Mortal: Fairy Song Yu has issued you a task.

Chapter 125 A Scheme in the Dark

The setting sun melts into gold, the evening glow spreads across the sea, and countless boats return to port.

More than ten streaks of light sped from where the sea met the sky; it was the group from the Three Immortals Sect returning from their investigation of Shuiluo Island.

The leader, Enforcer Wang, remained calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. Although they had not found direct traces of the Ghost-Eyed Crab on this expedition, they had gathered sufficient evidence based on the joint findings of the team's array experts.

The Azure Sea Array was indeed broken from the outside by the Demon Crab's Ghostly Light. The main reason why the array was destroyed so easily was that the spirit stones were not replaced in time.

This report is logically consistent and supported by sufficient evidence, enough to satisfy superiors. As for the unusually precise attack on the array base nodes, that should be reported truthfully.

At that time, the Three Immortals Sect will issue an investigation statement and organize forces as soon as possible to wipe out this group of demonic crabs, and the matter will be considered closed.

Enforcer Wang had already made up his mind, and the group had already arrived at Kui Xing Island. With a wave of his hand, everyone stopped flying.

"You three have worked hard, you may go back and rest first. Once the credits for this trip have been calculated, we will notify you to collect them." After he finished speaking, he turned to Lin Jingchu, his tone slightly apologetic, "Fellow Daoist Lin, this trip was not originally planned, so there may not be a share for you."

Lin Jingchu didn't care about the small amount of money: "It's nothing. It's my honor to contribute to the sect."

Enforcement Officer Wang nodded slightly, then led the other three disciples of the Immortal Sect away on their magical artifacts.

Only Lin Jingchu, Song Yu, and Xue Ning remained in the same spot.

Xue Ning watched them leave, then turned to Lin Jingchu and Song Yu with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Lin, Fellow Daoist Song, this investigation has finally come to an end. Why don't you two sit in my cave for a while? I recently acquired a jar of spirit tea produced in Tianxing City, which is quite rare. It would be perfect for us to enjoy tea and discuss the Dao, and I can also ask you some questions about formations."

Just as Song Yu was about to politely decline, Lin Jingchu preemptively cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Xue is so kind as to invite us, it's really not right to refuse. However, we've been traveling for days and are indeed quite tired, so we need to return home to rest. If we have some free time another day, we will definitely come to visit you."

Upon hearing this, Xue Ning did not insist and smiled, "Then it's settled. Please take your time, I'll go first." With that, she mounted her magical artifact and transformed into a streak of light, heading towards Tianwu Peak.

As the streak of light disappeared into the twilight, Lin Jingchu turned to Song Yu and said, "Senior Sister, please return to the manor first. I have some matters to attend to."

Song Yu's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't ask any more questions. She only instructed, "Be careful in everything." Then she transformed into a white streak of light and returned to Guanhai Pavilion.

Lin Jingchu then changed direction and headed towards Tianzhu Peak.

Half an hour later, the market on Kuixing Island was brightly lit and even more bustling than during the day.

The elegant seating area on the second floor of Tingchao Pavilion.

Lin Jingchu raised his glass, his expression sincere: "I toast Brother Lu. Since joining the Three Immortals Sect, I am grateful for your care and support; I will always remember it."

Lu Fengzhi raised his glass in return and laughed, "Brother Lin, you're too kind. My position is lowly, so there's nothing I can do to help you. It's just my duty. Speaking of which, there is something I'd like to trouble you with today."

"Oh? What is it?" Lin Jingchu put down his wine glass, looking at him with a listening expression.

Lu Fengzhi took out a storage bag and a jade slip: "I would like to ask Brother Lin to help me refine a suitable top-grade magic weapon. I have prepared the materials, but I am short of money and only have these spirit stones. I don't know if that will be enough."

Lin Jingchu took the storage bag and jade slip, quickly scanned them with his divine sense, and accepted them: "Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

Lu Fengzhi said happily, "Then thank you very much, Brother Lin."

After a few more drinks, Lin Jingchu suddenly sighed, "The Jiang family of Shuiluo Island has suffered greatly this time. Speaking of which, I had met the Jiang family patriarch, Jiang Jinchuan, a few times before, so we were old acquaintances. I never imagined that life would be so unpredictable, and that we would be separated forever in the blink of an eye."

Lu Fengzhi sighed upon hearing this: "The Chaotic Star Sea is just like this. Heavenly winds, beast tides, and ghostly mists—the three great natural disasters can strike at any time. No one knows what tomorrow will bring."

Lin Jingchu asked casually, "I heard from Clan Chief Jiang that two young members of the clan are to be sent to the Three Immortals Sect. I wonder if they have joined? If there is an opportunity, I would like to offer them some assistance."

Lu Fengzhi thought for a moment and said, "I don't know about that. But I can inquire about it for Brother Lin."

"Thank you very much."

