Chapter 159 Explanation
Chapter 159 Explanation
Taking advantage of the break between the disciples' shifts downstairs, Guan and Song Jin leaped out of the Wind Pavilion.
In the darkness, the two sneaked back to the vicinity of the room, then climbed in through the window as before and closed it.
There were no signs of the door being opened or closed, and the two returned to the house safely.
"I'll talk about it tomorrow." My mind is a mess as I unfollow.
Song Jin nodded.
The two lay on their beds. The room, which had been full of four people, was suddenly empty except for the two of them.
The room felt strangely empty at night.
This was his first day back at the Kunlun Sect, yet an indescribable heaviness seemed to crash down upon him.
Neither of them could sleep, and they could hear each other tossing and turning.
My mind is still filled with the human skin mask I saw tonight; the shock in my heart hasn't faded yet, and the buzzing in my ears is all about the scene in the Wind Pavilion.
Nothing was said that night.
I woke up from a nightmare in the morning after unfollowing someone.
At the end of the nightmare, someone ripped off a human skin mask. He was about to see clearly, but the other person reached out and grabbed his neck. He tried to tear off the mask, but the other person's hand choked him so hard he couldn't breathe. But if he tried to hold the other person's hand down, he couldn't tear off the mask.
He was in pain, gritting his teeth, and even though he couldn't breathe, he reached out to touch the other person's face.
He was getting close; he was about to tear it off.
But suddenly, as if suffocating, her hand struggled to reach the other person's face, but in the end, it fell limply to the ground.
I was suddenly jolted awake from my dream; it was already morning.
Song Jin had already washed up and was standing at the door waiting for him.
The two kept their trip to Fengzhong Pavilion a secret. As they walked together toward the Elder's Lecture Hall, one of them whispered, "I was thinking about something last night. Since the eighth and ninth floors of Fengzhong Pavilion are supposed to be restricted areas, why did we move through them as if they were deserted?"
This puzzled him for a long time.
Moreover, according to Song Jin, this shouldn't be his first time going there.
After Fu Jin left the Kunlun Sect, he went in and out of the top floor of the Wind Pavilion many times, otherwise he would not have discovered that human skin mask.
How could a place like Fengzhong Pavilion be unattended?
It was fine before, but how long has it been since Fu Jin's incident? Yet the top floor of Fengzhong Pavilion is unguarded.
I can't understand why I unfollowed.
Song Jin said in a low voice, "You find it strange too, right? I find it strange too."
He looked at me with surprise as I unfollowed him.
Song Jin continued, "Previously, there were always disciples on duty at the top of Fengzhong Pavilion, but since the incident, no one has been on duty. Don't you think that's strange?"
He looked puzzled when he unfollowed me.
Something's not right; something's not amiss.
Since leaving Kunlun, everything seems to have changed drastically upon my return.
The two walked side by side, and Song Jin continued, "I was thinking about something last night. If Xu Zhichong's human skin mask is placed in this water bag on the eighth floor, then Xu Zhichong will not show himself. There are many disciples of Kunlun Mountain, and I didn't notice where Xu Zhichong went before. But if we ask rashly, someone with a keen eye will definitely find out, and our trip to Fengzhong Pavilion will be exposed."
Although they put the human skin mask back in the same way as before leaving last night, not daring to alert the enemy.
But if they rashly inquire, they will still be exposed.
We need to find a suitable opportunity, ask casually, and find someone who knows the whereabouts of these Kunlun disciples.
Then, by following the clues, they might get closer to the truth...
Song Jin: "I'm still thinking about something."
He nodded, indicating that he wanted to unfollow.
The two walked without stopping, afraid of giving themselves away.
But this time, Song Jin stopped in her tracks and subconsciously thought that what Song Jin was about to say was probably terrifying upon closer examination.
Song Jin lowered her voice: "This is a human skin mask. Whoever wears it is Xu Zhichong. And what happens after he takes off the human skin mask? He could be anyone among us."
Unfollow and furrow your brows.
Song Jin: "The real Xu Zhichong has never been to the Kunlun Sect. This is just a name, a face. Someone in the Kunlun Sect needed an identity, so there's an extra face here."
