Chapter 36
"I can't believe it." After listening to Zhou Xuanzhi's analysis, Fei Xiang could only find it unbelievable.
Shi Yunzhou somewhat disagreed with this viewpoint, saying, "There are such stories, but we have no evidence..."
It is indeed a guess, but with so many people searching outside for so long without finding any clues, it will be very difficult to deal with this monster.
"If you ask me, those people deserved to die. This monster has avenged those poor women. You shouldn't capture him." Some commoners spontaneously came to bring food to the cultivators, and after hearing that the girls had helpers, they stayed in the courtyard. Someone stood up and said to Zhou Xuanzhi.
Over the years, many innocent girls have died in Jianye Town, along with those madmen who have escaped justice. In his opinion, this female demon is acting on behalf of Heaven.
Xiao Mu turned to look at him, admiring him for saying such things. Although he also thought the girls were innocent, it was easy for a demon who killed mortals to cause trouble.
“Boss, although it sounds harsh, the criminals who murdered these women will naturally be punished by the authorities. Making a deal with demons is like asking a tiger for its skin. Even if that demon is a female demon who can empathize with these wronged souls, things might change once she's stained with mortal blood,” Zhou Xuanzhi said.
Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the people, Fu Junmo said, "The life force of mortals is to demons what ginseng is to humans—a great tonic. It is very possible that she could not resist the temptation and began to consume the life force of humans."
Zhou Xuanzhi continued, "Moreover, once a demon takes the life of a mortal, it has broken the heavenly law. After that, forget about its cultivation; it might even be struck dead by heavenly lightning. Those demons who have gone astray will continue to feed on the blood and qi of mortals. To avoid heavenly lightning, they will kill and skin people, hiding inside mortal bodies." This cycle continues, and who knows how many people it will kill.
Zhou Xuanzhi said this to the innkeeper, and also warned them not to empathize with a monster casually, nor to easily put themselves in the victim's shoes.
“We are cultivators, and demons who harm people will be punished. Even if the person it harmed was a scoundrel, it has nothing to do with us. The mortal realm has its own laws, and we have no right to interfere in such matters.” Su Liyue shared the same view as Zhou Xuanzhi.
The people looked at the group of people, seemingly wanting to say something, and glanced at the crowd, as if they wanted to speak several times, but ultimately kept their mouths shut. Then they turned and left.
Xiao Mu watched their retreating figures, feeling somewhat uneasy. "Were we too harsh in our words?"
"You should understand the consequences of interfering in the affairs of mortals without authorization!" Su Liyue said.
“All schools and sects have learned similar lessons,” Zhou Xuanzhi added.
Everyone present assumed that this explanation was an attempt to prevent them from making a rash decision to agree to something their boss said, and they all said they would not make such a mistake.
The courtyard fell silent for a moment; everyone quieted down. Su Liyue said to the disciples of the Exorcism Division, "Everyone, take a rest. We'll continue tomorrow."
Seeing that Su Liyue had arranged everything so clearly for everyone, Deng Lan immediately stood up and said, "Well... my situation is different from yours. I have to go find someone tomorrow, so I won't be traveling with you." With that, he turned to leave.
"Senior Brother Deng, why don't you rest here for the night?" Fu Junmo stopped Deng Lan, who was about to leave.
Xiao Mu hurried over and said, "That's right, you must be exhausted after a long day."
Deng Lan scratched his head and said with a smile, "I was just afraid of disturbing you. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."
"So, what information are you trying to get from Deng Lan, Senior Brother?" In his own room, Shi Yunzhou relaxed his guard, and his voice naturally became uncontrolled.
Zhou Xuanzhi's voice was soft, so only bits and pieces could be heard: "I just feel that his trip must be unusual. He didn't team up with anyone today."
“But he is indeed from Cold Maple Valley, and the Immortal Sect has not released any information about Cold Maple Valley.” Shi Yunzhou wanted to say that we were not qualified to investigate him.
"Didn't you agree? Otherwise, why would you let him stay here?"
"I just think his appearance was too coincidental!"
It turned out that they had suspected Deng Lan's motives from the beginning, but their group was just catching demons, and there was nothing else that was worth noting.
"So what are you doubting, Senior Brother?" Shi Yunzhou asked again.
"I suspect something happened in Cold Maple Valley." Thinking of the Illusionary Demon that appeared in Yunzhou City, whom people still haven't found, and the Ten Directions Barrier remaining intact, how did these demons sealed in the Boundless Realm appear in the mortal world?
The disciples of Cold Maple Valley are no different from those of other immortal sects. If they were truly capturing a traitor within their sect, they wouldn't leave their disciples alone. It seems Zhou Xuanzhi's speculation is correct; something must have happened to Cold Maple Valley. Sending out a single disciple either means they've broken up the entire group into smaller units, or they've dispatched their most capable disciple.
Either way, it's a big deal; there must be some news about it. Could Zhou Xuanzhi's analysis be wrong? Is Deng Lan just alone?
Before Shi Yunzhou could even respond, he heard his senior brother call out to the door, "Come in if you've heard enough!"
