Cangsong volunteered, ready to go and get his face back. However, after thinking for a few moments, Daoxuan did not agree. Instead, he spoke to Tian Buyi, the head of Dazhu Peak.
“Junior Brother Tian, Junior Brother Cangsong is busy as the Discipline Master of Qingyun Sect. It is not suitable for him to show up at this time. You, Dazhu Peak, are more relaxed. I think you can handle this matter of going to Yinxian Sect.”
Tian Buyi, who had been huddled in the back, cautiously trying to escape everyone's attention, suddenly twitched. The sect leader's words were a bit sarcastic. In other words, "Cangsong has a lot on his plate, but you have nothing to do, so you'll have to do the errands."
He wanted to refuse, but the sect leader had already gone to such lengths. He couldn't very well refuse in front of his fellow disciples. So he could only mutter a reluctant reply.
"Yes, Senior Brother Sect Leader."
Seeing his fellow disciples smirking as they left, especially the old woman Shuiyue who laughed out loud without any attempt to hide it, Tian Buyi felt a surge of displeasure. He even gave Song Daren, who was carefully accompanying him, a cold look.
Back at Dazhu Peak, Tian Buyi's wife, Su Ru, was quite excited to hear that he was to represent Qingyun on a mission to a reclusive sect. She went to great lengths to dress him up. Unfortunately, he had been too lazy over the years, and his plump figure made him look like a nouveau riche no matter how he was dressed. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Su Ru still thought her husband was the most handsome.
"It's just a visit to a little-known sect, there's no need to go to such trouble."
"Nonsense! It's precisely because we're dealing with such small sects that we need to be even more cautious. Otherwise, wouldn't people say that our Qingyun Sect is arrogant and disrespectful?"
"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say. Just hurry up!"
Su Ru planned to go along, mainly because she was worried about Tian Buyi. Even though the Human Realm was weak, it was still a sect. What if her husband, this roughneck, said something wrong and suffered the consequences?
Therefore, the final choice was for Tian Buyi and his wife to take Song Daren, whom they had met once before, to visit the Hidden Immortal Sect. They also wanted to learn some details about the Grass Temple Village massacre.
Two hundred miles is no more than a quarter of an hour for cultivators of their level, if they are not in a hurry.
Upon arrival, the three found the mountain still shrouded in mist. However, they could already sense a regular pulse of spiritual energy. That must be the effect of some kind of protective formation.
Tian Buyi circled around but couldn't find the entrance. He simply stood before the clouds and shouted.
"Tian Buyi, the head of the Great Bamboo Peak of the Qingyun Sect, has come to pay a visit." The voice was loud and deep, piercing through the thick fog and penetrating deep into the valley, displaying remarkable cultivation.
Inside the mountain gate, Lu Xuan heard shouts.
"Tian Buyi?" Zhang Xiaofan's teacher in the original novel. He was also Lu Xuan's favorite leader in the Qingyun Sect.
"As one of the seven chief disciples, Qingyun Sect is showing us some respect. I originally thought that only Dao Xuan's disciple would warrant such a visit from Xiao Yi."
"This Tian Buyi has a decent cultivation level. Do you want him?"
"Of course I want to see him."
"That's what Lu Xuan said softly."
"We apologize for not welcoming you properly. Please come in and have a chat."
Unlike Tian Buyi's grand and profound tone, Lu Xuan's voice was gentle, as if they were having a face-to-face conversation. And though nearly a thousand meters apart, Tian Buyi and the other two heard Lu Xuan's words simultaneously.
This caused the three to slightly change their expressions. One was forceful, the other gentle; although their cultivation levels were not apparent, Lu Xuan clearly had the upper hand in terms of control.
The three of them watched as the clouds and mist slowly dispersed, revealing a path paved with bluestone slabs.
The Hidden Immortal Sect's mountain gate wasn't a grand, massive complex like the Azure Cloud Sect's. Just as I'd imagined, the sect wasn't large; it could only be considered a small to medium-sized sect. Inside, I didn't see many disciples moving around. At a glance, it seemed roughly the same size as one of the larger branches of the Azure Cloud Sect.
Tian Buyi was a roughneck who only cared about size. But the observant Su Ru noticed that the surrounding buildings all had a very... unique charm.
Su Ru didn't understand architecture. The development of various systems, culture, and art in this world was actually quite backward. It was even inferior to the Tang Dynasty that Lu Xuan had originally transmigrated to. After all, it was a world with cultivators. The civilization of ordinary people was naturally suppressed. Therefore, Su Ru could only feel that the slightly curved eaves and the simple or complex carvings all possessed an indescribable beauty.
Lu Xuan was an emperor for hundreds of years; his judgment was far from poor. While the sect's buildings weren't densely packed, their architectural style represented the essence of thousands of years of Chinese civilization. Even those unfamiliar with architecture could sense the difference in the details.
Inside the main hall where guests were to be received, the two sides finally met.
Lu Xuan's excessively youthful face caused Tian Buyi to frown slightly. His face was so young, yet his entire being exuded an aura that was utterly concealed. The aloof woman beside him was the same. Only the two disciples behind him subtly revealed an aura that made Tian Buyi's heart tremble.
The cultivation levels of those two disciples were actually higher than his!
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Chapter 409 A Nail
Tian Buyi suppressed his initial disdain. This sect, called the Hidden Immortal Sect, was definitely not the third-rate sect he had imagined. Its foundation was so solid that calling it first-rate wouldn't be an exaggeration. Its only weakness might be the small number of disciples. But that wasn't a problem; as long as there were enough experts to maintain the sect's reputation, they could have as many disciples as they wanted.
"Sect Leader Lu, the main reason I've come here is to pay a visit to your sect and to inquire about the tragedy that occurred at the foot of Qingyun Mountain in Caomiao Village."
When Tian Buyi gets serious, he's actually quite capable. After all, he was able to fool Su Ru, the most beautiful woman in Xiaozhu Peak, back then; his verbal skills were no joke.
"We are also following the Grass Temple Village massacre. Does the Qingyun Sect have any leads?"
"This? All we can be sure of is that the other party was ruthless and merciless, and it must have been done by someone from an evil sect."
"Heretical methods?" Lu Xuan chuckled. This was a classic scene from traditional fantasy and martial arts novels. Whenever something went wrong, it was naturally attributed to heretical methods.
"Sect Leader Lu has a different opinion?" Tian Buyi wasn't angry, but asked curiously. He had actually examined the corpses, but hadn't found anything.
"Did you notice the killer's methods?"
"Method? All the victims died from being struck so hard that their bones and internal organs were ruptured."
"Yes, but that's not the key point. The crucial point is that, upon closer inspection, it's highly likely that the murderer was killed with their bare hands."
"Bare-handed? What makes you say that?"
"It's very simple. Just use your hand or fist to trace those wounds and carefully observe the condition of the wounds inside and out. You'll find that most of those wounds were caused by fists or palms. Of course, it's also possible to send out a master who also has a magic weapon shaped like a palm or a fist."
"That certainly seems possible. But what does that prove?"
"It doesn't prove anything. It only proves that the assailant is skilled in unarmed combat. Or perhaps, he just lost his magical artifact."