The Gu Master turned his gaze to the samurai sword and continued, “This samurai sword was a divine weapon bestowed upon me by the Evil King’s followers. I used it to communicate with them.”
“From my experience, I’d guess the Evil King’s lair is hidden in the eastern woodlands. Take this sword, it will guide you.”
At this, the Gu Master’s face suddenly grew even more flushed, his state of rallying before death worsening.
Xu Fei had a silver needle ready to save him, but seeing this, he put it down. He understood the Gu Master was set on dying, beyond even the mightiest intervention.
Xu Fei waited until the man’s eyes slowly closed, then placed his body among the ruins of the woodland hut, picked up the samurai sword, and left.
As he walked, Xu Fei began to grasp what the Gu Master meant by the sword’s guidance.
Following the direction indicated before the Gu Master’s death, he headed toward the western woodlands. The closer he got, the more the sword hummed in his hand.
It felt as if it were mystically linked, resonating with something unseen.
After about twenty minutes of walking, the sword’s humming reached its peak, like birdsong in the forest.
If Xu Fei hadn’t gripped it tightly, it might have flown off on its own.
This suggested he was nearing the mysterious Evil King’s lair.
Yet, looking around, Xu Fei saw only silent woodlands.
The only unusual sight was a stone tablet in the northwest corner, standing on ground etched with an intricate array, resembling a mysterious altar.
Beyond that, there was nothing.
Xu Fei clutched the sword, sensing its vibrations for a while before it dawned on him.
The Gu Master likely never realised, even in death, that he’d been deceived!
The sword did resonate here, but not with any Evil King’s lair, only with the mysterious altar.
Xu Fei had tested it, the altar could be activated with true qi for long-distance communication, likely how the Gu Master had contacted the Evil King’s subordinates.
What they discussed, Xu Fei couldn’t know.
But clearly, in his final moments, the Gu Master thought he’d given Xu Fei vital information.
Perhaps he hoped Xu Fei would use it to exact revenge on the Evil King on his behalf.
Now, it seemed obvious that, to the Evil King hiding behind the scenes, a pawn was just a pawn, fed nothing but lies.
“What a pity!”
Xu Fei glanced at the stone tablet before him. He considered destroying it but feared it might alert his quarry.
With a helpless shake of his head, he turned and retraced his steps.
