"I heard that a Nascent Soul stage elder from the Liuhai Sect had his soul tablet shattered last night." Wang Teng didn't keep them in suspense, relaying the information he'd accidentally overheard to the group.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator?" Xiao Qingyu exclaimed in surprise. In their understanding, Nascent Soul cultivators were invincible. This was the first time they'd heard of one perishing.
Zhang Ergou also showed a surprised expression. However, what surprised him wasn't the news of a Liuhai Sect Nascent Soul elder's demise, but the fact that the Liuhai Sect still kept a soul tablet for Cai Chao. This meant that the Liuhai Sect knew the moment Cai Chao was swallowed by the tiger demon king Hu Wen. Despite his shock, Zhang Ergou remained outwardly calm.
"When did this happen?"
"Shortly after the Chou hour last night. It's said the disciple guarding the soul tablets discovered it first and immediately informed an elder."
"The elder, knowing the gravity of the matter, went to see the Sect Master of the Liuhai Sect that very night."
Although Liu Xun had repeatedly emphasized to the two elders and disciples guarding the soul tablets to keep it a secret, to avoid unnecessary panic and trouble, walls have ears. Not even a full night had passed before Wang Teng had already heard the news. This spoke volumes about how quickly information spread. Soodan Novel Network.
"Could it be a play staged by the Liuhai Sect themselves?" Zhang Ergou frowned.
"Impossible. It's said that last night, the Sect Master of the Liuhai Sect, Liu Xun, flew into a rage and even shattered his beloved jade ruyi, which is a fifth-grade magical artifact." Wang Teng shook his head, seemingly knowledgeable about such matters.
"Senior Brother, where did you hear this from?" Zhang Ergou asked again. In fact, Zhang Ergou harbored a rather absurd thought: what if the soul tablet that shattered belonged to someone else, not Cai Chao who had been tracking him? Though he knew this idea was somewhat naive, Zhang Ergou couldn't help but lean towards it.
"I heard it this morning from some disciples of the Liuhai Sect when I went out. Many people were discussing it. Apparently, the deceased elder from the Liuhai Sect had only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and was highly trusted by Liu Xun. His name was Cai Chao, I believe." Wang Teng recalled and continued.
Boom!
Zhang Ergou felt his head about to explode. This earth-shattering news caused him a moment of dizziness. If what Wang Teng said was true, then the elder who perished last night from the Liuhai Sect must have been Cai Chao, who was tracking him.
While Zhang Ergou was in shock, internal turmoil was also brewing within the Liuhai Sect.
...
"Investigate for me, who leaked this information?" Liu Xun sat at the head seat with a grim expression. The hall of the Liuhai Sect was filled with people, but it was deathly silent. No one dared to provoke Liu Xun at this moment, nor did anyone dare to speak. Liu Xun was in a state of extreme rage, and whoever spoke would face misfortune. These cultivators, who had lived for hundreds of years, were all cunning individuals. They all lowered their heads, silently watching Liu Xun vent his anger.
"Li Kongcai, you have three days to find out who leaked the news of Cai Chao's demise. Furthermore, you have five days to discover the cause of Cai Chao's death." Liu Xun swept his gaze across the crowd and directly commanded Li Kongcai.
Upon hearing this, Li Kongcai's face changed. He hadn't expected this difficult task to fall upon him again. The matter of Zhang Ergou escaping from prison hadn't even been resolved, and now he was being handed this even more thorny issue. Wasn't this creating a problem for him? Li Kongcai felt a throbbing headache. Had the Sect Master grown dissatisfied with him due to his poor performance and thus assigned him such a difficult task?
However, Li Kongcai was unaware that Liu Xun suspected Cai Chao's demise was greatly related to Zhang Ergou. Among all the elders present, Li Kongcai knew Zhang Ergou the best. Coupled with the incident of the prison being breached, Liu Xun believed Li Kongcai could uncover more secrets about Zhang Ergou. Liu Xun suspected that behind Zhang Ergou stood a powerful being who surpassed the Nascent Soul stage. Otherwise, for a mere Golden Core cultivator like Zhang Ergou to have so thoroughly destroyed the sturdy prison of the Liuhai Sect without triggering its formations, and then for Cai Chao, who was ordered to keep an eye on Zhang Ergou, to never send back useful information. And then the news of Cai Chao's death last night. If he claimed Zhang Ergou had no powerful backing, Liu Xun wouldn't believe himself. However, he still needed to find out who this powerful being was. If it was an unprovoked powerful figure, Liu Xun would decide to never provoke Zhang Ergou again. After all, jeopardizing the entire Liuhai Sect for the sake of one Zhang Ergou wouldn't be the act of a qualified Sect Master. Yet, Liu Xun was unwilling to give up on monitoring Zhang Ergou, as the young man was far too mysterious. By tasking Li Kongcai with investigating the cause of Cai Chao's death, Liu Xun's true intention was to have Li Kongcai gather as much information about Zhang Ergou as possible. Of course, in front of the elders, Liu Xun couldn't reveal his true thoughts to Li Kongcai. For one thing, asking someone to investigate a mere Golden Core cultivator like Zhang Ergou would be unacceptable not only to the elders of the Liuhai Sect but also a loss of face for Liu Xun as the Sect Master. He still needed to maintain the dignity of his position. If others realized he was investigating Zhang Ergou out of fear of Zhang Ergou causing major trouble for the Liuhai Sect, wouldn't that invite mockery?
...
As expected, what Wang Teng had said was not groundless. The shocking news that had disturbed the Liuhai Sect was spreading everywhere. Not only were the elders and disciples of the Liuhai Sect shocked and fearful, but even the disciples and elders from other sects attending the Grand Competition of the two sects turned pale upon hearing the news. As if to confirm the authenticity of this event, the Liuhai Sect specifically sent someone to announce the postponement of the ranking competition originally scheduled for today. This further solidified the truth of the matter. With the ranking competition postponed, the disciples of the Misty Sect, under the instruction of their elders, remained in place. It was a turbulent time, and staying together was safer. However, Zhang Ergou had sensed on several occasions today that someone was secretly observing him, much like how he had felt Cai Chao probing him before. More than one person was secretly watching him, and several times, someone couldn't resist probing him with their divine sense. Zhang Ergou feigned an unintentional turn of his head, and the probing divine sense immediately retracted like a startled snake. Could someone suspect him? Zhang Ergou mused to himself. He had guessed correctly. After leaving the hall, Li Kongcai went to find the Sect Master. When Sect Master Liu Xun revealed his suspicions to Li Kongcai, Li Kongcai finally understood. No wonder Sect Master Liu Xun had assigned him this task. What about finding out who leaked Cai Chao's death? That was merely a cover. Liu Xun's true objective was for him to discover the cause of Cai Chao's demise...