Chapter 246: Two Paths
Chapter 246: Two Paths
“So it concerns the Spirit Well and the Mountain River Seal in Old Master Fan’s hands…”
When the Qi Refiners present heard this, they were truly shocked. Their expressions changed.
The Great Xia Immortal Emperor of old defeated the demon race, destroyed the divine realm, and completely shattered the original Shenzhou Continent. Everything was reshuffled. Now, the Immortal Palace rules the center, surrounded by various Divine Palaces. All sects and clans exist under its shadow. The Immortal Emperor also took two of the Nine Classics, the Scripture of the Great Dao and the Scripture of Yin and Yang, confining them away. This stopped their spread in the world. Countless legacies were cut off. It caused the many sects to be aware of many secrets within the cultivation world, yet they didn’t know the reasons behind them…
Just like Old Master Fan. He only had a Golden Core late-stage cultivation, so why could he intimidate the leaders of the Six Sects?
The reason was simple. He held a Mountain River Seal passed down from the Yuan Shen Kingdom. This allowed him to control the entire Qingjiang Prefecture. No matter how strong or fierce the Sect Leaders or certain Elders were, they were no match for him. Because at their source, they were controlled by him. As for that Spirit Well, that was even more hidden. The cultivators only knew the Spirit Well related to the important matter of the Spiritual Vein, but they didn’t know the reason it would dry up or why it would fill.
Only now did they learn it was because the Ghost Official stole the power of the Mountain River Seal that caused the Spirit Well to dry up.
The Mountain River Seal was Old Master Fan’s lifeline. No wonder he was so furious now.
Some thought back to Crow Mountain. Old Master Fan had been terrified then, but he could only use the Mountain River Seal to send a shadow projection to Crow Mountain. Thus, he couldn’t stop the Demon Hound from being killed. In reality, had the Mountain River Seal been powerful enough, he could have descended directly from Qingjiang Prefecture to Crow Mountain back then. After all, Crow Mountain was part of Qingjiang Prefecture. Didn’t this mean that precisely because the Mountain River Seal’s power had weakened, he could only send a shadow? This led to the Demon Hound being slain and this chain of troubles appearing?
“Everyone knows the Ghost Official is vicious and elusive. Yet he’s already caused such massive trouble for Qingjiang?”
The cultivators’ hearts sank slightly.
“I won’t say anything more. If the Ghost Official isn’t captured soon, I…” Old Master Fan’s voice was low and cold. He was about to shout angrily.
But just then, a long cry echoed from outside the hall: “Second Young Master Fang has arrived…”
“Hmm?”
Hearing this, all the cultivators looked towards the hall entrance.
Knowing Old Master Fan’s arrival, no one dared to be careless. They had all come to the main hall to pay their respects. Yet this Second Young Master Fang… who had been within Lingwu Sect all along and surely knew Old Master Fan had arrived… had delayed for so long before coming to greet him. It was truly somewhat…
“Greetings, Old Scholar. Your good health is a cause for celebration!” Fan Cun entered the hall, wearing striking white robes. He bowed with a smile to Old Master Fan at the head of the hall.
“Hmph!”
Old Master Fan didn’t have a favorable expression upon seeing Fang Cun.
He had been busily running around all this time, enduring many cold shoulders and disdainful looks, building up so much anger. Wasn’t the source of it all the little brat standing right before him? Yet the scoundrel actually came congratulating him on his good health…
Couldn’t he see how much thinner and more haggard the old man looked?
“Since Fang the Second has arrived, take a seat and listen carefully!”
He gave Fang Cun a cold look, then swept his gaze across the room and continued: “My coming here means I will absolutely not sit by and let the Ghost Official cause harm again! I will spare no cost! I will drag that beast out! I declare this: Anyone who knows the Ghost Official’s identity yet shields him dies! Anyone who procrastinates during the investigation, who refuses to cooperate… dies!”
“Shua!”
Old Master Fan, usually cultivating refined scholar’s poise and placing high value on manners, uttered two “dies.” This showed the depth of his anger.
“Well said!”
As the Qi Refiners felt their hearts heavy with pressure, someone clapped and applauded. It was Second Young Master Fang.
He looked deeply moved. “I, Fang the Second, have long urged our fellow cultivators: We must not show mercy towards demonic evil! Unfortunately, the Qi Refiners of Qingjiang Prefecture are all devoted to the Dao, too lenient. That was the case before against the demonic evil at Crow Mountain, and now against the Ghost Official! Had we united our efforts long ago, wouldn’t we have caught the Ghost Official long before? Why wait until now?”
Hearing this, the cultivators’ expressions turned ugly.
Who knew how many thought inwardly: Gibberish! The person least active in catching the Ghost Official was you…
Old Master Fan looked at Fang Cun, his face darkening.
“Speaking of catching this Ghost Official, I have a plan!”
Just then, Fang Cun suddenly spoke up. Instantly, countless gazes turned to him. Old Master Fan and the woman standing beside him holding the small white jade cauldron looked over too.
Fang Cun smiled: “Earlier, after seeing Elder Xue Wu killed, I already said: The Ghost Official moves in shadows, hides among people, strikes to kill. It’s impossible to guard against everything! However, he risks himself to kill people. He doesn’t act without reason! Just investigate the victims carefully! Find his reason for killing them! Then follow the clues! It wouldn’t be hard to expose him!”
