Due to the commotion during the night, the three martial brothers went to visit Baili Zhen at Canglan Courtyard early the next morning to inquire about Madam Liu being attacked.
“The scoundrel managed to escape by sheer luck,” Baili Zhen said with a grim expression, his face only softening slightly when he glanced at Madam Liu beside him.
“With the wedding just around the corner, we will increase patrols within the sect to ensure everything goes smoothly. I apologize for any inconvenience this: may cause.”
“That’s only natural. If there’s anything we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask, Sect Leader Baili,” Mu Congyun replied politely.
Noticing Madam Liu looked somewhat pale, he asked with concern, “Last night, we heard from the disciples that you were injured by the intruder. How serious are your injuries?”
Madam Liu smiled weakly and shook her head.
“It’s nothing serious, just a bit of shock.”
Mu Congyun felt a twinge of suspicion.
Last night, Madam Liu hadn’t seemed nearly as frail as she did now.
If this was an act to make the attack appear more convincing, she was playing the part too well.
He took out a prepared medicinal pill and offered it.
“This Three-Yuan Pill can help stabilize your vitality. It’s perfect for recovering from shock.”
Madam Liu accepted it with thanks.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Mu Congyun and his companions took their leave.
Before departing, Mu Congyun seemed to remember something and asked,
“Sect Leader Baili, do you know when our junior sister will return? I sent her a message earlier but haven’t received a reply. With your wedding approaching, it would be unfortunate if she returned too late and missed the occasion.”
Baili Zhen waved his hand reassuringly.
“No need to worry, Nephew. She will definitely return before the wedding.”
Mu Congyun nodded as if it were just a casual question and said no more, leading his two junior brothers away.
On their way out of Canglan Courtyard, they encountered Zhang Qing leading a patrol.
Mu Congyun glanced at Jinni, who immediately understood and approached Zhang Qing to inquire about the previous night’s events.
“Senior Brother Zhang, did the intruder leave any traces last night? We have some free time and could help search.”
Zhang Qing scratched his head sheepishly.
“I slept like a log last night and only found out about the incident this morning. According to the other brothers, they’ve combed through the Poison Sect, but the intruder left no obvious traces.”
Mu Congyun’s expression shifted slightly as he studied Zhang Qing’s face, but the latter showed no signs of deception.
If Mu Congyun hadn’t witnessed Zhang Qing’s indiscretions with the maid the night before, he might have believed him without question.
Was Zhang Qing that good of an actor, or did he genuinely not remember what happened?
Jinni nodded sympathetically.
“I also slept deeply last night. If it weren’t for the disciples knocking on my door to search for the intruder, I wouldn’t have known anything happened. Thankfully, Sect Leader Baili was there to prevent any harm.”
To this, Zhang Qing shook his head.
“Although the intruder didn’t harm Madam Liu, two of our junior brothers were unlucky enough to cross paths with him and lost their lives.”
His tone turned bitter.
“Who knows if that scoundrel will return. If he dares to show his face again, he’ll pay with his life for what he did to our brothers!”
Neither last night nor this morning had anyone mentioned any casualties among the disciples.
Jinni was taken aback for a moment, his playful expression fading as sorrow and grief surfaced on his face.
Mu Congyun, however, grew increasingly alarmed as he listened.
Two disciples of the Poison Sect had died without a sound, yet no one in the sect harbored the slightest suspicion.
While today’s deaths could be blamed on the “assassins,” what about the disciples who had perished before?
Were their deaths truly all “accidents”?
Baili Zhen was a powerhouse of the Supreme Celestial Realm, yet now he remained under Madam Liu’s control, his fate unknown.
Just how deep was Madam Liu’s grip on the Poison Sect?
Mu Congyun then thought of the Blazing Gate, which was guarded by the Poison Sect.
@Infinite good stories, all in Jinjiang Literature City
The Ten Directions Barrier had five “Life-Death Gates,” each guarded in rotation by disciples from various sects of the Western Region, known as the “Life-Death Gate Sentinels.”
Currently, the Blazing Gate in Shu Prefecture was under the responsibility of the Poison Sect from the Eastern Frontier.
The Life-Death Gates were inextricably linked to the Ten Directions Barrier.
If any of the gates were compromised, the barrier would inevitably destabilize.
Horrified by this realization, Mu Congyun immediately drafted a letter detailing the situation in the Poison Sect and sent it via Message Transmission to Profound Ridge.
However, just like Xiao Guanyin, who remained unreachable, the message to Profound Ridge vanished without a trace.
After waiting patiently for most of the day, as dusk approached and the Message Transmission jade token still showed no signs of activity, Mu Congyun concluded that the Poison Sect, much like Nanhuai Town before, had been cut off from external communication by some means.
“We can’t just sit here waiting for disaster.”
Madam Liu was shrouded in mystery, her methods bizarre and unfathomable.
He needed to uncover her true strength and objectives as soon as possible.
And then there were the red roses and butterflies in the courtyard-they were far from ordinary.
“I’ll investigate again tonight.”
After last night’s disturbance, the Canglan Courtyard would undoubtedly be on high alert.
But they wouldn’t expect him to return so soon, which might work to his advantage.
As he refined his plan, Mu Congyun assigned tasks even to Jinni:
“After nightfall, Jinni, use the pretext of delivering something to Jiang Ling to inform him about the situation in the Poison Sect and urge him to stay vigilant. Then, find a way to leave the sect discreetly and check on the Blazing Gate. If possible, try to send word of our circumstances to Profound Ridge.”
Jiang Ling was supposed to remain in the “Atonement” ritual for seven days, but given the urgency, there was no time to delay.
