Seeking Gods Sect’s traditions, and bide their time until the day they could rise again.
“Why not? The Longevity Dao Sect wasn’t this powerful from the beginning, and the Seeking Gods Sect wasn’t this weak from the beginning either.” Shu Xin answered with unusual seriousness. “Does its strength alone mean we have to avoid it at every turn, and that everything it does is automatically justified? There’s no such logic in this world.”
But the Longevity Dao Sect had never cared about logic.
“Why are you so certain you can deal with it?” Xu Guan asked, sitting back and taking his time. “Do you think a single Mahayana cultivator will be enough to shake it to its foundations?”
“Of course not.” Shu Xin answered with righteous confidence. “Naturally, I’ll have to rely on my shamelessness, my schemes and underhanded tricks, my steadily improving cultivation—and your meticulous guidance in the future, Master.”
“At the very least, I have the will and ambition to stand against the Longevity Dao Sect. There are many people who would never even entertain such a thought—much less dare to act on it. Am I wrong?” Shu Xin stared into Xu Guan’s eyes as she challenged him.
Perhaps the reason Shu Xin gave was truly enough to move Xu Guan.
Or perhaps, at that moment, he genuinely sensed the so-called will of Heaven.
After quietly studying Shu Xin for a long while, Xu Guan finally agreed.
“If you swear not to deliberately harm the disciples of the Inquiry God Sect or betray the sect, I can accept you as my disciple,” Xu Guan said.
“I swear to Heaven here and now that I will never take the initiative to harm the disciples of the Inquiry God Sect, nor will I ever betray the sect,” Shu Xin said solemnly.
“‘Take the initiative’?” Xu Guan seized on those words.
“If I’m forced to do it—for instance, if someone searches my soul—then there’s nothing I can do,” Shu Xin said with a shrug. “But I absolutely will not harm anyone of my own accord. Isn’t that enough?”
Xu Guan had nothing more to say.
Perhaps he had grown old and could no longer see any other hope.
Yet when he looked at Shu Xin, he suddenly felt that she was worth taking a gamble on.
In any case, the Inquiry God Sect had only him left to shoulder its burdens.
If the sect truly fell into decline, at least he would have an explanation when he faced his ancestors in the afterlife.
He extended a hand and accepted the apprenticeship fee Shu Xin offered.
Then he swept out his sleeve and released all the disciples. Pointing at Shu Xin, he announced, “From this moment onward, Shu Xin is a disciple of the Inquiry God Sect. By seniority, you should be my seventh disciple. But if we’re going by age…”
“You can all just call me Eldest Senior Sister,” Shu Xin said without the slightest hesitation. “Don’t give me any of that nonsense about age. Among cultivators, strength has always been what matters. Isn’t that right, Master?”
Xu Guan was rendered speechless. But when he saw the disciples’ shining eyes, he could only nod.
“From now on, she is your Eldest Senior Sister.”
The disciples exchanged glances before erupting into cheers.
They swarmed around Shu Xin, chattering excitedly.
“Eldest Senior Sister, I used to rank third, but now I’ve moved down to fourth. My name is Yuan Dawei—‘Da’ as in ‘great under Heaven,’ and ‘Wei’ as in ‘young and promising.’ I’ve only just formed my core. I hope you’ll guide me in the future.”
The male cultivator who called himself Yuan Dawei looked no older than a teenager. He must have formed his core at a very young age, which was why he had retained his youthful appearance.
Shu Xin nodded at him. “Greetings, Fourth Junior Brother.”
“Eldest Senior Sister, I’m your Fifth Junior Sister now. My name is Li Qinghe. I actually wanted to become a sword cultivator for a long time.”
“Eldest Senior Sister, why do you have two swords at your waist?”
“Eldest Senior Sister, how did you escape from the Longevity Dao Sect?”
…
A whole crowd gathered around her, chattering away. They were even more annoying than a thousand ducks.
The noise gave Xu Guan a headache. He told them that there were still many days of travel before they reached the Inquiry God Sect, and that they could ask their questions gradually. There was no need to bombard her all at once.
Hearing this, the disciples could only temporarily suppress their curiosity.
Shu Xin breathed a sigh of relief. She also planned to spend the journey becoming familiar with her junior brothers and sisters.
After all, they might become her allies in the future.
At the very least, she couldn’t afford to let them hold her back.
Within the Longevity Dao Sect.
Situ Jian returned to his cave abode.
The two stewards merely proceeded cautiously with the acquisition of the assets recently put up for sale by the Lin family. As for the Wu family’s situation, they had perhaps guessed at the truth, but neither of them said a word. It was as though they had never even known such a person, and they simply continued taking care of their own affairs.
Situ Jian paid them no further attention.
He had received an invitation from the Lin family. In the near future, the Lin family would invite numerous clans to attend a ceremony, during which the Lin family ancestor would personally accept him as a disciple with the grandest rites.
This meant that, from then on, Situ Jian would bear the Lin family’s mark.
At the same time, the Lin family would use this opportunity to formally present Situ Jian to the various clans.
They would allow Situ Jian to truly make a name for himself before the countless factions of the Longevity Dao Sect.
Situ Jian sent back a reply, stating that he would cooperate fully when the time came.
The most difficult road had already been traversed. The road ahead, however, was only just beginning.
Someone had delivered Shu Xin’s letter to Situ Jian on Luo Huannian’s behalf.
After Shu Xin left, Luo Huannian had thought it over carefully. He was unwilling to continue wasting time in the prison beneath the lake. He would rather begin cultivating as soon as possible and uncover the identity of his enemy than spend each day languishing in confinement.
Shu Xin’s letter contained only two words:
Help him.
