Chapter 224: Xiang Gu’s Secret
Hou Bomin looked at him, surprised, “Xiao Yan wouldn’t tell you about her sister. How did you know?”
He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face, then glanced at Shi Hao, “Her mother was a demonic cultivator…”
Shi Hao said, “I won’t hide it from you. I do have connections to the demonic sects, but also to the Taisu Immortal Pavilion. I learned about Xiao Yan’s sister from a demonic source.”
Hou Bomin, a seasoned wanderer in the jianghu, had already suspected Sha Lingshan and her companions’ connection to the demonic sects.
However, Shi Hao, during their time in the Ba Mountains, had only used Daoist techniques, and after leaving Changbai Mountain, his Daoist and demonic energies had merged, becoming something else.
Hearing this, Hou Bomin simply assumed that, like Xu Xiaoyan, Shi Hao’s unusual background stemmed from his family’s connections to both the Daoist and demonic sects.
He sighed, “Since you know about her sister, I’ll tell you. Someone saw a girl who looks exactly like Xiao Yan in the East Sea. She believes it’s her sister, so she’s gone there…”
He recounted the story, and Shi Hao, after pacing back and forth, suddenly asked, “Have you ever heard of a place called the Penglai Mirage Pavilion?”
Xiang Gu’s eyes widened, “Penglai Mirage Pavilion?”
Hou Bomin, however, said, “I’ve never heard of it. I’ve traveled extensively, but I’ve never encountered such a place.”
Shi Hao said, “It’s a secretive sect in the East Sea, even more elusive than the Taisu Immortal Pavilion.” He looked at Xiang Gu.
Her reaction indicated she knew about it.
Xiang Gu sighed, a rare display of something akin to fear, “Why would you mention that place?”
Shi Hao said, “Because it seems… Xiao Yan’s sister’s disappearance might be connected to them.”
Xiang Gu shook her head, “That’s impossible. The Holy Pavilion is completely closed off, isolated from the outside world. They’re extremely xenophobic. Outsiders who trespass on their territory rarely survive.”
Shi Hao noted her words carefully, “Did you say ‘Mirage Pavilion’ or ‘Holy Pavilion’?”
Xiang Gu said softly, her voice almost a whisper, “Don’t ask. I don’t know. And I don’t want to go back there.”
Shi Hao and Hou Bomin exchanged glances.
They were both curious about Xiang Gu’s background. Her martial arts were clearly unorthodox, her style unlike any they recognized, and she also seemed skilled in Gu techniques.
She was a sixth-rank expert, but they had never heard of her before.
Of course, many in the jianghu had secrets, including Shi Hao himself, so they hadn’t pried.
But now, with Xu Xiaoyan’s sister possibly connected to this Penglai Mirage Pavilion, and Xiang Gu’s words, “I don’t want to go back there,” their curiosity was piqued.
Shi Hao asked, “Are you from the Penglai Mirage Pavilion, Miss Xiang Gu?”
Xiang Gu looked up, a faraway look in her eyes, “Yes, I left a long time ago. Someone helped me escape.”
She sighed, “It’s best you don’t know about that place. And don’t go looking for it. If you find it, you’ll die.”
Shi Hao said firmly, “I don’t intend to look for it, but if Xiao Yan is in danger, I have to help her.”
Xiang Gu, after a moment of thought, shook her head, “The Holy Pavilion doesn’t accept outsiders. It doesn’t make sense for Xiao Yan’s sister to be there. You must be mistaken.”
Shi Hao turned to Hou Bomin, “How do I find Xiao Yan once I reach the East Sea?”
Hou Bomin smiled, “I’ll join you after the Red Hill Gathering. We’ll go to the East Sea together.”
They both looked at Xiang Gu, who seemed hesitant, her voice filled with a strange urgency, “Are you really going there? To the Holy Pavilion? Are you sure? That’s a death sentence! Why would you go looking for death? Life is good! Why throw it away? What good is death…?”
They had never heard her speak so much.
Shi Hao said, “Firstly, that girl might not be Xiao Yan’s sister. Secondly, even if she is, she might not be connected to the Penglai Mirage Pavilion. And lastly, even if she is…”
He sighed, “Your words only make me more worried.”
Xiang Gu muttered, “You don’t understand what that place is like. I would never go back there.”
Shi Hao sighed, “In that case, I’ll go to Dàxīng City first. You two go to the Red Hill Gathering. We’ll discuss this later.”
After Hou Bomin and Xiang Gu left, he rejoined Du Yuejiao.
Du Yuejiao had returned to the Chongxian Sect’s main temple in Dàxīng City.
