Chapter 994: Only That Thing

Wind of Kyushu

On Spirit Peak, in the small courtyard, the light in Qiu Min's eyes dimmed once more. When she had first seen Taishan "resurrected from the dead," she had held a glimmer of hope, wondering if Feng Wujiang had also erased his battle imprint, just like Taishan, and had been hiding somewhere all these years without revealing himself.

However, hope was ultimately just hope.

It was also logical to think that if he were truly alive, he wouldn't have remained hidden for so many years, much less avoided seeing his own daughter.

Feng Wujiang, after all, had been dead for a long time.

“Where have you been all these years?” Qiu Min composed herself and asked.

“Wandering around, with no fixed abode,” Taishan replied with a smile.

“Why did you fake your death? Were you hiding from someone?”

“Not at all, Senior Sister Qiu. There's no need to overthink it. It’s just that some things, when one is immersed in them, are unclear. Only by stepping back can one see them more clearly.”

Qiu Min frowned slightly. Taishan's words were vague and unclear to her. She increasingly felt that the Taishan before her was very different from the one in her memories.

“So… have you seen clearly now?”

Taishan slowly shook his head: “It's still perplexing and shrouded in mist, but at least I'm no longer completely clueless as before.”

“That's good,” Qiu Min nodded.

The two chatted idly for a while longer.

Taishan said, “Senior Sister Qiu, actually, I came to see you about something.”

Qiu Min looked at Taishan and smiled, “Just say it. With our long-standing friendship, there's no need to be formal.”

Lu Ye looked into Qiu Min's eyes, his expression serious: “I need the item that Brother Wujiang left with you back then.”

Qiu Min met his gaze, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: “What item?”

Their eyes met for a moment, then Lu Ye suddenly chuckled: “We haven't seen each other in years, Senior Sister, but your composure in the face of danger remains unchanged.”

Qiu Min grew increasingly bewildered: “What are you talking about?”

Lu Ye slowly shook his head: “Senior Sister, since I came, I can naturally confirm that the item is with you. Why would you try to deceive me?”

Qiu Min frowned: “But Brother Wujiang truly didn't leave anything with me.”

“Alas,” Lu Ye suddenly sighed, “I knew you wouldn't give it to me, Senior Sister.”

“But I really don't know what you're talking about,” Qiu Min said with a helpless expression.

“Senior Sister, perhaps you'd like to see this?” Lu Ye suddenly changed the subject, taking out an item and handing it to Qiu Min.

It was a Moonlight Disc. When Qiu Min saw it, her expression subtly darkened, and she vaguely realized something. Even her aura became slightly chilly.

She raised her hand, took the Moonlight Disc, and infused it with spiritual power. The next moment, a scene viewed from high altitude appeared on the disc.

Moonlight Discs typically come in pairs and can be used to transmit images. One disc is used for reflection, while the other can display the mirrored scene.

Judging from the scene reflected on the Moonlight Disc in her hand, it was clear that someone was currently holding the matching disc high in the air, reflecting the scenery below and transmitting the view to her side.

The crafting of Moonlight Discs was not simple. Back when Qiu Min was returning to the Bixue Sect's outpost from the Spirit Stream battlefield, passing through Hundred Peaks Mountain to attend the Dragon Spring Assembly, the Qingyu Mountain, Tailuo Sect, and Qin Clan had jointly created an enormous Moonlight Disc to reflect the Hundred Peaks battle situation.

However, because that particular Moonlight Disc was crafted rather crudely, specific details couldn't be seen; only the approximate distribution of personnel from the three factions was visible.

The small, exquisite Moonlight Disc in Qiu Min's hand was naturally of much higher quality than the one at Hundred Peaks Mountain.

Inside the Moonlight Disc, a clear scene was reflected: a vast plain. Within the reflection, countless insectoids of various forms rampaged across the land, while cultivators' figures intertwined, moving back and forth, slaying the insectoids.

The sudden outbreak of the Mushan insect tide, and the dispatch of many Dancin Sect cultivators for aid, was something Qiu Min naturally knew about. She had just contacted Feng Yuechan and knew that her daughter was currently fighting enemies and slaying insectoids with several companions in a plain area.

So, upon seeing the scene reflected in the Moonlight Disc, Qiu Min immediately knew where it was.

Just then, the scene in the Moonlight Disc shifted, panning towards a certain location on the plain. At that spot, three figures came into view. These figures looked full of vitality, clearly a group of young people.

Among these three, there were one female and two males. The one standing at the very front had an exceptionally tall and imposing physique, giving off a feeling of an impenetrable fortress, even just from the reflection in the Moonlight Disc, as if no one could breach their defenses as long as they stood there.

Qiu Min's gaze instantly fixated on the woman standing behind that towering figure, who was currently casting spells to slay enemies.

That person was none other than her daughter, Feng Yuechan!

Qiu Min's aura suddenly turned bone-chillingly cold,

—her spiritual power becoming somewhat uncontrollable. Lu Ye, at some unknown point, had walked outside the fence with his hands behind his back, picked a small purple flower, and gently sniffed it. “I remember these flowers were personally transplanted by Brother Wujiang,” he said, “just because he heard you liked this kind of flower. So many years have passed, and Senior Sister, you’ve cared for them very well.” He then turned around and smiled slightly: “And of course, Senior Sister, you’ve cared for my niece even better.”

