劍問蒼天 - 第119章 追蹤 - 清風書屋

That voice could belong to none other than Yun Yifeng, valley master of Burning Cloud Valley, whose name shook the world—though for some reason, this titan of the orthodox path, once ranked alongside Daoist Daoyan of the Canglan Sect and Master Pucheng of the Brahma Sound Temple, now sounded all but like a dying old man, his spirit scattered and his breath failing.

He seemed to laugh softly, then said mildly, "My health? Will it ever be well again? Let it be. I'll wait for death, slowly."

Shangguan Lue's expression shifted, his face greatly conflicted, and he was about to speak when Yun Yifeng's listless voice cut him off: "How do matters stand?"

Shangguan Lue was silent a moment, then said, "We have more or less found out. The one who secretly stirred up the fish-folk that night was Jin Pingyue of the Enchanting Sect, of the Demonic Cult. No doubt because her sect's people were slain by the fish-folk in the Dead Marsh, she took ruthless revenge."

Yun Yifeng was silent behind the screen for a moment, then his voice suddenly dropped low: "And has she caught wind of the great matter we are secretly plotting?"

Shangguan Lue's body gave a slight jolt; in that instant, the voice behind the screen had suddenly become full of majesty.

"As I see it, not yet."

"Then good," Yun Yifeng said, clearly relieved. "Otherwise, if the matter were to leak out, the painstaking work of many years would come to nothing."

Shangguan Lue nodded. "Rest easy, Senior Brother."

Yun Yifeng paused, then said, "That person who slipped into the Mystic Fire Altar and freed the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox—have they been found?"

Shangguan Lue said, "Last night our nephew-disciple Li Xun and Ke Ruhui tracked Jin Pingyue to the vicinity of Tianshui Stronghold. From what he reported upon returning this morning, Ming Li of the Nether King Sect of the Demonic Cult also appeared there and struck by ambush, which led to Ke Ruhui being killed in the attack. Fortunately, Lu Xueling of the Canglan Sect, who had come south to inquire after you on behalf of Daoist Daoyan, happened to be passing that way and lent a hand, and so they were able to escape the two demons' pincer."

"Ming Li?" Yun Yifeng's voice paused. "Could that be Zhang Qingyue, who betrayed Qingyun ten years ago?"

Shangguan Lue nodded. "The very man. That battle at Canglan Mountain caused a sensation across the world. Zhang Qingyue betrayed Qingyun, and in a mere ten years his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds; today he is the foremost general under the Nether King."

Yun Yifeng gave a snort. "Old Daoyan has grown old, and his wits have grown muddled with him. To have such talent and be unable to use it."

Shangguan Lue smiled, then said, "Our nephew-disciple Li Xun said upon his return that he suspects the one who slipped into the Mystic Fire Altar that night and caused the chaos was Ming Li himself. And to free the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, without our valley's secret incantations, one would need the Xuanhuo Mirror, essence of all fire, to break the bonds of the Mystic Fire Chain. In his view, the Xuanhuo Mirror is most likely on Ming Li's person."

Yun Yifeng was silent a while, then suddenly said, "What do you think?"

Behind the screen, Shangguan Lue's expression changed. After a moment he said respectfully, "I too think it highly likely."

Yun Yifeng's voice drifted from behind the screen: "When I met old Daoyan in those years, he prided himself on being of the orthodox sects, and always held to the notion of rather let one go than kill the wrong man—and he boasted of it to me. Do you remember?"

Shangguan Lue was startled, not knowing why Yun Yifeng should suddenly bring up so distant a matter, but he could only nod. "Indeed. I was at your side then, Senior Brother, and I remember it clearly. Daoist Daoyan said exactly that."