Chapter 763: Front and Back Inquiry

Funaan.

The main mountain of Funaan seemed much less populated. A young man in silver armor and a black robe stood at the peak, six ancient, silver-white tokens hanging from his waist. A long spear stood on the ground, occasionally flashing with points of lightning.

Soon, a woman in a red palace dress ascended from below, holding a hexagonal lantern with a flickering, feathery flame. The young man, looking somewhat tired, raised his head, put down the thin paper in his hand, and spoke, "Elder Sister is here... Has Situ Mo arrived? What did Weizheng say?"

"No," Li Minggong replied, shaking her head, her expression revealing more worry as she said softly, "There's no need to worry about Weizheng. Taking him in back then was truly one of our family's wisest decisions. He's now capable of handling things on his own and is completely loyal. With him watching over things, and us holding down the fort here, Situ Mo won't act easily. I came this time because I received some news from the family..."

She handed the letter to Li Cheng. The young man read it calmly, then with a hint of surprise, replied, "Fu Jie was killed..." They exchanged glances. Li Minggong locked the hall doors and whispered, "It doesn't matter if it's a tactic by some young master to undermine Xuanyue's prestige or influence. In any case, this matter is harmless. What's important is the situation at Red Reef Island: Guo Hongjian has appeared. That's a major event."

Li Cheng reread the letter twice and replied, "Jiang Qian is ruthless and decisive, acting quite maliciously, prepared to sacrifice Xuanyue. Jiang Xia, though somewhat arrogant, prefers straightforward methods and has compassion for the common people. This current arrangement is perfect; there's no need to change it. As for Red Reef Island... let Guo Hongjian handle it. That fellow doesn't seem very smart, but he acts entirely under Ye Hui's instructions. All we can do is wait."

Li Cheng pondered for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "But the Duchy Immortal Dao has been too polite to our family... Ever since they captured the mountain gate, they haven't seemed very enthusiastic about their feud with Xuanyue and Kong Haiying. Otherwise, why would there be no reaction even now?"

Just as Li Minggong was about to answer, she heard a sudden silence outside the hall. The grand formation trembled slightly, and the tightly shut hall doors began to shake violently, as if compelled by some force. "Creak..." The hall doors opened naturally from the inside out. A cool breeze instantly swept into the hall, and Li Cheng felt the wind chilling him to the bone. He stood up from his main seat, his heart sinking: 'Violet Palace!'

For a Violet Palace expert, the mountain's formation was as good as non-existent. This Violet Palace expert even deliberately pushed the door open upon entering the hall, which seemed quite friendly. Regardless of who it was, neither Li Cheng nor Li Minggong had the right to remain standing. They stepped aside and bowed in welcome. Li Minggong said respectfully, "May I ask which True Immortal has graced us with their presence? This junior of the Li clan respectfully welcomes you..." Indeed, before them appeared a figure in simple brown cloth robes, faintly exuding a profound divine light. Neither dared to look up. Li Minggong said respectfully, "Greetings, True Immortal."

The True Immortal's voice was relatively amiable, yet drawn out, carrying a deep, weighty tone: "No need for such courtesy! I am Sumeru, the Profound-Mystery Temple Master. I searched for quite a while at sea but couldn't find any trace of the True Immortal, so I came here to speak with the two of you."

The two quickly led him to the main seat. They stood respectfully to the side, and only then did they get a clear look at the True Immortal. Sumeru was dressed like a lay practitioner, appearing middle-aged with no visible signs of old age, though his voice was very deep: "Now that rumors are flying and it's quite inconvenient to go to the lake, and seeing that both of you are also here, I came to ask... Has Daoist Friend Zhaojing returned?"

Li Minggong hesitated immediately. However, with a True Immortal present, she couldn't exchange glances with her brother. After only a brief hesitation, Sumeru sighed and said, "There's no need to hide it. The sea is in chaos, and I've heard the news: he was expelled by Changxiao. I'm just asking for his whereabouts. Even a small piece of information would spare us a great deal of anxiety."

Li Cheng couldn't interject or confer with his elder sister. He only heard Li Minggong say, her voice filled with worry, "Reporting to True Immortal, we haven't returned to the lake for several days, but we have never received any news of Master returning to the lake... We don't know how he is doing now."

Sumeru glanced at Li Minggong, seemingly trying to discern something. After a long moment, he questioned, puzzled, "And where is Li Zhouwei? With things in such disarray, why isn't he coming out to stabilize the situation? Does he want to wait until the Duchy Immortal Dao attacks? Without him guarding the fort, how can the two or three of you withstand their schemes!"

At Sumeru's question, Li Minggong looked slightly embarrassed and could only say, "The family head has gone into secluded cultivation..." "The family head has gone into secluded cultivation..." Sumeru flicked his sleeve, looking somewhat impatient, and merely said, "Of all times to enter seclusion, why choose now?! There's no gathering of spiritual energy at your lake, so who knows how long it will take!"

Li Minggong paused, then hesitated, "Yes... The time it takes to break through to Foundation Establishment varies, and this junior cannot predict it... We, the direct lineage..." "Enough!" Sumeru interrupted her with a wave of his sleeve before she could finish, simply saying, "The two of you just need to guard Funaan. Don't worry about the wilderness. I'll go speak with Ye Hui first and inquire about the details."

The two quickly thanked him. After bowing and standing up, the True Immortal had already vanished. Li Cheng felt uneasy, hesitating twice but still not asking the question on his mind. Li Minggong grew more worried. After pacing anxiously in the hall for a moment, she said, "True Immortal Sumeru usually doesn't concern himself with anything, but in times of crisis, he proves to be..."

Li Minggong abruptly stopped speaking. Li Cheng also looked up thoughtfully, noticing an inexplicable floral fragrance in the air. A gentle breeze swept in from outside the courtyard, swirling for a moment, then surprisingly coalescing into a person before the hall.

The woman wore an autumn-yellow satin gown embroidered with butterfly patterns. Her face was beautiful, her eyebrows delicate, and two faint blue marks adorned the corners of her eyes. As soon as she appeared, she waved a hand to stop their movements and frowned, saying, "Cheng... Minggong... It's the two of you, isn't it?"

The two understood that no sooner had the previous True Immortal left than another had arrived in the hall. They could only step to the side and say respectfully, "Greetings, True Immortal."

The female True Immortal frowned, her voice melodious and gentle: "Rise... I am True Immortal Tinglan of Purple Mist Blessed Land... I'm here to ask you a couple of questions, no need to be so polite." She seemed to quickly glance at the hall's furnishings, then asked, "Has a True Immortal with willow-leaf eyes, carrying a bright lantern, sought you out?" She paused for a brief moment, then asked, "Never mind... Has any True Immortal sought you out?"

Li Minggong said respectfully, "True Immortal Sumeru was just here..." She recounted the earlier events. The female True Immortal before them took a step across the hall, sat on the main seat, and remained silent.

This True Immortal's makeup was exquisitely beautiful. As she sat quietly on the main seat, she looked as refined as a divine statue. Under the morning light, faint rings of colored light emanated from behind her head. However, Tinglan's expression was not pleasant; her gaze had even grown somewhat grim.

The True Immortal in the satin gown narrowed her eyes slightly and said, word by word, "I just came from Profound-Mystery Temple, and Old True Immortal Qi was in the temple; he hadn't moved."