Chapter 2008: Shadow Tower Master

"Oh?" It was Zu'an's turn to be surprised. He temporarily abandoned his plan to cripple him. "What grudge do you have against the Phantom Pavilion?"

Jing Li took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with hatred. "My father was once the Sect Master of the Sky-Splitting Sect. The Master of the Phantom Pavilion was one of my father's junior martial brothers. In his younger years, he was often bullied by other disciples in the sect, and my father always helped him. But in the end, that person used my father to steal a large number of cultivation techniques and secret manuals from the sect, then established his own faction and founded the Phantom Pavilion."

"Because of this, my father was punished to spend ten years in solitary contemplation, facing a wall. Finally, when the old Sect Master passed away, he passed the position of Sect Master to my father, entrusting him to 'cleanse the sect' for the Sky-Splitting Sect."

"Only then did my father realize that over the years, the Sky-Splitting Sect's numerous attempts to suppress the Phantom Pavilion had ended in failure. They had suffered severe losses in manpower and strength, causing unrest among the sect members. Many masters were instead lured away by the Phantom Pavilion. As one declined and the other grew, the Sky-Splitting Sect became weaker and weaker, while the Phantom Pavilion became stronger and stronger."

"To prevent widespread devastation caused by conflict between the two factions, my father decided to duel that person to determine the future of both factions. As a result, he never returned from that duel. From then on, the Sky-Splitting Sect completely disintegrated."

He was actually taking a gamble. Since this person was investigating the Phantom Pavilion, he was clearly not a member of it. The enemy of my enemy could be my friend. Of course, if it were anyone else, he wouldn't have revealed everything like this, but the cultivation of the person before him was too high, so high that he couldn't even contemplate resisting.

Zu'an was somewhat surprised after hearing this. He had never expected there to be such a layer of history.

"If he lost a fair duel, then the Master of the Phantom Pavilion couldn't really be blamed, could he?"

"The key is that the duel wasn't fair!" Jing Li said agitatedly. "You must understand, my father was acknowledged as the most talented person in the Sky-Splitting Sect at that time, while the Master of the Phantom Pavilion was a notorious good-for-nothing. Some of his cultivation techniques were even taught to him by my father, hand-in-hand. How could such a person possibly defeat my father? Furthermore, with my father's cultivation at the time, even if he lost, he wouldn't have lost his life. Clearly, the other party must have used some underhanded methods in that duel!"

"Although the Phantom Pavilion was rising rapidly at the time, the Sky-Splitting Sect had a much deeper foundation. It was still uncertain who would win between the two sides. But because of my father's unexpected death, the Sky-Splitting Sect utterly collapsed."

Zu'an said gravely, "Didn't you witness that duel?"

Jing Li shook his head dejectedly. "For the sake of fairness, both sides agreed not to bring any subordinates. Thinking about it now, my father kept his promise, but the other party might not have."

Zu'an wasn't particularly concerned about their internal struggles, but directly asked, "What is the name of the Phantom Pavilion Master?" The imperial court had investigated for so long without finding it, but since he was Jing Li's father's junior martial brother, he must know.

"Si Chao!" Jing Li's eyes were filled with deep-seated hatred.

"Si Chao?" Zu'an frowned slightly. He had no impression of this name whatsoever. Among the famous masters in the world, it seemed there was no one by that name. However, he then thought, as the King of Assassins, the Phantom Pavilion Master would surely not reveal his true name. It was normal for him not to have heard this name. He had finally obtained a clue, but was it going to end here?

Suddenly, he thought of the composite sketches from detective dramas in his previous life. His heart stirred, and he asked, "What does the Phantom Pavilion Master look like? Describe him in detail." As he spoke, he took out a blank sheet of paper and a brush. Back when he was learning the art of disguise, he had received personal guidance from Yu Yanluo. His drawing skills had already reached a high level.

Jing Li was startled. Although he had some doubts, he began to describe him. According to his description, Zu'an's brush moved swiftly and powerfully, and soon a human face appeared vividly on the paper. This face was extraordinarily ordinary, the kind that wouldn't warrant a second glance in a crowd—a natural choice for an assassin.

At this point, Jing Li hesitated. "I don't know if it's correct or not. I was still young back then, and Si Chao was always reclusive and rarely showed his face. So many years have passed, I'm afraid I might have remembered it incorrectly."

Zu'an, however, stared intently at the drawing before him, because he felt that this person looked somewhat familiar. He was certain he had seen this person before, but he just couldn't recall who it was. One must know, with his current cultivation, once he saw someone, he wouldn't forget them. So why couldn't he identify this person? He clearly didn't know this person, but why did they seem familiar?

"Senior, are you from the Carefree Path?" Jing Li asked tentatively. Throughout the Demonic Cult, only the Carefree Path was most proficient in painting. However, he immediately dismissed this conjecture himself. When had the Carefree Path ever produced such a master? If it truly were the Carefree Path, the Demonic Cult would have long since been under their complete sway. The strength this person had just displayed was even greater than that of his father back then. No, it seemed there was no one in the entire Demonic Cult's Three Sects and Six Paths who could rival him.

Zu'an didn't answer, and carefully put away the drawing. "So, you intentionally impersonated a Phantom Pavilion assassin just now to stir up conflict between the Demonic Cult and the Phantom Pavilion?"

"Precisely." Jing Li gave a desolate smile. "Although I have diligently practiced and had many fortuitous encounters over the years, I am well aware that my strength is still a long way from the Phantom Pavilion Master's. Moreover, he has numerous masters under his command, and I alone cannot possibly contend with him. I could only resort to this last resort."

