Chapter 93
While exploring the Hu Family estate, Shen Lijun and Chu Qingyang overheard servants discussing the demon that had been causing trouble within the manor. According to them, five demon hunters had already captured it.
The two immediately guessed those "demon hunters" were fellow trial participants.
They also learned another piece of information.
Miss Hu was currently being punished in the ancestral hall.
Exchanging a glance, they headed toward the rear of the estate.
The closer they drew, the more cautious they became.
Places like ancestral halls were usually among the most heavily protected locations within a cultivation family.
The Hu Family's ancestral hall stood deep within the compound, encircled by white-walled buildings like stars surrounding the moon.
Tall watchtowers rose at each cardinal direction. Hu Family disciples patrolled continuously atop them, their eyes sweeping over the surrounding grounds.
Neither side knew that, at this very moment, two outsiders had already slipped to the edge of the ancestral hall grounds and were quietly discussing how to investigate it.
"I'll wait for you outside," Chu Qingyang transmitted.
After studying the formation for a moment, he had already given up on forcing his way in. The defensive array was sturdy, and the guards were numerous.
Of the two, Shen Lijun was the only one capable of entering without alerting anyone.
At his nod, a metallic luster flowed over his body like liquid steel. By the time it faded, he had already assumed the form of an iron-sand puppet.
Hidden beneath the effects of a concealment artifact, his aura remained perfectly suppressed.
The formation barriers that stopped ordinary cultivators meant nothing to him. Taking a step forward, he passed directly through them and vanished from sight.
Chu Qingyang watched him disappear inside.
The courtyard beyond was vast, nearly two hundred feet across, large enough to hold over a thousand clan members during major ceremonies.
Yet it was empty.
Only two stone lions stood guard before the ancestral hall's entrance.
The silence felt unnatural.
Perhaps a soundproofing formation had been activated. Despite the size of the place, not a single sound emerged from within.
It was as though Hu Ruoyan wasn't there at all.
Shen Lijun drew a quiet breath and stepped through the doorway.
Fortunately, the hall was brightly lit.
The moment he entered, he spotted a lone figure kneeling before the ancestral tablets on a prayer cushion.
A subtle sense of relief eased through him. At the very least, the hall wasn't completely empty.
His gaze moved past Hu Ruoyan and settled on the countless memorial tablets lining the shrine behind her.
The Hu Family's ancestral hall enshrined generations of ancestors and clan members who had contributed to the family's rise.
Tens of thousands of tablets filled the hall from front to back, creating a solemn and imposing atmosphere.
Shen Lijun had no interest in the memorial tablets.
His attention was elsewhere entirely.
Wouldn't it be simpler to knock Hu Ruoyan unconscious first and search the hall afterward?
As the thought crossed his mind, a name on one of the memorial tablets suddenly caught his eye.
His expression shifted.
Unable to resist, he stepped closer for a better look.
Then a gentle female voice drifted through the silence behind him.
"You've sneaked into my family's ancestral hall. What exactly are you here for?"
Shen Lijun froze.
A chill shot straight up his spine.
Slowly, he turned around.
At some point, Hu Ruoyan had already risen from the prayer cushion. She stood quietly in the hall, her dark eyes fixed directly on him.
How did she notice me?
Shen Lijun felt like crying.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but in the end, they all converged on a single conclusion.
Since he'd already been discovered, there was no point hesitating.
He might as well carry out the original plan and knock her unconscious first.
Outside the ancestral hall, Chu Qingyang stood watch.
One hour passed.
Then another.
At first, he wasn't particularly worried. Shen Lijun had always been cautious when investigating, and the Hu Family's ancestral hall was hardly a place that could be searched carelessly.
But as time dragged on, his composure gradually gave way to unease.
What was taking him so long?
By the time the second hour passed, even his patience was beginning to wear thin.
Just as he gritted his teeth and prepared to contact Shen Lijun through the communication jade slip, movement finally appeared atop the ancestral wall.
A metallic figure vaulted over the wall and landed lightly outside.
As the iron-sand puppet approached, it shifted and transformed back into Shen Lijun.
The moment he appeared, Chu Qingyang sent a voice transmission.
"What happened to you?"
Shen Lijun looked as though he had suffered greatly.
"Don't even ask," he said bitterly. "There was a trapping formation inside. It took forever to get out."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"There weren't any useful clues in the ancestral hall anyway. Let's check somewhere else."
Chu Qingyang immediately felt relieved.
"It's good that you're alri—"
His voice abruptly cut off.
