Chapter 477: Fishing

Such matters were trivial and commonplace within the cultivation realm, where cultivators, possessing supreme power within their singular selves, acted purely upon their whims; slaughter was the norm, and fleeing for one's life from pursuers was an everyday affair.

The Daoist Buyu felt this truth with profound intensity.

Having sated her craving for the grand sacrificial ritual, the Immortal Fairy graciously returned the command of Lu Yang's body to its rightful owner.

Senior brothers and sisters from every peak had set up stalls along the roadside, hosting a bewildering array of activities, none of which Lu Yang could fully recognize.

When word spread that disciples could host their own games, the senior disciples grew eager to try, each harboring their own eccentric ideas; applications flew toward the master's cavern dwelling like a flurry of snowflakes, prompting the Immortal Fairy to delegate the authority to Lu Yang, who, overwhelmed by the mountain of requests, promptly passed the burden along to the Eldest Senior Sister.

The Eldest Senior Sister’s criteria for approval were remarkably straightforward: so long as it posed no danger and brought no ruin to the reputation of the Wendao Sect, any event could be held.

"Sovereign Lu."

"Greetings, Sovereign Lu."

"Good day, Sovereign."

Voices called out in greeting all along the path, and Lu Yang nodded in response to each one, thoroughly enjoying the pleasant sensation of the deference shown to him.

Lu Yang then changed out of his heavy ceremonial robes.

"Acting Sovereign, care to purchase a few books?" a senior brother called out to him, one who frequently stood guard at the Mission Grand Hall.

Those within the Wendao Sect addressed him as the Acting Sovereign, while outsiders simply called him the Sovereign.

"Buy books? Are they not available within the Scripture Pavillion?" Lu Yang asked, bewildered.

"These are rare treasures not found within the Scripture Pavillion, would the Sovereign care to have a look?" the senior brother from the Mission Hall urged, and Lu Yang, feeling a stir of curiosity, paused before the bookstall to see what kind of fine works were on display.

"What do you have here?"

"Though the Acting Sovereign is a disciple of the Sect Master, you likely haven't had much personal contact with him; I have here an autobiography penned by the Sect Master himself, detailing his entire life story. Would the Acting Sovereign care to purchase a copy?"

"Master's autobiography?" This was indeed a book absent from the Scripture Pavillion, and one that tempted Lu Yang greatly.

"I'll take one."

"Fifty contribution points."

Lu Yang clicked his tongue; fifty contribution points for a single book was truly exorbitant, but having frequently performed meritorious deeds, he possessed an abundance of wealth and did not mind such a small sum.

As the contribution points were deducted, the senior brother from the Mission Hall handed Lu Yang a book with curled edges.

"Two Millenniums of Environmental Transitions in the Prisons of the Great Xia Dynasty"

"......This is Master's autobiography?"

Lu Yang suddenly recalled hearing the Eldest Senior Sister mention this book before; she had said that their master believed a man ought to leave something behind in this world, and so he had written a book based on his own personal experiences, resulting in this very volume.

Strictly speaking, the contents within were far more reliable than any theatrical storytelling, and it truly qualified as an autobiography.

Lu Yang felt a pang of regret; outside the sect, this book could be bought for a few scraps of silver, yet within his own home sect, it cost fifty contribution points.

They were swindling people right up to the Sovereign's head!

"Acting Sovereign, pray do not anger yourself, I shall gift you another book," the senior brother from the Mission Hall said hurriedly, his conscience apparently not entirely lost.

"What book?"

"The Sect Master's enemies span the entire world. As his youngest disciple, you are bound to encounter his foes whenever you venture abroad; how about I gift you a list of the Sect Master's enemies?"

"That is more like it."

Lu Yang took the book, its title reading: "The Registry of the Integration Stage Masters of the Great Xia Dynasty".

"......So you mean every single person in the Integration Stage is Master's enemy?"

The senior brother from the Mission Hall waved his hand dismissively and helped Lu Yang flip the book open: "Not to that extent. Look here, Acting Sovereign, I have marked a few names in red upon this list."

"Are these Master's enemies?"

"Only these specific individuals bear no grudge against the Sect Master."

Lu Yang felt a deep weariness in his soul; he had taken a master who had not taught him for a single day, yet his enemies were flying all over the sky.

"Farewell, Acting Sovereign, do come again next time," the senior brother from the Mission Hall called out warmly as he saw Lu Yang off.

"Senior brother, excuse me, is that book from just now still available?" After Lu Yang departed, someone stepped forward to purchase a book.

