The Heavenly Master Ordination Ceremony of the Zhengyi Sect was being smoothly prepared under a surface of calm, though many were aware that under this placid exterior, currents ran deep and turbulent.
The Zhuge family from Xichuan arrived at the Zhengyi Sect in the evening.
The current head of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Feng, personally led two elders, appearing on Longdao Mountain. This caused a tremendous stir within the circle of extraordinary individuals, even alerting the Dragon Department and the Cangyan Army.
The news of Zhuge Yexun's death had not yet spread, but Zhuge Feng was the strongest extraordinary individual in Xichuan, and he had not left Sichuan for thirty years.
Now, with Zhuge Feng's sudden arrival at the Zhengyi Sect, even the most foolish could guess that something major had happened between the Zhengyi Sect and the Wuhou faction.
This Heavenly Master Ordination Ceremony was likely to stir up a colossal storm!
The arrival of the Wuhou faction's sect leader sent tremors through Longdao Mountain. The Zhengyi Sect's sect leader, Zhang Mingyu, personally received Zhuge Feng and held a secret discussion in the Heavenly Master Hall, fueling speculation from all sides.
In an instant, more extraordinary individuals rushed towards Daocheng, eager to witness the spectacle.
The Dragon Department was under immense pressure and had to request assistance from the Cangyan Army, asking the military to dispatch reinforcements of extraordinary individuals to prevent any disturbances on Longdao Mountain.
After all, Longdao Mountain was a renowned tourist attraction. The front and back mountains were separated by only a cliff. If a large-scale battle erupted between extraordinary individuals at the Zhengyi Sect, it would easily be discovered by tourists.
The Chinese government strictly prohibited extraordinary individuals from exposing themselves to the public eye; this was a high-pressure red line.
Therefore, the high command of both the Dragon Department and the Cangyan Army attached extreme importance to this matter. They even dispatched employees who were still investigating the Tianluo Ghost City at Bailingshan to Longdao Mountain for reinforcement.
On the eve of the Heavenly Master Ordination Ceremony, Longdao Mountain was becoming increasingly lively.
Ye Ling stood high in the sky, looking down at the Zhengyi Sect below, his brow furrowed.
He had intended to bypass the Zhengyi Sect and contact Zhang Muya in secret.
However, he had searched the entire Zhengyi Sect, even venturing into the forbidden areas and intruding upon the secluded cultivation grounds of the Zhengyi Sect's seventh-rank Heavenly Masters, yet he found no information about Zhang Muya.
Zhang Muya seemed to have vanished from the world as if she had never existed.
Now, Tian Yi had already begun searching for Zhang Muya's traces in the deep mountains and wild forests of Longdao Mountain with Xu Shuya, leaving no stone unturned.
"Could it be... Zhang Muya is already dead?"
Ye Ling murmured to himself. Although he did not wish for Zhang Muya to be deceased, Zhang Muya was already in her thirties or forties a hundred years ago. Without any special means, a woman whose cultivation had been crippled could not possibly live this long in the current era!
Just as Ye Ling was about to give up and seek other methods, he saw Zhang Xiaxia walking out of the Zhengyi Sect, carrying a lantern in one hand and a package in the other, descending the stone steps of Longdao Mountain.
"It's so late, why aren't you doing the work I assigned you? Where are you going?"
Ye Ling's eyes filled with confusion. He instantly appeared before Zhang Xiaxia, startling her so much that she stumbled backward, nearly falling to the ground.
"Master Ye, what are you doing?"
Zhang Xiaxia, still shaken, complained to Ye Ling, "My soup is going to spill!"
Zhang Xiaxia quickly opened the package and, seeing that the food and soup inside were still intact, breathed a sigh of relief.
Ye Ling said, "It's almost dark, why are you running around instead of staying on the mountain?"
"Don't you know the Zhengyi Sect is in chaos right now?"
Zhang Xiaxia had been startled earlier, and in her shock, she had dared to complain to Ye Ling.
