Chapter 38: Do Not Act Rashly

Ever since parting ways with his junior brother at Yujia Village, Zhou You had headed all the way north, bringing along his two newly accepted disciples.

The master and his two apprentices traveled and stopped along the way, finally arriving at Moran City today.

This place was incomparably prosperous, but what ordinary people did not know was that the Danyi Alley, an assassin organization that struck terror into the hearts of numerous cultivators across the surrounding nations, had its headquarters located right here.

However, due to the formidable strength of the cultivators in Danyi Alley, their terrifying desire for revenge, and the fact that their actions against the powerful and noble of various countries had never been excessively over the line, they had never been eradicated.

After all, there is no logic in playing the thief's game for a thousand days; once it proved impossible to wipe out every single member of Danyi Alley, endless retaliation would be waiting for them.

Although this Moran City lay within the territory of the Dafeng Dynasty, its actual control had always been firmly held in the hands of Danyi Alley. Even those great immortal sects that wanted to come here to claim a share of the spoils had to honestly pay their respects and acknowledge the local bosses upon stepping onto this patch of ground.

In the backyard of the Miao Yin Pavilion.

Zhou You suddenly spoke up, "How come the guests feel a bit fewer than before?"

Ziying sighed and said softly, "There's no help for it. Now that the Seven Demonic Sects have emerged on a massive scale—not just within the borders of Dafeng, but across all five continents of the world—their traces can be found everywhere. For safety's sake, guests have been coming less frequently."

The rugged man nodded, his expression solemn, "Those rats making a comeback is indeed a major trouble."

Ziying suddenly said, "Hey, did you come down the mountain this time specifically for this matter?"

"Years have passed, yet Miss Ziying is still as ice-crystal clever as ever."

The purple-robed woman gave him a sideways glance, but the upturned corners of her mouth revealed how happy she was.

The man continued, "A while ago, I made a secret trip down the mountain and dealt with some rats over at the Daxixi Dynasty. Afterward, Master said that turbulent times are approaching and our Wuwang Mountain is going to reopen its gates, which is why I've made my second trip out within a single year."

Ziying nodded slightly. Many years ago, she, Zhou You, and a few other like-minded good friends had crossed paths by narrow chance in a secret realm within the Northern Stop-Lances Continent. After that secret realm expedition concluded, everyone gradually let down their guard and agreed to travel together.

Along the way, each harvested abundant gains, and the few of them came to regard each other as true confidants.

Only, as time flowed on, everyone scattered to the four corners of the world, making a reunion a very difficult endeavor.

Right at that moment, in a small alley not far from Ruyi Square, a man clad in gray robes with a stern expression was walking with hurried steps deep into the alley.

Before long, he arrived outside a courtyard at the very end of the alley. The courtyard gate was painted with black lacquer, and upon it were pasted two lifelike door gods, both clad in treasured armor and radiating a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

On the left, the door god held a long spear, with a mighty horned dragon coiled around his feet and body; on the right, the door god grasped a pole of primordial, desolate-looking great halberd, with a pure white spiritual tiger crouching at his feet.

Seeing the person standing outside the gate, the eyes of the two door gods flashed with golden light, and the spear-wielding door god spoke in a majestic voice.

"What brings you here?"

The gray-robed man bowed respectfully to the two door gods, "I have an important matter to report to the Ancestor, and I ask the two divine emissaries to announce my presence."

"Wait."

With that, that figure drifted out from the painting, turning into a streak of light to report inside the courtyard.

Before long, the figure returned to the painting, "You may enter."

As it spoke, the black gates swung open.

This was a three-courtyard compound. The front hall was incomparably spacious, furnished with more than a dozen sets of tables and chairs. Behind each table sat a cultivator clad in black robes with a serious expression, handling official business.

The gray-robed man walked straight toward the backyard, encountering numerous fiercely auraed guards patrolling everywhere along the way.

Shortly after, he reached the innermost courtyard. Within the courtyard stood a pavilion, entwined with vines and brimming with greenery.

An elder dressed in plain white robes and wearing a benevolent expression was sipping tea.

Upon seeing the gray-robed man, the elder gestured with his hand and called out with a smile, "Lu Zhi, you're here. Come over quickly."

The gray-robed man, named Lu Zhi, came before the pavilion with a respectful expression, "Lu Zhi pays respects to the Ancestor. I have an important matter to report."

The other party waved a hand, "No need to rush. Come and have a cup of my tea first."

Saying this, the white-robed elder handed a cup of tea to the opposite party, "You have a blessed palate; I don't have much of this Fog-Hidden Tea left."

Lu Zhi downed the tea in a single gulp, instantly feeling his entire body immensely relaxed and comfortable. The tea scattered like sweet dew across all the hundred bones and joints of his frame, leaving an aftertaste that lingered endlessly.

He immediately closed his eyes to calm his mind and began to slowly circulate his spiritual energy. A moment later, he opened his eyes, his cultivation base seeming to have advanced by a fraction.

Only then did the elder slowly ask, "What on earth has happened to make even you, a little fellow who has always remained calm even if the sky were to fall, feel so nervous?"

Lu Zhi sat up straight, his voice deep as he said, "Ancestor, at noon today, a nondescript, hulking man arrived at the Miao Yin Pavilion. It is very likely the very person you encountered at the Daxixi border a hundred years ago."

Hearing this, even the hand with which Ancestor Lu was holding his teacup paused in mid-air. The smile on his face slowly faded, and he looked at the junior beside him with a solemn expression.

"He really has come," the elder sighed with emotion, then asked again, "Can it be confirmed that he is the person I encountered back then?"

"Eight or nine-tenths certain. According to the intelligence sent by our spy in the Miao Yin Pavilion, Ziying personally stepped forward to welcome the party inside."

The elder raised his eyebrows, "A party? Who else was traveling with him?"

"Two children, a boy and a girl. They are said to be the newly accepted disciples of that man."

With that, Lu Zhi recounted in full detail all the information he had obtained from the spy to the elder.

If Zhou You or Ziying were here right now, they would surely be utterly shocked.

The intelligence network of Danyi Alley was simply too meticulous. From the moment Zhou You and his three companions entered Moran City, made their way all the way to Ruyi Square, and then entered the small courtyard behind the Miao Yin Pavilion, what the master and disciples ate and what they did along the way were all listed out in meticulous detail.

After listening to Lu Zhi's account, the white-robed elder actually dropped his teacup to the ground in a trance.

He let out a long sigh, his expression tinged with a trace of panic, "This time, the sky really has fallen."

This scene made Lu Zhi's eyelids twitch wildly. As the stabilizing pillar of Danyi Alley, the Ancestor had spent years quietly recuperating in this small courtyard, yet everyone knew what kind of terrifying cultivation base this seemingly benevolent elder possessed.

To be honest, this was the first time Lu Zhi had ever seen the Ancestor lose his composure like this. Consequently, the awe and wariness in his heart toward the man staying at the Miao Yin Pavilion deepened all the more.

The gray-robed man asked cautiously, "Ancestor, what should we do now?"

The white-robed elder cast a cold glance at him and retorted ungratefully, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Yet he did not completely give up. The elder stood up and gave his orders, "Pass down the word: have all members nearby return immediately. Starting today, accept no further missions. Let everyone stay within the alley and strictly forbid any rash movements."