Chapter 135 | The Background Check

Chapter 135: 135 | The Background Check

The heat of Alchemy Peak remained intense, but Elder Liu found little comfort in it.

Inside her meditation chamber, she sat on a profound-ice jade slab, circulating her Qi after another bout of Phantom Burns. Her high-grade Yang herbs were still delayed, leaving little room for another failed refinement.

The stone doors opened, and Deacon Feng entered with a respectful bow.

"Master, I have made some progress."

Elder Liu opened her eyes. "What did you find?"

"After making inquiries about Aunt Lin’s recovery, I found that her breakthrough was connected, according to several accounts, to a young Inner Sect disciple named Lin Tian."

Elder Liu’s expression sharpened. "Who is he?"

"A relatively new disciple. His cultivation has advanced quickly for his age, and several people mentioned his understanding of Qi circulation."

"How was he involved?"

"The details are unclear. They agreed that Lin Tian examined Aunt Lin’s condition and offered guidance on her Qi circulation."

Elder Liu remained silent. A young cultivator helping someone overcome severe Qi Stagnation was unusual, but the information was too incomplete to judge.

"What do you know about his background?"

"So far, nothing unusual. I found no obvious ties to troublesome factions or serious incidents involving him."

"Did you learn how he helped her?"

"No. None of those I questioned knew his exact method."

"Continue the inquiry," Elder Liu ordered. "Find out about his cultivation, known techniques, and how he became involved with Aunt Lin."

Feng bowed. "Understood."

"Do not approach him directly. I want information, not attention."

"Yes, Master."

Feng turned to leave, but Elder Liu added, "If his understanding of Qi circulation is genuine, find out where he learned it."

After Feng left, Elder Liu remained alone.

For years, she had relied on alchemy to solve difficult problems. Now, for the first time, she wondered whether the answer to her own condition might lie in another cultivator’s understanding of Qi circulation.

For the rest of the day, Deacon Feng worked through the Crimson Nimbus Sect’s records, verifying what he had learned about Lin Tian.

He began with the sect registry and Contribution Hall. Lin Tian had entered the sect without any special distinction, and his cultivation had progressed faster than average through steady effort. His mission records contained only routine assignments, with no unexplained gaps, unusual dealings, or suspicious connections.

Feng then reviewed the Inner Sect tournament records.

The jade recordings showed a disciplined fighting style. Lin Tian’s movements were steady, his strikes precise, and his control over Qi unusually refined, but nothing in his fights revealed an unfamiliar technique or a sudden change in strength that required further explanation.

His attention eventually turned to the Artifact Pavilion.

Feng quietly questioned several attendants who had worked around Aunt Lin.

"Senior Brother Lin? He used to assist Aunt Lin with basic refinement work," one attendant said. "He has a sharp eye for spiritual materials and can notice problems in their Qi flow that others often overlook."

Feng asked a few more questions and received similar answers. Lin Tian had no known history of trouble within the sect, but Aunt Lin had apparently paid attention to his unusual understanding of Qi circulation.

That detail made Feng pause.

He compared it with what he had already learned about Aunt Lin’s condition. Her severe Qi Stagnation had remained unresolved for years, yet she had improved suddenly before breaking through to Foundation Establishment. The connection was not enough to prove Lin Tian was responsible, but it gave Feng a reasonable lead.

He copied the relevant records onto a jade slip and left the archives.

So far, nothing in Lin Tian’s background suggested outside involvement. The more important question was simpler: what exactly had he seen in Aunt Lin’s Qi that others had failed to notice?

Feng decided that was the part Elder Liu needed to hear.

The Cloud-Sea Pavilion stood secluded from the rest of the sect, its Tier-3 isolation arrays quietly humming around the pavilion and keeping its interior sealed from prying senses.

No guards stood at the entrance, and even the servants who occasionally passed through the outer courtyard kept their distance from the secluded pavilion.

Inside the grand main hall, Lin Tian sat dressed in his robes. The power of his [Primordial Yang-Tyrant Body] gave off a restrained warmth, but the doubled density of his Liquid Qi remained hidden within his Dantian.

