Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 412 Countermeasures
After Lin Zixiang arrived at the main hall of the mansion, Song Xian briefly recounted the events.

Upon hearing that a Foundation Establishment Level 8 cultivator from Yinyuan Island had found Bianxi City, Lin Zixiang knew the gravity of the situation and asked solemnly, "Sect Leader, how do you plan to deal with this?"

“Now we’ve made enemies with Yinyuan Island. They’re not benevolent people, and they won’t reason with us. To them, crushing our sect is no different than crushing an ant, not to mention I killed some of their people. This matter is beyond repair. The only way now is to lure them away.”

“I want to find a Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivator to impersonate the person they are looking for, but there is no suitable candidate in the sect, and we cannot trust the rogue cultivators outside. This matter is of great importance, and it could lead to the extermination of the entire sect.”

"After thinking it over, I thought of two people, Apu and Han Yuan, both of whom I have connections with."

“You know Ap, and he knows you. Therefore, I suggest you go to the Mukh Steppe to find him and ask him for help.”

After listening, George Lam slowly nodded: "Does the sect leader know where Apu is?"

"I only know one of his temporary stops, but I can't be sure if he's still there. If I'm lucky, I might run into him."

"Alright, then I'll set off tonight."

"You go find Apu, I'll go find Han Yuan. Let's split up. Also, this matter must be kept absolutely secret." Song Xian didn't know if he could find Apu and Han Yuan. Both of them were rogue cultivators, and who knew where they were now? He could only try his luck.

"I know."

After talking for a while, George Lam left.

……

Dark clouds covered the sun, and a continuous drizzle fell.

In Longtou Valley, Xijiang County, a beam of light shot out. It was none other than Song Xian, who was dressed in a black robe and wearing a bamboo hat, his figure completely concealed.

Nevertheless, as he strode toward Tingyuxuan Shop, all the cultivators on the road automatically made way for him.

Although they didn't know who the newcomer was, the spiritual energy aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator on his body was genuine.

This place was originally a small free trading market where independent cultivators gathered, and those who came and went were mostly low-level Qi Refining cultivators.

In addition, the area is a melting pot of all sorts of people, and there are no security personnel on patrol. As a result, murders, robberies, and fights to the death are commonplace, so naturally no one dares to mess with a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly, senior." As soon as he stepped into the shop, a thin old man with graying temples hurriedly came up to him, bowed to him, and was quite respectful and obsequious.

This man was He Xiu, the person in charge of the shop. Song Xian had come here before when he accompanied Su Zhirou to the Beast Taming Sect to establish his foundation and had a brief exchange with him. Compared to the last time they met, he was obviously much older.

"Fellow Daoist He, please allow me a moment to speak."

"Senior, please follow me." The old man wasn't surprised that the other party knew his surname, but respectfully led him to a room on the second floor of the attic.

Once inside, Song Xian took off his bamboo hat: "Fellow Daoist He, do you still remember me?"

"So it's Senior Song. It's been many years. Senior Song's cultivation has improved even more." The old man bowed with a big smile.

"I have an urgent matter to discuss with Fellow Daoist Han. I wonder if you can contact him?" Song Xian didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

Although Han Yuan provided this contact point, he might not be in Xijiang County at the moment. For a rogue cultivator like him, who travels all over the country, whether he can find it depends entirely on luck.

"I understand." The old man immediately put away his smile and became serious. "I will go to Senior Han's secluded place immediately. I just don't know if Senior Han is still there. Please wait a few days. I will give you an answer within ten days."

"Okay, then I'll wait for your news."

He Xiu sent someone to lead him to a room not far to the east of Longtou Valley, where Song Xian stayed.

He had no intention of secretly following He Xiu; he came to seek help, not to scout out enemy positions.

If they were discovered, it would only make things worse, making Han Yuan think that he had ill intentions. Given his cautious nature, he would definitely not show himself once he became suspicious.

Furthermore, knowing about Han Yuan's secluded location wouldn't benefit him at all.

And so, Song Xian waited there for ten days.

That evening, he was practicing his martial arts in his room when a knocking sound suddenly came from the other side of the door.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and the scattered starlight of his divine consciousness in his Niwan Palace became a chaotic mess, instantly plunging his mind into chaos.

But soon, the chaotic starlight of divine consciousness re-coalesced into a cohesive whole.

Song Xian's dazed gaze cleared up. He had been cultivating the Desolate Heaven Expansion Technique when he was suddenly disturbed, causing chaos in his sea of ​​consciousness.

It is very taboo to be disturbed when practicing cultivation techniques, as it can sometimes lead to serious consequences. There are cases in the cultivation world where people have died from their bodies exploding due to a mishap in their cultivation techniques. Therefore, he usually practices his cultivation techniques in a secret room at the mountain gate and strictly forbids any disturbance.

