Yun Heng was also quite surprised by Lu Wenbo’s appearance here.
By all logic, they should have returned to the Upper Three Provinces after their fruitless search of the Black Wind Forest.
Even if they had taken on a temporary mission to inspect other regions, they should have been active in the various provinces bordering the demon race; there was no reason for them to appear in Yunmeng Prefecture.
However, what caused Yun Heng the most alarm was the gloomy man wearing an eagle-beak mask beside Lu Wenbo.
He did not wear the standard uniform of the Demon Inspection Department like Lu Wenbo and Ding Huaimeng did, but the token at his waist undoubtedly indicated that he was also a member of the department.
“Keep staring, and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”
The eagle-beaked man clicked his tongue, picked his ear, and then casually flicked a clump of earwax directly toward Yun Heng.
Although Yun Heng’s personal magical artifact easily neutralized this probe, such an insulting action successfully provoked someone else.
*Thud!*
Without even giving Yun Heng time to react, Jiang Keke swung her wolf-tooth club at the opponent. In the next second, she was sent flying back by an invisible barrier.
Fortunately, Yun Heng reacted in time, wrapping Jiang Keke in his artifact to prevent her from falling sprawling on her back.
“As expected of the Young Master of the Changsheng Yun family. The treasures on your person are truly as numerous as the hairs on an ox.”
The eagle-beaked man chuckled.
“But I’ve always been curious about one thing. In the vast Changsheng Yun family, how on earth did they produce a waste like you who hasn’t been able to reach Foundation Establishment in 20 years?”
‘A Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse… no, this is a Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse after suppressing his realm.’
Yun Heng’s current Divine Sense was only at the Great Circle of the Qi Refining Stage, but in his past life, he had frequently dealt with the Demon Inspection Department.
Therefore, he was relatively familiar with the eccentric tempers of the department’s high-ranking officials.
If he guessed correctly, this man in the eagle-beak mask was likely one of the Seventy-Two Seats of the Demon Inspection Department.
His strength was at least at the peak of the Integration Stage.
“As one of the prestigious Seventy-Two Seats of the Demon Inspection Department, you use your cultivation to bully us juniors of the Qi Refining Stage.”
“If news of this spreads, will your cultivation be more embarrassing, or will the seventy-two seats behind you be more disgraced?”
Yun Heng smiled.
The peaceful and cozy atmosphere in front of the association had long since been shattered by the sword-drawn tension between the two groups. Many people had already retreated to a safe distance to observe the situation.
Most people did not recognize Yun Heng or the eagle-beaked man, but they could judge their outward cultivation levels through the fluctuations of spiritual energy.
There had always been an unwritten rule in the cultivation world: high-level cultivators could not bully low-level cultivators at will.
First, it was to prevent the cultivation world from regressing into pure jungle law, which would affect the sustainable development of the cultivator ecosystem.
Second, wantonly slaughtering a large number of beings with cultivation levels far lower than one’s own would lead to the accumulation of too much Karma and Inner Demons, affecting one’s Dao heart.
Third, it was based on a social constraint—it implied that you were worthless aside from your cultivation. Once other cultivators of the same rank found out, you would become a laughingstock in their circles.
Therefore, when he felt the burning gazes of the surrounding crowd, the eagle-beaked man clicked his tongue in displeasure. “It seems only your sharp tongue was inherited from your father.”
After dropping those words, he vanished into thin air.
“Brother Yun, there are some… erm… personal grudges between Senior Xuan Sun and your father.”
Only then did Lu Wenbo dare to approach with a forced smile to smooth things over.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered an instruction to Ding Huaimeng, telling her to hurry and follow so that Senior Xuan Sun wouldn’t cause any extra trouble during the mission’s execution.
“I think he should just change his name to Great-grandson from now on. Your grandmother here just happens to be in need of a grandson like him.”
Jiang Keke stood between Yun Heng and Lu Wenbo while hugging her wolf-tooth club. Although she was just a small girl, she managed to clearly demarcate the boundary between the two sides.
“We won’t talk about Senior Xuan Sun for now.”
Yun Heng’s timely intervention slightly eased Lu Wenbo’s embarrassment. “Why have you come to Liuli Valley?”
As mentioned previously, the area governed by Liuli Valley was dominated by the feminine over the masculine and was full of schemes.
Aside from juniors who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation and wanted to travel long distances to see the “various types of fairies,” most normal cultivators found it troublesome and avoided the place.
As for “civil servants” like Lu Wenbo, even if they were looking for a place to indulge in wine and song, they wouldn’t come to such a troublesome location.
“If it were just me alone,” Lu Wenbo shook his head and laughed, “then it could be treated as though I were like you, merely passing through this place during my leisure time.”
He pointed to the team members behind him and then toward the spot where Xuan Sun had just been.
“But for us to be out in full force, and even accompanied by a high-ranking official of the Demon Inspection Department… I believe I don’t need to explain further why we are here.”