Unfollowing made me realize the truth, but a chill ran down my spine.
Song Jin continued: "When Xu Zhichong appears, this person won't appear. When this person appears, Xu Zhichong won't appear..."
If they go to find out where Xu Zhichong went, it will be known immediately.
But if they casually asked which of their fellow disciples had gone down the mountain to do missions and hadn't returned, it would be quite common.
Song Jin and the unfollower both took a deep breath.
As they continued toward the classroom, Song Jin suddenly said, "Tell me about Fatty."
After unfollowing and coming to his senses, he remembered that he and Senior Brother Jiuyun had escorted Fatty down the mountain, and Fu Jin had secretly followed along, but Song Jin hadn't...
When he returned, Song Jin took him to Fengzhong Pavilion, but he hadn't had a chance to talk to Song Jin about Fatty.
After four years of studying under a master at Kunlun Mountain, spending every day together, Fatty was no longer the same Fatty when he finally left Kunlun Mountain. How could this not make people sigh?
After these days, I can now calmly talk about the fat guy after unfollowing him.
When the story goes that the fat man wanted to eat steamed buns before he died, I noticed that Song Jin's nose turned red.
As they approached the classroom, Song Jin suddenly said, "First it was Fatty, then Fu Jin, who unfollowed me. Do you think there's any connection between the two?"
He looked at him, his mind buzzing, yet completely blank; he didn't know either.
But Song Jin wasn't a sentimental person and wouldn't say these things without reason: "Fatty, Fu Jin and you are often together, meeting similar people and encountering similar things. Do you think it's possible that she's the person you know best, right under your nose?"
He was stunned when he unfollowed her, but Song Jin's words were like a wake-up call.
"Because they are familiar with each other and have close contact, it is easy for them to stumble upon certain things, such as the fat man's strange illness and Fu Jin being framed. Perhaps they themselves do not even know what they have stumbled upon, but the other party is afraid that they will leak it out."
After Song Jin finished speaking, she felt a chill creep up from her feet as she unfollowed him.
“Fatty is carefree and doesn’t like being watched, but Fu Jin is cautious and prudent, yet he still gets watched. This person must be very shrewd.” Song Jin’s words were like a blunt instrument cutting into his heart.
Song Jin said in a deep voice: "Everyone in the Kunlun Sect knows that I am a loner. When Fu Jin got into trouble, I didn't show much concern, so I've been safe until now. Be careful of those who have been trying to test you recently.
After saying this, Song Jin nodded heavily and said, "Song Jin, from this day forward, we are on different paths."
Song Jin looked at him.
Unfollow with certainty: "We may not meet during the day, but we'll see each other in the wind at night."
Song Jin nodded in understanding.
...
During that period, they were indeed on different paths during the day.
Everyone had their own things to do. After unfollowing someone and showing sadness for a while, they started frantically attending lectures by different elders.
Because of the journey with Pang Jiuyun to send the fat man home, several months were wasted. Senior Brother Jiuyun has a good foundation and is senior, but he has only been a disciple for four years. He must catch up on the lessons he has fallen behind as soon as possible, otherwise he will fall further and further behind.
At least from an outsider's perspective, Fu Jin's matter had passed for a while, and she unfollowed him because she was too busy with her studies.
Song Jin has always been unpopular and doesn't like being with others, but no one seems to think there's anything wrong with that.
Pang Jiuyun also inquired about Fu Jin's matter. He knew that Qu Guan was on good terms with Fu Jin. Before, it was Fatty who had an accident, and then Fu Jin had this kind of trouble. He knew that Qu Guan valued loyalty and was afraid that Qu Guan would be upset.
The junior uncle also cared about him, but seeing that he was indeed busy with his studies and martial arts practice, he was also pleased.
He didn't tell anyone about his affair with Song Jin, not even his master.
Master is injured.
His master had told him that he had been stabbed twice when he was young, and the old injury had never healed. He originally thought it was a short-range attack, but the force lingered for a while.
The master has been trying to take care of himself, but the more he tries, the more ill he becomes.
Fearing he wouldn't be able to resist practicing fishing internal energy if he unfollowed, his daily homework and martial arts training were compressed into half a day, and he spent the entire afternoon with his master, who would practice on his behalf.
