Half an hour later, Ning Buwei and others were led by Pei Heguang to a residence. As soon as they entered, they smelled a pungent odor of blood.
Zhong’er was lying on the bed, her face as yellow as gold paper. When she saw Ning Buwei enter, she struggled to get up. Pei Heguang quickly supported her, “Miss Zhong’er, please don’t move around.”
Zhong’er’s breath was weak, but she stared intently at Ning Buwei, “Please, I beg you, save my master!”
Unexpectedly, Ning Buwei said, “Your master is the legitimate daughter of the Sang family from Canghai Tower. If something happened to her, would she need me to save her?”
Zhong’er’s eyes instantly reddened as she shook her head and said, “Since the Tower Master had a mishap during his last closed-door cultivation, his health has greatly declined. He’s still in seclusion recuperating. My master’s other brothers and sisters… they’re busy fighting for the position of the next Tower Master, hoping for my master to perish early. If we seek help from them, it would be no different from sending my master into a fire pit.”
Pei Heguang nodded, “Recently, Canghai Tower has indeed been quite chaotic, a real mess.”
Seeing that Ning Buwei didn’t speak, Zhong’er continued, “Master still has the second half of a crucial comment to say. Don’t you want to know what it is?”
“What happened to Sang Yun?” Ning Buwei asked.
Hearing him ask this, Zhong’er understood that he intended to help. She quickly said, “Two days ago, Master was invited by the Wang family, but was ambushed halfway. You know that my master’s cultivation method is different from others, she has no cultivation to protect herself. My cultivation is low, I couldn’t protect Master and instead was seriously injured. If it weren’t for Fellow Cultivator Pei’s rescue, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have lived until now.”
“Which member of the Wang family? Where was she invited to go?” Ning Buwei asked.
“Tingsong garden in Songshan on the outskirts of Leyuan City,” Zhong’er said. “Master didn’t let me see who sent the invitation. We were attacked two days ago at the Hour of Zi in a bamboo forest fifteen miles outside the city.”
Pei Heguang said, “I originally came to Leyuan City to attend the Dao Discussion Conference. I was traveling at night and happened to see it. I didn’t have time to engage with that person, I could only save Miss Zhong’er.”
Chu Jun asked, “Are there any other clues?”
“… These days, many women in Leyuan City have been mysteriously disappearing on Songshan, and it’s said that they’re all beautiful women without cultivation,” Pei Heguang said. “I’ve been gathering information these past two days. A young lady who luckily escaped said that she was sleeping, and when she opened her eyes, she was on Songshan. The person appeared around the Hour of Zi in the middle of the night, and there was the sound of bells ringing when they came and went.”
Zhong’er nodded and said, “Before Master was taken away, I did indeed hear bells ringing, but Master didn’t hear them…”
They described the circumstances of that night in detail, but those were the most valuable pieces of information.
“Even the Tracing Back Realm is useless,” Pei Heguang sighed. “It’s all dense fog. I don’t know what kind of illusion that person used.”
Ning Buwei squeezed the round stone in his hand, “Has your master touched this stone?”
Zhong’er was stunned for a moment, “Yes, she has.”
Ning Buwei handed the small round stone to Chu Jun, “Please, help me divine with this.”
Chu Jun: “…”
Zhong’er said, “It’s useless. I’ve tried divining with things Master has touched, but I couldn’t discern anything.”
“The method is different,” Ning Buwei said. “You and your master use innate techniques, while his is an acquired technique. Divination for finding people is very effective.”
Chu Jun glanced at the small round stone, his gaze sweeping around the surroundings. Seeing a box of Go pieces scattered on the table, he casually grabbed a handful of white pieces and scattered them on the board. After staring at it for a while, he said, “It’s unclear.”
Ning Buwei had just boasted, but Chu Jun said it didn’t work. He walked over to look at the divination Chu Jun had cast, and indeed, it was blurry and unclear.
Pei Heguang helped Zhong’er lie down, comforting her, “Miss Zhong’er, don’t worry. I will definitely help rescue your master. You just focus on recuperating.”
Zhong’er’s face showed a weak smile, “Thank you.”
Chu Jun stared at the Go board for a while, “We can do a detailed divination.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his hand was pressed down. Ning Buwei glared at him irritably, “What detailed divination!”
Detailed divination could shorten one’s lifespan and harm one’s divine consciousness. Although Chu Jun had cultivated to the Hinayana stage and could live for four to five thousand years, cultivators generally avoided such things.
Cui Yuanbai stood on tiptoes to look at the Go board but couldn’t see. Ning Buwei picked him up and put him in Chu Jun’s arms, “You watch the child. I’ll handle this matter.”
The dignified Venerable Jinghe ended up either divining or babysitting in his hands, which was truly a waste of talent. Yet Ning Buwei took it for granted and turned to leave.
“Wait for me, Fellow Cultivator Ning!” Pei Heguang grabbed his sword and hurriedly followed. “I’ll come help!”
Ning Buwei had always preferred to act alone. Having just managed to settle Chu Jun, now Pei Heguang was following him. He impatiently said, “Don’t follow me.”
Pei Heguang’s gaze was determined as he said, “Slaying demons and eradicating evil is the responsibility of us cultivators. Those helpless women are still waiting for us to rescue them. I cannot back down!”
Ning Buwei: “… Take some medicine if you’re sick.”
In the room, Cui Yuanbai was being held by Chu Jun, looking at the Go pieces without understanding anything. He softly said, “Mother, let’s go help Father fight.”
Chu Jun calmly collected the pieces from the board and said unhurriedly, “Call me Father.”
