Chapter 076
Chapter 76: Following in Secret
As soon as Sheng Yu Hong cast his gaze in her direction, Wei Yun Xi quickly sidestepped, slipping behind a tall fellow disciple to avoid his scrutiny. Pretending casualness, she murmured softly to a nearby Qi Refining stage disciple, “Senior Uncle Sheng is indeed as impressive and handsome as they say. Truly, seeing him once surpasses hearing his legend a hundred times!”
The disciple beside her nodded vigorously, eyes bright with admiration: “Of course! Senior Uncle Sheng is a prodigy rarely seen even once in a century within our Grand Righteous Sect. Not yet fifty years old, he’s already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. Achieving Core Formation within the next hundred years will be effortless for him! With his outstanding talent, even attaining Nascent Soul is assured, and perhaps he’ll even reach Divine Transformation! Under Senior Uncle Sheng’s guidance, our Grand Righteous Sect will surely rise to become the number one sect in the entire western region of the Lofty Cosmos Realm!”
Listening to the disciple’s fervent praise, spittle flying passionately, Wei Yun Xi quietly wiped her face. Clearly, this fellow was an ardent fan, utterly convinced of Sheng Yu Hong’s greatness.
She promptly cupped her hands, asking politely, “May I ask this Senior Brother’s name?”
“I am Long Dao Yu. And you?”
“My name is Wei Yun Xi.”
“Oh, Junior Sister Wei,” Long Dao Yu said, eyes twinkling teasingly, “What brings you to the Treasure Blossom Range? Wait! Let me guess—Senior Uncle Sheng took on a task here, so you’ve come as well?”
Yun Xi’s eyelid twitched involuntarily, but she lowered her voice conspiratorially, playing along, “Senior Brother Long, I’ve always practiced in the Outer Sect and never had a chance to meet Senior Uncle Sheng. I’ve only heard tales of his greatness, never seen him in person, leaving my heart unbearably curious. When I finally had this chance to glimpse his famed visage, naturally, I had to come! To tell you the truth, I specifically asked someone to help me accept this search-and-rescue task. Unfortunately, the mission’s difficulty increased, and I didn’t qualify to join Senior Uncle Sheng’s group.”
Yun Xi sighed dramatically, displaying her disappointment convincingly.
Long Dao Yu wore an understanding expression, chuckling knowingly, “Oh, you took that missing fellow disciple task too?”
“Yes! Senior Brother Long, did you also accept that task?”
“I did indeed!”
“Ah, what a pity! Now we can only stand aside and watch,” Yun Xi shrugged helplessly.
Long Dao Yu’s eyes suddenly flashed as he leaned in, whispering, “Junior Sister Wei, I’ll come find you soon. There’s something I’d like to discuss.”
Yun Xi nodded, replying, “Sure, Little Sister is staying at house number Bing Five.”
While they spoke quietly, Sheng Yu Hong withdrew his gaze, clearly enjoying the enthusiastic admiration from the junior disciples surrounding him. Under their eager escort, he strode gracefully toward the rear courtyard’s meeting hall.
Several overly curious disciples tried to follow but were blocked outside, informed that the group needed privacy to discuss the missing disciples’ rescue mission.
Long Dao Yu sighed in disappointment after being turned away, then turned back to Yun Xi and immediately began tempting her, “Junior Sister Wei, do you wish to make Senior Uncle Sheng see you in a new light?”
Inwardly, Yun Xi rolled her eyes skyward, though outwardly she displayed curiosity, asking, “Senior Brother Long, what exactly do you mean? How could I possibly attract Senior Uncle Sheng’s notice with my mere Qi Refining stage cultivation? Our gap in strength is far too wide; even if I wished to, I lack the ability.”
She ended her words with deliberate self-doubt.
Long Dao Yu lowered his voice eagerly, reassuring, “Don’t underestimate yourself. This is our perfect opportunity!”
“What opportunity?”
“Senior Uncle Sheng will lead his team into the Treasure Blossom Range outskirts to look for our missing disciples. We can secretly trail behind them. Perhaps we’ll get a chance to prove ourselves useful, and then Senior Uncle Sheng will surely notice us!”
