C21 Listen, This Is What People Say!

Lin Yuanjian decided not to press them further. "I have no desire to make enemies here. My visit is solely to confront the six major sects. My disciple has strong ties to the Wudang Sect and is also the grandson of the White-browed Eagle King, so I would prefer that the Bright Cult and Wudang remain on good terms. We will do everything in our power to defuse this conflict between good and evil."

Yang Xiao responded, "The Bright Cult doesn't seek Young Master Lin's assistance; we only hope that you won't side with the six major sects against us."

Lin Yuanjian assured him, "We've come to mediate, so naturally, we won't take sides. Besides, the six sects' siege on the Bright Cult seems driven more by personal vendettas than justice—they cloak their quest for fame and profit with the guise of righteousness. How many are truly just?"

Relief washed over Yang Xiao. Lin Yuanjian's formidable strength meant he was an ally to be won, not an enemy to be made.

Zhang Wuji affirmed, "Indeed, Master and I aim to cease hostilities."

Yang Xiao and the Five Disorganized Cultivators doubted the feasibility of such a truce but didn't want to offend Lin Yuanjian.

Seeking to divert the conversation, Yang Xiao inquired, "Young Master Lin, do you know where the Eagle King and his followers are?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Yuanjian replied, "I'm not entirely sure. We left the Celestial Eagle Cult's main altar yesterday morning, but I arrived last night."

The group was astounded by the speed of his travel—four thousand miles in a day? Did he not need rest?

"And what of Bat King Wey?" Yang Xiao pressed on.

Lin Yuanjian casually answered, "He's slower, probably still en route."

Slower? Still on the road? It was almost unheard of to describe Wey Yixiao as slow, yet no one could contest Lin Yuanjian's claim; his demonstrated strength made it plausible.

Zhou Dian suggested, "Yang Xiao, we'll take our leave now. Once the Bat King and Eagle King arrive, we can discuss the leadership matter."

With no objections, Leng Qian and the others took their leave, and the five went their separate ways.

Yang Xiao expressed his gratitude, "Young Master Lin, Young Master Wuji, thank you for your support. The sect is quite busy, so I must beg your pardon for not being able to stay. Should you need anything, my daughter Buhui will be at your service."

Lin Yuanjian reassured him, "Left Envoy Yang, please attend to your duties. We'll manage just fine."

Turning to his daughter, Yang Xiao instructed, "Buhui, please look after Young Master Lin and Mr. Wuji, will you?"

With a playful smile, Yang Buhui replied, "Leave them to me. I'll be a good host."

Yang Xiao nodded, gave Lin Yuanjian and Zhang Wuji a parting glance, and said, "I must be off. Make yourselves at home." He then departed.

Eagerly, Yang Buhui asked, "Mr. Wuji, Brother Lin, shall I take you somewhere fun?"

Intrigued, Zhang Wuji asked, "Where to?"

Yang Buhui reflected for a moment before speaking, "I'm not sure of the exact location, but there seems to be a Bagua formation or something similar there. If we can decipher this formation, we'll surely unlock its secrets. I've asked my dad, but he's tight-lipped about it. I'm dying to know what's really there. Can you help me out?"

Zhang Wuji paused, then replied, "If Left Envoy Yang is keeping it from you, it must be a significant place. I think it's best we stay away."

Lin Yuanjian felt a stir of curiosity. Could this be the entrance to the Bright Cult's secret passage? Yang Buhui's description seemed to match up quite well.

The Bright Cult's secret passage was off-limits to all but the cult leader, so it's likely Yang Xiao didn't know the way in either.

"Come on, let's just go have a look. We won't be able to break through the Bagua formation anyway," Yang Buhui pleaded, playfully shaking Zhang Wuji's arm.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea..." Zhang Wuji said, glancing at Lin Yuanjian with a look of discomfort, hoping for some backup.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yuanjian agreed, "Let's go check it out."

Yang Buhui chided, "Wuji, your little master is so understanding. You should take note, or you might end up with no girls liking you."

"Come on, follow me." Yang Buhui tugged at Zhang Wuji, leading him out of the hall.

Zhang Wuji wore a resigned smile; his naturally soft heart left him no choice but to indulge Yang Buhui's whims.

Lin Yuanjian followed at a leisurely pace, pondering how he might acquire the Universe Great Teleportation technique.

Before long, they reached a mountain wall behind Bright Peak, overgrown with weeds, indicating it hadn't been visited in quite some time.

"Look, this is the place," Yang Buhui said, pointing to several stone pillars hidden among the weeds in front of the stone wall. Counting carefully, there were eight in total, each as thick as a water bucket and about a meter high, arranged evenly in a circle.

Yang Buhui leapt onto a pillar, which sank down immediately but stopped after descending half a foot.

Lin Yuanjian joined her on another pillar, remarking, "Without knowledge of the mechanisms and formations, it's going to be tough to unravel these mysteries."

Each pillar could be pushed down and would spring back up, but stepping on any of them triggered no response.

Lin Yuanjian thought it might take finding Xiaozhao to solve this puzzle. His eyes casually swept toward a clump of grass to the east, where he noticed a faint rustling.

"We should head back," Lin Yuanjian said coolly. "It would be difficult to explain if Left Envoy Yang discovered we were here."

After several fruitless jumps on the pillar, Yang Buhui grew bored.

"Fine, let's go back," she conceded.

Zhang Wuji, already eager to leave, was relieved at the suggestion.

As they retraced their steps, Lin Yuanjian suddenly announced, "You two go ahead; I need to use the restroom."

"Do you even know where it is?" Yang Buhui asked. "Want me to show you?"

"No need, I prefer to take care of it outside," Lin Yuanjian said before vanishing from sight.

Yang Buhui wore a perplexed look. "Mr. Wuji, is your master a ghost or something? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"

Zhang Wuji chuckled. "My master's Lightness Skill is unmatched. It's quite normal for him, so let's not worry and head back."

"Okay, sure."

Lin Yuanjian wasn't actually in any urgent need. He stealthily made his way back to the vicinity of the eight stone pillars and concealed himself in the shadows, watching silently.

As time ticked away, the area remained undisturbed.

"Hehe, that little girl is pretty clever. I wonder how long she can hold out."

Lin Yuanjian stayed hidden, motionless. Roughly ten minutes later, a small disturbance in the eastern bushes caught his attention, and a delicate head peeked out cautiously.

A smile spread across Lin Yuanjian's face. "At last, I've caught you, little girl."