Chapter 302 - 297: The Secret of the Disappearance

"Fellow Daoist Ai, Fellow Daoist Ai!"

Du Youqian called out upon arriving at the Grass Tower Temple.

He could have just notified him directly with his Divine Sense, but that would have been impolite.

Sometimes, people are attending to private matters. If you suddenly extend your Divine Sense to peek... you’ll get beaten up.

Even if you do happen to see something with your Divine Sense, you’re supposed to quietly retract it and pretend you saw nothing.

Then, you clear your throat and call out.

That’s what’s considered polite.

Giving others some space and allowing them their dignity isn’t just a principle for being a good person; it applies to being a Cultivator as well.

Ai Miao quickly appeared before Du Youqian. "Celestial Master, for what reason have you summoned me?"

Eight years ago, after a trip back to the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, Ai Miao had run back to the Grass Tower Temple seeking refuge.

Du Youqian was short on manpower at the time. After secretly observing and assessing Ai Miao with his Divine Sense and confirming he had no ill intent—but was instead on a mission from Zeng Baoming to deliver a treasure—Du Youqian had happily taken him in.

As for why Zeng Baoming would use such a method to give him the *Human Dao Sword* Chapter from the *Sword Collection Annotation of Zong Wu True Monarch*—a text countless Cultivators schemed for but could never obtain—Du Youqian had no idea.

In any case, his Cultivation hadn’t reached the level where he needed to fear karma. At his current stage, he didn’t have to consider such things at all.

So, he had accepted it with a smile.

However, over the past eight years, Du Youqian hadn’t spent much time cultivating the Human Dao Sword, having only dabbled in its comprehension.

Besides, who could guarantee this copy of the *Sword Collection Annotation of Zong Wu True Monarch* was authentic? What if it was tainted with hidden agendas or deliberately inserted with specious content?

’I have to study it thoroughly and verify it before I can actually practice it.’

These past few years, Du Youqian had focused most of his energy on Body Refining.

Only with a solid foundation could he attempt to achieve Core Formation with a perfect physical body.

After eight years together, Du Youqian and Ai Miao had become quite familiar with each other. Their relationship wasn’t strictly hierarchical.

But Ai Miao knew his place. Especially after Du Youqian reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, Ai Miao clearly regarded himself as a subordinate.

Still, they were also friends to a certain extent.

Furthermore, Ai Miao was extremely interested in the Puppetry Art, and Du Youqian didn’t hesitate to teach him, so there was also a hint of a master-student bond between them.

Who was the master and who was the student?

Naturally, the forty-two-year-old Du Youqian was the master, and the one-hundred-and-twenty-year-old Ai Miao was the student.

Among Cultivators, the more accomplished one is the master; age has little to do with it.

"I have to leave for a while. During this time, I need you to watch over things. If there are any minor schemes from the Mortal World’s imperial court, you don’t need to get involved. But if the Red Lotus Sect makes any unusual moves, you must deal with it for me. Of course, if one of their Core Formation Masters shows up, don’t try to be a hero. Your own safety is the priority."

Du Youqian laid out his instructions in detail.

In truth, there would be no problems from the imperial court.

Over the years, although Du Youqian rarely spoke up and only quietly pushed for reforms, he did his best to appear harmless, not wanting the court officials to see him as arrogant and domineering.

Thus, on the surface, the imperial court seemed to be a place where a hundred flowers bloomed and a hundred schools of thought contended.

But in reality... everyone was carrying out his will.

He could be gone for more than just a little while; even if he left for eight or ten years, nothing unusual would happen in the court of the Wu Kingdom.

"Yes," Ai Miao agreed.

"If you run into an obstacle you can’t overcome, go to Soul-shaking Mountain and mention my name."

"Yes!"

Ai Miao had actually faintly sensed that Master Baili had a hidden pawn stationed at Soul-shaking Mountain.

Only today did he receive confirmation from Du Youqian.

’Someone as formidable as Master Baili... what Cultivation level would his hidden pawn have?’

’Foundation Establishment Late Stage? Foundation Establishment Perfection?’

’They must be a powerhouse, either way.’

Du Youqian casually tossed him a Jade Scroll. "Study hard. I’ll test you when I get back."

Ai Miao was overjoyed. The Jade Scroll contained new knowledge on the Puppetry Art Inheritance.

If he could master it all, he might even be able to create a Tier Two Puppet.

"Thank you for your gift, Celestial Master!"

Du Youqian nodded without another word.

He then took Little Wukong, boarded his Flying Boat, and first made a trip to Soul-shaking Mountain to check on Fang Hua.

Fang Hua was in seclusion, though it was unclear whether it was to cultivate a Secret Technique, comprehend Sword Intent, or for some other reason.

Considering the timeline, she should still need some more time to solidify her foundation before she could attempt to break through to the Golden Core Late Stage.

Du Youqian didn’t call her out of her seclusion. He simply left a Jade Slip explaining Ai Miao’s situation and asking Fang Hua to look out for him if necessary.

Then, he set off for the Jin Kingdom.

In truth, Du Youqian had performed a divination before leaving and learned that this trip to find someone would not go smoothly.

But he still wanted to try.

At the very least, his visit represented something.

Even if Lin Sha was busy and couldn’t meet him, the knowledge that he had come looking for her might lead to new developments.

Du Youqian’s Flying Boat traveled all the way to the foot of Panyun Mountain in the Jin Kingdom’s Bian State without incident.

Then again, there usually wouldn’t be any trouble.

Even Tribulation Cultivators, upon seeing his Flying Boat’s Escape Speed, would be smart enough to pick another target to rob.

