At that moment, the people inside the hall were conversing, seemingly discussing something. The young Taoist priest who had led Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu there straightened his robes outside the door and said respectfully, “Sect Leader, martial uncles, this disciple, Chang Jian, under orders, was bringing the two young—”
Before he could finish, a mournful cry suddenly rang out within that sacred, solemn hall, interrupting him: “Ghost, evil ghost! GHOST!”
Chang Jian was startled, but Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu were even more shocked. Though the voice was sharp and unpleasant, it was extremely familiar. Not caring about anything else, Zhang Xiaofan rushed into the hall and shouted loudly, “Uncle Wang! Uncle Wang, is that you?”
In his anxiety, his cries carried notes of desperation and sobs. Seeing this, everyone present felt compassion in their hearts. Behind the crowd, in a corner of the hall, a middle-aged man dressed as a woodcutter had his head in his hands, huddled tightly in the corner, his whole body trembling. Through the gaps between his arms still came the sounds, “Ghost… ghost…”
Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu, who had followed him in, immediately recognized this man as a woodcutter from Grass Temple Village, surnamed Wang, second in his family. He was a kind man, always smiling, and had been extremely good to the group of children. Whenever he went up the mountain to chop wood, he would always bring back some wild mountain fruits to share with them.
Without thinking, Zhang Xiaofan charged over, ran to Uncle Wang’s side, grabbed his shoulders hard, and said loudly, “Uncle Wang, what exactly happened? Why are the people in the village all… all dead? Also, what about my mother? What about my father? How are they? Tell me!”
Hearing Zhang Xiaofan’s rapid-fire questions, Uncle Wang seemed somewhat moved. He temporarily stopped saying “Ghost, ghost,” slowly raised his head, and looked at Zhang Xiaofan before him.
Everyone in the hall was visibly startled. One by one, they all fell silent. Even among those sitting in chairs, several couldn’t help but stand up and look over.
But Uncle Wang’s eyes were bloodshot, filled entirely with terror and confusion. He scrutinized Zhang Xiaofan for a long while but said nothing, his brow tightly furrowed as if desperately trying to recall something.
At this moment, someone in the Qingyun Sect couldn’t help but step forward, about to speak, but was quietly pulled back by the person beside him.
Seeing that Uncle Wang had no reaction for a long time and was just staring at him listlessly, Zhang Xiaofan grew very anxious and said loudly, “Uncle Wang, what is wrong with you?”
Unexpectedly, startled by his loud shout, Uncle Wang’s whole body shuddered. The terror on his face magnified greatly, and he suddenly scrambled and crawled away to the side, once again holding his head in his hands and curling into a ball, wailing incessantly, “Ghost, ghost, GHOST!”
Sighs immediately rose throughout the hall. The Qingyun disciples’ faces showed disappointment, and those who had just stood up sat back down dejectedly. Zhang Xiaofan was about to press further when Lin Jingyu grabbed him from the side.
Zhang Xiaofan turned back in confusion, only to see tears in the corners of Lin Jingyu’s eyes. Mournfully, he said, “It is no use. He has already gone mad!”
A thunderclap seemed to go off in Zhang Xiaofan’s mind. He stood frozen in place, unable to utter a sound.
Lin Jingyu was a year older than him and more meticulous by nature. He glanced at the people in the hall and saw that everyone present was dressed in Qingyun Sect attire—there were men and women, those in Taoist robes and those in secular clothes. Most carried weapons, swords being the majority. Among them, the six people sitting in chairs possessed even more outstanding bearing, standing out from the crowd. Of these six, three wore Taoist robes and three secular dress. Most especially, the one sitting in the center wearing a dark green Taoist robe, with the bearing of a transcendent immortal and warm, bright eyes—this was naturally the world-renowned Sect Leader of Qingyun Sect, Dao Xuan Zhenren.
Lin Jingyu said no more. Pulling Zhang Xiaofan, he ran before those six people and knelt down to Dao Xuan Zhenren, kowtowing repeatedly, his forehead striking the ground with dull thuds.
Dao Xuan Zhenren carefully examined the two of them, sighed softly, and said, “Poor children. Rise.”
But Lin Jingyu did not get up. Looking up at this figure who seemed like an immortal, he said sorrowfully, “Zhenren, the two of us are young and ignorant, suddenly suffering such a great catastrophe. We truly do not know what to do. You possess vast divine powers and know the past and future; please, you must stand up for us!”
Zhang Xiaofan wasn’t as eloquent, and at this moment his mind was in chaos anyway, so he followed along: “Yes, Immortal Grandpa, you have to stand up for us!”
Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but smile. Zhang Xiaofan’s words were naturally the ignorant speech of a child. But afterward, everyone’s gazes fell upon Lin Jingyu.
Despite his young age, facing such a great catastrophe and a world-renowned figure like Dao Xuan Zhenren, Lin Jingyu still spoke methodically and logically. This calmness far surpassed that of ordinary children, not to mention the completely ignorant Zhang Xiaofan, who still regarded Dao Xuan as an immortal.
The Grass Temple Village tragedy was something that had never occurred in the thousand-year history of Qingyun Sect—unprecedented and unheard of. It had happened right at the foot of Qingyun Mountain, shaking the entire sect. After receiving the report, Dao Xuan Zhenren was both shocked and furious. He immediately summoned the heads of the other six peaks to discuss the matter. At present, except for Master Shuiyue, the head of Little Bamboo Peak, who had not yet arrived, the other five peak masters were all present.
Those who could serve as the heads of Qingyun’s seven peaks were naturally the top figures of Qingyun Sect; and the top figures of Qingyun Sect were naturally the absolute pinnacle of cultivators in this world. Every person present had eyes as bright as torches, and at this moment they all thought to themselves: “What a fine piece of jade.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren smiled slightly and said, “I do not know the future or the past, but since you reside beneath Qingyun Mountain, my Qingyun Sect naturally will not ignore you. I just have a few questions I wish to ask; I hope you will answer them well.”
Lin Jingyu nodded and said, “Yes, this disciple will tell everything he knows. Please, Zhenren, ask your questions.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded and said, “How did you escape this calamity?”
Lin Jingyu was stunned. “Reporting to Zhenren, I still remember sleeping in my bed at home last night, but when I woke this morning, I was lying beneath a pine tree in the wilderness together with Xiaofan, and I don’t know what happened. Later, Xiaofan woke me, and we ran back to the village together. Then we saw th-th-that scene, and we fainted from terror.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren frowned and looked at Zhang Xiaofan. “You woke him. Then what about you?”
Zhang Xiaofan thought for a moment. “I don’t know how I ended up there either. When I woke and saw Jingyu beside me, I woke him up.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren exchanged a glance with the other peak masters; their eyes held puzzlement. If a senior had rescued them, why save only these two children? If not, it made no sense whatsoever!
Dao Xuan Zhenren pondered for a moment and said, “So that is to say, you know nothing of what happened last night.”
The two replied in unison, “Yes.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren sighed and called out, “Song Daren.”
“This disciple is here.” A Qingyun disciple responded and stepped forward—tall and sturdy, dressed as a layman. Just now he had been standing behind a seated, short, stout man; apparently, he was a disciple under that man’s tutelage.
Dao Xuan Zhenren said, “You were the first to discover the Grass Temple Village incident. Explain the situation of that day once more.”
Song Daren had a rough, loud voice. “Yes. Early this morning, this disciple and several fellow disciples were returning from completing some business, flying back through the air. As we passed over Grass Temple Village, I unintentionally looked down and actually discovered over two hundred corpses piled together in the village—a horrible sight to behold. This disciple and the others hurried down to investigate. We only found these two children at the back of the village. Seeing that they were unconscious, we first had a junior brother send them back. Later, in an outhouse at the village’s edge,” he pointed his hand at Uncle Wang, who was curled up in the corner, “we discovered this man. But his gaze was vacant and his mind dazed. No matter how this disciple questioned him, he would not answer, only repeatedly saying: ghost, ghost, evil ghost.”
Lin Jingyu’s body trembled. In a shaky voice, he asked, “This big brother, may I ask if you have counted the number of people?”
Song Daren’s eyes held sympathy. “I found a junior brother who normally trades firewood with your village. He is very familiar with the villagers’ circumstances. After his identification and our counting, Grass Temple Village had forty-two households with a total of two hundred forty-seven people. Except for the three of you, all are dead.”
Although they had already had a premonition in their hearts, hearing Song Daren’s clear and definite words, Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan still couldn’t help but black out before their eyes, nearly fainting again.
Dao Xuan Zhenren let out a light sigh. His left hand swept gently, and a small red pearl flew out from within his sleeve. It flew before Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu, rolling several times across their foreheads and chests. Immediately, a cool and refreshing energy penetrated into their bodies. Somehow, the taut nerves in their hearts seemed to relax slightly. Suddenly feeling physically and mentally exhausted, they couldn’t help but lie down right there in the hall and fall asleep.
