Yin San opened the case right in front of the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect, without any intention of avoiding him.
It was a scroll inside the case, with some names in it.
The names were still freshly red after many years, this being because they were written in blood, not normal red ink.
The expression changed a bit on the face of the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect.
These names written in the blood in the scroll were not the customers, but the formal members of the Old Ones.
Jian Xilai didn't have this scroll, so he couldn't use them even if he knew their names.
Who were these people?
…
…
On Xilai Peak of the Green Mountain.
A few disciples could hardly suppress their excitement and were not in the right mood to compile the files, looking in the direction of the sky outside the peak.
Thinking of their big brothers who would come back soon and the news that shocked the whole Chaotian, who wouldn't be excited?
Sitting in the highest chair in the front, Fang Jingtian, the peak master of Xilai, looked at these scenes with a smile while holding a teapot in his hand. He didn't appear upset at all; on the contrary, he was relaxed, his silvery eyebrows flailing with the breeze, looking like a common wealthy farmer from a rural land.
…
…
Three miles outside the Water-Moon Nunnery.
That monk robe floated up slowly from the gloomy pit, and it flapped with the light wind and then spread out, turning into countless glittering golden script words and returning to the bodies of the monks.
It was a significant event for the Cultivation world that the orthodox sects were in the process of purging the Old Ones, so it was essential to take all necessary precautions.
Before the Green Mountain Sect led the Great Marsh and other sects charging to the West Ocean, the Chief Monk of the Fruit Formation Temple and the Principal Justice Master Duhai had brought eighteen ascetic monks to come here in order to suppress the energy from the Underworld. They day they could leave had finally arrived.
The Chief Monk of the Fruit Formation Temple pressed his palms in courtesy toward the small green-curtain sedan in the sky, singing a mantra silently.
…
…
On Cold Mountain.
He Wei, the Sect Master of Kunlun, had already stood outside the valley entrance for a few days.
A bit of remaining ash could be seen not far from where he stood, which was the ash of Song Qianji's corpse.
The green light in the sky had already disappeared without a trace, meaning the Immortal Bai of the Center Sect had left.
As He Wei was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was wrong, and he turned around looking at the deep end of the valley again, sensing a vague lethal intent coming from there.
…
…
On the Chaotic Docks of the West Ocean.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect remarked sentimentally, "The West Ocean Sword Sect has lost most of their strength, and Green Mountain doesn't have to worry about it anymore. You have regained the control of the Old Ones…though you actually haven't done anything, save for having gone to the South Ocean and said a few words. As a result, you have gained all the benefits. Immortal, you are a god."
Yin San waved his hand dismissively, "I'm not that great. What I'm good at is fishing in mucky waters."
"But I think you have done so not just for these benefits."
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect said to him with an ambiguous smile, "Xiwang Sun had his reason to like Liu Shisui; what about you?"
After a moment of silence, Yin San suddenly laughed. "What do you think about my smiling face?" he asked the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect praised with a thumb pointing upward, "Clean and amicable; nobody could tell that you are a madman."
Yin San pressed, "Don't you think Liu Shisui looks a lot like me?"
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect didn't know what to say.
Looking at the Chaotic Rocks on the surface of the ocean, Yin San's smile faded away gradually.
Those broken rocks flew up slowly in his eyes and left the ocean surface. Then the rocks that were dried by the sunlight gathered together again in the high sky and became the same hanging mountain shrouded by the clouds again.
There was a quiet room at the far end of the cave in the deep part of the clouds, its window facing the West Ocean.
Liu Shisui stood before the window, looking at the inky ocean silently, pondering something.
A moment later, he walked back to the desk, resuming his reading of the files. He was quite focused, no irritation or abnormal emotion to be seen.
Yin San looked at the scene yonder in silence. What he saw was the shadow of his younger self.
…
…
On Shenmo Peak.
Jing Jiu stood by the cliff's edge.
He looked at the distant Shangde Peak, but what he saw was not the shadow of his younger self.
There was no change between his old self and the current self, so he had no need to reminisce on anything; he wasn't all that sentimental.
Yet, what he was thinking of had something to do with Shangde Peak.
Who had let his Big Brother out of the Sword Jail?
The Sect Master? Yuan Qijing? Fang Jingtian? Or…Dead Dog?
When he was in the small village, he had thought on it many times, and also did some probing twice, but didn't get any result.
The outcome of his probe was positive, but those answers were not rational.
Xiwang Sun had suddenly appeared at the West Ocean right after his Big Brother escaped from the Green Mountain; was there a connection between these two events?
He suddenly thought of the Dace Devil under the Muddy River, his eyes becoming sharp and cautious.
Jing Jiu had thought about this issue before. If the Old Ones really collaborated with the Underworld, why would the third disciple of the Underworld Master kill Wei Chenzi of the Center Sect to shut him up?
It was his Big Brother's doing.
Liu Shisui joined the Old Ones.
The Old Ones attempted to assassinate Zhao Layue.
These provided enough motive and evidence to wipe out the Old Ones.
Yet, his Big Brother didn't expect that Luo Huainan would die, and his death added further fuel to his fire.
