Chapter 192: Chapter 54 Setting Off! Searching for the Flying Smoke Sword
 

Wei Dongliu had his reasons for playing the role of a hands-off master.

Firstly, his ultimate goal was not to expand and glorify “Myriad Laws Mystic Profound Sect”.

Instead, it was to establish a network of contacts within the Demonic Path to search for the whereabouts of the Hell Path.

Secondly, with the talents of Guo Jin and Wang Cong, it was almost impossible for them to embark on the path of cultivation.

Wei Dongliu took them as disciples with the purpose of having them help collect information, rather than to cultivate their talents… Although it sounds cruel, Wei Dongliu doubted that either of them would even find it difficult to form an Intermediate Grade Golden Core.

He could only play the role of a guide; as for how high they could climb, that was up to them!

After entrusting his two disciples to Jiang Liyan, Wei Dongliu set off to meet with the people of Kunlun.

The time arranged by Kunlun was precisely one day before Qiu Changtian’s “Debating Scriptures Conference” in Kunlun. It seemed coincidental, but upon closer consideration, it appeared to have been predestined.

Wei Dongliu rode his sword westward, arriving on the outskirts of Xining County.

Unexpectedly, the Kunlun Cultivator who came to meet him turned out to be an old acquaintance of Qiu Changtian.

The Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm, Xu Changqing.

Upon meeting, Wei Dongliu sharply detected that Xu Changqing’s Divine Sense had immediately fallen upon him.

Using Divine Sense to probe others is considered exceedingly unfriendly in the Cultivation Realm, as it is often a precursor to an attack during a magical competition. As a result, many cultivators interpret the probing of Divine Sense as a sign that the other party is about to make a move.

However, Wei Dongliu had no reaction, as the Divine Sense came quickly and left just as fast, seemingly only to confirm whether there were any traces of magic usage on him… which is to say, remnants of turbid qi.

“Who goes there?” Xu Changqing asked coldly.

“A mere Loose Cultivator, Guo Jin,” Wei Dongliu replied with a bow.

Xu Changqing nodded indifferently. There was no turbid qi on the other person, indicating that he hadn’t practiced Demonic Cultivation Methods, but he still asked:

“Being a Loose Cultivator, why would you collude with the Demon Path Cultivator of the Nether Ghost Path?”

“I have not colluded,” Wei Dongliu wouldn’t make the low-level error of answering such a leading question, simply stating, “Someone asked me to deliver an item to your Sect and to retrieve the corresponding reward.”

“Oh,” Xu Changqing’s expression shifted subtly, and he inquired with profound meaning, “Aren’t they afraid you might take the reward and flee after completing the trade?”

“They’re not afraid,” Wei Dongliu responded calmly, “because I won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Integrity.”

Xu Changqing: ……

Even with his broad experience, he had never encountered such a “frank” Loose Cultivator.

Catching the Jade Slip thrown by Wei Dongliu, Xu Changqing probed it with his Divine Sense, examining it in detail. His brows furrowed deeply.

“Is the information recorded here true?” he asked in a grave tone.

“I do not know,” Wei Dongliu replied earnestly, “My only responsibility was to deliver the item; I did not view its contents.”

Xu Changqing looked at him suspiciously, as if trying to detect any trace of lying on his face, but eventually gave up.

He drew a Storage Bag from his sleeve and threw it in Wei Dongliu’s direction. Seeing Wei Dongliu catch it, Xu Changqing warned him again:

“If you join the Demonic Path afterward, then you will be an enemy of Kunlun!”

With that said, he stepped onto a streak of Sword Light and headed west.

Wei Dongliu checked the contents of the Storage Bag, even feeling an impulse to take the money and run for a moment.

Of course, this identity was not to be squandered in such a way, so after a brief pause, he carefully stowed it away.

Returning to the dilapidated temple at Mount Wutai where he had been before, Wei Dongliu saw Wen Yang waiting for him there.

“Wei Dongliu indeed keeps his word,” Wen Yang said with great joy after checking the storage bag, immediately taking out his share and handing it over to him, “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” Wei Dongliu accepted the bag.

“Friend Wei is an honest man,” Wen Yang began, hesitating as if he wanted to say something but stopping himself, then after a long pause continued cautiously, “But… why would you have dealings with a Demon Path cultivator of the Heavenly Demon Path?”