If there is anything wrong, the Master will correct and stop it in time.
Compared to the fact that he had made no progress in fishing for several months after leaving Kunlun, he spent his days with the fish, discussing, practicing, reviewing, and revising.
Day after day, the month-long cultivation he had undergone was like an epiphany, and his strength improved by leaps and bounds.
She watched him eat the fish, feeling incredibly gratified.
Although his injuries have lessened and he can no longer practice on his own, seeing that he is improving day by day fills him with indescribable joy and satisfaction.
"It hurts!" he couldn't help but cry out as his junior uncle applied the medicine.
Junior Uncle glanced at him: "You're making progress so fast, it's enviable, but you don't care whether you can handle it or not."
Unfollow with confidence: "No problem."
Junior Uncle: "If there's no problem, why did you come to me to apply the medicine?"
Unfollowed Xiao: "Just hang in there, it'll be fine."
The junior uncle didn't say anything else.
While changing the dressing, he added, "You've been quite obedient; you haven't gone to find out about Fu Jin."
Hearing this, I held back from unfollowing her; the promise I made to Song Jin was rotten to the core.
"No one can corroborate Fu Jin's story, so there's no point in looking for it." He sounded somewhat disheartened.
Junior Uncle comforted him, "Just focus on your training. Your master has been in a good mood these past few days."
He looked at his junior uncle: "Why isn't Master's injury getting better?"
Junior Uncle sighed: "He was seriously injured when he was young, but he had a good foundation and could suppress it; you've been in Kunlun for four years, almost five, and your master has aged five years. How many five-year ages does a person have in a lifetime?"
I understand now, unfollowing makes sense.
Junior Uncle reminded you: "So you should too, don't take advantage of your youth and act recklessly. When you get older, you'll regret it!"
She unfollowed him and smiled, "Junior Uncle, you're becoming more and more like those elders."
Junior Uncle looked at him.
He shouted "Stop nagging!" before he slipped away.
As night fell, he and Song Jin went to sleep during the first half of the night; during the second half of the night, the two jumped out of the window and went to Fengzhong Pavilion.
They had been wondering why they hadn't encountered any of the disciples on duty. But over the past month or so, they seemed to have figured it out. Perhaps it was because they always went there late at night, but there were hardly any disciples on duty at Fengzhong Pavilion.
There are no disciples on duty on the eighth or ninth floor, making it even safer.
Over the past month, they compiled a list. Whenever Xu Zhichong appeared, the other party was either not in Kunlun or in seclusion; whenever Xu Zhichong left Kunlun on a mission, the other party would appear—the list happened to contain ten people.
Excluding disciples who joined later than them, there were still six or seven people.
Among the six or seven people, besides a few disciples, there were also Elder Duoyin and disciples under Elder Xiaoran, who were to be addressed as "Uncle-Master"...
The Kunlun Sect is very large, but it's not difficult to encounter these people by chance.
Song Jin doesn't often interact with people, so asking him to make contact with people rashly would backfire.
So the only option is to unfollow.
In the past month or so, I unfollowed the group because I had missed a lot of lessons while sending Fatty away from the Kunlun Sect, so I worked especially hard.
An hour ago it was in the east, and an hour later it will be in the west.
His frequent trips to the east and west were witnessed by the entire Kunlun Sect.
Moreover, most people have witnessed the progress he has made over the past month or so since unfollowing.
So when the unfollower suddenly appeared and started asking questions to everyone, including Uncle Zhuang Yun, who was under Elder Xiao Ran, no one seemed to care.
I met with these people separately during the day.
At night, Guan and Song Jin searched for things in the Wind Pavilion while discussing the events of the day.
Especially daytime contact takes time and cannot be rushed.
But the nightly search continued day after day, yielding no results, and Song Jin became disheartened.
The two sat on the floor, and Song Jin suddenly said, "Old Qu, could we have made a mistake?"
Wei-Yan asked in surprise, "What happened?"
Song Jin said softly, "We had always suspected that someone wanted to frame Fu Jin because Fu Jin had discovered some secret. So this person went all out and, after the truth came out, stole the forbidden items from the eighth or ninth floor and then framed Fu Jin."
