Chapter 33: Reappearance of the Demonic Sect
Three months later, Xiao Nanfeng turned seventeen. He was hoping that the bleached skeleton would have lost interest in him, but despite buying over a hundred brands of incense, Madam Rouge still guarded him from dusk till dawn, a true test of his spiritual power. Fortunately, he spent each day engrossed in Taoist scriptures, bolstered by the sound of the guqin, greatly augmenting his current spiritual power.
"Nanfeng, it's about to rain! Come seek shelter!" Yu'er urged.
Xiao Nanfeng slowly opened his eyes and turned to Yu'er with her guqin.
"I was engrossed in your music, Senior Sister. You're growing even more impressive than before," Xiao Nanfeng praised, walking under the eaves of a nearby cottage.
"Of course! I'll learn all of Master's techniques sooner or later. When you reach Immanence and start your spiritual cultivation, I'll use the guqin to help you bolster it," Yu'er offered generously.
"Thank you, Senior Sister." Xiao Nanfeng smiled; he didn't offer up more information.
As they were talking, a young man walked up to them, an umbrella in hand.
"Senior Brother Nanfeng, Senior Sister Yu'er," the young man began respectfully.
"Hmm?" Yu'er glanced curiously at the stranger, not recognizing him.
"Do you remember me, Senior Brother Nanfeng?" the young man asked.
"You are..." Xiao Nanfeng hesitated. He thought the man seemed familiar somehow.
"The day of the recruitment trial, we entered a shared illusion together. You saved us all, Senior Brother Nanfeng, from the bleached skeleton that attacked us. I am Chen Ran, here to pay my respects and thank you for saving my life again, Senior Brother."
"Don't worry about it," Xiao Nanfeng replied politely, recalling the affair.
"I now work under Senior Brother Zhao Yuanjiao, and am here to present you an invitation on his command," Chen Ran continued.
"Zhao Yuanjiao? What's he looking for Nanfeng for?" Yu'er frowned the moment she heard his name. Although Zhao Yuanjiao was also one of Elder Ku's disciples, Yu'er wasn't fond of him at all.
"Tang, Ma Shan, and the other demonic spies that were caught over three months ago have been imprisoned for interrogation since, but it's taken until now before they're finally willing to divulge any information. They've brought your name up, Senior Brother Nanfeng, so Senior Brother Zhao's hoping that you'll be willing to participate in the interrogation as well," Chen Ran explained.
"Ma Shan? Tang? They're still alive—you've been interrogating them for so long? Why not simply kill a few? Surely the rest would speak up then," Xiao Nanfeng suggested.
"What?" Chen Ran stilled.
"They've caused the deaths of far too many senior disciples of the Ascended division. Considering what they've done, surely there's no need to respect their lives! Who's responsible for the interrogation?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.
Chen Ran looked toward Xiao Nanfeng in shock, not knowing how to explain things right then and there.
"Nanfeng, not all the disciples of the demonic sect are malicious. There are only a few culprits that deserve to die. We only tend to imprison ordinary demonic sect disciples; as for Ma Shan and the others, I suspect that our seniors simply haven't determined conclusively that they're the culprits responsible for all the deaths from before," Yu'er explained.
"Why are we so lenient regarding these disciples? Imprisonment as the sole punishment for sneaking into the Taiqing sect—how would that deter them?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, frowning.
"Are you... unaware of the situation with the demonic sect?" Yu'er asked, peering at him strangely.
"What situation?"
"The demonic sect is more properly known as the Taiqing Demonic Sect," Yu'er explained.
"The Taiqing Demonic Sect—whereas we're part of the Taiqing Immortal Sect? What's the relationship between the two sects?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.
"As you've intuited, the two sects are related. The elders of the demonic sect were all once part of the Taiqing sect. Allegedly, after a conflict two centuries ago, an internal schism split up the sect. The Taiqing Demonic Sect was formed as an offshoot containing members of the original Taiqing sect then. Because these disciples are likewise part of the Taiqing tradition, elders in both sects have treated such cases with leniency. The disciples themselves, after all, have no innate quarrel with one another, and imprisonment tends to be the default punishment except in extreme circumstances," Yu'er explained.
"Is that so?" Xiao Nanfeng seemed perplexed.
"Senior Brother Nanfeng, would you be willing to come with me?" Chen Ran asked.
"Why doesn't Zhao Yuanjiao come himself? Is Nanfeng someone he can just summon at will? Tell Zhao Yuanjiao that, if he wants Nanfeng's help, to ask for it himself!" Yu'er declined the 'invitation' on Xiao Nanfeng's behalf.
"Senior Brother Nanfeng, Senior Brother Zhao is unable to spare the time at the moment. He's entrusted me with a jade token. If I remain unable to convince you, I'm to show the token to Elder Ku to make him aware of the importance of the matter, then to have him persuade you to go," Chen Ran explained glumly, showing him the token.
