Missing

Learning the Hundred Swords Art went smoothly. When Chu Liang said goodbye to Jiang Xiaobai, they agreed he could come back tomorrow to learn a new divine ability.

But as soon as he returned to Silver Sword Peak, he found a letter had arrived, bringing some not-so-good news.

The letter was from Ming Yuanwai in Xingzhou City, stating that his wife had gone missing.

That's right, it was the cat demon for whom Chu Liang had recently requested a title from the sect.

"Sigh..." Chu Liang let out a slight sigh.

It seemed learning the new divine ability would have to be put on hold for now. He immediately sent a message to Jiang Xiaobai, then went to report the matter to his master.

This was the kind of subsequent trouble that came with requesting a title for a demon.

Although it was done with good intentions, if anything happened to this demon, you were obligated to take responsibility for it.

According to the rules, Madam Ming could not leave the city where she lived for extended periods and had to return to Mount Shu every few months.

Now that she had mysteriously disappeared, if she had been harmed by someone, then as a demon who had received a title from Mount Shu, this act was undoubtedly a provocation to the authority of Mount Shu. In that case, the disciples of Mount Shu were obligated to help her seek justice.

If she had developed malicious intentions herself, then the disciples of Mount Shu also had to go and handle it, trying to minimize the impact. If she caused any trouble, it would ultimately be recorded under Chu Liang's name.

When they were young and full of vigor, everyone was responsible and kind-hearted. Perhaps it was after experiencing more such troublesome matters that they gradually changed later on.

However, Chu Liang was fine. He just felt it was a pity to miss the opportunity to learn a divine ability. As for these troubles... he had already prepared himself mentally when he did this in the first place.

When he arrived at the small pavilion, Di Nufeng was indeed looking at picture books again.

Since Chu Liang became her disciple, there hadn't been a single moment when he saw her cultivating. He had no idea where this fellow got such a powerful cultivation base that made her so formidable.

Although the Seventh Realm was called Inquiry of Dao, focusing on sudden enlightenment, arduous cultivation was no longer the primary way to increase one's cultivation.

But what kind of Dao could one comprehend by holding a comic book all day?

A single Dao?

Chu Liang didn't understand.

"Master..." He came before Di Nufeng. "Something has happened with the Ming family in Xingzhou City, for whom we previously requested a title."

"Hmm?" Di Nufeng sat up again.

Chu Liang then explained the matter of Ming Yuanwai's letter.

"I've also met that little cat demon. She doesn't seem like a bad person, so there shouldn't be any problems. If she's missing, it's likely she encountered some accident," Di Nufeng said, stroking her chin.

"I think so too," Chu Liang nodded.

"Here, take this," Di Nufeng raised her hand and threw something over.

Chu Liang caught it and found it was a jade talisman inscribed with a Following Curse.

"That cat demon left a Following Curse. With this jade talisman, you can find her," Di Nufeng said.

This was why demons were asked to leave a Following Curse when requesting a title. If something special happened, they wouldn't have to expend great effort to find them.

"Also, keep this jade talisman. If you encounter any accidents, just smash it and I'll be able to sense it and come to save you at any time," Di Nufeng smiled. "Didn't you say you lacked divine ability artifacts before? I thought about it, and it's true. This thing will compensate you and serve as a life-saving divine ability."

Good heavens.

A life-saving divine ability... the Great Summoning Art.

As Chu Liang held it in his hand, he immediately felt the jade talisman become much heavier.

Being able to summon a seventh-realm expert at any time was far better than many magical artifacts.

There were very few masters in the cultivation world who would give their disciples such things.

One reason was that most masters had their own important matters to attend to, and none could guarantee they could arrive in time, thus failing to serve the purpose of "saving a life." For example, if a disciple encountered a life-threatening situation, and the master happened to be fighting someone at the same time, it would be completely useless. Or, during daily activities like eating, drinking, or using the restroom, they would have to be ready for a sudden sensation and immediately fly away, which was quite uncomfortable to think about.

Another reason was that if elders could step in to solve problems, disciples would inevitably develop a sense of dependence, which would hinder their true training. A master could protect you for a while, but not for a lifetime.

However, the great educator Di Nufeng naturally didn't care about these rules.

"Can Master really come at any time?" Chu Liang asked, still a little uneasy.

"I will definitely arrive immediately... well, if I'm not drunk at the time," Di Nufeng added.

"..." Chu Liang was silent for a moment.

As expected.

He couldn't rely on a drunkard to be dependable forever.

After getting the Following Curse jade talisman from his master, Chu Liang rushed to Xingzhou City in a hurry, arriving again in the evening.

Ming Yuanwai brought his whole family out to greet him again.

"Young Hero Chu, hello."

"Ming Yuanwai, hello."

"Young Hero Chu, you've worked hard!"

"It's already this late, let's skip the formalities and quickly tell me the specifics," Chu Liang said.

"Alright, alright." Ming Yuanwai gave a wry smile and led Chu Liang back to the main hall, then immediately began to speak.

"Previously, thanks to Young Hero Chu helping my wife get the seal, we thought we could live a peaceful life from now on, and these past few days have been joyful. Then, two days ago, my wife suddenly cried in the middle of the night. I asked her why..."

"She said she dreamed of her parents at night and remembered that for the past ten years, fearing her identity would be exposed, she didn't dare to return to the mountain to see her parents and siblings. Now that she can live peacefully, she wants to go back and reunite with her family, alas..."

"Humans have family affection, and how could demons not? I thought about it and agreed to let her go home. I even wanted to accompany her back, but she was afraid I would be scared and didn't agree."

"Who knew, she went and never returned..."

Ming Yuanwai said earnestly, "Young Hero Chu, my wife would never abandon me. She must have encountered some accident. You must save her."

"Ming Yuanwai, please rest assured, I will do my best in this matter." Chu Liang nodded and asked again, "Where did Madam Ming go to visit her relatives?"

"Just on East Mountain outside Xingzhou City. Her family of wildcats used to cultivate and live in this mountain. I even went into the mountain to search yesterday, but in the vast mountain, I didn't see any unusual traces. Alas, we mortals are truly powerless," Ming Yuanwai sighed repeatedly.

Seeing his long sighs, Chu Liang also felt a little emotional. This Ming Yuanwai and Madam Ming were truly a model couple, deeply in love and unwavering.

It was just a pity that they had so many misfortunes; one could only say that good things often came with difficulties.

He then stood up and said, "Ming Yuanwai, don't worry. I will go to East Mountain now to search for Madam Ming's whereabouts. I have the Following Curse she left at Mount Shu in my hand, so I should find her soon."

"Young Hero Chu... aren't you going to rest for a night before setting off?" Ming Yuanwai asked.

At this point, let's not be falsely polite. If I really rest here for a night, I don't believe you'll be able to sleep.

Chu Liang muttered to himself and smiled, "The situation is urgent, so I naturally can't worry about too much. We are also acquaintances, so Ming Yuanwai doesn't need to be polite with me. I'll set off now!"