It was very much in Shu Xin’s style—not a single unnecessary word, and naturally, no signature either.
Even if someone else had obtained the letter, they would have been completely unable to make sense of it.
But that was precisely the best proof that it had come from Shu Xin.
Situ Jian was now extremely influential within the Lin family. He merely mentioned in passing that he had some acquaintance with Luo Huannian and hoped that Luo Huannian could attend his apprenticeship ceremony.
The Lin family immediately understood. They contacted the people in the Enforcement Hall and, through various means, shortened the period of Luo Huannian’s confinement, ensuring that he could attend Situ Jian’s apprenticeship ceremony on time.
Luo Huannian had not expected to leave the Enforcement Hall so quickly.
Shu Xin had been right after all.
When he emerged from the prison beneath the lake, he saw Situ Jian waiting in the air above.
Since Situ Jian had told the Lin family that they were friends, he naturally had to come and receive him personally. Besides, it could not be said that they were complete strangers.
After all, decades ago, they had exchanged a few brief courtesies.
Luo Huannian followed Situ Jian and stopped not far from his cave abode.
“I never expected that, after all these years, Fellow Daoist Situ would have become a True Lord Situ. Now that I’ve been released, I must thank Dao Lord Situ for your assistance.”
Luo Huannian bowed respectfully, without the slightest trace of resentment in his heart.
Back then, they had interacted as equals. Now, Situ Jian had left him far behind. Naturally, Luo Huannian had to show him the proper courtesy.
“What are your plans?” Situ Jian asked.
“Next, I intend to find a safe place to cultivate. Once I break through to the Dao Infant stage, I’ll continue investigating the truth behind my adoptive mother’s death. However, now that I’ve been released, there may be people who come looking for me. When that happens, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble Dao Lord Situ to lend me a hand.”
Luo Huannian still did not know which people around him might be his enemies, but he knew with certainty that Situ Jian was not one of them. At a time like this, he could only place his trust in Situ Jian.
“All right.” Situ Jian nodded, indicating that he was willing to arrange another place for Luo Huannian. When the time came, he would send someone to notify him.
“If there’s nothing else, then we’ll part ways here.” Situ Jian had already wasted some time and now only wanted to return to secluded cultivation.
“Dao Lord Situ, please wait.”
Luo Huannian called out to Situ Jian without thinking. He looked somewhat embarrassed and hesitant, but after stammering for a moment, he finally said, “I… I did share some hardships with Shu Xin before, so we have a bond. I’m definitely not an enemy—you can rest assured of that. I just want to know… after she left the Everlasting Dao Sect, have you heard anything about her whereabouts, Dao Lord Situ?”
Situ Jian stopped and turned to look at Luo Huannian.
The tips of Luo Huannian’s ears had reddened. He seemed to regret revealing his feelings so soon.
Situ Jian recalled the letter Shu Xin had sent him and looked at Luo Huannian’s current behavior. How could he not understand?
“I don’t know,” Situ Jian said indifferently. “Martial Nephew Luo, you should focus on cultivating properly before worrying about anything else.”
“Yes, I understand. I understand.” Luo Huannian was ill at ease and tried to cover up his embarrassment with exaggerated insistence. “I was only asking casually. You don’t need to take it to heart.”
Situ Jian merely replied, “Mm.” Then, as though nothing had happened, he entered his cave abode and began cultivating in seclusion.
Luo Huannian took a deep breath.
Why had he suddenly felt a little cold just now?
Speaking of which, Situ Jian really was diligent. He cultivated day and night without wasting the slightest bit of time. No wonder he had been the first among so many people to break through back then. He also showed no trace of arrogance, making it impossible to see how deep his cultivation truly was.
If only he possessed such ability, he would probably have already avenged his mother.
After thinking it over, Luo Huannian decided not to disturb him any further. Instead, he returned to his own cave abode, which he had not lived in for a long time, and resumed cultivating.
The next day.
A man who looked like a steward came to find Luo Huannian and delivered a sect mission to him.
“I’m supposed to go to an affiliated sect in the lower realm to preside over the recruitment of disciples?” Luo Huannian was somewhat astonished. “Are there really no one willing to accept this kind of mission?”
Going to an affiliated sect to select new disciples had always been considered a lucrative assignment. How had such an easy task fallen into his hands?
“Your master said that since your former master died under mysterious circumstances, the Enforcement Hall may have shortened your confinement, but there are still people keeping an eye on this matter. The best course of action would be for you to leave the sect and avoid the trouble for now. Once you have cultivated to the Dao Infant realm, you can return. It will be much safer then.” The steward spoke politely and respectfully. “I also had to put in quite a bit of effort to secure this mission. The only drawback is that the affiliated sect is rather remote. I’m afraid the journey there and back will take a considerable amount of time.”
“I understand. It wasn’t easy for you to secure a mission like this.” Luo Huannian nodded, as was his habit, and accepted the mission before looking over the location of the affiliated sect.
He calculated the distance.
Indeed, it was extremely far away.
No wonder this mission had ended up in his hands.
To reach this affiliated sect, he would have to cross the western sea, continue flying onward through an area occupied by demonic cultivators, and then fly for several more years before finally arriving.
The round trip would take at least several decades!
Even with the flying vessel provided by the sect, it would likely still delay him for quite some time.
But the benefits were equally obvious. The compensation was generous, and he would be able to stay far from civilization. If he made good use of the opportunity, it would indeed be enough to help him reach the Dao Infant realm.
“Dao Lord Situ has gone to so much trouble for me.” Luo Huannian was deeply moved. “I will cultivate diligently and make sure not to disappoint Dao Lord Situ’s expectations.”
I hope everyone will add this to your collections and leave more comments. I always read them, and I’ll reply to some of them as well.
