Chapter 46: The Death List
Chapter 46: The Death List
After leaving the Golden Jade Hall, Lu Hangzhi felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
The topic of the Two Realms Mountain weighed on him. It felt like something was stuck in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Without realizing it, Lu Hangzhi found himself outside Senior Brother Leng’s Bamboo Forest.
“Why did I come here?”
Lu Hangzhi sighed and was about to turn back when he heard Senior Brother Leng Wuya’s voice. “You look troubled, Hangzhi. Are you facing some difficulty?”
He had been discovered.
Lu Hangzhi stepped into the Bamboo Forest.
Leng Wuya stood there in his green robe. After several months apart, he seemed less sharp and more gentle than during the competition for True Disciple.
“Greetings, Senior Brother.”
“No need for formalities.”
Leng Wuya pointed to the stone table. “Sit and talk.”
Lu Hangzhi sat down as told.
Leng Wuya looked at him with interest. “Something on your mind?”
“Yes.”
“Your senior brother here has just finished closed-door cultivation and is quite bored. Why not share your troubles to help pass the time?” Leng Wuya seriously brought out a tea set, as if ready for a long talk.
Lu Hangzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But…
Senior Brother Leng was indeed a good person to confide in.
“Senior Brother, do you know… about the Two Realms Mountain?”
“…”
Senior Brother Leng’s movements paused. The teacup in his hand made a faint clinking sound. After a moment of stunned silence, he showed a bitter expression.
“Hangzhi, I see now. You came here deliberately to trouble me, didn’t you?”
Clearly, Senior Brother Leng knew about the Two Realms Mountain.
Lu Hangzhi quickly explained.
“Sister Jun will be going to the Two Realms Mountain for guard duty in two months.”
“…Is the list confirmed?”
Leng Wuya took a sharp breath and sat up straight, his expression serious.
“Master said so.”
“Then there’s trouble.”
Leng Wuya put down his teacup and stood up.
“The personnel list for the Two Realms Mountain guard duty has another code name. Do you know what it is?”
“…”
“The Death List.”
Leng Wuya spoke each word coldly.
Lu Hangzhi sighed.
Just as he thought.
The Two Realms Mountain personnel list was already notorious among True Disciples and even Inner Sect Disciples. Senior Brother Leng was no exception.
Lu Hangzhi felt his mood grow even heavier.
“Is it really that dangerous?”
“Remove your doubt.” Leng Wuya said.
“You haven’t been in the Xuanxin Sect for long and have spent most of your time cultivating. It’s normal you haven’t heard. But as far as I know, except for some truly gifted talents, all True Disciples of the Xuanxin Sect are sent to the Two Realms Mountain for guard duty after three years of cultivation.”
“…”
“The Two Realms Mountain is the defense line between the Human Clan Territory and the Demon Race. It’s the only entrance where the Demon Race launches large-scale attacks into Human Clan Territory. True Disciples like us, at Sixth Rank, are just small soldiers there. But without us small soldiers, it wouldn’t work.”
Lu Hangzhi found this hard to understand.
Leng Wuya sighed.
“The Two Realms Mountain stretches for thousands of miles and requires a large number of Cultivators for defense… The lowest level Demon Race warriors there are Seventh Grade Monster Beasts, battle-hardened and comparable to the best among human Seventh Grade peaks. Many races of Monster Beasts reproduce very quickly. Those below Sixth Grade can’t survive even a day. Even Sixth Rank True Disciples live precariously, barely able to withstand the residual magic waves at the Two Realms Mountain. Only those who reach the High Insight Stage have real self-protection ability.”
High Insight Stage meant Seventh Grade Cultivators.
“So, Sect True Disciples have at least three years to strive for the High Insight Stage, which means reaching Seventh Grade… It’s said that Seventh Grade Cultivators can lead a team of Cultivators as squad leaders and don’t have to face Monster Beast attacks alone. Sister Nangong Jun is already an experienced top performer among True Disciples. With Seventh Grade cultivation, being a Golden Jade Hall disciple, and having Magical Artifacts, she still has some chance to survive until the three-year guard rotation.”
