Chapter 80

  The Eternal Veil (II)

  It was familiar, the scent.

  Hua could have recognized it from anywhere, yet he had to remain still and calm, ignorant of the reality of what was happening within that town.

  He wanted to stop Lu Qi from sending the Young Lady in, but didn't interfere, as he realized she wouldn't be going in--that old kid, the creep, would be the one to infiltrate while she'd stay outside.

  And yet, even with knowing that, he felt compelled to rush over and make sure of it. Young Lady had already almost died because of that scent, because of that temptation; if she was drawn back in again... there may be nothing anyone could do to save her.

  He didn't think that they'd come out from beyond the mountains, not this soon, anyway. However, if they were now emboldened enough to break the Oath that stood strong for almost 10,000 years...

  His muscles subconsciously tensed as he stared at the hazy 'miasma,' as they called it. It was no wonder that nobody here recognized it. Even Elder Qin, though 'powerful' he was for this part of the world, was still just a figurative embryo in the path of immortality. Only those who've touched upon the Dao Laws would be able to recognize the clusters of Gray Matter, a horrifying byproduct of a Soul Furnace.

  All hells lead back to that damned evil...

  If he could go back in time to change one thing, it would be to never join the Guard, to never learn what he learned, and to never have to live with the knowledge that he cannot do anything about.

  But it was his Oath, now. Even if he'd... changed it from the original purpose.

  He glanced sideways at the frowning middle-aged man.

  There were countless things that did not add up with the man who went by the name of Lu Qi. Hua had known he was special the day he managed to drag Dai Xiu and him out of the Soul Furnace. Naturally, they didn't stay there willingly--that was what the Furnace did; it shaved away at the willingness and the mastery of one's will until there was nothing left.

  However, unlike practically everyone else who'd ever stepped foot into that rot, Elder Lu didn't seem... beholden to its laws. And yet, there was nothing that Zhuang Hua could discern about the man that would lend a credible answer as to 'Why?'.

  He wasn't even ordinary but rather worse than that.

  His reputation was absolutely putrid.

  He was by far the sect's weakest Elder and likely its least educated one, too.

  And yet, time and again now, he was shocked by the strange man, shocked into a muted silence that was on occasion even real.

  Providing Dai Xiu with the perfectly tailored cultivation method that even the Veil didn't have?

  Rearing a disciple like Long Tao that terrified Hua in ways that even his Masters never did?

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  And even producing the Heart-Stitching Art. No, perhaps the last one was the most heaven-defying. It allowed him to do something nothing else in the world could--dispel the Mortal Binds, if ever for a moment.

  Despite all that, despite all threads somehow weaving the tale that Elder Lu did know something about the Seed... Hua confirmed on the journey over that the man was wholly ignorant. He wasn't a spy or an ancient monster biding his time; he was just... a rather ordinary cultivator who somehow had means of creating or procuring extraordinary things.

  And now, they were here... at the cradle of a sin most have forgotten.

  He knew that they wouldn't have been able to remain in the lull of comfort for long; they must have realized where he'd gone by now, and the word had to have spread of what was at the Spirit Sword Sect.

  All he could hope for was that the strange man standing next to him could somehow procure yet another miracle.

  **

  Xi Zhao walked somewhat impatiently just a step or two behind the woman he'd seen before--he'd witness her lose a duel about ten months ago to a girl nearly half her age. It was... brutal, to say the least, but as the young girl in question was the most talented Core Disciple, nobody thought it particularly strange.

  However, Xi Zhao sympathized with the one in front of him--shame, guilt, embarrassment... those same things had eaten away at him like worms until he met his Master.

  "When we get there, don't say anything," she warned rather stoically. "If I give you a signal, just run."

  "Yes, Senior Sister."

  He wasn't scared--far from it. He was just... worried. Worried that something had happened to his family.

  They finally came upon the entrance to the town--even from this angle, the streets appeared empty, with a strange haze surrounding the entire thing. The gates were actually left askew, as though inviting, but there were no guards positioned anywhere as there used to be.

  Cao Qiu paused, a faint gust of wind billowing back her hair and robes. Xi Zhao felt a small churn of Qi just before her voice broke out like thunder.

  "CITIZENS OF THE SUNLIGHT TOWN, MY NAME IS CAO QIU OF THE SPIRIT SWORD SECT!" Xi Zhao flinched at the sheer volume, glancing at her in awe. "I WAS SENT HERE TO INVESTIGATE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A DISCIPLE WHO WAS LAST SEEN ENTERING THE TOWN. I DEMAND THAT THE MAYOR MEET ME OUTSIDE RIGHT THIS INSTANCE AND OFFER AN EXPLANATION. IF NOT, I WILL BE FORCED TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE!"

  Wow.

  Xi Zhao was quite impressed--bombastic, resolute, and confident.

  Her voice echoed vastly and loudly, but even after almost thirty seconds, there was no response. Just as he saw her fingers flinch and reach for the sword tied to her waist, footsteps echoed and the gates creaked, opening further. Betwixt them emerged a figure, short and stout, dressed in lavish, emerald robes.

  The man had a round face and a long, curling mustache, and he seemed starkly out of breath as he stepped into the view.

  "... are you the town's mayor?"

  "Y-yes, yes, Venerated Cultivator! My name is Mu Ling, and I am the Mayor of the Sunlight Town!"

  "What took you so long?"

  "A-ah, apologies, Venerated One! I had been at the hall when we heard your divine voice; I rushed immediately, but, alas, I am but a mere mortal!"

  "Where is everyone?" she queried, keeping her fingers curled around the sword's handle, ready to draw it at any moment.

  "What do you mean, Venerated One?"

  "I mean exactly that. Where is everyone from the town? Why are your streets empty?"

  "Uhm, I'm... I'm not quite sure I understand. Everyone is... here? The streets are not empty. Please, come in! I have already tasked someone with arranging a welcoming feast! I can assure you that any disappearance of a Spirit Sword Sect disciple will be taken as seriously as anything else by yours truly. You have the entire manpower of our small little town at your disposal."

  Cao Qiu paused, and even Xi Zhao frowned, eyeing the stout man carefully. The cadence of the voice, the words, the way he spoke... it seemed rather familiar.

  "It seems that you take me for a fool," the woman said. "Very well. Perhaps after I've demolished a part of your homestead, you'll give me the courtesy of truth!"

  "Ah, Venerable One, please have mercy!" The man knelt to the ground rapidly, crying out. "I speak with utmost sincerity, from the bottom of my heart! I truly do not know anything about a disciple disappearing! I would not dare lie to the venerable one!"

  Xi Zhao's frown deepened further. He watched Cao Qiu's fingers slightly relax and loosen the grip on the handle. It was then that his mind recognized the voice, and before he could voice out a warning, he reached for the sword and drew it out in a beautiful streak of colors.