A thought suddenly struck him.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he stared at Shen Lijun.
"Wait, if the formation was triggered, wouldn't Hu Ruoyan have discovered you?"
Shen Lijun let out a dry laugh. "No. She was already unconscious when I got there."
As if recalling the scene, he shook his head.
"You probably wouldn't believe it, but she fainted from hunger. She's the Hu Family's eldest daughter, yet she's been reduced to that state. It's honestly hard to watch."
Chu Qingyang was quiet for a moment before speaking. "If that's the case, then it was probably the family head's doing."
His brows drew together slightly.
"The Hu Family originally intended to form a marriage alliance with the Baiyan Sect. When Xie Wenheng came to propose, Hu Ruoyan refused, which created tension between the two sides."
He paused briefly, then added, "But starving her until she collapsed is going too far."
There was unmistakable disapproval in his voice.
Before leaving, the two quietly created a disturbance nearby, ensuring the Hu Family disciples would investigate and discover the unconscious Hu Ruoyan.
Having done a good deed, they slipped away.
Their destination this time was the back garden.
Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie arrived at the agreed meeting place shortly afterward.
They had heard the commotion near the ancestral hall earlier and guessed Shen Lijun's group had something to do with it, so they accelerated their investigation.
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing was in an exceptionally good mood.
The moment she saw her gossip points surpass fifty thousand, she decisively closed the system panel.
The Hu Family truly was a treasure trove.
In such a short amount of time, she'd harvested an absurd number of gossip points.
Not all family members contributed equally.
The biggest contributors were the Hu Family Patriarch, the Matriarch, Hu Ruoyan, and Hu Ruofeng.
Clearly, they were all key figures in the mission.
She had also learned another important piece of information.
Three days from now, the Hu Family's ancestral worship ceremony would be held.
Not only would every branch family gather, but major forces throughout the city would attend as well, including the Baishi Sect Master and Xie Wenheng.
If those people continued hiding inside their respective sects, obtaining the Snow Lotus would be troublesome.
But once they emerged... that would be their opportunity.
The mission would conclude in three days.
By the time Shen Lijun and Chu Qingyang arrived, Lou Yuqing had already set aside her earlier thoughts.
Without wasting any time, she brought out the Barrier-Breaking Pearl and opened a temporary gap in the formation.
The four slipped through the barrier and left the Hu Family estate as quietly as they had entered, without attracting anyone's attention.
Just then, the communication jade slip at Lou Yuqing's waist flickered to life.
Ling Yunxiao's voice came through from the other side.
"Junior Sister Yuqing, I'm at Wanfu Inn."
Lou Yuqing immediately understood.
It seemed he and the others had finally left the Hu Family as well.
"We just came out too," she replied. "We'll be there shortly."
Before long, all five Wendao Sect disciples had gathered once more at Wanfu Inn.
The scene immediately drew the attention of countless spectators outside the small world.
After all, among the seven sects, the Wendao Sect now possessed the largest surviving force.
The disciples of the other sects naturally didn't look pleased.
Among them, the Cloud Soaring Sect disciples were the most anxious.
Qi Qingxiong's strength was beyond question. With his swordsmanship, he would normally be one of the strongest contenders for victory.
Unfortunately, the competition wasn't decided by swordsmanship alone.
The Wendao Sect currently had five people.
If Qi Qingxiong encountered them by himself, the battle would be over before it even began.
Outside the small world, Luo Buqi stared at the light screen with a dark expression.
"What incredible luck." His voice was thick with resentment. "I'd like to see how many Snow Lotuses they'll divide among themselves in the end."
A single Snow Lotus might not be enough to cause trouble.
But if there were several...
Could five people really split them without dispute?
Luo Buqi sneered inwardly.
Scarcity was never the most dangerous thing.
Uneven distribution was.
Once someone felt shortchanged, resentment would naturally follow. And once resentment appeared, the alliance would eventually crumble from within.
Inside the inn, Ling Yunxiao finally relaxed after receiving Lou Yuqing's reply.
When he had first arrived, he found the place in disarray and assumed something had happened to her.
Fortunately, after questioning a waiter, he learned she had been there earlier that morning.
So he had waited patiently, sending messages from time to time.
Learning that she had gone to the Hu Family left him both amused and helpless.
They had somehow managed to miss each other again.
"We're back."
Lou Yuqing pushed open the door and entered with the others.
Ling Yunxiao looked up from where he was seated. The moment he saw all four of them walk in together, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.
