Lin Mu had long since known that various clans and powers had ways to know whether their members died or not. They could even know if the member that died, just lost their body or even their Nascent soul was destroyed.
Depending on this, it made it easier for them to deal with the aftermath.
If just the body was destroyed and the cultivator survived due to their Nascent soul, the power backing them could find the Nascent soul and help them revive. After all, a Nascent soul might have power, but it didn't have much in terms of defense.
As such, it was important to find and secure it quickly.
But if both the body and the Nascent soul had been destroyed, it meant that the member was truly killed. In that case, the power backing them would instead focus on finding the killer and enact revenge.
Of course, this was not the case for all powers, but it was still necessary to know the status of their members. It made sense that the Immortal Court could do so too.
"Hmm… if he has died for sure then it is likely that all his belongings are with someone else." Lin Mu guessed.
"That is true." The Saintess replied. "And I think we have a good guess as to who might have it." She added.
"The Hardliners of the Immortal Court…" Lin Mu replied as a frown appeared on his face. "They were the ones behind his death, and as such, they are an obvious choice." He spoke.
"Yes, but that complicates things." The Saintess replied. "They aren't exactly ones that would give up something they have in their possession. Especially not of its part of a legacy. Considering they haven't used it till now, there's a chance they simply don't know what it is. But if they do find out—"
"They will never give it up." Lin Mu understood that much.
The Saintess simply nodded in response, knowing this was not going to be easy.
~Sigh~
"At least I have a significant lead this time… I won't have to wander like blind last time." Lin Mu muttered, feeling a bit better.
The Saintess kept silent and let Lin Mu process it all. After a minute or so Lin Mu spoke again, this time in a much better mood.
"Looks like I'll be paying a visit to the Immortal Court after all." Lin Mu chuckled. "Maybe Crown Prince might be able to help me in this aspect."
"You are going to help him on the expedition, so it is worth making use of him." The Saintess replied. "Besides, you still need to determine exactly which part of the Immortal Court that vault might be in." She added.
"Oh yeah… While we know it's in the Immortal Court, we don't know which section… East, West, North, or South." Lin Mu agreed.
"There's also the Central Immortal Court." The Saintess added. "But it is definitely not there." "Huh? Central? But aren't there only Four as per the four guardian beasts?" Lin Mu furrowed his brows.
"Yes, but that is for the control of the immortal realm. There is still the Central Immortal Court, which is the main seat of administrative power that looks over the four branches. That is where the great decisions take place." The Saintess added.
"Then who presides over that?" Lin Mu questioned. "Among the four guardian beast clans, I mean. Do they all rule it collectively?" He asked further.
"No… they don't." The Saintess said, much to his surprise. "The power that rules over the Central Immortal court is another beast clan… The Yellow Dragon of the Center… The Ruler of the four guardian clans!" She revealed. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
Lin Mu's eyes went wide in surprise as he learned this new information.
"There's a clan that rules over the four guardian beasts!?" Lin Mu was surprised.
"Of course… Didn't you think there was one representative beast missing among the five elements?" The Saintess asked.
"Of course! The earth element!" Lin Mu said in realization.
"The Azure Dragon belongs to the Wood Element, and represents Spring. The Vermillion Bird belongs to the Fire Element and represents Sumer. The White Tiger belongs the Metal Element and represents Autumn. The Black Tortoise belongs to the Water element and represents Winter. Then finally, the Yellow Dragon belongs to the Earth element and represents the changing season!
The Yellow Dragon Clan has ruled over the four guardian clans since the immortal court was established and ensures that the members of the four guardian clans uphold their principle and holds them accountable for any mistake that they might make.
Of course, other than that, they don't actually interfere in the normal workings of the immortal court. They let the Four Guardian clans handle their duties and only act if it is necessary." The Saintess explained in detail.
"Is that why there are no Hardliners there?" Lin Mu questioned.
"Indeed. The Yellow Dragon clan stands for harmony between all, and would not allow someone of the hardliner ideology within their company. The number of external members in the Central Immortal Court is already quite low, and among them almost all are members of the Peaceful faction." The Saintess revealed.
"Wait… Is that why the Peaceful faction has been rising in recent times, as you said?" Lin Mu asked in doubt.
"Indeed… They've gathered support from the Central Immoral Court. Plus, some of their high ranking members are also from the Yellow Dragon Clan. So while their numbers might be lower than the Neutral Faction, their influence is certainly substantial." The Saintess clarified his doubt.
"Huh… there's certainly a lot of complexities to the workings of the Immortal court." Lin Mu knew that things won't be simple. "At least that's one less place to look." He looked at the silver lining.
"If you wish to obtain that legacy, it might be better to get that entire vault. That way, they won't suspect you as much." The Saintess suggested. "I think you should probably look at trading for the Vault in itself."