His gaze cooled slightly, and the corner of his mouth curled with an unreadable meaning.
Forget it. It was only a tracking device.
The next day, other sects arrived one after another. Alongside the many cultivators came countless Devil Cultivators flaunting their demonic qi. Neither side could stand the other, and conflicts broke out frequently.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Sword Sect was the strongest sect in the cultivation world and had considerable power. Only through repeated deployments of its Law Enforcement Hall did it barely manage to bring the atmosphere to a delicate equilibrium.
Everyone had heard about the Devil Cultivators making trouble for Wu Fei in Sword-Seeking City yesterday, further elevating the reputation of the Buddha Spirit Sect's Buddha Son and his exquisite state of mind.
But the Buddha Spirit Sect's disciples kept to their own corner and rarely ventured out. The others had never had much of a relationship with their sect, so things here remained fairly peaceful.
"Senior Brother?!"
That peace shattered the instant Kuzheng saw Wu Fei's face. He rubbed his eyes, his face full of disbelief.
Hearing him, the other fellow disciples all turned to look at Wu Fei.
His fellow disciples: "!!"
How had three scratches appeared on their Buddha Son's handsome, flawless face overnight?!
Wu Fei smiled faintly. "It's nothing. A little stray cat accidentally scratched me last night."
Tsk. A little stray cat with a very fierce temperament, at that.
Understanding dawned on his fellow disciples' faces. This place bordered the Heavenly Sword Sect's spirit beast forest, so it was hardly surprising that a spirit beast had wandered over.
Kushi, who carried a large supply of spirit pills, hurriedly rummaged through his storage ring and offered him a bottle.
"Junior Brother, these are scar-fading pills. Take one, and those scratches will disappear completely in less than a quarter of an hour."
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Wu Fei accepted it with a nod, then asked with an air of casualness, "Did you bring any appearance-preserving pills on this trip, Senior Brother?"
"I did." Not only had Kushi brought some, he had brought quite a few. He took another two bottles of appearance-preserving pills out of his storage ring.
Because Wu Fei had always been reliable in the Buddha Spirit Sect, Kushi handed them straight over without asking what he wanted them for.
Wu Fei accepted them naturally, thinking, If Yin Fan ever accidentally ruins this incomparably handsome face of mine, these appearance-preserving pills can restore it.
As they talked, a sound-transmission talisman flew through the air toward them. Wu Fei raised a hand to intercept it, and moments later, it burned to ashes between his fingertips.
"It's a message from Master."
"Senior Brother / Junior Brother, did the sect leader say anything?"
When the Buddha Spirit Sect's party had set out for the Heavenly Sword Sect, their sect leader had been away. The elders had needed to remain and guard the sect, so in the end, they could only send a group of disciples.
Who would have thought that they would encounter no trouble along the way, only for Devil Cultivators to come looking for trouble at the foot of the Heavenly Sword Sect?
Wu Fei told them truthfully, "Master is inside the Heavenly Sword Sect right now..."
In fact, Wu Fei had known this all along. This part had been an important plot point in the original novel: the Heavenly Sword Sect had discovered a vast inheritance tomb dating back tens of thousands of years, very likely left behind by numerous Tribulation Transcendence Stage seniors. But the tomb was shrouded in an array, and only after years of research had the Heavenly Sword Sect found a way to unravel it.
Powerful human cultivators, Devil Cultivators, and Demon Cultivators had to channel their auras into the array simultaneously, working together with an array master to unravel it.
Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators were ideal, but they had to be at least at the Mahayana Stage. Each faction had few Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators, and they had to remain behind to guard their sects, so those who came were human cultivators, Devil Cultivators, and Demon Cultivators at the Mahayana Stage.
Among them, those from the Demon Domain would not arrive until the day after tomorrow because of the great distance. Once the Demon Cultivators arrived, even the slowest among them would notice something subtle was going on. Only then would the Heavenly Sword Sect and the sect leaders, lords, and others from the various factions who had arrived long before reveal the matter of the inheritance.
Wu Fei told his fellow disciples only a few things he ought to know. As for what he should not know, he did not mention a word.
Toward evening, while Wu Fei was discussing the Dao and sparring with his fellow disciples in the courtyard, an unexpected guest suddenly arrived.
Jing Fanyu came to visit with bamboo dew from the forest clinging to him, bringing premium spirit fruit and spirit tea for the Buddha Spirit Sect's party.
"I was busy during the day and couldn't visit sooner. Fellow Daoists, have you found this place suitable?"
With his present air of bright, breezy elegance, it was utterly impossible to connect him with Yin Fan, who had been so mercurial last night, stuffing demonic qi into his face at the slightest disagreement. No wonder that, in the book, the cultivation world had only believed they were the same person after Yin Fan removed his mask.
A dark glint flashed through Wu Fei's eyes, but his expression softened as he thanked him. "Everything has gone smoothly. Thank you for the trouble, Fellow Daoist Jing."
"I felt an instant affinity with you, Buddha Son. Calling each other Fellow Daoist seems rather distant." The smile at Jing Fanyu's lips deepened, his gaze sincere as he looked at Wu Fei. "Why don't we address each other as friends?"
Not knowing what the protagonist was up to now, Wu Fei maintained his peaceful expression, allowing a little confusion to show in his eyes. "How should we address each other as friends?"
Jing Fanyu said, "Our cultivation levels are comparable, and you're slightly older than me, Buddha Son. If you don't mind, you could call me Junior Brother Jing?"
Wu Fei nodded slightly. "Junior Brother Jing."
"Senior Brother Wu Fei." Jing Fanyu smiled like a peacock flaunting its plumage. He took out an exquisite box made of cold jade. "This is ice lotus heart tea. It calms the mind, making it just right for you, Senior Brother Wu Fei."
Having only ever spent time with his fellow disciples, this was Wu Fei's first encounter with such an enthusiastic "friend" as Jing Fanyu. He considered it with the Buddha Son's pure heart and accepted the ice lotus heart tea.
Then he took out a string of prayer beads made from eighteen bodhi seeds. Each seed was smooth and round, showing signs of careful polishing. Wu Fei said slowly, "I made these prayer beads myself. They also calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Please accept them as a gift in return."
They actually did no such thing. These prayer beads were just a tracking device.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Wu Fei." Jing Fanyu happily accepted them.
Such harmonious give-and-take!
Having successfully befriended the person he wanted to approach, Jing Fanyu smiled. Having successfully given him a tracking device in return, Wu Fei's expression softened slightly as well, a faint smile appearing at his lips.
Darkness covered the sky little by little. The night was lovely, a cool, clear full moon hanging high above, countless stars glimmering faintly.
The courtyard where the Buddha Spirit Sect's party stayed was no longer as quiet as it had been yesterday. Moonstones gave off a gentle glow, seeming to veil Wu Fei's face in soft light. As he held the teapot, slowly warming and brewing the tea, his every movement became captivating.