“What leads you to say that?” Wei Dongliu asked in surprise.

“It is not my intention to stir up trouble,” Wen Yang started in an attempt to cover up, then tactfully added, “Everyone says that my Nether Ghost Path is cruel in its infighting, often resulting in the overthrow of the superior by the inferior, but who knows that the infighting in the Heavenly Demon Path is a hundred times more brutal than in my Sect?”

“The Heavenly Demon Path conspires with Heavenly Demons, often capturing the weakest disciples to sacrifice to the Heavenly Demons.”

“Nether Ghost Path disciples can still protect themselves if they do not seek to contend, but there are no weak or mediocre ones among the Demon Path cultivators; each and every one has survived through bloody storms.”

Wei Dongliu’s face remained expressionless, but inside he was stunned:

True to its reputation as a Demon Cult, this Sect’s competitive nature is indeed far fiercer than the Orthodox Sects! While Kunlun is still maintaining a ‘once-and-for-all’ philosophy, the Nether Ghost Path has already started to implement ‘promotion and demotion,’ and the Heavenly Demon Path has even begun ‘elimination of the lowest-ranked’!

“Jiang Liyan started her training the latest and is the youngest in seniority, so logically her strength should be the weakest,” Wen Yang went on, a hint of wariness flashing across his expression, “But since her induction, three of her senior fellow sisters above her have perished, each with different causes of death—but virtually none related to her.”

“I think that Friend Wei is a person worth establishing a deeper relationship with,” he said as he waved his sleeve, summoning a cluster of gray-white Sword Light and rising into the air on his sword, “I also hope you don’t end up dead in an unexplained manner someday, to my regret and frustration.”

As Wen Yang departed on his sword disappearing into the horizon, Wei Dongliu gazed intensely at the sky for a long time, then suddenly smiled coldly.

Stirring up trouble, huh? Think I’ll fall for it?

He had just returned to Shiping Mountain when he saw Guo Jin and Wang Cong engaging in a swordfight.

Both were beginners, just having learned how to channel True Qi, and their Flying Sword control was awkward and unstable, making Wei Dongliu find it unbearable to watch.

Jiang Liyan had set up a little wooden bed by the lakeside, covered with thick sheep wool and brocade, comfortably napping in the afternoon sun.

From above her head, pure sunlight seeped through a narrow gap in the mountains, shining on her curled slender body, stirring a sudden tender and protective feeling in Wei Dongliu.

Of course, with the Kunlun Mirror in his possession, it certainly wasn’t any Illusion Technique, just the natural male instinct of yearning for beauty.

“Friend Jiang,” Wei Dongliu nudged the wooden bed.

“Hmm?” Jiang Liyan rubbed her eyes groggily.

“I need to step out for a while soon, and I would trouble you to look after the two disciples,” Wei Dongliu said softly.

“Mhm…” Jiang Liyan turned over and went back to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly opened her eyes on the wooden bed:

Wait, what did he just say to me?

Did he just dump his disciples on me again???

Jiang the Witch jumped from the bed and hastily flew out of the cave on her sword, only to see the vast sky and earth, no trace of Wei Dongliu to be found.

“Dammit!” Her expression shifted unpredictably, but then she reached into her storage bag and pulled out a ghastly pale and decayed Demon Head, which she held aloft in the center of her palm, muttering to it:

“Heavenly Demon invades the scenery, revealing every trace! Find that damn fool for me!”

After a moment, the Demon Head suddenly cackled eerily and turned its face toward the south.

……

Not long before, Wei Dongliu had been propelling the “Heavenly Weaving God Shuttle of the Universe’s Creation,” speeding towards the south.

“There should be a golden-bearded giant turtle in the Southern Sea,” the Green Duckweed Sword told him, “Its body is immense, forming an island of its own, floating in the Southern Sea with the Flying Smoke Sword embedded in the center of its shell.”

“Of course, this is what other Sword Spirits from the Sword Pool shared with me thousands of years ago, and some time has passed since then—so there might be some changes, and you need to be prepared.”

“No problem,” Wei Dongliu said decisively, “I have to try anyway. Senior Sister An sacrificed her Frostfall Sword for me, I can’t let her be without a Life-bound Sword Artifact forever.”