Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The Unfathomable Mystery

Lu Chengfeng was about to turn and leave when the Grand Elder called out to him, lifting the fish basket beside him.

“I can’t let you leave empty-handed. Thanks to your good fortune, I caught these two fish. Take them with you!”

Lu Chengfeng didn’t decline. The Cold-Scaled Firetail Fish were rare treasures, greatly beneficial for cultivating inner energy, precisely what he needed at the moment.

He happily accepted the fish basket.

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. Thank you, Grand Elder, for your generous gift.”

“You little rascal.” The Grand Elder chuckled.

“Before your confinement, remember to go to the General Affairs Hall and exchange your merit points. Don’t delay your cultivation.”

“Yes, sir!” Lu Chengfeng responded, bowing respectfully before taking his leave.

After leaving Heavenly Punishment Peak, his expression turned grim. The dignified Grand Elder had summoned him, first giving him a slap, then offering a sweet date, even revealing the sect’s secrets.

‘What is his purpose?’

Lu Chengfeng didn’t believe he was so charismatic that the old man, who had presided over the Law Enforcement Hall for so long and witnessed countless geniuses and prodigies, would be so impressed by him.

The strength he had displayed didn’t warrant such attention.

He hadn’t had time to think carefully while at Heavenly Punishment Peak, but now, upon reflection, he felt the Grand Elder had ulterior motives.

‘Perhaps he’s targeting Zhu Yuxian. He’s not even afraid of me knowing his purpose.’

Lu Chengfeng vaguely understood the Grand Elder’s intentions. ‘Some things, once known, become a thorn that can play a crucial role at a critical moment.’

‘Since even I know, then… What about Zhou Tong?’

‘He said he was investigating something in secret…’

This thought made him wary.

‘Zhou Tong’s master was Xun Shuijing. If he’s really investigating Zhu Yuxian…’

Although Lu Chengfeng didn’t know the full picture, he sensed a carefully woven net closing in on Zhu Yuxian.

His eyes flickered. Without further delay, he quickly returned to Bixia Peak.

Upon arriving, Lu Chengfeng immediately summoned Li Mofeng and Luo Yong.

“Li Mofeng, go down the mountain and visit the Su family. See how your Second Senior Sister is doing. If she’s truly unhappy, tell her to find a way to delay things for half a year. I’ll find a way to help her then.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!” Li Mofeng responded without asking further questions, grabbing his sword and leaving.

“Luo Yong, go to the General Affairs Hall and use my identity token to exchange all my merit points earned during the beast tide for Five Qi Convergence Pills,” Lu Chengfeng said, tossing his identity token to him.

Luo Yong caught it and also left to carry out his task.

Lu Chengfeng then called Luo Suyi over, took her hand, and said, “Suyi, I’ll be entering seclusion for a while. I don’t know when I’ll come out.”

“But I previously arranged a marriage with Lady Qiutong from the Hall of Virtuous Widows. It’s time to bring her into our household.”

“You’re the main wife, so taking a concubine should be your decision. Choose a suitable residence on the mountain for her, have it cleaned and prepared.”

“There’s no need for any grand ceremony for taking a concubine. Just have the maidservant prepare the betrothal gifts and a sedan chair to bring her here.”

“I’m currently confined to Bixia Peak by the Law Enforcement Hall and can’t personally welcome her. If she feels slighted and refuses to enter, then let it be. There’s no need to force her.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Suyi hurriedly grabbed his hand and asked, “Why were you suddenly confined by the Law Enforcement Hall? What happened?”

“Don’t worry, it’s called confinement, but I’m still on Bixia Peak. As long as I don’t leave the mountain, there won’t be any consequences. I’ll just take this opportunity to focus on my cultivation for a while,” Lu Chengfeng comforted her.

Hearing this, Luo Suyi finally relaxed and even felt it might not be a bad thing. Since their marriage, Lu Chengfeng had been constantly busy, and they rarely had time to be together.

Although the matter of taking a concubine was left to her, and she felt somewhat unhappy about it, Lu Chengfeng’s tone suggested he wasn’t particularly attached to the woman, which made her a bit happier.

She naturally wouldn’t reveal these hidden thoughts of a young woman. She simply obediently agreed to handle the arrangements.

After settling everything, Lu Chengfeng headed towards the secluded chamber for his cultivation.

After entering his room and closing the door, everything around him dimmed. He sat cross-legged on the floor cushion, took a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes.

In the next moment, with a thought, the legacy of Xiao Qi surged into his mind.

