"The disciple who betrayed his master originally had an extraordinary talent. Like Lingyun Sword Master, he was a rare genius that only appears once in a thousand years. After Sword Master's death, he fought with Qingxu and almost lost his life. Later, I don't know what method he used, but he changed to the ghost way."
"After this young disciple rebelled against the sect, the ancestor secluded himself for more than 600 years and only recently came out... Of course, the first thing that the ancestor Qingxu did after coming out was to purge the sect."
For the entire righteous path, Qingxuzi, as the leader, is like a ruler. His every move represents the face of the Taoism.
Thinking back to the time when his most beloved disciple Lingyun was possessed by the devil, Qingxu was just as ruthless. Now that his disciple had betrayed his master, he would naturally not let it go.
Now everyone in the teahouse suddenly understood. Why did the ghosts fight the demons, who had nothing to do with the righteous path, but the righteous path rushed out to be used as a gun by them? Why did the demons form an alliance with the Taiyan Sect, when it was obvious that the righteous path was not in an advantageous position, but the Qingxu Patriarch nodded in approval
It turned out that the ancestor originally wanted to conquer the ghost realm, and the demon tribe just happened to hand him a pillow.
I just didn't expect that the whole thing would turn out like this. It's really fate.
Many listeners were still unsatisfied, "But that little disciple is extremely talented. Since he has escaped death and it has been more than a thousand years now, it is impossible for him to be unknown!"
"That's right. It is said that the relationship between the two disciples under the ancestor is very good. When the Sword Master was possessed by the devil, the ancestor personally cleaned up the sect. Could it be that because of this incident, a rift has arisen between the master and the disciples?"
The storyteller heard this and slowly shook his head, "That can't be the case. Otherwise, that little disciple wouldn't have waited three hundred years to betray his master."
But as to what was happening to the disciple in the ghost realm now, the storyteller remained tight-lipped, no matter how many questions the audience asked.
"Don't say it, don't say it, for fear of causing disaster and killing."
... ...
There was still a lively discussion going on in the teahouse. The young man sitting in the corner had a calm expression on his face and lowered his head to sip the tea in the cup.
This cup of tea is not really delicious. There are a few broken tea stems hanging at the bottom, which are bluish-black in color. Even the taste has a slight astringency.
The cold gaze from the opposite side had not left, Zong Ci could still feel it passing across his face like a sharp knife, as tangible as a horror.
At this moment, the communication symbol he placed on his sleeve suddenly rang.
A man and a woman were standing at the entrance of the teahouse, waving over here.
"Brother, we are already at the entrance of the teahouse, please come out quickly."
Zong Ci responded, put down the teacup in his hand, put down a few low-grade spirit stones, and walked towards the door without looking away.
He had a falling out with Liu Yuan during his last sermon, so now he didn't need to greet him specifically, which was exactly what Zong Ci wanted.
The only thing that concerned Zong Ci was—
Just as he was about to leave, he inadvertently heard the last two words of the storyteller in a low voice.
"That little disciple is extremely talented. He dared to betray his master even though he was a disciple of the leader of the Taoist sect, and he even saved his life. If such a meticulous person had escaped by chance, he would definitely be a rare talent now."
"You might as well think carefully about which great figures have emerged in the ghost domain over the years. As for the others, I'm sorry I can't reveal them."
The boy paused for a moment, then stepped over the threshold and left without looking back.
Because of this small change, nearly two hours had passed since the original departure time.
It was still early in the morning, but now it was already noon. In order to save time, they hurriedly exchanged a few words in front of the teahouse and then rushed to the Sunset Forest without stopping.
Last time, Zong Ci was also tricked by Liu Yuan into going to the Sunset Forest, but the mission that time was relatively simple, and only required going to the outskirts of the forest. Getting up early and catching up with the time, it was completely possible to get back to Taiyan Sect before sunset, which was very convenient.
This time it was different. The collective mission they received this time was much more difficult. The target was a relatively rare second-level monster, which was usually active in the center of the Sunset Forest.
Not to mention that this monster is very good at hiding, just looking at the diameter of the Sunset Forest, it would take at least several days to go back and forth to the center. Everyone was prepared for a long battle.
Wang Bingzong knew that he was honest and low-key, and he was reliable. Another female disciple, Liu Meng, had a good reputation in the outer sect. She was sunny and cheerful, a little carefree, and had a good relationship with people.
Perhaps it was because Zong Ci was too handsome and his temperament made people stop at nothing. Although he was highly respected among the outer disciples and was willing to help others, few outer disciples would go to talk to Zong Ci unless they had something to ask for.
Liu Meng seemed to have no such concerns at all. This young-looking female disciple in a light yellow dress walked beside him, chattering all the way.
"Can I call you that, Brother Zong?"
Zong Ci smiled gently: "Of course."
He was now being taken to the main peak by Qingxuzi and he didn't know what the other party had done. Anyway, when Zong Ci went to the Affairs Hall yesterday, he found that his name had been directly listed under the column of inner disciples, and it was marked as a direct disciple.
The chief disciple of the affairs hall respectfully invited him to the back hall and presented him with a badge that marked him as a direct disciple of the Taiyan clan.
Each peak represents something different, but the pendant he received has thirteen marks on it, which is the pendant representing the main peak.
Zong Ci held the pendant which was exactly the same as the one in his previous life, feeling speechless.
Qingxuzi was indeed still the same self-willed person. Last time, he said he would accept him as his disciple. Even though he didn't perform the apprenticeship ceremony, this move clearly showed that there was no room for Zongci to refuse.