Using the contact point Lin Sha frequently used, Du Youqian sent a message.

As expected, the contact quickly replied, saying that Master Qingqiu was not in the sect and had reportedly not made a public appearance in eight to ten years.

This was within his expectations, so Du Youqian’s mood wasn’t affected by such a small matter.

He left a Jade Slip and departed quietly.

After failing to find Lin Sha, Du Youqian made another trip to the Holy Blood Sect to look for Luo Jinyu and Meng Xiao.

Similarly, he already knew the outcome before he went; it was impossible that he would be able to see them this time.

But showing up near the Holy Blood Sect and sending a message to the two of them through a secret channel was, in itself, a statement.

Of course, the message Du Youqian sent didn’t reveal that he was the reincarnation of "Yu Fei." He would never be so careless.

However, when the news reached Luo Jinyu and Meng Xiao, they would surely have their suspicions.

After all, not many people could use such a secret channel!

And for the person using this secret channel to also have a monkey with him...

In his previous life, many of the arrangements Du Youqian had made were precautions for a rainy day.

Although Du Youqian didn’t say it outright, as long as they weren’t fools, they would connect it to the idea that he had planned a Possession to live another life.

This was also the line of thinking Du Youqian deliberately guided them towards.

The idea of Possession was far more acceptable than being reincarnated and still being able to one hundred percent overcome the Mystery of the Womb.

Although this trip didn’t achieve its intended goals, Du Youqian’s mood was unaffected.

He had been mentally prepared for this before he left. On his return journey south, Du Youqian decided to simply travel leisurely, enjoying the scenery and relaxing his mind. After all, he wasn’t afraid of his Magical Power draining away in the Mortal World and causing his Cultivation to regress.

After traveling south for some distance, Du Youqian turned west and made his way to Sui Shou Mountain.

After sending a blank Jade Slip to Jie Yu according to their pre-arranged method, she quickly came out to meet him.

In just nine short years, Jie Yu had not only reached Foundation Establishment, but her Cultivation had already advanced to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

The body Du Youqian had chosen for her possessed an outstanding Spirit Root. Combined with her own Cultivation experience, Du Youqian estimated she could have even aimed for the Foundation Establishment Late Stage if she weren’t deliberately hiding her true strength.

Though he hadn’t seen her in nine years, Jie Yu’s appearance hadn’t changed in the slightest.

Her movements and expressions carried a sense of composure and sanctity that belied her body’s age, yet they also held the hidden charm of a mature woman. Her body language was not that of a young girl, but the fine details of her skin and face retained a girlish innocence and purity.

The very definition of "innocent yet seductive."

"Master, I’ve come to see you. How have you been these past few years?" Du Youqian greeted with a smile.

"I was doing just fine when you weren’t here. Now that I see you, *this master* is not doing so well," Jie Yu shot him a look, then scooped Little Wukong into her arms to play with him. "Have you figured out a way to remove the Creation Jade Scroll Fragment yet?"

The smile on Du Youqian’s face froze.

’Why is she still bringing this up!’

’Women really hold a grudge.’

’And a female fox holds an even bigger grudge than a woman.’

"I... haven’t figured it out yet. Don’t worry, Master, I will study it seriously. Speaking of which, Master, have you made any progress in your investigation into the disappearance of Elder Shi and Master Wu Ji?" Du Youqian quickly changed the subject.

At this, the sacred glow on Jie Yu’s face turned serious. "This master was just about to find you to discuss this. According to a relatively reliable source, before Master Wu Ji and Elder Shi both disappeared, someone saw Elder Shi coming to find Master Wu Ji. Accompanying him were several very unfamiliar Cultivators. Those strangers were rather bossy, looking down on everyone. It seemed they even ordered Master Wu Ji and Elder Shi around without a shred of respect. Not many people know about this, and those who do were ordered to keep silent. This master had to expend a great deal of effort to find this out."

’And by "expended a great deal of effort," do you mean using your Charm Art plus your Enchantment Art, crossing your beautiful legs while sipping fruit juice and listening to them spill the beans about every last detail?’

’You really worked hard, didn’t you.’

Du Youqian didn’t get caught up in these minor details.

"So why exactly did they disappear?"

Jie Yu shook her head so vigorously that Little Wukong got a little dizzy. "That’s not clear. With this master’s current Cultivation, I don’t dare try to charm a True Inheritance Core Formation from the Taihe Sect. Their abilities in Purity and Self-Discipline, and in Eliminating Illusions and Breaking Illusions, are truly extraordinary. This master doesn’t dare to test them rashly."

"Master, you mustn’t take risks. It would be best if you could reach Core Formation as a True Inheritor of the Taihe Sect."

"That’s impossible," Jie Yu explained. "Although this master has a Secret Technique to conceal the fact that I’m here through Possession, the True Inheritors of the Taihe Sect are different from those of the Holy Blood Sect. They have to undergo an extremely strict screening process that this master could never pass. However, if I can reach Core Formation as an Inner Disciple in the Taihe Sect, I should still be able to access some confidential matters. The class division between their True Inheritors and Inner Disciples isn’t as rigid. Inner Disciples even have a certain voice in the Elder Council. It’s not like the Holy Blood Sect, where Inner Disciples can only grovel before the True Inheritors."

Du Youqian nodded. "Then it’s not bad for you to reach Core Formation as an Inner Disciple, Master. You’ll be able to enter the Elder Council in the future."

Jie Yu’s beautiful eyes glinted. "You wicked disciple, what ulterior motives do you have, hoping for this master to climb to a high position in the Taihe Sect?"

Du Youqian was so speechless he just wanted to roll his eyes.