Chapter 212 - The Old Beggar
Chapter 212 The Old Beggar
The others were slightly startled that Hua Wudao would make an oath on his life. It was true that he came from Yun Sect, but Hua Yuexing was from the Luo Sect. After Yun Tianluo founded his sect, it was gradually split into the Yun, Tian, and Luo Sects. They had a certain degree of enmity between themselves. Since they came from the same line, it was natural that he would speak up for her. However, it was strange that he would make an oath on his life for someone whom he had only met a few times.
“Elder Hua, what’s your relationship with Hua Yuexing?” Duanmu Sheng asked. Based on his question, it was clear he found it too coincidental that both of them shared the same last name.
Hua Wudao shook his head. “I have no ties with her… Please investigate this thoroughly, Pavilion Master!”
Lu Zhou stroked his beard and said indifferently, “Elder Hua, I have no wish to find out about your relationship with her. If Hua Yuexing wants to join the Evil Sky Pavilion… Very well, I’ll give her a chance…”
Hua Wudao was delighted to hear this. Before he could even express his gratitude, Lu Zhou said again, “… If she can bring me the head of any cultivators with Three-leaf or above who have laid siege on the Golden Court Mountain. If she’s successful, she may join the Evil Sky Pavilion.”
“…” Hua Wudao was stunned speechless. “Uh… uh…” His expressions had turned grim as well.
Duanmu Sheng snorted and said, “I knew you’re not completely loyal… If she can’t even do that, how can she join the Evil Sky Pavilion?”
The disciples were all satisfied with their master’s condition.
Even if a person was exceptionally talented and had huge potential in cultivation that could help the Evil Sky Pavilion, it would still be useless if that person could not even kill a single enemy. The Evil Sky Pavilion could not keep useless people nor could it afford to keep useless people. Hua Wudao bowed and said, “Alright! Since she wants to join the Evil Sky Pavilion, she should at least show her resolve!”
Lu Zhou waved his hand dismissively.
Upon seeing this, Hua Wudao left the great hall and proceeded down the mountain.
“Where’s Old Eighth?” Lu Zhou asked.
“Eighth Junior Brother is refurbishing the pavilion. I’ll go get him.” Duanmu Sheng went out.
A short while later, Duanmu Sheng led Zhu Honggong into the great hall. Zhu Honggong obediently kneeled on the floor. He raised his hand and said reverently, “Greetings master. May you live to see a thousand autumns, and may your life be limitless!”
‘This person’s shamelessness is truly extraordinary. How does he even come up with such words?’
Lu Zhou looked at Zhu Honggong and said lightly, “How do you find the Evil Sky Pavilion?”
Zhu Honggong hastily replied, “Master, this is my home. Naturally, I love it! There’s no place like the Evil Sky Pavilion. I feel at ease living here!” “Really?”
Zhu Honggong deliberately raised his voice and said, “There are no lies in my words. I dare not lie before you.”
Duanmu Sheng was speechless, and Zhao Yue only shook her head.
Lu Zhou’s voice was calm as he asked, “How are you getting along with the others?”
Zhu Honggong was greatly surprised by this question. ‘What’s with master today? Why is he asking about my wellbeing?’ He did not feel moved, instead, he felt awkward.
Finally, Zhu Honggong replied, “Third and Fourth Senior Brothers take good care of me… Fifth Senior Sister will also talk to me when she has the time. Little… little junior sister…” He paused for a moment to look for Little Yuan’er and discovered she was not around. He recalled her fierce expression and gulped before he continued, “Little junior sister is as gentle as a lamb, and she treats me like family.”
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Perhaps, in the entire Evil Sky Pavilion, Zhu Honggong was the only one capable of saying such blatantly pretentious words.
“How are you getting along with Old Seventh?” Lu Zhou asked again.
“Fine! We get along fine… Old Seventh has always treated me… Old… Old Seventh?” Zhu Honggong’s expression changed as he said, “Master, I… I heard wrongly. I have nothing to do with Seventh Senior Brother!” As he spoke, he began to tremble in fear.
