Chapter 384 - 220: [Floating Light and Shadow Sword: (???/???)]

Chapter 384: Chapter 220: [Floating Light and Shadow Sword: (???/???)]

When he looked up, the Main Peak Hall was already before him.

Xie Yuan’s brow unfurrowed. ’No point overthinking it. I’ll just wait for the answer.’

「Inside Li Xingtuo’s study.」

With a THUD, the heavy wooden door swung open. Ning Zi strode in, dragging Xie Yuan behind her, and chimed:

"Sect Leader, I’ve brought Junior Brother Zhang!"

"You’re here? So soon?"

Li Xingtuo said with a smile.

"Junior Brother Zhang was very cooperative."

Ning Zi grinned and let go of his arm.

Xie Yuan’s face was a mask of indifference. ’This Ning Zi might be beautiful, but she’s deceptively strong. Then again, what delicate woman in the Second Transformation Realm would be weak? Her grip left red marks on my arm all the way here.’

He bowed to Li Xingtuo.

"Greetings, Sect Leader."

At the same time, his gaze swept across the room, taking in the entire study in an instant.

’Qin Zhenyang and Huang Zifeng are here, as expected. But... why is Lin Zhen here too?’

Xie Yuan found it odd. He glanced at Huang Zifeng’s expression and fell into silent contemplation.

Li Xingtuo nodded.

"Now that you’re all here, I assume you know why?"

He didn’t wait for Xie Yuan to reply, continuing on his own.

"The Jinling Minor Hidden Dragon Meet will be held on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Both the Sword Storage Pavilion and the Yao family of Jinling have sent us letters inviting our Sect’s young disciples to participate. I have decided that Zhenyang will lead the team. Ning Zi will participate in the Second Transformation Realm competition, while Zifeng and Lin Zhen will compete in the First Transformation Realm’s arena.

"The competition itself is secondary, so don’t feel too much pressure. Your main purpose is to broaden your horizons. See the sights of Jiangnan, observe what the Martial Artists of the prosperous southeast are like, and make friends through martial contests. This experience will be beneficial to your cultivation."

The disciples all cupped their fists in acknowledgment. After a moment of silence, Xie Yuan asked:

"Sect Leader, what will my role be? Am I to provide logistical support for my senior brother and sisters? Or am I also to participate in the Qi Blood First Transformation Realm arena?"

A smile touched Li Xingtuo’s lips as he heard the question.

"Oh? Do you want to participate?"

Xie Yuan fell silent for a moment before replying,

"I feel my strength isn’t sufficient to compete."

"So humble. Very good, very good."

Li Xingtuo said with seeming praise.

"..."

Xie Yuan was left speechless.

To Ning Zi and the others, this exchange sounded perfectly normal. They had no idea that the true meaning behind both speakers’ words was the complete opposite of what they perceived...

"You performed well previously and gained significant insight on Sword Peak, so I’m sending you down the mountain for a while. As I just said, seeing other places and other Martial Artists is beneficial for your own cultivation; it can help you integrate what you learned on Sword Peak. The Jinling Villa has been short-staffed recently. You will be stationed there for a period of time and can observe the Minor Hidden Dragon Meet as well."

Li Xingtuo said calmly.

Xie Yuan’s expression flickered upon hearing this. He bowed and said:

"Thank you, Sect Leader! I will obey your command."

Li Xingtuo waved his hand and gave the others individual instructions. He made a point of telling Lin Zhen not to feel pressured; since he had only just broken through, his focus should be on gaining experience.

These words made Lin Zhen, who rarely interacted with Li Xingtuo, extremely excited. He thought to himself, ’The Sect Leader is so caring and considerate toward his disciples! He’s truly the best and most perfect Sect Leader in the world! How could someone like me have been worthy enough to join the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect and meet such a teacher? It’s all thanks to Master Xie...’

In that respect, Li Xingtuo certainly lived up to the reputation. However, Luo Shuang had clearly never told her disciple that their own Sect Leader had nearly become their martial uncle of the same lineage.

After finishing his instructions, Li Xingtuo waved his hand.

"Go and prepare. You’ll depart down the mountain tomorrow. Zhang Shan, wait a moment."

Everyone except Qin Zhenyang bowed and took their leave. They each glanced at Xie Yuan, assuming the Sect Leader had some matters concerning the villa to discuss with him. Only Lin Zhen’s gaze lingered for a moment longer, though it went unnoticed.

Once the others had left and the study door was closed, only Li Xingtuo, his disciple Qin Zhenyang, and Xie Yuan remained in the room.

Xie Yuan cupped his fist.

"You’re sending me because there’s another task, isn’t there, Sect Leader?"

Li Xingtuo said with admiration,

"You’re a sharp one. There is indeed another task for you on this trip. Since you’re so perceptive, why don’t you try guessing what it is?"

Xie Yuan detected the hint of a test in Li Xingtuo’s tone. He pondered for a moment, recalling the Sect Leader’s earlier words, before hazarding a guess:

"I’m not certain... Is it related to the affairs of the Jinling Villa? Has the villa run into some trouble recently, requiring a disciple to be sent over?"

Major Sects often have outposts in other provinces, similar to branch offices or recruitment centers. They serve two purposes: one, to coordinate their local businesses and industries, and two, to recruit talented disciples.

The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had a villa in Jinling Prefecture, the heart of Jiangnan. Of course, the Sword Sect couldn’t compete with the great noble families and local major sects in Jiangnan, so the villa was small and not well-known. Still, it maintained a foothold in the region.

Li Xingtuo nodded, impressed.

"It seems I was right to give you this mission. You do have a degree of insight. Paired with that... heh, you should be quite good at solving mysteries."

Seeing that Li Xingtuo was practically spelling it out for him, Xie Yuan could only offer a polite smile.

After he spoke, Li Xingtuo’s expression turned serious, and his tone grew heavy.

"According to a report I received yesterday, the steward of our Sect’s Jinling Villa, Wang Zhiyi, was assassinated."

"What?"

Xie Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

’The steward of a Sect villa... assassinated?’

His brows furrowed instantly. This was no small matter.

Although the Jinling Villa wasn’t large, Jinling was still the heart of Jiangnan, and the Sword Sect had invested considerable effort there.

Steward Wang Zhiyi was a carefully selected and capable man—a smooth operator and quick-witted. Although his cultivation hadn’t reached the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm, he was at the peak of the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm. His skills were no less than those of the prodigies on the Hidden Dragon List; he was simply too old to be ranked.