Chapter 49: The Gold Mine Leak

Meanwhile, Ji Wushuang was secretly taken by Linglong Gongzi to a secluded villa to heal.

Ten days later, Shui Jingxuan found the Wolf Girl, who had been slaughtering people everywhere.

When they met again, Shui Jingxuan was still the same Shui Jingxuan.

But the Wolf Girl had grown from a clean, innocent girl who knew nothing of the world into a cold-hearted demoness who killed without hesitation.

The martial sister and brother stood on opposite sides, gazing at each other from afar, both lamenting the vicissitudes of life.

“Junior Brother, you’ve been well?” the Wolf Girl spoke first, her voice bitter.

Her face was pale, her hair white, and her white robe was stained with patches of blood, no longer the ethereal beauty of the past.

Shui Jingxuan lifted his chin slightly and asked bluntly, “Has Master come to see you?”

The Wolf Girl nodded. “He came to see me ten days ago. But he only looked at me from afar and left without a word.”

Ten days ago? He was injured, yet he traveled so fast. How anxious must Master have been to see the Wolf Girl?

But when he saw her, he did nothing, just looked from afar. How much did he love her?

Thinking this, Shui Jingxuan’s heart tightened with pain, and he actually felt jealousy toward the Wolf Girl.

But jealousy aside, he knew better than anyone that feelings couldn’t be forced.

So he quickly suppressed his complicated emotions and asked calmly, “Do you know which direction Master went?”

“To the north.” The Wolf Girl pointed north.

The north was the complete opposite direction from the Demon Sect.

Shui Jingxuan was stunned. He had a faint feeling that Master was disheartened and intended to leave for good, not planning to return to the Demon Sect.

Ji Wushuang’s absence was better, no one would compete with him for the position of Sect Master. Everything was developing in his favor.

Yet, Shui Jingxuan felt no joy at all.

He had obtained the position he had coveted for so long, but lost the person who understood and accompanied him.

In his view, the gain could not make up for the loss. He had planned to assist Ji Wushuang wholeheartedly, the two of them building the Demon Sect’s foundation for a century. That was the scenario he had envisioned.

But because of his belated realization, everything was now in chaos.

The Wolf Girl watched the direction they had gone for a long time, then turned and resumed her journey of slaughter.

Linglong Gongzi had every intention of using Ji Wushuang, so he naturally went to great lengths to conceal his identity and whereabouts.

The Demon Sect was a newly rising sect, nowhere near the stature of centuries-old clans like Tingtao Villa.

Thus, after searching for a full two months without finding any trace of Ji Wushuang, and under the constant urging of the elders, Shui Jingxuan finally decided to return to the sect and inherit the position of Sect Master.

That year, two major events occurred in the martial world.

First, the renowned Demon Sect Master Ji Wushuang, disheartened by the Wolf Girl’s betrayal, resigned from his position and went wandering. The position of Sect Master was inherited by an obscure junior within the sect. From then on, the Demon Sect lay low, gradually fading from the sight of the martial world.

Second, the master of Tingtao Villa, Jin Zhendong, was assassinated by an enemy. Before his death, he did not pass the position to his son, Linglong Gongzi Jin Haofeng, but to a junior martial brother who appeared out of nowhere.

The six elders of Tingtao Villa refused to accept this, but this person’s mastery of the Tingtao Sword Technique was superb, and he killed three of the six elders on the spot.

Knowing when to yield, the surviving three elders immediately expressed their support, and Tingtao Villa officially changed hands.

After taking over the Demon Sect, Shui Jingxuan gathered the entire clan and announced his strategy of ‘lying low and recuperating.’

He also officially revealed the discovery of a gold mine in the back hills.

The heterodox faction was weak and rejected by both Han and Manchu. Possessing three gold mines was like a child carrying gold bricks through a bustling market, it would inevitably bring deadly disaster to the clan.

The clan members understood this well. They all voluntarily kept the gold mining a secret, and the defenses and patrols inside and outside the valley became even more strict.

For safety, they also raised many poisonous insects and plants in the dense forests around the valley. Over time, this place became a death zone shrouded in toxic miasma, and no one dared to set foot there again.

With this strong sense of protecting the clan, Shui Jingxuan had no need to worry about the gold mine leaking out.

Every time someone from the sect went out of the valley for training, they would voluntarily take the Heart-Reading Gu. This gu would burrow into the depths of the person’s heart and lungs.

If the person harbored thoughts of betraying the clan for personal gain, they would die from heart-devouring pain.

Thus, over five years, the heterodox faction, supported by a steady stream of gold, gradually lived a prosperous and stable life. In terms of power, not to mention facing the eight major sects, they even had the strength to contend with centuries-old martial arts clans.

However, the way of heaven changes, and the world is unpredictable. There would always be some twists and turns.

One day, Shui Jingxuan was lazily leaning back in a large armchair, flipping through a sword manual, when a young girl hurriedly came to seek an audience.

The girl caught his eye. Seeing the Sect Master, whose handsome features were striking, propping his head with one hand and gazing at her with indifference, her face went pale.

Without saying a word, she knocked her head on the ground until her forehead was bloody and swollen.

“Stop kowtowing. What’s the matter? Speak!” Seeing the girl’s expression as if she had lost her parents, Shui Jingxuan felt a sense of foreboding, but he showed nothing on his face and said calmly.