A subtle shift came from the shadows beside one of the towering pillars.

Lady Yun stepped into the moonlit hall, her dark outer robe moving silently with her. The natural concealment of her Body kept her presence faint as she approached Lin Tian before stopping several steps away.

"Master."

Lin Tian looked toward her. "Report."

"Deacon Feng has finished his inquiry," Lady Yun said. "He found nothing suspicious in your background. He checked your sect records, missions, and tournament history, then made a few inquiries around Aunt Lin. Nothing he found gave him a reason to suspect outside involvement."

Lin Tian remained calm. "And what did he conclude about Aunt Lin?"

"He believes your understanding of Qi circulation may have been connected to her recovery. He does not know exactly what you did, but the connection was enough to become the main point of his report."

Lin Tian rested one hand against the arm of his chair. "Then there is no reason to interfere."

Lady Yun watched him for a moment. "You are not worried that Elder Liu will continue investigating you?"

"Let her," Lin Tian replied. "The records are clean because they were meant to remain clean. There is no need to change them."

He paused, his gaze steady. "If Feng had found something missing or altered, Elder Liu would have a reason to question why. That would only make her look deeper. But when the records contain nothing unusual, there is little for her to pursue beyond the explanation already in front of her."

Lady Yun nodded slowly, understanding the point.

"We are not trying to stop her inquiry," Lin Tian said. "We only need to avoid giving her a reason to suspect that someone is guiding what she sees. Let her draw her own conclusion from the information available to her."

His gaze turned toward the distant peaks where Alchemy Peak stood beyond the night mist.

"Keep watching Elder Liu’s movements," he ordered. "Pay attention to how she responds to the delayed Yang-attribute herbs, and which option she turns to next. Do not interfere with Feng’s report or the sect records."

"Understood."

"If the inquiry changes direction and begins to move toward me, report it before taking any action."

Lady Yun bowed. "Yes, Master."

She stepped back toward the shadows and quietly withdrew from the hall.

Lin Tian remained seated, his expression thoughtful but composed. He had no need to force the situation forward. As long as Elder Liu continued making her own decisions, he could remain safely out of sight.

For now, nothing had changed, and that was exactly what Lin Tian wanted.

Left alone in the quiet of the Cloud-Sea Pavilion, Lin Tian rose from his chair and walked toward the balcony.

His dark robes stirred gently in the cold mountain wind as he looked across the mist-covered peaks of the Crimson Nimbus Sect. Far in the distance, the glow of Alchemy Peak remained visible through the night.

The system interface flickered at the edge of his vision.

[Target 4 Data]

Name: Elder Liu

[Cultivation Level: Core Formation Realm (Early Stage)]

[Profession: 4-Star Alchemist / 5-Star Talent]

[Hidden Illness: Pill Toxicity (Phantom Burns)]

[Obsession Level: 0% (Stranger)]

Lin Tian rested his hands against the cold stone railing.

A cultivator who had spent years dealing with her own condition would not readily trust a young disciple who suddenly claimed to possess an answer. Before Elder Liu could even consider his help, she would first want to understand how he knew what others had failed to discover.

That was another reason not to approach her yet.

If he appeared before her now and offered his [Primordial Yin-Yang Synergy], the sudden knowledge alone could make her suspicious. She might question his intentions, his methods, and how a young disciple had gained such an understanding of her condition.

Lin Tian’s gaze remained fixed on Alchemy Peak.

The delayed Yang-attribute herbs had already forced Elder Liu to look beyond her usual methods. Ghost Market had yet to provide what she needed, while her attempts to secure herbs elsewhere had also encountered delays.

She still had choices.

That was what mattered.

Every choice she made under increasing pressure would reveal more about her priorities and how far she was willing to go for a solution.

Lin Tian’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Take your time, Elder Liu."

His voice was quiet beneath the mountain wind.

"There is no need for me to make the next move."

He turned from the balcony and walked back into the pavilion, leaving the cold night behind.

The system interface faded from his sight.

Now, he only needed to see what Elder Liu would do next.