Demonic Sect Dharma Protector?
Li Qingqiu was surprised—such information wouldn't appear on the Daoist Legacy panel. He couldn't help asking, "Which demonic sect? The Azure Cult?"
Feng Dai's eyes widened. "The Azure Cult commits its share of evil, but compared to the Demonic Sect, they're worlds apart!"
As if fearing the Azure Firmament Sect wouldn't grasp the gravity, Feng Dai pressed on. "Wu Baoyu, Dharma Protector of the Northern Subjugation of the Demonic Sect. In the third year of the Kaiyuan era, the Xiao clan of Northern Liang Province—all one hundred and thirty-six members, from an eighty-year-old elder down to infants in swaddling—were slaughtered by his hand. That same year, in a fit of cultivation deviation, he beat his own disciple to death and hung the body from the prefectural city gates, defying the law and provoking the imperial court."
"In the fourth year of the Qianming era, Wu Baoyu led his men to seize relief supplies bound for the southern frontier, murdering seventy-three imperial soldiers. As a result, one hundred thousand commoners in the south starved to death, and popular outrage reached the heavens."
"His crimes are too numerous to count—he deserves to die ten thousand deaths! Sect Master Li, do not shield him!"
At these words, everyone's gaze toward Wu Baoyu shifted. Quiet and taciturn as he usually was, he hardly seemed like such a ruthless, evil figure.
Zhang Yuchun hadn't expected Wu Baoyu's background to be this. His first thought was the trouble Wu Baoyu might bring.
Harboring a wanted criminal of the imperial court—that was no small offense.
Wu Baoyu stopped splitting wood and fixed his gaze on Feng Dai. "Where did you learn of these charges?"
Feng Dai's voice was heavy. "I read them in the Prefectural Governor's archives. When you appeared in Gu Prefecture a few years ago, it caused quite a stir. I was already thinking then that once I took office, I would capture you. I made a point of remembering: your left wrist bears the mark of a bloody wolf's head. I haven't mistaken it. Do you deny who you are?"
The nine constables hadn't known Wu Baoyu's origins before. Hearing of his cruelty now, they were chilled to the bone, terrified he might suddenly attack.
Wu Baoyu's face was expressionless. "My surname is actually Xiao."
Feng Dai frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The Xiao clan you mentioned, the one wiped out—that was my family. I am the sole survivor. I wasn't home at the time; I was serving as an imperial guard in the palace. After it happened, the Crown Prince found me and planted me in the Demonic Sect as an informant. Back then, the court knew little about the Demonic Sect—didn't even know the true name of the Northern Subjugation Dharma Protector. I climbed the ranks through hardship and successfully killed him with my own hands, taking his place. But then the Crown Prince fell from power, and no one restored my identity. Instead, they pinned all of the Northern Subjugation Dharma Protector's crimes on me."
"As for those relief supplies you mentioned—they were never meant for the southern frontier. The current Emperor was shipping them to a southern sorcerer to barter for the Elixir of Immortality. I seized and distributed them to the people. But the famine was severe; the grain that money could buy wasn't enough to reverse the disaster."
Wu Baoyu's tone was flat, as if discussing matters that had nothing to do with him.
Feng Dai's face cycled through emotions before he snapped, "Preposterous!"
The Azure Firmament Sect members also found this story bizarre—such a dramatic reversal.
Wu Baoyu continued, "You can check the records. See if the Xiao clan's history has been erased. If not, verify whether the Xiao clan's second son, Xiao Ji, ever served as an imperial guard, and whether Xiao Ji's age matches mine."
Feng Dai opened his mouth but found no words.
Yang Jueding suddenly spoke up. "I'm inclined to believe him. The current Emperor's pursuit of immortality is no secret. Every year, mystics enter the palace to see him. The current military mutiny in Gu Prefecture stems from his obsession with eternal life and neglect of local governance."
"Magistrate Feng, you strike me as a man of justice who hates evil. Why not return and investigate? If Senior Wu's claims prove true, you could even clear the name of a hero." Zhang Yu added.
Li Qingqiu remained silent, observing the exchange.
Wu Baoyu snorted. "Clearing my name is unnecessary. The Xiao clan no longer exists. I now go by Wu, have no children, and no attachments left in this life. When Magistrate Feng finishes his investigation and finds my words true, I ask only that you forget my existence and not implicate the Azure Firmament Sect. These children knew nothing of my origins. I merely sought a place to spend my remaining years in peace."
Feng Dai glanced around instinctively. The Azure Firmament Sect disciples—mostly children—all stared back at him. The sight softened his heart.
He understood clearly: if this came to light, the Azure Firmament Sect would face the court's reckoning. Some officials, hungry for merit, wouldn't care about the facts. The more accomplices Wu Baoyu had, the greater their achievements would seem.
"Fine. I'll investigate first. I won't wrong an innocent man." Feng Dai gritted his teeth.
He rose immediately, two constables hurrying to support him.
"Let's go!"
Feng Dai gave the order. The constables, relieved, quickly escorted him toward the courtyard gate.
Wu Baoyu spoke again. "One more thing you should know. Do you wonder why the Demonic Sect suddenly appeared, terrorized the martial world for a brief time, and then vanished just as quickly?"
Feng Dai and the constables turned, puzzled.
Wu Baoyu's gaze turned icy. "Because the Demonic Sect was founded by the current Emperor. The Demonic Sect's victims are countless—the most heinous force in the martial world since the dynasty's founding. Now that you know this, even if you don't believe me, the moment I'm captured, I'll reveal that you know. The higher-ups will absolutely silence you."
