Stolen

With Super Sensation dispelling the strange phenomena, he looked closely with his eyes.

This round bright moon was carved from white jade, set into a massive stone shaped like a dark cloud.

At first glance, it seemed like a bright moon embedded in the night sky, gently spilling its cool radiance.

Even without using Super Sensation, one could feel the extraordinary quality of this moon statue.

The moment he stepped through the main gate of the True One Cult's temple hall, he could sense a faint chill, a refreshingly cold lunar glow seeping into him.

Standing at the center of the hall, he gazed at the moon statue, and the more he looked, the more wondrous it seemed.

A single bright moon hung in the void, surrounded by layers of sparse dark clouds, setting off the moon like a flawless jade plate, pure and spotless.

But with a moment's focus on the moon, he could see shadows within it.

Vague and indistinct, it seemed there were figures on the moon, or perhaps buildings.

One couldn't help but think that this moon held Guanghan Palace, and within Guanghan Palace, a Guanghan Fairy.

The fairy standing atop the moon palace was gazing down at the mortal world, observing it?

Chu Zhiyuan released his Super Sensation once more.

The moon statue was identical to the moon in the night sky, both illusory and real.

What kind of technique was this?

He glanced at the worshippers kneeling and kowtowing before the moon statue, and mused to himself, Could this be the Path of Incense and Fire?

But the Path of Incense and Fire didn't seem so easy to define.

Under Super Sensation, everything around him was reflected in his mind.

Within this True One Cult temple, there was one Grandmaster—the old man in a dark green robe sitting in the corner of the hall.

There were also two Xiantian Masters, both middle-aged, practicing in the back courtyard.

The rest were unremarkable.

He had originally thought the True One Cult was about the same scale, reputation, and strength as the Thick Earth Sect.

But now, it seemed the True One Cult was far weaker than the Thick Earth Sect.

The Thick Earth Sect had a young genius like Feng Zhihao, with a promising future, at least no worries for the next hundred years.

Yet the True One Cult temple had no young geniuses, giving off an air of stagnation.

He left the True One Cult temple and strolled through the bustling streets with his hands behind his back.

Without seeing the True One Cult's inner techniques, it was hard to say which sect was truly stronger or weaker; perhaps their experts were hidden outside Jade Capital, not wanting to draw attention.

Most martial artists were straightforward and blunt, but there were no shortage of clever ones.

The True One Cult's doctrines vaguely hinted that their inner techniques followed the path of using the spirit as the foundation, a path almost impossible to achieve Grandmaster status.

But it was often swift in the early stages, possibly even matching the speed of the Lesser Violet Sun Technique.

Yet judging by the state of the True One Cult temple, that wasn't the case.

His eyes flickered, and he smiled.

The True One Cult was hiding its true strength!

Why hide it?

Either they didn't want to stand out, or they had grand ambitions.

He smiled again.

These sects and schools were no easy marks!

For now, it seemed only the Flying Flower Sword Sect, newly arrived with shallow roots, was easier to see through. The other sects and schools had deep foundations and thick reserves—that made all the difference.

He arrived outside the compound where the Flying Flower Sword Sect was staying.

Word had already been sent ahead, and Lu Wan led a group of Flying Flower Sword Sect disciples out to greet him.

She wore a lake-green silk robe, graceful and charming, and clasped her hands with a slight smile: "The Assistant Director's presence brings great honor to our humble abode!"

"Assistant Director..."

The disciples all paid their respects one after another.

Chu Zhiyuan noticed curiosity and a hint of resentment in their eyes.

Clearly, his words from last time had reached their ears.

They were definitely unconvinced, after all, he was only twenty years old, about the same age as them, or even younger than some.

In their view, his remarks had been patronizing and condescending, grating to hear.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and returned the salute with clasped hands.

He could tell something was off with Lu Wan's demeanor; her charming smile carried a trace of strain, and Super Sensation caught the anger beneath her smile, so he shot her a questioning look.

Lu Wan smiled as if nothing was wrong: "Sir, let's talk inside."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded and followed her in.

Zou Fang kept close to him, while Guo Chi led six estate guards and followed inside.

Once through the main gate and past the screen wall, several flower beds spread out before them, arranged in a petal-like pattern.

Within the beds, a hundred flowers vied for splendor—red, pink, yellow, purple, blue. All kinds of blooms defied the cold wind, bursting forth in a riot of color and fragrance.

Chu Zhiyuan studied the flowers with curiosity, then turned his head. "Elder Lu, how was this achieved?"

