C11 – Let Your Senior Brother Rest in Peace

Gu Feidao nodded with an understanding look, “So you are a core disciple! Please do forgive me for not being able to recognize you earlier. May I ask if you are the legendary expert known as ‘Water Moon Mirror Flower’, also the daughter of Master Ning?”

Ning Xiangrong raised her eyebrows at Gu Feidao’s words. She did not expect that this mortal would know about an immortal cultivator like her. She nodded, “Yes, and I am here under the orders of my father to assist my two junior brothers.”

As she said this, however, she did not even take a look at Yue Longzhang — her ‘junior brother’ — on the ground.

Ma Shu smiled nervously as he immediately echoed, his voice trembling, “That’s right… It’s such an honor to have Senior Sister Ning with us on our mission. I’ll, um, I’ll take care of Senior Brother Yue first and, um, clean this up.”

As he lifted Yue Longzhang’s body and carried it on his shoulders, cold sweats were dripping down his forehead. Obviously this boy was quite shocked as much as frightened.

And how dare anyone accuse Senior Sister Ning of betraying the sect, especially when Yue Longzhang was already dead now?

He wouldn’t want to be the next.

“Wait a second.”

However, Liu Yuan stopped Ma Shu from leaving.

The boy, only in his teens, gingerly raised his head and didn’t even dare look at Liu Yuan in the eye — after all, the man in front of him had just killed his senior brother. Ma Shu stole a glance at Ning Xiangrong, who still seemed indifferent, then forced a smile and said, “Yes, Senior Liu?”

He addressed Liu Yuan as ‘Senior Liu’ because of his cultivation base, which seemed to be at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Given that he himself was only at the Qi Cultivation Stage, it would be only proper for him to show respect for the man.

With his timid and innocent look, as well as his respectful tone, Ma Shu came across as a completely harmless young man.

Liu Yuan looked at Ma Shu and thought to himself, ‘This spy from the Devil Cult is really a good actor.’

Much better than him when he first met Gu Siyin.

As was mentioned previously, apart from Water Moon Dock, there was the Devil Cult behind the curtain.

And Ma Shu was the spy sent by the Devil Cult to Pool Feather Mountain Manor.

As for how he managed to sneak in, it was naturally because the upper echelons of Water Moon Dock had been controlled by the Devil Cult.

Liu Yuan pointed at Yue Longzhang’s body and said, “Yue Longzhang was good at using poison, so probably there are still some poisonous weapons hidden on him. If you bury him under the ground, poison will likely spread out and harm those who live nearby. As his fellow disciple, you should know that as well as I do.”

Ma Shu’s eyes flickered as he nodded, “Yes, yes, you are right. I almost forgot… I will carefully search Senior Brother Yue’s body to see if there are any poison on him.”

Liu Yuan deliberately put on a serious look, “Are you saying you are going to search a dead man’s body? How insulting! We Immortal Cultivators must not do such a thing.”

Hearing this, Ma Shu replied hesitantly, “Then… what should I do?”

Liu Yuan sighed, “I’m afraid we will have no choice but to cremate his body.”

What?

Everyone present was shocked.

For a while the hall was in dead silence.

Wasn’t it even more insulting to burn the body, huh?

People all stared at Liu Yuan as if he was the devil himself.

Ma Shu opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Liu Yuan patted him on the shoulder.

He said earnestly, “We Immortal Cultivators should have compassion for everything in the world. Find a secluded place to burn the body, so that your senior brother can rest in peace.”

Looking around at the crowd of mortals, Ma Shu had no choice but to hold back his words and nodded, “Alright…”

Composed as he seemed, he was crying a river on the inside. Yue Longzhang was at the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage, so he could naturally look down on these mortals, but he was only at the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, which meant even Gu Siyin, who was at the seventh level of the Pulse Opening Stage, could defeat him with ease.

In this world, advanced martial artists could defeat immortal cultivators at the early stages; it was only after reaching the Foundation Establishing Stage that the situation would be completely in reverse.

Liu Yuan withdrew his hand. “Well, off you go then.”

Ma Shu stood up and carried the corpse towards the exit of the hall.