They could only hope that the Five Poisons Temple, where the ritual took place, was far enough from the Rose Courtyard and Canglan Courtyard to remain unaffected for now.
Every moment bought was precious. If the situation became untenable, Jiang Ling, forewarned, could escape in time.
“What about me?”
Shen Qi asked proactively, noticing he hadn’t been assigned a task.
Mu Congyun hesitated over how to arrange for Shen Qi.
Taking him along for the nighttime reconnaissance of Canglan Courtyard was out of the question, and having him accompany Jinni would only slow things down.
Moreover, with Madam Liu’s capabilities still unknown, Mu Congyun preferred to delay any confrontation for as long as possible.
After a moment’s thought, he said solemnly, “Tonight, the Poison Sect disciples will surely continue their patrols. Since both Jinni and I will be away, we’ll need you to stay behind as backup. If any disciples come searching again, you’ll have to handle and divert them. Are you afraid?”
Shen Qi shook his head without hesitation.
“No, I won’t hold you back, Senior Brother.”
Though still somewhat uneasy, Mu Congyun knew this was the best arrangement under the circumstances.
He handed a bronze bell to Shen Qi, saying, “You can now mobilize a small amount of Spiritual Power. Just channel it into this bell, and it will mimic my voice and Jinni’s. In case of a search, as long as no one enters the room, you should be able to manage.”
Shen Qi nodded in agreement.
Mu Congyun then took out two Lightning Guiding Talismans and one Diamond Talisman:
“The Diamond Talisman is for protection, the Lightning Guiding Talisman for offense-use them to save your life. The bronze bell I gave you is part of a pair; I have the other one. If anything goes wrong, I’ll crush my bell.
If you see yours shatter, leave immediately and flee into the mountains beyond the Poison Sect. Hide as far away as possible. Once things settle, I’ll come find you.”
Shen Qi clenched the bell tightly and gave a deep “Mm.”
After making all the arrangements, once night fell, Jinni was the first to leave the Red Rose Courtyard, heading off to inform Jiang Ling.
Mu Congyun calculated the timing and waited until after midnight before quietly making his way toward the Canglan Courtyard.
Shen Qi stood by the window, watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, then released Hong Feng: “Follow him.”
Closing the window, he restored his original appearance and also headed toward the Canglan Courtyard.
*
Jinni carried a box of pastries as he went to find Jiang Ling.
The “Cleansing Sin” was stored in the Five Poisons Temple, located in the southeastern part of the Poison Sect.
The Poison Sect practiced the arts of gu and poison, worshiping the Five Poisons Deity.
To its disciples, the Five Poisons Temple was a sacred place, rarely visited unless for rituals honoring the deity.
Because Jiang Ling had borrowed the “Cleansing Sin,” two guards had been posted at the temple entrance.
After stating his purpose, the guards let Jinni inside.
Jiang Ling had been enduring the torment of the “Cleansing Sin” for two days, his senses dulled by pain. Hearing movement, he struggled to his eyes and saw Jinni entering with a food box.
Gritting his teeth, he muttered, “What are you doing here? I told you I’d come out open after seven days.”
Jinni rolled his eyes, set the box down beside him, and whispered urgently, “Enough talk. Listen carefully.”
He quickly explained the recent upheaval in the Poison Sect, then opened the box-revealing not food but pills and talismans.
“I still need to investigate the situation at the Blazing Fire Sect. Stay alert here. The Eldest Senior Brother will buy as much time as possible, but if things go south, retreat first. There’ll be other chances.”
Jiang Ling frowned.
“You’re going to the Blazing Fire Sect alone? If something’s really happened there, with your level of cultivation, you’d just be throwing your life away.”
Ignoring the pain, he stood up from the “Cleansing Sin.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Jinni hadn’t expected him to just step out. Instinctively, he tried to push him back in but hesitated, fearing the noise.
He cursed under his breath, “Are you insane? You’ve been soaking in the ‘Cleansing Sin’ for two days-how much Spiritual Power do you even have left? And with the Corrosive Mist in your system, you can’t recklessly use your power. Coming with me might just slow me down!”
Jiang Ling shot him a glare, swiftly changed clothes, and conjured a puppet replica of himself to place inside the “Cleansing Sin.”
“Even with just ten percent of my power left, I could still take you down easily.”
He picked out several pills from the food box, poured them into his palm, and swallowed them all in one gulp.
Then he took the Sunblade from the sword case and gripped it tightly, urging impatiently: “Enough talk. Don’t waste time.”
Jinni couldn’t stop him.
Gritting his teeth, he could only clutch the food box and turn to leave.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ling slipped out through a side door unnoticed.
They met up and hurried toward the location of the Lihuo Sect.
*
Mu Congyun took some effort to infiltrate the Canglan Courtyard again.
As expected, the security outside the courtyard was much tighter than the night before.
Not only were there patrolling disciples, but several defensive formations had also been secretly set up.
Fortunately, Mu Congyun was well-versed in sword formations and could deduce the workings of these arrays by analogy, allowing him to carefully avoid them all.
Surprisingly, the interior of Canglan Courtyard was unexpectedly unguarded.
The red roses in the courtyard were still in full bloom, and the withered branches and leaves from the previous night had already been cleared away.
However, the black-and-red butterflies that had once fluttered among the flowers were nowhere to be seen, leaving an eerie silence.
Mu Congyun cautiously avoided the rose vines and crept along the wall toward the main house.
When he reached the spot where he had been entangled by the roses the night before, he noticed the soil beneath his feet was unusually soft.