Cloud Ink, Rations Delivered to Your Door

"Later..."

Chu Yuntian's expression darkened, his tone laced with an indescribable complexity.

"After that Spirit Sea Ancestor broke through his seclusion and returned from the Crimson Rock Mountain Range, his temperament changed drastically. He was tight-lipped about the Great Demon that had perished deep within the mountain range, as if he had touched upon some unspeakable taboo.

However, after emerging from seclusion, he did leave behind several peculiar paintings. Rumor had it they contained hidden secrets, but unfortunately, later generations were never able to decipher them. It's unknown if they were related to the fallen Spirit Sea Great Demon."

"Paintings?"

Gu Cheng's eyes flickered, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Could a Spirit Sea Venerable with such artistic flair be the same person who created the 'Hundred Beasts Painting'?

If that were the case, wouldn't those paintings, like the 'Hundred Beasts Painting', also contain a Spirit Sea Venerable's profound insights into the methods of refining Demon Servants?

He pondered for a moment before continuing his inquiry.

"Are those paintings still in Hundred Beasts Villa?"

"This..."

Chu Yuntian's face stiffened, and he shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Chief Gu, to be frank, not long after that Spirit Sea Ancestor left the paintings, he was killed by the Heavenly Sword Venerable's sword.

Hundred Beasts Villa was severely weakened by this event and experienced a century of turmoil. It has only begun to recover in the last thirty years.

During this period, many family heirlooms were scattered to the outside world. Of that Spirit Sea Ancestor's paintings, less than one in ten remain..."

Gu Cheng nodded in understanding.

No wonder Hundred Beasts Villa and Famous Sword Villa are locked in such a bitter feud. That deep-seated enmity likely began around that time, didn't it?

As he was contemplating this, Tang Lingyu, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke, her voice as pleasant as a clear spring.

"Brother Chu, was the fallen Spirit Sea Ancestor from your Hundred Beasts Villa the 'Cloud Ink Venerable'?"

"That's correct," Chu Yuntian nodded.

"In that case, this should be easy."

Tang Lingyu smiled charmingly and turned her gaze to Gu Cheng, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes.

"Chief Gu, my master's personal collection happens to include several of Cloud Ink Venerable's paintings. If you're interested, I can bring them to you when we return."

Gu Cheng's eyes lit up at her words.

"Then thank you very much, Lingyu."

"As long as I can help you, that's all that matters."

The smile on Tang Lingyu's face deepened, clearly pleased by Gu Cheng's gratitude.

"..."

Chu Yuntian, observing the subtle interaction between the two, looked as if he had just chewed on a lemon.

What's going on?

The usually aloof Miss Tang... it's like she's a different person. To curry favor with Chief Gu, she's even willing to betray her own master?

And what's even more infuriating is that the very items they're discussing are treasures that were lost from his Hundred Beasts Villa!

Just as the dark-faced man's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—

Buzz—

The identity tokens on all three of their waists suddenly vibrated violently.

The patterns on them flashed with an eerie red light, starkly visible within the carriage and illuminating their varied expressions.

"Another situation?"

Gu Cheng's gaze narrowed as he looked at the frantically flashing token in his hand, his expression rather peculiar.

Tianshui Prefecture has truly been a period of unrest lately. I encountered one situation right after I returned, and now, while out on a mission, I'm running into another distress signal halfway there?

"Northwest direction, about fifty li from here, not too far..."

Tang Lingyu held her token, carefully discerning the direction before looking at Gu Cheng. A hint of worry flashed in her clear eyes.

"Chief Gu, let's hurry to the rescue."

"Hold on! Be careful, it might be a trap!"

Chu Yuntian's dark face was etched with seriousness. Seeing them look his way, he spoke gravely.

"Chief Gu, Miss Tang, Tianshui Prefecture has been unstable recently, with many vicious individuals infiltrating the area. They specifically target Colonels of the Demon Suppression Bureau!

Some evil cultivators even deliberately send out fake signals using Demon Suppression Bureau identity tokens to lure us into ambushes!

The reason I was severely injured earlier was precisely because I fell into such a trap!"

"This..."

Tang Lingyu's delicate brows furrowed. She felt that the dark-faced man's words held merit.

If this were truly a trap, rashly going would be like a lamb entering a tiger's mouth. But if this plea for help wasn't real, and they didn't respond, wouldn't that make them guilty of letting someone die when they could have saved them?

As their thoughts raced, both of them looked at Gu Cheng, awaiting their squad leader's decision.

"..."

Gu Cheng sat upright in his seat, looking towards the northwest, silent.

Within his sea of consciousness, the normally placid Flood Dragon Demon Servant suddenly became restless, emitting low dragon roars as if sensing something.

For the headless Ink Flood Dragon to react like this, it was highly probable that there was a Flood Dragon of extremely high blood purity nearby!

"In this desolate wilderness, how could a Flood Dragon appear? Could it be... it's coming for me?"

A smile that held a hint of intrigue played on Gu Cheng's lips.

He had originally planned to hunt down a few Innate Realm Flood Dragons himself, but he hadn't expected them to come to him before he even made a move?

Without further hesitation, he waved to the two beside him:

"I'll go take a look by myself. Brother Chu, Lingyu, you two go ahead. I'll be back soon."

"Understood." Tang Lingyu nodded in agreement.

"Huh?"

Chu Yuntian, however, looked completely bewildered. Just as he was about to ask, he saw the ink-robed youth's figure blur and disappear from the carriage like a phantom.

"He... he's leaving already?"

Chu Yuntian's eyes widened as he stared at Gu Cheng's empty seat, filled with worry.

Although Chief Gu's strength was immense, his methods were perhaps too reckless. Knowing it might be a trap, how could he dare to venture alone?

He turned to Tang Lingyu, asking with deep concern:

"Miss Tang, is it really okay to let Chief Gu go alone?"

"Don't worry, it'll definitely be fine."

Tang Lingyu, on the other hand, looked calm, showing no signs of worry at all.

"Chief Gu's strength far surpasses what you and I can imagine. Since he chose to go alone, he must be fully confident. We just need to wait with peace of mind."

With that, the female scholar stopped paying attention to Chu Yuntian. Her true qi surged, and she seized the precious time to cultivate