The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 934 - 512: When the Dust Settles (Part 2)

Actually, the punishment is already so lenient it can almost be ignored.

But the boy inside doesn’t care about that. He changed his clothes and then stared wide-eyed at the sky outside the window, completely sleepless.

In the places he couldn’t see, was there a bloody massacre unfolding? Was she caught up in it too?

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The stormy night finally passed. On the second morning, when everyone opened the door and stepped out, the dewdrops on the leaves had turned to frost, and the standing water on the ground had become a thin layer of ice, but the sky had cleared up. Last night, there was even ice hail; people could still see its glistening figure in the grass, obviously not yet melted.

In a riot of colors, the traces of ice and snow remain; this strange scene can only be seen in the Bashe Forest. Fortunately, everyone had been here for dozens of hours and was gradually accustomed to the various peculiarities of this place.

The steward of the VIP room arrived early. Everyone pulled him over and said: "What exactly is the situation in Hidden Stream now, will we be affected here?"

The steward laughed: "What are you talking about? You are all VIPs in Hidden Stream; is there a safer place than this? It’s just that something indeed happened within the sect last night. The Foreign Affairs Hall was affected, so the goods for you will be prepared a day later. Our Hall Master said that every Immortal Sect delayed would receive a bottle of the Five Qi Chaoyuan Pill as compensation. Tonight, the Sect Leader has set up a banquet and requests your presence."

Five Qi Chaoyuan Pill? That’s a good thing. Liu Yunfeng said with a half-smile: "Your Hall Master is really generous; he knows how to do business."

The steward stroked his beard as if he was the one being praised: "Of course, Lord Ning is always generous with people and deeply appreciated by everyone in Hidden Stream." He then reassured everyone: "There were only small changes within the sect, which have been handled by this morning. You can all feel at ease. There are countless scenic spots in the Bashe Forest; if you wish to visit, Lin Wei can guide you. However, some sights are too far, so make sure to return before dark to attend the banquet..." He disguised his words well; when speaking of "handling," a faint killing aura was discernible only to the most attentive.

This steward was someone Ning Xiaoxian got from Miluo; he was extremely eloquent. He knew that it was an extraordinary time, and the primary task was to appease all these Immortal Sect cultivators so that the joke of Hidden Stream’s internal strife wouldn’t spread. Hence, he spoke nonstop like a raging river. Liu Yunfeng, an aging and prudent man, was almost bombarded by his words to the point of dizziness. He hardly found a reason to return to Chaoyun Sect’s VIP room when Huang Manyan came crying to complain: "Huangfuming has gone missing again!"

Liu Yunfeng felt a darkness fall over his eyes. Yesterday, he had poured his heart and soul into teaching for nearly half a lunch break, only to find that the boy didn’t take it to heart! He probably slipped out the back door while everyone was asking the steward at the front!

Indeed, Huangfuming had sneaked out again.

He spent the night wide awake, barely making it to dawn. Hearing the commotion at the door, presumably, the elders had their attention diverted, so he hunched down and slipped out the back door.

How could he waste such great time in this wretched place?

Standing in the open space behind the VIP room, he pursed his lips to whistle, stomped his foot twice, and then stood still waiting.

Sure enough, after dozens of breaths, a slender Tree Spirit emerged from the nearby woods. Huangfuming was overjoyed, pulling out a medicine pill from his chest and giving it to the Tree Spirit: "Quick, take me to Ning Garden Director’s residence!" It turned out he had long arranged with Lin Wei that the Tree Spirit would be near the VIP room. As soon as he signaled, Lin Wei would immediately come.

Lin Wei’s anthropomorphic face grinned broadly, then held him high and placed him on its branch. The branches closed around him, wrapping the boy tightly. From afar, it seemed Lin Wei had styled a massive afro. It walked step by step, sinking slightly into the ground with each step. After more than ten steps, both the boy and tree disappeared.

This was Lin Wei’s unique innate ability—the Wood Escape Technique. Wood conquers earth, and in the Bashe Forest, only Lin Wei’s Wood Escape Technique can move swiftly; otherwise, how could it fulfill its duty of overseeing the forest? Professionals specialize in niches, while the more powerful demons lack this ability.

After more than two hours, Lin Wei finally reached the destination and then emerged from the soil. When the branches blocking the view retreated, the smile on Huangfuming’s lips suddenly froze.

The courtyard where he had lingered most of the night had turned into ruins.

The houses in Hidden Stream were formed from winding trees, so there were no broken walls to speak of. In front of him was only shattered wood debris, soaked in rainwater overnight, exuding the unique fragrance of broken wood. He turned back bewildered and asked Lin Wei: "Where is she?"

Lin Wei’s wooden face remained unchanged, taking a long time before letting out a long sound, like a ship’s horn.

Huangfuming’s face turned pale, his mind holding only one thought: What happened here? Where is Ning Xiaoxian? Walking through the ruins, he could faintly recognize items seen the previous night. Hmm, this was the fireplace that amazed him last night, the only thing in her room constructed from bricks. Now it was entirely reduced to bricks. The brocade stool he sat on last night was smashed, and as for the desk, the surface remained intact, though the four legs underneath were gone.

The house was dismantled like this; where are the people? He hadn’t heard what the steward said outside the VIP room, so his mind was racing, imagining the worst scenarios, turning his face blue with thoughts. He bent down, picking up an ivory abacus from among the scattered Four Treasures of the Study, staring at it dazedly. This thing was surprisingly solid, unbroken, with only a few abacus beads worn, no longer shiny. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation or monthly tickets on qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com)