A Nine-Aperture Martial Demon Exists

Having received his master's orders, Shi Changkong, using the alias Chu Xiujian, immediately went to carry them out.

However, when Shi Changkong arrived at the Sword-Overseeing Dao General Hall, the two pavilion attendants guarding the place informed him that Tan Shuchang had not returned to the Dao General Hall since leaving earlier.

"Master Chu, if it is not urgent, you may entrust it to the two of us. Once Dao General Tan returns, we will immediately report it to him, and your matter will not be delayed," the two guard attendants said somewhat ingratiatingly.

Tan Shuchang could now be said to have no backing whatsoever, no different from a Rogue Cultivator. Thus, those sent to guard his door were generally people unwelcome in Heavenly Wonder Pavilion, or those with no connections to speak of.

If Tan Shuchang showed even the slightest intention of taking in trusted subordinates, these two pavilion attendants would naturally spare no effort to perform well. However small his influence might be, he was still a Principal Third Rank backer, was he not?

Yet ever since coming to Heavenly Wonder Pavilion, Tan Shuchang had always kept to himself, with no such intention at all. As a result, those under him had begun seeking other paths for themselves.

As for Shi Changkong before them, he had struggled through Heavenly Wonder Pavilion for many years and possessed an extremely powerful network of connections.

"Though it is not urgent, it is not suitable for too many people to know for now. We must wait until Lord Tan makes his position clear," Shi Changkong said, then left the Dao General Hall.

However, he did not report to Zhao Huaiji. Instead, he changed locations and began making inquiries.

That place was the Artifact Pavilion.

The twelfth-rank pavilion attendant in charge there was the nephew of Deputy Pavilion Master Yun Shoutian. Thus, Shi Changkong quickly learned Tan Shuchang's approximate whereabouts from him.

"Brother Chu, if I'm not mistaken, that Tan Shuchang was probably kept behind by Luojia Mountain's young mistress. After the Peaceful Heart Charity Fair ends, there is always a small banquet. Since few people are invited, few know of this banquet," said the twelfth-rank pavilion attendant, Zhang Dongzhi. When he mentioned Tan Shuchang, a trace of displeasure inevitably crept into his tone.

"So that is how it is. Many thanks, Manager Zhang!" Shi Changkong caught the emotion in Zhang Dongzhi's words, but did not pry. He merely committed it to memory before reporting to Zhao Huaiji.

After hearing this, Zhao Huaiji immediately said with some irritation, "I have not descended Sword Disciple Mountain for more than ten years, and these young sprouts have learned to burrow down rat paths."

Luojia Mountain's young mistress had caused him great loss of face. How could Zhao Huaiji not bear a grudge?

"Since that is the case, go wait over there. Do your utmost to deliver the letter into Tan Shuchang's hands in full view of everyone," Zhao Huaiji ordered.

"This disciple obeys." Shi Changkong naturally did not dare refuse.

His ability to establish a foothold in Heavenly Wonder Pavilion depended entirely on Zhao Huaiji. At the same time, a few calculations began forming in his heart. He naturally knew of Sword Disciple Mountain's Righteous Path Grand Plan. Back then, because he had been young and unable to restrain himself, and in a moment of lust had indirectly caused the deaths of three people, he had lost all hope of ever returning to Sword Disciple Mountain in this lifetime.

But if he could assist that Child of Destiny, perhaps his reputation could be turned around, allowing the name Shi Changkong to reappear in the world.

He, Shi Changkong, had once been one of Sword Disciple Mountain's gifted talents!

He had truly had enough of these days when he dared not meet his old friends, dared not show himself in broad daylight, and lived like a rat in a gutter.

He no longer wanted to be Chu Xiujian, a tenth-rank pavilion attendant of Heavenly Wonder Pavilion. He wanted to become Shi Changkong again!

Heavenly Wonder Pavilion was like a city, with every kind of building imaginable. At this moment, Tan Shuchang was in a carefully tended garden. Other than him, there was no one around.

Just as Zhang Dongzhi had said, after the Peaceful Heart Charity Fair ended, Tan Shuchang had been invited by Luojia Mountain's disciples to attend the small banquet.

However, before Tan Shuchang had managed more than a few bites, he had been invited here again.

This should be because that young mistress wished to see him.

Tan Shuchang had assumed she would arrive quickly, but after waiting a full half hour, she finally came late. She still appeared as a hazy silhouette, as though she could not bear to be seen in the light.

