Chapter Eighty-Six: The Encirclement of the Demonic Daoist

On Mount Changbai, Zixuan and Tang Wei were still waiting where they were for news from Long San. Bored out of their minds, Zixuan decided to take Tang Wei for a sword ride, hoping to let her grow accustomed to the height of flight first so that she would practice more quickly later on. But since he himself had only recently begun, and had only just advanced to the Golden Core stage, he was still far from adept at controlling spiritual energy. Carrying someone through the air made him lurch and jolt, rising and falling, weaving and swaying, which gave the two of them quite a thrill.

It was not until noon that they received Long San’s oral report: traces of the White-Eyebrowed Demon Daoist had been found in a farmhouse at the foot of Mount Changbai. Because of what had happened before, the security bureau dared not act rashly, and could only send people to tail him in secret first. Only after confirmation did they hurry to send word and request Zixuan and Tang Wei’s assistance.

After receiving the news, the two of them only packed up a little and prepared to walk down the mountain. Since the mastermind behind everything had not yet been found, they did not intend for the moment to reveal their identities as Golden Core cultivators. Otherwise, by Tang Wei’s usual nature, she would surely have flown over in full swagger to show off.

Since Yaya’s safety had already been confirmed, neither of them was in any hurry. They simply strolled down the mountain at an unhurried pace. Before they had gone halfway down the path, they saw Long San standing there alone, glancing left and right. It seemed he had grown impatient waiting at the foot of the mountain and had come up to the only route they would surely take.

Seeing the two figures approaching from afar, Long San quickly went over and said, “Senior, at last I’ve caught up with you two!”

As he greeted them, he happened to look them over and suddenly felt that something about the two of them was different. He looked more carefully, yet could not tell what had changed, but deep in his heart he kept sensing that something was not quite right. The more he looked, the more dazed he became.

“What is it? Have we kept you waiting too long?” Zixuan asked with a smile. When no one answered, he looked up and saw Long San staring blankly at the two of them. Smiling, he reminded him, “Long San, what are you looking at? Don’t recognize us anymore?”

Long San came to himself, shook his head, and tried to dispel the doubt in his mind. He hurriedly explained, “I’m sorry, Senior! I didn’t mean to! It’s just that when I looked at you all at once, I felt as though the two of you were a little different somehow. But I couldn’t figure out exactly how, so I got distracted without meaning to.”

“Heh, it’s nothing!” Zixuan smiled it off. Of course he knew what was different about him now. After advancing to the Golden Core stage, a cultivator’s bearing would become more transcendent at the very least. He had not expected Long San, despite his low cultivation, to be so sensitive. He really was a promising prospect.

Zixuan was thinking that he ought to see what kind of character he had; perhaps taking in a disciple to run errands would not be a bad idea. After all, Weiwei had already accepted a disciple when she was only at the Qi Refining stage. Now that he had reached the Golden Core stage, being a master to someone would not be beneath him.

Come to think of it, this Long San was just a stubborn mule. He and Weiwei had told him more than once not to call them senior, but he had decided that their cultivation was higher than his, and that whenever they met he had to address them as seniors. So he kept on calling them Senior this and Senior that, without stopping. After being called that a few times, the two of them had grown used to it and simply let him be. Such a stubborn person probably could not be all that bad. The only concern was that someone so rigid in his likes and dislikes would be easy for others to use as a pawn. If he were accepted as a disciple, he would likely need extra care.

With that thought in mind, Zixuan spoke quite casually. “Let’s go. We can talk as we walk and take a look at what sort of situation you have there.”

Long San naturally nodded and followed behind them, saying respectfully, “This time I truly have to thank Senior for teaching me tracking techniques, otherwise who knows when we would have found that White-Eyebrowed Demon Daoist. Our department searched Mount Changbai for quite some time and never found any useful clues. In the end, we had no choice but to use the tracking method Senior taught me.”

“That demon daoist is that formidable? How is his cultivation?” Zixuan had not expected the daoist to have such skill, and could not help asking.