“This…”
Hearing Fang Cun, Divine Eye Young Master Lu Xiao hesitated slightly. The Qi Refiners of the Seven Clans beside him also turned gloomy.
Old Master Fan’s gaze shifted towards Divine Eye Young Master’s side. He remained silent for a while.
“Investigating victims first would be far too cumbersome and slow…”
After a long pause, Divine Eye Young Master Lu Xiao suddenly spoke softly: “The most urgent matter now is to quickly catch the Ghost Official. I also have a plan. Since the Ghost Official secretly siphoned the Qi Luck of Qingjiang, privately forged the Ghost Seal – that’s the demon method the Demon Sect used to nurture their Demon Embryos back in the day – all we need to do is thoroughly investigate Qingjiang Prefecture, and indeed the entire territory of the Great Turtle God King! Find where the shattered, scattered demonic classics went after being smashed and dispersed across the land! Which individuals might have learned them? Then we can gradually narrow the scope until we find the Ghost Official… What do you think of this plan of mine, everyone?”
Fang Cun laughed: “Which is faster? Investigating the Seven Clans’ dead? Or investigating the spread of demonic scriptures?”
Divine Eye Young Master fell silent. He didn’t respond.
The seven clans’ Qi Refiners all nervously looked towards Old Master Fan.
Even fools among the surrounding Qi Refiners could see the situation now.
Investigating directly into the seven clans’ dead would clearly be faster. But it seemed the seven clans didn’t want anyone investigating that…
Old Master Fan’s face was shrouded in the shadows of the surrounding candle flames. His mood seemed extremely gloomy. After a long silence, he finally spoke coldly: “The Ghost Official hasn’t killed for just one day, nor does he care for right or wrong when killing. What’s the point of investigating his victims? That villain privately cultivated demonic evil techniques – that in itself is a grave crime! Since he did it, it’s possible other evil practitioners are also doing it! Let’s follow what Young Lu said! Investigate the demonic scriptures! We might as well follow the vines and destroy the roots! Eliminate the threat forever!”
All the Qi Refiners in the hall murmured their assent in low voices.
“Heh heh…”
But at this moment, Fang Cun suddenly laughed. He drew countless gazes.
Even Old Master Fan looked at Fang Cun with visible anger he could barely contain.
“If I recall correctly, among the scriptures and records the Seven Clans sent me earlier, there were some records from the previous dynasty…”
Fang Cun spoke softly, with a smile: “Back then, after the Immortal Emperor defeated the demon race, he destroyed their Demon Embryos and cut off their legacy. However, the Immortal Emperor was merciful. He didn’t wipe them out entirely. He just forcibly commanded the surviving demons to destroy their body-refining techniques themselves. Their scriptures were scattered, dispersed throughout the human world, no longer used for evil. Even many of the current Qingjiang Six Sects’ inherited techniques and arts likely trace back to that ancient Demon Sect… If Young Lu wants to investigate the flow of the demon race’s scriptures and classics… does he intend to turn all of Qingjiang Prefecture upside down?”
The expressions of Qi Refiners from various clans turned hesitant.
Divine Eye Young Master Lu Xiao also pondered briefly. He seemed about to speak but held back.
Fang Cun smiled. “I have no objection! If Young Lu wants to investigate, start with my Shoushan Sect! To be perfectly honest, my Shoushan Sect has many legacies derived from the ancient Demon Sect. Why, even the name Shoushan itself is a change from Shenming (Divine Nether)…”
Many older Qi Refiners thought deeply upon hearing this.
More than just “many legacies”…
Back then, when the demon race was shattered and scattered, several relatively intact lineages emerged directly. The Shenming Sect was one of those veins. In a way, the entire legacy of the Shenming Sect was fundamentally a demon sect legacy, just incomplete.
As for suspicion… your Shoushan Sect would be the most suspect…
Of course… Shoushan Sect’s suspicion was also the weakest… simply because it had no powerful masters…
With that reckless young sect leader and those two worthless Elders?
“Sigh… The only thing I regret, Second Young Master Fang, is the people who’ve been targeted by that Ghost Official…”
Seizing the moment of everyone’s contemplation, Second Young Master Fang sighed dramatically. He deliberately glanced at Young Master Bai Huaiyu, who had returned halfway, and lamented: “Had we investigated the dead first, understood why the Ghost Official kills… we could have known who he kills next! Protect them in advance! But starting from the demonic scriptures? That mountain of scrolls, that ocean of rules? When will we discern a clue? When will we have a plan?”
“What if the Ghost Official kills someone else during this time?”
Meeting his gaze, Young Master Bai Huaiyu’s face turned pale.
The cultivators frowned, looking their way.
Fang Cun deliberately chuckled. “Don’t think the presence of many masters here means peace is assured! Think of Master Shang! How many masters surrounded him then? Even Lingwu Sect’s entire Mountain Protection Array was activated solely to shield him! And yet? The Ghost Official still silently took his head! So… who dares guarantee no one will die tonight?”
Divine Eye Young Master suddenly sensed something wrong. Worry filled his gaze as he thought to interrupt.
But at that moment, Fang Cun turned towards Young Master Bai. He spoke meaningfully: “One wrong choice could cost a life!”
Clatter…
Young Master Bai Huaiyu’s teacup suddenly dropped to the floor. His face was pale with extreme nervousness.
“I… I’ll speak…”
Under countless stunned gazes, he stammered out: “Th-those the Ghost Official killed… they were… they were all…”
“…people secretly doing business with the Great Demon Sovereign in the south…”