Zhao Yue had not come back since she finished the task Lu Zhou gave her last time, and he had not been able to figure out why. The reason for her desertion should be different from that of Ye Tianxin, Yu Zhenghai, and Yu Shangrong, and it should not be too complicated either.
“Senior Sister could be in Yu Province,” said Little Yuan’er as she sat down on a chair. She poured herself a cup of water and took a sip, breathing a sigh of relief before continuing, “I guessed it when someone in the station mentioned the Brilliant Jade Technique.”
Lu Zhou did not understand it. Orthodox sects and evil sects had always been at daggers drawn. Why would they mix now? Were they going to have a war against each other?
He had used all his peak-form experience cards. If he fell into another trap, he would be finished for sure.
Reflexively, he opened the system panel and glanced at the task field. Sure enough, there was a new task: Bring Zhao Yue back.
“What else have you heard?”
“Some said Senior Sister is about to get married, and she will be a Holy Daughter…”
That gave Lu Zhou a pause.
Zhao Yue’s cultivation base largely came from the Brilliant Jade Technique. The jade in its name referred to the essence of heaven and earth, the product of mother nature. If she were to cultivate it to the peak, she could not have disturbing thoughts or indulge in a love affair.
“What’s the reason?” Lu Zhou asked.
Little Yuan’er shook her head and said with a puzzled look, “I only heard that a grand ceremony will be held at the holy altar in Yu Province.”
“A grand ceremony?”
“By the way, it seems that Fiend Temple will also send someone to the ceremony,” Little Yuan’er added. When she mentioned the name, she carefully looked at Lu Zhou’s expression. “Master, why don’t I go by myself? I will bring Senior Sister back, and when I see anyone from Fiend Temple, I’ll kill them all for you!”
Lu Zhou knocked her head with a hand and said, “Don’t cause trouble! Although I couldn’t care less about Fiend Temple, its chief is a Nascent Divinity Tribulation expert with a seven-leaf avatar after all. You are just a Divine Court cultivator. How are you going to fight when you see them?”
“Oh!” Little Yuan’er nodded.
Lu Zhou searched his memory and pondered for a brief moment before asking, “Besides Fiend Temple, what other powers will attend?”
“The Righteous Sect and the Clarity Sect seem to be going too.”
“Bring Pan Zhong to me. I have something to ask him.”
“Master, you can just ask me,” Little Yuan’er said confidently.
“Go now,” Lu Zhou raised his voice a little.
“Oh!”
With her lips pursed, the little girl ran away. Before very long, she came back with Pan Zhong, who looked listless and with bruises on his face.
“Greetings, my lord,” Pan Zhong cupped his fist and bowed.
Lu Zhou glanced at him and asked, “What happened to your face?”
“There are too many steep places on Golden Court Mountain and I accidentally fell off one…” Pan Zhong hurriedly explained.
Lu Zhou did not care about how he got himself hurt. “You are from Clarity Sect. Do you know anything about the grand ceremony at the holy altar?”
Pan Zhong nodded and said, “Yes, it’s a long story to tell.”
“Then make it a short one and tell it quickly,” Little Yuan’er urged.
“…”
Pan Zhong shivered at the thought of the violent beating he had just received, and he quickly said, “Since the human race drove the alien races to Rongbei and Rongxi, the righteous sects and the evil sects in the cultivation world are at daggers drawn. Every year, there are numerous disputes between sects, resulting in countless casualties. To ease the conflicts, some small sects have come up with the idea of holding grand ceremonies. On the one hand, it is to ease the conflicts between sects, and on the other, it is also to give them a chance to show kindness to each other, so as to not aggravate the dispute.”
Lu Zhou nodded and said, “Do you know that Clarity Sect is going to the grand ceremony in Yu Province?”
That surprised Pan Zhong. “This…I don’t know anything about it, as I left the sect three years ago. The Clarity Sect is considered a major righteous sect, and I don’t think its conflict with the evil sects can be resolved with such a lesser ceremony.”
Lu Zhou got a rough idea of everything now. “It is said that a Holy Daughter will serve as a bridge to reconcile the conflict between both sides. Is there such a thing?”
“Yes, that is true, and the Holy Daughter will strengthen the bridge with marriage…”
No matter how slow-witted Little Yuan’er was, she understood now. Her eyes went wide, and she said angrily, “Traitor! How could she do this!”
There was no need to ask any further questions. Lu Zhou waved his hand and said, “You may leave us now.”
“Old Senior…” Pan Zhong wanted to say something, but he hesitated.
“What do you want?”
“Please teach me the Six Yang Technique…” Pan Zhong dropped to his knees and kowtowed.
Before Lu Zhou could answer him, Little Yuan’er already said impatiently, “How dare you trouble my master with such a trifle matter!”
“Ah?”
“Find that lousy technique by yourself in the library within the West Pavilion,” Little Yuan’er said.
Pan Zhong looked embarrassed. He wondered if they truly treated such an important cultivation technique so casually.
Lu Zhou did not deny it and just waved his hand.
Ji Tiandao had seized too many cultivation techniques from the orthodox sects in this world. There was no way he could keep them all with him.
After Pan Zhong left, he pondered over how to bring Zhao Yue back. From what he had learned so far, he guessed that she was most likely forced to become a Holy Daughter, and that she would become a victim of the grand ceremony.
So, what should he do next?
Right then, Mingshi Yin walked into Evil Sky Pavilion and saw Lu Zhou wearing an indifferent face, as if he were deep in thoughts.
“Master, I have something to report.”
“What is it?”
“The traitor Si Wuya sends Master a letter,” Mingshi Yin respectfully held out a letter with both hands.
‘Old Seventh? Since he deserted Golden Court Mountain, he never interacted with Evil Sky Pavilion. Why is he so bold now? He’s a traitor after all.’ Lu Zhou thought to himself as he took the letter and briefly glanced at it.
‘What a coincidence!’
It happened that the letter was about Zhao Yue as well.
“Master, what does the letter say?” Little Yuan’er asked impatiently.
After reading it, Lu Zhou raised his hand and let the letter fall onto the table. Then, he furrowed his brow. Mingshi Yin carefully picked up the letter and looked at it. As he read, he looked surprised, and then he frowned as well.
“Old Seventh has no motive to send us false news…” he analyzed. “Master, if the news is true, I fear that Junior Sister Zhao Yue will not be able to escape her fate.”
Lu Zhou glanced at Mingshi Yin indifferently and said, “What do you think we should do?”
Although Mingshi Yin’s thought process was outlandish, he would occasionally come out with some good ideas. He thought for a moment and said, “When shepherds quarrel, the wolf has a winning game. Since they want to reconcile, we will sow discord among them. This is an easy job because they are always at dagger drawn.”
When he had finished, Mingshi Yin bowed and said, “Master, you don’t have to do this yourself. It is only a trifle matter. I’m willing to do the hard work, and I promise I’ll bring Junior Sister Zhao Yue back.”
‘I’m sure Master will let me go out this time!’ he thought as he bowed his head, waiting for his master’s approval.
Lu Zhou waved his hand and said, “You will be reflecting on yourself for three days in the Cave of Reflection.”
“…”
‘Ding! You have disciplined Mingshi Yin and are rewarded with 100 merit points.’