As the words were spoken, the high mountain night sky was lit up with flashes of electricity. Liu Guan's eyes sparkled with an intense light, piercing through the shadows and landing directly on the female cultivator. Faced with a gaze that could penetrate the soul, Murong Qingyan responded with a smile, the perfect image of a competent messenger. Her task was complete once the message was delivered.

After a while, laughter flowed from the shadows, "Good, very good! Ghost Bell Taoist, you're a true friend!"

Liu Guan burst into laughter, his laughter echoing unabashedly from the mountain peak, rumbling in resonance, without any concern that someone in Cliff City below might discover his presence.

At this moment, the snowfall became denser, with wind swirling the snow fog, covering hundreds of miles. Looking down at Cliff City, it was now a vast expanse, even the twinkling lights of New City were mostly obscured by the snowstorm. In such conditions, no one noticed the anomaly on the mountain top.

Liu Guan continued to vent his emotions with laughter, while Murong Qingyan was momentarily lost in thought. She knew the origin of this snowstorm:

"It's the Minor Five Sense Frosty Soul-seizing Curse, isn't it? Drawing on Yin to extract Yang, seizing the soul. If the spell is successful, the Cultivation Level will increase. But with this heavy snowfall, a third or even half of the city's commoners will fall ill, and the weak may not survive the winter."

Glancing back at the shadow beside her, the female cultivator shook her head. This person had always been reckless, and even after a hundred-year confinement, his nature hadn't changed at all. In fact, it had become even more intense.

Liu Guan's laughter gradually subsided, and Murong Qingyan slightly raised her eyebrows, asking, "So, has Senior Liu agreed?"

"Of course, of course I agreed! I absolutely have to go back and see what faces those old fools who drove me out will have!"

Liu Guan's mood was truly exhilarated, but then it took a sudden turn, "Unfortunately, it's not possible now."

"Oh?"

"There are two little bugs flying in front of me, do they really think I can't catch them?"

As Liu Guan spoke, he became excited, but it was different from his previous euphoria. It was more like a beast chasing its prey, exuding a strong smell of blood, "Since they dare to provoke me using the name of that poisonous woman, they must be prepared to be crushed!"

"Poisonous woman?"

Murong Qingyan's bright eyes turned, she didn't ask who the so-called "poisonous woman" was, in fact, she had already guessed the answer. After all, Liu Guan's entanglement with the Lady of the Underworld was a popular topic in this realm. After more than a hundred years, the story had faded somewhat, but in certain circles, it was still as fresh as ever. As a competent information broker, Murong Qingyan was even quite clear about some of the lesser-known details.

But, in order not to provoke Liu Guan, she cleverly changed the subject, "Is someone trying to harm you, Senior?"

Liu Guan said proudly, "They are not yet worthy."

After a pause, he continued in a dark tone, "Even though they are slippery, appearing and disappearing around the vicinity, it will take some effort to catch them."

Murong Qingyan seemed to have her curiosity piqued. She said, "Apart from the Lichen Sect, there doesn't seem to be anyone noteworthy near Cliff City. Who dares to provoke you? If I were them, I would have fled thousands of miles away. Why do they still linger here?"

"That's exactly why it's worth investigating," said Liu Guan, who at this moment, seemed more like a cat playing with a mouse, eager to dig out more fun from the situation.

"Hmm, I can't help but want to know what interests you," said the junior generation.

Murong Qingyan really wanted to find out what was going on. Liu Guan glanced at her from the shadows and sneered, "You're indeed an information dealer. But it's no harm telling you. I also want to know where those two came from. This goes back to when I detonated the Underworld Cold Tide. At that time, I discovered a Passage Between Two Realms in the cold wave."

Once Liu Guan started talking, he couldn't stop. He was a restless person. He had been cultivating in the city for a while and was feeling stifled. It was rare for him to have someone to talk to, so naturally, he had to vent. The course of events was not complicated. Soon, Liu Guan explained everything, including the results of his two months of investigation in the city:

"The little monk who uses the Army Tuoliming King's Law, his face is the Pure Water Sect's chief disciple, Zheng Yan. However, judging from the situation at that time, it should be Zheng Yan's master, Monk Yi Xin, who had possessed him. With that ability to possess from thousands of miles away, he must be at least at the Intermediate Vacuum Walking Realm, Refining Truth and Tempering Form, with a Yang Spirit nearing perfection. He's just one step away from the Realm of the True Being. Yet, in Cliff City, he's just the abbot of a small sect, showing only the level of Middle Stage of Golden Elixir. Isn't that strange?

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"And that Moon Demon, although a demon body, uses the power of Vacuum Walking, but wields Sword aura. I suspect that he is Monk Yi Xin's friend in the city, Lu Mingyue. This person in the city is even just at the Initial Stage of Golden Elixir. Hehe, with the Cultivation Level of these two, they could make quite a name for themselves in the Cultivation World. Yet they choose to hide here, acting sneakily. They must have a grand scheme. If I don't dig out their roots, I will feel stifled even if I leave!"

Upon hearing the cause and effect, Murong Qingyan contemplated in silence for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter:

"When it comes to these two, the junior generation is also quite unfamiliar. However, I feel that the senior is lost in the situation and has been lured into their trap."