"Nanfeng, don't worry about it. Have Zhao Yuanjiao fetch you himself. Hmph! He's trying to pull rank on you, but who knows if the token is genuine? We won't fall for it!" Yu'er cried out.
Xiao Nanfeng was silent for a moment. "I think I had better go, Senior Sister. Zhao Yuanjiao knows my identity now, and he won't do anything to me. Furthermore, Elder Ku has just entered secluded cultivation again, and I can't be bothering him for such trifling affairs."
"Alright," Yu'er grudgingly replied.
It was the eve of spring. Cold rain fell over their heads, splashing on their umbrellas, as they shivered under the spring chill.
Chen Ran gossiped with Xiao Nanfeng as they embarked down a dilapidated path.
"Right over that mountain up ahead, Senior Brother Nanfeng. I really have to thank you for your assistance—I don't know what I would have done otherwise."
"Does Senior Brother Zhao frequently give you pointers on your cultivation?" Xiao Nanfeng suddenly asked.
"Thanks to Senior Brother Zhao's advice, I've just made it to the tenth stage of Acquisition. He praises you frequently, Senior Brother Nanfeng," Chen Ran replied, smiling politely.
Xiao Nanfeng's smile stiffened as he narrowed his eyes at Chen Ran. Zhao Yuanjiao, praising me? Are you joking? Just a few days ago, when Zhao Yuanjiao came to speak with Master, he was still glancing at me warily...
Xiao Nanfeng immediately grew alarmed. Was Chen Ran to be trusted just because he was somewhat familiar?
"Senior Brother Nanfeng, please hurry up..." Chen Ran urged politely.
Xiao Nanfeng's response was a fist to the face. Chen Ran narrowed his eyes, then countered with one of his own.
The two disciples clashed against each other, and both stumbled back. The umbrellas they held burst into pieces from the force of the attack.
"There really is something wrong with you!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.
He had launched a sneak attack at Chen Ran; unless Chen Ran was already on guard, the punch would have rendered him unconscious.
Chen Ran's face turned dark. "What gave it away?"
Xiao Nanfeng didn't explain. Instead, he told Chen Ran, "Even if you are a demonic spy, I've saved your life. This is how you repay me?"
"I have no other choice. I am grateful for your assistance, but I can't ignore commands from those above me, you understand. Now that you've come this far, you might as well stay." Chen Ran showed no guilt nor discomfort. Rather, he blocked Xiao Nanfeng's path to safety.
"Commands from those above you? Who are they? Who set me up for this?!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.
"Trying to get me to reveal more information? I'll let you know once I catch you."
Chen Ran smirked. A slab of stone shattered as he pushed off it, pouncing toward Xiao Nanfeng like a leopard. The two disciples struck each other with their fists once again. Xiao Nanfeng took three steps back before stabilizing himself, his fist sore and numb, whereas Chen Ran only took one step back.
"Impressive. I'm at the tenth stage of Acquisition, but I'm barely stronger than you are. Are you at the ninth stage of Acquisition? No, you cultivate qi of pure yang. Are you only at the eighth stage?!" Chen Ran asked in shock.
"It's enough to take you down, at any rate!" Xiao Nanfeng rushed forward.
"Is that so?" Chen Ran taunted, charging forward as well.
The two disciples met each other fist for fist. Then, Xiao Nanfeng's punch suddenly turned illusory. Another punch headed straight for Chen Ran's face.
"This—?!" Chen Ran shouted.
The fist hit him squarely in the face, sending him flying into the distance. He smashed against a large boulder. By the time he clambered up, he was a sorry sight. His face was covered with blood and dirt, and his nose broken.
Xiao Nanfeng leapt forward like a tiger.
"Hegemon's Fist, assassin form? I must have been caught off-guard. How could you beat me despite being two stages of cultivation weaker?" Chen Ran charged forward, his expression dark.
"Didn't Tang tell you? I defeated Chen Hai when he was two stages above me, too." Xiao Nanfeng punched forward again. Four punches headed toward Chen Ran, who suddenly stopped short. He didn't know which ones were fake, and which were real.
Once again, he was sent flying. He smashed into another boulder. His clothes were filthy as he got to his feet, his head ringing and the world spinning around him.
"Do you members of the demonic sect have no better victim to target? Why do you pick on me each time? The sect might only imprison you, but I've never been one to go lightly on my enemies." Xiao Nanfeng's eyes flashed with frost.
He kicked straight at Chen Ran's head.
"No!" Chen Ran barely avoided being kicked in the head, but Xiao Nanfeng managed to dislocate his right shoulder. He smashed into a pile of rubble.
"Help! Someone, help!" Chen Ran shouted in pain.
Xiao Nanfeng: ...A demonic spy, daring to shout for help? You're even more shameless than Tang!
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