Not a single one was missing.
After ushering them inside, he asked, "You eliminated Luo Buqi?"
"We did." Lou Yuqing nodded. "Though it was mostly because he was unlucky."
She briefly recounted what had happened.
"Senior Brother Chu and I were already fighting him when Senior Sister and Senior Brother Shen happened to arrive. With all four of us there, eliminating him wasn't difficult."
Ling Yunxiao fell silent for a moment.
Luo Buqi's luck truly seemed beyond saving.
Pushing the thought aside, he got straight to the point.
"The Hu Family Patriarch told me the Snow Lotus is in the hands of the Baishi Sect Master."
His gaze swept across the group.
"He even suggested I go ask him for it."
A faint sneer appeared in his eyes.
"I don't believe him. What do you think?"
Lou Yuqing didn't answer immediately.
Before this, she had more or less accepted the possibility that the Snow Lotus was connected to the Baishi Sect. Yet Ling Yunxiao's words gave her pause.
After all, his judgment had proven remarkably reliable throughout the trial.
For the moment, she decided to hear him out first.
Si Nidie frowned. "Senior Brother Shen saw the Snow Lotus inside the Baishi Sect Master's cave. He even picked it himself. That should be enough to prove it was real."
"At least, it looked real," Shen Lijun corrected with a sigh.
Ling Yunxiao's brows lifted slightly. "You picked it?"
A pained look immediately crossed Shen Lijun's face. "For about a second. Then it turned into powder."
The room fell silent.
Even now, recalling the scene made him feel wronged.
Ling Yunxiao leaned forward slightly. "When you found it, did your points increase?"
The question caught everyone by surprise.
None of them had thought to pay attention to something like that.
Shen Lijun shook his head. "No."
Ling Yunxiao lowered his gaze and tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
"Then there are only two possibilities. Either the Snow Lotus was genuine and points are only awarded after successfully obtaining it..."
He paused briefly.
"Or the Snow Lotus was fake from the very beginning."
Si Nidie's expression shifted. "A fake?"
At those words, something flashed through Lou Yuqing's mind.
"Senior Brother Chu and I questioned the innkeeper and the slaughterhouse owner. Both insisted the Snow Lotus was hidden in the Baishi Sect's mine."
She turned toward Si Nidie.
"The mine overseer told Senior Sister it was in the sect's spiritual herb garden."
Then her gaze moved to Shen Lijun.
"And Senior Brother Shen found one in the Baishi Sect Master's cave. The Hu Family Patriarch also deliberately steered the conversation toward the Baishi Sect Master."
As the pieces came together, her expression gradually grew strange.
"If the Snow Lotus in the cave was fake..."
She looked at the others.
"Then every clue we've obtained so far has been a lie."
Ling Yunxiao continued tapping the tabletop.
"The Hu Family Patriarch is not trustworthy. He exaggerates too much."
Chu Qingyang nodded. "The innkeeper and slaughterhouse owner tried to assassinate us. Their testimony isn't reliable either."
Si Nidie remembered the drunken overseer.
After some hesitation, she reluctantly admitted, "The information he gave us may not be reliable, either."
The room gradually fell silent.
After comparing everything they knew, they discovered that the Snow Lotus's location remained completely uncertain.
Just then, Ling Yunxiao seemed to remember something.
"There's one more thing."
His gaze swept across the group.
"Have any of you completed your second mission?"
The question immediately snapped everyone's attention back to the trial itself.
They quickly checked their mission prompts.
"My mission still says to investigate the hunters."
"I'm the same. Mine still involves investigating the Baishi Sect."
Lou Yuqing looked toward Ling Yunxiao. "And yours?"
"The Hu Family." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "It hasn't changed either."
That answer was enough for everyone to understand the situation.
Ling Yunxiao continued, "Which means the second-stage mission is still unresolved."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"We need to determine the Snow Lotus's true location. Whether it's the Hu Family Patriarch or the White Rock Sect Master, one of them definitely knows where it is."
As for the hunters...
No one even brought them up.
They were too scattered, too difficult to trace, and most importantly, they didn't have enough time.
Compared to chasing uncertain leads, the Hu Family and the Baishi Sect were fixed targets.
For now, those were the most efficient places to investigate.
Lou Yuqing's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what we were planning from the start. The Baishi Sect Master will be attending the Hu Family's ancestral worship ceremony as well. That'll be the perfect opportunity to make our move."
"Before that, we need to figure out how to get into the Hu Family. I—"
Ling Yunxiao had barely started when Si Nidie cut in.