He had just reached the door when Liu Yuan waved his sleeve and released a spirit butterfly made out of Spiritual Energy, which landed on Ma Shu’s shoulder. He said, “This spirit butterfly can protect you from any living poisonous things on Yue Longzhang’s body. Remember, deal with the body with great care.”

“Illusion Spirit Technique!”

Ma Shu abruptly turned his head to look at the butterfly on his shoulder, and his pupils shrank.

On the back of the wings of the spirit butterfly, a faint golden pattern could be seen.

It was an Ouroboros, and in the middle was a ghost face surrounded by flames!

This was the symbol of the Holy Cult!

Ma Shu paused, then he quickened his pace and stormed out of the hall.

Liu Yuan’s gaze was locked on Ma Shu as he left.

Ma Shu was a spy from a sect called “Luo Shengtian”, the biggest devil cult in the south of Middle Continent, and he had been sent to the Water Moon Dock on a secret mission.

People of this devil cult worshipped an eight-armed god named “Luo Tian,” and they believed that he would one day descend into the world and bring destruction as well as new life.

And he would come through reincarnation.

Therefore, they had been looking everywhere for this “Luo Tian.”

Of course, meanwhile, they were also offering up sacrifices and developing believers.

Although this part of the story was not directly told in the game, some meticulous players still managed to discovered it.

Normally speaking, once the players had investigated the Pool Feather Mountain Manor and found out about the ins and outs of the engagement, they would naturally fight with Yue Longzhang, and after they defeated him, he and Ma Shu would run away.

However, not long after, Yue Longzhang would show up again.

— In the form of a puppet, though.

By then, if the players check Yue Longzhang’s status, they would find that he had already been a puppet of the Devil Cult. The truth was that Ma Shu had refined Yue Longzhang’s corpse into a corpse puppet.

And that was Ma Shu’s special combat technique — while his cultivation base was not very impressive, he actually possessed the thick-soul constitution, which was one in a million. Therefore, he could easily spare part of his soul and energy to control puppets with a much higher cultivation base than himself.

Soon the hall was cleaned up.

Gu Feidao sat down and gestured for Liu Yuan and Ning Xiangrong to take a seat, “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

Gu Siyin plucked at Liu Yuan’s sleeve and looked at him pleadingly; she wanted him to sit beside her, but Liu Yuan shook his head. It would be improper. The girl could only puff her cheeks and obediently let go.

Liu Yuan sat by Ning Xiangrong’s side and suddenly heard Ning Xiangrong’s voice transmission, “Why are you so cautious?” She sounded a bit surprised.

She was obviously referring to how he asked Ma Shu to deal with Yue Longzhang’s body.

Liu Yuan replied via voice transmission, his expression unchanged, “I just found out that Yue Longzhang was a spy from the Devil Cult. He might have left some tricks behind so as to send information back to the Devil Cult. Rong Rong, I think it’s best to call it off, for now, since the Devil Cult is involved in the engagement.”

Fortunately, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage were able to make voice transmission.

Ning Xiangrong slightly moved her fingers on the armrest and then she said without batting an eyelid, “Master Gu, this was all Yue Longzhang’s fault and he got what he deserved. Now that his death has brought bad luck, I say let’s postpone the wedding. What do you think?”

Gu Feidao nodded in agreement, “I think so, too. Before the wedding is settled, Miss Ning, you and your senior brother can stay in the manor. We will do all we can to make you feel at home.”

His gaze then fell on Liu Yuan as he continued, “As for Mr. Junxuan, please forgive us if we ever made you feel neglected earlier. From today onwards, you will be an honored guest of our manor and I will personally see to it that you are offered the best service here.”

Liu Yuan shook his head, “Please don’t say that. I was seriously injured before, so I couldn’t cultivate. It is already so kind of you to take me in. I can’t be more grateful to you.”

Ning Xiangrong said, “May I ask a small favor?”

Gu Feidao cleared his throat and raised his hand politely, “Of course. Please ask away. I will try my best to satisfy your needs.”

“Wherever he stays…”

Ning Xiangrong tilted her head and stared at Liu Yuan tenderly. Under the white veil, her eyes were filled with extraordinary splendor. “I will stay with him.”