Chapter 236: Not Very Familiar

Chapter 236: Not Very Familiar

The storm in the mountains was fierce, and the grand black palace atop Feiju Peak resembled a slumbering beast, ready to be awakened by a mere drop of rain. The bustling crowd below would then become its best nourishment.

Ying Wujiu stood quietly under the eaves, his red robe, damp from the rain, now dark and lifeless. His flesh and bones ached faintly, unable to escape the erosion brought by the gloomy weather.

After so many years apart, would those old acquaintances still recognize him?

Thinking of the upcoming encounter, a mocking smile curled at the corner of Ying Wujiu's lips.

How wonderful, all his enemies were still alive. If he had lain low for a hundred years only to find cold graves, it would have been very dull indeed.

Shuimei silently approached Ying Wujiu from behind and couldn't help but advise, "Your Excellency, the mountain air is frigid; you should go inside."

Cultivators usually wouldn't fear such conditions, but this person's body had been ruined by the Bone Sword Furnace, unable to withstand either cold or heat. Though seemingly strong, it was actually fragile and could shatter at any touch.

Ying Wujiu didn't move, gazing into the distance at the layers of mountains, lost in thought. Suddenly, he spoke:

"The Demon Realm is perpetually cold; it must be raining there too."

Perhaps he wasn't thinking of that place, but rather of the people there. Even Shuimei was momentarily stunned, lowering her head in contemplation.

The drizzle continued, but the crowd at the foot of the mountain showed no signs of dispersing. Below Feiju Peak lay an endless dense forest, with entrances guarded by the Demon Realm's black riders. Disciples from various sects, here to participate in the trials, lined up to register and receive their tokens. However, one spot was filled with arguments.

"I'll ask again, which sect do you belong to?!"

"I've already said I'm not from any sect, just a wandering cultivator. Why do you keep asking?!"

Lu Yan and the corpse puppet happened to be queuing behind them. He leaned forward slightly and saw a swordsman arguing with the guards from the Demon Realm.

It turned out that everyone entering the forest needed to state their name and sect before the Truth Stone. If the stone remained silent, it meant they were telling the truth and could enter after receiving a token. If the stone glowed blue, it indicated a lie. The man had been denied entry because the stone kept flashing when he stated his background, leading to the argument.

"Boom—!"

Just as everyone was watching the commotion, a bolt of lightning struck, instantly reducing the man to ashes. The suddenness of the event left everyone stunned, and the air fell into a dead silence.

"Since he refused to tell the truth even after three chances, he doesn't need to attend our Demon Realm's Sword Inquiry Conference. He can go straight to the King of Hell!"

A woman in deep blue robes emerged from the forest, the silver bells on her skirt jingling, breaking the silence. Her voice was icy, her blue lips resembling a deadly poison. She looked like a sinister and enchanting flower, her gaze sweeping over everyone present with an invisible force:

"Continue distributing the tokens. Anyone who refuses to acknowledge the truth will be killed on the spot!"

"Yes!"

The guard saluted and continued distributing the tokens. This display of power clearly worked well, and the rest of the line obediently stated their names and backgrounds. Until a group of disciples from the Wuxiang Sect suddenly broke the calm.

"Move aside! Move aside! What are you all crowding here for?!"

It was easy to distinguish between sect disciples and wandering cultivators. Those from major sects wore similar clothes and gathered in groups, while wandering cultivators traveled alone, carrying only a sword.

Everyone turned to see a group approaching from the end of the path. The leader, holding a sword and wearing white, had a silver pattern of the Wuxiang flower embroidered on his shoulder. The seven or eight people behind him were dressed identically, clearly inner disciples of the Wuxiang Sect. Though their appearances differed, they shared the same haughty demeanor.

The crowd parted to make way, whispering among themselves:

"I thought it was someone else, turns out it's the Wuxiang Sect."

"A bunch of lackeys, what do they have to be proud about?"

"Forget it, stay away from these living devils."

The leader seemed oblivious to the murmurs and placed his hand on the Truth Stone, lifting his chin slightly and speaking arrogantly to the guard: "Inner disciple of the Wuxiang Sect, Xiao Quan."

"Bang—!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he was kicked from behind, falling flat on his face. Liu Lianqing, standing behind him, shouted angrily:

"What kind of Xiao Quan! Are you blind? Can't you see I'm queuing here?! Do you think this is your Wuxiang Sect's territory, cutting in line right in front of me?!"

The disciples from the Feixing Sect applauded and cheered:

"Good kick, Senior Brother! Today we finally know what it means to fall flat on your face!"

Xiao Quan, clutching his rear, scrambled to his feet, his face turning purple with anger. Seeing the laughter around him, he flushed red and drew his sword in fury: "Liu Lianqing, you dare to provoke us again after my Third Senior Brother crippled your Feixing Sect disciples last time?!"