Why did his Big Brother want to do all these things?
It was of course not because he wanted to create a peaceful world.
His Big Brother didn't like that old guy on the Foggy Island in the South Ocean, and wanted to kill him a long time ago; he had simply not found a way to.
This was one of the reasons his Big Brother chose to oppose the West Ocean Sword Sect.
What were the other reasons?
Was it because his Big Brother thought Liu Shisui acted exactly like he would, and so he helped Shisui then?
Jing Jiu gave up thinking about these matters.
He didn't know who would benefit most from this event, he did know that it would be easier to fish in mucky waters, though on the other hand, something unexpected was more likely to occur while fishing in mucky waters.
Under such circumstances, he would never choose to get in the water.
No gain also meant no loss.
It was a good thing that the Green Mountain wasn't in trouble this time.
He had said it during the Cultivation tournament of the Plum Meeting back then.
He was willing to spend time thinking of these matters, not because he felt it was his responsibility or duty; no, it was for a far more basic reason: it was his Green Mountain.
Zhao Layue, Gu Qing and Yuan Qü walked up to his side, all looking at the outside of the peak.
Over two hundred sword lights illuminated the sky and soon arrived on the nine peaks.
The disciples of the Green Mountain had come back.
The action against the Old Ones was over.
Gu Qing said in a low voice, "According to the news sent back, Liu Shisui didn't come back with them, and nobody knows where he is."
Jing Jiu didn't respond to the news, reaching out his right hand.
Zhao Layue called out the Thoughtless Sword.
Jing Jiu clasped two fingers on his right hand and flicked a sword instruction.
The Thoughtless Sword flew up in the sky and vanished in the greenish horizon after turning into a blood-red rainbow.
The Thoughtless Sword had been there only a few days ago, so it remembered the route. Jing Jiu was much more relaxed this time now that he didn't have to use his sword awareness to guide the sword.
Looking at the residual sword light in the sky, Yuan Qü asked curiously, "I didn't understand that night and still don't. Is it true that the sword can travel ten thousand miles only under the control of someone in the Heavenly Arrival State?"
After glancing at Jing Jiu, Zhao Layue said, "Sword traveling is different from the sword wielding. All you need to do for sword traveling is set up a target beforehand, and the sword will find it without too much difficulty."
What she said was correct, but it wasn't the whole truth.
As Yuan Qü intended to ask further, Gu Qing pulled him away with a smile. They went to the Sword-Washing Stream to receive the returning colleagues.
Though Shenmo Peak was used to the loneliness, someone had to represent the peak at such a significant event.
Yin San opened the case right in front of the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect, without any intention of avoiding him.
It was a scroll inside the case, with some names in it.
The names were still freshly red after many years, this being because they were written in blood, not normal red ink.
The expression changed a bit on the face of the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect.
These names written in the blood in the scroll were not the customers, but the formal members of the Old Ones.
Jian Xilai didn't have this scroll, so he couldn't use them even if he knew their names.
Who were these people?
…
…
On Xilai Peak of the Green Mountain.
A few disciples could hardly suppress their excitement and were not in the right mood to compile the files, looking in the direction of the sky outside the peak.
Thinking of their big brothers who would come back soon and the news that shocked the whole Chaotian, who wouldn't be excited?
Sitting in the highest chair in the front, Fang Jingtian, the peak master of Xilai, looked at these scenes with a smile while holding a teapot in his hand. He didn't appear upset at all; on the contrary, he was relaxed, his silvery eyebrows flailing with the breeze, looking like a common wealthy farmer from a rural land.
…
…
Three miles outside the Water-Moon Nunnery.
That monk robe floated up slowly from the gloomy pit, and it flapped with the light wind and then spread out, turning into countless glittering golden script words and returning to the bodies of the monks.
It was a significant event for the Cultivation world that the orthodox sects were in the process of purging the Old Ones, so it was essential to take all necessary precautions.
Before the Green Mountain Sect led the Great Marsh and other sects charging to the West Ocean, the Chief Monk of the Fruit Formation Temple and the Principal Justice Master Duhai had brought eighteen ascetic monks to come here in order to suppress the energy from the Underworld. They day they could leave had finally arrived.
The Chief Monk of the Fruit Formation Temple pressed his palms in courtesy toward the small green-curtain sedan in the sky, singing a mantra silently.
…
…
On Cold Mountain.
He Wei, the Sect Master of Kunlun, had already stood outside the valley entrance for a few days.
A bit of remaining ash could be seen not far from where he stood, which was the ash of Song Qianji's corpse.
The green light in the sky had already disappeared without a trace, meaning the Immortal Bai of the Center Sect had left.
As He Wei was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was wrong, and he turned around looking at the deep end of the valley again, sensing a vague lethal intent coming from there.
…
…
On the Chaotic Docks of the West Ocean.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect remarked sentimentally, "The West Ocean Sword Sect has lost most of their strength, and Green Mountain doesn't have to worry about it anymore. You have regained the control of the Old Ones…though you actually haven't done anything, save for having gone to the South Ocean and said a few words. As a result, you have gained all the benefits. Immortal, you are a god."
