"After the previous emperor passed away, and His Majesty took the throne, the Suppressing Demon Guards gradually got pushed to the sidelines, especially after Prince Wu’s Rebellion, it beca even more obvious," Jiang Dongyu mused, "So Chen Yi leaving the Suppressing Demon Guards and eventually coming to the Southern Wilderness wasn’t completely out of the question."
Yang Chengjun said, "Master, should we inform the Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain about this?"
Jiang Dongyu replied, "Even though we’re from the sa path, we’re still two different sects. We shouldn’t overstep our bounds. Just let the Celestial Master Mansion know, and let them decide how to handle it from there."
Yang Chengjun agreed, "Yes, Master."
The middle-aged female Daoist from Mount Shu looked at her disciple, wanting to speak but holding back.
The master and disciple headed down the mountain and left.
Lei Jun stayed where he was and didn’t move for the mont.
*He had thought the Yu River area seed peaceful enough, but clearly, it was far less tranquil than it appeared on the surface.*
*Lei Jun felt a hint of curiosity about this.*
*But right now, what concerned him most was his top lot.*
*The secret inner workings of the Southern Witch Sect were just idle gossip to him.*
The only exception was that he had lost contact with Master Yuan Mobai, which nagged at him a bit.
Lei Jun wasn’t in a hurry to run back and forth, and decided to keep checking out Ox Soul Mountain first.
He kept an eye on the passing cultivators from Samsara Abyss’s Ox Soul Ravine who patrolled the mountain from ti to ti, while searching the mountain up and down.
On the first sweep, he didn’t find anything, and everything seed normal, making him wonder if he might have been overthinking things earlier.
Then, on the second sweep, when he expanded his search using Yin Yang Dual Qi, Lei Jun finally ca across so clues.
It wasn’t systematic yet, but soone was indeed secretly laying out ritual instrunts around Ox Soul Mountain.
The rituals differed from the Taoist Sect of the Central Plains, but there were so similarities.
Because of the relations between the Celestial Master Mansion and the Southern Witch Sect, and the quieting of the Celestial Master Seal, Lei Jun had picked up so knowledge of witchcraft.
Now, the rituals on Ox Soul Mountain clearly ca from the Samsara Abyss lineage.
"So, is my good fortune from those lots connected to your little moves?" Lei Jun frowned slightly.
The Southern Witch Sect had plenty of bizarre and strange thods—even if Lei Jun wouldn’t be hard by them, he could still be exposed.
Because of this, he didn’t sneak into Ox Soul Ravine itself, but instead continued to familiarize himself with the environnt of Ox Soul Mountain.
One day, soone slipped quietly up the mountain.
Lei Jun saw this and pondered.
One of them was that young Mount Shu disciple, Yang Chengjun.
The other was also young in appearance, but had eyes as deep as an ancient well; he was a Southern Wilderness man dressed in luxurious clothes with a primitive flair that matched the local custom of status being shown by the finery of one’s dress.
"Chengjun, how has your body been these last few days?" the man asked.
Yang Chengjun smiled and said, "Almost completely healed. You don’t have to worry, Brother Liu."
Hearing how she addressed him, Lei Jun sensed sothing a little out of the ordinary.
That Lord Liu of Ox Soul Ravine said, "After all, you were hurt by one of the witch curses in our ravine. My people also... nearly behaved rudely toward you. We owe you."
Yang Chengjun fell silent for a mont, then softly said, "It’s all in the past. In a few days, I’ll be returning to Mount Shu with my master."
Lord Liu said, "What mories you have of this place probably aren’t good. I won’t presu to invite you back, so I’ll just say, I hope that soday, if I go to the Central Plains, we’ll et again."
Yang Chengjun laughed, "Absolutely. If you ever get the chance, Brother Liu, you’re welco to visit Bashu. I’ll show you the sights."
Lord Liu smiled as well, "Then I’ll hold you to that."
He smiled as he looked at Yang Chengjun.
She lowered her head, "I... My master is waiting for . I’m heading back."
Lord Liu kept smiling as he watched her leave.
Only after Yang Chengjun left down the mountain did he look away, then stood on Ox Soul Mountain, gazing at the riverbank across the valley.
Then, under Lei Jun’s watchful gaze, he continued to set up various Witchcraft Sect rituals.
Lei Jun watched in silence, not interfering.
Until the fifteenth of August arrived.
That evening, as dusk fell, the sky got darker and darker.
*The Yu River’s lower stretch, which had seed so peaceful, suddenly saw the wind shift violently.*
From the direction of Rain Ravine, a host of Witchcraft Dance Sect cultivators from the Sacred Land Gepo Mountain rapidly crossed the river, attacking Ox Soul Ravine!
Ox Soul Ravine seed totally caught off guard, and fires quickly blazed sky-high.
With Liu Xun, the lord of Ox Soul Ravine, leading, his people fought while retreating, relying on Ox Soul Mountain to dig in and try for a counterattack.
Lei Jun swept his gaze around; he didn’t spot Jiang Dongyu, but saw Yang Chengjun among a group of Samsara Abyss cultivators, steering magic artifacts into battle.
The Gepo Mountain cultivators chased all the way to the foot of Ox Soul Mountain and kept up the siege.
Lei Jun slipped among them like a shadow, undetected by anyone.
Soon he saw the leader from Rain Ravine.
...It was actually Chen Yi?
*Lei Jun was a little surprised.*
"My lord, we’ve already surrounded Ox Soul Mountain. Next we’ll set up the Sacrifice Array, and we’ll break through the sorcerers’ stronghold in no ti!" A Rain Ravine cultivator from Gepo Mountain, clearly higher in cultivation realm than Chen Yi, reported.
The Witchcraft Dance Sect specialized in performing the Dance of Ghostly Gods and setting up Sacrifice Arrays, excelling at formation battles; with many working in concert, their power stacked and amplified. As long as it was a battle of strongholds, attacking or defending, they were always a major headache to deal with.
Chen Yi said calmly, "Let’s get started, but rember, we’re here to get evidence of their collusion with Blood River. If we don’t have proof, the aftermath could get ssy."
The surrounding Gepo Mountain cultivators responded in unison.
Hidden off to the side, Lei Jun couldn’t help but find the situation a bit odd.
Chen Yi, wanting proof of soone else’s collusion with the Blood River?
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