Lu Zhou said, “Tell me, then. How did old Seventh find out about my movements?”
Zhu Honggong’s expression was dark as he said, “Old Seventh’s sources are spread out in all corners of Great Yan. He… Of course, he knows!”
“Who do you think is his source in the Evil Sky Pavilion?”
Everything was brought to light at this moment.
In truth, Lu Zhou had found it strange ever since he arrived at Anyang.
First, Yu Shangrong had shown up and gave Little Yuan’er the gift. Then, there was Yu Zhenghai. Jiang Aijian’s information had practically proven that Si Wuya was behind all this. If nobody had been feeding Si Wuya information, he would not have known about this.
Si Wuya had deliberately goaded Mingshi Yin into bringing Zhu Honggong back to the Evil Sky Pavilion… A scheme within a scheme. Perhaps, Si Wuya was the only person who was bold enough to pull this off.
“Eighth Junior Brother… It was you?!” Duanmu Sheng went over and held him up by the cuff of his shirt.
Zhu Honggong was chubby and quite heavy. However, in Duanmu Sheng’s hand, Zhu Honggong was lifted as though he was a chick.
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“Master… please! I can explain myself! Senior brother, please let me go!” Zhu Honggong said with a reddened face.
Duanmu Sheng looked to Lu Zhou for further instructions.
“I’d like to see how you’re going to explain this,” Lu Zhou said.
Thud!
Duanmu Sheng loosened his grip, and Zhu Honggong fell onto the floor. However, he dared not complain. He hastily got up, kneeled, and said, “Senior brother Wuya… Ptooey! I mean, traitor!” He inhaled deeply twice before he said, “He swore he won’t do anything that’ll harm the Evil Sky Pavilion. He even said he would help the Evil Sky Pavilion! That’s why I accidentally let slip about your whereabouts, master.”
“He told you that, and you believed him?” Duanmu Sheng regarded Zhu Honggong disdainfully.
Silence descended on the great hall. The atmosphere was getting tenser by the second.
Zhu Honggong tried to calm down before he said earnestly, “Master, to be honest, when I was in Tiger Ridge, Seventh Senior Brother was the one who looked after me… It’s true that Seventh Senior Brother likes to play tricks, but he has never harmed one of his own. Eldest and Second Senior Brother admire him as well.” When he finished speaking, he lowered his head, he did not even dare to breathe loudly. His heart was beating so hard that it seemed as though it was trying to escape from his chest.
‘I’m dead. Best case scenario, I’ll be exiled from the pavilion. Worst case scenario, I’ll be paralyzed for life.’
Lu Zhou was in no hurry to punish Zhu Honggong since Zhu Honggong had spoken the truth. Among the rascals, apart from Ye Tianxin who colluded with the cultivators from the Noble Path cultivators, none of them had acted against the Evil Sky Pavilion. In the cultivation world, the people still regarded the traitors as members of the Evil Sky Pavilion. It made no difference to them.
Although Zhu Honggong’s offense was not so serious that it warranted a death penalty, Lu Zhou could not let him go unpunished either. ‘I must be harsher when disciplining these rascals.’ Finally, Lu Zhou said, “Send him into the Cave of Reflection… He’ll receive 50 strokes of the cane each day. Seal his cultivation base…”
“Yes, master.” Duanmu Sheng cupped his fists.
Zhu Honggong kowtowed and said, “Thank you for your mercy, master!”
Duanmu Sheng dragged Zhu Honggong out of the great hall. “Ding! Disciplining Zhu Honggong. Reward: 200 merit points.”
There was no problem with disciplining Zhu Honggong, but Lu Zhou had to think of a way to discipline the remaining three rascals.
After a while, Lu Zhou slowly rose to his feet. It was time for him to study the Sky Fragments. At this moment, Little Yuan’er came running into the great hall. “Master!”
“What’s the matter?” Lu Zhou asked, puzzled.
