Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 249 - 249 248 Old Friends in Liuyang

249: Chapter 248 Old Friends in Liuyang 249: Chapter 248 Old Friends in Liuyang The music had ended, and everyone had dispersed; Hou Niao was also preparing to set off, for there was nothing in Jin City to which he held any attachment.

Friends he had made at the recent conference in the Southwest had mostly departed.

Even Rao Zongzhi left with several disciples from Yujing; and after a night of heavy drinking with him just yesterday, Luo Linwang had also drifted away, leaving Hou Niao utterly alone in Jin City.

He did not go to see Li, the Capital Commandant, again, for he could tell that this respected figure did not fancy such superficial efforts.

As he had put it, if one has the ability to ascend to the Tongxuan Realm, one will naturally cross paths frequently.

And if not, then what was there to see?

To meet was to part with distaste.

An hour after Luo Linwang’s departure, he too mounted his horse and left Jin City, not even glancing back once at this city where ideally he should have started his ascent.

In the plains of Da Feng, what truly weighed on his heart was Yinling, for his friends were there.

The only regret of this trip was failing to meet Fang Yazi and Wang Mian, but the world of adults shouldn’t be so sentimental; besides, he wasn’t anyone’s nanny.

The direction was somewhat unusual, not heading straight for Jingchuan State, but rather taking a large detour.

There was plenty of time before his tenure began: as long as he arrived within a month, which left him time to take care of personal matters.

His destination was Anhe Liuyang, and from there he would cross into Shan City on his way to Jingchuan; the reason was simply to see someone he could not forget.

Of course, it was also to verify some matters — he could not fully ascertain what exactly happened on the day Chong Ling was killed based on the one-sided story of that woman Dong Fangfei.

He needed a deeper investigation, an instinct of an old jurist.

When it came to life and death, being prudent and meticulous was the principle; he wouldn’t accuse one unjustly, nor did he wish to let one guilty party go free.

He rode day and night, and now he had the ability to control his breathing while traveling, also able to restore the stamina to his horse beneath him.

After several days of journeying without pause, he crossed Jiangyou Town into Liuyang territory.

The deep autumn weather had begun to turn bleak, the earth shifting to a dismal yellow, having lost its lush verdure, much like his own mood.

…Inside the Liuyang Daoist Palace, all the Daoists awoke from deep meditation.

With this seclusion, she had successfully elevated her realm from the Tongxuan Realm to the God Sensing Realm.

Given the direction of her Daoist Method, this was a substantial progression, signifying a leap in strength and making more potent techniques possible.

In the three realms of Tongtian, theoretically there should be no fundamental difference; without achieving a Golden Core, no fame would last.

But different Daoist lineages and specialized areas of focus do have an impact on various realms.

For example, her Daoist Method pertained to the unique area of music, which started modestly but with each step thereafter became a significant advance.

In the three realms of Tongtian, it was still a realm of musical means, but after achieving a Golden Core, it would encompass various vibration-based forbidden techniques, and further up were the mythical techniques of large and small incisions — these belonged to the highest echelon of techniques in the Daoist Sect.

Practitioners of cultivation should ideally value Daoist Methods over skills, for that is the true path to longevity.

But those times had changed.

In a Jinxiu rife with troubles, lacking a robust array of skills, how could one survive in the ever-changing situation of the continent?

Back then on West Mang Mountain in Yinling of Shan Country, she had reservations about her strength, indeed unable to deal with that pelted demon, but if it were the her of now, though she didn’t dare claim victory, facing it alone wouldn’t be a problem.

In the days following the increase of her realm, she had been consolidating her position.

Yet she was somewhat aware of the external developments, her feelings could be summed up in one sentence: missing something and feeling melancholic.

The misfortune of a Tongxuan Upper Cultivator from Liuyang City in Divine City was something she could hardly accept; defenders of the border should exhaust themselves expelling foreign threats, yet now they were ruined by internal strife, which was both frustrating and enraging.

Although she and Daoist Chong Ling both served in Liuyang, their acquaintance was quite shallow with little private interaction, a common condition among fellow Quanzhen masters; they didn’t want too many distractions affecting them.

However, that wasn’t reason enough for her to ignore what had happened.

She flipped through the letter in her hand, brought secretly from Divine City.

It contained internal communications from her direct lineage, different from the rampant rumors and reckless talk outside.

This was the content closest to the truth.

Too many oddities, the invitation from an old friend of Daoist Chong Ling, a seemingly casual gathering, a few Daoists’ nonchalant debate about endless differences about the future of the Anhe Daoist Sect, escalating into what seemed like an ordinary demonstration…

For a cultivator, this is the most commonplace way to resolve disputes, differing from the Demon Sect’s Quanzhen that ruthlessly determines life and death.

Daoist demonstrations were much gentler, but still an accident occurred.

What followed was also distressing to her: another perfunctory conference in the Southwest, where disciples risked their lives over matters they ultimately could not decide, and then a familiar name appeared before her eyes…

It’s truly rare to find a place without that troublemaker, who alone turned the whole conference back to Chaos, at least buying the Anhe Daoist Sect some time.

There were many other details, such as a senior member within the Anhe Daoist Sect insisting on splitting the opportunity of the Tongling Grotto Heaven equally among three parties, or the death of Daoist Chong Ling’s old friend in the rear mansion, and so on.

Was this the beginning of the Anhe Daoist Sect’s independent faction’s counterattack?

But it was beyond her imagination that such extreme forces could exist within the traditionally peaceful and laid-back Anhe lineage.

This was something the Demon Sect’s Quanzhen could do, but not something expected from the Daoist Sect.

Deep in thought, a voice from a disciple came from outside the room, “Daoist aunt, there’s a Quanzhen disciple asking for an audience outside, claiming his surname is Hou…”

The Daoist woman was stunned, then suddenly realized, “Let him in.”

Soon after, a tall figure flashed at the door, casting a shadow over the sunlight from outside, and after a brief observation, he strolled in with his hands tucked in his sleeves, devoid of any deference expected when meeting a senior expert, as if he was right at home.

This man had always been like this in front of her, never considering himself an outsider.

Were they that close?

After a respectful bow, he didn’t even wait to be invited to sit before he crossed his legs and settled down in front of her, closer than what was customary among cultivators.

Such proximity was reserved for those in an intimate relationship, and he dared to assume it, and she didn’t seem to think anything of it?

“What are you doing here?

Could it be you’ve been expelled by Quanzhen for talking back to Shangguan, and you’ve come to find a new home with me?

Do you think I’m a refuge for the cast-offs?”

She had never been a sharp-tongued person, but for some reason, upon seeing this man, she couldn’t help but speak her mind.

Hou Niao chuckled, “Thanks to you, I wasn’t expelled.

I even got promoted.”

The Daoist woman furrowed her brow, “Thanks to me?

I have no good fortune for you to ride on!

Do not attract bad luck to me.

Say it, what brings you here?

Running low on funds?

Considering you’ve contributed to the Anhe Daoist Sect, I could spare you a few Spirit Stones.”