The Two Venerables

Since the State Preceptor had vanished without a trace within the underground cavern, the cultivators spent some time recuperating after emerging, then conducted a wide-ranging search. Yet they still found no sign of him and could only return for the time being and see what came next.

Accordingly, Lin Xiao did not withdraw the sealing formation around the Jishi stone mine.

After taking some time to safely return all nine mortal women to their homes, Lin Xiao accompanied the cultivators from the various nations back to the alliance army’s main camp.

“We truly have Fellow Daoist Lin to thank for helping us capture those treacherous villains so smoothly this time.”

“Indeed. It’s just a shame that that damned State Preceptor still got away!”

“Sigh, we owe Fellow Daoist Lin for this as well. Otherwise, we really would have had no way to deal with that bastard of a State Preceptor.”

“Yes, yes...”

Outside the gates of the alliance army’s main camp, the cultivators who had just landed all offered Lin Xiao their thanks with cupped-hand salutes.

“You are all too courteous. The net of Heaven is vast; though its mesh is wide, nothing escapes it. I believe that if we all work together, the State Preceptor will sooner or later be brought to justice.

“By the way, I have an urgent matter that I need to report for discussion. Might one of you be able to introduce me to the appropriate person?”

None of the others were the leaders sent by their respective sects or nations to join the alliance army. Having returned from this operation, they all needed to make reports to their superiors. Only Jiang Sisi was herself the leader of her contingent and did not need to report the situation to anyone.

Thus, seeing the other fellow cultivators hesitate and fumble for an answer, she paused for a moment before stepping forward and softly saying to Lin Xiao,

“I’ll take you.”

With that, Jiang Sisi handed Yuan Jinsheng and Zhao Yunzhong, whom they had brought back, over to the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had come to receive them, instructing them to take the two men back to the Green Lotus Sect’s encampment.

“Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Jiang.”

After thanking Jiang Sisi, Lin Xiao bid the others farewell with a salute. Led by Jiang Sisi, he arrived at the command tent of the alliance army’s supreme commanders.

There was no one in the tent at present. Jiang Sisi sent someone to announce his arrival, then took her leave.

After all, she was the leader of the Green Lotus Sect’s contingent. Though she had some free time, she did not have much.

Besides, Yuan Jinsheng and the Lord of Zhao, both ill, still needed her attention.

Thus, Lin Xiao was left alone and was led into the waiting area inside the tent, where he took a seat.

He had already given the matter of Poplar Village some thought.

The villagers’ symptoms were not caused by a plague. Rather, the land upon which Poplar Village stood had been affected by some as-yet-unknown cause.

As for the Zhao imperial clan, the new rulers of Huanyou Kingdom, and the alliance army’s indifference toward the matter, Lin Xiao had considered that as well.

The Zhao imperial clan had only just regained control of Huanyou Kingdom and taken it over rather abruptly. They had a mountain of affairs, great and small, to deal with. A strange illness in some tiny, impoverished, remote village naturally could not draw much of their attention.

The report might not even have made it to them at all, having been casually shelved at some lower level.

And as for the alliance army, they were even less likely to care.

They had come to campaign against the Jishi Stone Party. What did the welfare of Huanyou Kingdom’s people have to do with them?

As Lin Xiao sipped the tea brewed for him by the Qi Refinement cultivator guarding the command tent, he pondered these matters.

Before long, there was movement outside.

“Greetings, Venerable Zhiyu. Greetings, Venerable Xunfang!”

“Mm. You may withdraw.”

Someone outside the tent spoke in a voice as resonant as a great bell. Lin Xiao, sitting within, could not have failed to hear it.

A moment later, two utterly different men lifted the thick tent flap and entered.

The reason they were so utterly different was that, though both were men, their appearances could scarcely have been more disparate.

One looked aged and decrepit, his silver hair white as frost and his figure thin and gaunt. Wrinkles and age spots stood out prominently on his face. Hunched over and leaning on a cane, he wore brownish-black robes perfectly suited to the appearance of an elderly man.

The other, meanwhile, was elegant and dashing. He wore a flowing crimson robe and strode with effortless flair, a gem-studded feather fan in hand and a jeweled golden crown upon his head. His skin was smooth as congealed cream, and his peach-blossom eyes curved seductively at the corners. He had an indolent, bewitching air about him, while an aura of wealth and nobility seemed to pour from him—yet it did not strike one as vulgar.

Unlike Shen Yingzi, however, he did not possess a face so feminine that one might mistake his sex at a glance.

Lin Xiao had heard of both men in the intelligence gathered by Qin Jianghe.

Matching that intelligence with the figures before him, he immediately understood.

The elderly man was most likely Venerable Zhiyu of Tuyi Kingdom, while the one in the jeweled golden crown should be Venerable Xunfang of Juhui Kingdom.

Both were cultivators at the great perfection stage of Nascent Soul.

It could be said that among the several neighboring nations, they possessed the highest cultivation.

Therefore, although the campaign against Huanyou Kingdom had been initiated by Pusi Kingdom, once the alliance army was formed, supreme command had been entrusted to these two venerables from Tuyi Kingdom and Juhui Kingdom.

Lin Xiao rose and offered a salute first.

“Greetings, Venerables.”

“Mm, Fellow Daoist, you are too courteous.” Venerable Zhiyu’s voice was nothing like his appearance; it was exceptionally booming. He had been the one speaking outside the tent earlier.

At his side, Venerable Xunfang raised a brow and casually asked Lin Xiao,

“Oh? And where, may I ask, has Fellow Daoist seen me before?”

His voice was like pearls and jade rolling softly in his throat.

Yet Lin Xiao showed none of the embarrassment he had expected. Instead, he smiled frankly and answered,

“I have had the good fortune to make your acquaintance through reputation.”

“Hahaha! Interesting. Come in.” Venerable Xunfang laughed pleasantly twice before turning and walking farther inside. Yet no one saw that there was little amusement in his eyes.

Venerable Zhiyu slightly lifted his drooping eyelids and glanced at Venerable Xunfang’s back. He said nothing, merely turning his head to signal Lin Xiao to follow.

Unconcerned with their subtle exchange, Lin Xiao followed the two men into the main hall of the tent.

Once inside, he recounted in full what had happened in Poplar Village, along with his speculation that the incident was very likely connected to Jishi stone.

As for what had happened in the Jishi stone mine on this occasion, neither venerable asked, and he did not mention a word of it.

In any case, he believed that the two venerables certainly had no shortage of people who could tell them what had happened there—and those accounts would only be more detailed than his own.

“You say that you also sensed an aura in Poplar Village that was extremely similar to that of Jishi stone?” Venerable Zhiyu asked with a frown.

“Precisely. However, that aura seemed to be blocked by something. Thus, it has no effect on outsiders or cultivators; only those who reside there have been affected,” Lin Xiao replied from his seat among the guests.

Venerable Xunfang, who had been reclining languidly in his seat and listening without speaking, idly waved the jeweled feather fan in his hand. At this point, he spoke with evident lack of interest.

“Since there are not many remnants of those traitors left now, most of the alliance army is sitting idle in camp. If this is connected to that black stone, simply send more people to investigate. It will give everyone something to do and keep them from idling themselves into trouble.”

Naturally, Lin Xiao had no objection. The very reason he had come was to make the alliance army take this matter seriously and dispatch people there.

Beneath Venerable Zhiyu’s slack eyelids, his gaze flicked once more toward Venerable Xunfang beside him. He said nothing, tacitly consenting.

Having achieved his objective, Lin Xiao took his leave of the command tent.