"Senior Song, Senior Song." The person knocking on the door called out softly again when there was no response.

Song Xian took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, got up and opened the door. Standing in the outer room was none other than He Xiu.

"Senior Song, Senior Han has arrived. Please come over for a chat."

Song Xian was overjoyed and immediately followed him to the hall in the front yard, where Han Yuan was already seated.

After many years, he has broken through the sixth level of Foundation Establishment and reached the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.

"Fellow Daoist Song, it's been a long time. I wonder what important matter brings you here to see me today?" Han Yuan, dressed in a blue robe, rose and bowed, his expression as calm as ever.

"I'm bothering you today, Fellow Daoist Han, because I have a favor to ask of you." Song Xian returned the greeting and glanced at He Xiu behind him.

The old man immediately understood and quietly slipped out.

Han Yuan remained calm, as if he had expected this: "I still owe you a favor, Fellow Daoist Song. Please feel free to ask me what you need me to do. As long as it is within my ability, I will not refuse."

"To be honest, I'm really in trouble this time, otherwise I wouldn't have come to Fellow Daoist Han for help. Have you ever heard of Yin Yuan Island, Fellow Daoist Han?"

Han Yuan remained calm: "Yinyuan Island? Is that the island in the Jin Sea?"

"Fellow Daoist Han is indeed knowledgeable. Indeed, it is Yin Yuan Island. I unintentionally offended the cultivators of Yin Yuan Island, and they are searching for me, seeking revenge..."

Song Xian could not possibly tell him the truth, so he made up a reason and recounted how he used the shape-changing talisman to change his appearance and kill the cultivators from Yinyuan Island.

"The people from Yinyuan Island are looking for me now. They have already found out about Bianxi City. So I came up with a plan to find someone with the same Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivation to use a shapeshifting talisman to impersonate the person they are looking for. Unfortunately, there is no suitable candidate within the sect."

“I know that Fellow Daoist Han is a man of his word, so I have come to ask for your help. Please use my shape-shifting talisman to transform into that appearance and show up a few times in the Muhe Grassland region. I will also make a public appearance in Bianxi City. If we both appear on the same day a few times, we can clear my name of suspicion.”

Han Yuan didn't press him about how he had offended Yin Yuan Island, but instead voiced his concerns: "Besides that Foundation Establishment Level 8 cultivator from Bianxi City, how many other people from Yin Yuan Island have come here?" "As far as I know, Yin Yuan Island sent two teams of cultivators, each led by a Golden Core cultivator, with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators under them. They were operating in the eastern part of the Muhe Grassland before, and I don't know exactly how many of them reached Xijiang County."

“Okay, I agree. After this is done, we’ll call it even.” Han Yuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Seeing that he agreed, Song Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Han Yuan had broken through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, he did not meet the requirements of a sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

However, it has been several years since he appeared in the Muhe Grassland and killed that Yinyuan Island cultivator, so it is plausible that he broke through from the sixth level of Foundation Establishment to the seventh level.

The key point is that the cultivators of Yinyuan Island have not yet suspected him. At this time, the appearance of the perpetrator in Muhe Grassland will inevitably make them shift their attention away from Bianxi City.

The biggest risk in this matter is whether Han Yuan will directly inform the cultivators of Yinyuan Island.

If Han Yuan chooses to betray him, then everything is over.

But he had no choice. If he didn't find a replacement soon, he would be doomed if Yinyuan Island suspected him.

He had no choice but to take a gamble and choose to believe Han Yuan.

Judging from previous collaborations, Han Yuan, though somewhat cautious, is still law-abiding and not someone who is solely driven by profit or will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"I have a plan here, fellow Daoist, please take a look. If there are no objections, we will proceed according to the plan." Song Xian flipped his hand and handed him a dossier.

It contains the dates of their public appearances and information about their fabricated identities and origins. The two need to match the dates: one must appear in public on the Mukh Grassland, and the other in Bianxi City. Only in this way can they clear his name of suspicion.

As for where to appear, it doesn't matter. It could be a marketplace, an information exchange, or even a brothel or gambling den—anywhere with lots of people is fine.

Han Yuan took the file and glanced at it. Then he made a few suggestions. The two discussed it for a while and soon reached an agreement.

.........

After returning to Luoyun Mountain from Xijiang County, he learned that George Lam had returned and immediately summoned him to inquire about the situation.

As he expected, George Lam made a wasted trip and did not find Apu. According to him, the place was overgrown with weeds and it was clear that no one had lived there for many years.

Although both Apu and Han Yuan are independent cultivators, their situations are still different.

Ap is a traitorous descendant of the Hussein family. If his identity is exposed, he may be hunted down by the Hussein family, especially now that his father's mortal enemy, Nuha Enys, is in power in the Hussein family. If they know his whereabouts, they will not let him go easily. Therefore, he usually shows himself with a different appearance.

