A Chance Encounter

With a chattering little girl who had endless questions by his side, this escort mission didn't feel too dull.

Just like that, after traveling for over ten days, they finally reached their destination.

It had gone quite smoothly.

Although they encountered a few waves of petty thieves, Li Gan easily dispatched them all.

Ye City, Xuan Prefecture.

It was nearly a thousand miles away from the Divine Sword Sect, yet it still fell within the sect's sphere of influence.

This place was famous for smelting and was home to several large iron mines. It was well-known throughout the Dachang Kingdom, and the local powers that controlled these mines naturally had intricate ties with the Divine Sword Sect.

The Lin family's ancestors were once a renowned smelting family in Ye City, specializing in forging weapons for the Divine Sword Sect.

However, times had changed. The Lin family had declined, and the only industry they had left was a single smelting workshop, which was barely scraping by.

"Yun'er, things are very chaotic outside right now. Why did you come back instead of staying in Linjian City?"

In the backyard of the Lin residence, Lin Yun was speaking with her father.

"Father, it's just that I missed you, and besides, it's almost the anniversary of Mother's passing."

Lin Yun said.

She returned home roughly every two years.

In previous years, her husband would accompany her.

This time, her husband Yun Xi was occupied with a mission and truly couldn't get away, so he had to post an escort mission within the inner sect to have her and her daughter escorted back to visit family.

"Yun'er, after you go back this time, try to stay in Linjian City as much as possible. The Moon Worship Cult rebellion in the eight southeast prefectures certainly won't end in the short term. Besides, I have already decided to relocate the Lin family to Fuyang," Lin Wansheng said.

Lin Yun was pleasantly surprised upon hearing this. "Father, have you finally made up your mind?"

"Sigh, I have to admit I'm getting old. Plus, your brother lacks the ability; the workshop definitely wouldn't be able to be saved in the end."

Lin Wansheng sighed.

With the Moon Worship Cult's activities running rampant, the situation in Ye City was very unstable, and he worried that the Lin family would easily be caught in the crossfire.

Only by selling off their assets and moving the whole family to Fuyang to settle down might they be able to catch a breath with the support of his son-in-law.

Moreover, Fuyang was close to the Divine Sword Sect.

As part of the sect's core territory, it was much more stable than other places.

Li Gan was staying temporarily at the Lin family estate, where he was being served with the finest food and drink.

According to Lin Yun, they would be returning to Linjian City after staying at home for about two or three days.

Just like that, three days passed.

Lin Yun suddenly sought him out.

"Young Hero Li, there will be an extra carriage and a few more people on this trip back to Linjian City."

"Madam Lin, my mission is to be responsible for the safety of you and your daughter. As for anyone else, I cannot provide any guarantees."

Li Gan said.

Lin Yun understood what Li Gan meant, so she did not say anything more.

Through her husband, Yun Xi, she had learned a bit about Li Gan, this inner disciple.

He had participated in the true disciple selection.

His strength was certainly not weak.

She was just puzzled as to why such a formidable true disciple seed would choose to take on an escort mission.

When they set off the next day, there was indeed an extra carriage, carrying three members of the Lin family—one adult and two youths.

Furthermore, the Lin family had sent two servants to escort them.

These two servants were not even ranked martial artists; they could only handle some common petty thieves. If they truly encountered a martial artist, they would be nothing more than cannon fodder.

Li Gan did not care.

If danger were to arise, he only needed to protect Lin Yun and her daughter.

Xianlin Town.

Since it was getting late, Li Gan's party prepared to stay at an inn here for the night.

When they had gone to Ye City previously, they had rested in this very Xianlin Town for one night.

However, things were a bit different this time.

Torches were stuck everywhere along both sides of the street.

Many of the residents walking on the street were also carrying torches.

The entire Xianlin Town was as bright as day.

"Mom, why are there torches everywhere?"

Inside the carriage, the little girl asked curiously.

"It must be the unique Torch Festival held in Xianlin Town. Before dark, torches must be lit to drive away the darkness. It lasts until dawn the next day."

Lin Yun explained with a smile.

Suddenly, the road ahead was blocked.

A servant went up to inquire and learned that a procession of fire-sacrifice mages would be passing through shortly. Everyone else had to wait until they had passed before they could proceed.

With no other choice, the group had to stop and wait.

After about fifteen minutes, the area ahead suddenly became lively.

A large number of people holding torches swarmed in. In the center of the procession was a massive throne adorned with many torches, and sitting atop it was an old man with red hair wearing a bright red ceremonial robe.

The entire massive throne was carried by dozens of bare-chested, sturdy men.

At the front and back of the procession, there were people wearing ghost masks, dancing with strange steps and occasionally breathing fire from their mouths.

The atmosphere of the entire scene was eerie and mysterious.

Many residents holding torches seemed to have fallen into a state of hysterical madness, chanting strange slogans in unison.

