Chapter 7

"Got it!" Ye Wushuang insisted on raising her hand.

Bai Mu was not Lin Fan, and he could ignore the hand that was about to touch his face. Bai Mu asked, "Wushuang, what do you know?"

Wushuang knew it was really about Gu Yan. Gu Yan's identity was not ordinary; he was the son of the former Tianxing Sect leader and a female disciple from the Purple Bamboo Grove who practiced dual cultivation together. His father used external forces to lay the foundation for him, and by the age of eight, he had made some progress. However...

Ye Wushuang whispered, "However, Gu Yan's father was seduced by an evil sect demoness, abandoned his wife and child, and is now the leader of the Blood Shadow Sect. Our sect leader said that Gu Yan's father was a genius who integrated the Dao methods of the righteous and evil sects, forming his own school. The Blood Shadow Sect is now ranked third among the evil sects in the Cangmang Wasteland. It's said that even the sect leader has intervened in this matter, and everyone is worried that Gu Yan will eventually leave Yunqing Sect and go to the Blood Shadow Sect. Three hundred years ago, during the great battle between the righteous and evil sects, the Blood Shadow Sect and the Tianxing Sect of Yunqing Sect fought, resulting in countless deaths and deep-seated grudges. Because of these reasons, Gu Yan is ostracized in the Tianxing Sect, and no one takes the initiative to talk to him. When he tries to talk to others, they just respond politely. Over time, he has developed his current personality. Before I left, the sect leader specifically instructed me that Senior Brother Gu Yan is not a bad person, and we can talk to him more."

Lin Fan nodded, "Your sect leader chose the right person."

"..." Ye Wushuang squinted at Lin Fan, wondering if he was being sarcastic or sincere.

Bai Mu said, "Should we talk to him then?"

"No need, Senior Brother Gu Yan must have already adapted to us chatting while he flies alone," Lin Fan, who was naturally casual, didn't like to deliberately seek out people to chat with.

...

Since Lin Fan hadn't practiced abstaining from food, although he could skip meals, he still had to eat. Everyone needed to rest for a few hours each day. Before crossing the Dadu River, they stayed at the Dadu River Inn.

"Are the honored guests here for a meal or to stay the night?" the waiter asked enthusiastically.

As the leader, Gu Yan was responsible for everyone's meals and accommodation, but he didn't have any money. Lin Fan, the only one who needed to eat meat, negotiated on the spot: "Four guest rooms, one tael of silver for food and drinks, let's eat first."

"Do the honored guests abstain from meat?" the waiter asked, taking the silver.

"No."

"Please wait a moment, the food and drinks will be served shortly."

The four of them entered the inn. Bai Mu and Ye Wushuang looked around with great interest, while Gu Yan frowned slightly, seemingly not liking the place. On the first floor of the inn, there were two tables of guests. One table was occupied by what seemed to be merchants waiting for the ferry to Xiaodongzhou the next morning. The other table had two women drinking tea. One woman wore a sky-blue robe that reached her feet, with a veil covering her face. She lifted the veil slightly when drinking tea, showing the manners of a well-bred lady. From the quality of her clothing, she was either wealthy or of noble birth. The other woman had her hair tied up and wore a tiger-skin short coat that reached her knees, a style typically worn by the poor and common people. However, she looked spirited and capable in it.

Gu Yan, while walking, glanced at the two women and whispered, "Cult of Demons!" The women's clothing had the moon symbol of the Cult of Demons.

The woman in the short coat seemed to hear Gu Yan's muttering and turned to look at the four of them, whispering something to the veiled woman. The veiled woman turned her head, nodded slightly as a greeting. The four of them nodded in return and sat down at a nearby table. Three hundred years ago, during the invasion of the evil sects, the righteous sects and the Cult of Demons formed an alliance, which still stands. Although their cultivation methods and actions differ greatly, according to the alliance, disciples of both sides are to treat each other as brothers and sisters. They are not allowed to attack each other, and if they encounter someone in need, they should offer help.

Because the righteous sects are ascetic and the Cult of Demons has strict laws, their relationship has been relatively harmonious over the past few hundred years. The Cult of Demons is located in the Western Continent, adjacent to the Cangmang Wasteland, and the righteous sects do not want the evil sects to spread their influence across the twelve continents. On this point, their positions are aligned. All righteous sects, including Yunqing Sect, advise their disciples not to deliberately provoke the Cult of Demons, but also to avoid getting too close. This is because their cultivation methods are vastly different, and minor disagreements can easily arise, and major ones can lead to influence from the other side.

Lin Fan was puzzled. These two women seemed to be fleeing, now disguised as civilians, hiding in the inn. Moreover, the woman in the short coat appeared to be seriously injured. How did Lin Fan know? Because the woman's dominant hand was her right hand, but she was using her left hand, which would only happen if her right hand was injured. They chose a window seat, and when they looked outside, their expressions were wary.

Lin Fan sat down and said, "We won't be staying here tonight, okay?"

"Why?" Ye Wushuang asked with a smile, "Lin Fan, weren't you talking about your bed and braised pork all the way?"

"I suddenly feel like I should practice abstaining from food for a few days to see if I can handle it," Lin Fan called out, "Waiter, we won't be staying. Get me two pounds of braised beef and half a pound of yellow wine to go."

Gu Yan stopped him, "No, look at how tired Bai Mu has been today."

Bai Mu said apologetically, "I'm sorry to worry everyone."

Gu Yan shook his head, "You used a wind-riding spell, which is the most exhausting. Rest tonight, and we'll set off early tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll be honest," Lin Fan whispered, "The disciples of the Cult of Demons seem to be in trouble. We should keep our distance."

Gu Yan was taken aback and replied, "The Cult of Demons has an alliance with our Yunqing Sect. If they are in trouble and in the Eastern Continent, we should help them."

Well, I shouldn't have been honest, Lin Fan regretted. He should have made up an excuse about being sick... It was a lousy excuse, but it would have been enough to fool Gu Yan.

"I'll go ask," Gu Yan, fearing no trouble, walked over to the two women and said, "Greetings, ladies. I am Gu Yan from Yunqing Sect. Are you in any trouble?"

The veiled woman bowed and replied, "Senior Brother Gu Yan, we are not in trouble. Even if we were, we wouldn't dare to trouble the disciples of Yunqing Sect."

The woman in the short coat looked anxious, and Lin Fan noticed. He turned to Bai Mu and asked, "Bai Mu, you said the Three Star Formation would greatly enhance the power of my Thunder Talisman?"

Bai Mu nodded, "The Three Star Formation is a pre-set formation with limited use. Unless we can predict where our opponent will appear and set up the formation in advance, it's useless."

Lin Fan patted Bai Mu on the shoulder, "Let's go, we need to take a leak."

"..." Ye Wushuang turned her head, finding it too crude.

Bai Mu, being honest, explained, "I don't need to..."

"I think you do, let's go," Lin Fan said. Since they couldn't avoid the trouble, they should be prepared. They needed to be ready to face the trouble and also to run away. Running with a group would be quite troublesome. If necessary, they would follow the second of the Ten True Sayings: "Die with the dao, not with the poor dao."

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