Cui Yuanbai looked at him with some inner conflict.
“I’ll take you to fight,” Chu Jun said, putting the pieces back in the box.
“Father,” Cui Yuanbai called out promptly.
Chu Jun reached out and patted his head, “Not bad.”
Songshan was located on the outskirts of Leyuan City. Though not tall, it was famous for being covered in pine trees. When a gentle breeze blew, the green pines across the mountain swayed gracefully, rustling through the pine forest like waves rolling onto a shore, creating a beautiful sound. Tingsong Garden, built on the mountaintop, was named with this poetic sentiment in mind.
At this time, the sun was setting in the west, its last rays painting the sky with evening glow. Although it was nearly deep winter, the mountain was still lush with greenery. Ning Buwei was about to casually set up a Soul-Devouring Array when a soft, tender child’s voice came from the tree above. “Father, what are you doing?”
Ning Buwei looked up abruptly to see Cui Yuanbai sitting on a branch, his eyes shining brightly. “Are we going to fight?”
Chu Jun, dressed in white, descended gracefully, stepping on pine branches.
Ning Buwei frowned. The Soul-Devouring Array he had just started was interrupted, and he couldn’t lose his temper in front of the child. He could only coldly stare at Chu Jun.
Seeing that Ning Buwei was about to explode, Chu Jun softened his voice and said, “There are gu worms in this body of mine.”
“So?” Ning Buwei raised an eyebrow and asked.
“I’m scared,” Cui Yuanbai jumped down from the tree and said calmly.
Ning Buwei: “…”
You’re a knife that can’t be melted even by real fire, and you’re afraid of worms?
Chu Jun erased the beginnings of the Soul-Devouring Array for him, “This array consumes too much spiritual power and divine consciousness. It shouldn’t be used often.”
Ning Buwei wanted to use Cui Yuanbai to chop up this surnamed Chu. It was indeed this face that gave him the wrong impression. This guy was still as irritating as he was five hundred years ago.
“Ah — Fellow Cultivator Ning, I’ve finally caught up with you.” Pei Heguang arrived with his sword, panting, “You fly on your sword too fast. Fortunately, I guessed you’d come here… phew.”
Ning Buwei clenched his fist then relaxed it, asking Chu Jun with a forced smile, “If we don’t use an array, what do you suggest we do?”
Pei Heguang also looked expectant, thinking this beautiful vase seemed very clever.
Chu Jun said, “There’s an easier way.”
An incense stick’s time later, Pei Heguang was holding a pale yellow shirt with his pinky sticking out, blinking his watery eyes and speaking in a delicate voice, “Fellow Cultivator Chu, do I look convincing?”
Chu Jun, wearing a white dress with a calm expression, said in a light voice, “Just act natural.”
Pei Heguang unexpectedly met his gaze and blushed, quickly averting his eyes, “Fellow Cultivator Ning, have you finished changing?”
From behind a tree emerged a scowling woman in black clothes, her eyes sharp and filled with murderous intent. “Is this the method you came up with?”
Chu Jun’s fingers moved slightly, and the black clothes on Ning Buwei changed into a black shirt dress. “This looks more convincing.”
Ning Buwei gritted his teeth, but since Chu Jun was also wearing a long dress disguised as a woman, he couldn’t find fault with anything except that this idea was absurd.
Rather than waiting passively, it was better to draw the snake out of its hole. Since the target was beautiful women without cultivation, they might as well use a transformation technique to disguise themselves as ordinary women.
Chu Jun placed talismans on all three of them. As long as the opponent’s cultivation hadn’t reached the Hinayana stage, they wouldn’t be able to see through this illusion. While Pei Heguang went to scout, Cui Yuanbai transformed into a broad sword, which Ning Buwei gripped in his hand.
“Oh, Fellow Cultivator Ning, where’s your son?” Pei Heguang, returning from scouting, noticed someone was missing.
“He went back on his own,” Ning Buwei said casually.
Pei Heguang, being warmhearted, said, “Is it okay for such a young child to travel alone? Why don’t I go check—”
“He knows the way,” Chu Jun interjected. “There’s no need.”
Pei Heguang didn’t dare to look him in the eye and coughed lightly, “A-alright.”
Ning Buwei clicked his tongue.
Chu Jun turned his head towards him upon hearing the sound, “Hmm?”
Ning Buwei transmitted his voice to him, his tone filled with gritted teeth, “Are you getting revenge for wearing women’s clothes in the phantom obsession?”
In the illusion, Chu Jun had worn a soft pink robe, and he had gloated at the time. It turned out this guy was secretly plotting—so that’s why he felt Chu Jun’s gaze was a bit strange back then—
It was actually a meaningful calculation.
Chu Jun’s expression remained indifferent, “You’re overthinking it. It’s just external appearance.”
Ning Buwei suddenly became uncertain again. Even though he was very suspicious, looking at Chu Jun’s cold and detached demeanor that seemed above worldly concerns, eight-tenths of his suspicion was forcibly eliminated.
After all, Chu Jun was over a thousand years old, he shouldn’t be so…
Before he could think of a specific word, something on his head was moved slightly. He turned sharply, just to hear Chu Jun say blandly, “Wife, your hairpin is crooked.”
Ning Buwei narrowed his eyes. This surnamed Chu was indeed taking revenge!
However, before he could speak, a thick fog suddenly arose in the pitch-black bamboo forest. Chu Jun and Pei Heguang, who were just within arm’s reach, seemed to vanish suddenly, becoming eerily silent.
A ethereal and melodious sound of bells gradually approached, breaking through the fog.