Unfollow (nod).
Yes, that's right.
So Song Jin and he sneaked into the Wind Pavilion, hoping to find out what had been stolen, but to no avail.
Song Jin frowned: "We searched the eighth and ninth floors for almost a month and did find that some things in the hidden compartments had been moved, or rather, that people had used these hidden compartments to hide things like human skin masks, but we still couldn't find what was missing."
Because everything corresponding to the hidden compartment is there.
Yes, unfollowing is also a bit tiring.
He plopped down on the ground, supporting himself with his hands beside him.
I'm exhausted, but I don't want to give up.
It concerns Fu Jin's innocence, and also the fat man's death; it's even unclear whether the two are related...
This past month has been exhausting, but neither he nor Song Jin wants to stop.
Song Jin lowered his voice: "Old Qu, is it possible that this person has actually been looking for something that he thought was hidden on the eighth or ninth floor, but he has searched the whole place and still hasn't found it?"
Unfollowing left me stunned: "..."
The two looked at each other, just like they were convinced that something had been stolen from the eighth or ninth floor, but they hadn't found anything yet.
Unfollowing suddenly made me realize the truth.
Song Jin continued: "Fu Jin accidentally discovered that someone was looking for something, but Fu Jin thought that the person was looking for a book, so she didn't pay attention. However, the person realized that his intentions had been exposed, so he wanted to get rid of Fu Jin."
Unfollowing Expansion: "This person first framed Fu Jin for going to the sixth floor, because if they had framed Fu Jin for going to the eighth or ninth floor of the Wind Pavilion from the beginning, not many people would have believed it. This person proceeded step by step, first drawing all the attention to Fu Jin, and then going to the eighth or ninth floor, but not finding the item."
Song Jin suggested, "If he still can't find what he's looking for, what if he changes his approach?"
Song Jin looked at the person who had unfollowed him: "For example, do the opposite. Release the news that an eighth or ninth-level spiritual treasure has been stolen, and let Elder Xiao Ran bring the law enforcement disciples to the Wind Pavilion to verify the spiritual treasure. He might then know where such a thing is!"
Hearing this, I gasped in shock!
good!
If nothing was stolen from the eighth or ninth floor of the Wind Pavilion, it's not surprising that the two of them couldn't find what was missing from the top floor after searching for a month.
Since the other party couldn't be found either, this was the solution.
If the eighth or ninth floor of Fengzhong Pavilion is robbed, Elder Xiao Ran will take the treasure storage list and have his disciples check it one by one.
Unfollowing in surprise: "That way, they'll actually know where what he's looking for is!"
Neither of them sat up straight.
Song Jin said in a deep voice, "But we have searched for so long and found nothing missing from the top floor of Fengzhong Pavilion."
"Does that mean that what the other party is looking for was never in the Wind Pavilion in the first place?" Unfollowed and continued, "Then does that mean that what the other party is looking for was never in the Wind Pavilion in the first place?"
Song Jin paused for a moment: "So the guards at Fengzhong Pavilion haven't been strengthened, because no treasures have been stolen."
That explains everything.
Song Jin said in a deep voice, "But we found a person here... a leather mask..."
A person wouldn't simply forge another identity and place a human skin mask on the eighth or ninth floor of the Wind Pavilion.
The more dangerous the place, the safer it is. The mask is safer here than anywhere else in the room.
The fact that the other party already has the identity of the Kunlun Sect, but still wants Xu Zhichong's face, indicates that these things can only be done by impersonating Xu Zhichong.
What exactly is it?
Song Jin was somewhat disheartened by both unfollowing him.
*
A few days later, the unfollowing was finally focused on Elder Xiao Ran's subordinate, the one they should call Uncle Zhuang Yun, and Elder Duo Yin.
However, Elder Duoyin was old and had been in seclusion for a long time, so it just so happened that his seclusion coincided with Xu Zhichong's. But Elder Duoyin was able to avoid many people.
But Uncle-Master Zhuang Yun always managed to avoid it perfectly.
And coincidentally, Uncle-Master Zhuang Yun is Elder Xiao Ran's disciple...
Elder Xiao Ran is in charge of the sect's rules and regulations.