Little Yuan’er pointed at the beggar outside of Evil Sky Pavilion. “This old beggar is stubbornly refusing to go away! Even Hua Yuexing has left… He wants a sip of wine no matter what.”
Zhao Yue was puzzled. “Little junior sister, Golden Court Mountain isn’t a place where anyone can enter as they please. Quickly throw him out!”
“I did! But he came back in!”
“He came in?” Zhao Yue asked incredulously.
“I found him strange so I brought him here to meet you, master!” Little Yuan’er said.
Golden Court Mountain’s barrier was formed by unique Formations. Even the Formations of the ten great sects of the Noble Path could not compare with Golden Court Mountain’s barrier. How did an old beggar breach the barrier?
They could not take this matter lightly.
When Lu Zhou heard this, he walked down the steps with his hands on his back and left the great hall.
Outside the Evil Sky Pavilion.
The old beggar was lying on the limestone floor. He gazed lazily at the sun in the skies and occasionally mumbled, “Wine… I want more wine…”
“That’s him!” Little Yuan’er pointed at the beggar who was lying on the floor.
Lu Zhou stopped when he was close enough. His gaze fell on the old beggar.
Name: Pan Litian
Race: Human
Cultivation base: Nulled.
Lu Zhou remained silent as he mulled over this matter.
When Yunsan was at the Clarity Sect, it was under attack by the Nether Sect. Their sect master, Mo Qi, and their elite, You Hongyi, were both grievously wounded. It was likely that the Clarity Sect would disappear from this world in the near future. He had always wondered where Pan Litian had disappeared to…
The mysterious elite of Clarity Sect, an expert from the same generation as Fan Xiuwen, disappeared overnight. Nobody knew where he went. Lu Zhou truly did not expect such a person to show up in the Evil Sky Pavilion.
The old beggar who had been waiting for a long time exhorted, “Quick… Quick… I’ve been waiting for my wine all day…”. “You old geezer, see if I don’t personally throw you down the mountain,” Little Yuan’er said as she raised her Nirvana sash.
“Little girl, it’s not good, not good… to be this fierce…”
Little Yuan’er gritted her teeth in annoyance as he repeated those words. She was about to leap into action when Lu Zhou raised his hand to stop her. He said, “Bring some wine.”
“Huh?”
Little Yuan’er and Zhao Yue were taken aback by this.
‘Master is treating an unknown old beggar with kindness?’
“Yes, master…” Zhao Yue bowed slightly and went to the north pavilion.
A short while later, Zhao Yue led two female cultivators who carried two jars of wine.
“Wine, wine, wine…” Pan Litian’s nose was as sharp as a dog’s. When the wine jars were getting close, he picked up the scent of alcohol.
Zhao Yue placed the wine jars at Pan Litian’s side and retreated respectfully.
Pan Litian seemed invigorated as he straightened up immediately. He squinted his eyes as he looked up and said with a chuckle, “You… You’re the master of the Evil Sky Pavilion?”
Lu Zhou did not reply to him. Instead, he pointed at the wine jars on the ground and said, “The Evil Sky Pavilion’s wine. It’s been kept for a century.”
Pan Litian’s eyes widened and brightened at once. He lifted the wine jar and sniffed the opening. “Good wine! This is good wine!”
“Would you like to have a taste?”
“Yes, yes… I’d love to!”
“That’s great.”
Lu Zhou moved closer toward Pan Litian and said, “You knew this is the Evil Sky Pavilion, and yet, you’re bold enough to trespass?”
Pan Litian uncapped the jar and drank a few mouthfuls. A satisfied expression appeared on his face as he said, “I know… but this old life of mine is worthless. I don’t… don’t care…”
‘Worthless?’ Lu Zhou did not expose him. Instead, he asked curiously, “You have no cultivation base, how did you breach the barrier?”
“I have no idea… I’m only an ordinary beggar! I know nothing about barriers…” Pan Litian played dumb.
Lu Zhou sighed as he shook his head and said, “The greatest elite of the Clarity Sect… I don’t know if I should be happy that you’ve fallen so low.”