Demonic Sect Guardian?
Li Qingqiu was surprised. After all, information like this would not appear in the Legacy System, so he asked, "Which Demonic Sect? The Azure Cult?"
Feng Dai glared and said, "Although the Azure Cult does evil too, compared to the Demonic Sect, it falls a thousand miles short!"
As if afraid that the people of the Qingxiao Sect would not take it seriously enough, Feng Dai continued, "Wu Baoyu, the Demonic Sect's Qu Bei Guardian. In the third year of the Kaiyuan era, he slaughtered all 136 members of the Xiao family of Northern Liangzhou—from the eighty-year-old elders to the babies in swaddling clothes. That same year, he went berserk and beat his own disciple to death, then hung the body from the prefectural city gate, scorning the law and provoking the Imperial Court."
"In the fourth year of the Ganming era, Wu Baoyu led men in seizing the disaster-relief supplies the Imperial Court was sending to the Southern Territory. They killed seventy-three soldiers and officials, causing one hundred thousand civilians in the Southern Territory to starve to death and inciting heaven-shaking public resentment."
"His crimes are too numerous to count. He deserves death a thousand times over. Sect Master Li, you must not shield him!"
His words changed the way everyone looked at Wu Baoyu. Although Wu Baoyu was taciturn, no matter how they looked at him normally, he did not seem like such a vicious and evil man.
Zhang Yuchun had not expected Wu Baoyu to have such a background. The first thing he thought of was the trouble Wu Baoyu might bring.
Harboring a wanted criminal of the Imperial Court was no small crime.
Wu Baoyu stopped chopping wood. He looked at Feng Dai and asked, "Where did you learn of these crimes?"
Feng Dai said solemnly, "I saw them in the case files at the Prefect's office. A few years ago, you appeared in Guzhou and caused quite a disturbance. At the time, I thought that once I took office, I would have to arrest you, so I made a point of remembering the details. You have a blood-red wolf-head mark on your left wrist. I cannot be mistaken. Are you going to deny your identity?"
The nine yamen runners had not known Wu Baoyu's origins before. Now that they had heard how cruel he was, they could not help but grow fearful and tense, afraid that Wu Baoyu would suddenly attack.
Wu Baoyu said expressionlessly, "Actually, my surname is Xiao."
At that, Feng Dai's brows drew tightly together. He demanded, "What do you mean?"
"The Xiao family you mentioned—the one that was wiped out—was my family. I was the sole survivor. I was not at home at the time; I was serving as an Imperial Guard in the Imperial Palace. Afterward, the Crown Prince found me and planted me inside the Demonic Sect as a spy. At that time, the Imperial Court did not know much about the Demonic Sect. They did not even know the Qu Bei Guardian's real name. I fought my way up in the Demonic Sect, eventually killed the Qu Bei Guardian with my own hands, and took his place. However, after the Crown Prince fell from power, there was no one left to restore my identity. They even pinned all of the Qu Bei Guardian's crimes on me."
"As for the disaster-relief supplies you mentioned, they were never meant for the Southern Territory. The current emperor had them transported through the Southern Territory to the demonic cultivators, in exchange for the Elixir of Immortality. After I seized them, I distributed them among the common people. It was just that the disaster was too severe, and the food those supplies could buy was nowhere near enough to turn the tide."
Wu Baoyu spoke in an indifferent tone, as though none of it had anything to do with him.
After hearing this, Feng Dai's expression shifted between light and dark. He shouted, "Utter nonsense!"
The people of the Qingxiao Sect also found the matter bizarre. Who would have thought there could be such a dramatic reversal?
Wu Baoyu continued, "You can investigate whether the records of the Xiao family were erased. If they were not, look into whether the Xiao family's second son, Xiao Ji, ever served as an Imperial Guard in the Imperial Palace, and whether Xiao Ji's age matches mine."
Feng Dai opened and closed his mouth, but did not know how to respond.
Yang Jueding suddenly said, "I believe him. The current His Majesty's pursuit of immortality is no longer a secret. Every year, strange men of ability enter the palace to meet him. The military uprising in Guzhou happened precisely because His Majesty cared only about immortality and neglected his governance of the provinces."