Shi Hao, Sha Lingshan, Plum Blossom Lady, and Peach Blossom Lady went to the Azure Shu Manor outside the city.
Shortly after arriving, the crafting master Sha Lingshan had summoned also arrived.
Although a woman, she was tall and muscular, dressed in a leather skirt, her right arm bare.
Shi Hao showed her the bone fragment with the divine crystal. She examined it carefully, then said, “I can’t do anything with this, Young Master.
“This bone… it’s white meteorite. And the divine crystal… it’s partially fused with the bone, as if the refining process was interrupted. And for some reason, the meteorite, although not organic, seems to have absorbed the crystal’s energy, like a living body. It’s quite strange.”
Sha Lingshan said, “Although it’s not organic, it was part of the Primordial Yellow Dao Body, Yi Shenzi’s vessel. He was trying to absorb the divine crystal, but he was interrupted before the process was complete.”
“That’s why the crystal is only partially fused. And the Dao Body itself, although human-shaped, was more like a magical artifact. That’s why it’s like this.”
The crafting master said, “I can’t reforge it. It’s broken. The only option is to destroy it.”
Shi Hao said, “If we destroy it, the divine crystal will be lost, won’t it?”
“Yes,” she confirmed.
“Is there no other way?” Shi Hao asked.
The crafting master said, “There might be someone among the unorthodox sects who can fix it. His name is Daoist Tie Yu, a renowned crafting master. If you can find him, he might be able to do something. Unfortunately, he’s a Daoist cultivator. We have no connection to him, and I don’t know where he is.”
Shi Hao thought, Daoist Tie Yu is that skilled?
After dismissing the crafting master, he turned to Sha Lingshan, “I know where to find him. I’ll go and see him.”
Sha Lingshan, waving her fan, smiled, “Should we make some contingency plans, Young Master?”
“Contingency plans?”
“It’s a supreme-grade divine crystal. If he can’t fix it, that’s fine. But if he does… he might just take it and run. We should be prepared.”
Shi Hao, after a moment of thought, shook his head, “It’s fine. The crystal is already damaged. The chances of him fixing it are slim. If he succeeds, that’s a bonus. And Daoist Tie Yu is a friend of Xiao Yan’s. I trust him. Even if he did steal it, it would ruin his reputation. He wouldn’t be able to work as a crafting master again unless he completely disappeared, changed his name, and started over.”
If he truly followed the demonic sects’ methods, he would not only make “contingency plans” but also eliminate anyone who knew about it.
Although it was a supreme-grade divine crystal, it was currently useless. He wasn’t willing to go that far.
It was afternoon, and Yuejiao still hadn’t returned, so he went to Dàxīng City.
The city’s atmosphere was different from his last visit.
Before, it had been filled with chaos, gangs fighting in the streets.
Now, although still crowded with martial artists, there was a sense of order.
Of the original three gangs and six societies, the Shark Dragon Gang, the Ascending Heroes Gang, and the Leopard Gate were gone. The Mystic Virtue Society and the White Sword Society, weakened by their conflict with the Ascending Heroes Gang, had joined the Heaven and Earth Gang, and the Brocade Dragon Gate, more of a merchant guild than a martial arts faction, although influential, wasn’t a major player in the jianghu’s power struggles.
The Heaven and Earth Gang now controlled Dàxīng City.
In the past, neither the barbarian court nor the Chongxian Sect would have tolerated such a concentration of power.
But with the Chongxian Sect weakened by Lu Jin’s death, and the barbarian court preoccupied with the numerous rebellions, as long as the Heaven and Earth Gang didn’t openly rebel, they could maintain their control.
Deng Haihan, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Gang, a cunning old fox, having bided his time, had chosen the perfect moment to strike.
Shi Hao reached the Chongxian Sect’s main temple at the foot of Mount Qian Yuan and began his ascent.
Although a main temple, most of its members had been recalled. There weren’t many more Daoists here than in the branch temples in other prefectures.
It was evening. After informing a young acolyte of his arrival, he was led to a secluded courtyard where Zhuo Mulan, dressed in her Daoist robe, a horsetail whisk in her hand, greeted him.
He followed her into the courtyard and asked softly, “Where’s Yuejiao?”
Zhuo Mulan said, “She went to Spirit Jade Cliff, one of our sect’s medicinal herb farms. She’s visiting her Master Shi, I believe. She should be back soon.”
Hearing that Yuejiao wasn’t there, he pulled Zhuo Mulan close and gently pushed her against a nearby stone table.
The beautiful Daoist nun, her back against the cool stone, her face flushed, whispered, “Yuejiao will be back soon.”
Shi Hao, holding her hands to prevent her from resisting, smiled, “She’s not here now.”
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