After getting a general grasp of the circumstances, Xu Bai was in no hurry to make a commotion. Instead, he first notified the Tianliang Province Garrison Court to temporarily blockade Mount Wuliang, bring Fu Xingchi and the other two back, and take them into custody. Then he held his troops in place, patiently waiting for the Tianliang City Lord, Nangong Shirong, to return.
Since Nangong Shirong had given specific instructions before leaving, it was only right for him, as a subordinate, to comply.
What was more...
Strictly speaking, the Wuliang Wall swallowing cultivators and causing multiple disappearances over the years was something this superior of Li Fan's could hardly escape his share of responsibility for either.
After all, before becoming the City Lord of Tianliang, Nangong Shirong had served as the Garrison Court Commander of Tianliang Province. For such major incidents to happen within his territory without him ever noticing...
If someone were to attack him over it, he could hardly escape a charge of dereliction of duty, no matter what. Nangong Shirong had not been City Lord for long, and his foundation was far from solid. He had stepped over Xiang Rongxin to rise to power back then, offending plenty of people along the way. If a careless misstep exposed a flaw and provoked a coordinated assault from all sides, his seat as City Lord might get pulled right out from under him before he even had time to warm it.
As his confidant, Xu Bai naturally had to share the burden for the Lord City Lord.
After secretly making a backup copy of the records of past disappearances over the years, Xu Bai headed to the Administration Hall to receive Guan Xingxiu, who had come once again to demand answers.
Unlike the indolent demeanor he had shown when Li Fan saw him in Lanlin Province in his past life, Guan Xingxiu right now was like a drawn sword, projecting his razor-sharp edge without the slightest restraint.
"Greetings, Senior Guan..." Xu Bai cupped his hands in salute.
"Is there any lead on Changge's whereabouts yet?" Guan Xingxiu looked at Xu Bai's appearance and narrowed his eyes slightly. His originally aggressive tone softened by a fraction.
"We have already found clues. I believe we will be able to give Senior an answer very soon," Xu Bai replied, neither servile nor haughty.
"Such sluggish efficiency! If this were Tianyu Province, you would have been stripped of your posts and investigated long ago," Guan Xingxiu sneered with a cold huff.
Xu Bai lowered his head and did not answer.
"I will give you seven more days. If by then there is still no definitive result..."
A golden flying sword suddenly flew out, hanging suspended above the Administration Hall.
"Then do not blame me for showing no mercy!" Guan Xingxiu's tone was grim and chilling as his figure gradually vanished.
Only that small golden sword was left behind, radiating an imposing, chilling intent to kill.
"The Falling Star Divine Sword..."
The nearly tangible killing intent stung Xu Bai's skin with such sharpness that he was forced to step back. He looked up at the golden flying sword overhead, and before his eyes, he seemed to see a scene where a single sword soared into the sky and clusters of stars fell.
He was no stranger to this sword.
In his past life, when he accompanied Huangfu Song to Lanlin Province to construct and promote the Heavenly Profound Spirit-Locking Formation, they had requested Guan Xingxiu's Falling Star Divine Sword to suppress the defiant native cultivators there. At that time, although Guan Xingxiu had already fallen to the Soul Formation realm, relying on this golden flying sword, he had swept through unimpeded. Even Dao Integration cultivators had to avoid its edge.
This was more than enough to show the extraordinary nature of the Falling Star Divine Sword.
Looking at the golden flying sword now, Xu Bai felt no anger. Instead, he began to study and observe it intently.
"This sword is not inferior to those of the elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect. No wonder Guan Changge admired it so deeply."
Feeling the peerlessly sharp aura emanating from it, an aura that seemed pledged to cleave through everything, Xu Bai immersed his mind in it.
After an unknown amount of time, a voice tinged with anger and trepidation shook Xu Bai out of his reverie. It was Nangong Shirong.
"Old bastard, pushing people too far! If I could just beat him..."
Xu Bai pretended not to hear the latter half of the sentence and cupped his hands. "My Lord, you have returned."
"No wonder Old Guan was in such an all-fired hurry, rushing over to demand an explanation the moment Guan Changge got into trouble. Turns out this kid, Guan Changge, is the son of his old flame." Nangong Shirong waved his hand, signaling that Xu Bai need not stand on ceremony. He then flopped down onto a seat and spoke with a touch of schadenfreude.
"Does that mean Guan Changge is Guan Xingxiu's illegitimate son?" Xu Bai asked, a look of realization dawning on him.
However, Nangong Shirong's next words caught him somewhat off guard: "No. There is no blood relation between them. It's just a cliché, melodramatic story of unrequited love. Old Guan looks like he kills without batting an eye, but deep down, he's hopelessly romantic. Even though that old flame of his had already married someone else, he has never forgotten her. He even extended that affection to her son, looking after him with exceptional care."
"If I hadn't visited Lord Jicheng this time, I really wouldn't have known about this," Nangong Shirong said with a faint smile.
Xu Bai simply listened quietly, not showing the slightest unusual expression. Banter and teasing between Dao Integration Immortal Venerables was not something a small fry like him at the Nascent Soul realm could take part in.
"Immortal Venerable Jicheng, Garrison Court Commander-in-Chief of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. In my past life, he was struck by a curse during the great war with the Five Elders Association and died early when his lifespan ran out. In this life, he is still alive and well, holding great authority over the Garrison Court. Judging by Nangong Shirong's tone, he seems to share quite a deep relationship with Jicheng," Xu Bai thought to himself.
"When that old bastard Guan Xingxiu flies into a rage, ordinary people truly can't stop him. He might not even give face to Lord Jicheng. We still need to send him packing as soon as possible. How goes your investigation into Guan Changge's disappearance?" After muttering for a moment, Nangong Shirong finally asked.
Thereupon, Xu Bai gave a detailed report on the disappearances of cultivators that had occurred in Tianliang Province over the years, as he had uncovered.
"The Wuliang Wall?" As if recalling something, a flash of surprise crossed Nangong Shirong's eyes.
"Besides you, who else knows about this?" he quickly asked.
"I haven't breathed a word of it, and have been waiting for your return, My Lord," Xu Bai answered decisively.
Nangong Shirong was extremely satisfied. "Very good. Act as though the previous disappearances never happened. This is nothing more than an isolated case! We cannot allow others to make groundless associations!
"Next, come with me to the Wuliang Wall and see if we can rescue that kid Guan Changge," Nangong Shirong ordered.
"As you command, My Lord!"
Without assembling many men, bringing along only Xu Bai and three other trusted Nascent Soul cultivators, Nangong Shirong arrived at the foot of Mount Wuliang.
At this moment, no images appeared upon the smooth rock face.
They did not approach closely, but observed from a distance.
"This Wuliang Wall... I came here once when I was still a Nascent Soul cultivator. I had quite an encounter back then as well."
As if lost in old memories, Nangong Shirong's gaze drifted, and only after a long pause did he speak slowly.
The other three Nascent Soul cultivators remained silent, but Xu Bai, with a slight tinge of surprise in his voice, asked, "Could it be that you, My Lord, also saw a strange vision on this Wuliang Wall?"
Nangong Shirong chuckled. "It wasn't merely seeing one. I was once trapped within this Wuliang Wall myself.
"However, I broke out of the wall very quickly back then, so I assumed it was merely an illusion born while comprehending the Dao. Over the years, I never heard of anyone else who shared the same experience, so I gradually let the matter fade from memory."
Chapter 738