Hidden Secret Codex

The first step to solving a problem was to establish his authority, so Lu Shui had no intention of conserving his strength,

and his voice carried the power of Heaven and Earth.

His seemingly calm words gave people a boundless, ethereal feeling, like a Sacred Word descending from the heavens.

This Sacred Word was enough to shake the hearts and minds of those with shallow cultivation.

At that moment, everyone present felt a wave of fear.

Especially the Liang Family Members who had looked at Lu Shui earlier. They didn't dare delay; they immediately lowered their heads and knelt on the ground, not daring to speak or look up.

The Sect Leader Tian Nü and the others felt the same fear. They lowered their heads even further, not daring to so much as think of raising them.

Even Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling behind him instinctively lowered their heads. Their young master's aura was far too eerie and terrifying.

Lu Shui sighed. He was about to run out of Heaven and Earth Power.

Still, keeping these people cowed for now was a good thing.

Then Lu Shui spoke toward the Liang Family.

"Someone said the Mysterious Book was in my hands."

At these words, the Liang Family Members grew terrified, as if the Reaper's scythe were pressed against their necks.

They wanted to explain themselves, but they didn't dare say a word.

Lu Shui's voice rang out again.

"The Mysterious Book is indeed in my hands. That's a fact.

Isn't that right?"

Those words struck Liang Tie right in the heart. At last, he suppressed his fear and replied respectfully,

"Yes, Senior. The Mysterious Book is indeed in your hands."

As he spoke, Liang Tie kept his head bowed and respectfully presented the Mysterious Book to Lu Shui.

The Mysterious Book floated into Lu Shui's hand on its own. Then Lu Shui continued,

"Then, what punishment does the person who spread the news that I possessed the Mysterious Book deserve?"

As he spoke, Lu Shui turned his gaze toward the people he had met at the café, including the young woman.

Sensing his unmistakable gaze, they immediately prostrated themselves on the ground and begged,

"Please forgive us, Senior."

Liang Tie smiled bitterly inside. But she was his daughter, after all. In the end, he offered up a lotus flower and pleaded,

"Please accept the Sky Water Snow Lotus, Senior. Please quell your anger."

Lu Shui fell silent for a moment. That brief pause left the Liang Family Members drenched in sweat, as though centuries had passed.

At last, Lu Shui's voice reached them.

"Destroy your own qi sea, and you may live."

Once the qi sea was destroyed, a person could only live as an ordinary person for the rest of their life.

To a cultivator, that was more painful than death.

Liang Zheng didn't hesitate. She destroyed her own qi sea at once.

The others likewise chose to cling to life.

Pfft—

They all spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out.

Lu Shui accepted the Sky Water Snow Lotus and paid the Liang Family no further attention. This was as far as he could go; if he pushed them any harder, he'd have to take action himself.

But he wasn't capable of fighting them.

Having Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling take action would undermine the stature he'd just displayed. It wasn't worth it.

Then he looked toward the Faceless Sect and the others. But the moment he turned his gaze their way—and they sensed it—Lu Shui was surprised to see the Sect Leader Tian Nü respond in kind.

She placed all of her belongings in front of her without even lifting her head, then said respectfully,

"These are all the assets of our Faceless Sect. Please show mercy, Senior."

Lu Shui swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.

Without saying a word, he waved his hand and took everything belonging to the Faceless Sect.

Finally, Lu Shui turned and strode away.

Everyone felt a weight lift from their hearts. At last, that terrifying Senior was gone.

But who was he?

After a brief hesitation, the Sect Leader Tian Nü immediately called out,

"Senior, might you tell us your name? If we hear of anyone connected to you in the future, we can make way for them in advance,

so as not to displease you."

Lu Shui smiled faintly. Someone had finally asked.

He didn't stop walking, but his voice carried back to them.

"Hidden Heaven Sect, Young Sect Master, Liu Huo."

If pretending to be a young master of the Lu Family didn't work, he'd use the Young Sect Master of a reclusive sect instead.

Surely they'd believe him now?

For a moment, Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling didn't know what to say. Their young master really was as over-the-top and unreliable as ever. Wasn't this just reckless?

But they couldn't help wondering: was their young master really ordinary?

Could it be that the young master who'd seemed so ordinary before had only been putting on an act?

If the Third Elder and the others had seen what their young master had just done, wouldn't the whole Lu Family have wrapped him in cotton wool?

At that thought, Zhen Wu began to understand, and yet he was still confused.

The young master was clearly still at the Second Tier. How had he done that just now?

Was it his own ability, or had he really relied on a magic treasure?

Zhen Wu couldn't figure it out. He decided to ask later.

After Lu Shui revealed his name, the Faceless Sect and the Liang Family were both shocked.

H-Hidden Heaven Sect?

After Lu Shui and the others left, the Sect Leader Tian Nü exchanged a glance with Elder Nan. Their eyes held lingering fear, but even more than that, they were filled with shock.

"掌门, that Hidden Heaven Sect he mentioned—could it be the one we saw last time?" Elder Nan asked.

The Sect Leader Tian Nü was a little panicked too.

"Check first."

Elder Nan quickly opened a book of records. Then she found an entry about the Hidden Heaven Sect:

"When light and darkness intertwine, when sun, moon, and stars shine together.

Beneath the hidden world, mortals join in chorus; above the Heavenly Dao, swords are wielded.

The Hidden Secret Codex, written in blood."

Many people were baffled by those words.

The Sect Leader Tian Nü, however, cried out in alarm,

"Check around you. Is there a Hidden Secret Codex? Hurry!"

Everyone was startled, then began searching. Even the Liang Family Members did the same.

Soon, they had all finished checking. There was no Hidden Secret Codex.

"Sect Leader, what is the Hidden Secret Codex?" Elder Bei had returned as well.

The others all looked at the Sect Leader Tian Nü. The Liang Family Members seemed to be listening too; they didn't understand either.

"The Hidden Secret Codex is written in blood. It only records names of people and things. Once a name is written in it, death will find you, no matter where in the world you flee," the Sect Leader Tian Nü explained.

Elder Nan added,

"The Sect Leader is right. Even powerful forces are extremely wary of the Hidden Heaven Sect. If we provoke them, our entire sect won't be enough to pay for it.

Just like what happened moments ago."

One after another, they sucked in a sharp breath.

Looking back on what had just happened, they truly had escaped disaster by the skin of their teeth.

"Sect Leader, what do we do now?" one of the surviving disciples asked.

Only the women had survived—or rather, those who had followed the Sect Leader Tian Nü from the beginning.

Otherwise, they never would have imitated the Sect Leader Tian Nü and knelt.

The Sect Leader Tian Nü thought for a moment, then said,

"Let's get out of here first. We'll hide in some small place for a few years before coming back.

We'll still have to take the blame for the mess the Left and Right Protectors and the East and West Elders caused."

Being a sect leader was hard. When the Left and Right Protectors and the East and West Elders had been around, the Sect Leader had barely had a say. Now that they were dead, she still had to take the blame.

Then they turned and left without giving the Liang Family Members another glance.

The Liang Family Members were relieved too. After all, the other side still had three Fourth Tier cultivators. If they fought, the Liang Family might be wiped out.

"We should leave as soon as possible too. Don't spread the word about meeting a Senior from the Hidden Heaven Sect today."

They nodded. Who would be foolish enough to spread it around? That'd be like wishing their lives were longer than they were.

Liang Tie looked at the unconscious Liang Zheng, then finally shook his head with a sigh.

The Liang Family had survived this calamity, but he still didn't know whether he'd done the right thing.

In the end, he still hadn't managed to keep the Mysterious Book.