Lu Wenbo knew very well that Yun Heng was feigning ignorance despite knowing the answer. His goal was to start a conversation and give Lu Wenbo a way out.
Otherwise, with the little girl Jiang Keke blocking the path between them, it would be far too awkward.
“I see.”
Yun Heng smiled. “Since you have official business, it is better if I do not disturb you. It just so happens that I have some trivial matters to attend to at the Alchemist Association as well.”
“Our paths part here. We shall meet again if fate allows.”
Lu Wenbo immediately cast a grateful look at Yun Heng, then hurriedly led his team members away in a somewhat disheveled manner.
Ignoring Jiang Keke’s mumble-like cursing beside him, Yun Heng watched their departing figures and frowned slightly.
‘This butterfly effect seems to be much larger than I imagined… Could it be Ling Yao? Has she chased me all the way here?’
Immediately, Yun Heng dismissed this conjecture.
Previously, the team pursuing Ling Yao had an average strength of only the Foundation Establishment Stage, since Ling Yao was at most at Foundation Establishment herself.
The sudden appearance of such a top-tier expert meant there was a high probability that they were not hunting a Foundation Establishment demon cultivator.
‘Then who could it be… Perhaps a fugitive powerhouse from the demon race?’
‘That’s not right either.’
If that were the case, only a top-ranked elite team would be hunting them. Lu Wenbo’s team coming out for such a task would be pure suicide.
He couldn’t figure it out.
Yun Heng shook his head, temporarily giving up on the thought.
Waiting until Jiang Keke finished venting her emotions, Yun Heng led her toward the interior of the Alchemist Association.
As a result, as soon as they entered, the two of them bumped head-on into someone.
This time, they truly collided. The person was knocked back by Yun Heng’s magical artifact and fell to the ground, seeing stars.
“It’s really strange today. Why is everything rushing toward you, Young Master…?”
Jiang Keke grumbled in a low voice. “Could it be that you’ve sprayed some of that Soul-Hooking Powder from the Western Regions?”
Yun Heng rubbed his temples and helped the white-haired old man up from the ground. “Master Rong Yu, why are you in such a hurry?”
He recognized this Master Rong Yu.
Not only had he been a guest elder of the Yun family, but in his past life, around 3,000 years later, he had successfully advanced to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, becoming one of the world-renowned Ninth-Grade Alchemists.
When Master Rong Yu finally managed to see the person in front of him clearly, his cloudy old eyes suddenly lit up. “L-Little Friend Yun?!”
He grabbed Yun Heng’s wrist, his voice extremely low and his speech rapid and anxious. “Come with this old man quickly. This isn’t the place for a detailed talk.”
After saying that, Master Rong Yu pulled Yun Heng toward the depths of the association without taking no for an answer.
Jiang Keke was stunned for a moment before she quickly picked up her wolf-tooth club and trotted after them.
It could only be said that it was fortunate she had also seen Master Rong Yu during her childhood and was quite familiar with him; otherwise, her wolf-tooth club would have struck again.
After passing through several corridors equipped with soundproofing barriers and reaching a secret room permeating with the scent of old medicine, Rong Yu finally let go.
He activated an array to seal the door and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Master, why are you in such a panic?”
Yun Heng straightened his sleeves and asked with a calm expression.
Rong Yu turned around, his face full of worry. “Little Friend Yun, just now… did you run into the people from the Demon Inspection Department? Specifically, a fiend wearing an eagle-beak mask?”
Yun Heng’s eyes flickered slightly. “That is indeed the case.”
Rong Yu took a deep breath.
Then, to the utter shock of Jiang Keke and even Yun Heng, he actually fell to his knees with a thud.
“Little Friend Yun, I want to ask you to do me a favor, in consideration of the fact that I served the Changsheng Yun family for 1,000 years.”
An alchemist’s status had always been very high, let alone a Seventh-Grade Alchemist with Void Refinement Stage cultivation.
Even though Yun Heng was the Young Master of the Changsheng Yun family, he was not yet 20 and his cultivation was barely at the Qi Refining Stage. In his current state, he could not accept such a bow.
“Tell me what’s wrong first. Don’t shorten my life like this, Master…”
Yun Heng hurried to help Master Rong Yu up.
It had been a long time since he felt this much pressure. The last time someone knelt and begged him for something was when they pleaded for him to come out of seclusion because of a certain extra-terrestrial demon.
“To make a long story short.”
Master Rong Yu let out a turbid breath. “The Valley Master of Liuli Valley and I share a life-and-death friendship. However… she recently took in a demon cultivator who fled from the dragon race.”
“The order that fiend Xuan Sun received did not come from the Demon Inspection Department headquarters, but was written personally by the dragon race — “
Master Rong Yu said each word with heavy emphasis. “‘Kill everyone, including those who provide assistance.'”