"Which one?" The senior brother from the Mission Hall narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.

"The Registry of the Integration Stage Masters of the Great Xia Dynasty, I don't believe I have ever seen this book in the outside world." The buyer appeared young, of an age similar to Lu Yang's; feeling uneasy under the intense gaze of the senior brother, he chuckled and scratched his head.

"I am Zhou Qingshi of the Pan Shi Sect, here to participate in the finals. I thought that if I encounter any elders of the Integration Stage when I venture out in the future, it would be terribly impolite if I did not recognize them, so I wished to buy a book to study."

Upon hearing this, the senior brother from the Mission Hall beamed with joy, his suspicions instantly vanishing: "So that's how it is. One fixed price, five thousand spirit stones."

"Five, five thousand?!" Zhou Qingshi cried out in shock, but at the thought of the book's utility, he ground his teeth and purchased it anyway.

The senior brother from the Mission Hall caught the eye of a companion nearby, signaling him to note down Zhou Qingshi’s name and place him on the suspect list for close observation.

He let out a cold sneer: "A mere Golden Core disciple wishing to know every Integration Stage master in the Great Xia, do you think you are Junior Brother Lu?"

Lu Yang had not walked far before he spotted a familiar figure: "Palace Master Luo, what are you doing here?"

Luo Hongxia had set up a temporary stall by the roadside—a clear violation of regulations, though no one dared to interfere with her—and sat upon a straw mat with a box placed before her.

Luo Hongxia raised her eyes to glance at Lu Yang: "Ah, Sovereign Lu. I am fishing."

"Fishing?" Lu Yang was baffled; there was not a drop of water here, so what could she possibly be fishing with?

Luo Hongxia offered no explanation, merely gesturing for Lu Yang to sit down.

Once Lu Yang was seated, he heard Luo Hongxia speak in a slow, measured tone: "Presumably, you have heard the storytelling performance titled 'The Chronicles of the Wendao Sect — The Chapter of Lu Yang'. The events within are described with immense detail, and all of them happen to be true. I wonder who could have leaked them."

Cold sweat broke out across Lu Yang's back upon hearing this, and he unhesitatingly betrayed his master: "It was all Master's doing. He used the name of the Sect Master to inquire about the contents of the assembly, so I related my experiences of the meeting to him."

"Humph, as I thought, it was him!" Luo Hongxia sneered, her expression turning into a satisfied grin that said 'I knew it'.

Before Lu Yang could say anything further, he saw an acquaintance of Luo Hongxia walking toward them, whom Lu Yang recognized as the Master of the Xuan Gate.

The Xuan Gate Master spotted Luo Hongxia and smiled with ill intent: "Daoist Luo, I heard you were beaten by Sovereign Lu, is there any truth to this?"

A Golden Core cultivator defeating an Integration Stage master was something anyone could deduce had a catch to it, but that did not stop him from coming over to mock her.

It was a pity Qiu Jin'an and Yang Ding were absent, otherwise he would have mocked them all together.

Just as Lu Yang was about to explain, he saw Luo Hongxia wave her hand, indicating that there was no need.

"There is indeed truth to it, Sovereign Lu can testify to that."

Luo Hongxia’s candid admission caught the Xuan Gate Master slightly off guard.

This reaction was not quite right.

"This involves ancient secrets; if you are interested, I can tell you about it."

"Ancient secrets?" The Xuan Gate Master's interest was piqued.

"This place has too many eyes and ears, let us step into the box to speak." Luo Hongxia opened the box.

The Xuan Gate Master's eyelids twitched, finding the container exceedingly familiar: "Is this not your Laurel Immortal Palace's Light-Binding Treasure Box..."

Before his words could finish, the box erupted with a sudden blast of radiance, sucking the Xuan Gate Master clean inside.

Within the treasure box, the Xuan Gate Master heard a cold sneer drifting from behind him.

"I hear you boy wanted to know exactly how we lost to Lu Yang?"

He turned his head to look, only to see Qiu Jin'an and Yang Ding smiling with undisguised malice, while Master Jiesha wiped the blood from his fists, maintaining an air of profound benevolence.

Qiu Jin'an and Yang Ding lunged forward as one, and before long, the agonizing shriek of the Daoist Sect Master echoed through the air.

Lu Yang watched in open-mouthed astonishment as Luo Hongxia snapped the box shut, a nervous swallow catching in his throat.

"This is what I meant by fishing."