Ming Lan shook her head gently, "I don't take much interest in these lifeless objects. I merely gave them a cursory glance. Monk Zheng Yan, however, examined them more meticulously. You should ask him. What I am curious about, however, is the backstory of the young man who was personally ordered to be hunted down by Master Jin."

The implication behind Master Ming's words was that in the territory of Cliff City, it had been decades since a lone cultivator dared to openly defy White Sun Mansion. What kind of audacity did this man named Yu Ci possess to commit such an act?

Was he from the Lichen Sect?

Even Cheng Rong, who had encountered Yu Ci, couldn't draw a conclusion hastily. He could only sigh and head in that direction.

By the stream where nine bodies lay, Manager Huang had already noticed Cheng Rong's approach. His face was unreadable, and he could only stiffen his expression, greet him with a hand gesture, and that was it. Cheng Rong responded with a beaming smile, which only darkened Manager Huang's face further.

The feud between White Sun Mansion and Thousands Spirits Sect had been ongoing for decades. White Sun Mansion, taking advantage of its "exclusive jurisdiction", constantly suppressed this sole formidable adversary. As a result, despite the immense power of Thousands Spirits Sect, they could only retreat to the outskirts of Cliff City and struggle to survive. Under these circumstances, both sides could be described as irreconcilable enemies, neither willing to show the other any respect.

As Cheng Rong was about to further "express his concern", Manager Huang turned away with a darkened face. Cheng Rong could only suppress his disappointment and lower his head to inspect the bodies by the stream. After examining a few, he felt a tug at the hem of his garment. Turning around, he saw a little girl who had bravely run over but was now frightened by the gruesome scene before her.

"My dear little miss!"

Cheng Rong attempted to cover the eyes of the Little Nine girl, but she evaded him. The little girl squinted her eyes, wanting to look but too scared to do so. She hid behind Cheng Rong, only peeking out when she had mustered enough courage. After repeating this a few times, she seemed to get used to it.

"Suit yourself!" Although Cheng Rong felt it was inappropriate, he didn't want to spoil a young lady who couldn't stand the sight of blood. With mixed feelings, he quickly finished his inspection, took the little girl's hand, and walked to the body furthest from the stream.

The body belonged to Si Long. Sitting in front of the body was Monk Zheng Yan from the Pure Water Sect.

The sight of a body with half its side blown off was far from pleasing. The scene finally exceeded Little Nine girl's tolerance. She let out a shriek, quickly burying her head in Cheng Rong's back, refusing to peek out again.

Even Cheng Rong, who was used to such gruesome sights, found the mutilated corpse disturbing. He wondered what Monk Zheng Yan was thinking, sitting there without leaving. He shook his head and asked directly, "Master Zheng Yan, have you found anything?"

The monk, seated before the corpse, chuckled lowly, his thin, sharp head lifting. "Ah, it's Benefactor Cheng, I hear. Is it true that this young killer has some ties to the Lichen Sect?"

Bathed in the monk's dim gaze, Cheng Rong involuntarily furrowed his brows. He truly couldn't fathom the methods of the Pure Water Sect. Aside from the abbot, Monk Yi Xin, all the accomplished monks bore the likeness of venomous snakes, inside and out. If not for their long-standing acquaintance, it would be hard for Cheng Rong to distinguish the features of these monks at first glance.

In response to Zheng Yan's question, Cheng Rong remained vague. Both sects had come to Sky Rift Valley for the same matter, making them allies in a sense. But when it came to a "resource" like Yu Ci, the fewer people sharing, the better. Cheng Rong was more interested in Yu Ci's abilities:

"Did Master Zheng Yan discern anything?"

"Not much, just that this lad named Yu Ci is not as simple as he appears."

Zheng Yan rose, solemnly murmuring a Buddhist chant, then grinned. "Benefactor Cheng will understand upon seeing. Two stewards, seven personal guards, each killed more cleanly than the last. It seems Yu Ci must have dispatched them as easily as chopping melons and vegetables... When did the elites of the White Sun Mansion become fish on a chopping block, ready to be cut at will?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Rong didn't react much, but the young girl behind him curiously peeked out, only to retreat in fright upon meeting Zheng Yan's dim eyes. However, she pricked up her ears, listening intently.

Cheng Rong, who had initially glanced over the scene carelessly, was taken aback at Zheng Yan's words. "Chopping melons and vegetables?"

Zheng Yan chuckled softly. "It's not clear from looking at Si Long's body, but check out the three unfortunate souls by the creek. I'd wager my Buddha that they were all killed in one fell swoop within a moment. Ah, the manner of their death..."

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Intrigued, Cheng Rong quickly walked over to the three corpses mentioned by the monk. Upon closer inspection, he gasped:

"What fierce Sword Energy!"

By now, the upper garments of the three corpses had been removed, revealing their bare chests. Cheng Rong could clearly see that aside from a clean area in the middle of their chests, the rest of their upper bodies were covered in dense specks of blood. Some areas with thinner flesh had even split open, creating tiny, baby-sized mouths that looked quite unnerving.

"The Sword Energy penetrated their chests silently and subtly. Once inside, it exploded violently, washing over their internal organs from within, causing their blood to surge and spray from their pores, extinguishing their vitality. It's incredibly ruthless. Especially this one sword, three strikes, almost simultaneously, causing the same effect, heh heh!"

