Dark Moon, High Winds on Autumn Water Plateau

From far away, Liu Dongqing and Jiang Xiuyong brought the flying vessel down.

They waited a while longer.

As the sun neared the horizon, veiled by the glow of sunset, Liu Dongqing and Jiang Xiuyong finally took up position on a mountain near Autumn Water Plateau. They concealed themselves behind jagged boulders and gazed from afar at Autumn Water Plateau, where lights were gradually beginning to shine.

Jiang Xiuyong had kept the truth hidden the entire way. Even the elder's decree issued to Liu Dongqing had been written in vague terms.

Only now did he reveal what was really going on.

"This Red Crow Tribe only migrated here not long ago. What the elder's decree says isn't wrong—cross two mountains farther east, and you'll reach one of the mines belonging to our Holy Sect's Departure Peak.

Mountain folk, wherever they go, are accustomed to bartering goods for the provisions they need to survive.

As it happens, the one stationed there is an uncle from our branch of the Jiang Family.

And it was he who keenly noticed that the beast-hide paper his miscellaneous-goods steward had traded from the Red Crow Tribe was somewhat unusual.

Our old uncle is someone who has truly lived through many great events.

Take the fact that the Demon Race rarely makes much of a presence in the Southern Frontier—you and I know it, and so do those branded as heretical cultivators of the Demon Refining Mystic Sect in the other regions.

For countless years, Demon Refining Mystic Sect cultivators have always fled south to escape disaster.

But they never imagined that after evading the hatred-filled hunts of the Demon Race, they would turn around and plunge headlong into the demonic-path purgatory of our Southern Frontier. The supreme mystic arts of the Demon Refining Mystic Sect that they possessed would then become the cause of their deaths.

Once exposed, how many vicious Rogue Cultivators would swarm toward them like ducks to a feast?

Even disciples of holy lands and great sects would wish to obtain a look at another sect's mystic arts, to compare and corroborate them with their own cultivation.

Our old uncle has encountered several such incidents.

Therefore, he could sharply distinguish the unique traces left behind after Demon Refining Mystic Sect cultivators used their own mystic arts to process demon beast carcasses into refining materials, recognizing how they differed from ordinary beast-hide paper.

Following those faint traces, old uncle secretly and silently investigated the entire Red Crow Tribe on Autumn Water Plateau—

There are two people who possess the Demon Refining Mystic Sect's inheritance. They have disguised themselves as the mountain tribe's shamans for a very long time.

If those few sheets of beast-hide paper had not given them away, they might truly have remained deeply hidden in the Southern Frontier and ultimately lived out a path to survival.

But uncovering this much was already the limit of what old uncle could do.

As members of the same family branch, he too falls within the scope of surveillance. In fact, because he possesses a certain degree of cultivation and authority, the scrutiny he faces is even greater than that directed at ordinary clansmen within the sect.

The slightest movement would tug a single hair and set the whole body in motion.

And since old uncle has no children, nor did he take in enough suitably gifted disciples in his youth, this opportunity has ultimately fallen into the hands of the two of us.

Even the decree that transferred you out of the sect before this was arranged through old uncle's connections."

Almost the instant Jiang Xiuyong's words fell, Liu Dongqing closely followed with, "Many thanks for our old uncle's generous favor. But Liu is offering his person and his strength only to sip a mouthful of soup, enough to gather the strength to break free of this predicament.

At most, I am merely an outer disciple of Departure Peak.

The one who can truly turn his life around and change his fate must still be you, Junior Brother Jiang. This opportunity has, after all, 'benefited' you, Junior Brother."

In response to Jiang Xiuyong's sentiment, Liu Dongqing did not mind offering more flattering words to dispel more of Jiang Xiuyong's wariness before they acted.

Sure enough, seeing Jiang Xiuyong's expression ease considerably after hearing this, Liu Dongqing hurriedly shifted the subject, drawing Jiang Xiuyong's attention elsewhere.

"I wonder whether our old uncle managed to determine what level of cultivation these two possess?"

Jiang Xiuyong's attention was indeed led away by Liu Dongqing. At those words, only the seriousness of discussing business remained on his face.

"Their cultivation realms should be roughly comparable to yours and mine. At the absolute most, they are only brushing the threshold of mid-stage Qi Refinement."

Hearing this, Liu Dongqing felt greatly relieved.

And judging by the certainty in Jiang Xiuyong's tone, even if one of them was a mid-stage Qi Refinement opponent, Jiang Xiuyong must already have prepared his trump card.

Thus, in the next instant, Liu Dongqing seemed to let a surging killing intent rise within his heart without the slightest hesitation.

"Then how shall we proceed?

Do we kill our way directly onto Autumn Water Plateau? Or..."

Without anyone noticing, the rhythm had already fallen entirely into Liu Dongqing's hands.

At this, Jiang Xiuyong waved his hands again and again.

Before an opportunity that could alter his fate, he appeared excessively cautious.

"No rush! Senior Brother, no rush!"

He hurriedly tried to soothe Liu Dongqing, who seemed ablaze with killing intent. And to set Liu Dongqing's mind somewhat at ease, he promptly laid out his true plan in full.

"I have a letter here, personally written by that miscellaneous-goods steward under old uncle.

We'll take this letter and pose as sect disciples carrying out duties at the mine where old uncle is stationed. Using that identity, we'll walk straight onto Autumn Water Plateau and into the Red Crow Tribe!

As for what comes after...

Your junior brother hasn't made an overly detailed plan. The more thoroughly one plans things in advance, the more often events turn out contrary to one's wishes. There are too many unexpected turns, and when the time comes, habitual thinking may leave us unable to respond in time.

We'll adapt to circumstances. If we can outwit them, that would be best of all.

If not, we will already be standing in the heart of Autumn Water Plateau, sparing ourselves the hardship of having to kill our way in from the outside.

It isn't that these mountain folk with no cultivation are especially difficult to fight. But our objective, after all, is not the killing itself, nor even the lives of those two cultivators. It is the supreme mystic art inheritance itself!"

The more it was at a time like this, the more they had to value lightning speed in war!

"Senior Brother, what do you think?"

Almost every time Jiang Xiuyong spoke, Liu Dongqing would carefully weigh his words in his heart.

That was precisely why Liu Dongqing insisted on controlling the rhythm of the conversation—before taking action, he had to coax every last one of Jiang Xiuyong's calculations into the open.

First, to determine whether there were any flaws in the plan.

Second, to determine whether this plan contained any obvious schemes Jiang Xiuyong was using against him.

Thus, upon hearing this, Liu Dongqing nodded repeatedly.

"Junior Brother's thoughts are meticulous. This senior brother is ashamed to be your inferior.

We'll do everything as you say!

This old brother will do his utmost to help you secure this fine opportunity!"

At those words, an eager, excited smile had already blossomed across Jiang Xiuyong's face.

"No, no. Everything still depends on Senior Brother later. You and I shall advance and retreat together upon Autumn Water Plateau!"

Liu Dongqing clapped his hands again and again.

"Good! Excellent!"

As they spoke.

Jiang Xiuyong flipped his hand over and took the letter into his grasp ahead of time.

The two martial brothers no longer bothered to conceal themselves. Shoulder to shoulder, they strode openly down the mountain path, following the direction indicated by the firelight as they marched briskly toward Autumn Water Plateau.

Along the way, their conversation ranged from karma to fortuitous opportunities to their schemes, growing increasingly animated by the end.

Yet whether intentionally or not, neither of them ever mentioned how the Demon Refining Mystic Sect's supreme mystic art ought to be divided once the matter was accomplished.

It was as though both had been so careless that they had happened to forget.