Her words were abrupt and rather impolite. Liu Guan's sharp eyes roved over the female cultivator, his agitation momentarily suppressed by a stronger curiosity, "What's your theory, young lady?"

"I have three reasons, and I welcome the senior to correct me if I'm wrong."

Murong Qingyan raised a finger, "Firstly, without the Passage Between Two Realms, let alone Liu senior triggering the Underworld Cold Tide, even if he were to overturn the Eight Suffering Underworld, the only one affected would be the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion, and it would have nothing to do with this realm. Therefore, the Passage Between Two Realms is the key to the unrest of the Sky Rift Valley.

"Having been a Spiritual Witch for many years, I've traveled between the two realms countless times, and have some understanding of the Passage Between Two Realms. Naturally formed passages do exist, but the surrounding environment is inevitably harsh and complex, requiring a sufficient number of lures to break the boundary between the two realms at once. However, the environment deep below the Sky Rift Valley, about forty to fifty miles, is not complex enough to naturally generate such a passage."

"Heh, I thought about this point long ago. I believe those two are the culprits who opened the Passage Between Two Realms!"

The female cultivator gave a slight smile, raising her second finger, "Here comes the second reason. Those two, knowing they've offended the senior and have exposed themselves, still linger here instead of leaving. They flaunt themselves before the senior. This is not the posture of a plot exposed, but the intention of a counterplot!"

"Since they know the senior's background, they naturally know that the senior is always flamboyant. Now that the matter of the Sky Rift Valley is still unresolved, both the Lichen Sect and Sunset Valley are undoubtedly investigating non-stop. Even among the cultivators of this realm, at least thirty to fifty percent have turned their attention here. At this moment, the senior is making a big fuss while the flying insects are very small and can disappear in the blink of an eye. So, isn't it the senior who ends up exposed under the sky?"

In the shadows, Liu Guan questioned, "Framing and scapegoating?"

"The senior also feels that this is a bit far-fetched."

The female cultivator raised her third finger, "When Monk Yi Xin made his move, he didn't deliberately hide his identity. If he wanted to frame and scapegoat, this would be the biggest flaw. Yet, he didn't remedy it afterwards, which has already ensnared them. Putting oneself in danger doesn't seem like the act of a plotter, but more like a dedicated pawn with a clear goal. At this moment, they are not carrying out their predetermined tasks, but are entangled with the senior here. Isn't that suspicious?"

"If we are to follow the reasoning of the younger generation as previously mentioned, if they are indeed playing a game of strategy, then the elder here, would ideally fulfill their intentions, becoming the target of their plot. This is because such a scenario would muddy the waters! The elder is a well-known cultivator in this realm, born of an extraordinary lineage, and has spent many years in the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion. If he becomes involved in this matter and it becomes known to the public, regardless of the scenario, there would be endless possibilities to dig into. Under such circumstances, it could serve as the best distraction, thrown into the previously clear situation.

"The younger generation, being information brokers by trade, are most aware that in such a situation, what was initially a clear clue could become convoluted. The more one tries to untangle it, the more chaotic it becomes, until the clue is completely blurred, and the truth of the matter is obscured from daylight. What does the elder think of this?"

Liu Guan, pondered in the shadows for a long while before saying, "Are you saying that I was set up by them, used as a human shield to cover for them?"

"Why would a dead man need cover?"

A female cultivator calmly laughed, "I think that these two are stirring the waters without trying to hide their actions, seemingly intent on drawing attention. It's as if they're covering for something else. If there is a plan or scheme within, they could only be considered a link in the chain. Whether they succeed or fail is inconsequential, and the real key might still be millions of miles away, or even yet to be truly activated. As for what the next steps are, that will have to be determined after the elder has a comprehensive grasp of the situation in this realm."

"Hmm, you have a far-reaching view. Makes sense."

Liu Guan was truly swayed by the female cultivator. At first, he was indeed impulsive, and the name "Underworld" stuck in his throat, half in jest, half in venting. But these past two months, not only has he not been able to vent, but he has been hooked here, contending with the two "flies" with an indomitable spirit. Looking back now, was he really used as a pawn without knowing it?

Glancing at Murong Qingyan, Liu Guan thought of borrowing this woman's clear thinking to figure out a good idea. However, just at this moment, a cold wind blew, and at the top of the mountain, the female cultivator, with her rosy cheeks and red lips, black hair and white dress, fluttered in the wind. Amid her calm smile, her demeanor was manifold, and she looked familiar.

As this thought sprouted in his heart, a surge of heat rushed straight to his brain, buzzing.

"What a clever woman!"

Liu Guan's sigh was heartfelt. Murong Qingyan smiled sweetly, about to thank him, when suddenly her vision darkened, followed by a sharp pain in her chin. Liu Guan's thumb and index finger hooked up, pinching her cheeks, forcing her to open her red lips. His little finger stabbed at her throat, the sharp pain forcing her to stick out her tongue, almost suffocating.

"Little girl, you probably don't know, I hate women who are both smart and beautiful, and eloquent too!"

***********

As I write this, I suddenly think of Brother Chu Jing’s strong support, and I feel a bit embarrassed about how I've written Liu Guan. Amitabha.

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e