"That's quite clever." Zu'an showed some approval. He then inquired, "Have you learned anything about the whereabouts of the Demonic Cult Master, Yun Jianyue, recently, while you've been in the cult's main headquarters?"

"Cult Master Yun?" Jing Li looked bewildered. He then shook his head and said, "She is like a divine dragon, only showing its head but not its tail. Naturally, I haven't seen her. Furthermore, during this period, I have repeatedly targeted the Phantom Pavilion, and they also seem to have sent people to investigate me everywhere. On a normal day, I hide in my room and rarely go out."

Zu'an's heart stirred. He recalled earlier hearing Fang Biao and Fang Hu mention some mysterious black-clad figures who came to discuss something with the Yin-Yang Venerable. Those seemed to be people from the Phantom Pavilion. Initially, he had thought they were after Yun Jianyue and her disciple, but now it seemed more likely they were targeting this young man. So he relayed this information to him, and then admonished, "Be careful of the people from the Yin-Yang Path."

As soon as he finished speaking, he drifted away. Keeping this young man, who was determined to trouble the Phantom Pavilion, might prove useful in the future.

Jing Li was stunned. He realized that the acupuncture points on his body had been unsealed. He had never expected the other party to let him go so easily. Furthermore, he hadn't even seen how the person had departed, right before his eyes. "Truly a divine being!"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a surge of renewed spirit, and he felt more confident than ever before. With such an unfathomable enemy for the Phantom Pavilion, he was not fighting alone.

Someone seemed to be approaching from a distance. He pulled down his hat brim and quickly disappeared into the shadows.

Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the Yin-Yang Path, lanterns and colorful decorations adorned every corner. Most of the important figures from the Demonic Cult's Three Sects and Six Paths had arrived.

As the hosts of the event, the Yin-Yang Venerable and the groom, Fang Long, stood at the main entrance, greeting the arriving guests.

Zhang Zitong, hiding in the shadows, observed the Yin-Yang Venerable. This fellow was tall and thin, with heavy eye bags and distinct dark circles under his eyes—clearly a sign of deficient kidney qi. As for Fang Long, dressed in his wedding robe, an irrepressible smile was plastered across his face. He seemed exceptionally spirited today.

"He looks decent but acts like a dog!" Zhang Zitong muttered to herself. At the same time, she felt a little worried. Why hadn't she seen any sign of her superior yet? The task her superior had assigned her earlier was a bit too bizarre. Would things really unfold as he predicted?

At this moment, important figures from various factions continued to arrive in succession. Zhang Zitong correlated them one by one with the intelligence gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the years.

That fellow, clad in yellow robes embroidered with gold coins and round as a ball, should be Sect Master Shen Taogong of the Heaven and Earth Sect. Indeed, as expected of a wealthy merchant, among everyone present, he looked the most like a rich man.

That handsome middle-aged man with elegant bamboo leaves embroidered on his clothes should be the Carefree Venerable Hua Feihua. The verdant jade flute hanging from his waist should be his famous weapon, 'Butterflies Love Flowers'. Hmph, of all weapons for a grown man to be proficient in, he just had to be good at playing the flute.

That one clad in a Daoist robe and holding a whisk should be Chi Fuzi of the Ghost-Concealing Path. Additionally, there were several elders and others, all prominent figures on the imperial court's list.

Zhang Zitong's heart swelled with excitement as she watched. It was a pity her strength was insufficient, otherwise, if she could capture all these people in one fell swoop, she might achieve a monumental feat. However, she immediately remembered that she was no longer considered an Embroidered Uniform Guard, and she couldn't help but feel disheartened.

At this moment, figures from various factions of the Demonic Cult arrived one after another. Although they usually had their own conflicts, on such a day, they all smiled and congratulated the Yin-Yang Venerable. As for the younger disciples, their gazes towards Fang Long were somewhat unfriendly:

"That guy looks decent today, despite his usual scoundrel nature.""He's marrying the Saintess; people always look spirited when something good happens to them.""The Saintess has always been distant from him, so why did she agree to marry him this time?""I heard that when the Yin-Yang Path supported the Heavenly Demonic Sect back then, one condition was a marriage alliance between their direct disciples. That must be the reason.""That's ancient history! Who still abides by that now?""But that's how it is; the Saintess is still marrying him."

Feeling the envious, jealous, and hateful gazes around him, Fang Long was particularly smug. He thought, "Let them be sour. The goddess in your hearts is becoming my woman today. I'll certainly help you all love her well, hahaha."

Just then, a disciple rushed in with a secret report: the Saintess had been assassinated. The Yin-Yang Venerable's expression changed, but upon learning that Qiu Honglei was unharmed, he suppressed the matter. No matter what, he needed to get Qiu Honglei married first; once the deed was done, nothing could be changed. He hurriedly dispatched another team of elder masters to go and escort her.

"The Deputy Cult Master has arrived!"

Just then, the previously boisterous grand hall instantly fell silent. Everyone rose to their feet, their expressions solemn, and bowed to the approaching figure.

Zhang Zitong, blending into the crowd, quickly looked over. She saw a middle-aged man slowly walk in from outside. His face was as refined as jade, and his demeanor was extraordinary. His hair was not tied into a bun but naturally flowed down his back. The man as a whole looked less like a great devil and more like a hermit detached from worldly affairs. As if sensing her gaze, Lu Sanyuan looked in her direction.