“Reporting to the Sect Master, I have committed a crime! Months ago, I saw a man with extraordinary bearing and handsome features and fell in love with him. I secretly hid him, forced him to take a love gu, and then he got the secret of the gold mine and the antidote, then escaped out of the valley.”

The woman’s tears fell like rain as she finished speaking.

Halfway through her words, Shui Jingxuan had already dropped his lazy posture, his face turning cold and stern. The guards outside the door also looked as if the sky was falling, their faces filled with horror.

If the man were to reveal the news of the heterodox faction’s gold mine, facing such a huge temptation, the fate of the faction would be easy to imagine.

At that time, greedy people would swarm in, slaughter the faction completely to plunder the treasure. The mountain of corpses and sea of blood of the clan would be enough to fill the deep valley.

Thinking this, Shui Jingxuan composed himself, looked coldly at the weeping girl below, and shouted in a deep voice, “Stop crying. The urgent task is to catch that man. Do you know his background?”

The girl quickly stopped crying and said hoarsely, “He said he was a hunter from the foot of the mountain, came to hunt, and unfortunately got caught in the miasma.”

“Hmph!” Shui Jingxuan sneered. “Every hunter at the foot of the mountain knows this place is full of miasma and is forbidden. His story is full of holes, and you believed it!”

The girl lowered her head in shame, stammering and not daring to speak.

Knowing that now was not the time to punish the girl, and that finding the man quickly and protecting the Demon Sect’s secret was the priority, Shui Jingxuan forced down his anger and said coldly,

“Does that man have any belongings left with you? If so, bring them to me to examine. We might find some clues.”

Fortunately, to keep something as a token of love, the girl had carefully stored the man’s original belongings. Hearing the Sect Master’s order, she quickly and fearfully agreed.

Soon she brought a set of hunter’s clothes, an exquisite jade pendant, a large bow, and a quiver full of arrows. The other elders also rushed over upon receiving the news.

Shui Jingxuan examined the four items one by one, then handed them to the elders for inspection. Half an hour later, the elders finished their examination and put the items down, their expressions very grave.

“Any findings?” Shui Jingxuan asked slowly, his eyelids half-closed.

“Reporting to the Sect Master, this man’s identity is definitely not as simple as a hunter! Just look at this jade pendant: the craftsmanship is very fine, and the jade is top-grade. It’s impossible for an ordinary person to possess such a thing.” The elder of the Dark Hall spoke after a moment of deliberation, and the other elders nodded in agreement.

“Correct! This jade pendant is valuable, so this man’s background must be extraordinary.” Shui Jingxuan nodded and said with certainty. “I believe he should be serving under Wu Sangui.”

“Why does the Sect Master say that?” The elders were alarmed that it involved the military and urgently pressed for an answer.

“Look at the totem on the jade pendant: a fierce eagle holding a giant serpent in its beak, ready to take flight. This is a unique totem of the Naxi people in Yunnan.

From this jade pendant, we can see that this man is from Yunnan. Now look at this bow. The bow handle is made of top-grade yew wood, and the bowstring is twisted from raw cowhide.

The craftsmanship is very fine, matching military standards. Now look at the arrows in the quiver. The arrowheads are iron, three-edged, with barbs and blood grooves.

These are also specially made military arrows. This man must be a soldier, and he is from Yunnan. I ask you, besides the Prince of Yunnan, Wu Sangui, who else could he serve?”

From a few simple items, they could immediately discern the man’s origins.

The elders once again witnessed the Sect Master’s vast knowledge and shrewd judgment, and they felt extremely fortunate to have recommended him to the position.

But when they thought of the Prince of Yunnan’s ruthless reputation and the million-strong army under his command, they became anxious.

Seeing the elders’ minds in turmoil and despair in their eyes, and the girl looking withered, Shui Jingxuan pondered for a moment and then said slowly, “Don’t panic. I already have a plan. There is still room for a turnaround.”

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned to look at him with burning gazes.

Shui Jingxuan frowned and explained, “This man’s belongings are all top-quality, so his military position must be high. He surely has the opportunity to meet Wu Sangui.

Wu Sangui holds Yunnan, keeps his army, and harbors intentions of rebellion. This man discovered the gold mine, which can help Wu Sangui seize the throne. That would be a great merit, and he would enjoy endless riches and honor. Do you think he would share this credit with others?

No! Therefore, he will definitely keep this secret until he sees Wu Sangui. I will send a letter to lure Wu Sangui out for a meeting. Then I will make him drink ‘Forgetfulness,’ and kill that man. That will solve the problem.”

‘Forgetfulness’ was a new drug developed by the High Priest. It could make a person forget their past and believe the fabricated experiences given by the one who administered the drug.

Everyone relaxed their tense nerves slightly upon hearing his words. Only Elder Mu stepped forward and said hesitantly, “The Sect Master’s plan seems very thorough, but Wu Sangui is suspicious by nature and always has a hundred experts as guards. He may not be willing to leave Yunnan to meet you.”

Shui Jingxuan lifted his chin and answered confidently,

“He will come!” The elders all showed doubtful expressions. Shui Jingxuan glanced at them and smiled faintly. “If Chen Yuanyuan sends him a letter, he will definitely come. Go prepare. I will leave the sect tomorrow to handle this matter.”

Hadn’t Chen Yuanyuan long since jumped off a cliff and died? The elders looked at each other, confusion in their eyes.

But over the years, they had come to firmly believe in the Sect Master’s abilities, so no one raised any objections. After Shui Jingxuan waved them away, they filed out of the meeting hall.

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