“His cultivation isn’t especially high either. He has only just entered the Foundation Establishment stage. It’s just that he is usually extremely hard to locate, and even if we do find him, he is no small hand at escaping. Add to that the fact that his horsetail whisk is terrifyingly powerful, and he has been able to roam free these past few years without anyone being able to subdue him. Even last time, when our chief personally went out together with two other Foundation Establishment cultivators assisting on the side, he still managed to get away. So this time we dared not alarm him. We only found his hiding place and sent people to watch from outside in secret, planning to wait until you arrived before thinking of another way.”

Long San looked utterly vexed. It seemed that this White-Eyebrowed Demon Daoist had indeed caused them no small amount of trouble.

“So with so many of you, still no one could injure him?” A cultivator at the fasting stage, together with two Foundation Establishment cultivators, had actually been unable to deal with a single man who had only just entered Foundation Establishment, and had even let him escape so brazenly. Zixuan could not help feeling a little contempt in his heart, already deciding that this so-called security bureau was nothing more than a rabble.

“He must have suffered some serious injuries himself, otherwise he would not have taken such a risk this time to seize a spirit child. I think he must be trying to use Yaya’s spiritual roots to help recover from his wounds.” Long San said uncertainly, clearly not daring to be sure of his own guess.

“Heh.” Zixuan could only use a laugh to cover the ridicule and disdain he felt for the security bureau. He also had no desire to continue this subject, so he changed the topic and asked, “For this mission, has your chief come along?”

“The chief is personally directing things below. If we can eliminate White Eyebrow, that great malignant tumor, who knows how many ordinary people will benefit from it!” Long San still felt somewhat pleased. Clearly, if White Eyebrow could be eliminated, he too would stand to gain. He had been stuck on this case for years, enduring all the mockery of his colleagues, and now at last there was a chance to take on other matters. Still, it all depended on Zixuan and Tang Wei’s help.

At the thought of that, Long San could not help glancing again at the two people ahead of him, uncertain whether they would really be up to it. It would be terrible if they were only showy and hollow.

Long San was doubting them, while Zixuan was laughing at the security bureau even more. Who exactly was not up to the task here? It still depended on real skill.

Tang Wei paid no mind to the men’s affairs. Yaya was not in the White-Eyebrowed Demon Daoist’s hands at all, so she could watch the show in perfect ease. Hearing that Long San’s chief had come in person, she could not resist making things difficult for him and asked, “Since your chief has come personally, did you at least find Yaya’s whereabouts?”

Zixuan knew at once that Tang Wei was trying to embarrass Long San, but he said nothing, only letting a faint smile appear on his face.

“W-well... not yet. W-we have only been tracking his movements. We didn’t dare get too close, afraid of alerting the snake and letting him escape again!” Long San answered awkwardly.

“Ohhh, so this time the job of catching him still depends entirely on us, does it?” Tang Wei asked with a mischievous smile.

Zixuan had only thought it in his heart, but she said it outright without hesitation, not caring whether the other party would be embarrassed.

“If that is truly the case, then we will have to trouble the two Seniors,” Long San replied, flushed with embarrassment. Since it was obvious, there was no point in denying it. Better to admit it directly.

“All right, Senior Sister. Stop teasing him.” Seeing the future disciple he was considering looking so flustered that he did not know where to put himself, Zixuan deliberately helped him out. He said to Long San, “Long San, are we nearly there? Later, you go first and greet your chief, and lure that demon daoist out. My senior sister and I will set up a formation outside to trap him first, just in case. After that, we will rush over to assist.”

“Yes, Senior! I will do as you instruct.” Long San put away his little thoughts, thinking that since these two could even set up formations, they should have some real ability after all.

Tang Wei, meanwhile, was laughing to herself. “That’s how the shows always do it on television. Usually the protagonists make their grand entrance at the very end. Looks like Zixuan and I get to be the main characters this time too.”