His mention of the past only added insult to injury, and the Feixing Sect disciples' faces darkened. They immediately charged at him, and the Wuxiang Sect disciples joined in, resulting in a chaotic fight.

The Demon Realm guards watched coldly, showing no intention of intervening.

Lu Yan happened to be queuing behind Liu Lianqing. Seeing this, he subtly shifted his position, covering his face—

Phew, almost forgot he was an inner disciple of the Wuxiang Sect. It would be bad if he were recognized.

But what he feared came true. Liu Lianqing used the family's secret technique, Chasing Stars and Moons, kicking the unskilled Xiao Quan into the air. Xiao Quan landed heavily near Lu Yan, clutching his waist and groaning. Looking up, he saw a familiar face and gasped in surprise:

"You... You're Senior Brother Lu, aren't you?!"

Lu Yan: "..."

Oh no, recognized. How awkward.

Lu Yan quickly changed his expression and said seriously: "Young hero, you must be mistaken. I've never seen you before."

Xiao Quan jumped up: "How could that be possible? You are Senior Brother Lu! Master said he sent you down the mountain to travel. How did you end up here?!"

When Elder Nanto assigned Lu Yan to infiltrate the Demon Realm, he told the sect that Lu Yan was traveling. But until Nanto's mysterious death, Lu Yan never returned. As fellow disciples under Nanto, how could Xiao Quan not recognize him?

"Senior Brother Lu, it's you! Fellow disciples, come and see if this is Senior Brother Lu!"

Hearing this, the Wuxiang Sect disciples forgot about the fight and crowded around Lu Yan, their voices filled with joy:

"Really, it's Senior Brother Lu!"

"Senior Brother Lu, why did you take so long to return? We thought you got lost during your travels down the mountain!"

"After Master’s passing, we’ve been without a pillar of support!"

Even Liu Lianqing frowned: "Brother Lu, are you actually from the Unwavering Sect?"

Lu Yan broke free from the crowd and calmly shook his sleeves under everyone's gaze, not breaking a sweat as he said, "How could I be from the Unwavering Sect? It’s just that people can look similar; they must have mistaken me. It’s getting late, so I suggest all of you enter the forest for the trial sooner rather than later."

After speaking, he led the way towards the entrance of the forest and addressed the guard: "I’m here to collect my entry token, thank you."

The guard, like the corpse puppet, had a deadpan expression and tone: "Place your hand on the Truth Stone. What is your name and which sect do you belong to?"

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lu Yan placed his hand on the Truth Stone and said seriously: "My surname is Lu, and my given name is Yan..."

Xiao Quan exclaimed excitedly: "You still say you’re not Senior Brother Lu!"

Lu Yan glanced at him sideways: "Why are you in such a hurry? This name isn’t rare; there are countless others with the same name. Does that mean they’re all your senior brother?"

After saying this, he refocused his attention on the Truth Stone and continued:

"My surname is Lu, and my given name is Yan. I come from... the Space Sect!"

The Truth Stone remained motionless, indicating he was telling the truth. The guard didn’t stop him and handed him a token: "You may enter."

Xiao Quan and the others were dumbfounded, refusing to believe they had mistaken him. What kind of sect was the Space Sect?! As they were about to step forward, a stern man in black robes with a straw hat blocked their path. He stepped forward and placed his hand on the Truth Stone, speaking in a deep voice:

"Zhan Liu, from the Water Chanting Nation."

The Truth Stone remained silent, and he collected his token before entering the forest. Lu Yan stood at the entrance and remarked curiously: "You’re quite clever."

He feared the corpse puppet might introduce himself as "Corpse Puppet, one of the five guardians of the Demon Realm," which would have exposed everything.

The corpse puppet gave Lu Yan a cold look: "I’m not stupid."

Lu Yan: "...Alright, let’s go."

The tokens they received acted like keys to the forest’s illusion. As soon as Lu Yan and the corpse puppet took a few steps, they felt a distorted wave in the air. The environment then transformed dramatically from a dense forest to a decaying cave, with dark caverns all around, filled with holes of various sizes. The wind carried the sound of a woman’s sobbing, making it seem like a ghostly realm.

"This is..."

Lu Yan paused after two words because a blue-robed woman suddenly appeared atop a boulder ahead. She looked at them coldly, playing with a black braid on her shoulder, which seemed like a dark snake due to the light:

"Aren’t you General Corpse Puppet of the Demon Realm? Why have you come to this humble place? If I remember correctly, the Lord ordered you to guard the Mystic Torch Hall. How dare you defy his orders?"

Among the five guardians of the Demon Realm, only two were women: Water Spirit and Thunder Woman. Lu Yan had already met Water Spirit, so he knew who this poisonous-looking woman was.

Lu Yan sensed that Thunder Woman’s tone was hostile. He turned to the corpse puppet and whispered: "Didn’t you say you know each other?"

The corpse puppet replied: "We do know each other."

Just not very well.

Lu Yan: "..."