“…”
“Hangzhi, cherish the present and cultivate well. Perhaps in three years, we’ll have to go to the Two Realms Mountain too.”
Alright.
Senior Brother, you…
really know how to comfort people!
But.
Thinking that he might really have to go to the Two Realms Mountain in three years, Lu Hangzhi found his mood strangely calm.
That’s right.
Sister Jun was at least a Seventh Grade Cultivator, while he was only Fifth Grade. If he didn’t reach Seventh Grade in three years but was unexpectedly chosen to go to the Two Realms Mountain, that would be truly unfortunate.
“Thank you for telling me, Senior Brother.”
Lu Hangzhi stood up to leave.
“By the way, have you heard any news about Sister Fuqin?” Just as he was leaving, Leng Wuya suddenly asked a random question.
Lu Hangzhi stopped.
“What happened to Sister Fuqin? Isn’t she in the sect?”
“Half a month ago, someone sent her a message from outside saying that a merchant team under her had suddenly gone missing. Sister Fuqin was worried and returned to Violet Cloud Town. But there’s been no news since. I thought she might have contacted you… It seems not.”
Seeing Lu Hangzhi’s reaction, Leng Wuya frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Hearing this, Lu Hangzhi couldn’t help but feel nervous too.
“So Sister Fuqin left the sect half a month ago?”
“All of the Yellow Spring Demon’s followers were eliminated, which actually has a lot to do with your Violet Cloud Town. What if she encountered the Yellow Spring Demon’s men…”
After a pause, Leng Wuya said.
“I must go to Violet Cloud Town myself to check the situation. Junior Brother, do you want to come with me? You’re familiar with that place after all.”
“Alright.”
Lu Hangzhi agreed without hesitation.
After all, Sister Fuqin was one of the people who brought him to the Xuanxin Sect. She had done a lot for him. If something happened to her, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing! Besides…
His friend Da Niu was still at the Zhu Residence.
He had to go back and check to feel at ease!
Leng Wuya said firmly, “We must not delay! Go back and pack your things. I will wait for you at the relay station.”
“Yes.”
Lu Hangzhi got up and left immediately.
After returning to his residence and giving instructions to Lü’e and Cong Fang, Lu Hangzhi quickly went to the relay station. He mounted a Divine Crane and left the Xuanxin Sect with Leng Wuya, heading swiftly toward Violet Cloud Town.
Along the way, Lu Hangzhi took the chance to ask Senior Brother Leng some questions about Art Techniques and gained quite a bit of knowledge.
Violet Cloud Town was in sight!
The two landed directly in front of the Zhu Residence.
The two Divine Cranes indicated that two Inner Sect Disciples from the Xuanxin Sect had arrived, which immediately drew the attention of many Cultivators. People from both the Guard Camp and the Zhu Residence quickly came out to meet them.
“Hangzhi!”
“Da Niu?”
Lu Hangzhi looked surprised when he heard the voice. He saw Da Niu wearing the attire of a Zhu Residence retainer, rushing out from inside, leading a group of servants to greet them.
“You are…”
“The young lady thought highly of me and gave me the job of steward. She also taught me some recorded Art Techniques. Now I am a First Grade Cultivator, hehe.”
Da Niu proudly winked, but then he noticed Leng Wuya beside Lu Hangzhi. He gasped and said cautiously, “Da Niu greets the exalted one.”
He had met Senior Brother Leng once before when catching Snow Rabbits at Purple Lake and knew that he was an important guest of the young lady, so he did not dare to be disrespectful.
“No time for small talk.”
Leng Wuya clearly recognized Da Niu as well, but he did not pay much attention to this timid and quiet mortal.
“Is your young lady at the residence?”
“The young lady went out and hasn’t returned yet.”