After Fu Jin's incident, the name of Uncle-Master Zhuang Yun appeared on the guard list of Fengzhong Pavilion.
He unfollowed Song Jin and exchanged a glance—and then the eighth and ninth floors of Fengzhong Pavilion were burglarized.
Furthermore, Zhuang Yun enjoys reading and often stays in Fengzhong Pavilion when he has nothing to do, which gives him a lot of time and opportunities to interact with Fu Jin.
Fatty often went to Fengzhong Pavilion with Fu Jin to read books.
Although the fat man would doze off while Fu Jin was reading.
Theoretically speaking, Zhuang Yun had far more opportunities to interact with Fatty and Fu Jin than others.
He took a deep breath and concluded, "After this round of contact, Uncle Zhuang Yun is the most suspicious. Xu Zhichong is about to return to Kunlun, and it will soon be clear whether Uncle Zhuang Yun will leave under some pretext."
After unfollowing, they asked, "What about your end?"
Song Jin also said, "I investigated Xu Zhichong's background and what other fellow disciples said in private. Originally, some elders of our Kunlun disciples' class were planning to put pressure on the sect leader to select a direct disciple from among the selected disciples of that class."
He was surprised to unfollow; he had never heard his master mention it.
Song Jin continued, "Originally, among the newcomers of our year, Xu Zhichong should have been the most talented and the most watched. Therefore, he was the elders' de facto choice for the sect leader's disciple. If it weren't you, then Xu Zhichong should have been the sect leader's disciple."
Wei-Dan, who had just unfollowed him, said, "So, I took Xu Zhichong's place."
Song Jin nodded: "You could say that."
The person who unfollowed him lamented, "No wonder Xu Zhichong has always been at odds with me and always trying to outdo me. When I first arrived at the Kunlun Sect, I caused trouble everywhere, and all the elders complained. It's because their choice was Xu Zhichong."
Song Jin nodded.
Unfollowing and continuing to recall: "During that time, Xu Zhichong was always comparing himself to me, comparing everything. Fu Jin even half-jokingly said that I was learning slowly, and the elders wanted Master to take on another disciple. I thought it was a joke."
He clenched his palm after unfollowing Xu Zhichong and said, "Later, he suddenly made great progress. The elders never mentioned it again. Xu Zhichong seemed to have lost his spirit. He stopped competing with me and comparing himself to me. He even stopped showing up often and I didn't know what he was doing. Fatty said at the time, 'It's unbelievable. Xu Zhichong has actually become one of those people who just drift through life like me.'"
Song Jin also recalled: "Back then, all the fellow disciples said that he had competed with you for a while, but couldn't beat you. Suddenly, he lost heart, his self-esteem was hurt, and he became the least motivated group. He often claimed to be sick, skipped classes, and didn't care much about his studies."
Unfollow: "Actually, this identity has lost its most important meaning; it can only be maintained, no longer my main focus."
The hand that was clenching his palm suddenly stopped: "He's after Master."
Song Jin looked at him.
He realized what was happening after unfollowing: "Look, if Master hadn't accepted me as a disciple, he would have been Master's last disciple; if I hadn't really fought hard back then, and the elders had put pressure on Master, he or the other elders might have thought he could have become Master's other disciple. In other words, that human skin mask was designed to make him Master's disciple."
"He wants to get close to his master." Unfollowed, frowning.
Song Jin asked in confusion, "The sect leader is right here in the sect. If he is Uncle-Master Zhuang Yun, Uncle-Master Zhuang Yun was originally in the Kunlun Sect as well. It's not that he can't see the sect leader, so why would he change his identity?"
Unfollowing him, however, he understood: "Uncle-Master Zhuang Yun is a disciple of Elder Xiao Ran. Although they are both in the Kunlun Sect, he has little contact with Master. But if he is Master's direct disciple, he can have frequent contact with Master."
He unfollowed Song Jin and said, "Master has something he wants here."
Song Jin looked at him.
Qu Guan swallowed lightly: "Only Master has this thing, so he must be Xu Zhichong."
Song Jin: "..."
*
"What's wrong? I called you three times, and you were lost in thought." Junior Uncle tapped his head.
He came to his senses after unfollowing her, but hesitated to speak.
