Zhuang Wen and Bi Sheng held the talisman in their hands and examined it for a long time, but they still couldn't figure it out.
Chen Shuangbai did not insist, after all, this person was very likely a suicide soldier, and his bamboo leaf had only prevented him from leaving, but not killed him directly.
He died as soon as he hit the ground because he bit through the poison hidden in his mouth and died instantly from the poison.
Chen Shuangbai took the talisman back and then asked.
"I observe that the Daoist temple is well-maintained, which shows that you two take good care of it. However, it seems that the spiritual energy has been leaked, giving those rats an opportunity to take advantage. Are you unfamiliar with formations?"
Upon hearing this, Bi Sheng and Zhuang Wen exchanged a glance and sighed softly.
Bi Sheng stepped forward and said frankly, "Please let my uncle know that my master was originally from a peasant family. He was chosen by a high-ranking cultivator from the upper sect and entered the sect to cultivate. He chose alchemy, not formations..."
Chen Shuangbai understood the meaning behind his words.
This is actually the norm for most outer disciples. Even if they have the aptitude for cultivation, without the support and assistance of a powerful force behind them, it is quite difficult to achieve a stable balance between the various arts of cultivation and their own practice.
After a moment's thought, Chen Shuangbai said to the two, "Now that I have been ordered by the sect to guard this place, I am the one in charge here."
Bi Sheng immediately agreed, "Of course, it's up to you, Uncle-Master."
Zhuang Wen's round face showed some surprise. He wanted to say something, but Bi Sheng quietly pulled him back and gave him a wink, so the latter swallowed his words.
Chen Shuangbai ignored their petty actions.
He asked a number of questions, such as about the land, farmland, shops, and servants of the Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy, clearly wanting to investigate the Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy thoroughly.
The two Daoist priests were completely forthcoming with their knowledge of these things.
Until Chen Shuangbai asked a crucial question.
Where is the Golden Seal of Guardianship now?
"This..."
Zhuang Wen, who had been speaking eloquently, suddenly fell silent, Bi Sheng also frowned, clearly not in a good mood either.
Chen Shuangbai raised an eyebrow slightly. Seeing their expressions, she knew there might be something going on. She remained silent, sitting in the main seat with her eyes slightly narrowed, calmly watching the two of them.
The calmer the situation, the more pressure they felt.
The Golden Seal of Guardianship is a certificate issued by the Jade Spring Sect to disciples who are sent to guard various places. Originally, Wind Howling Ford was held by Senior Brother Tian Guanyu, the founder of the Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy. However, he later established Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy, and the powers of the two overlapped somewhat.
Originally, the location of the garrison commander should have been chosen separately, but Tian Guanyu combined the two, that is, Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy was the garrison post, and the garrison post was Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy.
The array that Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy set up in the hilly bamboo forest was probably bound to the Golden Seal of Guardianship it.
It now seems that the Golden Seal of Guardianship is most likely not in their hands... or even in the Daoist temple.
The two quickly succumbed to Chen Shuangbai yet extremely oppressive scrutiny and had no choice but to recount the whole story.
It was Zhuang Wen who spoke first.
He bowed respectfully and said in a low voice, "My master married a woman before his death, and that woman bore him a son. After my master's death, she kept this golden seal under the pretext of mourning her deceased husband, and has never handed it over."
"This item is of great importance. If she refuses to hand it over, can't you just take it back by force?"
Chen Shuangbai continued to ask.
Bi Sheng also spoke up, saying, "We went to ask for it, but..."
"Just what?"
Chen Shuangbai turned her gaze to him, her eyes sharp and piercing.
Bi Sheng knew he couldn't hide it any longer, and said, "Firstly, the two of them used the excuse of being widows and unborn children to manipulate us with their sense of loyalty; secondly, that woman is from the local Zhao Household clan."
"The Zhao, Yuan, Li, and Wang families can also be considered cultivation Lineage. Together, they have three Qi Refinement Fourth Layer cultivators, two Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivators, and one Seventh Layer of Qi Refining cultivator. Some of their disciples have even joined major cultivation sects in the Zhao Kingdom. Our strength is too weak to do anything to them."
Chen Shuangbai tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair, making a soft "tap, tap" sound that was particularly clear in the quiet hall.
Zhuang Wen and Bi Sheng held their breath, their hearts filled with unease.
However, Chen Shuangbai did not reprimand the two of them, nor did she show any obvious anger. Instead, she was thinking to herself.
--Jade Spring disciples are not forbidden from marrying and having children, so why did Senior Brother Tian Guanyu choose to marry someone from the Zhao Household?
--And then there's the Zhao Household, who, though they didn't speak or move, used their loyalty to hold Bi Sheng and Zhuang Wen hostage, and also seized the Golden Seal of Guardianship. This is why the Daoist temple had fallen into disrepair over the years, allowing even ordinary people and assassins from outside to sneak in.
--Heh, this is really tricky.
Chen Shuangbai held this local clan in slightly higher regard, but only slightly.
These four clans, though seemingly powerful and deeply entrenched in Wind Howling County, are nothing but paper tigers. If the Jade Spring Sect or the Jing Kingdom's royal family were to spare a single blow, they would be severely injured, if not killed.
Chen Shuangbai asked another question.
What caused Senior Brother Tian's death?
According to the information Chen Shuangbai saw, this Senior Brother Tian died suddenly, and the news only arrived late in the sect. His name was removed from the disciple roster of the Scripture Transmission Hall.
When they talked about the cause of their master's death, Zhuang Wen and Bi Sheng's expressions became somewhat gloomy.
"Our master died suddenly at his home in the county town. According to the mother and son, it seems that he was practicing his skills too forcefully and died from Qi Deviation. But my junior brother Zhuang and I both believe that there must be some hidden story behind this," Bi Sheng said quietly.
Chen Shuangbai's expression also became more serious.
"Yeah?"
It's as if he's asking and answering himself, or as if he just said it offhand.
Chen Shuangbai stopped pressing the matter and instead began instructing the two on their studies and spiritual practice.
He had been attending Daoist Lingxiu's classes within the sect for five years. Although he couldn't be said to have the profound cultivation of a seasoned cultivator, he was still far ahead of Zhuang Wen and Bi Sheng, the two disciples of the lineage who were outside the sect.
After receiving some guidance, the two felt enlightened, and the problems that had troubled them for a long time suddenly became clear, and they even gained some small insights.
Bi Sheng seemed to have sensed something and apologized before leaving. Zhuang Wen looked at his senior brother's smug expression and felt a little envious.
Chen Shuangbai replied, "You don't need to envy your senior brother. In my opinion, your aptitude is even higher than his. It's just that you are quite lazy, and you're even a bit rusty with the cultivation Cultivation Method."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Wen, who was old enough to be a grandfather, felt his face burning.
After giving the two instructions, Chen Shuangbai continued.
"Send a letter to the county government for me, saying that I, the new garrison commander, have arrived and will be taking up residence in the garrison headquarters in three days."
Zhuang Wen immediately perked up and excitedly asked, "Uncle-Master, you mean...?"
"Go."