With such a powerful enemy, and himself on the enemy's territory, even Song Xian wouldn't stay in one place for long.

Han Yuan is different. Although he is also a rogue cultivator, he does not have any powerful enemies, so he does not need to change his place of residence frequently. Moreover, he is also supporting the sale of spiritual herbs at Tingyuxuan in Longtou Valley, which means that he has property and at least one or two spiritual fields under his jurisdiction.

In other words, Han Yuan also has a family business, and such people usually have a fixed residence.

Song Xian did not hide the fact that he had reached a consensus with Han Yuan and told him the truth. He then summoned Huang Ye and asked him about the whereabouts of the Foundation Establishment Level 8 cultivator from Yinyuan Island. After learning that the man had not shown up again on his way to Xijiang County and that there were no reports of missing disciples from the sect, he was somewhat relieved.

.........

As night fell, under a bright moon and sparse stars, several Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered in a brightly lit hall in Xijiang County.

The leader was a burly man whose cold gaze swept over the crowd: "Uncle Chu is still waiting for our reply. We've investigated for so long, but we don't even know where this person is staying or his background. How are we going to explain this?"

They all lowered their heads, their expressions solemn.

"Tell me your thoughts! What do we do now?"

Another silence fell as everyone lowered their heads and remained silent. The burly man at the head of the group looked impatiently at the person on his left: "Junior Brother Cui, you start. Speak one by one. Let me tell you, Uncle Chu has said that if we fail to complete the mission, we'll be in big trouble. Don't think you're only going to settle scores with me; you won't escape either."

"Ahem. Well then, I'll say a few words." The man who was called out coughed slightly: "According to my investigation, there are twelve Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivators in the entire Xijiang County. One is from Bianxi City, two from Humen City, one from Anyuan City, one from Yongning City, and seven from Xijiang County."

"Nine of them belong to sects, and three are independent cultivators, but none of them are the people we are looking for."

“A cultivator at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment is not a nobody in the entire Xijiang County. He would at least have a certain degree of fame. The fact that we haven’t found him means that he is probably not a cultivator from Xijiang County. I think we can expand the search area and split up to carry out the search.”

"With a portrait, it's not hard to find this person."

The burly man at the head of the group then looked at the other person: "Junior Brother Xu, what do you say?"

Another man pondered and said, "I think Senior Brother Cui's words make sense. We should indeed expand the search area. I think this person must be a cultivator from the eastern region of the Muhe Grassland. Otherwise, why would a Foundation Establishment cultivator go to the East Sea District to participate in the auction? So our investigation should be focused on the eastern region of the Muhe Grassland."

"But, thinking further, assuming this person is the target that the ancestor is looking for, would he participate in the auction in his true appearance? Is it possible that the portrait we obtained is what he looks like after his appearance was altered?"

"I think we should first investigate the various regions in the eastern part of the Mukh Grassland. If we can't find this person, then we should search for him based on the standard that he is a person in disguise."

"Assuming that his appearance is after plastic surgery, we can start from two aspects. The first is his height and build, which can help us eliminate some candidates and focus on suspicious persons for in-depth investigation."

"Secondly, there's the black gold bloodstone he bought at the auction. Since he acquired it, he must have a use for it. This item isn't widely used; it's mostly used to refine magical artifacts and array flags. So we can assume that this person understands the art of artifact refining or array formations."

"By combining these two points, we can identify the key suspects from among the many Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivators."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man strode in: "Senior Brother Qi, the Foundation Establishment Level 6 cultivator we were looking for has appeared."

Upon hearing this, everyone who had been either bowing their heads in silence or deep in thought was startled, and all eyes turned to him.

"Where is he?" The burly man at the head of the group suddenly stood up, his face full of surprise.

"Someone saw him in Huayushan Market in the Wangxing District of the Eastern Region, inquiring about Lei Yuanmu."

"Can you be sure?"

“Confirmed. I went to Huayushan Market, found the intelligence intermediary who had contacted him, and performed a soul search on him.”

Do you know where this person comes from and where he is staying?

"This person usually makes a living by hunting demonic beasts in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. This time, he wants Thunder Essence Wood in order to hunt a demonic fox in order to refine Thunder Essence Pearl. As for his exact whereabouts, we do not know. This person has now advanced to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment."

The man surnamed Cui next to him pondered, "This person bought the Black Gold Bloodstone at the East China Sea District auction a few years ago, and now he needs Thunder Essence Wood to refine Thunder Essence Pearl. It can be seen that this person is skilled in the art of weapon crafting. In that case, we can release information about Thunder Essence Wood and then ambush him at the Flower Rain Mountain Market."

The burly man at the head of the group nodded: "Okay, let's do it that way."

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(I have a blind date tomorrow, so I need to take the day off.)
(End of this chapter)