"I find Prefect Feng upright and righteous, someone who hates evil like an enemy. Why not return and investigate? If Senior Wu's words prove true, Prefect Feng can even clear a hero's name," Zhang Yu said.
Li Qingqiu said nothing, quietly watching them speak.
Wu Baoyu snorted. "There is no need to clear my name. The Xiao family no longer exists. I bear the surname Wu now, and I have never married or had children. I have nothing left to care about in this life. Once Prefect Feng finishes investigating and discovers that my words are true, I ask only that he forget I exist. Do not implicate the Qingxiao Sect either. These children know nothing of my origins. I merely want to find a place to spend the rest of my life in peace."
Feng Dai instinctively glanced around. Every disciple of the Qingxiao Sect was watching him, and most of them were still children. He could not bear to see it.
He knew all too well that if this matter came to light, the Qingxiao Sect would surely be punished by the Imperial Court. Some officials, for the sake of achievements, would not care about anything else. The more accomplices Wu Baoyu had, the greater their merit would be.
"Fine. I'll go back and investigate first. I absolutely will not wrong an innocent man," Feng Dai said through clenched teeth.
He immediately rose to his feet, and two yamen runners hurried over to support him.
"Let's go!"
Feng Dai gave the order. The yamen runners, relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted, hurriedly escorted him toward the courtyard gate.
Wu Baoyu spoke again. "Right, there is one more thing I must tell you. Do you know why the Demonic Sect appeared out of nowhere, wreaked havoc across the martial world in an incredibly short time, and then vanished just as quickly?"
Feng Dai and the yamen runners turned to look at him, their expressions bewildered.
Wu Baoyu's gaze turned cold. He said, "Because the Demonic Sect was founded by the current His Majesty. The Demonic Sect killed countless people and was the most sinful martial force since the founding of the dynasty. Now that you know this, even if you do not believe it, once I am arrested, I can reveal that you learned of this matter. The people above will definitely kill you to silence you."
"You..."
Feng Dai glared furiously at Wu Baoyu, never expecting him to be so vicious. The other nine yamen runners' faces also paled.
Li Qingqiu, on the other hand, revealed a subtle smile. He suddenly found Wu Baoyu somewhat more agreeable.
A moment ago, he had still been hesitating over whether to let Feng Dai and the others leave. After all, one could never know what another person was truly thinking.
Wu Baoyu paid Feng Dai no further attention and continued chopping wood.
Feng Dai drew a deep breath and signaled the yamen runners to escort him away.
Li Qingqiu said nothing and walked toward his own room. Zhang Yuchun, meanwhile, clapped his hands and signaled for the disciples to disperse.
Li Sifeng crouched on the roof eaves, gazing at the backs of Feng Dai and the others as they departed, deep in thought.
By the time dinner was served, the atmosphere was still somewhat heavy.
"Living in the martial world, you will always encounter troubles like this. It is impossible to remain safe and undisturbed forever," Yang Jueding said with a dry cough, breaking the tension.
Zhang Yu shoveled in a mouthful of rice and laughed. "Don't worry. Those fellows definitely will not dare act recklessly. Even if they report Senior Wu's whereabouts, the credit may not belong to them. But as long as Senior Wu turns on them, they will surely die—perhaps even suffer the extermination of their entire households. After all, this involves the current His Majesty."
Li Sijin could not help asking, "Is the emperor really the Demonic Sect's leader? How powerful is the Demonic Sect, exactly? And what about the Elixir of Immortality? Does such a medicine truly exist?"
Once she asked, the other disciples also opened the floodgates, tossing out question after question and prompting Yang Jueding to begin recounting strange tales from the martial world.
What the disciples were most curious about was still the Elixir of Immortality.
Who did not want to live forever?
"Since ancient times, legends of immortality have emerged one after another. But how could there be anyone in this world who lives forever? Those nobles simply refuse to give up," Yang Jueding said, shaking his head. Zhang Yu nodded, likewise sneering at the notion of immortality.
