Catch That Thief

Screams echoed from the dungeon below, clearly audible even in the courtyard outside.

In the courtyard stood an old pine, vigorous as a dragon. Lou Zhenwu sat at the stone table beneath the pine, tapping the table rhythmically with the screams.

After a while, the screams stopped. The disciplinary officer came to report, "Fifth Senior Brother, the case is mostly clear. Cen's wife only wished for a quick death and confessed everything."

Lou Zhenwu nodded. "Speak."

The disciplinary officer said, "Junior Sister Qi was merely trying to help, drawing her sword to aid the helpless. She accidentally killed Cen Wugou. His wife, harboring resentment, gathered ruffians and set an ambush. They succeeded while Junior Sister Qi was unprepared..."

Lou Zhenwu said coldly, "Trying to help? She was reckless! This is her nature, do not try to cover for her!"

The disciplinary officer lowered his head and gave a wry smile. "Yes, but Cen Wugou and his wife were having a very fierce argument, to the point of drawing weapons. Others couldn't have known. She must have thought... Of course, Junior Sister Qi did act a bit too harshly."

Lou Zhenwu shook his head. "Continue."

"After Junior Sister Qi was killed, her flying sword was taken by Cen's wife. Since Junior Sister Qi did not have any spirit elixirs or spirit stones with her at the time, Cen's wife compensated the other five with spirit stones, one each..."

"One each?"

"This group of rogue cultivators are all poor..."

Lou Zhenwu couldn't help but laugh in anger. "One spirit stone each? A total of only five spirit stones were given out, and Junior Sister Qi is dead?"

The disciplinary officer was also helpless. "That is indeed the case."

Lou Zhenwu felt a sense of absurdity and was speechless for a long time. Finally, he exhaled, "Dispose of all those involved. Cleanly... And two culprits escaped?"

The disciplinary officer replied, "One culprit claims his surname is Wei, his name is unknown, he is at Qi Refining Level 5, and is a rogue cultivator from Xiangxi. His current whereabouts are unknown. The other culprit's identity is rather vague, and his cultivation is unclear. According to the confessions of Cen's wife and the other four criminals, he is close to the Wei culprit and claims to be a disciple of the Pai Sect, surnamed Li."

Lou Zhenwu said, "These kinds of scoundrels are always hiding their tracks. Their names might not be real. Have people draw their likenesses and thoroughly investigate all branches of the Pai Sect."

The disciplinary officer said, "When Wei and Li were acting, they both wore bamboo hats and black masks. Cen's wife and the other four criminals never saw their true faces, but they did say that they should not be old. The one who claimed to be a disciple of the Pai Sect is skilled in bewitching incense, and used this despicable tactic when ambushing Junior Sister Qi."

"Bewitching incense? Bewitching incense that could incapacitate Junior Sister Qi?" Lou Zhenwu pondered, "I haven't heard of anyone in the Pai Sect who is skilled in using bewitching incense."

The disciplinary officer also said, "Yes, disciples of the Pai Sect are mostly engaged in corpse driving and insect manipulation, making them very insensitive to smells. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to do this job."

Lou Zhenwu said, "Using bewitching incense against a disciple of my Dongyang Sect is truly a despicable method. Increase the manpower and capture these two culprits to avenge Junior Sister Qi!"

After giving his orders, Lou Zhenwu left the dungeon and went to his Ninth Junior Brother, Su Zhenjiu. He said, "Junior Sister Qi's death has greatly angered several Martial Uncles and Senior Uncles. If Zhang Xianbai has another accident during his closed-door cultivation, the outer sect might become unusable. The matter of recruiting outer disciples should also be expedited. After all, we only recruit one person every three years, which is crucial for the continuation of my Dongyang Sect and cannot be taken lightly. Last time, I asked you to revise the candidate list, have you made any progress?"

Su Zhenjiu sighed, "Junior Sister Qi was the most talented among the outer disciples. It's truly a pity."

Lou Zhenwu shook his head, "It's also a lesson. When recruiting disciples, we should focus on their character."

Su Zhenjiu nodded and presented a roster for his senior brother to review, saying, "As you wished, Senior Brother, this time we have selected candidates based on both character and talent. Those who were impetuous have been discarded. There are ten candidates remaining. According to tradition, most come from the Jingxiang noble families and small rogue cultivator sects."

Lou Zhenwu glanced at the roster and immediately rejected three people. "These three are not from Jingxiang. They only moved here a few years ago. Who knows where they came from?"

Su Zhenjiu said, "Their talent is very good."

Lou Zhenwu said, "Then we don't want them either. You must know that the foundation of my Dongyang Sect is located in Xiangnan. We should choose good materials that we know well. Outsiders who come here cannot be truly assimilated without thirty to fifty years. If something happens to the sect, these people will often be half-hearted."