"That's the easy part." Grinning, she hooked a thumb toward Lou Yuqing. "Junior Sister has the Barrier-Breaking Pearl. The Hu Family's formations won't stop us."
Ling Yunxiao paused briefly, then nodded. "In that case, there's no problem."
He had secretly left behind a Dao Shadow Clone inside the Hu Family estate. With a single thought, he could instantly switch places with it.
Since they already had another method of infiltration, there was no need to mention it.
Chu Qingyang suddenly said, "The ancestral worship ceremony is still three days away. Why don't we investigate the slaughterhouse first? I saw that snow rabbit stone carving there before. Something about it felt strange."
Ling Yunxiao's eyes sharpened immediately. "I saw one in the Hu Family as well."
Silence fell over the room.
After a long moment, Lou Yuqing spoke.
"Then there must be some connection between them."
The group left the inn and headed straight for the slaughterhouse.
Unfortunately, by the time they returned at dusk, their search had yielded nothing.
Aside from the snow rabbit stone carving itself, they had found no additional clues.
Late that night, Lou Yuqing suddenly noticed a faint glow.
Opening her eyes, she found the snow rabbit stone carving resting quietly in the darkness, its surface bathed in a soft white radiance.
The sight stirred a strange sense of familiarity.
"Huh? It glows?"
The light had woken Si Nidie as well. Curious, she climbed out of bed and circled the carving several times, poking its ears, pinching its head, and examining it from every angle.
Lou Yuqing stared at it for a long moment before something clicked.
"I remember now."
"Remember what?"
"The material." Her eyes brightened slightly. "It's exactly the same as the rock wall I touched inside the snow mountain grotto."
Unfortunately, even after realizing that, she still had no idea what the connection meant.
Si Nidie clicked her tongue. "At least it could pass for a lamp."
Earlier that day, she had already examined the carving with her Heavenly Eye Technique. There wasn't the slightest trace of spiritual energy inside it.
As far as she could tell, it was nothing more than an ordinary object.
While the two were discussing the glowing rabbit, a figure quietly emerged from the neighboring room.
In the dim darkness, Shen Lijun's face was barely visible. He glanced back toward the room where Chu Qingyang slept before silently leaving the inn.
What he didn't know was that only moments after he departed, Chu Qingyang opened his eyes.
His gaze settled on the closed door.
A thoughtful look flashed across his face.
"What is Shen Lijun doing sneaking out this late?"
Ever since they had left the Hu Family ancestral hall earlier that day, something about Shen Lijun had felt off to him.
Could it be... that he had discovered a clue about the Snow Lotus and was planning to keep it for himself?
The moment the thought surfaced, Chu Qingyang could no longer sit still.
Without hesitation, he slipped out after him.
The idea of informing Lou Yuqing or the others never even crossed his mind.
The next morning, Lou Yuqing stretched lazily and stepped out of her room.
As soon as she entered the corridor, she spotted Shen Lijun and Chu Qingyang leaning against the railing.
"Good morning!"
The two turned at the sound of her voice.
Lou Yuqing's smile immediately faltered.
Shen Lijun had dark circles so heavy they looked like bruises, while Chu Qingyang wasn't much better. His face was pale, and exhaustion practically seeped from every pore.
She stared at them for a moment.
Then asked sincerely, "...Did you two sneak out and rob somebody last night?"
"Of course not." Shen Lijun denied it without hesitation.
Throwing an arm around Chu Qingyang's shoulders, he smiled as though nothing were wrong.
"We just had a little sparring session. Isn't that right, Junior Brother Chu?"
Chu Qingyang returned the smile. "Senior Brother Shen and I couldn't sleep, so we went out and exchanged a few moves."
He paused before adding reassuringly,
"Don't worry, Junior Sister. We'll recover soon."
Lou Yuqing looked genuinely impressed.
"You two senior brothers have far too much energy."
Then she remembered the day's arrangements.
"Senior Sister and I are heading to the Baishi Sect mines. You two are going to Old Xue's village."
Her gaze swept over them.
"And don't forget to bring Senior Brother Yunxiao with you."
The pair nodded in perfect unison.
Lou Yuqing glanced toward Ling Yunxiao's room.
The door remained tightly shut.
Since he had a room to himself, she assumed he was still cultivating inside.
Watching the two women leave, Shen Lijun and Chu Qingyang slowly turned toward that closed door.
Then, as if rehearsed beforehand, they spoke at exactly the same time.