This time, he skimmed over the martial arts techniques and carefully searched for useful memory fragments.

In a trance, he saw scenes of Xiao Qi’s childhood in the Heavenly Ghost Sect. His parents were disciples of the sect, and he had grown up there since childhood, deeply loyal to his sect.

The scene shifted, and he saw Xiao Qi infiltrating the Cloud Firmament Sword Sect as a spy, continuously sending information back to the Heavenly Ghost Sect. During this time, he even orchestrated the deaths of many talented Outer Disciples.

With the support of the Heavenly Ghost Sect’s resources, his cultivation soared, far surpassing his peers.

Later, he colluded with other spies within the sect and opened a brothel in Liangzhou City, seeking out beautiful virgins to enhance his own cultivation through dual cultivation practices.

With such abundant resources, he managed to become an Outer Peak Elder despite his mediocre talent and even rose to the position of Chief Elder.

Lu Chengfeng immersed himself in these memory fragments. Although most were fragmented and incomplete, he could still extract a lot of valuable information from them.

For example, the identities of other spies within the sect, which he hadn’t found in Zhao Changzhen’s memories.

‘There’s another one, Elder Yun Yan of Heavenly Fragrance Peak, mentioned by Cai Zhang. The real Yun Yan and her husband, Li Muge, died ten years ago. The current Yun Yan is just an imposter.’

Lu Chengfeng’s eyes darkened.

‘Besides her, there’s another one, a True Disciple of the Inner Peaks… and he’s from the Law Enforcement Hall…’

‘Heh, this is getting interesting!’

Various thoughts flashed through his mind as Lu Chengfeng continued to search for information about the Black Shark Recluse’s legacy. He discovered some crucial details hidden within these memories.

Xiao Qi had learned about the Black Shark Recluse’s legacy from Zhao Changzhen. The five of them had explored it together, initially just as an attempt, but unexpectedly, they had struck gold.

Zhao Changzhen obtained the Soul Crushing Palm, while Xiao Qi acquired the extremely evil “Five Viscera Qi.” Cultivating this technique required consuming Five Viscera Pills refined from internal organs. The organs of birds and beasts were considered inferior, while human organs were superior. Not only could it enhance inner energy cultivation, but it could also enable one to unleash thunderous roars to intimidate enemies, granting a unique ability.

As for the other three, they obtained the “Black Fiend Palm,” “Bewildering Smoke,” and “Shark Roaming Steps,” respectively. However, the most crucial inner energy cultivation method was nowhere to be found.

Xiao Qi suspected that one of the other four had secretly hidden the core inner energy technique, and the most likely suspect was Zhao Changzhen, who was most familiar with the Black Shark Recluse’s legacy.

He had sent Xue Dulong to provoke and test Zhao Changzhen several times, trying to force him to reveal his secrets. But unexpectedly, Zhao Changzhen was suddenly killed.

This shocked and alarmed Xiao Qi. He then realized that someone else might have obtained the inner energy technique and was trying to kill and seize the legacy, gathering all of the Black Shark Recluse’s inheritance to recreate the peerless divine skill, the Blackfiend Soul-Seizing Qi.

Panicked, he turned his suspicion towards the True Disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall. Among the five, his martial arts skills were the most profound, and only he could have killed Zhao Changzhen with three sword strikes and left the Law Enforcement Hall’s investigation inconclusive.

‘This is interesting. The Grand Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall said Zhu Yuxian killed Zhao Changzhen, but Xiao Qi believed it was related to a True Disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall.’

‘And that person from the Law Enforcement Hall is none other than Li Qian, the Grand Elder’s direct disciple. I wonder if the Grand Elder knows about this or not.’

Lu Chengfeng felt a sense of irony. Everything seemed shrouded in mystery. Even the higher-ups in the sect had their own schemes and weren’t entirely united. How Zhao Changzhen knew about the Black Shark Recluse’s legacy was also puzzling.

He recalled his encounters with Li Qian and the Grand Elder. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, sending chills down his spine. He desperately suppressed the idea, not daring to dwell on it further.

‘Forget it, these matters are beyond my control for now. The key is still my own cultivation. If I can comprehend Sword Intent, I can cut through any trouble with a single strike!’

But in reality, Lu Chengfeng knew very well that from the moment he became Zhu Yuxian’s disciple, from the moment the Grand Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall summoned him, he was inevitably drawn into this vortex.

Perhaps, from the moment he became Zhao Changzhen’s disciple, there was no escape.

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