Post-Battle
“There are two qi signals,” Xiaoshuai noted.
“Go check on the situation, but keep a safe distance. All you need to do is see the owner of the second signal,” Mu Yu instructed, unable to risk leaving the group.
“Got it!”
Those left with Mu Yu contemplated why Daoist Yuan De attacked Zhuge Xiaosheng out of the blue, why elemental demons ambushed them there, who their mysterious saviour was, why help them and why did he have the same qi as Earth Reverend.
Yao Wuji hesitantly expressed, “Thank you for saving us.”
“Thank you for saving our patriarch,” Lu Deyi also conveyed. “Yao Wuji, you better have an explanation for this uninvited attack! I always respected Daoist Yuan De, but this act of collusion is unacceptable! If you cannot provide a justified reason, I won’t let this matter go!”
Mu Chenghong and Lu Deyi were prepared to off the two from Pill Cauldron Sect if the latter two showed any signs of animosity.
“I beg your pardon. I genuinely have no clue why my martial uncle would do such a thing, either. While he may not be a man who fusses over menial details, he would never do anything so unthinkable. I believe there must be a misunderstanding.”
“What sort of misunderstanding requires him to attempt murder? Don’t think for a second that ‘misunderstanding’ is enough for us to forgive you. We’re the last ones to fear Pill Cauldron Sect!”
“I honestly do not know what it was all about. How about we wait for him to come to, and then ask him?”
Mu Chenghong fumed, “So that he can make another attempt on our patriarch’s life?”
Seeing conversing with those two led to a dead end, Yao Wuji turned to Mu Yu. “Sir, do you have any input?”
“It’s rather convoluted. The more you know about this, the greater the risk you will be exposed to.”
Mu Chenghong questioned, “How can we be expected to just let this go, though?”
“Inviting us here, then colluding with the elemental demons to assassinate our patriarch, Pill Cauldron Sect is unscrupulous!” raged Lu Deyi, standing beside Mu Chenghong.
Mu Yu brooded, I want to clear the air between the two parties, but why do I shy away whenever I think about revealing myself to Mu Hao? What will he think of me?
Mu Hao kept stealing glances at Mu Yu, albeit gingerly.
“The elemental demons’ seal in this zone is still active, which means there’s a high probability more of them are still around. Keep quiet and keep your wits about you,” Mu Yu asserted.
Xiaoshuai reported back, “Brother, I’m back. The qi belongs t-”
Mu Yu nudged Xiaoshuai. “Come with me. We’ll talk once we’re out of here.”
It was unwise for Mu Yu to take the group to Pill Cauldron Sect before he completely recovered as there was no telling if Pill Cauldron Sect was now a big trap Third Heaven Palace set. After all, Daoist Yuan De wielded a lot of power there, yet he was under Third Heaven Palace’s control. As such, he swept the matter along with his rhythm and left the danger zone without asking for an opinion.
***
The cultivators who arrived at the danger zone were exasperated at the sight of the damage. Seeing as the mountains were close to Pill Cauldron Sect, it was understandable For Daoist Yun Dan to also go see. He easily sniffed out the smell of explosion pill traces in the ground’s splits.
“Patriarch, we found a bisected earth demon in the forest,” reported a disciple. “There are no other earth demon corpses within a hundred square kilometres.”
“Earth demon?! Are they challenging us?!” thundered Daoist Yun Dan, inspecting the crystal-clear earth demon’s torso. “Conduct a search for Daoist Yu Dan and Patriarch Zhuge’s groups. They should pass through here on their way back!”
Little did they know the earth demons they thought had absconded were actually eliminated – courtesy of Mu Yu.
Daoist Yun Dan fathomed the scale of damage that would follow if Zhuge Xiaosheng met with mishap in his territory; the damage would hurt Pill Cauldron Sect’s reputation, stir unrest among people and create grudges.
If the elemental demons were willing to launch an attack somewhere so close to a sect comparable to the eight great sects, where could a haven be found?
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