CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 256: UNREST IN THE SOUTHERN BORDER

Although this sounded a bit off, Lu Zheng’s astonishment was genuine.

A dozen scholars vanished from the town all at once. No matter how you look at it, most should already be dead.

Ji Zizhen had been missing for four days, so the chance of survival was slim.

However...

Since they were alive, Lu Zheng didn’t mind meddling in trivial matters. After all, it was just abducting some scholars in a remote town; at most, there would be some little demons and little ghosts. How much Dao practice could they have?

"It’s about ten miles northwest of North Town. What place is it?" Lu Zheng asked the Innkeeper.

The Innkeeper, with a small mustache, showed a flash of fear in his eyes, "Ten miles northwest of North Town?"

"Right!" Lu Zheng nodded, "What’s the matter, any issues?"

The Innkeeper swallowed hard, "That’s Li Family Castle... it’s been abandoned for decades..."

About a century ago, it was a prominent clan in Xiahe Town, then gradually declined, finally leaving scattered descendants, and the ancestral land fell into ruin.

"It’s said that seventy years ago, more than a dozen people who lived in Li Family Castle suddenly vanished, and because the location was secluded, no one ever went there again. Occasionally, those who visited reported it was eerie and terrifying, not a place of goodness..."

"All right, got it." Lu Zheng nodded.

There’s no mistake. Either some foreign ghost discovered this feng shui treasure and took over, or the ghosts from Li Family had cultivated successfully and ventured out.

"Let’s go check it out!"

The four bid farewell to the Innkeeper and immediately left the town, heading north.

...

"Where did these ghosts come from, daring to steal a man from me!" Hu Cai Niang pouted. She had left her Qi on Ji Zizhen; usually, any anomaly should be able to see it.

"Wait, Qingyan, you all hold back and let me see how much Dao practice that ghost has!" Hu Cai Niang said confidently.

"Alright..." Liu Qingyan agreed, not insisting.

Just as they arrived at a mountain pass, they saw a group walking out from the ruins nearby.

"Lord You? Sister Du?"

Leading the group were You Che and Du Huanzhen from the Yizhou Anomaly Suppression Bureau.

Behind them followed four or five pale-faced, weakened scholars, their steps faltering, with Ji Zizhen among them.

"Young Master Lu?"

Du Huanzhen’s eyes brightened. She smiled and approached, giving a rather suggestive glance at the three women beside him, then winked at Lu Zheng, "What brings you here?"

"Cai Niang?"

Seeing Hu Cai Niang, Ji Zizhen’s eyes flooded with tears, wanting to rush forward but nearly stumbled after taking a step.

Hu Cai Niang shook her head helplessly and came forward to support him.

"Eh?" Du Huanzhen looked at Hu Cai Niang and Ji Zizhen, then turned to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng first introduced Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying to the others, then briefly explained the relationship between Hu Cai Niang and Ji Zizhen before asking, "Why would a mere hundred-year-old ghost make both Sister and Lord You take action?"

"It was a misunderstanding," Du Huanzhen shook her head, "We thought it was someone from the Southern Border Divine Maiden Sect."

"Ah?"

"Southern Border has been restless lately; many sects have infiltrated the Central Plains, causing trouble, including the Divine Maiden Sect," Du Huanzhen said, "This ghost’s behavior seemed similar to the Divine Maiden Sect. We thought they had infiltrated Yizhou, so we came together, but it turned out not to be."

"Oh!" Lu Zheng nodded.

If it were an invasion by major forces from the Southern Border, that would make sense.

Their headquarters wasn’t in the Great Jing, so they could act without restraint. Remember when the Primordial Saint Sect came seeking a Saintess substitute, causing a major mobilization of the Anomaly Bureau.

The Primordial Saint Sect was looking for a Saintess substitute, the Divine Maiden Sect sought men to absorb Yang, why are they all relying on external means?

"Just a hundred-year-old ghost that killed a dozen scholars, which we then eliminated. These are the survivors, and their Primordial Yang has already depleted significantly. They won’t recover for a year or two, let alone consider any intimate relations,"

Du Huanzhen looked pointedly at Hu Cai Niang and Ji Zizhen.

...

Hu Cai Niang and Ji Zizhen, having a fleeting romance, first escorted Ji Zizhen away.

Lu Zheng and the two others, along with Du Huanzhen and You Che, sent the scholars to Xiahe Town before leaving together.

"First the Primordial Saint Sect, then the Divine Maiden Sect; do Southern Border sects often infiltrate Great Jing?" Lu Zheng asked, puzzled.

"They’re generally active in the southern regions, rarely venturing deep into the Central Plains, unless they don’t plan to return or have extremely important matters, like last time’s quest for a Saintess possession body."

Du Huanzhen explained, "Although Southern Border is rather chaotic and mostly hostile towards our dynasty, their internal competition and enmity are not small either, posing lesser pressure on us compared to the Northern Border."

Southern Border is a land of smoke, with treacherous terrains and sparse populations. Whether it’s mountain tribes or various unconventional evil paths, their threats to mortal citizens are significant.

Suddenly, You Che spoke, "Southern Border seems to have experienced a change years back, where many influential figures perished or fell into silence, yet they’ve seemed to bounce back recently."

Lu Zheng blinked, "Doesn’t the Great Jing Dynasty have spies in Southern Border?"

Du Huanzhen chuckled, "You’ve read too many books. The sect leaders of Southern Border are figures with several millennia of Dao practice. Who could possibly uncover their affairs?

Just know that even the head of the Anomaly Bureau in Zhongjing wouldn’t dare venture deep into Southern Border."

Lu Zheng was speechless. All right, that was bold of me, but he didn’t care, as such matters of major forces had nothing to do with him, a layman.

Besides, Lu Zheng’s eyes gleamed; the figures with millennia of Dao practice—is that the limit of this world’s potential?

Lu Zheng had many questions in his heart.

When did the cultivation path open in this world?

Are the first people or demons who started cultivation still existing?

Why does this world resemble ancient Hua Country so much, with Buddhist path inheritances?

Do mythical figures exist? If so, where are they?

In the modern age, these aren’t issues because it’s a technological society.

Even in this world, the issues aren’t too complex; it’s just the origin of cultivation.

But looking at it from Lu Zheng’s perspective, there’s a significantly bigger issue.

Despite many enigmas, Lu Zheng almost instinctively felt there was a higher existence above Earth and this world.

So...

Lu Zheng’s lips curved into a smile, contemplating if eternal life wasn’t just a dream?

His perspective might be broader than many experts in this world.

Moreover, he was a genius!

After all...

"Jade Seal, once I’m powerful enough, I’ll take you to witness a higher perspective, see if the Heaven-Overturning Seal truly exists, and test to see who’s mightier—you or the Heaven-Overturning Seal!"

Jade Seal, "..."