Chapter Fifty-Six: Words and Writing Bring Disaster Upon Bai Mu

At this moment, however, his face was filled with fear and anxiety, and even as he knelt in prostration, his body trembled uncontrollably.

Beside him knelt a young man in a red robe, appearing to be just over twenty, with handsome features.

“Xiu Ji, Shen Tu De, the Four Sages summon you!” An innocent, childlike voice came from inside the doorway.

Following the sound, they saw a delicate-looking boy calling from beneath the curtain inside the chamber.

Upon hearing the summons, the two men hurriedly rose with utmost respect, bowing their heads and quickly stepping into the room.

When they reached the center of the Daoist Pavilion, Xiu Ji was the first to drop to his knees with a thump before the four revered Sages, pouring out his grievances in a plaintive voice: “Honored Sages, I beg you to avenge Senior Brother Wushang and the Sword Immortal Xuanyuan!”

“Rise and speak.”

The white-haired elder seated to the east waved his water sleeves, and Xiu Ji’s body was lifted as if by an invisible hand, compelled to stand.

“Tell us exactly what happened. If your words are true, we Four Sages will surely uphold justice for you both!”

Hearing this, Xiu Ji glanced joyfully at Shen Tu De, raising his brows as if prompting him to speak first.

Shen Tu De quickly bowed to the four, his body trembling as he pleaded, “Honored Sages, you must avenge my master Xuanyuan!”

“Are you certain your master Xuanyuan was truly killed?”

The middle-aged man sitting in the northern corner asked with curiosity, lifting his purple clay teacup to sip his tea.

This man appeared to be in his middle years, and among the other white-haired Sages, he stood out like a crane among chickens. Though his broad forehead and low nose made him rather unremarkable in appearance, his every movement exuded a calm composure.

Most striking was his face, placid as a still lake—even as he spoke the words “Xuanyuan was killed,” not the slightest ripple crossed his features. Such self-mastery was truly remarkable.

“Sovereign Tianyan, it’s exactly as we say!”

Xiu Ji stood there, his face full of dread, his voice quavering. “I personally saw Senior Brother Wushang murdered by that villain Bai Mu’s sneak attack, and Shen Tu De also witnessed Bai Mu slaughtering hundreds of Dayong’s commoners. In the end, he even set Dayong ablaze, not leaving a single intact brick or tile behind—his crimes are unspeakable!”

Yet, for all his talk of unspeakable crimes, the phrase was perhaps more apt for Xiu Ji himself.

He spared no effort in accusing Bai Mu of every rumor and scandal before the Sages, but remained utterly silent about how Bai Mu and Ling Yan had extinguished the raging inferno that threatened to consume Dayong. As a disciple of the most powerful sect in the Wilds, he was already far below Bai Mu in conduct. It was laughable to see him so righteously denouncing Bai Mu before the Sages, while ignoring his own misdeeds. He was the one truly steeped in sin.

The middle-aged man called Tianyan nodded slightly and spoke with his customary calm: “Though this youth’s crimes are grave, I have heard he is but an obscure and nameless fellow. For such trifling matters, why trouble the Four Sages—are you unaware that Master Fanxian is in seclusion at a critical time?”

“We know, we know…”

Xiu Ji nervously wiped sweat from his brow, his face full of fear as he explained, “Of course, we know the Four Sages must protect Master Fanxian and cannot easily intervene in mundane matters of the Sanctuary.”

“If it were only an ordinary fiend, we would have asked our masters Ling Que and the other four grandmasters to act. But alas, this Bai fellow’s cultivation is profound, and he possesses many treasures. Even the Sanctuary’s four great masters may not be able to subdue such a monster!”

“Oh?”

The gaunt elder in white seated at the western corner expressed his surprise. “Even Ling Que, Xian Que, Shen Que, and Ju Que together could not overcome an unknown youth?”

“You are not deceiving us?”

As he spoke, the elder stroked his gray-white beard, a trace of suspicion flickering in his eyes, though his face remained composed and untroubled by Xiu Ji’s accusations.

In his mind, the four disciples bearing the name “Que” of the Sanctuary’s second generation were all formidable talents personally trained by the Four Sages. Any one of them would be a dominant force in the Wilds.

Yet, from Xiu Ji’s tone, it seemed none of the four could best this nameless youth, and curiosity began to stir within him.

“Sovereign Tianyan, every word I speak is true. Not only does this Bai fellow possess profound cultivation, but he is also accompanied by a demoness of extraordinary power. With a single strike, she defeated Xuanyuan; her strength may even rival that of the Four Sages. If you doubt me, you may question Brother Shen Tu De in detail—since it concerns Xuanyuan Sword Immortal’s very life, he would not dare to fabricate anything.”

“That’s unnecessary!”

The elder in the southern corner, his hair grizzled and clad in blue, spoke in anger: “To slay a disciple of the Sanctuary within the jurisdiction of Floating Jade Mountain is to show utter contempt for us! Lead the way at once. I will see these two villains myself!”

“Yes, Sovereign Tianqian!” Xiu Ji answered with a hint of smugness on his lips. “That demoness and Bai Mu are likely already at Floating Jade Mountain. Let us wait for them at the Grand Hall!”

With that, he exchanged a glance with Shen Tu De, and the two sensibly made their way toward the door of the Daoist Pavilion.

“Wait.”

From the eastern corner, where he had sat in silence, Sovereign Tianfa suddenly spoke.

Startled, Xiu Ji halted in fright, turning back to cast a timid glance at Tianfa, momentarily at a loss.

“Xiu Ji, not long ago I heard your master Ling Que mention that many strange deaths had occurred in Dayong. When you and Wushang went to investigate, did you uncover anything?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” the hot-tempered Tianqian interjected, eager to display his cleverness. “Since this Bai Mu dared to kill and burn a town, the recent string of murders must be his doing as well!”

Under the Sages’ watchful gaze, Xiu Ji hesitated before replying, “The murder and destruction of Dayong were indeed witnessed by Shen Tu De—it’s beyond doubt. But the recent spate of killings had nothing to do with him; someone else is responsible.”

“Who?” Sovereign Tianfa’s face darkened, his tone measured and rational.

“It was the Ancestor Gray Crane!”

“Gray Crane?!”

The exclamation burst almost simultaneously from all four Sages, Tianfa among them.