Volume 5 Chapter 47
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Volume 5 Chapter 47: Searching for the Sword
"He was killed by a rogue cultivator from the Southern Wasteland named Xu Fan."
As Hong finished this sentence, the man in the black robe fell silent once again. However, the black mist swirling around his body continued to churn, and although it was silent, it seemed to hold the terrifying roar of a primordial beast.
"Zhong Ming, aside from me and the third elder, you are the only Mahayana Stage master in the Zhong family. Although you don’t have Zhong family bloodline, I hold you in high regard. Joining the ‘Nether’ organization brings many personal benefits. With the Zhong family supporting you, there is no danger. Back then, many in the Zhong family wanted to join, but I sent you. You were only at the Golden Core Stage at that time, and it was thanks to the benefits of ‘Nether’ that you reached the Mahayana Stage, right?"
After a long silence, the black mist around the man in the black robe finally stabilized, and his old, raspy voice sounded once again.
Zhong Ming is Hong’s name. Originally, Hong’s surname was not Zhong, but after joining the Zhong family, he changed it to Zhong.
"Yes."
Hong quickly replied. He knew that at this moment, there was no need for him to express gratitude, as the man in the black robe was certainly not someone who cared for it.
After hearing Hong’s response, the man in the black robe slowly turned his head toward Hong, who was prostrate on the ground. Beneath the hood, amidst the black mist, two crimson glows flickered and disappeared.
"You were raised by the Zhong family, and the Zhong family has never treated you unfairly just because you’re not a direct descendant. Instead, we’ve nurtured you with great care. Your current status and abilities are all thanks to the Zhong family. Am I wrong to say that?"
"Not at all."
Hearing the person in the black robe speak like this, "Hong" quickly responded.
But then the person in the black robe changed his tone, now full of coldness, and said slowly, "However, everything I asked you to do, you completely messed up. Not only is there no news of the sacred artifact, but even Little Thirteen was killed by an unknown cultivator. How can you say you’ve lived up to the Zhong family’s nurturing?"
"Hong" knew his life hung in the balance at this moment, but he didn’t lower his head further. Instead, he straightened up, forcing down the panic in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "It is true I failed to accomplish the ancestor’s tasks. I have no intention of making excuses. Whatever punishment the ancestor deems fit, I fully accept. But I humbly ask for time before any punishment, to retrieve the lost sacred artifact and avenge Little Thirteen. Otherwise, I will not rest in peace."
Even though "Hong’s" words were still a plea for forgiveness, the person in the black robe hesitated. Killing "Hong" just like that seemed like a waste. Although "Hong" was not particularly useful, he was still a Mahayana Stage expert, which could be beneficial for the Zhong family’s future comeback.
After a long silence, the person in the black robe sighed softly and said slowly, "If only you had used the effort you put into dealing with me on your actual tasks, you wouldn’t be in this difficult situation now."
Hearing these words, "Hong" knew his life was temporarily spared, filling his heart with joy. However, he said nothing more and simply bowed silently to the person in the black robe.
Everyone thinks that Mahayana Stage masters are high and mighty, but they don’t know that there are vast differences in power even among them. Besides the fact that the Mahayana Stage itself is divided into three sub-stages like the Foundation Establishment and Condensed Core stages: Nascent Soul, Astral Projection, and Soul Splitting, even those at the same level of Mahayana can vary greatly in strength due to differences in cultivation methods and their understanding of the Heavenly Way.
However, ‘Hong’ is merely a master still hovering at the mid-Nascent Soul stage without progressing, while this black-robed person is already a top-tier existence among Mahayana Stage masters, comparable to Tian, ‘Di,’ ‘Xuan,’ and ‘Huang.’ The gap between them is even greater than the difference between a Lingji Stage cultivator and a middle-stage Qi Refining Stage cultivator, able to decide ‘Hong’s’ life or death with a single word. Otherwise, even if ‘Hong’s’ seniority is below that of the black-robed person’s disciples, he wouldn’t be so reverent towards him.
"Apparently satisfied with ‘Hong’s’ attitude, the black-robed person remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, ‘Stand up.’"
"’Hong’ silently bowed to the black-robed person once more before daring to stand up, still respectfully standing with hands lowered and head bowed."
"’Little Thirteen’s revenge must be taken, but your main focus should be on finding the clan’s sacred artifact. Do you have any thoughts on the artifact’s whereabouts?’"
"At this point, ‘Hong’ had already regained his calm and slowly said, ‘This matter is very strange. ‘Ming’ originally thought the sudden destruction of the ‘Treasure Pavilion’ was done by the Righteous Alliance, as traces of their cultivators were found near every destroyed or vanished ‘Treasure Pavilion.’ However, the information from our insider within the Righteous Alliance indicated they didn’t take action. It was merely a probe on that day, yet they saw purple-clad people in ‘Ming’ organization attire besieging the ‘Treasure Pavilion,’ thinking ‘Ming’ was responsible for the attack.’"
