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Chapter 457: I’ll Never Believe You, You Wretched Old Man!
Lu Zhou walked over with his hands on his back. He descended the stairs and stepped on the limestone plaza. He walked past the cracks on the floor.
The others instinctively parted to the sides to make way for him.
Zuo Yushu loosened her grip, and the walking stick fell away from her. As a result, the script seals faded away immediately. She curtsied before saying, “At last, we meet again.”
Lu Zhou’s expression was as indifferent as usual. When he saw Zuo Yushu’s stooping figure, he could not help but sigh inwardly. Some things remained the same, but the people had changed. Time had not been kind to her. So many years had passed in just a blink of an eye. The Confucian sect elite who was once a mighty, rare stone-cold fox in the cultivation world was now a gray-haired old woman. “I see that your temper remains unchanged even after all these years.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
Lu Zhou swept his gaze across his disciples and said, “Well? Greet Senior Zuo.”
The other bowed and saluted Zuo Yushu.
Zuo Yushu waved her hand and said, “There’s no need.” She looked at Lu Zhou and said, “Although I’m from the Confucian sect that’s bogged down by rules and protocols, I’ve never cared much for them.”
Lu Zhou nodded. “One doesn’t visit a temple without a cause. What brings you here to my place?”
“I’m here to ask for an explanation regarding Feng Qinghe.”
“An explanation?”
“Feng Qinghe was the Master of the Zhencang Branch. All these years that I’ve been living in the valley, the Zhencang Branch has looked after me. Now that something has happened to Feng Qinghe, I can hardly stand aside and do nothing,” Zuo Yushu said.
Lu Zhou did not reply immediately. Instead, he walked toward higher grounds nearby.
Zuo Yushu understood Lu Zhou’s meaning. She followed him and stood next to him as they looked down at the foot of Golden Court Mountain.
Lu Zhou pointed at the foot of the mountain and said, “There lies the corpses of those from the seven great sects…”
“…” Zuo Yushu was shocked. When she had passed by earlier, she merely felt the ground was uneven and there were many signs of a battle. Not a blade of grass could be seen at all.
“Feng Qinghe should’ve been among them,” Lu Zhou said coldly.
Zuo Yushu asked in disbelief, “So it’s true that the seven great sects attacked Golden Court Mountain?”
Lu Zhou sighed and said, “You’ve been staying in the valley for a long time and are oblivious about the affairs of the outside world. Is it possible that during your journey here you didn’t speak to anyone about this?”
“Well…” Well, she truly did not speak to anyone. Otherwise, she would not have arrived here travel-weary and insulting everyone due to her crabby mood. She had roots in the Confucian sect, and reason was held in the highest regard. If reason was on her side, she would travel the world without fear. If it was not, she could hardly take a single step forward.
Lu Zhou rendered Zuio Yushu speechless in just a blink of an eye. It was just as Mingshi Yin had said, it was Feng Qinghe who attacked Golden Court Mountain. In that case, the one who should be demanding an explanation should be the Evil Sky Pavilion, not her.
Lu Zhou’s disciples nodded, impressed by their master. The same words, coming from a different person would have a starkly different effect.
Mingshi Yin asked furtively, “Did you notice that Senior Zuo seems humble in front of master?”
“Mhm, yes,” Little Yuan’er replied.
“This just shows how awesome our master is,” Zhu Honggong said.
“…”
‘Flattery is second nature to this dimwit.’
Zuo Yushu was not bothered by the juniors’ discussion. Instead, she asked in confusion, “I remember your great limit is close at hand. I didn’t expect you to be as spry and majestic as before. How did you defeat your enemies, Brother Ji?”
Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible to win against the seven great sects. It was clear Zuo Yushu remained doubtful about what she had been told.
Lu Zhou did not withhold any information from her as he calmly said, “To tell you the truth, I’m now at the Nine-leaf stage.”
Zuo Yushu’s aged eyes widened. The wrinkles on her face twitched as well. Her facial expression changed drastically before it settled on one of disbelief. It was an entertaining sight to watch. ‘I’ll never believe you, you wretched old man!” She looked at Lu Zhou and said, “Brother Ji, do you think that I’m gullible?”
Lu Zhou did not care if she believed him or not. He glanced at her and said, “If it weren’t for old times’ sake, the damage you caused to the limestone floor alone would’ve been enough to earn yourself a death sentence.”
“…”
Although Lu Zhou’s tone was indifferent, it sent shivers running up everyone’s spines. They felt cold as though the temperature in the surroundings had drastically dropped.
Zuo Yushu’s old body shivered despite herself. Even a proud daughter of the heavens such as herself would have to lower her pride before Ji Tiandao. She bowed before she asked, “Did Feng Qinghe die in vain, then?”
At this moment, a figure appeared nearby. With a cold voice, he said, “He deserves to die.”
