"Lu Mingyue?"

He Qing pondered for a moment. The idea of Yu Ci setting his sights on this man was beyond her expectations. However, considering the information provided by the Xuan Yin Sect, this idea seemed quite feasible.

Yu Ci spoke solemnly, "In Cliff City, the disciples of the Pure Water Sect have a notorious reputation. Lu Mingyue is of the same ilk, fond of causing trouble for beautiful women, mostly among the mundane folk. Places like the White Sun Mansion simply couldn't be bothered. As the esteemed Lichen Sect, we may have been ignorant before, but now that we know, how can we stand by and do nothing?"

He Qing couldn't help but chuckle, yet she nodded in agreement. However, she was not entirely satisfied, "The Pure Water Sect, the likes of Lu Mingyue, they are a cancer in the city. Removing them is a given, but is that all there is to it?"

"Not exactly."

Under He Qing's "focus on results, not process" model, Yu Ci gradually became more proactive. He knew what He Qing needed. The Pure Water Sect itself was not the issue, what truly interested He Qing and the Lichen Sect behind her was the potential root cause of the turmoil in the Sky Rift Valley. If no corresponding evidence or clues were found, eradicating the Pure Water Sect would be a waste of effort.

Therefore, Yu Ci smiled and said, "While the Pure Water Sect is a den of thieves, not everyone within is evil. We must distinguish between them. When the Sect acts, it must be just and reasonable. I have had a few encounters with Monk Yi Xin's foremost disciple, Zheng Yan, and find him to be a warm-hearted person despite his rough exterior. He doesn't seem like a despicable individual, and his relationship with Yi Xin is somewhat peculiar. If we can win him over, combining our efforts from within and without, we might uncover more of the Pure Water Sect's misdeeds."

"Zheng Yan?"

He Qing was surprised. She had only instructed Yu Ci to interact with Zheng Yan as a stepping stone, not to save him from his struggles. She shook her head, "In half a month, I will be among the first to ascend to the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens. Handing over mundane matters and preparation will take time. Within five days, the affairs here must either be resolved or put aside."

"Why wait five days? If Immortal He supports us and things go smoothly, it could be done in two or three days."

Yu Ci, understanding He Qing's temperament, spoke with certainty, eschewing false modesty. What he was thinking about was the Divine Consciousness Starlight that had already been implanted in Zheng Yan's Brain Palace. With this little device attached, Zheng Yan was like his most reliable spy. He was very interested in the grudges between the master and disciple!

**********

In the past two days, many residents of Cliff City noticed a peculiar change in the city's atmosphere. The previously aloof and arrogant immortals suddenly became friendly. Of course, this didn't mean that these dignitaries were willing to humble themselves and join the common folk in the Lower City for merriment. Instead, they all seemed to have developed a surge of chivalrous spirit, drawing their swords to help the weak and oppressed, an occurrence that happened several times.

Leaving aside the identity of the "xias," the villains of similar incidents in Cliff City had always been the wicked monks from the Pure Water Sect in the southern city. Over the past several decades, this group had run rampant, with those who wished to intervene either lacking the authority or the inclination to do so. As a result, the city's residents lived in fear, regarding these monks as harbingers of disaster.

However, in the past two days, after several consecutive blows that resulted in the death and injury of five or six individuals, these snake-like monks had wilted. They hid in the temple, too afraid to venture out. Those who did venture out were visibly trembling, hugging the walls as they walked.

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The atmosphere in Cliff City had become noticeably clearer.

Yu Ci sat at the top of Sky Wing Tower, looking over the information gathered from all sides during this period, and smiled slightly.

All he had done was spread some rumors, something about He Qing's dissatisfaction with the Pure Water Sect or Lu Mingyue's actions. People soon began to embellish these rumors, adding rich and vivid details. Stories like the disrespectful Pure Water Sect monks offending He Qing, or a promising disciple favored by He Qing being ruined by a monk, although laughable to the wise, were eagerly received by the masses. These stories quickly spread throughout the city, and He Qing's silence only fueled their propagation.

Under such circumstances, even the most cautious would start to wonder: was Immortal He really planning to take action against the Pure Water Sect?

The reactions from various sects were surprisingly consistent: regardless of the situation, it was always wise to test the waters, especially when standing on the side of "justice," without any psychological burden. The Thousands Spirits Sect, Lifeless Sword Sect, and Xuan Yin Sect each made a few attempts. Individually, these attempts were insignificant, but collectively, they created a significant trend.

"The crisis of the Pure Water Sect is imminent," Yu Ci said, casting aside his Jade Slip of records and looking out over the city from the viewing platform. If he were to exert just a little more pressure, the tragedy that befell the White Sun Mansion might befall the Pure Water Sect.

However, some things were unexpected.

Since Monk Zheng Yan had returned on Yi Xin's orders three days ago, the indifference between master and disciple had opened Yu Ci's eyes. In these three days, there had been no communication between them, with Zheng Yan meditating and Yi Xin in seclusion, each minding their own business. Yu Ci, who had been "monitoring" them, naturally could not obtain any valuable information.

This made the situation even stranger: the Pure Water Sect was in a critical state, on the brink of extinction, and could be crushed by the might of the Lichen Sect at any moment. At such a time, Yi Xin and Zheng Yan, as the abbot and chief disciple, should be taking action, at least going to He Qing to test the waters, or restraining their disciples to avoid attracting attention. But both of them remained steadfast. When disciples sought them out, Zheng Yan merely gave perfunctory responses, while Yi Xin turned everyone away, not allowing anyone to see him.

The deadline given by He Qing was merely half a day away.

Yu Ci rhythmically tapped his fingers on the railing, yet he was far from being anxious or frustrated. Although he could not get a hold of Monk Yi Xin as he had anticipated, he could still use the information revealed from the Divine Map. Trimming off the unnecessary parts and making slight modifications, he could provide a response that would satisfy He Qing.

Rather, the observations of the past three days had yielded him some gains in other directions.

Yu Ci closed his eyes. Information from afar was conveyed through a unique channel and reconstructed into a vague image in his mind: a grim color, a shattered world, and a deep, powerful light shining from within. This was the image reflected by the Divine Soul of Zheng Yan.

At this moment, Yu Ci's understanding of the situation here was likely even more profound than Zheng Yan himself.

Utilizing the inherent fissures, Divine consciousness starlight had unprecedentedly rooted its "tendrils" into the deep structure of the Divine Soul of Zheng Yan. According to Ye Tu's "Concentric Circle Theory", Yu Ci estimated that he had intervened in the Monk's Hidden Consciousness layer!

The "tendrils" of Divine consciousness starlight seemed to be rooted in an underground river. The river was, in fact, the constantly surging emotional torrent of Zheng Yan, with hundreds of fragmented images interspersed, flying past.

This was similar to the Buddhist Practice "Telepathic Insight". Yu Ci had a similar experience when he killed Yan Chu and others in the Sky Rift Valley. Although the information this time was not as detailed as before, his emotional turmoil and inner demon's influence had clouded his judgment then. His current clarity and depth of understanding were far superior.

"People say the Sea of Consciousness is boundless, with all past memories, big or small, contained within. If one could browse through it once, there would be no need for any other efforts."

The idea was good, but how to achieve it was still a problem. The experience in the Sky Rift Valley was too domineering. Yu Ci couldn't apply it to Zheng Yan yet.

Just as he was pondering, someone lightly touched his shoulder with a finger.

Yu Ci was jolted awake.

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