This was an old wooden building, clearly very ancient, at least a hundred years old, and its design was quite distinctive, reminiscent of a Buddhist temple while inheriting elents of Tang Dynasty architecture, with a hauntingly beautiful style that carried a touch of the eerie.
Each window housed a glowing lamp, the light deep, icy cold, devoid of any warmth. The wooden windows were covered with thick paper, leaving the contents of the rooms a mystery.
The style of this building clashed with the other structures in the Academy, and it was even unlike any local architectural style that Yang Xiao was familiar with; rather, it resembled a shrine from Japan.
Yet why would a Japanese shrine be found on a cliff within the territories of the Confucian Forest Academy? Yang Xiao quickly understood; this shrine-like building emanated an icy aura. It wasn’t a real building, but a Ghost, similar to the special spaces in his Mirror World. The lantern held by the Old Clan Leader was the key to accessing this Ghost.
"I have already ordered all the doors to be removed, leaving only one, so you can do your work in peace, without interruption," the Old Clan Leader said solemnly as he looked at the shrine.
"Should we go in now?" Yang Xiao was a bit nervous, as the shrine gave off an ominous vibe. Its main door had been dismantled, revealing a foggy interior that seed to lead to another world.
"No, it is not yet ti," the Old Clan Leader responded, not even glancing at him. He rely stared at the main door of the shrine, as if waiting for sothing.
The longer he waited, the more curious Yang Xiao beca about the origins of this shrine, but the Old Clan Leader did not speak, and he felt it was not his place to ask. To him, this Japanese shrine seed even stranger than the Contemplation Pavilion where they had carried out their stealth mission.
To alleviate the awkward silence and satisfy his curiosity, Yang Xiao initiated a conversation about the origins of the Daoist robe old ghost. The Old Clan Leader was not secretive about it; he revealed that the Daoist robe old ghost was originally a Sect Leader from the Taoist Lao Mountain lineage, once a respected Purple Robe Spiritual Master within the sect. However, his greed eventually overca him, leading him to secretly take possession of an Evil Magic Tool that was difficult to control, which ultimately backfired on him.
"This person also had a junior brother, who was influenced by him, and together they fell into the demonic path. In one night, they slaughtered half of their sect and fled down the mountain, killing any formidable opponents they encountered, thus marking the era with their bloody deeds. They were known in the world of martial arts as the ’Taoist Twin Demons,’" the Old Clan Leader lanted.
"These Twin Demons must have been quite formidable," Yang Xiao prodded further.
"Yes," the Old Clan Leader unconsciously nodded, "The senior demon had almost stepped into the Netherworld Realm, and the junior was nearly at the summit of the Ghost Level. Since the two were inseparable, with decades of coordination, combined they could match even a Netherworld Envoy. Many renowned martial artists died under their hands, and so were even eradicated along with their entire sects."
"So, how co these demonic sect leaders..." Yang Xiao hesitated.
"Ended up in my Confucian Forest Academy?" the Old Clan Leader retorted.
Embarrassed, Yang Xiao nodded.
"It was my father, the forr Clan Leader, who lured the senior demon into the Contemplation Pavilion and killed him," the Old Clan Leader explained. "The one we see today is rely part of an Evil Magic Tool. You might have guessed the capabilities of this tool."
"Use their own thods against them," Yang Xiao recalled.
The Old Clan Leader’s eyes glead with approval. "Exactly, well said, Little Yang. You have keen observation and talent, but your spiritual power is quite weak. Different Magic Artifacts have different effects depending on who wields them. You have many fine artifacts, but faced the Yuyuan Sect Master, whose artifacts were much inferior to yours, and yet had no chance of overcoming him. Your priority is to enhance your spiritual power."
Yang Xiao wanted to ask more about the artifact but worried it might raise suspicions, so he dropped the subject.
"What about the junior demon?" Yang Xiao suddenly rembered, "Is he dead too?"
Upon hearing that, the Old Clan Leader hesitated montarily, then shook his head. "I don’t know. After the senior demon died, the junior disappeared from the world of martial arts. Over the decades, periodically soone would claim to have killed the infamous Taoist junior demon, but none could provide proof, and it eventually turned out they were just fabricating stories for fa."
"When those demons were terrorizing everyone back then, people were too frightened to even make a sound and had to sleep with one eye open," the Old Clan Leader couldn’t help but shake his head.
Decades had passed since then, and Yang Xiao guessed that even if that Taoist junior demon had not died back then, he likely was no longer alive now.
"Most likely dead, after all, he too was severely backfired by the Evil Magic Tool," the Old Clan Leader took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his tone becoming much graver. "However, if he is still alive, with his abilities, he surely would have entered the Netherworld by now."
"Old Clan Leader, with your miraculous thods, even if the junior demon were alive, he surely wouldn’t dare to humiliate himself by coming here," Yang Xiao joked.
The Old Clan Leader also chuckled at this, then turned to look at Yang Xiao. "Little Yang, you and I are fated, and you have done a great service for the Confucian Forest Academy. I don’t want to compete with the Patrol Defense Office, but they could grant a favor and allow you to study at the Confucian Forest Academy for a few years. What do you think?"
The Old Clan Leader’s invitation was extrely sincere, a treatnt likely unmatched among thousands of students. The Yin and Yang Secret Technique of the Confucian Forest Academy was unrivaled, as evident from Yang Cha and Lu Wencheng’s performances during missions. Such knowledge would significantly benefit his survival in future nightmare tasks.
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