A thoughtful gleam flickered through Yun Xi’s eyes. She rubbed her hands together hesitantly, voicing her concerns, “Senior Brother Long, is this idea feasible? Senior Uncle Sheng’s companions are all Foundation Establishment stage disciples; would they truly need help from mere Qi Refining disciples like us? Besides, Senior Uncle Sheng’s cultivation is so powerful, won’t he quickly discover us following them? What if he orders us to stop?”
Long Dao Yu considered her worries, thoughtfully stroking his chin, “Our missing fellow disciples vanished near the outskirts of Treasure Blossom Range, so even Senior Uncle Sheng will mostly be searching in those areas. Normally, disciples wandering about the outskirts are either Qi Refining or early Foundation Establishment cultivators, so it’s perfectly natural for us to be there. And even if Senior Uncle Sheng spots us, we can simply claim that we’re seeking protection in his presence. Given Senior Uncle Sheng’s generous character, he surely won’t mind such minor details as long as we maintain a respectful distance.”
Wei Yun Xi understood clearly now—this disciple was a devoted follower, hoping to tag along secretly but afraid to do so alone. Thus, he sought another fan to join him.
“What do you think, Junior Sister Wei?” Long Dao Yu asked earnestly.
“I have no objections. I planned to enter the mountain anyway. However, with our low cultivation, can we even keep pace with Senior Uncle Sheng and his group?”
“Don’t worry about that. One of my clan relatives is among Senior Uncle Sheng’s followers. I guarantee we won’t lose their trail!”
“All right, then I’ll accompany Senior Brother Long to enter the mountain together for ‘training’,” Yun Xi readily agreed.
After all, entering the mountain while shadowing a larger group was far safer than going alone. Should danger arise, they’d have someone nearby to call upon for help. Given Sheng Yu Hong’s facade of benevolence, Yun Xi was confident he wouldn’t abandon fellow sect disciples in trouble. With that assurance, she had no reason to refuse.
“Wonderful! It’s settled then, Junior Sister Wei,” Long Dao Yu beamed happily.
“Naturally.”
The two quickly exchanged communication talismans and proceeded to the stationed Senior Uncle’s location to accept two small tasks: finding spiritual plants and hunting first-tier demon beasts—thus providing themselves with a solid cover story.
“Junior Sister Wei, stay prepared. When Senior Uncle Sheng sets out, I’ll come for you immediately,” Long Dao Yu reminded her seriously.
“I’ll await Senior Brother Long’s message,” Yun Xi agreed cheerfully.
After parting ways, Yun Xi returned to her quarters to reorganize her storage pouch, arranging talismans, medicinal pills, and her spirit sword for quick access, then closed her eyes to meditate.
The next morning, Sheng Yu Hong’s group swiftly left the Grand Righteous Sect outpost. Soon after, Long Dao Yu found Yun Xi.
“Junior Sister Wei, it’s our turn to leave.”
“Coming!” Confirming everything was ready, Yun Xi joined Long Dao Yu, and they exited Treasure Blossom City together, blending into the bustling stream of cultivators heading toward the mountain range.
Along the way, Yun Xi casually chatted with Long Dao Yu, subtly gathering intelligence.
“Senior Brother Long, do you know where Senior Uncle Sheng plans to go first?”
“My clan relative told me their first stop is where the missing disciples last sent distress signals,” Long Dao Yu replied candidly.
Yun Xi tentatively probed further, “Is it far? Is there any shortcut we could take to reach it earlier?”
Long Dao Yu shook his head regretfully, “I’m afraid I don’t know either. This is only my second visit to Treasure Blossom Range, and the area is huge. I also wish we could take shortcuts, but I have no idea where they might be.”
Yun Xi continued, “According to my information, the missing disciples were picking Fire Dragon Grass. The largest patches on the outskirts are within areas infested by Serpent Kind demon beasts. Senior Uncle Sheng should be heading there.”
Long Dao Yu nodded, “That’s exactly what I heard when accepting the task. I’ve also marked the locations where Fire Dragon Grass grows abundantly, but I truly don’t know which one specifically Senior Uncle Sheng chose. All I know is that it lies somewhere southwest.”