Jiang Zhaoxia had not been present that afternoon. After learning what had happened, he looked at Wu Baoyu and asked curiously, "Why did the emperor create the Demonic Sect? It could not have had much impact on his seizure of power. When he took power back then, he relied on the army, not the Demonic Sect."
Wu Baoyu, sitting in the corner, heard his question and answered expressionlessly, "He was cultivating an evil art that required the blood of virgin boys and girls. He slaughtered entire households merely to cover that up."
The answer sent chills through everyone.
Li Qingqiu also found it sinister. His instincts told him that sooner or later, he would inevitably come into conflict with the Imperial Court. This world was far darker than he had anticipated.
As for the hidden dangers Wu Baoyu brought with him, he took them in stride. As long as the Qingxiao Sect recruited people, it would inevitably encounter troubles like this. The only difference was how big those troubles were.
What expert had a simple background?
After Feng Dai left, the Qingxiao Sect continued developing according to plan. Aside from occasional patrols, Li Qingqiu spent most of his time cultivating and teaching Xu Ning.
He deliberately intended to groom Xu Ning into the leading figure of the next generation of disciples. He now had a profound understanding of the power of the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Root.
His cultivation speed had far surpassed what it had been before, and he was truly experiencing what it felt like to be a genius.
As for his junior brothers and sisters, he had already taught them different spells. The rest depended on their individual comprehension.
Autumn passed in a hurry. When early winter arrived, Li Dongyue turned fifteen. Since Lin Xunfeng's departure, Li Qingqiu and his junior brothers and sisters had all grown a year older, while the Qingxiao Sect itself had undergone tremendous changes.
Snowflakes sprinkled into the forest through the gaps between the leaves. Qin Ye, dressed in the Qingxiao Sect's robes, was practicing his fists. With his slightly hurried breathing, he seemed to be exhaling steam.
"That set of fists of yours is no good."
A voice came from nearby, making Qin Ye turn his head. He saw Wu Baoyu standing not far away with a bundle of firewood on his back.
Qin Ye hurriedly turned around and saluted Wu Baoyu with clasped fists. He said helplessly, "It isn't that the fist technique is no good. It's that this junior's comprehension is too poor."
The fist technique had been taught to him by Yang Jueding and was called the Ten Directions Demon Subduing Fist. When Wu Man'er performed it, its domineering might had left a deep impression on him.
Although Wu Man'er was simple-minded, his comprehension when it came to martial arts was astonishingly high. He was especially talented at fist and foot techniques, which he could master with ease, making many of the disciples envious.
Wu Baoyu looked at Qin Ye and said, "Come here at midnight tonight. I will teach you a staff technique. Perhaps it will let you truly set foot on the path of martial arts."
With that, Wu Baoyu continued up the mountain without stopping.
Midnight?
Qin Ye frowned, somewhat hesitant. He remembered what Feng Dai had said earlier and did not know whether he should trust Wu Baoyu.
At the same time.
Atop the forest fifty zhang away, Li Qingqiu stood on a branch and heard the conversation between the two.
From his vantage point, the mountains stretching as far as the eye could see had already sunk into a vast expanse of white, and the range of visibility was shrinking by the moment.
As his cultivation grew higher, his senses had also grown stronger. Just like now, he could hear Qin Ye and Wu Baoyu's conversation from far away. Every word was crystal clear in his ears, and even the wind and snow could not conceal it.
"Why make it so mysterious?"
Li Qingqiu muttered. It was not that he suspected Wu Baoyu of harboring evil intentions. Recently, Wu Baoyu's loyalty to the Qingxiao Sect had been steadily increasing and had now surpassed eighty. With loyalty that high, he should not act recklessly.
However, Qin Ye was his second disciple. He had to come and take a look that night.
Just then, a line of notification appeared before Li Qingqiu's eyes:
[Since someone in the Qingxiao Sect has created a spell for the first time, exerting a far-reaching influence on the development of the Legacy, you have received one opportunity to claim a legacy reward]
Before you continue