Even after all the disciples returned, Lu Junyang couldn’t figure it out and decided to put the thoughts aside for now.
Lu Junyang’s gaze swept over the group of young disciples. This time, he brought three male and two female disciples, all of whom were outstanding among their peers, though not of the highest cultivations.
“Eldest Senior Brother, what did you want to discuss with us?” One of the female disciples, a girl named Zixin, was impatient seeing that Lu Junyang didn’t dive straight into the matter and couldn’t help but speak first.
Lu Junyang didn’t answer directly, “How’s the investigation?” He asked back.
The steady-natured Gan Zilan replied, “Reporting to Eldest Senior Brother, we’ve investigated the victims’ family and their social connections. They were just ordinary mortals, kind-hearted, and got along well with neighbors without any known conflicts. According to neighbors, the men of the family spoke unfavorably about the devil race at the market during the day, and that same night, the two families were murdered.”
“I examined the scene with Senior Brother Gan. There indeed was the aura of the devil race, matching what was found in Tiangu,” a male disciple said with indignation, “This is truly a tragedy; those devils are despicable, slaughtering an entire family over a few words. I wish we could eradicate them all.”
Lu Junyang and his juniors came here to investigate the traces of the devil race. They thought that when they arrived, the devil intruders would run away with their tails between their legs. Unfortunately, they arrived a step too late. A murder had already occurred. In their eyes, this was a provocation by the devils against human cultivators.
“I teamed up with junior sisters to track the devils and found some traces, but they suddenly vanished as if erased.” After delivering his report, the disciple grumbled, “We shouldn’t have removed the barrier.” If the Cultivation Realm’s barrier was intact, would these random devils dare to sneak in and wreak havoc in their territory?
Gan Zilan glanced at his junior brother, “The Cultivation Realm’s barrier is only activated when the human race faces a crisis.”
The Cultivation Realm was very vast; activating the barrier consumed immense resources and couldn’t be done easily. Now that His Venerable had returned, there was no need for such measures. Unexpectedly, the devils were so bold; not only did they lurk around the human realm as if they were in their territory, but they even dared to commit murders!
“I’ll track the devils tonight, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground to find them,” Lu Junyang declared, “They couldn’t have gone far; we must seek justice for the victims.”
Lu Junyang was in a foul mood; they hurried from the Guiyuan Sect only to be a step late. Had they arrived earlier, perhaps the tragedy could’ve been averted. “Once Tiangu’s matter is settled, I’ll head straight back to the sect.”
The disciples immediately looked at him, “Did something happen…?”
“It’s nothing serious; don’t worry,” Lu Junyang reassured, “Master ordered me to return swiftly, perhaps he has another errand for me.”
“Zilan,” Lu Junyang turned to Gan Zilan, “Once I return to the sect, you will lead the others to the Jitian secret realm. Remember, prioritize safety and avoid conflicts.”
The Jitian secret realm was just an ordinary secret realm. It had appeared multiple times before and was often used by young disciples to gain experience. Many disciples from various sects would go, and the Guiyuan Sect was just sending a few representatives. Disciples from other sects generally showed courtesy to those from the Guiyuan Sect, so Lu Junyang wasn’t worried about their safety.
“Yes, Eldest Senior Brother,” Gan Zilan acknowledged the order.
“Go and investigate further, and resolve Tiangu’s issue as soon as possible.”
“We understood.”
…
Located in the northeastern region of the Cultivation Realm, there was a valley that stretched for thousands of miles, winding as if it had no end and connecting a line to the sky, hence its name: Tiangu Valley (Heaven Valley). Although not on the fringe of the Cultivation Realm, Tiangu Valley was far from bustling areas, with only a town standing at the foot of the mountain. As a result, few people venture into the inner reaches of the valley, apart from the occasional cultivator passing through and mortals active around the periphery.
Deep within the inner ravines of Tiangu Valley where sunlight seldom reaches, making it dark and damp, water droplets seep from the crevices in the rocks, forming shallow puddles on the ground. On a drier spot on the rocks sat three figures: two tall men clad in black leather armor and an enchanting woman, their distinctive blood-red eyes revealing their devil race identity. All three seemed to be in a bad mood, their faces marked with frustration and irritability.
“Those human brats have been relentlessly pursuing us. Big sis, do we have to keep hiding like this?” Guhuo spoke resentfully, “Together, the three of us can surely take them down!”
“Right! Big sis, we are devils. If others knew we were so cowardly, wouldn’t they look down on us?” To be chased into hiding by a few human brats was disgraceful.
“What’s the rush?” The only female among them, Guji, spoke, “Those little brats are not to be underestimated. The leader is the chief disciple of the Guiyuan Sect. If we dare do anything to him, we might end up perishing here.”
“If that brat is so powerful, wouldn’t eliminating him before he grows stronger earn us merit in front of His Venerable?” Yegen was eager to try.
It was a common tactic of their devil race to eliminate outstanding human talents early on, regardless of their age, even if they were mere infants. What else could they do otherwise? Waiting for them to grow and then dealing with the devil race? Of course not. There’s no discussing mercy or benevolence with the devils. Eliminating potential threats in advance was their usual practice.
“Right, big sis, I noticed that these little brats came out this time without any old geezers accompanying them,” Guhuo said excitedly.
In the past, whenever they encountered human brats out for cultivation experience, most were accompanied by elders. Those without elders were tough nuts to crack. Humans, knowing full well the nature of the demon and devil races, wouldn’t easily let their talented youth fall prey to the enemies’ malicious targeting.
“We need to plan this carefully,” Guji was somewhat tempted, but she remained cautious.
“Big sis, if we can take down that brat’s head to the Devil Palace, perhaps His Venerable will be pleased and appoint us as generals. With your beauty, Sis, the lord will surely take you as his woman.”
Guji seemed to entertain the thought and couldn’t help but chuckle coquettishly, “There are countless outstanding women around His Venerable, how can I compare with those specially nurtured by the noble clans?”
“Our big sis is the best. You’re much better than those women from the Hehuan Sect1,” Guhuo insisted, believing his big sister was the best.
“Don’t worry, big sis, Guhuo and I will surely capture that brat for you to present as a gift,” Yegen assured. If big sister became His Venerable’s favored concubine, their status would skyrocket, and they would no longer need to fear those noble clans and powerful devils back home.
“Alright, I know you guys care about me,” Guji smiled contentedly, then frowned, “That brat is the disciple of that old man; who knows how many life-saving measures he has? If we can’t ensure a one-hit kill, we better not act rashly.” She and her brothers often ventured into the Cultivation Realm and naturally had their own means of survival. One of their rules was to avoid powerful cultivators and flee when outmatched.
Hearing this, the other two felt it made sense, “So we’ll just keep hiding?” Guhuo was very reluctant.
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So the devils were actually responsible for the murders rather than it being a plot by demons? I’m surprised by the development, but now that Lu Junyang won’t be accompanying his fellow disciples into the secret realm, maybe the devils will more unscrupulous in their means toward the Guiyuan Sect disciples.
Thanks for another chapter! 😀