Now that Zhang Xiaxia had calmed down, her courage faltered. She dared not be presumptuous in front of Ye Ling and stammered, "I, I'm just going to the small town at the foot of the mountain to deliver food to an old woman. I'm not doing anything bad."
"Delivering food?"
Hearing Zhang Xiaxia's words, Ye Ling's heart stirred, and he quickly pressed, "Who are you delivering it to? Why are you delivering it?"
Zhang Xiaxia didn't understand why Ye Ling was asking so many questions, but she didn't think too much of it. She replied, "It's a rather pitiful old woman. She has no children and lives alone, with no one to take care of her. While our Zhengyi Sect deals with demons and monsters, we also do good deeds."
"If the townspeople at the foot of the mountain are in trouble, we will help. Since that old woman has no one to care for her, the responsibility naturally falls upon our Zhengyi Sect."
Ye Ling continued to inquire, "Has the old woman you mentioned been living at the foot of the mountain all along?"
Although it seemed absurd, he had a strong intuition that the old woman Zhang Xiaxia was going to deliver food to was the Zhang Muya he was looking for!
"I'm not entirely sure about that... My senior brother used to take care of that old woman, but my senior brother went out to catch a demon and hasn't returned yet, so it's my turn to take care of her."
As she spoke, a hint of sadness flashed in Zhang Xiaxia's eyes.
When Heavenly Masters of the Zhengyi Sect traveled across China, they would generally report their safety to the sect at regular intervals.
In modern society, with mobile phones, Heavenly Masters who were away from the sect would call back frequently.
If a Heavenly Master could not be contacted for a long time, although everyone would say he was traveling, they all knew in their hearts that a Heavenly Master who had lost contact was likely facing a grim fate.
After all, disciples of the Zhengyi Sect were meant to eliminate evil spirits. China was vast, and one could never know where an ultimate evil spirit might be hidden.
It was not uncommon for Heavenly Masters of the Zhengyi Sect to be killed by evil spirits, or even to be captured and turned into earth-bound spirits.
This was also the fate of the Heavenly Masters.
Zhang Xiaxia had personally witnessed several of her senior brothers join forces and, with tears in their eyes, slay a senior sister who had transformed into an evil spirit!
Seeing Zhang Xiaxia's dejected demeanor, Ye Ling did not press further. "I see... Longdao Mountain is very chaotic now, with various forces watching this place. It's not safe for you to go down the mountain alone. I'll accompany you."
"Master Ye, you want to accompany me?"
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Zhang Xiaxia snapped back to attention and was immediately overwhelmed with flattery, looking at Ye Ling with disbelief, as if she were dreaming.
In her opinion, a powerful individual like Ye Ling had too many important matters to attend to, and each of them could determine the fate of many people!
Matters like taking care of a lonely old woman were perfectly handled by a young girl like herself.
Having such a powerful individual escort her felt like an extreme luxury to Zhang Xiaxia, a waste of social resources!
Ye Ling smiled and teased, "After all, you're so cute, I can't bear to see you get hurt."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Zhang Xiaxia was stunned at first, then her face turned crimson, and her head began to smoke.
"Wh-what are you saying, Master Ye?"
Zhang Xiaxia didn't know how to respond to Ye Ling and quickly picked up her lantern and food, running down the mountain.
Watching Zhang Xiaxia's flustered back, Ye Ling smiled, feeling delighted.
Teasing young girls was a wicked pleasure that was one of the great joys in his life.
Ye Ling chuckled softly and followed.
Longdao Mountain was over three thousand meters high, and coupled with the rugged mountain paths, even though Zhang Xiaxia had a quick pace, it was already dark by the time she reached the town at the foot of the mountain.
After being teased by Ye Ling, Zhang Xiaxia dared not speak to him along the way. Her mind was blank, and she only focused on walking, completely unaware that the streets of the town were much quieter than usual that day.
As Ye Ling descended the mountain and saw the eerie scene ahead, the smile on his lips gradually disappeared, and his gaze sharpened slightly.
He called out to Zhang Xiaxia, "Xiaxia, something has happened."