Hong’s task within the Ming organization is to manage the insiders from various sects and gather intelligence. When the two elders, Tian and Di, first assigned this mission to him, it was also to give face to the Zhong family, allowing Hong to take the opportunity to search for the Zhong family’s sacred artifact.
"’What do you think about this?’ The black-robed person, surprised by ‘Hong’s’ words, thought for a moment before asking."
"After hesitating for a moment, ‘Hong’ finally said, ‘I have a suspicion in my heart, but I’m not sure.’"
"’Speak!’"
"The owner of the ‘Treasure Pavilion’ used to be under ‘Huang’s’ command, whose motives are always hard to understand. To have the strength to eliminate the ‘Treasure Pavilion’ in half a day without being discovered by either good or evil forces—apart from ‘Ming’, the Righteous Alliance, and those three hidden clans like ours—only ‘Huang’ fits. Moreover, the only one with the motive to do so is ‘Huang’. It’s possible that our clan’s sacred relic has also fallen into ‘Huang’s’ hands."
Upon hearing ‘Hong’ say this, the black-robed figure, who had been standing still, visibly paused. Although ‘Hong’ couldn’t see the expression under the black mist shrouding the figure’s head, he could imagine the person’s brow must be furrowed.
Even for the black-robed figure, ‘Huang’ was a particularly troublesome presence that required utmost caution and consideration, especially since it was said ‘Huang’ had mastered his extraordinary techniques. Even the black-robed figure wasn’t sure if he could defeat ‘Huang’.
Additionally, as ‘Hong’ mentioned, no one could fathom ‘Huang’s’ intentions, and the black-robed figure wasn’t sure if ‘Huang’ would return the sacred item to the Zhong family if he had it, or simply regard it as a useless display.
"Have you told ‘Tian’ and ‘Di’ about this?" the black-robed figure asked.
‘Hong’ quickly shook his head and said, "You mentioned that ‘Tian’ and ‘Di’ aren’t focused on this matter. While minor matters may be concealed, we must not provoke ‘Huang’, so I kept it secret."
Hearing this, the black-robed figure seemed to let out a slight sigh of relief and said calmly, "It’s good that there’s room for maneuver; at least you did not make a mistake in this matter."
At this point, ‘Hong’ was about to respond when he suddenly noticed the black-robed figure move and turn to look toward the east.
Then, an alluring voice suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.
"I am truly honored that you hold me in such high regard."
As he spoke, the space where the black-robed person was gazing rippled, and then Zhang Xusheng suddenly appeared before everyone, his expression a mix of a smile and smirk, giving a slight bow to the black-robed figure.
The black-robed person returned the gesture with a slight bow, much like Zhang Xusheng’s.
After completing the bow, Zhang Xusheng turned to "Hong" beside him and said with a smile, "I was thinking about how to get rid of you without being discovered by Senior Zhong Kui. It seems now I’ve saved myself the trouble."
While saying this, Zhang Xusheng did not consider the black-robed person’s presence at all.
Looking into Zhang Xusheng’s deep, sinister eyes and hearing his leisurely words, "Hong" couldn’t help but shiver. To "Hong," Zhang Xusheng was just as terrifying as the black-robed figure.
It took "Hong" a long time to realize that the ancestor’s name was Zhong Kui, confirming his suspicion that the black-robed person was indeed the son of Zhong Ling, the founder of the Zhong family, and thus Zhong Kui was actually three thousand years old.
On the other side, Zhong Kui did not pay attention to Zhang Xusheng’s threat to "Hong" and calmly asked, "Taoist Friend Zhang, why are you here?"
Zhang Xusheng sighed, a hint of a bitter smile on his face, and said, "No choice, it’s in my nature to be busy. I just went to North Iceland and killed the master of the ‘Treasure Pavilion’, and was ambushed at my doorstep to pay off debts. Passing by here, I saw the lively scene and decided to stop by for a chat with you, senior, and take a little break."
Zhang Xusheng’s words made it seem as if he were not a great master with unmatched insight and wisdom, but just an ordinary, boastful young man. Yet, when these words came from Zhang Xusheng’s mouth, they felt incredibly natural.
He was bold, yet refined; a demon, yet a divine envoy. Zhang Xusheng seemed inherently unpredictable.
The man in the black robe did not mention the sacred object of their clan but asked in that peculiar, slow tone unique to the Zhong family, "Who could have possibly cornered Taoist Friend Zhang?"
"It was ‘Xuan’," Zhang Xusheng sighed, "I owe him five swords, and I’ve returned four. He believes I kept one for myself and refuses to let it go, so now we’re seeking witnesses and clues."
As he spoke, two "Purple-clad figures" suddenly appeared on the scene. One of the purple figures wore a ring engraved with the character "Xuan," which ranks above "Huang" in the "Ming" organization.
The other purple-clad figure was being carried by "Xuan", seemingly unconscious. It was "Zhang Yi", whom Xu Qingfan had briefly met, now frantically searching for Xu Qingfan!
