A mere ordinary disciple of the Huajian Caiyun Sect naturally could not withstand the questioning of two great experts, Lu Zheng and Lu Zhi.
Lu Zheng had not asked earlier only because he was too lazy to relay information to the Zhenyi Division. Now that he had encountered Lu Zhi, they could naturally interrogate this blue-shirted youth.
One was proficient in the Jinque secret arts of the Daoist sect, the other excelled in the Buddhist soul-ferrying incantations. Extracting some information from his mouth would be very easy.
“What is your name?”
“Deng Wen.”
“What is your status in the Huajian Caiyun Sect? Who is your master?”
“An inner disciple of the sect, my master is Elder Mo Jueqi.”
“Who taught you this technique?”
“The sect leader.”
Lu Zheng and Lu Zhi exchanged a glance. The situation was more serious than they had imagined.
…
Soon, the matter was clarified.
Half a year ago, the leader of the Huajian Caiyun Sect was defeated by a disciple of the Great Black Heaven Wuxin True Desire Demon Ancestor, then surrendered and fell to demonhood. He planted demon seeds in all the sect members and disciples, leading them all into demonhood.
However, this demonic art was concealed beneath a normal appearance. Even ordinary disciples in the sect were unaware of it. Unless the demonic intent awakened at a moment of life and death, many might not realise until they were deeply entrenched in demonhood.
By that time, they would probably have already been tainted by demonic intent, their minds corrupted, their temperaments greatly changed.
In other words, the Huajian Caiyun Sect had now become a demonic lair, just like the Jiming Temple of years past.
Only, back then Jiming Temple’s abbot had obtained a relic from a demon-corrupted evil Buddha, whereas this time the sect leader of Huajian Caiyun Sect had directly fallen to demonhood.
“This Wuxin True Desire Demon Ancestor seems to have some capability,” Lu Zhi said. “In the past he directly overwhelmed sects and wiped out factions. Now, after suffering major setbacks in both Southern Border and the Central Plains, he has learned to develop secretly.”
Cultivating demonhood merely twists the mind, making one cruel, bloodthirsty, and obsessed. As cultivation deepens, the body gradually transforms into a demonic form, but it does not mean one loses intelligence.
Without intelligence, there would be no extraterritorial heavenly demons reincarnating through divine sense or transmitting techniques in dreams. Those are things only immortals can achieve.
Or rather, those who fall to demonhood become even more cunning and vicious, without any bottom line, impossible to guard against. For example, the demon that disguised itself as common folk outside Dingfeng Mountain years ago and ambushed Xin Yuniang.
“Good, let those Southern Border sects have a headache over it,” Lu Zhi laughed.
Lu Zheng looked at Lu Zhi. “Will the court notify the Southern Border?”
Although many forces and people in the Southern Border resented rule by the Central Plains dynasty, apart from some evil cults and sects with grudges against the dynasty, most maintained a cooperative attitude.
For instance, Feixiong Mountain actually had quite good relations with the Great Jing side.
“Of course,” Lu Zhi said. “Demonic fiends are the common enemy of the world. Since we know about it, we must naturally eradicate them. Back when that Demon Ancestor entered the Central Plains, it was the Southern Border that first sent the news.”
Lu Zheng nodded. In that case, he would not need to make a separate trip to Dingfeng Mountain, because the location of Huajian Caiyun Sect was far from Dingfeng Mountain. As long as it was exposed, it would not affect Dingfeng Mountain.
Lu Zhi ordered Deng Wen to be taken away, then personally escorted Lu Zheng and the other two to the entrance of the Zhenyi Division before cupping his hands in farewell.
…
The following morning.
Lu Zheng, bringing Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying, strolled to the Shuntai Trading Company. They saw Xu Yihong and Qin Huilian already waiting at the main gate.
Upon seeing the three arrive, the pair quickly invited them into the shop.