Qiu Min gripped the Moonlight Disc tightly, composed herself, and asked, “This insect tide, is it connected to you?”

She was no fool. Having cultivated to the Divine Sea realm and lived for decades, how could she still be the ignorant young woman she once was? There were too many coincidences today.

The Mushan insect tide had suddenly erupted, and a large number of Dancin Sect members had left the sect to quell it. Yet, precisely at such a time, Lu Ye, who should have died decades ago, had arrived at her doorstep.

She couldn't help but suspect.

“What do you think, Senior Sister?” Lu Ye replied with a question instead of an answer.

“Then it is connected to you,” Qiu Min's heart sank. What an unimaginable method this was; at least in her understanding, instigating an insect tide was simply beyond human capability.

First of all, where could such a vast number of insectoids even come from?

“Feng Yuechan… is your person!” This time, Qiu Min didn't ask a question but stated it with certainty.

She had received Feng Yuechan's message today and had originally intended to rush there herself, but Feng Wujiang had forcefully suppressed her. She had only wondered why Feng Wujiang would do such a thing, but now she knew it was because Lu Ye wanted to see her.

Therefore, she had to remain in the Dancin Sect!

And along Lu Ye's journey here, the sect had no warnings whatsoever, nor were any restrictions triggered, allowing him to arrive as if entering an unmanned territory. This clearly explained many things.

“Senior Sister Qiu, I came on this trip solely for that item,” Lu Ye sighed again. “Please grant my request.”

“I don't know what item you're talking about!” Qiu Min said, biting her red lip.

A scene from decades ago flashed in her mind: Yu Guanjia had entrusted an item to her, instructing her that if anyone ever came to ask for it, under no circumstances should she hand it over, especially not to Lu Ye!

Back then, Qiu Min didn't know why Yu Guanjia would give such an instruction. After all, at that time, Lu Ye could be considered Yu Guanjia's most trusted person; their brotherhood was deep, and there was no reason for Yu Guanjia to be wary of Lu Ye. Yet, he specifically gave that instruction.

Moreover, decades had passed, and Lu Ye had been dead for decades, so she had almost forgotten about the matter.

It wasn't until today, upon seeing Lu Ye and hearing him speak of taking the item Yu Guanjia had left with her, that Qiu Min suddenly became vigilant.

What exactly was that item? Yu Guanjia had given such a strict warning back then, and decades later, Lu Ye had indeed come to ask for it.

That item had been in her hands for decades, and she had naturally handled and pondered it. But it was just a peculiar disc, and she hadn't been able to discern anything useful from it.

“Senior Sister, I don't have much time, and you won't have too much either. If I don't get that item within the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, I fear my niece will be in great peril!”

“Are you threatening me?!” Qiu Min glared angrily at Lu Ye. “Don't forget, she is Brother Wujiang's only bloodline!”

“Of course I know,” Lu Ye nodded. “So, if possible, I would absolutely not want to harm her. But… for Brother Wujiang's unfinished grand endeavor, any sacrifice is worthwhile!”

“Yu Guanjia is dead, you told me yourself!”

“Yes, Brother Wujiang is dead. But it's not he who should be dead, but this damn world!” Lu Ye's emotions suddenly became agitated.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Lu Ye slowly shook his head: “I only want that item. Once I have it, I'll leave!”

“I don't have the item you want. I don't know where you heard this information, but you must be mistaken.”

Lu Ye smiled slightly: “Then Senior Sister, take your time to consider.”

Qiu Min suddenly felt a headache. Lu Ye had changed too much. In the past, under Yu Guanjia, he was the most straightforward and least scheming. But seeing him again decades later, Qiu Min found she didn't recognize him at all.

Perhaps… she had never truly known him. Only Yu Guanjia knew his true nature; otherwise, Yu Guanjia wouldn't have specifically given her those warnings back then. Time slowly flowed by. Qiu Min stared at the reflection in the Moonlight Disc, deep in silent thought.

Lu Ye didn't urge her, simply sitting to the side and waiting silently.

On the plain reflected in the Moonlight Disc, Feng Yuechan and her companions were fighting enemies together.

Earlier, he had single-handedly caused a huge commotion using explosive fire spirit stones, drawing a large number of insectoids to this plain, and then immediately found a place to hide.

After losing sight of him, the many insectoids became like headless flies, acting against their instincts, devouring all living things. In a short time, wherever the insectoids passed, the once vibrant plain became desolate.

Fortunately, not long after, a large number of cultivators, having heard the news, rushed over from all directions. The Dancin Sect sent the most, with many Divine Sea realm cultivators arriving.

And small groups of others had already contacted Feng Yuechan, meeting up there and joining the main force in exterminating the insectoids.

Amidst the fierce battle, Feng Yuechan suddenly frowned, withdrew behind the giant armored figure, and quietly spread out her divine sense to probe the surroundings.

“What's wrong?” asked Li Baxian, who was slaying insectoids with his sword not far away.

“Nothing,” Feng Yuechan shook her head. She wasn't sure if it was a misconception, but she had a persistent feeling of being watched.