"Miss An, you summoned Tan. May I ask for what matter? If you need money and grain for disaster relief, I know someone named Qiu Junlin. He should be quite willing to provide Miss An with a large amount of money and grain free of charge, and run himself ragged for you," Tan Shuchang said as he rose. Since the host had arrived, remaining seated would be discourteous.

According to rumor, Luojia Mountain's young mistress was called An Yunxin.

"You and Qiu Junlin are not on good terms?" The hazy silhouette was somewhat surprised. As far as she knew, this was the first time Qiu Junlin had brought someone to attend her Peaceful Heart Charity Fair.

"We are not very familiar," Tan Shuchang said. He had already slaughtered one of the man's "grand-uncles"; it was only a matter of time before they turned against one another.

Rather than earn the name of a hypocrite, he might as well be frank now.

Upon hearing this, the hazy silhouette asked directly, "Do you know what it is that you cultivate?"

"I do not, so I named it the Calamity-Crossing Immortal Scripture. Could it be that Miss An knows?" Tan Shuchang immediately became interested.

The hazy silhouette had indeed intended to tell Tan Shuchang that the cultivation method he practiced was the Black Shadow Immortal-Saving Manual. Though this supreme secret tome of the demonic path had, for some unknown reason, undergone such tremendous changes in Tan Shuchang's hands, she possessed that sentient treasure which had once belonged to the demonic path. Therefore, whenever Tan Shuchang acted, the sentient treasure could not help but produce a faint reaction.

However, upon hearing the name Calamity-Crossing Immortal Scripture, the hazy silhouette felt rather speechless.

Calamity-Crossing?

Immortal Scripture?

You really dared to give it that name!

"I do know, but it is merely a name. It is of no importance," the hazy silhouette said after a moment of silence.

Hearing her say this, Tan Shuchang did not press the matter further.

"Fellow Daoist Tan, regarding the matter at the Peaceful Heart Charity Fair, I owe you an apology," the hazy silhouette said proactively at this moment.

"Even without that incident, I would have crossed paths with that one from Sword Disciple Mountain sooner or later." Tan Shuchang did not care much about it. "If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave first."

In his perception, there were several people here at the peak level of Blackheart Elder, so Tan Shuchang had been uncomfortable for quite some time.

"If Fellow Daoist Tan wishes to leave, I naturally will not stop you. However, I have a portion of the Nine-Aperture Martial Demon here, obtained by Luojia Mountain through a fortunate coincidence. I imagine Fellow Daoist Tan can make use of it, so please accept it!"

"The Nine-Aperture Martial Demon?"

Tan Shuchang could not help but be startled upon hearing this.

The name of the Nine-Aperture Martial Demon was simply too great. Who had first refined it could no longer be verified; all that was known was that every time it appeared in the world, a top-tier immortal cultivation sect would be completely erased from existence.

"Miss An, is it truly appropriate to give this to me?" Tan Shuchang could not help asking.

"It is merely a fragment of the incomplete head. Fellow Daoist Tan need not think too much of it," the hazy silhouette said. At that moment, a portion of the Nine-Aperture Martial Demon was brought over by an elderly woman.

The elderly woman was dressed somewhat casually, in only simple luxurious silk robes. Beneath her head of white hair, her face instead looked like that of someone in her thirties or forties.

The old woman appeared soundlessly near Tan Shuchang, set down that portion of the Nine-Aperture Martial Demon, and left.

It was indeed as the hazy silhouette had said.

This portion of the Nine-Aperture Martial Demon was only one-quarter of its head.

"Many thanks, Miss An!" Tan Shuchang offered his thanks. Though he felt uncomfortable inside, his expression remained calm, and he did not walk quickly when he departed. Everything seemed entirely natural.

Yet once Tan Shuchang had left, the elderly woman could not help speaking. "Little An, why did you do this?"

The Nine-Aperture Martial Demon was Jia Five Realm's taboo great weapon of slaughter.

Because it belonged to the lineage of demonic cultivators, fragments of the Nine-Aperture Martial Demon were tremendously helpful to demonic cultivators. Even before it was fully assembled, merely one percent of it could allow a demonic cultivator to shed their mortal frame and exchange their bones.

"Granny Mirror, though righteousness and evil stand opposed, only with demons can righteousness be made manifest!" the hazy silhouette said faintly. "And what is a demon? A demon can be a Demon Sect, or a demonic cultivator like Tan Shuchang. But to Sword Disciple Mountain, it can also be our Luojia Mountain!"