Ten Thousand Sword Masters

Following Zhang Jianyun's instructions, Zhou Wei counted the injured people in Zhumu Village and sent the list to the government. Soon after, Mayor Cao Jin arrived with a group of yamen runners.

"Sect Master Zhang, how come there's a dimensional portal here?" Cao Jin asked, frowning.

"Lord Cao, I am investigating the cause," Zhang Jianyun said.

"This is no small matter; we must report it to the county," Cao Jin said solemnly.

"I have already sent a message to Du Zhong, the clerk, asking him to write a report to the county government," Zhang Jianyun said.

"Sect Master Zhang, what did you see about the beings from the dimensional gate who wanted to cross over?" Cao Jin asked.

"I didn't see anything, just a very blurry figure," Zhang Jianyun said.

"That means that the entity hasn't manifested a physical form yet, which means that this dimensional gate is not very stable and its load-bearing capacity is not very strong," Cao Jin analyzed.

"That should be the case; the dimensional gate is not fully formed yet," Zhang Jianyun said.

"Master, is there any connection between the bamboo ghosts that appear in this bamboo forest every now and then and this dimensional gate, or the entity behind the dimensional gate?" Cao Jin asked earnestly.

Zhang Jianyun didn't answer immediately. After organizing his thoughts, he spoke: "We rushed to Zhumu Village because many people in the village have gone mad. When I arrived, a powerful resentment was shrouding the village, and this resentment was similar to the resentment generated every time the Zhumu Ghost appeared."

"So, the two are related?" Cao Jin said in a deep voice.

Zhang Jianyun nodded slightly.

"Pavilion Master Yang didn't take this matter seriously," Cao Jin sighed.

"Pavilion Master Yang has always attached great importance to this matter, and has specially arranged for Liu Fei to investigate it for a long time. He himself has also come to Zhumu Village to investigate several times," Zhang Jianyun said.

"But he still hasn't found anything out. If the people who went to Cangxi Pavilion for help are too late, and the beings from other dimensions successfully cross over, the consequences will be unimaginable," Cao Jin said coldly.

"But the fact is I arrived in time and successfully destroyed the dimensional gate. And even if I hadn't arrived in time, I would have borne the consequences myself, and it shouldn't have implicated Pavilion Master Yang," Zhang Jianyun said.

"Sect Master Zhang, you can't afford the consequences of that," Cao Jin said coldly.

"Don't speculate on things that haven't happened yet. I will find out the reason for the appearance of the dimensional gate as soon as possible and give the government an explanation," Zhang Jianyun said.

"Master Zhang, this isn't just about giving an explanation to the government, it's about giving an explanation to all the villagers of Zhumu Village and all the people of Cangxi Town," Cao Jin said in a loud voice.

"Lord Cao, you don't need to emphasize these things to me. You should go and appease the villagers now," Zhang Jianyun said disdainfully.

Liu Fei carefully searched the bamboo forest several times, but found no trace of the bamboo ghost.

Zhang Jianyun also personally walked around the bamboo forest, but found nothing unusual.

"Master Yang and I have investigated this place several times before, but this bamboo and wood ghost always seems to appear out of thin air, and we can't find any trace of it at all," Liu Fei said helplessly.

Zhang Jianyun observed the surroundings of the bamboo forest but couldn't discern anything unusual.

"You can go out first. I'll stay here and look around by myself," Zhang Jianyun said.

"Okay, I'll head out now."

After Liu Fei left, Zhang Jianyun summoned Zhu Lan.

"Zhu Lan, do you remember this place?"

"Of course I remember, Master. This is where I was born," Zhu Lan said with a smile.

"Zhu Lan, do you know why you're here?" Zhang Jianyun asked calmly.

"Master, how would I know? I saw this bamboo forest as soon as I opened my eyes," Zhu Lan said.

"Zhu Lan, did your memories begin in this bamboo forest?" Zhang Jianyun asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, we're just like people; we only have memories after we're born," Zhu Lan said innocently.

"Did you feel anything different today?" Zhang Jianyun continued to ask.

"Today? Nothing seems special," Zhu Lan said, puzzled.

"A dimensional portal appeared here today, and a powerful being almost crossed over to this world," Zhang Jianyun said.

Zhu Lan stared wide-eyed at Zhang Jianyun, waiting for what would happen next.

"When the dimensional gate appeared, the entire Bamboo and Wood Village was shrouded in resentment, and this resentment was almost identical to the resentment I felt when I came to capture you that day," Zhang Jianyun recounted.

"Really?" Zhu Lan's eyes lit up. "Master, you've caught another bamboo and wood vengeful spirit?"

"This time, instead of the vengeful spirits of bamboo and wood, a dimensional portal appeared directly," Zhang Jianyun said.

"What exactly is a dimensional gate?" Zhu Lan asked, puzzled.

Zhang Jianyun was speechless, feeling like he was talking to a brick wall. It seemed he couldn't find a breakthrough with Zhu Lan.

Just then, Zhu Lan's body slowly floated up, and streaks of red light flashed in her eyes.

Zhang Jianyun was startled upon seeing this. "Zhu Lan, what's wrong?"

"Master, I feel someone is calling me," Zhu Lan said in a panic.

At the same time, Zhang Jianyun sensed a powerful resentment in the air, and a white light appeared on Zhu Lan's body as she began to become ethereal.

Swish!

Zhang Jianyun immediately sent Zhu Lan into the system space, and he followed her in.

Upon entering the system space, Zhu Lan instantly returned to normal.

When Zhang Jianyun returned to the bamboo forest, he found that the faint resentment that had appeared had disappeared.

"I understand now, the bamboo and wood vengeful spirit can transform into a dimensional portal."

"Why didn't the bamboo and wood vengeful spirit that appeared earlier transform into a dimensional portal? Why did it take until now for the bamboo and wood vengeful spirit to become a dimensional portal?"

"Is now the time ripe? But what exactly is this time?"

After thinking for a while, Zhang Jianyun returned to the system space.

"Zhu Lan, how are you feeling right now?"

"Master, it seems like I have some new memories in my mind," Zhu Lan said in fear.

"What memories?" Zhang Jianyun asked with great joy.

"Master, I don't think I'm a living being," Zhu Lan said in despair.

Zhang Jianyun was startled by his words. "Why do you say that?"

"Master, when my body started to become ethereal, many memory fragments suddenly appeared in my mind."

"What kind of memories do you have?"

"I am not from your world. I come from another world. I am a celestial network from another world. After being blessed with some runes, I was sent into your world. Once the network successfully enters your world, I will become a monster and a loophole in your world."

"What world do you come from?"

"I don't know. I have no memories of that world. I only know that I have a sacred mission to become a dimensional gate to guide the powerful beings from that world here."

"How can you transform into a dimensional portal?" Zhang Jianyun asked urgently.

"I don't know, I don't know. I feel like if I appear in your world, I could become a dimensional portal at any moment."

"Master, kill me. I am very dangerous to your world now."

I like the Ten Thousand Swords Master.