"How strange. Could there be another demonic cultivator performing rituals in Huai'an Village?" The group circled the withered old man, unable to make head or tail of the matter no matter how they thought about it.
The Grand Elder let out a quiet cough and sent a voice transmission to Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye.
"I know a bit of intelligence regarding Huai'an Village. According to the confession of the Immortal Cult's leader, he established a slaughterhouse here in Huai'an Village in Liangzhou and disguised puppets as villagers."
Dai Bufan was merely managing the Mission Hall and intelligence on his master's behalf; the true manager was none other than the Grand Elder.
Although the Grand Elder liked building tombs for himself on ordinary days, that did not mean he ignored everything. He was fully aware of what happened in the Mission Hall and the intelligence Dai Bufan possessed, which naturally included the confession of the Immortal Cult's former leader.
Lu Yang: "..."
Tao Yaoye: "..."
*Grand Elder, you knew all along about Huai'an Village, yet you just watched us running all over the place?*
The Grand Elder thought to himself, *Wasn't I searching for the most eye-catching way to make an entrance? If you didn't come to Huai'an Village, how was I supposed to find an opportunity to appear?*
He had even hoped Vice Cult Master Shi would make a move against Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye, so that at the critical moment, he could recite his grand poetic moniker and descend from the heavens to rescue the pair.
What a pity that the opportunity never arose.
At least the withered old man had given him some face.
The information the Grand Elder possessed could not be shared with Vice Cult Master Shi. It was not something the Heavenly Court Cult should know, and revealing it might cause Vice Cult Master Shi to suspect their identities.
"Very well. Capturing this ancient cultivator is still a harvest; this trip was not entirely in vain," Lu Yang took the initiative to say. There was no longer any need to linger in Huai'an Village.
"Vice Cult Master Shi contributed greatly during this process. How about leaving this person for you to handle?"
Vice Cult Master Shi could hardly believe his ears. The Nether Heavenly King was clearly the one who had subdued the withered old man, yet they were handing him over.
"This... wouldn't this be inappropriate?"
Lu Yang placed his hands behind his back and laughed heartily. "What's inappropriate about it? Our two cults share a cooperative relationship; consider this a meeting gift for our partnership. Besides, your Nine Nether Cult possesses more intelligence than we do. The information extracted from this junior will be far more useful to you than to our Heavenly Court Cult."
Vice Cult Master Shi nodded inwardly. Indeed, their Nine Nether Cult had intelligence on other ancient cultivators, and combined with what they could pry from this withered old man, they could better track their movements.
Intelligence on ancient cultivators was of paramount importance. Perhaps they could locate their hidden treasuries and enrich their own coffers.
The Heavenly Court Cult's nonchalant attitude toward ancient cultivators showed that they simply did not care about them in the slightest.
Just how terrifying was the Heavenly Court Cult's foundation?
Was Young Cult Master Lu doing this to grant a favor to the Nine Nether Cult, or was it an intentional show of strength?
Unable to fathom Lu Yang's true stance, Vice Cult Master Shi felt he truly lived up to the title of Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Court Cult—such profound scheming was far beyond what anyone of his generation could match.
Having figured this out, Vice Cult Master Shi cupped his fists in gratitude. "In that case, many thanks."
The Grand Elder put away the brick-like object and hauled the withered old man over to Vice Cult Master Shi.
"Confound it! To think he's using this immortal's perfectly good pillow like a brick!" Immortal Fairy fumed in indignation. She could see plainly that what the Grand Elder held was her immortal treasure, the Yellow Millet Pillow.
This was the spoil of war seized by the Dao Seeking Sect when Master Liu and Master Gao from the barbecue shop invaded. It could forcefully put anyone to sleep.
"Farewell!" Vice Cult Master Shi retrieved a flying boat, sealed the withered old man's cultivation, tossed him aboard, and steered the vessel away.