Dao Xuan Zhenren waved his hand. The standing disciples bowed one after another, then filed out in succession. Inside the hall, only the six of them remained.
At this time, the short, stout man said, “Sect Leader senior brother, you have temporarily stabilized them with the Mind-Calming Pearl, but after they wake, how do you plan to handle them?”
Dao Xuan Zhenren pondered for a moment, then turned to the Daoist sitting in the first seat on the left and asked, “Junior brother Cang Song, what is your opinion?”
Daoist Cang Song was tall and stately in appearance. He was the Peak Master of Dragon Head Peak of Qingyun Sect. Within Qingyun Sect, apart from the main branch under Sect Leader Dao Xuan, Dragon Head Peak commanded the greatest influence. Cang Song was severe by nature. In addition to managing his own peak’s disciples, he also oversaw punishment and discipline for the entire Qingyun Sect. While the Qingyun disciples normally revered Sect Leader Dao Xuan immensely, the one they feared most was instead this stern, unsmiling Peak Master Cang Song.
At this, Daoist Cang Song’s thick brows furrowed. After a moment, he said, “There are many suspicious points in this matter; I’m afraid it cannot be investigated clearly in haste. But the villagers of Grass Temple have always been simple and honest. We cannot ignore their orphans. I believe we should take these two into our lineages.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded. “Not bad. I am of the same mind. These two children have pitiful backgrounds; we must look after them. However, I have not taken disciples in many years. Which junior brother is willing to accept them under his tutelage?”
At this, the short, stout man—Tian Buyi, Peak Master of Qingyun Sect’s Big Bamboo Peak—said, “Sect Leader senior brother, in my opinion, it would be best not to place both of them under the same master’s lineage. Their backgrounds are similar; if they stay together, every time they see each other they will recall the past. With such unceasing baleful energy, I’m afraid the future will not be good!”
Dao Xuan Zhenren thought for a moment and said, “Junior brother Tian speaks reasonably. These two children are so young and have suffered such a great catastrophe. We should do our best to dissolve the resentment in their hearts. Indeed, it is inappropriate to let them live together. Then we will need two junior brothers to take them in.” As he spoke, he looked toward everyone.
The other five peak masters—led by Cang Song, including Tian Buyi—almost simultaneously fixed their gazes upon Lin Jingyu, lingering and refusing to leave, yet no one paid any attention to Zhang Xiaofan at the side.
On the path of cultivation, aptitude is of utmost importance. It is often said in the world that a genius attaining enlightenment can surpass a hundred years of cultivation. The people of Qingyun Sect understood this even more deeply. Back when Qingyun Sect was at the end of its rope, it relied solely on one breathtakingly talented Patriarch Qingye. Though young in years, his talent was extraordinary. He comprehended the ancient volumes of those before him, and his cultivation far surpassed all previous ancestors. He transformed a tiny Qingyun Sect into one that was vibrant and thriving, and now it was even the leader of the world’s righteous path.
Moreover, while a famous master was certainly hard to find, a disciple of outstanding aptitude was equally rare. Lin Jingyu possessed extraordinary talent and exceptional bone structure; naturally, the various peak masters of Qingyun Sect had taken a fancy to him at first sight.
After a moment of silence, Tian Buyi coughed and said, “Heh, Sect Leader senior brother, you know my Big Bamboo Peak has always been sparsely populated, so I’ll take one off your hands this time.”
As he was about to point at Lin Jingyu, Shang Zhengliang, the Peak Master of Morning Sun Peak beside him, suddenly stood first, blocking him. Facing Dao Xuan Zhenren, he said, “Sect Leader senior brother, the moment I saw this child today I felt extremely connected to him. I believe there is a predestined affinity between us. Why not let him enter my lineage?”
Qingyun Sect had a long history. On the surface, the various peaks were harmonious, but inwardly they all competed against one another. Seeing that Lin Jingyu possessed such outstanding aptitude, who could say whether or not he might be the next Patriarch Qingye? Moreover, taking him in meant gaining at worst one more disciple, while not letting the other peaks have the opportunity. Normally, with Dao Xuan Zhenren’s prestige and cultivation, no one would dare to compete. But it just so happened that Dao Xuan himself had said he wouldn’t take them. How could they miss such a good thing?
Immediately after Shang Zhengliang finished speaking, Tianyun Daoren, the Peak Master of Sunset Peak, said from the side, “Senior brother Shang, you already have two hundred disciples under your tutelage. If every single one of them has a predestined affinity with you, your affinity is rather too abundant.”
