"Later..."
Chu Yuntian's expression darkened, and his tone carried a hint of indescribable complexity:
"After that Spirit Sea ancestor emerged from seclusion and returned from the Crimson Rock Mountain Range, his temperament changed completely. He became extremely tight-lipped about the great demon that had fallen deep within the mountains, as if the subject touched upon some unspeakable taboo.
"However, after coming out of seclusion, he did leave behind several strange paintings. It was said that they concealed profound mysteries, but later generations were never able to unravel them. No one knew whether they were connected to the fallen Spirit Sea great demon."
"Paintings?"
A glint passed through Gu Cheng's eyes, and he contemplated the matter.
Could this Spirit Sea Venerable, who seemed to have such an artistic streak, have been the same person who created the Hundred Beasts Painting?
If that was really the case, could those paintings, like the Hundred Beasts Painting, also contain a Spirit Sea Venerable's profound insights into the method of refining demon servants?
After a moment's thought, he continued asking:
"Are those paintings still in Hundred Beasts Villa?"
"This..."
Chu Yuntian's face stiffened. He smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"Chief Gu, to be honest, not long after that Spirit Sea ancestor left his paintings behind, he fell to Heavenly Sword Venerable's sword.
"Hundred Beasts Villa was gravely weakened as a result and went through a century of turmoil. It only began to recover in the past thirty years or so.
"During that time, many treasured family heirlooms were scattered beyond our walls. Of the paintings left by that Spirit Sea ancestor, fewer than one in ten remain..."
Gu Cheng nodded in understanding.
No wonder Hundred Beasts Villa and Famous Sword Villa were at each other's throats. Their bitter feud must have started back then, right?
Just as he was pondering this, Tang Lingyu, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke. Her voice was as pleasant as a clear spring:
"Brother Chu, was the fallen Spirit Sea ancestor from your Hundred Beasts Villa Cloud Ink Venerable?"
"That's right." Chu Yuntian nodded.
"In that case, this will be easy to arrange."
Tang Lingyu smiled brightly and turned to Gu Cheng, a hint of delight flashing in her eyes:
"Chief Gu, my master's personal collection happens to include several paintings by Cloud Ink Venerable. If you're interested, I can bring them to you after we return."
Gu Cheng's eyes immediately lit up:
"Then I'll have to thank you, Lingyu."
"As long as I can help you."
Tang Lingyu's smile grew even brighter. She was clearly quite pleased by Gu Cheng's gratitude.
"..."
Chu Yuntian, sitting to one side, took in their subtle exchange. His expression was as if he'd just chewed on a whole lemon.
What was going on?
How had the usually aloof Miss Tang... become like a completely different person? Was she even willing to poach from her own master just to curry favor with Chief Gu?
And what was even more infuriating was that they were talking about treasures that had belonged to Hundred Beasts Villa, now scattered beyond its walls!
Just as this dark-faced man was wrestling with a jumble of feelings—
Bzz—
The identity plaques at all three of their waists suddenly began to tremble violently.
The patterns on them flickered with an eerie red light, particularly glaring inside the carriage. The glow illuminated the three faces, each bearing a different expression.
"Something's happened again?"
Gu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the plaque flashing wildly in his hand, his expression rather peculiar.
Tianshui Prefecture had certainly been having a rough time lately.
He'd run into trouble once on his way back, and now, while heading out on a mission, he'd come across a distress signal halfway there?
"Northwest. About fifty li from here—not too far..."
Holding her plaque, Tang Lingyu carefully determined the direction, then looked at Gu Cheng, worry glimmering in her clear eyes:
"Chief Gu, we should hurry and go to their aid."
"Wait! It could be a trap!"
Chu Yuntian's dark face was grave. Only after the other two turned to look at him did he speak in a low voice:
"Chief Gu, Miss Tang, Tianshui Prefecture has been in turmoil lately. A lot of vicious criminals have slipped in, and they're specifically targeting Demon Suppression Bureau officers!
"Some demonic cultivators even send out fake signals using Demon Suppression Bureau identity plaques to lure us in!
"The reason I was so badly injured in the first place was that I fell into one of those ambushes!"
"This..."
Tang Lingyu furrowed her brows. The dark-faced man did have a point.
If it really was a trap, rushing in carelessly would be like walking straight into a tiger's jaws. But if the distress signal was real and they failed to respond, wouldn't they be abandoning someone to die?
As their thoughts turned, the two of them looked to Gu Cheng together, waiting for their team leader to decide.
"..."
Gu Cheng sat upright in his seat and gazed northwest in silence.
In his sea of consciousness, the dragon servant that had been swimming calmly suddenly grew restless. It let out a series of low, rumbling roars, as if it had sensed something.
If anything could make this headless Ink Flood Dragon react like that, then there had to be a member of its own kind nearby with exceptionally pure blood!
"Why would there be an Ink Flood Dragon in the middle of nowhere like this? Could it be... coming for me?"
A smile, rich with meaning, curved Gu Cheng's lips.
He'd already planned to hunt down a few Innate Realm Ink Flood Dragons himself. Who would have thought they'd come right to him before he even had a chance to act?
So he didn't hesitate any longer. He waved to the two beside him:
"I'll go take a look by myself. Brother Chu, Lingyu, you two go on ahead. I'll be right back."
"Understood." Tang Lingyu nodded.
"Huh?"
Chu Yuntian was completely dumbfounded. He was just about to ask something when he saw the young man in ink-colored robes begin to blur, vanishing from the carriage like a ghost.
"Th-that's it? He's gone?"
Chu Yuntian's eyes widened as he stared at Gu Cheng's empty seat, his heart full of worry.
Chief Gu was powerful, but his way of doing things was far too reckless. Knowing the other side might be laying a trap, how could he still risk going alone?
He turned to Tang Lingyu, deeply concerned:
"Miss Tang, is it really all right to let Chief Gu go alone?"
"Don't worry. He'll be fine."
Tang Lingyu was completely calm, without the slightest hint of concern.
"Chief Gu's strength is far beyond what you or I can imagine. If he chose to go alone, he must be completely confident. We only need to wait here without worry."
With that, the top student stopped paying Chu Yuntian any mind. True qi surged around her as she seized every spare moment to cultivate...
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