Monk Zheng Yan's soft laughter was unsettling, yet it fit the atmosphere perfectly. "Just with this one sword, including those big shots, there are less than five people in Cliff City who could execute it. No, even if their Cultivation Level is up to par, who could drive such fierce Sword Energy?"

"Mr. Ming Yue is probably the only one capable of this."

Cheng Rong was referring to Lu Mingyue, the foremost Lone Cultivator of Cliff City. Despite being at the beginning stage of Golden Elixir Cultivation, ranking him outside the top five in Cliff City, his "Thousand Threads of Single Intent" swordsmanship was undisputedly the best in the city, making him an incredibly formidable warrior. Cheng Rong was aware that comparing anyone to Lu Mingyue might seem absurd, but he could not think of a better candidate at the moment.

"Lu Qu, the esteemed disciple of Mr. Ming Yue, might barely pass muster. However, there's one thing he definitely cannot do—look at the traces by the creek."

Cheng Rong, a man of clear mind and discerning eyes, quickly noticed the problem indicated by the subtle signs around the creek, thanks to Monk Zheng Yan's hint.

"Seven people formed a battle formation, their Sword Energy converged, but someone seized the moment before the convergence and killed them with one decisive strike. This is akin to a skilled butcher carving a cow."

Zheng Yan's slender eyes narrowed even further, a chilling glint in them: "I'm very clear about Lu Qu's Cultivation Level. He could forcefully annihilate this battle formation of seven, but he could never achieve such a delicate and effortless execution. Lu Qu has been following Mr. Ming Yue for nearly fifty years, and has reached the perfection of Yin Spirit, not far behind me. Who exactly is this Yu Ci?"

This was the second time someone asked this question, and Cheng Rong still had no answer. Although he had met Yu Ci and had some interaction with him, he suddenly felt even more puzzled than Ming Lan and Zheng Yan. The image of Yu Ci he had met and the image of Yu Ci portrayed by these nine corpses were hard to reconcile.

Clearly, Cheng Rong had underestimated Yu Ci when they first met. This was not surprising. In the Thousands Spirits Sect, the focus was on Yu Ci's connection with the Lichen Sect. His personal strength was somewhat overlooked. It was now clear that such preconceived notions were misguided.

Monk Zheng Yan was not yet satisfied. He pointed to the place where Si Long's corpse lay: "And there's more. Did you notice the Soft Armor that Si Long was wearing? That piece of Soft Armor is a top-notch item from the Random Heart Pavilion. I have a similar one myself. Infused with True Qi, it can withstand the equivalent of three layers of Mysterious Iron Heavy Armor. Ordinary people can't harm it even with axes or swords, but now it's been shattered along with half of his body... What do you make of that wound?"

"The surge of True Qi was indeed strong, as it should be, but the explosive power, was it from the Nine Yang Talisman Sword or the Pure Yang Talisman Sword?" Cheng Rong also demonstrated his sharp eyes to avoid being looked down upon by Zheng Yan. The two exchanged glances and chuckled. The situation was indeed amusing.

Among the current forces in Cliff City, only five could be considered significant. In order of power, they were White Sun Mansion, Thousands Spirits Sect, Xuan Yin Sect, Pure Water Sect, and Lifeless Sword Sect. The Lifeless Sword Sect was unique, with a very small population, including the sect leader, there were only thirteen members. Despite their individual prowess, their overall strength was limited. Eventually, they formed an alliance with White Sun Mansion, positioning themselves under its wings.

The other three forces, Xuan Yin Sect was an outsider with deep roots, but they sought the incense of the common people and rarely had disputes with other sects, occupying a neutral position. As for Thousands Spirits Sect and Pure Water Sect, one had a longstanding feud with White Sun Mansion, and the other was defiant. Neither could maintain a good relationship with White Sun Mansion. Their strength was relatively inferior, so they naturally connected with each other, forming an unspoken alliance.

This was roughly the situation in Cliff City. Overall, White Sun Mansion, with the tacit approval of Lichen Sect, was indeed in its prime in Cliff City, and no one could directly challenge its edge. The Thousands Spirits Sect and Pure Water Sect were also usually quite frustrated. How could they not be happy to see White Sun Mansion suffer a heavy loss?

At this moment, Little Nine girl tugged at Cheng Rong's hem again: "Elder Cheng, what is that person over there doing?"

Cheng Rong turned his head as directed, and what came into view was another steward of White Sun Mansion named Liu Siwei. This man was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the stream, with a mirror-like object on his knee. It was dark as if cast from black iron, even the mirror surface was no exception. At this moment, Liu Siwei was making hand seals and muttering something under his breath. From this distance, it was hard to hear what he was saying.

"This is..."

"This is one of White Sun Mansion's strange artifacts, the Soul Search Mirror. It is said to be a replica of a powerful Magical Treasure, capable of absorbing the Remnant Soul of the deceased. After a period of nurturing, it can sense the resentment attached to the deceased and point out the direction of the murderer. It also has the effect of Soul Preservation and soul refining. It's quite a decent Magical Instrument. Whether it can succeed or not depends on the depth of the deceased's resentment and, of course, a bit of luck."

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