The Grand Elder drew an ink-wash landscape scroll from his sleeve. In the painting, a waterfall tumbled straight down. There was no actual sound within the scroll, but upon looking at it, Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye seemed to hear the rush of water in their ears.
The Grand Elder smiled. "This is a magical treasure I frequently use when traveling: the Picture of Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water. It contains a universe within, serving as an alternative grotto-heaven. I asked my fourth junior brother to paint it for me."
Tao Yaoye hesitated slightly. She had never seen such a treasure and did not know how to use it.
"Do we jump inside?" Lu Yang recalled seeing Senior Brother Ji Hongwen, the Fourth Elder's eldest disciple, use a similar technique.
"Indeed."
The Grand Elder leaped into the painting. Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye followed suit and jumped in as well.
The moment they entered, the roaring sound of a cascading waterfall reached their ears. Looking up, they found themselves standing right beside the cataract as it plunged from the sky, sending up countless sprays of water.
The two crouched down to examine the vegetation along the bank. The grass and trees were lush and dripping green, with real dew clinging to the leaves, making it impossible to distinguish genuine from artificial.
Was this merely a painting, or was there an actual miniature world inside?
Seeing their astonishment, the Grand Elder felt immensely proud. Having no intention of explaining further, he manipulated the scroll and flew toward the Dao Seeking Sect.
"Huh, it's the Dao of Painting. Who would have thought contemporary practitioners of the Dao of Painting would have some skill after all?" Immortal Fairy remarked in slight surprise. The Confucian Dao of the sages had existed since antiquity, and ancient times saw many great cultivators who delved into the Dao of Painting.
"Are these plants and landscapes real or fake?" Lu Yang asked.
"Fake, but already remarkably close to real. If the souls of vegetation were infused into them, they would become real. Even back in our era, such artistry was exceedingly rare."
"Do you know the Dao of Painting, Fairy?"
Immortal Fairy waved her hand with an indifferent air. "A petty trick, nothing more than playthings for impoverished scholars. This immortal never deigned to learn such things."
Recalling something, the Grand Elder turned his head and asked, "Speaking of the Dao of Painting, I once saw a record in an ancient text. In ancient times, there were two celestials: one was the Demon Celestial, and the other was the Wood Celestial. The Demon Celestial was imprisoned inside a painting by the Wood Celestial, prompting the two to clash fiercely. Celestial radiance erupted, shaking the universe. Had the Old Ancestors of the Dragon and Phoenix clans not stepped in to mediate the battle, who knows how many stars would have been shattered. Several ancient texts mention this to varying degrees.
"Lu Yang, you are familiar with ancient history. Have you ever heard of this matter?"
Lu Yang shook his head; this was his first time hearing it.
Demon Celestial and Wood Celestial—did that refer to Immortal Kirin and Immortal Suiyue?
It was time to use his golden finger.
"Fairy, have you heard of this?"
Immortal Fairy pondered for a moment, then came to a sudden realization. "I remember now! Once, after Immortal Suiyue ate a meal of mine, he spoke the truth and mentioned this very thing!
"You've asked the right person! If you asked anyone else, they truly wouldn't know!"
"...Putting everything else aside for a moment, why did Immortal Suiyue speak the truth after eating your food?"
Immortal Fairy found it odd that Lu Yang would even ask such a question, replying as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Isn't that completely normal? After eating and drinking one's fill, people get drowsy. Immortal Ying Tian, Immortal Suiyue, and the rest often got dizzy after eating my meals. Their heads would slam onto the table, and they'd ramble on and on. Whatever you asked them at that point, they'd answer, and afterward, they wouldn't remember a single word they said."
"Please, do go on."
Immortal Fairy continued, "This immortal never bothered learning the Dao of Painting, but Immortal Suiyue was quite interested in it and had some skill. The things he painted were hard to tell apart from reality even for me. After all, he was a spirit formed from Jianmu, standing at the apex of all flora spirits, so he possessed a natural affinity for paper."
Chapter 387