I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 288: Chapter 254: Lockdown

A distant dream realm, ethereal and elusive.

”Please, junior sister, what does this phrase mean... Did I ask something wrong?”

”Lu Nanzhi, don’t you look down on me? I’m just a servant disciple, while you’re a prodigy of the Inner Sect.”

”I’m in the Inner Sect because the heavens gifted me a Spiritual Body, not due to my own abilities, so I don’t think I’m exceptional. If we switched bodies, I’m afraid you’d achieve more than I do.”

”Are you trying to praise me to death?”

...

”Lu Nanzhi, aren’t you tired of abiding by these rules every day?”

”These are the clan rules of the Lu Family, I’ve been used to them since I was a child.”

...

”You’re on a path of rebellion, why are you still adhering to the Lu Family’s rules?”

”From now on, I, Lu Nanzhi, will no longer follow the Lu Family’s rules, but act according to my own heart!”

...

”You were right, you were right back then, the path I want to cultivate is the path of rebellion!”

No, I was wrong, Lu Nanzhi, come back, come back!

Jiang Yuebai sat up abruptly from the bed, drenched in cold sweat, her heart pounding like a drum. She gasped for breath, looking around the unfamiliar bedroom where she found herself lying.

Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner on the table, carrying the scent of Calming Incense.

That day, she was thrown into the woods outside the city. Not long after, her master found her, and only upon seeing her master did she dare to faint in relief.

In a daze, she dreamed of many things from her childhood, all related to Lu Nanzhi.

Jiang Yuebai curled up, hugging her knees. If she had known that a joking remark from her childhood would lead Lu Nanzhi down such a path, she would never have said it.

Jiang Yuebai buried her head. She knew that the path was chosen by Lu Nanzhi herself, and no one could interfere.

But she still felt heartache for Lu Nanzhi, who would now walk the Demon Dao alone, hiding in darkness, rarely seeing daylight, even having to abandon her own name.

The door was pushed open, and Jiang Yuebai saw Xie Jingshan’s mother, Ding Lanzhi, bringing in a bowl of medicinal soup.

Jiang Yuebai furrowed her brows slightly, retracting into herself warily, her right hand resting on her Storage Bracelet.

Ding Lanzhi noticed her small movements, smiled, and said, ”If we wanted to kill you, our Pavilion Master could have done it with a wave of her hand back then; there was no need for me to do it. The Five Treasures Replenishing Essence Soup will help you recover from your organ weakness faster, brewed by Jingshan himself.”

Jiang Yuebai took the bowl Ding Lanzhi handed over, sipped a little, and asked, ”Why am I here? Where’s my master? How long have I slept?”

”You’ve been asleep for two days. Jingshan is hospitable, and your Foundation Establishment Disciples and several Golden Core Masters from the Heavenly Interence Sect are staying at my house temporarily. Such a big incident happened in Kongfang City, and it’s under lockdown.”

”Before the investigation is clear, no one is allowed to leave. Your master and they are all in the Kong Family for discussions, and it may take a few days before they can come back to get you.”

Jiang Yuebai felt a slight recovery from the weakness in her organs; there was nothing unusual, so she downed the rest of the medicine and returned the bowl to Ding Lanzhi.

Without waiting for her to ask, Ding Lanzhi said, ”I’ll have Jingshan come and tell you about these past few days. You’re smart enough to know that ignorance is bliss.”

Jiang Yuebai swallowed her words and nodded. Ding Lanzhi was advising her not to bring up the Feiyan Pavilion matter with Xie Jingshan.

After Ding Lanzhi left, it wasn’t long before Jiang Yuebai heard the clamor of Xie Jingshan’s voice approaching from afar.

”You just woke up, you should rest well. Why are you looking for me? I was just discussing Sword Intent with Zhuo Qingfeng when my mom told me you wanted to see me as soon as you woke up. You haven’t seen the look Zhuo Qingfeng gave me.”

Jiang Yuebai covered her robe and got off the bed to pour a glass of water, furrowing her brows at Xie Jingshan’s words, finding Ding Lanzhi’s messaging a bit odd.