The others looked at the newcomer.
It was Leng Luo, who was wearing his silver mask as usual. Speaker. He looked at the stooping Zuo Yushu with his hands on his back.
“It’s you?” Zuo Yushu exclaimed in shock.
Leng Luo was not one to care about etiquette. He said, “Zuo Yushu, your only accomplishment is that you rose to fame at a young age. You aren’t fit to do as you please at the Evil Sky Pavilion yet.”
This statement was valid. Zuo Yushu merely became famous when she was young. In terms of age, she was younger than Leng Luo, let alone Ji Tiandao. Leng Luo had every right to criticize her.
Zuo Yushu said, “Leng Luo, I’m not afraid of you.”
“What about me…”
Two other figures emerged as well at this moment.
Hua Wudao pushed a crude wooden wheelchair as he slowly walked to the others.
Zuo Yushu turned to look. Her wrinkled hands were clearly shaking. “Pan Litian?”
Pan Litian broke out in laughter as he said, “I didn’t expect anyone to recognize me.”
“You’re the greatest elite of the Clarity Sect. Of course, I’d recognize you.”
“Since you’re aware of that… what gives you the courage to wreak havoc here?” Although Pan Litian was seated on the wooden wheelchair, it did not impede him from looking at his surroundings. The limestone floor was cracked. ‘How dare she cause trouble here. She must have a death wish.’
“Greetings, Pavilion Master.” Pan Litian cupped his fists toward Lu Zhou.
Hua Wudao bowed as well. “Greetings, Pavilion Master.”
Although Zuo Yushu did not recognize Hua Wudao, with a glance, she could tell he was not a simple cultivator as well. She did not expect there to be so many elites in the Evil Sky Pavilion.
Zhu Honggong laughed and said, “You look formidable, old seniors…”
“…”
Mingshi Yin was speechless. ‘This dimwit is a professional in flattery and courting disaster. I should keep my distance. This is a sickness. It might be contagious.’
Zhu Honggong noticed that he had misspoken as well. Was he not indirectly slighting his master? He quickly slapped himself and said, “I’ve made a mistake!”
Zuo Yushu frowned slightly. She was finding it more and more difficult to understand how these third-rate youngsters ended up becoming Ji Tiandao’s disciples. ‘They’re not qualified.’
A female disciple walked slowly toward them from afar. She bowed at Lu Zhou and said, “The flying chariot is ready, Pavilion Master.”
“Where are you going, master?” Mingshi Yin asked, puzzled.
“Zuo Yushu.” Lu Zhou looked at her.
“What is it, Brother Ji?” Zuo Yushu asked, perplexed.
“Since you’re here… why don’t we go together?” Lu Zhou turned around and left.
Zuo Yushu found this strange. She did not know where he was going. However, she did not dwell on it and followed after him.
Mingshi Yin said, “Old Eighth, take Old Seventh back to the Cave of Reflection.”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean by ‘huh’? You have no business here.”
‘You’re thinking of tagging along? Fat chance.’
Si Wuya was not interested in this to begin with. He turned around and returned to the Cave of Reflection.
Hua Wudao pushed the wooden wheelchair into Pan Zhong’s hands. Then, he boarded the flying chariot with Leng Luo. Pan Litian needed to recuperate. There was no need for him to come along.
…
When they were on the flying chariot, Mingshi Yin volunteered. “I’ll man the helm.”
“Where are we headed, master?” Little Yuan’er asked.
“The Luo Sect.”
Zuo Yushu was puzzled. She said, “The Luo Sect is one of the sects founded by Yun Tianluo. What business do you have there, Brother Ji?”
“Someone I know is passing away. I’d like to say my final goodbye,” Lu Zhou said as he stroked his beard.
Zuo Yushu was stunned by his words.
Hua Wudao sighed heavily.
Mingshi Yin initially thought his master was going to give the Luo Sect trouble. After all, the Yun Sect’s ten elders were among the forces of the eight great sects. He did not expect them to be merely visiting Yun Tianluo.
Everyone could see how the relationship between Yun Tianluo and the Evil Sky Pavilion was. Yun Tianluo was even willing to surrender the memories sealed within the chessboard to the Evil Sky Pavilion. He would never order the ten elders of the Yun Sect to attack the Evil Sky Pavilion. There must be more than meets the eye here.
However, Zuo Yushu said, “That young man, Mingshi Yin, told me the Yun Sect’s ten elders were also involved in the attack on Golden Court Mountain. Aren’t you walking right into their trap by going there now?”
“Walking right into their trap?”
“The Three Sects own ten holy lands and 20 peaks which form Formations that overlapped with each other. It’s also defended by many elites… The Evil Sky Pavilion is from the Fiend Path. Aren’t you worried that something might happen to us if we go there now?”