Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 352 - 352 351 Getting to the Root of the Matter

352: Chapter 351: Getting to the Root of the Matter 352: Chapter 351: Getting to the Root of the Matter Shi Lao Da scratched his head, not quite sure how to answer, when Hou Niao chuckled,

“Just say whatever comes to mind, who would seek retribution based on the words of a mortal like you?”

In the Cultivation World, mortals were not condemned for their words—did a tiger ever care what an ant said about it?

Shi Lao Da grinned, “I’m not qualified to comment rashly on the Immortal Master.

Even if I spoke the truth, it would just be superficial observations.

Please don’t laugh at my shallowness, Immortal Master.

When I first arrived at Sangmu Island, I was still under my father’s tutelage, and my younger brothers were not of age yet; back then, the Immortal Master was an elderly figure with a noble demeanor.

I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I knew that it was rare to see him—maybe not even three times in many years?

The second Immortal Master was a lofty man, expert with a longsword, often seen brandishing it.

By this time, I had started managing the mining operations alone, and my younger brothers had just arrived on the island.

My impression was that this Immortal Master was meticulous and took care of everything personally.

But as strict as he was, he never scolded or chastised us mortals, and we even had some dealings.

For a while, I thought I had found a pathway to the Upper Realm for the Shi Family, but unfortunately, something happened later…

The last was this Immortal Master Chao, the current Island Master.

Should I stop here?”

Hou Niao listened with great interest, “Don’t worry about it, I know you have concerns.

It’s proper management…

You mentioned that something happened with the second Immortal Master?

What could happen to a cultivator?

Unless there was originally no issue and it became one due to your evasive and hesitant way of speaking?”

Shi Lao Da gave a dry laugh, hesitating, unsure whether to continue.

He knew jokes aside, secrets were secrets.

The foremost family rule left to him by his father was: “Absolutely do not get involved in the disputes of the Cultivation World; only thus can the Shi Family retain its prosperity in the Mortal World.”

Hou Niao didn’t press him, simply remarked lightly, “It seems to me that there are some discrepancies between the recorded output of this mine and the reality.

Can you enlighten me?”

Upon hearing this, Shi Lao Da immediately grasped his meaning—to satisfy his curiosity about historical incidents or confess the fraudulent schemes with Chao Buzhi.

Without hesitation, he chose the former.

“Actually, it’s nothing significant.

What you don’t know, Immortal Master, is that this matter also caused quite a stir eight years ago.

I remember countless cultivators came to investigate, many with swords on their backs, but they found no clues after much probing and eventually let it go.

I’m reluctant to talk, not because it’s a secret, but because I have recounted it countless times over eight years, to the point of exhaustion.”

Seeing Hou Niao’s intrigued expression, he sighed, “Well, it’s been eight years since I’ve talked about it, and now I somewhat want to reminisce.

Since you are curious, Immortal Master, I will elaborate a bit.

This person, named Li Shizhong, was likely an Immortal Master from the Quanzhen Sect of Shan Country…”

Hou Niao didn’t interrupt him, but listened quietly; what Shi Lao Da shared was not much different from the information he could obtain, and because it was from a mortal’s perspective, it was somewhat exaggerated and embellished.

But this was the effect he wanted—authentic, simple, unfiltered by cultivators, and without the added opinions of so-called industry insiders.

It was the best way to pick out something useful, rather than picking over someone else’s leftovers.

Eight years might not seem long to a cultivator, but for a mortal, it was a test of memory; this incident was one of the few significant events in Shi Lao Da’s life.

Because he had repeated it so many times, the memory was vivid, which made his retelling more fluid and natural once he started.

“Was there anything unusual before the incident?”

“Nothing unusual!

Immortals have great self-control, and they rarely show their emotions.

But I’m sure there was nothing unusual because the last time I saw Master Li, three days before the incident, he had promised to catch a rare bird for my son.

Think about it, would an Immortal Master, busy with cultivation, have time for such leisure if there were any abnormalities?”

“Were there any strange cultivators coming and going from the island?”

“I can only say I didn’t see any, just as you wouldn’t see them if you didn’t want me to.”

“Was that Immortal Master also cultivating in the cliff lighthouse?”

“I’m not sure, because we can’t precisely track the Immortal Master’s footsteps, but as far as I know, the Immortal Master does occasionally appear in other places on Sangmu Island, such as the western mulberry forest and the southern shallow bay, but only occasionally.”

Hou Niao simply asked a few questions, then drifted onto other topics, seeming quite interested in the history of Sangmu Island.

This kind of conversation made Shi Jingzhong somewhat uneasy and gradually filled with anxiety.

He knew he had to stop before it was too late, otherwise he would frighten this mortal, and then he might never get any information out of him again.

As they walked out, observing the bustling crowd in the mine, Hou Niao asked a peculiar question,

“Shi Jingzhong, right?

How much wealth do you think one needs in a lifetime to be sufficient?

Your Shi family has cultivated for centuries on Sangmu Island, needless to talk about your wealth, the future generations will be wealthy without worry.

So, what drives you to keep striving so hard?”

Shi Jingzhong hemmed and hawed, finding the question difficult to answer, “…

It’s my ancestral heritage, I certainly can’t be the one to ruin it.

As for wealth, if counted in the mortal world, that would be respectable, but flowers do not bloom for a hundred days, nor do men stay well for a thousand days, we always need to be prepared for the future…”

Hou Niao smiled slightly, “Shi Jingzhong, your ambitions are quite grand; even in the Cultivation World, no one can guarantee prosperity for several generations, let alone you mortals.

Take care of the older generation, enjoy your own generation, manage the next generation, but what guarantees do you have for the future of the Shi family?

It’s honestly laughable, wealth is the bedrock of a family’s continuity, but this bedrock might be a blessing and it could also be a curse!”

Throughout this prolonged session, Shi Jingzhong had been in agony.

He had a guilty conscience, hence the inevitable anxiety; too fearful to speak clearly, yet anxious about the cultivator’s capabilities, this conflicted state was tormenting.

“Immortal Master, please teach me the way to deal with this!

Some issues involve the Island Master, I really dare not speak!

If I speak now, I might die; if I don’t, there’ll be hidden dangers later, please teach me, Immortal Master!”

Hou Niao saw that the moment to intimidate excessively had passed, pressing too hard could backfire,

“You need not mention it, I have no interest in the affairs between you and the current Daoist Chao; what’s the point in targeting you specifically?

And dealing with Daoist Chao would be even more troubling…

You ask me how to deal with this, then what I want to tell you is, there are no walls that do not leak, especially in the eyes of cultivators.

Thus, your principle is wrong.

What does it mean to preserve your ancestors’ legacy?

Is it to preserve wealth?

Or to preserve your family?

If you choose to preserve wealth, then let’s pretend I said nothing, just let your Shi family continue as they were and see if this legacy can last a thousand years?

If you want to preserve your family, then let me tell you, a protection called retreating in face of adversity is essential!

To know when to stop!

The ancestors of the Shi family managed to secure the mining rights for Sangmu Island; that was the skill of your forebearers; but you need to know, letting go sometimes requires more courage and is more admirable than stubbornly clinging on!”

… Only in bright windows do we study the classics, unaware of gains and losses, of honor and disgrace.