Fortunately, Zong Ci used his illness as an excuse to extend his time limit, so the news that the leader of the Taoist sect intended to reopen the mountain gate did not leak out. In order to avoid being discovered, Zong Ci took the pendant and threw it to the bottom of the storage bag, determined not to take it out.
Having said that, according to the unwritten rules of Tai Yan Sect, outer disciples uniformly call inner disciples "senior brothers", and direct disciples are the best among the inner disciples. It is not wrong for Liu Meng to call him that.
"That's what I'll call you, Brother Zong!"
The female disciple smiled widely, her clear eyes curved like a thin moon, "Brother, which inner sect peak did you join? Was it the Sword Peak?"
This speculation is not groundless. Almost everyone in the sect knows that the leader of Jianfeng Peak intends to accept an outer disciple as his apprentice.
The question Liu Meng asked was not a private one. After Zong Ci moved the things away that day, the entire outer sect fell into a heated discussion. Even Wang Bing, who was walking nearby, looked over with obvious curiosity in his eyes.
The boy denied it flatly, "No."
"Ah? Not Jianfeng?"
Liu Meng opened his eyes wide, "Sword Immortal Master..."
The whole sect knew about this matter. Everyone also knew that Zong Ci had rejected the leader of Jianfeng Peak once, and their jaws dropped to the ground. Now seeing that Zong Ci had already joined the inner sect, they subconsciously took it for granted. Unexpectedly, he had not joined Jianfeng Peak at all? ?
"Oh, yes." Zong Ci touched his nose awkwardly.
As soon as he did this, he felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and, as expected, Liu Yuan, who was walking beside him, was staring at him intently. His gaze made him extremely uncomfortable.
Zong Ci took two steps back, using Liu Meng's clothes to block the view, "I haven't officially completed the apprenticeship ceremony yet. Now I am just honored as a disciple."
He couldn't possibly say that he was living in the main peak now, after all, even the head of the sect Qingyun was not qualified to live in the main peak. Apart from the temporary Tianji Sect Master, there was only the lineage of the Taiyan Sect's ancestors. Saying that would be the same as telling others that he was a disciple of Qingxuzi.
But the problem is that Zong Ci doesn't want such misunderstanding at all.
"I see."
After being surprised, Liu Meng scratched his head and said, "Oh, I forgot to congratulate you on your successful promotion to the inner sect. I was too curious just now and offended you. I'm really sorry."
"It doesn't matter."
Zong Ci smiled and didn't take the matter to heart.
After all, he has lived two lives. If nothing else, he is very good at judging people. He doesn't dislike simple girls like Liu Meng.
He only hates those who have complicated minds, ulterior motives, and those who want to plot against others secretly.
Liu Yuan is mentioned here.
When they were greeting each other, they had already walked to the outskirts of the Sunset Forest. At noon, the bright sunlight sparsely shone through the shadows of the trees and projected onto the ground, pressing down pieces of flowing golden light.
The Sunset Forest covers a very large area. Before entering the forest, they took out some medicinal powder that they had purchased long ago from their storage bag and sprinkled it on the soles of their shoes and clothes.
This forest is the largest in the North, spanning three regions. The northernmost part is equivalent to being enclosed by the Taiyan Sect as a back mountain. Almost all the gathering and hunting tasks in the sect are completed here. Therefore, the Taiyan Sect is very familiar with this forest and has developed a lot of powders that can repel mosquitoes.
"Our mission target is the second-order drongo. They are very good at hiding and have a very strong bite. Their nests are very deep. If we let them slip into the nest, it will be difficult to deal with them."
As they walked, Wang Bing also explained the specific content of the mission, "My idea is to let Liu Meng guard the entrance to the nest, and the three of us will set up an array nearby first, and then take our time."
"To be honest, the mission itself is not that difficult, but it is an assessment mission for Liu Meng and me, so I shamelessly came to ask for help from Brother Liu and Brother Zong. When the mission is completed, you don't have to be polite to us. Liu Meng and I have already discussed it, and we have chosen to give up the mission reward."
"Okay," Zong Ci nodded, "It's okay, we are all fellow disciples, it's only natural for us to help each other, no need to be so polite."
This mission is not difficult, but it is extremely sudden. You can only take the assessment mission once a year. If you miss it this year, you will have to wait until next year. Zong Ci can fully understand their feelings.
The next afternoon was spent on the road.
Because the team was not very strong, they chose to walk along the edge of the canyon. The rocks here were exposed, and they would not pass through many wild animal territories along the way. However, the drongo rats only dug holes in the forest, and their nests were quite difficult to find. It was estimated that this would be another huge project.
When night fell, they entered the woods, chose a secluded spot, and began to rest, regulate their breathing, and meditate.
Zong Ci also chose a place to sit down, seemingly meditating, but actually he raised his alertness to the highest level. After all, he knew very well that Liu Yuan in the team was not just an ordinary Qi Refining Stage cultivator, but a genuine ghost cultivator who was at the Out-of-Body Stage or above.
However, he was not that worried, because the Sunset Forest was still within the coverage of Tai Yan Sect's barrier. Once anything happened to a disciple, Tai Yan Sect would know immediately.
In the second half of the night, Zong Ci fell into a nightmare from which he could not wake up.
He felt a slight sting on the side of his neck and hot blood flowed out.
The cold hand silently rested on his neck, and the five fingers gradually closed together, leaving glaring red marks that almost made him breathless.
In a trance, Zong Ci seemed to see something red flash and disappear, and then a bright light appeared.
The five fingers that were suffocating him suddenly loosened.
For a moment, all sounds seemed to fade away, and only the roars of wild animals in the distance and the chirping of insects in the forest under the night sky could be heard.
In the darkness, the man lowered his head and slowly leaned on his shoulder, his voice low and hoarse.
"Brother... I finally found you."