Yin San waved his hand dismissively, "I'm not that great. What I'm good at is fishing in mucky waters."
"But I think you have done so not just for these benefits."
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect said to him with an ambiguous smile, "Xiwang Sun had his reason to like Liu Shisui; what about you?"
After a moment of silence, Yin San suddenly laughed. "What do you think about my smiling face?" he asked the Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect.
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect praised with a thumb pointing upward, "Clean and amicable; nobody could tell that you are a madman."
Yin San pressed, "Don't you think Liu Shisui looks a lot like me?"
The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect didn't know what to say.
Looking at the Chaotic Rocks on the surface of the ocean, Yin San's smile faded away gradually.
Those broken rocks flew up slowly in his eyes and left the ocean surface. Then the rocks that were dried by the sunlight gathered together again in the high sky and became the same hanging mountain shrouded by the clouds again.
There was a quiet room at the far end of the cave in the deep part of the clouds, its window facing the West Ocean.
Liu Shisui stood before the window, looking at the inky ocean silently, pondering something.
A moment later, he walked back to the desk, resuming his reading of the files. He was quite focused, no irritation or abnormal emotion to be seen.
Yin San looked at the scene yonder in silence. What he saw was the shadow of his younger self.
…
…
On Shenmo Peak.
Jing Jiu stood by the cliff's edge.
He looked at the distant Shangde Peak, but what he saw was not the shadow of his younger self.
There was no change between his old self and the current self, so he had no need to reminisce on anything; he wasn't all that sentimental.
Yet, what he was thinking of had something to do with Shangde Peak.
Who had let his Big Brother out of the Sword Jail?
The Sect Master? Yuan Qijing? Fang Jingtian? Or…Dead Dog?
When he was in the small village, he had thought on it many times, and also did some probing twice, but didn't get any result.
The outcome of his probe was positive, but those answers were not rational.
Xiwang Sun had suddenly appeared at the West Ocean right after his Big Brother escaped from the Green Mountain; was there a connection between these two events?
He suddenly thought of the Dace Devil under the Muddy River, his eyes becoming sharp and cautious.
Jing Jiu had thought about this issue before. If the Old Ones really collaborated with the Underworld, why would the third disciple of the Underworld Master kill Wei Chenzi of the Center Sect to shut him up?
It was his Big Brother's doing.
Liu Shisui joined the Old Ones.
The Old Ones attempted to assassinate Zhao Layue.
These provided enough motive and evidence to wipe out the Old Ones.
Yet, his Big Brother didn't expect that Luo Huainan would die, and his death added further fuel to his fire.
Why did his Big Brother want to do all these things?
It was of course not because he wanted to create a peaceful world.
His Big Brother didn't like that old guy on the Foggy Island in the South Ocean, and wanted to kill him a long time ago; he had simply not found a way to.
This was one of the reasons his Big Brother chose to oppose the West Ocean Sword Sect.
What were the other reasons?
Was it because his Big Brother thought Liu Shisui acted exactly like he would, and so he helped Shisui then?
Jing Jiu gave up thinking about these matters.
He didn't know who would benefit most from this event, he did know that it would be easier to fish in mucky waters, though on the other hand, something unexpected was more likely to occur while fishing in mucky waters.
Under such circumstances, he would never choose to get in the water.
No gain also meant no loss.
It was a good thing that the Green Mountain wasn't in trouble this time.
He had said it during the Cultivation tournament of the Plum Meeting back then.
He was willing to spend time thinking of these matters, not because he felt it was his responsibility or duty; no, it was for a far more basic reason: it was his Green Mountain.
Zhao Layue, Gu Qing and Yuan Qü walked up to his side, all looking at the outside of the peak.
Over two hundred sword lights illuminated the sky and soon arrived on the nine peaks.
The disciples of the Green Mountain had come back.
The action against the Old Ones was over.
Gu Qing said in a low voice, "According to the news sent back, Liu Shisui didn't come back with them, and nobody knows where he is."
Jing Jiu didn't respond to the news, reaching out his right hand.
Zhao Layue called out the Thoughtless Sword.
Jing Jiu clasped two fingers on his right hand and flicked a sword instruction.
The Thoughtless Sword flew up in the sky and vanished in the greenish horizon after turning into a blood-red rainbow.
The Thoughtless Sword had been there only a few days ago, so it remembered the route. Jing Jiu was much more relaxed this time now that he didn't have to use his sword awareness to guide the sword.
Looking at the residual sword light in the sky, Yuan Qü asked curiously, "I didn't understand that night and still don't. Is it true that the sword can travel ten thousand miles only under the control of someone in the Heavenly Arrival State?"
After glancing at Jing Jiu, Zhao Layue said, "Sword traveling is different from the sword wielding. All you need to do for sword traveling is set up a target beforehand, and the sword will find it without too much difficulty."
What she said was correct, but it wasn't the whole truth.
As Yuan Qü intended to ask further, Gu Qing pulled him away with a smile. They went to the Sword-Washing Stream to receive the returning colleagues.
Though Shenmo Peak was used to the loneliness, someone had to represent the peak at such a significant event.