As the fire-sacrifice mage's procession passed by, Li Gan could not help but look at the red-haired old man. He vaguely sensed a powerful, invisible aura emanating from him.

He is definitely a martial artist, and not at a low level either.

Li Gan muttered to himself.

Not only that, but those wearing ghost masks also seemed to possess cultivation.

This was a bit absurd.

To have so many martial artists appear in a single town.

And all for just a Torch Festival.

Thinking of this, Li Gan scanned his surroundings.

Because there were torches everywhere, the lighting was excellent. Furthermore, since he was on horseback, he had a vantage point that allowed him to see everything around him clearly.

Suddenly, he spotted someone in the crowd of onlookers.

This person was not holding a torch.

An invisible aura also radiated from his body, which, to Li Gan's senses, felt as vigorous as a burning candle.

Ever since the chen bell had been upgraded to a dharma tool, Li Gan was not only able to use it to disguise his own aura, but his perception of the outside world had also become incredibly sensitive.

Another powerful martial artist?

Li Gan's heart stirred.

He then discovered several more martial artists in the crowd, all of whom seemed to possess no weak cultivation.

Although he did not know the situation or why so many martial artists had gathered in Xianlin Town for a simple Fire-Sacrifice Festival, all signs indicated that this was certainly not simple.

Suddenly, Li Gan sensed a gaze directed toward him.

The two locked eyes.

Li Gan was quite surprised.

He had seen this woman before; she was one of the nineteen participants in the true disciple selection.

As for her name, he did not know it.

He had failed to notice her just moments ago.

Clearly, the other party was also skilled in concealing her aura, which was why he had been negligent.

An elite inner disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, why would she be here? Could it be that the others are also inner disciples of the Divine Sword Sect?

Li Gan felt a chill in his heart. He feared that Xianlin Town had become a place of trouble.

Thinking of this, he went to the side of the carriage and said to Lin Yun inside, "Madam Lin, it is not suitable to stay in Xianlin Town tonight. We must leave immediately."

"Young Hero Li, then I shall follow your arrangements."

Lin Yun did not know what had happened, but if Li Gan suddenly said this, there must be a reason for it.

Once the procession of the fire-sacrifice mage had passed, the road blockade ended.

Under Li Gan's direction, the two carriages did not head to an inn to stay the night; instead, they continued along the road leading out of town.

As the distance from the town grew, the clamor gradually faded into the distance, and the tension in Li Gan's heart slowly began to ease.

Although traveling by night in the wilderness carried certain risks, it was certainly much safer than staying in Xianlin Town.

Xianlin Town.

On the second floor of a building by the roadside, two figures leaned against the railing, watching the distant procession of the fire-sacrifice mage.

"This Moon Worship Cult is truly pervasive; they have even infiltrated the local Jihuo Temple. If we cannot snuff out the source, I fear it will lead to a catastrophe just like the one in the eight southeast prefectures."

A young man in white spoke with a worried expression.

"Why overthink it? We just need to complete our mission. As for major matters like this, the higher-ups in the sect will handle them."

Standing beside him was a bald man in black.

It was Pang Bai.

Just then, a woman in a blue martial outfit hurried over.

"Junior Sister Yuan, you observed him from up close. What is the cultivation level of that fire-sacrifice mage?"

Pang Bai asked.

Due to the nature of the techniques he and Chu Yuan practiced, they could not get too close to the fire-sacrifice mage, or they would easily alert the enemy.

As a personal disciple of the Yuping Peak master, Yuan Mingzhu practiced the Mingyu Void Transformation Technique, which naturally possessed the effect of concealing one's breath and aura.

"Senior Brother Pang, guess who I saw?"

Yuan Mingzhu did not answer Pang Bai's question, but asked instead.

"Who?"

Pang Bai asked.

"Uncle Master Zhou's disciple, Li Gan. Didn't you try to recruit him last time?"

Yuan Mingzhu said.

"Li Gan? Why would he be here?"

Pang Bai was very surprised.

Hadn't Li Gan accepted an escort mission?

"I suspect he is still working on that escort mission, but after he saw me, he seemed to recognize me, and then he took his people and ran toward the outskirts of the town," Yuan Mingzhu said.

"Don't worry about him. He's a coward. Eliminating the people from the Jihuo Temple is what matters," Pang Bai said with a wave of his hand.

"Senior Brother Pang, although he is a bit timid, his strength is not weak after all. Why not recruit him? That way, it would be easier for us to surround and annihilate the Jihuo Temple," the young man in white, Chu Yuan, couldn't help but say.

"The three of us combined—are you afraid we can't kill that old guy? Adding one more person just means splitting the contribution points. Besides, aren't you worried he'll just drag us down?"

After the scene at the mission hall, Pang Bai's impression of Li Gan had become very poor.

The young man in white, Chu Yuan, shrugged his shoulders and said nothing more.

Yuan Mingzhu was even less likely to speak up.

After all, her impression of Li Gan was not very good either; someone who didn't even dare to accept a suppression mission was not worthy of being their companion.