Chapter 1284: Gathering of the Stars

Chapter 1284: Chapter 1284: Gathering of the Stars

As Liu Xuanji was lost in thought, he suddenly smelled the fragrance of flowers. He realized that he had been led out through a side gate of the original Peach Blossom Spring courtyard, arriving at the East Flower Garden he had previously shown Pei Yan. Cloaked in black, the group with him had no intention of admiring the moonlit beauty of the sea of flowers. They hurriedly walked through the path among the blossoms and soon arrived at a hidden realm.

Looking up, it was clear that this hidden realm was a temporary independent space set up here. When Liu Xuanji arrived, more than ten people were already waiting outside. The ones leading the guards at the site were Lin Daozi and Lin Xunrou, siblings and Children of Origin, originally chosen by the Spirit Lord. Everyone with them was at the Heavenly Dao Realm.

"Reporting to the Lord, the person has been brought!" Xiang Zixiong bowed before Lin Daozi to report.

"Mm! There were no issues on the way?" Lin Daozi glanced at Liu Xuanji, who kept his head very low, and asked.

"None! We followed the predetermined route from the attic to here, passing only through areas guarded by Mr. Pei’s men. We did not notice any suspicious individuals spying on us!" Xiang Zixiong truthfully reported.

"Very good. I don’t need to emphasize how important tonight’s affair is; with this situation, you ought to understand. Once he goes in, stay outside and guard with me! Until this affair is conclusively resolved, no one is allowed to have private contacts with the outside, nor leave the area I’ve overseen. Do you all understand?" Lin Daozi pointed at Liu Xuanji and ordered.

Upon receiving the order, everyone stood consciously on either side of the hidden realm’s entrance. Liu Xuanji, being named, didn’t stand on ceremony, nodding to Lin Daozi as a gesture of respect, before stepping forward into the hidden realm.

As the light receded and Liu Xuanji gradually adjusted to the surroundings, a familiar figure appeared before him. Liu Xuanji focused his gaze and exclaimed with delight, "Senior Brother!"

"Junior Brother Liu, you’ve suffered! It was my mismanagement that brought such disaster upon the sect!" Although addressed as an elder brother, in terms of age, this person seemed much younger than Liu Xuanji, appearing just past middle age with an upright and graceful figure. Despite the worry in his brow, it wasn’t hard to tell that in his youth, he was charming and suave. The one who had come to greet him was Mo Baiqi, the current Sect Leader of the Hongjun Sword Furnace.

"Hey! What use is there in saying this now? Back then, it was a decision made collectively by several elders to indulge that person. Besides, even without him, things might not be much better today; we’ve long been targeted!" Mo Baiqi’s willingness to admit fault eased much of Liu Xuanji’s pent-up resentment, and he sighed helplessly.

"Indeed! You are right! I also bear responsibility for failing to notice. I thought I had secured the position at the Immortal Palace, thus neglected managing sect affairs. It was unforeseen that two high-ranking elders harbored disloyal thoughts unbeknownst to us!" Mo Baiqi, usually composed and unflustered, couldn’t help but burn with rage when thinking of the recent upheaval in the sect. He spoke hatefully, "Junior Brother, I received your letter. I’ve instructed everyone in the sect to fully cooperate with Pei Yan and the others in their investigation; anyone showing false compliance has already been charged with sect crimes without leniency. With this approach, hopefully, the investigation department won’t face further hindrance. But, Junior Brother, are you sure Pei Yan is really a friend and not a foe? They are currently closely associated with the Embroidered Robe Envoy!"

"What good would mistrust do? Pei Yan said it well; our weaknesses are held by others. If he genuinely intended to destroy us, with the evidence at his disposal and everything that transpired last night, he wouldn’t need to do anything extra to succeed! Even if our sect isn’t annihilated, it would cause the Spirit Lord to distrust us, making it difficult for us to be among the top sects in the future!" Liu Xuanji spoke while gazing at the pavilion standing within the hidden realm and continued, "Moreover, I’ve observed Pei Yan for a long time; though he is capricious, with a sharp and vengeful personality, he handles affairs maturely, adeptly seizing opportunities amidst changing circumstances. More crucially, the investigation department under his leadership works efficiently and is highly regarded by the Spirit Lord. Now, to turn things around, we can only rely on him!"

As they conversed, Mo Baiqi guided Liu Xuanji towards the pavilion. Mo Baiqi concurred deeply with his junior brother’s assessment of Pei Yan, saying, "I’ve only watched Pei Yan’s matches under the Sword Discussion Conference platform. You’ve been at the Immortal Palace longer and should know him better than I do. I trust your judgment! Besides, today I was brought here secretly from the Immortal Palace’s restricted area. Before coming, I believed the Spirit Lord intended a private interrogation for me, which made me uneasy. But upon arrival, I saw other sect leaders and courtyard elders, except those from the White Deer Institute, which showed me the Spirit Lord still trusts us."

"Senior Brother, didn’t you know what you came here for tonight?" Liu Xuanji asked in surprise after hearing his senior brother’s words.

Mo Baiqi shook his head with a bitter smile, saying, "Ah! After knowing the major incident at the Immortal Palace, how could I sit idle? I rushed to meet the Spirit Lord as soon as summoned, using the newly opened shared Teleportation Array to get to the Immortal Palace. Along the way, I learned details of last night’s incident, thus my impatience grew. I approached the Spirit Lord as soon as I entered the palace to plead guilty! No matter how furious, usually keeping displeasure under wraps and not letting others detect it, the Spirit Lord is genuinely enraged this time! She harshly rebuked us, sect leaders and the Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Robe Envoy included. Among them, Infinite Thunder Sect Leader Murong Longxiang merely defended disciples by saying Pei Yan’s handling was somewhat arbitrary and excessive, which exacerbated matters, thus getting mocked by the Spirit Lord for claiming these actions were under her directive, questioning whether he was dissatisfied with her ways, questioning whether us sects thought our power could override hers. Murong Longxiang dared not speak further, bringing his junior brother Situ Maocai to bow continuously in apology. After being severely reprimanded, we were secluded in different frigid realms within the Immortal Palace for self-reflection until I was secretly brought here just now."

"The Spirit Lord’s anger is a good sign, demonstrating she doesn’t want to entirely replace us yet! It seems Pei Yan’s words are genuine: the White Deer Institute has already been excluded! As long as Pei Yan can uncover convincing evidence tonight, our crimes will be absolved!" Liu Xuanji, heartened after hearing Mo Baiqi recount his day’s experiences, spoke eagerly.

"Hopefully! Hopefully!"

With these hopes, Mo Baiqi led Liu Xuanji into the pavilion, surprising him when they did not ascend. Instead, his senior brother guided him through a side door, descending into the subterranean depths via a spiraling wooden staircase.