Junior Uncle must have noticed: "What is it that you're hesitating to say? You rarely do this."
Junior Uncle is right; he is always decisive and rarely hesitates.
He sat up straight: "Junior Uncle, are there any things in the Kunlun Sect that only the sect leader can access?"
After asking that question, he looked at his junior uncle's back. His junior uncle paused for a moment, and he thought the other was thinking. Then, after a moment, his junior uncle turned around and exclaimed, "Oh, thinking about becoming the sect leader?"
"No!" he laughed. "I was just wondering, is there something that only the sect leader can access?"
He was clever after all, and he smoothed things over: "I see that in the sect, the elders make all the decisions, and Master seems to be just a sect leader who has to listen to the elders in everything. So I was wondering what's different about the sect leader? The cultivation methods are the same, so it must be that the sect leader comes into contact with different things?"
Junior Uncle laughed: "So that's what you were thinking about."
He nodded: "Isn't that right, Junior Uncle?"
As the junior uncle collected his bottles and jars, he said, "The sect leader is naturally the one who leads a sect, but there are too many people who want to lead, and each of them has more seniority than you. What can your master do?"
Junior Uncle said leisurely, "That's why I'm telling you not to cause trouble for your master, otherwise he'll have to protect you in front of the elders."
“However, the sect leader does indeed possess something.” Junior Uncle looked at him: “Two things. First, the sect leader’s thumb ring, also known as the Kunlun thumb ring, which is a symbol of the sect leader and his successor. Your master is the sect leader, and if you are ambitious enough, he will give you the Kunlun thumb ring. If you obtain the Kunlun thumb ring, even if you are not the sect leader, you will still be the sect leader’s successor.”
He sat up straight: "I've never seen my master wear the Kunlun thumb ring!"
“Your master doesn’t like wearing these things. He says that whatever you wear on your hands, you should throw it away. He says that once he puts it away, no one else can find it.”
At this point, Junior Uncle's gaze darkened slightly: "Ah Guan, if Senior Brother entrusts this Kunlun thumb ring to you, it can only mean that his days are numbered."
Originally, after Junior Uncle finished speaking, he was still thinking about the eighth or ninth floor of the Wind Pavilion, wondering if the thing that someone had been searching for for a long time was the Kunlun Ring; but when he suddenly heard Junior Uncle say this, he was stunned.
Seeing his expression, the junior master changed the subject: "The second item is said to be a fragment of a scripture, which has always been kept by the sect leader."
"What kind of scripture fragment is so powerful?" I unfollowed out of curiosity.
Junior Uncle smiled but shook his head: "I don't know, but I've heard that whoever obtains this incomplete scroll can defy fate and live as long as the heavens."
He chuckled as he unfollowed her, "Really?"
Junior Uncle smiled: "Perhaps."
I'm not going to unfollow anyway, I don't believe it.
Junior Uncle suddenly leaned closer: "Ah Guan, what exactly happened? Why are you suddenly asking these questions?"
Unfollowing me was a shock.
But the usually gentle junior uncle suddenly became serious and earnest: "Is there something you're hiding from me?"
I unfollowed you, biting my lip, not wanting to talk about it.
The junior uncle became even more certain, and then said calmly, "I told you not to investigate Fu Jin anymore, did you go and investigate?"
He looked uneasy, his expression subtly changing.
Junior Uncle put down the pile of bottles and jars and said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother's illness is getting worse. What exactly are you hiding from us?"
The junior uncle's gaze seemed to see right through him.
*
Inside the sect leader's living quarters.
Qu Guan took a deep breath. His mind was already in a mess, and with his master in front of him, he swallowed hard and bit his lip, saying, "I found a human skin mask on the top floor of the Wind Pavilion."
The fish-eating man exclaimed in surprise, "A human skin mask?"
Behind the screen, the junior master, who had been carrying medicine, also trembled: "How could there be such a thing in the Kunlun Mountains?"
Unfollowed, clenching his fist: "It's Xu Zhichong's..."
[Author's Note]
This chapter also includes weekend red envelopes, which will be distributed together at noon on Monday.
It's a bit long; I should be able to write it all down by tomorrow, and then the truth will be revealed.
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