Facing the night breeze, Lin Jingchu landed on the terrace of Guanhaixuan. He turned his head and saw Song Yu sitting quietly in the tea room in the courtyard, seemingly waiting for him.

"Junior brother is back? Are you done with your business?" Song Yu took a teacup and filled it for him.

Lin Jingchu smiled slightly: "Senior sister, do you know why I'm here? This is a huge secret."

His reply was a calm and understated one from Song Yu: "Junior brother, you know how to conduct yourself. Whether it's a secret or not is irrelevant."

Seeing his calm and collected demeanor, Lin Jingchu directly told him about the discovery of the Spirit Eye Pearl and his own speculations.

"I didn't expect the waters around Shuiluo Island to be so deep." Song Yu frowned slightly after hearing this. "That demonic spell that can collect resentment and remnant souls, and is done so discreetly, is definitely not a simple method. It must involve at least a Core Formation cultivator. Junior brother, it's best if we don't get involved."

"Of course I know." Lin Jingchu replied solemnly, then raised an eyebrow: "Senior Sister, the moonlight is perfect tonight, let's cultivate together."

Unfortunately, Song Yu, a veteran of many "battlefields," was not alarmed by this word. He simply stood up calmly and went to the terrace.

"Sigh~ Life is missing a great joy!"

"That's not fun, that's morbid fun."

Lu Fengzhi was quite efficient. The next evening, Lin Jingchu had just delivered the completed magic weapon when he was informed that the two young men and women from the Jiang family were now outer disciples of the Three Immortals Sect, responsible for tending spiritual herbs in a medicinal garden on Tianwu Peak.

Lin Jingchu thanked them and headed towards Tianwu Peak. Thanks to his status as a guest elder, he easily met the young couple.

The teenagers were not very cunning, and Lin Jingchu only asked a few questions to get them to reveal that they did not know about the clan's secret place.

However, one of the boys mentioned that they had a clan uncle named Jiang Hai. It was this man who rushed to Kuixing Island to deliver the news after the attack on Shuiluo Island.

"Now that the family has suffered such a great calamity, Shuiluo Island will inevitably be taken back by the Three Immortals Sect and reassigned. My uncle has nowhere to go, and his cultivation is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, so he works as a helper in a shop in the market to make a living." The boy said, his eyes slightly red.

Lin Jingchu inquired about the name and location of the shop, offered a few words of reassurance, and then took his leave.

After finding the shop, he didn't approach Jiang Hai directly. Instead, he used the "Mirror Flower Water Moon" technique to create a clone to secretly monitor the situation. He then returned to Guanhai Pavilion, quietly waiting for the person behind the scenes to make a move.

However, before the mastermind could make a move, news arrived that yet another island had been massacred by the Ghost-Eyed Crab.

The Three Immortals Sect, which had just released an investigation statement and ordered nearby islands to strengthen their defenses, was immediately enraged.

This time, it's no longer important that the Three Immortals Sect didn't send a message to Song Yu to investigate the reason; what's important is to quickly find the Ghost Eye Demon Crab group and completely wipe them out.

These things were naturally none of Lin Jingchu's or Song Yu's business. They weren't warriors or guest elders; they simply stayed in their mansions, focusing on their cultivation.

In the market town of Kuixing Island, there is a secluded and elegant room.

A monk surnamed Kong, wearing a mask, pushed open the door and entered. Inside, a middle-aged man with white hair was already sitting quietly; it was He Tianlong, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang.

The cultivator surnamed Kong plopped down opposite him, his tone unfriendly: "I've asked you out several times, why did you wait until now?"

He Tianlong picked up the teacup on the table, took a slow sip, and didn't even lift his eyelids: "Of course I have important business to attend to. Also, Mr. Kong, don't talk to me like that. Although the smuggling is done through your connections, we're just partners."

The cultivator surnamed Kong suppressed his anger: "I need you to kill someone for me."

"Who?"

"Lin Jingchu, a guest elder of the Three Immortals Sect."

Upon hearing this, He Tianlong suddenly laughed: "It seems Fellow Daoist Kong harbors deep resentment towards his own sect. Smuggling and poaching members is one thing, but now you're even planning to kill your own people?"

He stood up and walked towards the door. "If that's what it is, then I'll be going. I've been quite busy lately and don't have time for this kind of murder." He was causing trouble on the Three Immortals Sect's territory, so the more discreet he was, the better. If killing a guest retainer attracted an investigation, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

"What are you all busy with?" The voice of the monk surnamed Kong came from behind. "Don't worry, you'll be well paid."

He Tianlong paused. It wasn't the reward that moved him, but rather the other party's question, "What are you busy with?" that made his heart skip a beat.

"What is his cultivation level?"

"Late stage of Foundation Establishment. His partner is also at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. However, I will separate the two of them when we bring them out."

He Tianlong was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll think about it." He left without looking back.

The cultivator surnamed Kong watched as the other person's figure disappeared into the dark corridor before coldly snorting, "A pack of jackals."