Su Zhenjiu nodded. Although it was a pity, he also felt that Fifth Senior Brother's words made sense.

Lou Zhenwu looked at the end and suddenly frowned, "Why is there one from Wulong Mountain? Liu Xiaolou?"

Su Zhenjiu said, "This person was recommended by our outer disciple in Xiangxi. He is said to be eighteen years old but has a steady character. Although he comes from Wulong Mountain, we haven't heard of him doing anything greatly evil or wicked. His desire for the Dao is very sincere, and his talent is also good. Coincidentally, his master just passed away, and he has no one to teach him the true meaning of cultivation..."

Lou Zhenwu waved his hand to stop him. "Junior Brother, rogue cultivators on Wulong Mountain are as numerous as cow hair. They have always been known as bandits, their methods are crude, and their reputation is notorious. They are very different from those cultivation families and rogue cultivator sects. Such individuals are difficult to educate... Furthermore, this Liu Xiaolou is already eighteen, not eight. His character is already set and very difficult to change. Admitting a bandit from Wulong Mountain, let alone into the inner sect, even into the outer sect, would likely be a laughingstock to the world."

Su Zhenjiu made a final effort. "It is said that he is a successor of the Three Xuan Sect."

Lou Zhenwu tried to recall, but couldn't immediately. "Three Xuan Sect?"

Su Zhenjiu reminded him, "It is said that its founder was one of the Cave Heaven Masters of Luofu Mountain. Two hundred years ago, he left due to infighting within Luofu Mountain and founded the Three Xuan Sect. Unfortunately, his endeavors did not succeed, and the sect declined. Now, only Liu Xiaolou remains as the sole descendant."

"Where did you hear that?"

"...Jianghu rumors..."

Lou Zhenwu shook his head and chuckled, "I have never heard of this matter. Setting aside whether it is true or not, if it is true, then there is even less reason to provoke Luofu Mountain... Let him fend for himself."

Su Zhenjiu sighed, "Understood. Then shall the remaining six people come up the mountain to be considered?"

Lou Zhenwu nodded. "So be it."

Since Fifth Senior Brother had made his decision, Su Zhenjiu naturally had to carry it out. He wrote a letter to his uncle, Shopkeeper Su, at the Xiangxi Zhongyi Workshop, explaining the situation in detail and stating that he had done his best.

Shopkeeper Su was also helpless after receiving the letter. After thinking for a moment, he decided to go to Wulong Mountain himself. The rogue cultivators of Wulong Mountain had always had a bad reputation. He had accepted their generous gifts, but the matter had not been resolved. He was worried that the other party might do something unreasonable and cause trouble if they became entangled. Of course, the gifts would absolutely not be returned; there was no reason to return them.

Xiangxi, Wulong Mountain, Qianzhu Ridge.

A grove of green bamboo, a circle of fence, a thatched hut. This was Liu Xiaolou's cultivation dwelling.

Shopkeeper Su did not enter the courtyard. He explained the details to Liu Xiaolou through the wooden gate and then sighed, "Young man, by rights, your character is impeccable, and your master is also the same. Otherwise, I would not have befriended you and your master. But in the end, your background... there's nothing that can be done. I have already done my best."

Liu Xiaolou was silent for a moment, then forced a smile. "Thank you, shopkeeper. I apologize for troubling you."

Shopkeeper Su looked at Liu Xiaolou before him, feeling very regretful. What a handsome young man. If he were truly accepted into the Dongyang Sect, he would be a rising star for the sect. It was just a pity about his background. Although he wanted to pull you out of this pit, he was insignificant and his words carried little weight.

After explaining the situation and showing his sincerity, he felt he had lived up to the generous gifts he had received. Seeing that Liu Xiaolou was reasonable and did not make a scene, Shopkeeper Su cupped his hands and bid farewell, "If you have any difficulties in the future, you can still come to me."

He had no intention of lingering in this desolate and harsh place, feeling that the longer he stayed, the colder his back would feel.

Liu Xiaolou cupped his hands and smiled, watching him descend the ridge.

To get close to this person in charge of the Dongyang Sect in Yongshun Prefecture, Liu Xiaolou had put in a great deal of effort, almost exhausting all the wealth left by his master, Mister Sanxuan. But the result was a harsh blow. He had taken a gamble when entrusting the shopkeeper with the task, and had anticipated a very low chance of success. However, upon receiving the news of failure, he was still quite dejected.

What's wrong with coming from Wulong Mountain?

Who did it harm?

This path did not work out. He sat listlessly on the porch in front of his house for a long time. Remembering that he still had to attend his sworn brother's dual cultivation ceremony, he turned back into the house, and then froze.

The spirit stone that was meant to be a congratulatory gift was gone!