“Immortal Elder Lu, here are forty jin of February Fragrance tea,” Qin Huilian beckoned, and two assistants carried out baskets on shoulder poles. “In addition, there are two other fine teas acquired by the trading company, fifty jin each. Please accept them without reservation.”
“No need for so much,” Lu Zheng waved his hand. “Ten jin of each will suffice. How much do the other two teas cost? I will pay the original price, so you do not have to explain to your employer.”
Qin Huilian shook her head with a smile. “Immortal Elder, you embarrass Huilian. This Shuntai Trading Company is actually my family’s business. Out of curiosity this year, Huilian personally came to purchase goods, never expecting to have the fortune of meeting the esteemed visages of several immortal elders and immortals.”
“I see.”
Lu Zheng thought it odd that the manager of the trading company was a young woman. So it was a family business.
“Your family is bold,” Liu Qingyan said. “Yongzhou is close to the Southern Border, with many evil and strange people from there. Yet they dare let you come.”
Qin Huilian smiled shyly. “The family purchaser comes every year, and the trading company has shops and business in Yongzhou. Nothing has happened in twenty years. Huilian never imagined…”
Looking at the delicate, fair skin and pretty features of eighteen-year-old Qin Huilian, Shen Ying could not help shaking her head. “How can you compare to those middle-aged managers who travel far and wide?”
Qin Huilian was speechless. After all, the Central Plains and Southern Border had not warred for a long time. Although bandits, thieves, and petty crime were inevitable, in the eyes of ordinary people, as long as one was careful, stuck to official roads, and avoided remote places, the world was generally peaceful.
Especially for large trading companies, such things were even less likely to affect them.
As for encountering demons, ghosts, or evil heterodox practitioners… that was not something ordinary folk could avoid just by wishing to.
“Since it is your family’s business, I will not stand on ceremony,” Lu Zheng nodded, then waved his hand and stored the three baskets in his gourd.
Over a hundred jin of tea. He certainly could not drink it all himself. He could send some to Baiyun Temple, the Liu family, and the Wang family as gifts.
Lu Zheng accepted the gifts, but the happiest was actually Qin Huilian. “Huilian has reserved an elegant room at the Baihua Tower. I invite Immortal Elder Lu, Young Master Xu, and the two immortals to join me, so Huilian may express her thanks.”
…
They ate lunch together. Lu Zheng learned that Xu Yihong was still travelling the four directions. This time he had come to Yongzhou intending to enter the Southern Border, to see if he could find suitable materials for sword refining.
“Speaking of sword refining,” Xu Yihong asked Lu Zheng, “Brother Lu, have you been to Feiyu Mountain to seek the sword-refining method?”
Lu Zheng blinked, thought for a moment, then nodded. “I have been. Immortal Han was very generous and shared the sword-refining method from the Feiyu Chengxia Imperial Sword Scripture with me.”
“Oh?” Xu Yihong’s eyes lit up. “Then Brother Lu, coming to Yongzhou this time, are you also preparing to enter the Southern Border to search for sword-refining materials?”
Lu Zheng blinked again. He really did not want to dampen Xu Yihong’s enthusiasm, but…
“No, we are going to the Southern Border to visit friends. We have just returned from there,” Lu Zheng said. “As for the flying sword, it is already refined.”
“Refined?” Xu Yihong was stunned. Was it that simple?
“Refined,” Lu Zheng nodded, patted his gourd, and the Silver Feather Cyan Glow Sword flew out automatically, circled the elegant room once, then flew back into the gourd.
“Well…”
He himself had told Lu Zheng about the refining method, yet while he was still searching the world for spiritual materials, Lu Zheng had already completed his sword. Looking at the silver streams of light on that cyan flying sword, it was clearly an excellent flying sword.
Xu Yihong was speechless, could only drain his cup of wine fiercely, and resolved to refine his own flying sword as soon as possible.
…
After lunch, Xu Yihong entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Southern Border, while Lu Zheng rose on a cloud, taking the two women northward.