Lu Hangzhi and Leng Wuya exchanged looks that said “as expected,” and they quickly asked:
“How long has she been gone?”
“Where did she go?”
“About seven or eight days,” Da Niu answered truthfully. “The young lady took some people to investigate the missing merchant convoy. She probably went toward Deer City.”
“Wasn’t Deer City destroyed?”
Lu Hangzhi asked.
Da Niu hesitated and could not answer.
At that moment, a retainer standing behind Da Niu explained the reason.
“Reporting to Young Master Lu, although Deer City was destroyed by the Yellow Spring Demon, there are several good spiritual products near Deer City. Some mortal Cultivators have started rebuilding on their own. The young lady believed that since Violet Cloud Town is the closest to Deer City, she wanted to monopolize the spiritual products there first to increase the income of the residence’s merchant convoy. Every month, a team would pass through that area.”
“Because each round trip of the merchant convoy brought good profits, it later became a regular practice. The Guard Camp organized Cultivator teams to escort the convoy. But half a month ago, the entire merchant convoy, along with all the Guard Camp Cultivators escorting them, disappeared without a trace.”
“When the young lady heard the news, she was very worried. At first, she suspected that Ghost Cultivators might be behind it. She specially hired Cultivators to check along the route, but they found nothing unusual. Still worried, she decided to go herself. Unexpectedly… she has not sent any news back until today.”
“…”
After understanding the whole story, Lu Hangzhi became even more certain:
Sister Fuqin was truly in trouble.
Leng Wuya also showed a serious expression and said firmly:
“Since Fuqin is in trouble, I cannot stand by. I must find her, alive or dead.”
He paused, then turned to Lu Hangzhi and said:
“This matter is very important. Junior Brother, you stay in Violet Cloud Town and wait for half a day. I will check along the route to see if I can find any clues. If you see me release a signal rocket for help, leave Violet Cloud Town immediately and seek reinforcements from the sect.”
“Senior Brother!”
Lu Hangzhi knew that Leng Wuya suspected the Yellow Spring Demon was behind it, so he was making preparations for the worst-case scenario.
“Treat this as a training mission for the Inner Sect. Do not mess it up. The lives of tens of thousands of people in Violet Cloud Town depend on your decision.”
After saying this, Leng Wuya rode his crane and left.
Standing in place, Lu Hangzhi watched the quickly shrinking black dot in the sky for a long time, then turned and shouted:
“Da Niu! Has anything unusual happened in Violet Cloud Town during this time?”
“Something unusual? Nothing special…”
Da Niu answered with a confused expression.
A retainer beside him, however, showed a hint of recollection and hesitantly spoke up:
“Since the young lady took control of the Guard Camp, Marketplace, and Purple Pavilion, all power in Violet Cloud Town has been concentrated in the Zhu Residence. Even the last remaining Elder Xu and the former Guard Camp Elder Wu Zhichu have now become advisers under the young lady. However, once at the Auction House, the Town Guardian almost fought with Elder Xu over an item, which aroused many people’s curiosity.”
“Town Guardian?”
Lu Hangzhi was clearly stunned:
“Is the current Town Guardian still Feng Yong?”
“That’s him.”
“How dare he challenge Elder Xu?”
“We found it strange too. Feng Yong has always been low-key, especially toward the Elders, showing great respect. Even though Elder Xu is now under the young lady, he is still a powerful figure in Violet Cloud Town…”
Lu Hangzhi’s mind worked quickly.
Feng Yong was a puppet chosen by the three major families. Although he had Third Grade cultivation, he was just a minor clan leader from an ordinary small family. He would never have the courage to challenge Elder Xu unless he had some other powerful backing, or…
“What were they fighting over?”
“A black pearl.”
The retainer answered.
Hearing this, Lu Hangzhi’s body shook violently. He turned around urgently and said firmly, “Where is Feng Yong now? Bring him to me immediately! Control everyone in the residence!”
In an instant, the entire Guard Camp of Violet Cloud Town sprang into action.