”What’s going on? Every time you come back from a Secret Realm, you end up unconscious for days. You’re clashing with them; maybe you should avoid them in the future and stop going in.”

Xie Jingshan sat by the table, pouring himself some water.

”Thank you for making the soup,” Jiang Yuebai said.

Xie Jingshan looked dumbfounded, holding the teapot, ”Soup? What soup? When did I ever make soup? Are you still dreaming?”

Jiang Yuebai: .....

”Never mind, let’s get to the point. Tell me everything that has happened since the Wind and Cloud Meeting ended.”

Xie Jingshan sat down, ”I was just about to tell you, something major happened. Do you know how many Fang Family members died? Except for those few Nascent Souls, all the Fang Family’s direct and collateral members with Giant Barbarian Bloodline perished. The Fang Clan Leader and the Great Elder were also...”

Xie Jingshan made a throat-slitting gesture.

”It’s not just the Fang Family; other elite disciples from various families guarding under the Ice Pillar were also killed...”

Outside, eavesdropping at the corner of the wall, Xie Guihong sighed deeply and turned to see Ding Lanzhi standing at a distance, arms crossed, watching him.

”Since when did you learn to eavesdrop?”

Xie Guihong furrowed his brows in worry, ”Lanzhi, what if our son ends up alone for life?”

Ding Lanzhi chuckled, shaking her head, ”What’s there for me to do if he ends up alone by his own abilities? Either he hasn’t awakened, or he’s deliberately playing dumb. Let him be; as long as he’s happy and free. Come with me, let’s go over the whole matter again to see if there’s anything we missed.”

”Then let’s not go to the study, how about coming to my room?”

”Get out!”

In the guest room.

”...Most of those trapped in the Secret Realm at the time are fine. The mastermind probably didn’t intend to destroy the Secret Realm, just to hold back the many Nascent Souls to target the Fang Family...”

”Do you know who killed so many from the Fang Family?” Jiang Yuebai cautiously asked.

Xie Jingshan’s gaze darkened as he stood up, checked the window and door, and activated the Sound Insulation Array in the room after verifying the surroundings.

”There are many rumors circulating outside now, and the Fang Family hasn’t responded. The most widespread rumor is...Lu Nanzhi. They say she didn’t want to marry Fang Mingyi, but the Fang Family wouldn’t let her go, so she conspired with the Demon Dao Ghost Clan to kill out of anger.”

”Did you go after her in the end? I feel like my mom...was involved in this. I think I saw her come out of the Secret Realm, but I didn’t dare ask her.”

Jiang Yuebai looked into Xie Jingshan’s eyes full of inquiry, ”Anan asked me to thank you, but regarding the rest, I’m sorry, I can’t say.”

Xie Jingshan’s eyes narrowed slightly, absorbing several pieces of information from Jiang Yuebai’s words and reactions.

Jiang Yuebai indeed saw Lu Nanzhi later. Since she could say thank you, it meant Lu Nanzhi was okay.

What couldn’t be said was also not denied, neither denying that Lu Nanzhi killed the Fang Family members nor denying his mother’s involvement.

There might be much more involved behind this, and Xie Jingshan, despite his rough exterior, had his own discretion and way of dealing with things.

”Alright, I understand. What else do you want to ask?”

”There are a few more things...”

Jiang Yuebai asked, and Xie Jingshan answered. His information was always more insightful and reliable than others.

”...That’s all I know. You should rest well. I’ll come back with any new developments about the outside world.”

Once Xie Jingshan left, Jiang Yuebai lay on the table, her gaze gradually deep and contemplative.

From what Xie Jingshan just told her and her own observations and deductions, she had already pieced together the whole picture.

The woman in a fox fur cloak she saw that night was undoubtedly Fang Ruyan, the Feiyan Pavilion Master.

Fang Ruyan must still be unreconciled about not attaining the Fang Clan Leader position due to her womanhood.

This issue might have already become her Heart Demon before her Divinity Transformation and was also the ignition spark for the entire incident.