"Junior Brother Ling."
"Open the door."
"It's time to investigate."
Their overlapping voices created an oddly eerie effect.
Even beneath the bright morning sun, the corridor seemed to grow a little colder.
No answer came from within.
The smiles on their faces immediately faded.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Shen Lijun rapped sharply against the door.
"Junior Brother Ling, slacking off like this is going to make us very unhappy."
Silence.
A dark glint flickered through his eyes.
"Junior Sister Lou won't be happy either." His tone became unexpectedly gentle. "Surely you don't want to disappoint her?"
Beside him, Chu Qingyang knocked again. "Junior Brother Ling, Junior Sister Lou specifically told us to bring you along. Can you really bear to reject her goodwill?"
The room remained deathly silent.
As the seconds dragged by, the expressions of both men grew increasingly dark.
Finally, they spoke in unison once more.
"Junior Brother Ling."
"Open the door, Junior Brother Ling!"
BOOM!
Their patience snapped.
Spiritual energy surged forward and blasted the door off its hinges.
Dust billowed through the corridor.
When it settled, the room beyond was completely empty.
Ling Yunxiao was nowhere to be seen.
Not even a strand of hair had been left behind.
Outside the small world, the real Shen Lijun and Chu Qingyang watched in silence as monsters wearing their faces attempted to hunt down the last remaining Wendao Sect disciple.
Their expressions were impossible to describe.
Especially with the strange looks being thrown at them from every direction.
Being eliminated wasn't particularly embarrassing.
Watching monsters steal their identities afterward, however, was another matter entirely.
Chu Qingyang's face darkened.
"Senior Brother Shen, when something happened in the ancestral hall, you should've shouted for help.
Now your identity has been hijacked, mine has been dragged down with it, and the impostors are running around ruining the Wendao Sect's reputation.
At this rate, the entire sect is going to be wiped out because of you. "
Shen Lijun snorted. "Funny coming from you. The monster's wearing your face too."
He shot Chu Qingyang a look full of contempt.
"And if everyone ends up eliminated, you'll be sharing the blame."
Then he added mercilessly, "Besides, if you hadn't secretly followed that impostor because you wanted to keep the clue for yourself, would things have escalated this far?"
Chu Qingyang's face immediately flushed.
Having his true intentions exposed so bluntly left him at a loss for words. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but nothing came out.
Because Shen Lijun was right.
If he had informed Lou Yuqing and the others from the beginning, things most likely wouldn't have developed into this situation.
Gu Buqi merely glanced at the pair.
Fellow disciples were natural allies, but this was still a competition. No one could be expected to surrender opportunities for the sake of others.
Even so, their individual actions had ultimately handed the enemy an opening.
From his perspective, it had been a rather foolish mistake.
Compared to that, however, Gu Buqi was far more interested in something else.
Exactly when would his little disciple realize that something was wrong?
Meanwhile, back inside the small world.
Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie had just arrived near the mine when they spotted a group of cultivators flying out from the entrance.
Lou Yuqing immediately recognized the leader.
"Senior Sister." She lowered her voice and hid behind a tree. "Those are disciples from the Cloud Soaring Sect and the Star Pavilion. They've joined forces."
Si Nidie stared toward the mine entrance, her expression growing serious.
"That Qi Qingxiong has already gathered the remaining disciples stationed here. There are two more of them than there are of us."
Outside the small world, Chu Qingyang muttered bitterly, "Actually, there are four more."
He could only hope Lou Yuqing and the others discovered the impostors quickly instead of falling into the same trap he had.
After all, he had experienced it firsthand.
The night before, he had followed the fake Shen Lijun all the way to the slaughterhouse, convinced the man had uncovered a genuine clue about the Snow Lotus.
At the time, he had been so excited he practically saw first place waving at him.
Then reality had promptly slapped him in the face.
The fake Shen Lijun, the slaughterhouse owner, and even the escaped hunter Old Xue had joined forces to ambush him.
By the time he was teleported back to the plaza, the only thing left to do was accept the fact that he had been eliminated.
Even now, the memory made his blood pressure rise.
The enemy had simply been too shameless.
Shen Lijun shot him a glance. "Who told you to be greedy?"
Trying to monopolize clues was never as easy as it sounded.
Chu Qingyang's expression darkened.
For once, he couldn't think of a single rebuttal.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Cloud Soaring Sect looked positively delighted.
As expected of Senior Brother Qi.
What had begun as a disadvantage had been transformed into a crushing advantage.