Chapter 168: Burning Eyes

Chapter 168: Burning Eyes

Among the three conventional schools of thought, the way that the Confucian cultivators passed down their cultivation legacies was quite different from the Buddhist cultivators. Most Confucian disciples were taught in academies, and after a period of study, they would leave the academy. They usually did not belong to a specific sect.

After leaving the academy, the Confucian disciples would venture out into the world in search of their own paths. There were some disciples who stayed on at the academy to teach, but the rest of the disciples would not keep a connection to the academy. If they had a deep attachment to the academy, they might do some things to contribute to the academy if they became famous and successful in the future. Aside from that, the Confucian disciples had a high degree of freedom.

As for Buddhist and Daoist cultivators, it didn't matter if they left their sects to establish their own sect. However, if they were to join another sect, it was inevitable that they would be seen as a traitor.

Unexpectedly, City Supervisor Du and Shang Shuwen of the Mount Shu Sect used to be classmates at an academy.

Upon hearing Chu Liang mention that he had a close relationship with Shang Shuwen, City Supervisor Du smiled. "Oh? Is that so?"

Chu Liang nodded sincerely. "Yes, Senior Uncle Shang has truly helped me a lot with my cultivation journey!"

Even the Mind-Reflecting Candle would not be able to detect any falsehood in these earnest words!

As Chu Liang and City Supervisor Du chatted for a while, the resentful soul finished forming. A faint shadow hovered over the body of the deceased. This was just a small part of the soul, and it was devoid of any consciousness. Nonetheless, if the murderer were present, this resentful soul would attach itself to them.

Yet, at this moment, the innocent Golden-Furred Hou had nothing on its big head except for a shiny patch of moonlight.

"It seems that it's true this spirit beast did not commit the murder. It was probably the work of someone evil or a demon," City Supervisor Du said to Chief Officer Li.

Chief Officer Li looked at the ruffian and asked sternly, "Who is the mastermind that incited you to do this?"

The ruffian knelt on the ground and pleaded tearfully, "Sir! I really don't know!"

Freed from suspicion, Chu Liang calmed down and added his opinion, "It's likely that he truly doesn't know."

After all, he spoke under the illumination of the Mind-Reflecting Candle earlier. If he knew the identity of the mastermind, he would have already revealed it.

"You're disciples of the Mount Shu Sect, so you wouldn't have any enemies here..." City Supervisor Du frowned as he pondered about the situation. "Do you have anyone you suspect?"

"I suspect it's—" Lin Bei was about to name a suspect. However, Chu Liang discreetly tugged at Lin Bei's clothes, and Lin Bei quickly changed what he was about to say. "I suspect it's his neighbor."

Lin Bei pointed at the ruffian and said, "His neighbor is raising his child. If I were the neighbor, I'd want to kill this guy too."[1]

Chief Officer Li and City Supervisor Du looked at Lin Bei with a baffled expression, thinking that his reasoning was absurd.

They continued with the investigation for a while more, but they couldn't find anything amiss. By this time, the sky was getting bright.

The officials decided to call it a day.

City Supervisor Du said to Chu Liang, "Feel free to come find me if you encounter any more issues in Misty Waters City."

As the city supervisor overseeing the cultivators in the city, City Supervisor Du was qualified to say such a thing.

After a while, he finally squeezed out, "My eyes are burning. What an abominable sight.[2]"

"What exactly did you see?" the white-robed man said curiously.

"I saw him in a room binding a man into an appalling position. He was even holding a candle in one hand... Beside him was another man, and this man was taking off his pants..."[3]

The shadowy figure had an astonished look, unable to continue describing what he'd seen.

"Young people these days..." The white-robed man now looked just as astonished. "Are you sure he was doing those things with a man?"

"Yes."

"All three of them were men...?"

"Fortunately, I can't use Heavenly Sight and Hearing for long when using from a great distance away," the shadowy figure said, speaking as if he had just barely narrowly escaped disaster. "I don't know how long it will take me to forget what I saw in just that one glance."

The immortal art Heavenly Sight and Hearing allowed the cultivator to extend their senses to any location in the world.

"Thank goodness I don't know how to use that immortal art," the man in white robes remarked gladly.

"In any case, we've already determined that guy's whereabouts," the shadowy figure concluded angrily. "I want to get someone to kill him swiftly, make him disappear from this world!"

The white-robed man regained his composure and said solemnly, "Oh, there's one more thing,"

"What is it?"

"It appears that Xu Ziyang might have gained some insight from Jiang Yuebai's lecture, as he achieved Perfect Qi Circulation as well recently and produced the Heavenly Qi-Circulation Phenomenon."

"The Heavenly Qi-Circulation Phenomenon... suddenly seems as common and cheap as cabbage," the shadowy figure scoffed coldly with hatred.

"Additionally..." the white-robed man began. He paused for a moment before revealing, "He had another cultivation phenomenon, but it wasn't the Sea of Qi Phenomenon; it was the Transformation of Five Qi into Essence Phenomenon."

"What?!" The shadowy figure was truly shocked this time. "Doesn't that mean he's already at the fifth realm?!"

"That's right," the white-robed man answered. "Now that the Mount Shu Sect has Jiang Yuebai, with her Transcendent Spirit, and Xu Ziyang, a fifth-realm cultivator, it's pretty much impossible that they will fall."

"We must kill those two while they're still developing their abilities." The shadowy figure gritted his teeth. "I want the Mount Shu Sect to never be able to rise again!"

1. Lol, the poor neighbor. As if his situation wasn’t bad enough... Now, he’s even being suspected of murder. ☜

2. The original 辣眼睛. It means something like “eyes burned by spice”, basically illustrating that the thing in question is painfully unbearable to look at. ☜

3. Guess Lin Bei’s title needs to be changed to “Master of Taking Off His Pants.” ☜