Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 408 - 408 407 Revisiting the Old Place

408: Chapter 407 Revisiting the Old Place 408: Chapter 407 Revisiting the Old Place Hou Niao had finally survived this ordeal.

It was somewhat by luck and somewhat by force; for him, confronting a Tongtian Third Realm cultivator posed no pressure, but facing a Golden Core cultivator was more likely to be disastrous than not.

This Wu Sect cultivator, whose name he still did not know, lost in two ways: the first was carelessness, and the second was a thunderous coincidence.

His own consumption was also considerable, attacking with continuous Body Sword Conversion assaults, which meant pushing his mana to its absolute limit from beginning to end; he had no choice, as he couldn’t afford to leave even the slightest gap against a Golden Core whose realm far surpassed his own.

In those brief moments, he was either transformed into a Sword Spirit for a Flying Sword attack, or collecting his sword into the Purple Mansion for close combat with no chance to breathe; even so, had his opponent not erred in his choice of barrier, it would have been hard to say to what extent he could have succeeded.

A greater likelihood was that he would fail to land a fatal blow and either narrowly escape or be killed by the Golden Core once they reacted.

It wasn’t a matter of his swordsmanship, but the vast disparity in their realms.

His current level simply shouldn’t be compared to that of a Golden Core cultivator; maybe it would be a bit better once he reached the Tongtian Third Realm?

Still, he was quite relieved; even if it involved some luck, he had indeed managed to kill a Golden Core in direct combat, an achievement he could boast about for a long time.

This was enough to prove that the path of Body Sword Skill was correct; in terms of combat effectiveness, it far surpassed the mainstream Flying Sword Skill.

Why this was the case, he didn’t know.

This was why he had to return to Jin City!

He had already partially mastered the Qian Character Mantra; what he couldn’t master were some aspects due to restrictions in his cultivation and spirit, which would gradually unlock as his realm and strength improved.

The problem was, the more he practiced the Qian Character Mantra, the more incomplete it felt.

There must be other sword techniques, whether the subsequent or surrounding ones—might the Sword Storage Tower in Jin City have them?

What about the other supporting “legs” of a table?

He was full of expectation for the old man Ba Quan.

He hastened through the Lianyun Mountain Range, and although he was sure the Wu Sect wouldn’t send another two Golden Cores after him, he still flew cautiously.

True cultivators, in pursuit of their aims, would stop at nothing—even Hou Niao, able to act recklessly and boldly, knew the Wu Sect could have equally unscrupulous individuals!

This world was not his alone to be free and easy in.

Days later, he safely arrived at Da Feng Plain, and as he approached Jin City, he concealed his traces, entirely differently mannered and minded from when he first learned to fly.

One reason was he no longer had the heart to show off; another was that Jin City was no longer what it used to be, with all three former giants having been replaced—time had moved on, things had changed, and people were no longer the same.

… From the past to the present, everything changes, people are not the same, but only the mountains and rivers remain unchanged.

He came with a purpose, and theoretically, without an internal summon, it wouldn’t do to swagger in; although returning home once every ten years might not seem excessive, such matters were all about moderation.

He did not know where old man Ba Quan’s home was, so he could only first go to the Sword Storage Tower.

However, the gatekeeper was not the old man he was once familiar with.

“Ba Quan, the old rascal?

He left three years ago; probably was karma for deceiving too many people…”

The current gatekeeping cultivator was a middle-aged man who clearly showed little respect for that old fellow.

Hou Niao did not bother to explain anything; as relationships depend on fate, and no one is perfect, who is to judge right from wrong, good or bad?

“He left?

Then do you know where his home is?”

The doorkeeper was merely a lesser cultivator in fasting, and did not dare to conceal anything from the esteemed masters within the sect.

“At West City, Dai Hat Alley, just look for the crooked-neck tree at the gate.”

Hou Niao turned and walked away, feeling somewhat disappointed; but this was ultimately the fate of those who had not reached the Tongxuan realm, unable to escape the cycles of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Even reaching the Tongtian Third Realm, what could it really change?

What was destined to come would still arrive, sooner or later.

This was the first acquaintance he had encountered in his cultivation journey who had fallen behind due to the limits of lifespan.

He could imagine that in the future, there would be more and more such people, as long as he continued on his path.

In the end, there would only be one outcome: all acquaintances would be gone.

Dai Hat Alley was a civilian area of Jin City, quite quiet and neat, a final refuge for most retired ordinary Quanzhen cultivators; thereafter, as time slipped away, they awaited the next family cultivator to emerge, or simply, a return to true mundanity.

The crooked-neck tree was conspicuous.

Hou Niao knocked lightly on the courtyard door, and a young man came out to greet him, obviously puzzled by the stranger before him.

“Sir, who are you?”

“A friend of the elderly Mr.

Ba Quan, returned from afar.

I’ve just heard the sad news and have come to offer my condolences.”

The young man immediately understood, realizing that the person before him, who appeared to be about his own age, was also a Quanzhen cultivator.

To be honest, his grandfather had not had a good reputation in the Jin City cultivation circles; very few people had attended the funeral, let alone thereafter.

That this cultivator had come to offer condolences was beyond his expectations.

“Master, please follow me.”

The courtyard was small, but neatly arranged and well-maintained, with the occasional clear sound of children reading aloud.

Divine Sense swept through unintentionally, detecting people in the main and side rooms, none of whom poked their heads out; from the surface, one could see that this was a well-educated family, quite unlike the deceitful Elder Ba Quan they were used to.

Everyone has dual natures; who can truly be judged at a glance?

The ancestral hall was small, yet the layout was sensible and did not feel cramped.

The furniture was old but spotless; the offerings were ordinary but fresh.

These details revealed the potential still present in this small family.

Elder Ba Quan’s surname was Hou, Hou Sanli.

Had it not been for this visit, he would not even have known the old man’s full name, which was rather embarrassing.

He quickly completed his condolences, which appeared rather informal and lax in the eyes of the young man beside him, with an unceremonious process, and they hadn’t even thought to bring a box of pastries.

But he was well-mannered and did not complain; the presence of visitors was the greatest respect.

Hou Niao turned back, “Who is in charge of the household now?

I would like to meet them.”

The young man replied respectfully, “Grandmother is still here; she makes all the major and minor decisions for the family.”

“Lead the way.”

In a small living room, likely doubling as a dining hall, Hou Niao met Mrs.

Hou, the grandmother, spirited and clear-eyed, which made one marvel that a cultivator could actually outlive his own mortal wife.

Hou Niao was forthright, “I had some interactions with Elder Hou and owe him favors; but in recent years, I have not been in Jin City, which led to the loss of contact.

If there is anything you need, you can tell me.

I am probably still capable of managing it in Jin City.”

The grandmother’s expression flickered, discerning something from his words alone.

To declare one’s capability in Jin City was not common for ordinary cultivators; considering his travels abroad these past years, the visitor’s status was likely not low.

However, the wise elderly woman knew that focusing on immediate financial gains was the foolish choice.

Given the long life expectancy of cultivators, it was smarter to save this favor for later, for a potentially successful descendant of the Hou family, which was the wisest decision.

“Thank you, Master, for your concern; our family has modest assets and presently has nothing major to worry about.”