Xiao Mu pushed the door open with a smile and saw Shi Yunzhou's displeased expression. He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Actually, I didn't want to hear it either. All the rooms have been allocated, so I could only come and squeeze in with the two of you."
He walked over to the two of them and sat down. "I really don't want to listen."
"It's alright, you should know about this already." Zhou Xuanzhi asked as soon as Xiao Mu sat down, "What are your thoughts?"
"If something serious really happened in Cold Maple Valley, we should know. Even if they want to keep it a secret, we should at least have some information." Although we're currently in Jianye Town, it's not entirely isolated. With someone as knowledgeable as myself in the group, it's impossible that I haven't heard anything.
Zhou Xuanzhi looked at Xiao Mu, so he also had no information.
"The current leader of Hanfeng Valley appears lazy and easygoing on the surface, but he is actually very shrewd. Deng Lan is the leader's disciple, and he is being too deliberate. One thing is certain: his current appearance is what he wants us to see." Zhou Xuanzhi denied, "This kind of deliberate approach is the most deceptive. You don't even know if he really has something going on."
It was rare for Zhou Xuanzhi to say so much in one go, but Xiao Mu understood. "You mean we should always be wary of others?"
Zhou Xuanzhi nodded and said, "There's nothing shameful about what we're doing. If Deng Lan wants to know, let him know. But we also need to know whether what he's doing now will affect us."
Xiao Mu nodded, his gaze inadvertently drifting towards Shi Yunzhou.
Sensing Xiao Mu's gaze, Shi Yunzhou looked at her and decisively said, "Deng Lan is very strong. We've sparred briefly. Logically speaking, someone as strong as Deng Lan should be leading the team."
Like Su Liyue from the Exorcism Division, she has a wealth of experience and will mentor some newcomers who don't have much experience.
"So Deng Lan, alone, caught your attention?" Xiao Mu asked.
"The incident at Cold Maple Valley has nothing to do with us. It's a really big deal, and they will keep everyone informed," Shi Yunzhou said.
I knew only Zhou Xuan would care about this, but Zhou Xuan caring is the same as Shi Yunzhou caring. There's no difference!
"In that case, I'll inquire about it." He, Xiao Mu, was quite adept at gathering information.
The group set off again early the next morning.
This time, the group searched even further afield. Their intention was that if they still didn't find any clues by today, they would have to leave Jianye Town tomorrow. The Immortal Alliance Conference in the capital was about to begin in two days, and the leaders and elders of all the sects would be heading there.
If the disciples couldn't handle the affairs of Jianye Town well, they would hand them over to the elders.
At this point, Zhou Xuanzhi thought of Su Qiwen. Despite everything he'd been through, he hadn't given up. He was currently studying for his exams while also taking care of Ye Lingxi's parents. If it weren't for all this, the two of them would probably be married by now!
"Senior brother, are we really leaving tomorrow?" Xiao Mu asked.
"What, you can't bear to leave?" Shi Yunzhou couldn't wait to leave this place. As the saying goes, "a small temple has a lot of trouble." Jianye Town, such a small town, has caused so much trouble, it's really a headache.
The three people on the road fell silent, a rare occurrence. Looking at the scenery, they recalled their arrival in Pingxi City, where the people were celebrating the Girls' Festival. Yet, in Jianye Town, not far away, innocent women were being killed to accompany the dead.
I never imagined that this would happen in a city.
Xiao Mu suddenly asked, "What do you think the female immortal from a thousand years ago would have done if she knew about this incident in Jianye Town?"
What would the reaction be? He didn't know. Shi Yunzhou thought of his master, and gave a bitter smile: "I don't know what the female immortal is thinking, but I think everything that's happening here is something my master wouldn't want to see."
When the topic turned to Junior Martial Aunt, Xiao Mu fell silent. They had come here partly to investigate her; were they really going to just follow in her footsteps forever?
Actually, Shi Yunzhou was a little worried. He asked, "Won't what's happening here... affect Master?"
This evasive tone didn't sound like something Shi Yunzhou would say. Zhou Xuanzhi remained silent for a long time before replying, "No."
What's wrong with killing two traitors from the immortal sects? They issued a kill order, but who carried it out? In Zhou Xuanzhi's heart, his master was a person who truly loved all living beings. No cultivator or demon could kill an innocent mortal; that was his master's life motto.
Seeing the two of them looking so dejected, Xiao Mu waved his hand and said, "No one in the world can judge someone like Junior Martial Aunt."
After all, there's a saying circulating in the cultivation world: apart from the Qingxu Sect, no one from any other sect can graduate from the Path of Ruthlessness. The data speaks for itself, proving this statement to be true. Yet, Junior Uncle succeeded in cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness at Tianyu Mountain.
From the day she descended the mountain, she dedicated herself to vanquishing demons and monsters, her heart filled with the great principles and the well-being of all living beings. Her master once said that no one could match her resolve.
If Xiao Mu has such confidence in his master, what does he, as the disciple, have to worry about? Shi Yunzhou nodded and said, "And no one is qualified to judge my master."
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