The flowers at Prince Qing's Estate bloomed year-round and the trees stayed lush because of hot springs.

Through Super Sensation, he knew there were no hot springs here.

He was genuinely curious why these flowers didn't wither or fade.

"My Lord, it's due to the flower varieties and some special medicines."

"Oh—?" Chu Zhiyuan looked on with interest.

"My Lord has an interest in plants and flowers?" Lu Wan was surprised.

She had always felt Chu Zhiyuan was deep and unfathomable, his eyes seeming to pierce through people's hearts. He hardly seemed like a young man of twenty, but rather like someone fifty or sixty, weathered by life's trials into profound depth.

She also knew he was a martial prodigy who should be focused on cultivation. She never expected him to take an interest in flowers.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "It's not me who's interested. My Little Sister loves tending flowers and plants... Could I take one of these rare blooms?"

Lu Wan smiled. "Which one does My Lord want?"

"This one." Chu Zhiyuan pointed at a large, apricot-yellow flower.

It resembled the yellow peonies he'd seen in his past life—layer upon layer, pure in color yet not vulgar, a National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance that stood out in its purity.

"This is a Morning Glow Flower," Lu Wan said. "Its color is fine but its fragrance faint. It doesn't bloom for long—only ten days out of the year."

"Only ten days in bloom..."

Lu Wan nodded gently. "But once it opens, the more you look, the more beautiful it becomes. It's intoxicating."

"Is it easy to keep alive?"

"It's somewhat difficult," Lu Wan said. "Suyue is skilled at raising flowers. Perhaps she could go and explain the details to the County Princess."

She beckoned with her jade-like hand.

A shy, pretty young woman stepped forward, head bowed, too embarrassed to look at Chu Zhiyuan. "Master..."

Chu Zhiyuan glanced at the lovely young woman, Li Suyue, and clasped his hands with a smile. "That would be best. I'll trouble you, miss."

Li Suyue blushed and hurriedly returned the gesture.

Chu Zhiyuan took one more deep look at the dense, bright yellow Morning Glow Flower, then followed Lu Wan to the front hall.

Zou Fang stood behind Chu Zhiyuan, while Guo Chi and the six estate guards remained outside.

"My Lord, the Earth Dragon Pearl is gone!"

Chu Zhiyuan had barely sat down when he heard Lu Wan's words. He stared at her in shock.

Lu Wan pressed her red lips tight, a layer of anger clouding her enchanting eyes. "It was stolen."

Chu Zhiyuan blinked, as if unable to process her words.

Lu Wan said bitterly, "After Senior Brother Yang and I left, we gave the thief an opening. They sneaked in and stole it!"

Chu Zhiyuan asked in confusion, "No Grandmaster stayed behind to guard the estate?"

Lu Wan sighed. "Who would have thought that here in Yujing, anyone would dare do such a thing!"

"Things like this happen all the time!" Chu Zhiyuan said irritably. "You people really... not leaving a single Grandmaster at home—what if someone had taken the chance to break in and slaughter everyone?"

The Town Martial Division was formidable, and the City Patrol Guard was strong too, but that didn't make Yujing City a place where lost items went unclaimed or danger was completely absent.

No matter the world or the era, there were always antisocial villains. This world had even more bad people than his past life.

Some martial arts techniques were fine, but practicing them led to Qi Deviation, turning people into madmen who only wanted to kill.

Other techniques had inherent flaws, drawing out the dark power within one's heart, strengthening it, and making the practitioner irritable and murderous.

Still others weren't just flawed but utterly evil—even a normal person who trained in them would become an inhuman demon, knowing only slaughter.

Living in such a world, how could one let down their guard?

Without a Grandmaster on site, there was no safety.

No matter the time, an estate should always keep a Grandmaster stationed.

That they left none—he really didn't know what to say.

Should he call them foolish, or naive?

They'd spent too long in small cities and hadn't adjusted their thinking. In those places, no one dared to pull the tiger's whiskers of the Flying Flower Sword Sect. But this was Yujing!

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't excuse their ignorance and stupidity, their recklessness and incompetence.

Too lazy to say more, he asked, "So someone lured you away?"

"...Yes." Lu Wan's face was covered in frost.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The more she thought about it, the more humiliated she felt. Her chest ached with rage.

"Any idea who did it?"

"The Earthen Cult!"

"Did you see with your own eyes that it was someone from the Earthen Cult?"

"If I'd seen them, I'd never have let them succeed!"

"Then it's too early to draw conclusions now."

The affairs of this world are sometimes stranger than imagination—without seeing it with your own eyes, you can't be certain.