"You—"
Feng Dai glared at Wu Baoyu, shocked by his ruthlessness. The nine constables' faces went pale.
Li Qingqiu, however, showed a faint, subtle smile. He suddenly found Wu Baoyu a bit more agreeable.
He had just been hesitating about whether to let Feng Dai and his men go. After all, people's hearts were unknowable.
Wu Baoyu ignored Feng Dai and resumed splitting wood.
Feng Dai took a deep breath and gestured for the constables to take him away.
Li Qingqiu said nothing and headed for his room. Zhang Yuchun clapped his hands, signaling the disciples to disperse.
Li Sifeng, still crouched on the eaves, watched Feng Dai and his men depart, lost in thought.
The atmosphere remained subdued through dinner.
"In the martial world, you'll always encounter trouble like this. You can't expect to go untouched and undisturbed forever." Yang Jueding cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
Zhang Yu shoveled a mouthful of rice and smiled. "Don't worry. Those fellows won't dare cause trouble. Even if they report Senior Wu's whereabouts up the chain, the credit might not be theirs. But if Senior Wu implicates them, they're dead for sure—maybe even their entire families wiped out. After all, it involves the current Emperor."
Li Sijin couldn't help asking, "Is the Emperor really the leader of the Demonic Sect? How powerful was the Demonic Sect? And the Elixir of Immortality—does such a thing really exist?"
Her questions opened the floodgates. The other disciples peppered Yang Jueding with inquiries, and he began regaling them with tales of martial world wonders.
The disciples were most curious about the Elixir of Immortality.
Who didn't want to live forever?
"Legends of immortality have circulated since ancient times, but where is the immortal man? It's just the powerful clinging to hope."
Yang Jueding shook his head. Zhang Yu nodded, similarly dismissive of the idea.
Jiang Zhaoxia, who had been absent that afternoon and was only now learning the details, looked at Wu Baoyu curiously. "Why would the Emperor create the Demonic Sect? It couldn't have helped him seize power. He relied on armies, not the Demonic Sect."
Wu Baoyu, sitting in a corner, heard the question and replied flatly, "He was cultivating an evil technique that required the blood of young boys and girls. Massacring entire clans was just to cover that up."
The answer sent chills through everyone.
Li Qingqiu also found it disturbing. Instinct told him that sooner or later, he would clash with the imperial court. This world was far darker than he'd imagined.
As for the potential danger Wu Baoyu brought, he took it in stride. Whenever the Azure Firmament Sect recruited, such troubles were inevitable. The only difference was their scale.
What expert ever had a simple background?
...
After Feng Dai's departure, the Azure Firmament Sect continued developing according to plan. Apart from occasional inspections, Li Qingqiu devoted most of his time to cultivation and teaching Xu Ning.
He intended to groom Xu Ning as the leader of the next generation of disciples. He now deeply understood the power of the Heavenly Thunder Spiritual Root.
His own cultivation speed had greatly improved. He finally understood what it felt like to be a genius.
As for his junior brothers and sisters, he had taught them different spells. The rest depended on their individual comprehension.
Autumn passed quickly. When early winter arrived, Li Dongyue turned fifteen. Since Lin Xunfeng's departure, Li Qingqiu and his junior siblings had all aged a year, and the Azure Firmament Sect had undergone tremendous change.
Snowflakes filtered through the trees, dusting the forest floor. Qin Ye, dressed in Azure Firmament Sect robes, practiced his fists. With each rapid breath, warm vapor puffed from his mouth.
"That fist technique won't work for you."
A voice came from nearby. Qin Ye turned to see Wu Baoyu standing not far off, carrying firewood on his back.
Qin Ye quickly turned and saluted him with clasped hands, sighing helplessly. "It's not the technique's fault, Senior. This junior's comprehension is just too poor."
This fist technique, the Ten Directions Demon-Subduing Fist, had been taught to him by Yang Jueding. When Wu Man'er performed it, the overbearing aura was unforgettable. Qin Ye was deeply impressed.
Though simple-minded, Wu Man'er had astonishing comprehension when it came to martial arts, especially unarmed techniques. He mastered them easily, earning the envy of many disciples.
Wu Baoyu looked at Qin Ye. "Tonight, at the midnight hour, come here. I'll teach you a staff technique. Perhaps it will set you on the true path of martial arts."
With that, Wu Baoyu continued up the mountain without pausing.
Midnight hour?
Qin Ye frowned, hesitating. He recalled Feng Dai's words and wasn't sure whether to trust Wu Baoyu.
Meanwhile, five hundred feet away, Li Qingqiu stood on a treetop, having overheard their exchange.
From his vantage point, the mountains were submerged in white, visibility shrinking by the moment.
As his cultivation deepened, his senses sharpened. He could hear Qin Ye and Wu Baoyu's conversation from this distance—every word clear, the falling snow unable to mask it.
"So mysterious?"
Li Qingqiu muttered. He didn't suspect Wu Baoyu of ill intent. Recently, Wu Baoyu's loyalty to the Azure Firmament Sect had been steadily climbing, now surpassing eighty. With loyalty that high, he shouldn't cause trouble.
Still, Qin Ye was his second disciple. Tonight, he had to observe.
Just then, a line of text flashed before Li Qingqiu's eyes:
[For the first instance of someone within the Azure Firmament Sect creating their own spell, having a profound impact on the Daoist Legacy's development, you have received one Inheritance Reward opportunity.]