Shang Zhengliang’s face reddened. He was about to speak when Tian Buyi cut in first: “Senior brother Tianyun speaks rightly. Speaking of the number of disciples, even the smallest among you has over a hundred. My Big Bamboo Peak, however, has only seven. It is too unseemly. How about—”
At this point, Daoist Cang Song interrupted him. “Junior brother Tian, these two children have such pitiful backgrounds. What we need to give them is the best care, not concern ourselves with how many disciples we have.” Having said this, he turned and cupped his hands toward Dao Xuan Zhenren. “Sect Leader senior brother, this child is indeed excellent material. Please allow me to take him into my lineage. I will devote myself to teaching him and make him into a talent, to comfort the departed spirits of Grass Temple Village.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren pondered. Tian Buyi, Shang Zhengliang, and the others secretly cried out that things were not good. Indeed, after a moment, Dao Xuan Zhenren said, “Junior brother Cang Song also speaks reasonably. Then let him enter your lineage.”
Cang Song smiled slightly and said, “Thank you, Sect Leader senior brother.”
Everyone watched this. Having been fellow disciples with Cang Song for so long, they knew he was normally stern and unsmiling. Today’s smile indicated extreme joy in his heart, and they couldn’t help but feel secretly resentful. But Dao Xuan Zhenren had spoken, and Cang Song’s Dragon Head Peak was powerful. They could only swallow their anger.
Dao Xuan paused, then said, “Then as for this other one…”
Shang Zhengliang coughed and closed his eyes. Tianyun looked at the ceiling of the great hall, as if suddenly discovering that the patterns there were especially beautiful. Tian Buyi let out a dry chuckle; suddenly overcome by sleepiness, he was about to doze off. Meanwhile, Zeng Shuchang, the Peak Master of Wind Return Peak, who hadn’t even managed to get a word in before it was snatched away, simply entered meditation, as if he had never paid attention to this matter from the start.
Only Cang Song, who had won a complete victory, glanced coldly at everyone, but his eyes were filled with mirth.
Dao Xuan Zhenren couldn’t help but feel somewhat awkward. But being the person he was, he naturally wouldn’t say something like “This one has poor aptitude; do you all not want him?” Instead, his mind moved, and he immediately found a scapegoat.
“Junior brother Tian.” Dao Xuan Zhenren’s smile seemed exceptionally kind at this moment.
Tian Buyi’s heart leaped. He immediately jumped up and was about to speak, but Dao Xuan Zhenren got in first: “The Grass Temple Village matter was first discovered by your disciple Song Daren. It seems this child has quite the affinity with your Big Bamboo Peak. You accept him into your lineage.”
Tian Buyi grew anxious. Zhang Xiaofan’s aptitude was mediocre; it was obvious at a glance. Taking him in would only be a burden. Naturally, he was displeased. He was about to argue, but how would Dao Xuan give him a chance to speak? He interjected, “Very well, this matter is settled here. Junior brothers, you must also pay attention to investigating this matter. Understood?”
Cang Song and the others stood together and replied in unison, “Yes.”
Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded, coughed a few times, avoided looking at Tian Buyi’s expression, and quickly walked into the rear hall. Once his figure disappeared from the hall, loud laughter suddenly drifted out from Jade Pure Hall.
Song Daren, the disciple under Big Bamboo Peak, had been waiting outside Jade Pure Hall the entire time. Finally, after much difficulty, he waited for the various masters to come out. He went forward to greet them but saw his master Tian Buyi carrying Zhang Xiaofan in his arms. He couldn’t help but freeze and say, “Master, what is this?”
The moment Tian Buyi saw him, a surge of annoyance rose in his heart. Angrily, he said, “What what? Have you gone stupid? Why haven’t you taken him yet?”
Song Daren hurriedly took the still-sleeping Zhang Xiaofan into his arms. Tian Buyi was filled with anger, but out of the corner of his eye, he happened to catch Shang Zhengliang, Tianyun, and the others who had walked out at the same time still snickering. His heart burned even more furiously. He said loudly to Song Daren, “Let’s go! What are you standing there in a daze for?”
Having spoken, he paid no more attention to anyone else. His right hand drew a gesture in the air. Crimson light flashed, and a crimson longsword was summoned. Without any visible movement, he floated onto the sword and tore through the air at high speed, vanishing.
Song Daren was momentarily unable to make heads or tails of the situation, but at the very least, he understood that he had gained a junior brother. He looked at Zhang Xiaofan in his arms and couldn’t help but say, “Little junior brother, I still don’t know your name?”
But Zhang Xiaofan remained deeply asleep, completely unaware that his fate had already taken a great turn without him noticing.